Synergistic effects of past historical logging and drought on the decline of Pyrenean silver fir forests

Camarero, J. Julio; Bigler, Christof; Linares, Juan Carlos; Gil‐Pelegrín, Eustaquio

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2011.05.009

Cited by 152 publications

(184 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Because data from local meteorological stations are often inadequate to study the spatiotemporal variation of mountain climates, regional records averaging the longest and most complete local data available from the study area were created (see Camarero et al 2011). I used monthly climatic data (mean temperature, total precipitation) to delineate two homogeneous and distinct climatic areas within the Aragón Pyrenees, hereafter abbreviated as WAP (western Aragón Pyrenees) and EAP (eastern Aragón Pyrenees) sub-regions.…”

Section: Geographical and Climatic Backgroundsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Multiple Factors Explaining Decline in Mountain Forests: Historical Logging and Warming-Related Drought Stress is Causing Silver-Fir Dieback in the Aragón Pyrenees

Camarero

2017

High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World

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The drivers and patterns of drought-related forest dieback are not as well understood in mountain conifer forests. Most studies have obviated the role of historical use as a predisposing factor of forest dieback. Here I focus on the recent silver-fir (Abies alba) dieback observed since the 1980s in the Aragón Pyrenees (NE Spain) as study case. I argue that such dieback was predisposed by past historical logging and incited by warming-induced drought. I analyzed environmental, structural and tree-ring data from 32 sites with contrasting degrees of dieback at the tree and stand levels. I found that a peak in late-summer water deficit observed in 1985 caused a severe growth reduction in 1986, resulting in subsequent crown defoliation, dieback and increased mortality. Dieback was more severe and widespread in western low-elevation mixed forests dominated by smaller trees with low growth rates. These marginal sites receive less late-summer rainfall, which is a key climatic variable controlling silver-fir growth, than eastern sites. Declining sites showed more frequent growth releases induced by historical logging than non-declining sites. Silver-fir growth is becoming more dependent on climatic conditions of previous September, which may be connected with changing modes of atmospheric variability affecting Iberian climate. Historical logging and warming-induced drought stress during late summer are the most likely predisposing and inciting factors driving silver-fir dieback, respectively. A sustainable management of mountain forests shaped by past historical use requires changing their current structure and composition to make them more resilient to climate warming.

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Section: Geographical and Climatic Backgroundsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mean temperature and precipitation data for each sub-region were obtained for the period 1940-1999. Finally, I calculated annual and cumulative monthly water deficits for both climatic sub-regions using a modified Thornthwaite water-budget procedure (see Camarero et al 2011). …”

Section: Geographical and Climatic Backgroundsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Multiple Factors Explaining Decline in Mountain Forests: Historical Logging and Warming-Related Drought Stress is Causing Silver-Fir Dieback in the Aragón Pyrenees

Camarero

2017

High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World

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“…Besides improving the tree productivity, thinning has important effects on understory, fauna and soil nutrient cycle and ecology (Martín-Benito et al 2011). However, the advantages of thinning for growth may not be the same for trees of different species (Moreno-Fernández et al 2014), mainly due to different duration of the growing period (Camarero et al 2011).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting growth and water use efficiency after thinning in mixed Abies pinsapo-Pinus pinaster-Pinus sylvestris forests

Navarro-Cerrillo¹,

Sánchez‐Salguero²,

Herrera³

et al. 2016

J. For. Sci.

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Foresters frequently lack sufficient information about thinning intensity effects to optimize semi-natural forest management and their effects and interaction with climate are still poorly understood. In an Abies pinsapo-Pinus pinaster-Pinus sylvestris forest with three thinning intensities, a dendrochronologial approach was used to evaluate the short-term responses of basal area increment (BAI), carbon isotope (δ 13 C) and water use efficiency (iWUE) to thinning intensity and climate. Thinning generally increased BAI in all species, except for the heavy thinning in P. sylvestris. Across all the plots, thinning increased 13 C-derived water-use efficiency on average by 14.49% for A. pinsapo, 9.78% for P. sylvestris and 6.68% for P. pinaster, but through different ecophysiological mechanisms. Our findings provide a robust mean of predicting water use efficiency responses from three coniferous species exposed to different thinning strategies which have been modulated by climatic conditions over time.

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“…Silver fir was more resistant to low growth and had lower mortality in comparison with Picea abies (Vieilledent et al 2010). However, the decline of Abies alba in natural ecosystems is more often observed (Thomas et al 2002;Camarero et al 2011;Ficko et al 2011;Klopcic and Boncina 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Weak competitive ability may explain decline of Taxus baccata

Iszkuło

Didukh

Giertych

et al. 2012

Annals of Forest Science

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Context Taxus woodlands suffer from a lack of natural regeneration across its whole distribution range. Aims In Knyazhdvir Reserve in Ukraine Taxus baccata primarily competes with Abies alba. It has been assumed that in the conditions of deep shade, yews have a greater competitive advantage than firs. Methods To verify this hypothesis, a plot with both species growing under the canopy was established. Wood samples were taken from 20 trees of T. baccata and 20 trees of A. alba. Results There were no differences in the mean tree-ring width, height and age between both species. Due to a lack of spatial separation of both species, yews and firs inhabited the same area in the analysed plot. Fir seedlings (up to 0.5 m) were recorded to grow under yew saplings (above 0.5 m), but the inverse situation of yew seedlings growing under fir saplings was not seen. Conclusion Seedling distribution, tree-ring growth rate, possibility of growth of fir seedlings under yew saplings and greater potential growth suggested that fir was predisposed to having the competitive edge over yew. Our results may confirm the hypothesis that T. baccata has a restricted distribution because of weak competitive abilities and can exist only in habitats where faster growing species are absent. The results call into question the prevailing opinion that human influences are the principal cause for the decline of T. baccata.

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Synergistic effects of past historical logging and drought on the decline of Pyrenean silver fir forests

Cited by 152 publications

References 28 publications

The Multiple Factors Explaining Decline in Mountain Forests: Historical Logging and Warming-Related Drought Stress is Causing Silver-Fir Dieback in the Aragón Pyrenees

The Multiple Factors Explaining Decline in Mountain Forests: Historical Logging and Warming-Related Drought Stress is Causing Silver-Fir Dieback in the Aragón Pyrenees

Contrasting growth and water use efficiency after thinning in mixed Abies pinsapo-Pinus pinaster-Pinus sylvestris forests

Weak competitive ability may explain decline of Taxus baccata

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