Questions:Recently there have been vital discussions about the validity of the European patch-mosaic conceptual model of forest dynamics -the traditional concept of a shifting patch-mosaic of development stages and phases, also known as the forest cycle concept. Here we try to answer the fundamental questions of this debate: (1) how much do forest dynamics proceed along a predictable path (in a chronological sequence: growth-optimum-breakdown); or (2) vice versa, are the patches rather a result of disturbances and/or other stochastic growth and mortality patterns?Location: Five long-term research plots in four different study sites of Central European natural temperate forests. Methods:The long-term evolution of forest development phases was analysed with a GIS-based, spatially explicit, fully reproducible method enabling accurate verification of the functionality of the model forest cycle. We analysed long-term transitions among forest development phases from the 1970s through the 1990s to 2000s.Observed phase-to-phase transitions were compared to a random transition model.We identified preferential pathways within the forest cycle model as well as the proportion of cyclic/acyclic transitions. Results:In total, across all sites and observation periods, about 65% of all observed phase-to-phase transitions were realized through preferential pathways, about 28% of observed transitions went along pathways of random frequency and only about 7% of observed transitions were realized through uncommon development pathways. On the other hand, less than 40% of all observed transitions might be classified as cyclic (following the model cycle), and thus more than 60% of the transitions were acyclic (moving across or backward in the model cycle). The overall pattern of all observed transitions resembled a complex web rather than a simple repeating cycle. Conclusions: Although in all sites we documented signs of the cyclic and predictable development anticipated by the forest cycle concept, the predominance and stochastic nature of multiple acyclic development pathways gave rise to reasonable doubts on the legitimacy and usability of the concept for descriptions of forest dynamics. On the other hand, the verification of the concept may contribute significantly to our understanding of the complexity of forest dynamics. K E Y W O R D S development stages, forest cycle, forest dynamics, long-term observations, model verification, patch dynamics, permanent research plots, transitions, tree census | 85 Journal of Vegetation Science KRÁL et aL.
Abstract. Biota–soil interactions in natural ecosystems are the subject of considerable research. Our hypothesis is that individual trees play a significant role through biomechanical and biochemical disturbances affecting soil formation in temperate forests, resulting in a complex spatial pattern of disturbance regimes and a close relationship between disturbance histories and soil units. In Žofínský Prales (Czech Republic) – the fourth oldest, continuously protected reserve in Europe and the first site of global research network SIGEO (Smithsonian Institution Global Earth Observatories) in continental Europe – we compared extensive dendrochronological, soil and pit–mound microtopography data both temporally and spatially from an area of anthropogenically unaffected 42 ha collected from 2008–2012. These data sets differ in terms of information complexity and length of memory: tree cores contain complex information about the disturbance history of the past 350 years, footprints of disturbances from the uprooting of a specific tree can persist 1700 years, and soils represent an extensive composite phenotype that has been developing for at least the entire postglacial period (10 500 years). On average, 6.18–13.41% of the canopy on individual soil units was disturbed per decade. Even though the "backbone" of key events in the development of the forest ecosystem remained the same (e.g. the 1870s, 1880s and 1980s), the internal structure of disturbance history often differed among soil units; the most exceptional were Gleysols and Histosols, where important feedback from soil to trees was expected. However, the characteristics of treethrow dynamics as well as the frequencies of stronger releases in core series also significantly differed along a gradient of terrestrial soil weathering and leaching (Haplic Cambisols – Dystric Cambisols – Entic Podzols – Albic Podzols). These results suggest the existence of several disturbance regimes within the forest, controlling fine-scale pedodiversity.
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