Variability of Abies alba-dominated forests in Central Europe

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.

scholarly journals Variation patterns of mitochondrial DNA of Abies alba Mill. in suture zones of postglacial migration in Europe

2011 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duśan Gomory ◽  
Roman Longauer ◽  
Sascha Liepelt ◽  
Dalibor Ballian ◽  
Robert Brus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Gene Marker ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Recent Meeting ◽  
Variation Patterns ◽  
Postglacial Recolonization ◽  
Romanian Carpathians

Thirty silver fir populations originating from the putative suture zones of the postglacial recolonization (Slovenia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Ukraine) were studied using a mitochondrial <em>nad5-4</em> gene marker. The geographical distribution of mtDNA haplotypes in the Ukrainian Carpathians and their northern foothills indicates a very recent meeting of migration streams arriving from the Romanian Carpathians and Central Europe. In the western part of the Balkan Peninsula, two counterparallel migration streams are the most plausible explanation of the pattern observed. The haplotype typical for the Balkan Peninsula predominates along the Adrian coast, whereas the CentralEuropean haplotype is more represented in the inland.

scholarly journals Foliar P nutrition of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) depends on the season but remains unaffected by co-cultivation with silver fir (Abies alba Mill.)

2020 ◽  
Vol 139 (5) ◽  
pp. 853-868
Author(s):  
Fengli Yang ◽  
Ruth-Kristina Magh ◽  
Mladen Ivanković ◽  
Miran Lanšćak ◽  
Simon Haberstroh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Europe ◽  
Fagus Sylvatica ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
High Plasticity ◽  
P Fractions ◽  
Black Forest ◽  
Soil P ◽  
Forest Sites

Abstract Beech (Fagus sylvatica) and silver fir (Abies alba) are often cultivated in mixed stands and, hence, compete for water and nutrients. Besides nitrogen (N), also phosphorus (P) is an important nutrient for growth and development. Beech trees in Central Europe grow on both P-poor and P-rich soils, thereby showing similar growth and low variation in foliar P. The central aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that variations in foliar P contents of beech are driven by seasonal changes rather than by the competition with silver fir. It was further hypothesized that P contents in silver fir needles depend on needle age and forest site. To test these hypotheses, P contents and P fractions, i.e. organic-bound P (Porg) and inorganic phosphate P (Pi), were measured in the foliage of beech trees from pure beech and mixed beech/silver fir plots as well as in needles of silver fir of the mixed plots. The forest sites investigated are located in Central Europe in the Black Forest, Germany, and in Croatia near the south-eastern distribution limit of beech and are all poor in plant-available soil P. The analyses showed that the main driver of P contents and P fractions in beech leaves at all forest sites is the season and that competition with silver fir had no effect. Hence, the present results demonstrate the high plasticity of beech trees to adapt to both poor plant-available soil P and competition with silver fir. Total P contents of silver fir needles were higher at the Croatian site compared to the Black Forest sites and originated from higher foliar Pi contents. One third of the P present in current-year needles in late summer was remobilized and exported until the needles reached the age of 1 year. The difference in P contents between current-year and 1-year-old needles can be seen as the amount of P resorbed from 1-year-old needles in summer during the generation of new needles to support the P demand of current-year needles for growth and development.

An increase in the upper tree-limit of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) in the Alps since the mid-20th century: A land-use change phenomenon

2010 ◽  
Vol 259 (8) ◽  
pp. 1406-1415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandrine Chauchard ◽  
Fabien Beilhe ◽  
Nicole Denis ◽  
Christopher Carcaillet
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
The Alps ◽  
Tree Limit

Formalized classification of the vegetation of Abies alba-dominated forests in the Czech Republic

Biologia ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karel Boublík
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Soil Reaction ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Herb Layer ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Logical Operators ◽  
Tree Layer

AbstractA phytosociological classification of silver fir (Abies alba) forests in the Czech Republic was carried out using the Braun-Blanquet approach. It is based on the formalized and supervised Cocktail classification method. The definitions of associations were created by combinations of sociological species groups using logical operators. Dominance of single species was included in the definitions of associations. All relevés with at least 50% cover of silver fir in tree layer available from the Czech Republic were used for analysis. Three associations within two classes were distinguished. Vaccinio vitis-idaeae-Abietetum albae (Vaccinio-Piceetea, Piceion excelsae) is an oligotrophic, species-poor spruce-pine-fir forest dominated by Vaccinium myrtillus in the herb layer occurring mostly on podzols. Luzulo-Abietetum albae (Querco-Fagetea, Luzulo-Fagion) is an oligo-mesotrophic spruce-fir forest characterized by the dominance of graminoids (Luzula luzuloides, Calamagrostis arundinacea) in the herb layer. It occurs especially on cambisols. Nutrient-demanding species are typical of the stands of herb-rich mesotrophic Galio rotundifolii-Abietetum albae (Querco-Fagetea, Fagion sylvaticae, Galio rotundifolii-Abietenion) that occurs also mostly on cambisols. Soil nutrients and soil reaction (represented by Ellenberg indicator values) were determined as the most important ecological gradients affecting the variation of the vegetation in these communities.

scholarly journals Long-term transformation of submontane spruce-beech forests in the Jizerské hory Mts.: dynamics of natural regeneration

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 213-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Slanař ◽  
Zdeněk Vacek ◽  
Stanislav Vacek ◽  
Daniel Bulušek ◽  
Jan Cukor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Acer Pseudoplatanus ◽  
Beech Forests ◽  
Forest Transformation ◽  
Tree Layer

AbstractThe paper deals with development of the natural regeneration of even-aged spruce-beech forests during their transformation to uneven-aged stands with diversified structure at the Jedlový důl area in the Protected Landscape Area Jizerské hory Mts., Czech Republic. Shelterwood management system and free felling policy based on selection principles has been applied there since 1979 with the support of admixed tree species of the natural species composition, especially silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). The research was focuses on structure and development of natural regeneration with the emphasis on ungulate damage and interaction with tree layer from 1979 to 2015. In the course of 36 years, the regeneration structure was diversified towards the close-to-nature tree species composition, spatial and age structure. The number of regeneration recruits increased in average from 941 to 41,669 ind ha-1. During this period share of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) significantly (p < 0.01) increased (by 53.6%), while the share of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) decreased (by 51.5%), such as damage caused by ungulate (by 61.4%) with the highest loses on sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L.) and silver fir. Moreover, the parent trees had a significant negative influence on natural regeneration at smaller spacing (within a 1 - 5 m radius from the stem). Both, regeneration potential and effective role of the tree layer during the forest transformation has been confirmed as important prerequisites for ongoing forest transformation.

scholarly journals The Strong Position of Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) in Fertile Variants of Beech and Oak-Hornbeam Forests in the Light of Studies Conducted in the Sudetes

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1203
Author(s):  
Maciej Filipiak ◽  
Janusz Gubański ◽  
Justyna Jaworek-Jakubska ◽  
Anna Napierała-Filipiak
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Potential Natural Vegetation ◽  
Drastic Reduction ◽  
Industrial Air Pollution ◽  
Intensive Forest Management ◽  
Strong Position

Silver fir is one of the longest living and tallest trees in Europe, it has major commercial importance and may be found in various communities predominantly connected with lower mountainous locations in Central Europe. One of the northernmost ranges in the region is the Sudetes. Currently, the once numerous fir is greatly dispersed, with just several specimens to be found together at one site on average. This drastic reduction in the number of specimens is mainly attributable to intensive forest management, based on the artificial cultivation of fir, conducted in the 19th and 20th centuries, and high industrial air pollution (mainly in the 20th c.). Because practically no firs have been cultivated for the last 200 years, the remaining sites of the species that are remnants of its bigger populations should be regarded as natural. This paper compares fir locations with areas of potential natural vegetation. The obtained results indicate that firs may grow in various types of habitats, with the preferred one being fertile beech woods and richer variants of oak-hornbeam forests. In our opinion, the presented findings are of great importance for the knowledge of the ecology of the species in question and for providing appropriate forest management.

scholarly journals Reaction of Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) plantation to fertilization

2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 95-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Kupka
Keyword(s):  
Central Europe ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Domestic Species ◽  
Growth Status ◽  
Browsing Damage ◽  
Game Browsing

Silver fir as a domestic species is an important tree in our forests. Unfortunately it has suffered from serious dieback in Central Europe in the last decades. Reintroduction of Silver fir is not an easy task as seedlings and saplings are sensitive to many environmental harmful factors and to game browsing damage especially in early stages after germination. The fertilization of Silver fir saplings could help shorten the sensitive period of the tree species. Silver fir research plots were founded in 1999 to observe an impact of different fertilizers on its height growth. Applications of conventional as well as modern fertilizers confirmed the positive influence on the height growth of the species. Apical dominance ratio was used to evaluate the growth status of saplings.&nbsp;

scholarly journals Nutrition of silver fir (Abies alba Mill) growing at the upper limit of its occurrence in the Šumava National Park and Protected Landscape Area

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 9) ◽  
pp. 381-388
Author(s):  
R. Novotný ◽  
D. Černý ◽  
V. Šrámek
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Phosphorus Content ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Magnesium Content ◽  
The Other ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Bohemian Forest ◽  
The Bohemian Forest ◽  
Altitudinal Limit

In the second half of 20<sup>th</sup> century silver fir regeneration has been observed throughout all of the Europe, including the Czech Republic. The Bohemian Forest &ndash; &Scaron;umava Mts. is one of the regions where the silver fir percentage in forest stands is supposed to be increased from the present 2% to nearly 12%. During the period 2006&ndash;2007, in the Czech part of the Bohemian Forest, samples of silver fir were taken mainly in the upper altitudinal limit of silver fir occurrence. In the present paper the results of performed analyses are compared with similar surveys conducted in the other European regions. Samples from the Bohemian Forest, in contrast to other results, differ in higher phosphorus content and lower contents of calcium and manganese. Nitrogen content is slightly higher. Our values for the other elements (magnesium, potassium, zinc, sulphur) are comparable to those reported in Poland and Slovakia. In Germany, aside from the above mentioned differences, higher magnesium content was also found within the locality sampled.

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