Synchronised Disturbances in Spruce- and Beech-Dominated Forests Across the Largest Primary Mountain Forest Landscape in Temperate Europe

Vostarek, Ondřej; Mikoláš, Martin; Svitok, Marek; Frankovič, Michal; Morrissey, Robert C.; Kozak, D. B.; Nagel, Thomas A.; Dušátko, Martin; Pavlin, Jakob; Ferenčík, Matej; Keeton, William S.; Spînu, Andreea Petronela; Petriţan, Ion Cătălin; Majdanová, Linda; Markuljaková, Katarína; Roibu, Cătălin-Constantin; Gloor, Rhiannon; Bače, Radek; Buechling, Arne; Synek, Michal; Rydval, Miloš; Málek, Jakub; Begović, Krešimír; Hofmeister, Jeňýk; Rodrigo, Ruffy; Pettit, Joseph L.; Fodor, Ecaterina; Čada, Vojtěch; Janda, Pavel; Svoboda, Miroslav

doi:10.2139/ssrn.4139034

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…In the primary forests of the Făgăraș Mts. (Southern Carpathians, Romania) the differences in the amounts of deadwood in BDPF and SDPF were smaller; on average it was 145.2 m 3 ha −1 (stand-level averages 83-245) in BDPF, and 151 m 3 ha −1 (stand-level averages 87-224 m 3 ha −1 ) in SDPF (Kameniar et al 2023). The lower total amounts of deadwood recorded in this study can be partly explained by the different methods used to measure lying deadwood.…”

Section: Forest Structure In Beech-and Spruce-dominated Primary Forestsmentioning

confidence: 94%

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Spruce- and beech-dominated primary forests in the western Carpathians differ in terms of forest structure and bird assemblages, independently of disturbance regimes

Kameniar

Baláž

Svitok

et al. 2023

European Journal of Environmental Sciences

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Mountain spruce- and beech-dominated forests (SDPF and BDPF) are of major importance in temperate Europe. However, information on the differences between their historical disturbance regimes, structures, and biodiversity is still incomplete. To address this knowledge gap, we established 118 circular research plots across 18 primary forest stands. We analysed the disturbance history of the last 250 years by dendrochronological methods and calculated disturbance frequency, severity, and timing. We also measured forest structure (DBH, tree density, volume of deadwood, and other parameters). Breeding bird populations were examined by point count method during the spring seasons 2017–2018 (SDPF) and 2019–2020 (BDPF). Using direct ordination analysis, we compared the disturbance history, structure and bird assemblage in both forest types. While no differences were found regarding disturbance regimes between forest types, forest structure and bird assemblages were significantly different. SDPF had a significantly higher density of cavities and higher canopy openness, while higher tree species richness and more intense regeneration was found in BDPF. Bird assemblage showed higher species richness in BDPF, but lower total abundance. Most bird species which occurred in both forest types were more numerous in spruce-dominated forests, but more species occurred exclusively in BDPF. Further, some SDPF- preferring species were found in naturally disturbed patches in BDPF. We conclude that although natural disturbances are important drivers of primary forest structures, differences in the bird assemblages in the explored primary forest types were largely independent of disturbance regimes.

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Section: Forest Structure In Beech-and Spruce-dominated Primary Forestsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Natural disturbances are the main drivers of Carpathian primary forest structure (Mitchell 2013; Kameniar et al 2021;Rodrigo et al 2022, Kameniar et al 2023. Their impact on forest is shaped by climatic conditions, which varies along altitudinal gradients, and by tree species composition.…”

Section: Forest Structure In Beech-and Spruce-dominated Primary Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spruce- and beech-dominated primary forests in the western Carpathians differ in terms of forest structure and bird assemblages, independently of disturbance regimes

Kameniar

Baláž

Svitok

et al. 2023

European Journal of Environmental Sciences

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“…OGF remains currently a loose and debatable concept (Spies 2004). However, these forests together with primary forests represent a benchmark for naturalness and a model to which one compares managed forests, establish conservation goals and mitigate climate change (Kameniar et al 2022).…”

Section: Old-growth Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The roles of plant pathogens in old-growth forests

Fodor

Hâruța

2022

Bucov. For.

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Old-growth forests are considered a benchmark for naturalness and models to which one compares managed forests, comparison leading to debates around biodiversity and its conservation, structure and dynamics, polarizing conservationists and forest practitioners. Plant pathogens are frequently disregarded as components of forests biodiversity, the common perception referring to this category of organisms as important biotic stressors. However, pathogens building several functional groups (necrotrophic and biotrophic pathogens, endophytic pathogens, sapro-parasitic species, generally on wood), in highly natural forests such as old-growth forests are establishing interaction networks with several other functional groups of organisms such as hyperparasites, consumers, disease facilitators, indirect opportunistic species (such as tree hollow dwellers), saprotrophs or mutualists. Being connected to old trees (rare or missing components of managed forests) or to endangered forest plants, pathogens become indicators of naturalness and biodiversity. The gradient going from saprotrophs, to sapro-pathogens and generalist/specialist pathogens characterizing forest ecosystems is linked at great extent to wood and bark, being connected to nutrient cycling as ecosystem level process. As long as disease is maintained within the baseline mortality of the trees, pathogens play the important role of control factors and contribute directly and indirectly to forest biodiversity. The current disease ecology progresses, the biodiversity integrative studies, and the new holistic approaches shaping modern ecology bring in the focus rare, endemic pathogens as important control factors of plant populations, as components of the plants’ phenotypic niche and of the global biodiversity, as potential providers of services (sources of medicines) and components of the intricate ecological webs. However, the comparisons between old-growth and managed forests biodiversity should be focused on species evenness (high evenness in old-growth forests versus low evenness in managed forests) and not particularly on species richness. Still, there are pathogens responsible for major biotic disturbances in forests worldwide, the invasive, alien or emerging pathogens threatening both old-growth forests and managed forests.

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“…(Pinales: Pinaceae), which may eventually lead to the regional loss of this economically important tree species in Central Europe (Hlásny et al ., 2021; Netherer & Hammerbacher, 2022). Well adapted to cool and wet climatic conditions, P. abies is a dominant tree species of montane, nemoral and boreal forest ecosystems (Clear et al ., 2015; Kameniar et al ., 2023). Owing to its excellent wood quality, spruce has also been planted extensively outside its natural range (Seidl et al ., 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drought increases Norway spruce susceptibility to the Eurasian spruce bark beetle and its associated fungi

Netherer,

Lehmanski,

Bachlehner

et al. 2024

New Phytologist

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Summary Drought affects the complex interactions between Norway spruce, the bark beetle Ips typographus and associated microorganisms. We investigated the interplay of tree water status, defense and carbohydrate reserves with the incidence of bark beetle attack and infection of associated fungi in mature spruce trees. We installed roofs to induce a 2‐yr moderate drought in a managed spruce stand to examine a maximum of 10 roof and 10 control trees for resin flow (RF), predawn twig water potentials, terpene, phenolic and carbohydrate bark concentrations, and bark beetle borings in field bioassays before and after inoculation with Endoconidiophora polonica and Grosmannia penicillata. Drought‐stressed trees showed more attacks and significantly longer fungal lesions than controls, but maintained terpene resin defenses at predrought levels. Reduced RF and lower mono‐ and diterpene, but not phenolic concentrations were linked with increased host selection. Bark beetle attack and fungi stimulated chemical defenses, yet G. penicillata reduced phenolic and carbohydrate contents. Chemical defenses did not decrease under mild, prolonged drought in our simulated small‐scale biotic infestations. However, during natural mass attacks, reductions in carbon fixation under drought, in combination with fungal consumption of carbohydrates, may deplete tree defenses and facilitate colonization by I. typographus.

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Synchronised Disturbances in Spruce- and Beech-Dominated Forests Across the Largest Primary Mountain Forest Landscape in Temperate Europe

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Spruce- and beech-dominated primary forests in the western Carpathians differ in terms of forest structure and bird assemblages, independently of disturbance regimes

Spruce- and beech-dominated primary forests in the western Carpathians differ in terms of forest structure and bird assemblages, independently of disturbance regimes

The roles of plant pathogens in old-growth forests

Drought increases Norway spruce susceptibility to the Eurasian spruce bark beetle and its associated fungi

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