Significant Mean and Extreme Climate Sensitivity of Norway Spruce and Silver Fir at Mid-Elevation Mesic Sites in the Alps

Forest ecosystems significantly contribute to the global organic carbon (OC) pool, exhibiting high spatial heterogeneity in this respect. Some of the components of the OC pool in a forest (woody aboveground biomass (wAGB), coarse root biomass (CRB)) can be relatively easily estimated using readily available data from land observation and forest inventories, while some of the components of the OC pool are very difficult to determine (fine root biomass (FRB) and soil organic matter (SOM) stock). The main objectives of our study were to: (1) estimate the SOM stock; (2) estimate FRB; and (3) assess the relationship between both biotic (wAGB, forest age, foliage, stand density) and abiotic factors (climatic conditions, relief, soil properties) and SOM stocks and FRB in temperate forests in the Western Carpathians consisting of European beech, Norway spruce, and silver fir (32 forest inventory plots in total). We uncovered the highest wAGB in beech forests and highest SOM stocks under beech forest. FRB was the highest under fir forest. We noted a considerable impact of stand density on SOM stocks, particularly in beech and spruce forests. FRB content was mostly impacted by stand density only in beech forests without any discernible effects on other forest characteristics. We discovered significant impacts of relief-dependent factors and SOM stocks at all the studied sites. Our biomass and carbon models informed by more detailed environmental data led to reduce the uncertainty in over- and underestimation in Cambisols under beech, spruce, and fir forests for mountain temperate forest carbon pools.

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Reduced climate sensitivity of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope ratios in tree-ring cellulose of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) influenced by background SO2 in Franconia (Germany, Central Europe)

Environmental Pollution ◽

10.1016/j.envpol.2013.10.030 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 185 ◽

pp. 281-294 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Tatjana Boettger ◽

Marika Haupt ◽

Michael Friedrich ◽

John S. Waterhouse

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotope ◽

Central Europe ◽

Tree Ring ◽

Climate Sensitivity ◽

Abies Alba ◽

Isotope Ratios ◽

Stable Isotope Ratios ◽

Silver Fir ◽

Tree Ring Cellulose

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Root strength and density decay after felling in a Silver Fir-Norway Spruce stand in the Italian Alps

Plant and Soil ◽

10.1007/s11104-013-1860-4 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 377 (1-2) ◽

pp. 63-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

C. Vergani ◽

E. A. Chiaradia ◽

C. Bassanelli ◽

G. B. Bischetti

Keyword(s):

Norway Spruce ◽

Silver Fir ◽

Italian Alps ◽

Root Strength

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Crown Damage in Norway Spruce and Silver Fir: Relation to Site and Stand Factors in the French Mountains

Forest Decline and Atmospheric Deposition Effects in the French Mountains ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-79535-0_3 ◽

1995 ◽

pp. 82-119 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

G. Landmann ◽

G. D. Bert ◽

J. C. Pierrat ◽

M. Becker ◽

M. Bonneau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Norway Spruce ◽

Silver Fir

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Evaluation of the provenance plot “Hrubá Skála” (Northern Bohemia) with grand fir at the age of 36 years

Journal of Forest Science ◽

10.17221/79/2016-jfs ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 63 (No. 2) ◽

pp. 75-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fulín Martin ◽

Novotný Petr ◽

Podrázský Vilém ◽

Beran František ◽

Dostál Jaroslav ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Norway Spruce ◽

Coastal Region ◽

Tree Height ◽

Douglas Fir ◽

Stem Volume ◽

Silver Fir ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

The North ◽

Oregon Cascades

The article aims to evaluate the research provenance plot established in 1980 in locality No. 214 – Hrubá Skála (in the north of the Czech Republic), where nine provenances of grand fir (Abies grandis (Douglas ex D. Don) Lindley) provided in the framework of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations project, and one provenance of grand fir, Norway spruce, silver fir and Douglas-fir from a standard commercial source are tested. We present the results of tree height, stem DBH, stem volume production and health status after 36 years. The results correspond with similar experiments in the Czech Republic and abroad and suggest that grand fir provenances from Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada) and the Washington (USA) State coastal region show the best production features, while the Oregon Cascades, Idaho and Montana provenances grow more slowly. Comparison with other tree species indicates that the production of grand fir at the investigated age exceeds the production of both Norway spruce and silver fir, and equalizes or gently exceeds even Douglas-fir.

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Variability of Abies alba-dominated forests in Central Europe

Open Life Sciences ◽

10.2478/s11535-013-0281-y ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 495-518

Author(s):

Krzysztof Świerkosz ◽

Kamila Reczyńska ◽

Karel Boublík

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Central Europe ◽

Abies Alba ◽

Field Work ◽

Silver Fir ◽

Habitat Conditions ◽

Ecological Analysis ◽

R Software ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

The Alps

AbstractUsing vegetation databases from Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and our own material collected during a field work, we have analysed the variability of species composition of Abies alba-dominated communities in Central Europe. Analysis was performed using a modified TWINSPAN algorithm in the JUICE software. Ecological analysis was performed on the basis of mean Ellenberg indicator values with a MoPeT_v1.0.r script prepared in R software. In general, the findings indicated that there are at least 8 types of Central European silver fir-dominated forests with different patterns in species composition and habitat conditions. These are the oligotrophic subcontinental silver fir forests of the Polish highlands, oligotrophic (sub)montane silver fir forest, hygrophilous silver fir forests, oligo-mesotrophic (sub)montane silver fir forests, mesotrophic (sub)montane silver fir forests, submontane and montane calcicolous silver fir forests of the Alps and the Carpathians, eutrophic silver fir-beech forests and silver fir ravine forests. The main conclusion is that the diversity of species composition of Abies alba-dominated forests in Central Europe is lower than described in current regional synthesis, which was confirmed by ecological analyses.

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Seasonal dynamics of phloem and xylem formation in silver fir and Norway spruce as affected by drought

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology ◽

10.1134/s102144370804016x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 55 (4) ◽

pp. 538-543 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

J. Gričar ◽

K. Čufar

Keyword(s):

Norway Spruce ◽

Seasonal Dynamics ◽

Silver Fir ◽

Xylem Formation

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Elevation-specific tree-ring chronologies of Norway spruce and Silver fir in Southern Germany

Dendrochronologia ◽

10.1016/j.dendro.2011.01.013 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 73-83 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Christoph Dittmar ◽

Thomas Eißing ◽

Andreas Rothe

Keyword(s):

Norway Spruce ◽

Tree Ring ◽

Silver Fir ◽

Southern Germany

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The Effect of Climate on Tree-Ring Chronologies of Native and Nonnative Tree Species Growing Under Homogenous Site Conditions

Geochronometria ◽

10.2478/v10003-009-0006-4 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 33 (-1) ◽

pp. 49-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Edward Feliksik ◽

Sławomir Wilczyński

Keyword(s):

Norway Spruce ◽

Tree Ring ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Tree Species ◽

Sitka Spruce ◽

Early Spring ◽

Douglas Fir ◽

Silver Fir ◽

Site Conditions ◽

Diameter Increment

The Effect of Climate on Tree-Ring Chronologies of Native and Nonnative Tree Species Growing Under Homogenous Site ConditionsDendroclimatic studies were carried out in the experimental stands composed of many tree species situated in the Polish part of the Baltic sea-coast. Increment cores were taken from a 100-years old trees of 2 native species: Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.) and 3 nonnative species: Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii(Mirb.) Franco), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis(Bong.) Carr.) and Silver fir (Abies albaMill.). Thirty trees of each species were cored. The relationships between the diameter increment and the thermal and pluvial conditions during the period from 1925 to 2005 were analyzed on the basis of standardized tree-ring chronologies and climatic data. It was found that precipitation and temperature of the growing season and months preceding that season affected the annual diameter increment of all investigated tree species. The current year winter and early spring temperatures as well as February and August precipitation had a similar effect on the variation of diameter increment of trees. On the other hand thermal and pluvial conditions of the current year June differentiated the increment rhythm of individual species. A very strong negative effect on diameter growth of trees was observed in the case of winter and early spring frosts. Norway spruce turned out to be a species most resistant to low temperatures. The investigated tree species, especially Norway spruce, was susceptible to water deficiency in the soil during spring and summer. In the case of Scots pine a high precipitation in June stimulated its growth. The diameter increments of Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, Scots pine, and Silver fir were more strongly connected with air temperature than with precipitation. So called all-species chronology of tree-ring width, constructed during this study, permitted to verify the factors having a similar effect on growth response of the investigated tree species. It reflected the mutual characteristics of diameter increments of trees of various species.

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