Structural characteristics and aboveground biomass of old‐growth spruce–fir stands in the eastern Carpathian mountains, Ukraine

Keeton, William S.; Chernyavskyy, M.; Gratzer, Georg; Main-Knorn, Magdalena; Shpylchak, M.; Bihun, Yurij

doi:10.1080/11263500903560512

Cited by 55 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…The INVE model was the most predictive for biomass, and captured the complete observed biomass range from approximately 100 to 300 Mg ha −1 (Figure 3). These values are consistent with the typical range for boreal and temperate coniferous forests [15,52,53]. Using our modeling techniques for areas with up-to-date SBI, we found stand volume, relative density, and dominant tree age (Table 3) to be the strongest predictors for biomass estimation.…”

Section: Biomass Modelssupporting

confidence: 67%

Evaluating the Remote Sensing and Inventory-Based Estimation of Biomass in the Western Carpathians

et al. 2011

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Understanding the potential of forest ecosystems as global carbon sinks requires a thorough knowledge of forest carbon dynamics, including both sequestration and fluxes among multiple pools. The accurate quantification of biomass is important to better understand forest productivity and carbon cycling dynamics. Stand-based inventories (SBIs) are widely used for quantifying forest characteristics and for estimating biomass, but information may quickly become outdated in dynamic forest environments. Satellite remote sensing may provide a supplement or substitute. We tested the accuracy of aboveground biomass estimates modeled from a combination of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery and topographic data, as well as SBI-derived variables in a Picea abies forest in the Western Carpathian Mountains. We employed Random Forests for non-parametric, regression tree-based modeling. Results indicated a difference in the importance of SBI-based and remote sensing-based predictors when estimating aboveground biomass. The most accurate models for biomass prediction ranged from a correlation coefficient of 0.52 for the TM-and topography-based model, to 0.98 for the inventory-based model. While Landsat-based biomass estimates were measurably less accurate than those derived from SBI, adding tree height or stand-volume as a field-based predictor to TM and topography-based models increased performance to 0.36 and 0.86, OPEN ACCESSRemote Sens. 2011, 3 1428 respectively. Our results illustrate the potential of spectral data to reveal spatial details in stand structure and ecological complexity.

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Section: Biomass Modelssupporting

confidence: 67%

Evaluating the Remote Sensing and Inventory-Based Estimation of Biomass in the Western Carpathians

et al. 2011

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“…Growing stock volume is also frequently used as indicator of old-growth condition (Mikac et al, 2013) since recent studies have shown the importance of old-growth forests in storing large quantities of biomass (Keeton et al, 2010). Indeed, it has been also demonstrated that old-growth forests host significantly larger amounts of living biomass than mature forests (Burrascano et al, 2008(Burrascano et al, , 2013.…”

Section: Indicators Of Old-growth Forest Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the effect of sampling plot size on the estimation of structural indicators in old-growth forest stands

Lombardi

Marchetti

Corona

et al. 2015

Forest Ecology and Management

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There is increasing awareness that structure-based indicators should be considered for assessing the biological value of late successional forests. In order to increase the unique habitat features critical for old-growth associated species, it is important to identify and rank candidate potential forest sites on the basis of their distinctive structural features. Data on living and deadwood components for the identification of old-growth condition are usually acquired in the considered forest stands by two sampling survey: (i) census performed in relatively large monitoring sites; (ii) network of small sampling units, on which inventory practices are usually based. Several authors argued that choosing between these survey strategies might have substantial effects on the values of common indicators of old-growth condition. Our study aims at (i) assessing the total estimate differences among old-growth structural indicators measured in field plots with different sizes, and (ii) defining the optimal sample size for the reliable assessment of such indicators. The study was carried out in six beech dominated forest stands on the Apennines range in Italy. In each stand, living and deadwood components were surveyed and geocoded in 1-ha square areas. Based on these dataset, circular plots with radii ranging from 4 m up to 20 m were then considered in order to quantify the effect of sampling plot size on the estimation of four structural indicators: (1) number of living trees; (2) number of large trees (dbh ⩾ 50 cm); (3) total deadwood volume; (4) number of deadwood elements (snags, dead standing trees; lying dead trees, lying deadwood) with dbh (or average diameter for lying deadwood) ⩾ 30 cm. We found that the size of the sampling plots should be at least 500 m2 in order to establish a database for the assessment of the investigated indicators. The census approach should be preferred to the sampling plot approach for old-growth forest stands smaller than 3–5 ha. The achieved results contribute to define assessment protocols for characterizing and ranking the degree to which forest stands approximate old-growth condition based on standardized indicators

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“…For example, they often have more diverse plant communities (Burrascano et al 2009, D'Amato et al 2009), increased stratification complexity, and higher amounts of snags, logs, and large live trees ). Old-growth forests provide key habitat for species that are not found in secondary or harvested forests (Lammertink et al 1998, Miller and and act as sinks in terrestrial carbon dynamics (Carey et al 2001, Luyssaert et al 2008, Keeton et al 2010. They also can provide information regarding processes that may affect ecosystems over time, such as climate, fire, and other disturbances (Swetnam 1993, Swetnam and Baisan 2003, Kaufmann et al 2007, Fulé et al 2012.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking old‐growth forest composition, structure, fire history, climate and land‐use in the mountains of northern México

et al. 2012

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Old‐growth forests are biologically and ecologically valuable systems that are disappearing worldwide at a rapid rate. México still holds large areas covered by temperate forests in the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental, but few of these retain old‐growth characteristics. We studied four sites with remnant old‐growth forests in Mesa de las Guacamayas, a site in the Sierra Madre Occidental in northwestern Chihuahua, to assess their composition, structure, and age characteristics. Overstory tree densities and basal areas at each site were based on measurements of all trees >1.3 m tall. The overstory was dominated by large Pinus durangensis, P. strobiformis, and Pseudotsuga menziesii (270–335 trees ha−1, basal area 24–42 m2 ha−1), with a subcanopy formed mostly of oaks. This species composition, combined with the lack of vertical structural development, and thus of fuel ladders, suggests that these forests are relatively resistant to severe wildfire. We evaluated forest attributes in the context of local fire regimes and regional climatic patterns, and found that frequent disturbance by surface fires has been part of the study sites' histories for at least 250 years. While climate was a driver of fire regimes historically in this mountain range, humans appear to have played a role in interruptions of the fire regime in the second half of the 20th century. Age distributions showed recruitment to the canopy over ∼250 years, while fires in the four sites recurred every 6–12 years. Temporary interruption of the fire regime in the mid‐20th century at three sites was associated with increased tree establishment, especially by broadleaved species. One site had an uninterrupted fire regime and showed continuous tree establishment, consistent with the self‐reinforcing role of frequent fire in regulating live and dead fuel loads. Remnant old‐growth forests such as those we sampled are becoming increasingly rare in the Sierra Madre Occidental. The biodiversity and ecological processes that they support are highly threatened and their conservation must be made a priority in the U.S.‐México borderlands.

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Structural characteristics and aboveground biomass of old‐growth spruce–fir stands in the eastern Carpathian mountains, Ukraine

Cited by 55 publications

References 60 publications

Evaluating the Remote Sensing and Inventory-Based Estimation of Biomass in the Western Carpathians

Evaluating the Remote Sensing and Inventory-Based Estimation of Biomass in the Western Carpathians

Quantifying the effect of sampling plot size on the estimation of structural indicators in old-growth forest stands

Linking old‐growth forest composition, structure, fire history, climate and land‐use in the mountains of northern México

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