Beech bark disease: spatial patterns of thicket formation and disease spread in an aftermath forest in the northeastern United States

GienckeLisa, M; DovčiakMartin,; Mountrakis, Giorgos; Cale, Jonathan A.; MitchellMyron, J

doi:10.1139/cjfr-2014-0038

Cited by 41 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Also our results in accordance with Kelly et al (2008) indicate that the disease severity of the charcoal canker in the oak forest is not randomly distributed. Therefore, based on the results obtained, we can acknowledge that in the earlier epidemic, the dead trees are strongly clustered at large scales (800 m) (Giencke et al 2014). The results of the relationship between the severity of the disease symptom classifications of the dead oak trees using the paired quadrat covariance (PQC) showed that the trees with great damage caused by the disease have a strong association with dead trees so that healthy trees or with low severity of the disease were far from dead trees (Kot et al 1996;Havel et al 2002;Kelly et al 2008;Meentemeyer et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…In this regard, Kelly et al (2008) investigated the spatial pattern dynamics of the oak mortality affected by sudden oak death and the results of their research showed that in the early process of the disease invasion, dead trees were strongly clustered at smaller scales and after three years this clustering was less pronounced. Giencke et al (2014) implemented the bivariate point pattern analysis to examine the spatial patterns of beech thicket formation and the beech bark disease spread. Their results indicated that the disease severity of beech saplings was highest in close proximity to highly cankered canopy beech trees.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Spatial pattern and disease severity of charcoal canker in Hyrcanian forests, north of Iran

Karami¹,

Kavosi²,

Babanezhad³

2015

J. For. Sci.

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This research investigated the population density of infected trees with charcoal canker disease and the interaction across the severity of the disease on Quercus castaneifolia in Hyrcanian forests, north of Iran. We used twodimensional spatial analysis tools with data gathered in point-centred quarter format in 2013. We investigated the cooccurrence of the severity of the disease symptoms using the paired quadrat covariance analysis. The results showed that nearly 54% of the oak trees were affected by the disease so that the dead trees and high disease severity were strongly clustered at broader scales (800 m), the trees with only limited exudates and signs of the activity of Biscogniauxia mediterranea (De Not.) Kuntze occurred in the clusters away from the dead trees. The crown mortality and beetle-infested trees cooccurred with mortality and were strongly correlated. Also, the findings of this research showed that the density of trees per hectare was one of the influential factors on the damage severity of the charcoal canker disease, so that reducing the density could increase the damage severity of the disease.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial pattern and disease severity of charcoal canker in Hyrcanian forests, north of Iran

Karami¹,

Kavosi²,

Babanezhad³

2015

J. For. Sci.

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“…If a dense understory layer of small beeches formed beneath large beech trees, which might be expected given beech's dispersal limitation, seedling establishment patterns, and extreme shade tolerance, these subcanopy beeches would be poised to quickly reclaim dominance after canopy disturbance. And this may be what happens in beech stands with abundant sprout regeneration, where small stems are positively correlated with adult conspecifics (Takahashi et al 2010;Giencke et al 2014). As such, the CNDD that we have documented in the understory of a mature undisturbed forest may be critical for the increase in diversity that occurs post-disturbance, at least in stands where advance regeneration is primarily of seed origin.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Sprouting is also more common on harsher sites (farther north and/ or higher elevation) and where beech roots have been injured by management operations or natural factors (Held 1983;Tubbs and Houston 1990;Cleavitt et al 2008;Takahashi et al 2010). In addition, many American beech stands are heavily impacted by beech bark disease, which leads to tremendous root sprouting and the formation of "beech thickets" that are clustered around dead and dying adults (Wagner et al 2010;Giencke et al 2014). While beech bark disease has been heavily impacting beech stands in the northern US for decades (Busby and Canham 2011;Giencke et al 2014), it remains absent from most of the southeast, with damage in this region documented only in higher elevations in the Appalachian mountains (Virginia Department of Forestry 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, many American beech stands are heavily impacted by beech bark disease, which leads to tremendous root sprouting and the formation of "beech thickets" that are clustered around dead and dying adults (Wagner et al 2010;Giencke et al 2014). While beech bark disease has been heavily impacting beech stands in the northern US for decades (Busby and Canham 2011;Giencke et al 2014), it remains absent from most of the southeast, with damage in this region documented only in higher elevations in the Appalachian mountains (Virginia Department of Forestry 2014). Overall, we cannot assert that American beech exhibits consequential CNDD in all situations, but it is possible that our findings are representative of unmanaged lower elevation beech stands in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conspecific negative density dependence in American beech

Ramage

Mangana

2017

For. Ecosyst.

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Background: One of the most important drivers of forest biodiversity is conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD), a reduction in performance when conspecific densities are high. While the majority of CNDD research has focused on tropical forests, evidence is mounting that CNDD may also play an important role in temperate forests. To further explore the potential reach of this phenomenon, we investigated CNDD in American beech (Fagus grandifolia) in a mature mid-Atlantic forest. Methods: We used bivariate point pattern analyses to examine spatial relationships between large beech trees and conspecific saplings, and we also contrasted these patterns with comparable patterns for heterospecifics. In addition, to address the possibility of dispersal limitation and the associated effects on spatial patterns, we analyzed seedling density as a function of adult conspecific abundance. Results: We found that beech saplings were more repelled from large conspecifics than large heterospecifics, despite the fact that beech seedling density was positively correlated with beech basal area. However, saplings of other canopy tree species were also repelled from adult beech trees, suggesting a general suppressive effect. Nonetheless, the discrepancy between beech seedling and sapling densities beneath adult conspecifics suggests that beech seedling survival rates were reduced in vicinity of conspecific adults. Conclusions: Regardless of the extent to which beech inhibits heterospecific trees, a negative effect on conspecific recruits may be critical for biodiversity maintenance. Without this conspecific suppression, a dense layer of shade-tolerant beech saplings could form beneath adult beech trees. If this were to occur, beech would have a substantial head-start following canopy disturbance, and this late-successional species could potentially dominate a stand in perpetuity, through repeated disturbance cycles.

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Intermediate‐severity wind disturbance in mature temperate forests: legacy structure, carbon storage, and stand dynamics

Meigs

Keeton

2018

Ecological Applications

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Wind is one of the most important natural disturbances influencing forest structure, ecosystem function, and successional processes worldwide. This study quantifies the stand-scale effects of intermediate-severity windstorms (i.e., blowdowns) on (1) live and dead legacy structure, (2) aboveground carbon storage, and (3) tree regeneration and associated stand dynamics at four mature, mixed hardwood-conifer forest sites in the northeastern United States. We compare wind-affected forests to adjacent reference conditions (i.e., undisturbed portions of the same stands) 0-8 yr post-blowdown using parametric (ANOVA) and nonparametric (NMS ordination) analyses. We supplement inventory plots and downed coarse woody detritus (DCWD) transects with hemispherical photography to capture spatial variation in the light environment. Although recent blowdowns transferred a substantial proportion of live overstory trees to DCWD, residual live tree basal area was high (19-59% of reference areas). On average, the initial post-blowdown ratio of DCWD carbon to standing live tree carbon was 2.72 in blowdown stands and 0.18 in reference stands, indicating a large carbon transfer from live to dead pools. Despite these dramatic changes, structural complexity remained high in blowdown areas, as indicated by the size and species distributions of overstory trees, abundance of sound and rotten downed wood, spatial patterns of light availability, and variability of understory vegetation. Furthermore, tree species composition was similar between blowdown and reference areas at each site, with generally shade-tolerant species dominating across multiple canopy strata. Community response to intermediate-severity blowdown at these sites suggests a dynamic in which disturbance maintains late-successional species composition rather than providing a regeneration opportunity for shade-intolerant, pioneer species. Our findings suggest that intermediate-severity wind disturbances can contribute to stand-scale structural complexity as well as development toward late-successional species composition, at least when shade-tolerant regeneration is present pre-blowdown. Advance regeneration thus enhances structural and compositional resilience to this type of disturbance. This study provides a baseline for multi-cohort silvicultural systems designed to restore heterogeneity associated with natural disturbance dynamics.

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Beech bark disease: spatial patterns of thicket formation and disease spread in an aftermath forest in the northeastern United States

Cited by 41 publications

References 48 publications

Spatial pattern and disease severity of charcoal canker in Hyrcanian forests, north of Iran

Spatial pattern and disease severity of charcoal canker in Hyrcanian forests, north of Iran

Conspecific negative density dependence in American beech

Intermediate‐severity wind disturbance in mature temperate forests: legacy structure, carbon storage, and stand dynamics

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