scholarly journals Management options for the conversion of allochthonous coniferous forest patches towards more natural species composition in the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park, NE Germany

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Seliger ◽  
Stephanie Puffpaff ◽  
Michael Manthey ◽  
Juergen Kreyling

The conversion of coniferous tree plantations towards natural self-regenerating forests is one of the targets of forestry in Europe and particularly desirable in national parks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different conversion approaches (conducted once) on natural forest development in man-made spruce plantations. We studied the effects of three distinct management options (partial-cutting [PC], clear-cutting with timber removal [CC] and clear-cutting with timber remaining [CCr]) six years after application on tree regeneration (sapling identity, abundance, height, browsing intensity) and understorey species composition in former spruce plantations within the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park in Northeastern Germany. An unmanaged spruce [M] and near-natural beech [N] stands were considered as local references. The sites differed significantly in tree regeneration and understorey species composition. The abundance of native tree saplings was highest at site CCr, their height did not differ among sites, while browsing intensity was most pronounced at site CC. Understorey species composition of all management options was equally dissimilar to site N. However, site CCr contained more species that are typically abundant in local beech forests. Clear-cutting of spruce plantations with dead wood remaining on site favoured the natural regeneration of native trees and understorey vegetation compared to clear-cutting with timber removal, partial-cutting and no management. Herbivore browsing detrimentally affected tree regeneration independent of the treatment. Clear-cutting with timber removal promoted the dominance of competitive herbaceous species that may hamper long-term forest regeneration. We conclude that progression of site CCr appears to proceed fastest towards natural forest conditions. Further long-term data is required to derive clear trends regarding time and direction of forest regeneration.  Keywords: forest conversion, spruce plantations, beech forest, natural tree regeneration, understorey species composition, deer browsing

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1207
Author(s):  
Soyeon Cho ◽  
Youngjin Kim ◽  
Sangyeop Jung ◽  
Yeonsook Choung

Sasa spp., monocarpic dwarf bamboos, are known to form recalcitrant understories, lower species diversity, and hinder forest development. Sasa borealis distributed throughout Korea showed a phenomenon of synchronized dieback after large-scale synchronized flowering nationwide around 2015. Therefore, we conducted this study to take advantage of the rare event and add prevailing activity of wild boars and culm removal to elucidate whether they promote the regeneration of a long-term suppressed forest. We set permanent plots in forests with different understory types, and tracked the vegetation change in 5 years with respect to species composition, tree regeneration, and S. borealis reestablishment. This study focused on comparison between plots established after mass flowering. In flowering stands, we found the species diversity increased significantly with increase in species evenness, but not with recruitment of new species. Furthermore, the seeds of mass-produced bamboo germinated, and the seedling abundance was found to increase considerably. In stands rooted by wild boar, species diversity increased through the recruitment of new species, including tree species. It increased the abundance of shrub and perennial herbs, while it suppressed the reestablishment of S. borealis. Although rooting effect was independently significant regardless of flowering, the synergistic effect of rooting and flowering on forest regeneration was outstanding. Wild boar seemed to function as a remover of dead culms and a breaker of remaining underground mats as well as a seed disperser. Consequently, the species composition became similar to the reference stands. However, culm cutting caused negative effects by facilitating S. borealis to re-occupy or resprout. Overall, as the wild boar population increases, the positive effect can be expected to enhance. At landscape scale, considering several factors such as flowering and non-flowering, and population size of wild boar, the long-term suppressed forests by S. borealis are projected to regenerate with mosaic forests.


New Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-295
Author(s):  
Katherine J. Elliott ◽  
Chelcy F. Miniat ◽  
Andrea S. Medenblik

2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dixi Modi ◽  
Suzanne Simard ◽  
Jean Bérubé ◽  
Les Lavkulich ◽  
Richard Hamelin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Stump removal is a common forest management practice used to reduce the mortality of trees affected by the fungal pathogen-mediated root disease, Armillaria root rot, but the impact of stumping on soil fungal community structure is not well understood. This study analyzed the long-term impact of stumping and tree species composition on the abundance, diversity and taxonomic composition of soil fungal communities using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) marker-based DNA metabarcoding in a 48-year-old trial at Skimikin, British Columbia. A total of 108 samples were collected from FH (fermented and humus layers), and soil mineral horizons (A and B) from stumped and unstumped plots of six tree species treatments (pure stands and admixtures of Douglas-fir, western red-cedar and paper birch). Fungal α-diversity in the A horizon significantly increased with stumping regardless of tree species composition, while β-diversity was significantly affected by stumping in all the horizons. We also observed that the relative abundance of the saprotrophic fungal community declined while that of the ectomycorrhizal fungal community increased with stumping. In conclusion, increase in ectomycorrhizal fungal associations, which are positively associated with tree productivity, suggests that stumping can be considered a good management practice for mitigating root disease and promoting tree regeneration.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. e20195942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Átilla Colombo Ferreguetti ◽  
Isadora Cristina Motta Lessa ◽  
Emerson Monteiro Vieira ◽  
André Almeida Cunha ◽  
Helena Godoy Bergallo

The Cerrado is the second largest Brazilian biome and only 2.8% is represented by protected areas. Considering the relevance of the Cerrado and Conservation Units in preserving the mammalian diversity, we provided the first assessment of the diversity of medium- and large-sized mammal species in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (CVNP) and surroundings. We tested the effectiveness of the CVNP by assessing the difference in species composition within the park and its surroundings. We sampled CVNP in the rainy (October-December 2013) and dry seasons (March-June 2014) in order to characterize the seasonality within the community. We selected 36 sampling sites to evaluate the composition of the medium and large mammals in the CVNP and its surroundings, 18 in the CVNP and 18 in the park surroundings. We ordered mammalian composition and frequency of individuals data by using a Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling analysis (NMDS). We assessed the effect of season (dry and rainy seasons) and locality (within the CVNP and surroundings) on mammalian species richness with a two-way analysis of variance (Two-way ANOVA). We recorded 23 species, 13 within the CVNP and 17 species in its surroundings. Composition and frequency of records differed between dry and rainy seasons, with higher richness in the rainy season. Species’ composition and the frequency of records were also different between within the CVNP and its surroundings, with higher richness in the surroundings. These results provide information for the increase of the knowledge of mammalian ecology but also is useful as a tool for future strategies to the conservation of these species. More attention should be given to the monitoring of these species in the long term because this area still harbor some viable populations.


Koedoe ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Van Rooyen ◽  
G.J. Bredenkamp ◽  
G.K. Theron

Grazing intensity gradients were determined in the duneveld, river terrace and river bed habitats of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park. Under increased grazing, a species composition characterised mostly by annual forbs and grasses results. In all three habitats the relatively heavily grazed areas were closest to the watering points, although this was less evident in the river terrace and river bed habitats. Monitoring degradation at a watering point over the long term, produced results similar to those observed from a single sampling period. The identification of grazing gradients within homogeneous habitats, is a prerequisite for the classification of plant species into different categories. The allocation of a species to a category is based on the changes in frequency along this grazing gradient and this approach is more acceptable than the classification of species commonly used. The use of terminology such as Decreasers and Increasers is discussed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Van Vien Pham ◽  
Christian Ammer ◽  
Peter Annighöfer ◽  
Steffi Heinrichs

Abstract Background: Forest regeneration is decisive for future forest development and therefore of major concern to forest ecologists. The ability of overstory tree species to regenerate successfully is important for the preservation of tree species diversity and its associated flora and fauna. This study investigated forest regeneration dynamics in the Cat Ba National Park, a biodiversity hotpot in Vietnam. Data was collected from 90 sample plots and 450 sub-sample plots in the regional limestone forests. We compared species richness between the regeneration and overstory tree layers and examined the effect of environmental factors on the occurrence of regeneration. We developed five ratios to relate overstory and regeneration richness and diversity. Results: We found 97 tree species in the regeneration layer compared to 136 species in the overstory layer. Average regeneration density was 3,764 ± 1,601 per ha. Around 70% of the overstory tree species generated offspring. Of the tree species threatened according to The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, only 36% were found in the regeneration layer. A principal component analysis provided evidence that the regeneration of tree species was linked to terrain factors (percentage of rock surface, slope) and soil properties (Cation exchange capacity, pH, humus content, soil moisture, soil depth). Contrary to our expectations, the prevailing light conditions (total site factor, gap fraction, openness, indirect site factor, direct site factor) had no influence on regeneration density and composition, probably due to the small gradient in light availability. Conclusion: We conclude that tree species richness in Cat Ba National Park appears to be declining at present. We suggest similar investigations in other biodiversity hotspots to learn whether the observed trend is a global phenomenon. In any case, a conservation strategy for the threatened tree species in the Cat Ba National Park needs to be developed if tree species diversity is to be maintained.


2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin B Byrd ◽  
V Thomas Parker ◽  
Detlev R Vogler ◽  
Ken W Cullings

Effects of clear-cutting on the ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungus community in a Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. forest near Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A., were assessed using molecular techniques. Samples were taken by soil core in both undisturbed and clear-cut sites by randomized block design. Species overlap was compared between clear-cut and undisturbed sites and ascomycete-basidiomycete ratio was determined, using PCR-RFLP methods. Fifty species of EM fungi were detected in the clear-cut sites, the most common being Cenococcum geophilum Fr., Suillus sp., a member of the suilloid group, a Russulaceae species, and a Thelephoraceae species. Sixty-six species were detected in the undisturbed sites, which were dominated by a Suilloid species, a Tricholomataceae species, Cortinarius sp., and Cenococcum geophilum. Species composition in the clear-cut sites differed significantly from that in the undisturbed sites (P = 0.0001). However, 9 of the 14 species most commonly found in the clear-cut sites were also found in the undisturbed sites, but in much lower abundance, while species rank curves of both stand types mirrored each other. There were no significant differences in species richness, root-tip abundance, or ascomycete-basidiomycete ratio between the clear-cut and undisturbed sites. However, species richness was lower in the clear-cut sites than in the undisturbed sites. An overall loss of species richness after clear-cutting and significant changes in species composition indicate that clear-cutting can negatively alter the EM fungal community, and this may have profound effects on ecosystem function.Key words: ectomycorrhizae, community structure, clear-cutting, molecular techniques.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 3306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine Schweier ◽  
Boško Blagojević ◽  
Rachele Venanzi ◽  
Francesco Latterini ◽  
Rodolfo Picchio

In Mediterranean regions, afforested areas were planted to ensure the permanence of land cover, and to protect against erosion and to initiate the vegetation processes. For those purposes, pine species were mainly used; however, many of these stands, without silvicultural treatments for over fifty-sixty years, were in a poor state from physical and biological perspective, and therefore, clear-cutting on strips was conducted as silvicultural operation with the aim to eliminate 50% of the pine trees and to favor the affirmation of indigenous broadleaves seedlings. At the same time, the high and increasing demand of the forest based sector for wood biomass related to energy production, needs to be supplied. In a modern and multifunctional forestry, in which society is asking for sustainable forestry and naturalistic forest management, forestry operations should ideally be carried out in a sustainable manner, thus support the concept of sustainable forest management. All these aspects are also related to the innovation in forestry sector for an effective energetic sustainability. Three different forest wood chains were applied in pine plantations, all differing in the extraction system (animal, forestry-fitted farm tractor with winch, and double drum cable yarder). The method of the sustainability impact assessment was used in order to assess potential impacts of these alternative management options, and a set of 12 indicators covering economic, environmental, and social dimensions was analyzed. Further, to support decision makers in taking informed decisions, multi-criteria decision analysis was conducted. Decision makers gave weight towards the indicators natural tree regeneration and soil biological quality to support the achievement of the forest management goal. Results showed that first ranked alternative was case 2, in which extraction was conducted by a tractor with a winch. The main reason for that lies in the fact that this alternative had best performance for 80% of the analyzed criteria.


2011 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Jaworski ◽  
Dorota Jakubowska

Dynamika zmian budowy, struktury i składu gatunkowego drzewostanów o charakterze pierwotnym na wybranych powierzchniach w Pienińskim Parku Narodowym


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