Pinus pinea L. plant trait variations in response to tree age and silvicultural management and carbon storage capability

Gratani, Loretta; Crescente, Maria Fiore; Varone, Laura; Bonito, Andrea; Tinelli, Aleandro

doi:10.1007/s12210-014-0343-8

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 66 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Previous studies on the relationship between LAI and stand age in forests of variable species composition found a rapid increase of leaf area during the rst years a er stand establishment, which was followed by a steady decline of LAI in older forests (e. g., Gratani et al, 2015;. While most studies dealt with even-aged forests, not much is known about leaf area dynamics in old-growth or primeval forests of the temperate zone.…”

Section: Leaf Area Dynamics Across the Forest Development Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

Structure, Productivity and Carbon Storage of Primeval European Beech Forests

Glatthorn¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

e productivity and water consumption of forests depend on stand leaf area, which may vary with tree age, forest structure, and environment. How forest management a ects leaf area and whether production forests have di erent leaf areas than unmanaged natural forests, is not clear. We compared the leaf area index (LAI ) of production forests of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) with that of primeval forests (three forests in each case) in Slovakia and analyzed the LAI change from early to late stages of the natural forest development cycle. Optically determined LAI (LAI2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer) was on average 7.1 m 2 m −2 (2.8-11.0 m 2 m −2 ) in the primeval forests and 7.4 m 2 m −2 (4.3-11.2 m 2 m −2 ) in the production forests. Model results show that transforming beech primeval forests into even-aged production forests would reduce LAI by {1.6 units, if stem density is kept constant. Complex primeval forest canopies thus promote the formation of higher LAI s. However, this e ect was compensated for by the higher stem densities of the production forests, resulting on average in similar LAI s of production and primeval forests. In the terminal stage of natural forest development with tree death and gap formation, plot-level LAI was not lower than in the earlier growth and optimal stages, probably because neighboring beech trees were rapidly lling gaps with foliage. is suggests that stand-level productivity is not reduced in the terminal stage of forest development, since 21 2.1 E ects of forest management on stand leaf area LAI is rapidly restored a er the death of individual trees. Our results provide insights into the functional role of structural complexity in temperate forest canopies and how European beech maintains dominance across the full forest development cycle.

show abstract

Section: Leaf Area Dynamics Across the Forest Development Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

Structure, Productivity and Carbon Storage of Primeval European Beech Forests

Glatthorn¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

The use of maps as a monitoring tool of protected area management

Gratani

Bonito

Crescente

et al. 2014

Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Leaf area index (LAI) of vegetation types developing inside the protected Estate of Castelporziano was analyzed in the year 2013 and compared with the previous studies carried out in the years 1995-1997. Our recent data do not show significant differences in the structure and LAI of the vegetation types not subjected to thinning respect to the previous studies. The results on the whole highlight that the conservative management carried out in the Castelporziano Estate has had positive effects leading to a high number of large tree size in the forest stands. The multiple linear regression analysis shows that the photon flux density monitored at soil level (PFD%) is related to plant height (H), total plant basal area (TBA) and LAI in the considered forest types. In addition, plants renewal was analyzed in some thinned and un-thinned areas of Quercus ilex forests and broadleaf mixed forests inside the Estate. The spatial patterns of light availability within these forest types influence the regeneration patterns of woody species: a higher seedling regeneration both in un-thinning and thinning areas was observed in Q. ilex evergreen forests (5.0±2.0 and 1.0±0.5 seedlings m-2, respectively) than in broadleaf mixed forests (0.40±0.10 and 0.10±0.03 seedlings m-2, respectively) due to the large germination capability of Q. ilex. LAI is a key parameter in evaluating ecosystem structure. The used maps may be considered a rapid and cost-effective method to have an overview on the functional state of the forest ecosystems as well as the possibility to highlight rapidly the occurrence of a local disturbance state. Old-growth forests like those under study, are important reference sites for conservation strategies involving a broad range of ecosystem services. These types of data may be useful to achieve a database for management projects in the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano

show abstract