Long-term changes in tree species composition in the Dinaric mountain forests of Slovenia

2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrej Boncina ◽  
Franc Gaspersic ◽  
Jurij Diaci
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Virgin Forest ◽  
Forest Remnant ◽  
The Impact

This study utilizes data from long-term research sites in managed fir-beech forests (Hrusica, Leskova dolina and Rog) and a virgin forest remnant (Rajhenav), used as a reference site. Data obtained from old forest management plans and forest inventories were analysed. The results of the study support the hypothesis that two main tree species—silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)—alternate site dominance. The causes of species dominance alternation include both natural processes and anthropogenic factors, in particular silvicultural practices and the impact of ungulates. More than a hundred years ago, European beech dominated stand volume. The proportion of silver fir increased until 1940–1970 when a gradual decrease started. All indicators suggest that the proportion of silver fir will decrease further in the coming decades. Key words: tree species composition alternation, diameter distribution, silver fir, European beech, forest history, forest planning, managed forests, virgin forest remnant

Long-term effects of stump removal and tree species composition on the diversity and structure of soil fungal communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dixi Modi ◽  
Suzanne Simard ◽  
Jean Bérubé ◽  
Les Lavkulich ◽  
Richard Hamelin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Tree Regeneration ◽  
Root Disease ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
The Impact

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.

scholarly journals Long-term response of forest productivity to climate change is mostly driven by change in tree species composition

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Morin ◽  
Lorenz Fahse ◽  
Hervé Jactel ◽  
Michael Scherer-Lorenzen ◽  
Raúl García-Valdés ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Productivity ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Term Response

Structural changes in protected forests in Sweden: implications for conservation functionality

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1215-1224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per-Ola Hedwall ◽  
Grzegorz Mikusiński
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
National Forest Inventory ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Large Trees

Protected forest areas (PFAs) are key features of biodiversity conservation, and knowledge about long-term development is crucial in evaluating their efficiency and management needs. Longitudinal data on forest structure in PFAs is uncommon and often from small areas. Here we use data from the Swedish National Forest Inventory to study changes in more than 750 000 ha of PFAs over 60 years. Structures important for biodiversity, e.g., number of large trees and the volume of hard deadwood, including both standing and down wood, have more than doubled. The initial volume of deadwood, however, was very low. The overall tree species composition was stable over time, and only among the largest trees were there indications of a shift towards the late successional Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Deadwood increased independent of species, size of wood, and site characteristics. This increase was positively related to the volume of living trees and forest age. We conclude that Swedish PFAs, in the absence of active management and under fire suppression at the landscape scale, develop structural components that are crucial for conservation of biodiversity. However, although tree species composition appears stable, present disturbance regimes in the PFAs are considerably different from those in naturally dynamic forests, which may have implications for long-term biodiversity maintenance.

scholarly journals Impacts of Human Activities on Tree Species Composition Along the Forest Savanna Boundary in Nigeria

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiana Ndidi Egbinola
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Detrended Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The study investigated the tree species composition along the forest-savanna boundary in Oyo state of Nigeria with the aim of assessing the impact of human activities on the floristic composition. A transect was placed along the study area and species data was collected from quadrats placed in study plots within different study sites. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) was used to determine vegetation assemblages, while both correlation and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to show the relationship between species in the different study sites. Results of the DCA revealed three species assemblages, an area with only forest species, another with only savanna species and a third with both forest/savanna species. ANOVA results further revealed that within the forest and savanna assemblages, species in mature and successional sites were alike. The study therefore revealed that human activities’ within the region is leading to the establishment of savanna species and an elimination of forest species.

scholarly journals Assessing the Linkages between Tree Species Composition and Stream Water Nitrate in a Reference Watershed in Central Appalachia

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark B. Burnham ◽  
Martin J. Christ ◽  
Mary Beth Adams ◽  
William T. Peterjohn
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Stream Water ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Importance Value ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Total N

Many factors govern the flow of deposited nitrogen (N) through forest ecosystems and into stream water. At the Fernow Experimental Forest in WV, stream water nitrate (NO3−) export from a long-term reference watershed (WS 4) increased in approximately 1980 and has remained elevated despite more recent reductions in chronic N deposition. Long-term changes in species composition may have altered forest N demand and the retention of deposited N. In particular, the abundance and importance value of Acer saccharum have increased since the 1950s, and this species is thought to have a low affinity for NO3−. We measured the relative uptake of NO3− and ammonium (NH4+) by six important temperate broadleaf tree species and estimated stand uptake of total N, NO3−, and NH4+. We then used records of stream water NO3− and stand composition to evaluate the potential impact of changes in species composition on NO3− export. Surprisingly, the tree species we examined all used both mineral N forms approximately equally. Overall, the total N taken up by the stand into aboveground tissues increased from 1959 through 2001 (30.9 to 35.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1). However, changes in species composition may have altered the net supply of NO3− in the soil since A. saccharum is associated with high nitrification rates. Increases in A. saccharum importance value could result in an increase of 3.9 kg NO3−-N ha−1 yr−1 produced via nitrification. Thus, shifting forest species composition resulted in partially offsetting changes in NO3− supply and demand, with a small net increase of 1.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in NO3− available for leaching. Given the persistence of high stream water NO3− export and relatively abrupt (~9 year) change in stream water NO3− concentration circa 1980, patterns of NO3− export appear to be driven by long-term deposition with a lag in the recovery of stream water NO3− after more recent declines in atmospheric N input.

scholarly journals Changes of the mixed mountain virgin forest after 70 years on a permanent plot in the Ukrainian Carpathians 567

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 12) ◽  
pp. 567-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Veska ◽  
J. Šebesta ◽  
T. Kolář
Keyword(s):  
Abies Alba ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Acer Pseudoplatanus ◽  
Timber Volume ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Virgin Forest ◽  
Tree Layer ◽  
Sycamore Maple ◽  
Associated Species

During 2004–2006, another permanent research plot (No. 12) on Pop Ivan Marmarosh Mt. in the Zakarpattya province of Ukraine was renewed, i.e. re-measured and re-analyzed. The plot was originally established in the 30’s of the 20<sup>th</sup> century. The tree layer is dominated by European beech (<I>Fagus sylvatica</I> L.), with Silver fir (<I>Abies alba</I> Mill.) and Norway spruce (<I>Picea abies</I> [L.] Karst.) as often associated species, and with sycamore maple (<I>Acer pseudoplatanus</I> L.) growing occasionally in small groups. After 70 years, the tree species composition partly changed. Total live timber volume increased from 529.6 to 636.3 m<sup>3</sup>/ha. Considerable growth was recorded in beech, while the live timber volume of fir, spruce and sycamore maple did not almost change. Total number of trees (> 3 cm in dbh) increased from 737 trees/ha to 760 trees/ha. Number of beech trees increased markedly. On the contrary, fir and spruce showed a significant decrease in tree number. Interesting results emerged from the renewal of the permanent square plot (20 × 20 m), proving that beech is able to persist in the shade for more than 70 years with only minimal increment of both height and diameter.

Loss of available soil organic carbon from afforestation plots: effect of tree species composition and warming

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenhui Jiang ◽  
Anna Gunina ◽  
Lucas Merz ◽  
Yihe Yang ◽  
Yakov Kuzyakov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Temperature Sensitivity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Enzyme Activities ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Tree Species Composition

&lt;p&gt;Afforestation with pure and mixed-species is an important strategy to improve soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and restore degraded lands. However, what remains unclear is the stability of SOC to microbial degradation after afforestation and the effect of tree species composition. Moreover, it is important to reveal how sensitive the SOC in afforestation lands is to environmental changes, such as warming. To study the combined effects of warming and the tree species composition on decomposition of SOC by microorganisms and enzyme activities, soils were collected from the monocultural and mixtures of Silver birch (Betula Pendula) and European beech (Fagus Silvatica) (BangorDiversity, UK, 12 years since afforestation) and were incubated for 169 days at 0, 10, 20, 30 &amp;#176;C at 60 % of WHC. The field experiment is arranged into a completely randomized design with n=4. The CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; efflux was measured constantly, whereas activities of &amp;#946;-glucosidase, chitinase and acid phosphatase, and content of microbial biomass C (MBC) were obtained at the end of the incubation.&amp;#160;Results showed that soil cumulative CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; efflux increased by 34.7&amp;#8211;107% with the temperature. Potential enzyme activities were dependent on tree species composition. Warming, but not tree species exhibited a significant impact on the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of soil cumulative CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; efflux and enzyme activities. The greatest temperature sensitivity (Q&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt;) of total CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; efflux was found at 10&amp;#8211;20 &amp;#176;C and was 2.0&amp;#8211;2.1, but that of enzyme activities were found as 0.9&amp;#8211;1.1 at 0&amp;#8211;10 &amp;#176;C. These results suggest that warming has an asynchronous effect on the SOC decomposition and enzyme activity, and enzymes cannot account for the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration. Thus, thermal adaptations of SOC mineralization is independent of the adaptation of the enzyme pool.&lt;/p&gt;

Long-term effects of climate change on carbon storage and tree species composition in a dry deciduous forest

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 3154-3168 ◽  
Author(s):  
István Fekete ◽  
Kate Lajtha ◽  
Zsolt Kotroczó ◽  
Gábor Várbíró ◽  
Csaba Varga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Dry Deciduous Forest

scholarly journals Changes in tree species composition, stand structure, qualitative and quantitative production of mixed spruce, fir and beech stand on Stará Píla research plot

2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 74-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Štefančík
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Silvicultural Treatment ◽  
Beech Stand ◽  
Altitudinal Zone ◽  
Crown Thinning

The paper is a contribution to the research on problems of thinnings in mixed (spruce-fir-beech) stands situated in the 5<sup>th</sup> forest altitudinal zone (beech with fir) in the central part of Slovakia. The research was carried out on two series of permanent research plots established in 1972. Each of the series consists of three partial plots where one plot was tended by free crown thinning in the framework of whole-area tending. On the second plot a non-whole-area tending was realised while the third ones were left without planned silvicultural treatment as controls. Dynamic changes in tree species composition, stand structure, qualitative and quantitative production including silvicultural analysis of seven thinning interventions were evaluated for a period of 29 years. A&nbsp;special attention was paid to development of future crop trees which are the main bearers of stand quality and quantity. The changes were compared with respect to differences between the plots with whole-area and non-whole-area long-term silvicultural treatment and the control plot (without treatments).

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