Solar Radiation as a Driver for Growth and Competition in Forest Stands

Leuchner, Michael; Hertel, Christian; Rötzer, Thomas; Seifert, Thomas; Weigt, Rosemarie; Werner, H.; Menzel, Annette

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-30645-7_8

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Accordingly, species with larger average leaf area exhibited higher LWR than those with smaller leaf area. The leaf area seems to be a good explanatory variable of biomass allocation patterns because it defines not only the extent of interception of radiant energy, but also the absorption of CO 2 , and facilitates the transfer of water between foliage and atmosphere (Margolis et al 1995, Leuchner et al 2012, Weraduwage et al 2015. Our results reinforce the importance of leaf traits for plant performance .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Patterns of biomass allocation between foliage and woody structure: the effects of tree size and specific functional traits

2016

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Mensah, S., Glèlè Kakaï, R., Seifert, T., 2016. Patterns of biomass allocation between foliage and woody structure: the effects of tree size and specific functional traits. Ann. For. Res. 59(1): 49-60.Abstract. Biomass allocation is closely related to species traits, resources availability and competitive abilities, and therefore it is often used to capture resource utilisation within plants. In this study, we searched for patterns in biomass allocation between foliage and wood (stem plus branch), and how they changed with tree size (diameter), species identity and functional traits (leaf area and specific wood density). Using data on the aboveground biomass of 89 trees from six species in a Mistbelt forest (South Africa), we evaluated the leaf to wood mass ratio (LWR). The effects of tree size, species identity and specific traits on LWR were tested using Generalised Linear Models. Tree size (diameter) was the main driver of biomass allocation, with 44.43 % of variance explained. As expected, LWR declined significantly with increasing tree diameter. Leaf area (30.17% explained variance) and wood density (12.61% explained variance) also showed significant effects, after size effect was accounted for. Results also showed clear differences among species and between groups of species. Per unit of wood mass, more biomass is allocated to the foliage in the species with the larger leaf area. Inversely, less biomass is allocated to the foliage in species with higher wood density. Moreover, with increasing diameter, lower wood density species tended to allocate more biomass to foliage and less biomass to stems and branches. Overall, our results emphasise the influence of plant size and functional traits on biomass allocation, but showed that neither tree diameter and species identity nor leaf area and wood density are the only important variables.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Patterns of biomass allocation between foliage and woody structure: the effects of tree size and specific functional traits

2016

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“…They create highly illuminated areas where the incident light can in extremis reach higher values than above the canopy itself due to lateral illumination in the trunk space and a high proportion of scattering of radiation on the surrounding branches (Muller, 1971). Sunfleck spectra are similar to incident radiation (Endler, 1993;Combes et al, 2000;Leuchner et al, 2012) and may also be areas with transient higher temperatures, which in some cases may (Fig. 3e) close to those measured above the canopy (Reitmayer et al, 2001;Leuchner et al, 2012).…”

Section: Gaps and Sunflecks Determine Spatial Patternssupporting

confidence: 68%

“…Sunfleck spectra are similar to incident radiation (Endler, 1993;Combes et al, 2000;Leuchner et al, 2012) and may also be areas with transient higher temperatures, which in some cases may (Fig. 3e) close to those measured above the canopy (Reitmayer et al, 2001;Leuchner et al, 2012).…”

Section: Gaps and Sunflecks Determine Spatial Patternssupporting

confidence: 68%

“…This high insolation distribution does not remain constant during the day due to the planting orientation and thinning pattern. These radiation distributions do of course change over the course of a clear day with highest values within the thinning lines early and later in the day, respectively (Reifsnyder, 1989;Leuchner et al, 2012). An aspect not investigated within the frame of the current study is the below canopy vegetation, which is also influenced by the type of forest management.…”

Section: Gaps and Sunflecks Determine Spatial Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Transmissivity of solar radiation within a <i>Picea sitchensis</i> stand under various sky conditions

2015

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Abstract. We tested the hypothesis that diffuse radiation from cloudy and overcast skies penetrates the canopy more effectively than direct radiation from clear skies. We compared the flux density and spectral properties of direct and diffuse radiation (around solar noon (±1 h)) above, within and below a forest stand under sunny, cloudy and overcast conditions in a thinned Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) forest (28 years old, with a leaf area index of approximately 5.2 m 2 m −2 ). We recorded vertical profiles of radiation penetration (from 350 to 1050 nm), and we also explored the horizontal pattern of radiation along a 115 m transect.We showed that in "clear sky" conditions, the photosynthetically active radiation in the lower parts of the canopy was substantially attenuated, more so than under cloudy and overcast skies. It was particularly depleted in the blue part of the spectrum, but only slightly blue-depleted when the sky was overcast or cloudy. Moreover, the red : far-red ratio under clear skies fell to values less than 0.3 but only to 0.6 under cloudy or overcast skies. Near the ground, the light climate was strongly influenced by the thinning pattern (carried out in accordance with standard forestry management practice).

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“…New results obtained by Leuchner et al (2012) or Rötzer et al (2012) provide evidence of the complex spatio-temporal changes of radiation during the year and its interaction with biomass in mixed spruce-beech stands.…”

Section: Methodological Strengths and Weaknesses Of This Studymentioning

confidence: 83%

Climate effects on productivity and resource-use efficiency of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica [L.]) in stands with different spatial mixing patterns

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Species mixing is widely held to stabilize productivity, increase resilience and contribute to risk minimization in forest stands in need of special as a result of longevity. However, research on the effects of mixing on productivity and resource consumption so far yielded fairly incoherent results rather than general findings. We focused on the effects of the spatial mixing pattern and the annual climate conditions on the mixing effect, which to date have seldom been considered as modifiers of mixing effects. Nine years of intensive survey of four pure stands of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica [L.]) and two mixed plots with different mixing pattern showed: (1) mixing hardly changed annual net primary productivity at stand level when Norway spruce and European beech are cultivated groupwise but increased by 37 % on account of a higher efficiency of water and light use in individual tree-wise mixture.(2) Favourable climatic conditions increased the superiority of mixed versus pure stands productivity, while, in particular, water stress cancelled the benefit of mixing considerably. (3) An interaction between the spatial pattern and variable climatic conditions was revealed. Both improved light and water use were found in favourable years in close inter-specific intermingling. However, in unfavourable years the spatial pattern played a less pronounced role in terms of productivity.

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Solar Radiation as a Driver for Growth and Competition in Forest Stands

Cited by 18 publications

References 34 publications

Patterns of biomass allocation between foliage and woody structure: the effects of tree size and specific functional traits

Patterns of biomass allocation between foliage and woody structure: the effects of tree size and specific functional traits

Transmissivity of solar radiation within a <i>Picea sitchensis</i> stand under various sky conditions

Climate effects on productivity and resource-use efficiency of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica [L.]) in stands with different spatial mixing patterns

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Solar Radiation as a Driver for Growth and Competition in Forest Stands

Cited by 18 publications

References 34 publications

Patterns of biomass allocation between foliage and woody structure: the effects of tree size and specific functional traits

Patterns of biomass allocation between foliage and woody structure: the effects of tree size and specific functional traits

Transmissivity of solar radiation within a &lt;i&gt;Picea sitchensis&lt;/i&gt; stand under various sky conditions

Climate effects on productivity and resource-use efficiency of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica [L.]) in stands with different spatial mixing patterns

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Transmissivity of solar radiation within a <i>Picea sitchensis</i> stand under various sky conditions