The microclimatic conditions in a subalpine forest as basis for the management

Aulitzky, Herbert

doi:10.1007/bf00446478

Cited by 8 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Limited soil water availability upon warming may endanger timberline trees through water imbalances, in particular, at the upper distribution limit, where tree habit becomes stunted and deformed to ''krummholz'', in the ''kampfzone'' (Tranquillini 1979;Holtmeier 2000;Wieser and Tausz 2007). The latter zone already today is affected by temporary soil drought at wind-exposed ridges and leeward sun-exposed slopes with thin soil layer (Aulitzky 1963(Aulitzky , 1984. As in the timberline ecotone effects of slope inclination and, as a consequence, solar radiation as well as wind velocity and direction are by far more important than in the closed forests below (Wieser 2007), research related to WH III should not only be directed to elevational gradients within the ecotone (''kampfzone'' vs. mountainous range), but also focus on micro-scale effects on tree water relations.…”

Section: Arguments For Hypotheses and Needs In Examinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transpiration of forest trees and stands at different altitude: consistencies rather than contrasts?

et al. 2009

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Compared to lowland trees and forests, evidence on water relations at mountainous and sub-alpine sites with their climatic and topographic peculiarities is scarce. On such limited grounds, the outcome of three pilot studies is reviewed, intended to launch working hypotheses for initiating integrative research across the altitudinal gradient of the European Alps. Highlighted are tree transpiration and structural differentiation as well as stand water balance of mono-specific and/or mixed forests with Picea abies, Pinus cembra, Larix decidua and Fagus sylvatica at sub-alpine (timberline ecotone), mountainous and colline elevation. Given the preliminary evidence, treeallometric structures of relevancy for water transport appeared to be independent of elevation and forest type, although timberline trees under open-canopy conditions did not buffer transpiration by internal water storage and had enhanced foliage/sapwood area ratios. Transpiration appeared to depend on site conditions rather than sitedependent adaptation. Canopy transpiration approached 20% of the high seasonal precipitation at the mountainous site, with about 60% being ascribed to run-off, whereas the water budget of the colline site was balanced during summer. The water balance of the subalpine site resembled, at lower precipitation, that of the mountainous site. The derived hypotheses focus on mixed-stand transpiration under altitude-specific topography and moisture regimes, hydraulic adaptation and water demand versus uptake capacity, as this latter ratio is crucial at high altitude in view of expected warming. The clarification of consistencies relative to contrasts indicated by the pilot studies will be challenging across altitudes in view of tree species, forest types and topography.

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Section: Arguments For Hypotheses and Needs In Examinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transpiration of forest trees and stands at different altitude: consistencies rather than contrasts?

et al. 2009

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“…Furthermore, minimum tree water potentials during the growing season have been found to stay considerably above a critical value, causing xylem cavitation risks [95,96]. In general, transpiration of conifers at the treeline shows a very pronounced response to increasing evaporative demand in terms of solar radiation and vapor pressure deficit under appropriate water supply [97,98]. Multiple regression analyses showed that, at the forest limit and at the treeline, solar radiation had a similar effect on tree water loss as vapor pressure deficit [97].…”

Section: Water Relationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the krummholz limit, by contrast, vapor pressure deficit had a bigger effect on tree water loss than irradiance. In addition, the absence of a closed canopy at the krummholz limit triggered an intensification in fundamental atmospheric processes [7,98].…”

Section: Water Relationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Climate Change at Treeline: Lessons from Space-for-Time Studies, Manipulative Experiments, and Long-Term Observational Records in the Central Austrian Alps

Wieser

Oberhuber

Gruber

2019

Forests

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This review summarizes the present knowledge about effects of climate change on conifers within the treeline ecotone of the Central Austrian Alps. After examining the treeline environment and the tree growth with respect to elevation, possible effects of climate change on carbon gain and water relations derived from space-for-time studies and manipulative experiments are outlined. Finally, long-term observational records are discussed, working towards conclusions on tree growth in a future, warmer environment. Increases in CO2 levels along with climate warming interact in complex ways on trees at the treeline. Because treeline trees are not carbon limited, climate warming (rather than the rising atmospheric CO2 level) causes alterations in the ecological functioning of the treeline ecotone in the Central Austrian Alps. Although the water uptake from soils is improved by further climate warming due to an increased permeability of root membranes and aquaporin-mediated changes in root conductivity, tree survival at the treeline also depends on competitiveness for belowground resources. The currently observed seedling re-establishment at the treeline in the Central European Alps is an invasion into potential habitats due to decreasing grazing pressure rather than an upward-migration due to climate warming, suggesting that the treeline in the Central Austrian Alps behaves in a conservative way. Nevertheless, to understand the altitude of the treeline, one must also consider seedling establishment. As there is a lack of knowledge on this particular topic within the treeline ecotone in the Central Austrian Alps, we conclude further research has to focus on the importance of this life stage for evaluating treeline shifts and limits in a changing environment.

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“…However, we 388 consider these to be an effect of the different rates at which 389 stands may progress along their trajectories of development 390 in size-density space, while following the same overarch-391 ing, species-specific, self-thinning boundary. Differences in 392 topography, temperature, light, and soil fertility affect 393 growth rates and, in turn, the rate of mortality during the 394 stem-exclusion phase (Aulitzky 1984;Schönenberger 395 2001). In other words, a Norway spruce stand on a high-396 quality site will reach the boundary more quickly than the 397 same density of trees on a lower-quality site, even though 398 both eventually achieve the same boundary (Jack and Long 399 1996).…”

Section: Dmd Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A density management diagram for Norway spruce in the temperate European montane region

et al. 2013

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The microclimatic conditions in a subalpine forest as basis for the management

Cited by 8 publications

References 7 publications

Transpiration of forest trees and stands at different altitude: consistencies rather than contrasts?

Transpiration of forest trees and stands at different altitude: consistencies rather than contrasts?

Effects of Climate Change at Treeline: Lessons from Space-for-Time Studies, Manipulative Experiments, and Long-Term Observational Records in the Central Austrian Alps

A density management diagram for Norway spruce in the temperate European montane region

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