Tree diameter structural diversity in Central European forests with<i>Abies alba</i>and<i>Fagus sylvatica</i>: managed versus unmanaged forest stands

Pach, Maciej; Podlaski, Rafał

doi:10.1007/s11284-014-1232-4

Cited by 45 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 82 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In addition to the diversity in tree species, structural diversitycharacterized as the heterogeneity in vertical and horizontal structures (Pach & Podlaski 2014)is another important dimension of diversity in forest ecosystems (Moser & Hansen 2006). Also structural diversity has been reported to promote forest productivity (Hardiman et al 2011;Fahey et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disentangling the effects of compositional and structural diversity on forest productivity

Pedro

Rammer

Seidl

2017

J Vegetation Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Questions Tree species diversity is widely reported to positively influence forest productivity. Yet, a consistent attribution of productivity effects is complicated by the fact that compositional and structural diversity are often related in forest ecosystems. Here, our objective was to disentangle the effects of diversity in species and structures on forest productivity. We further assessed whether the influence of structure and composition on productivity changes over the course of forest development. Location Hainich National Park, central Germany. Methods We conducted a factorial simulation experiment in which 63 unique combinations of six different tree species were studied over 500 yr of forest development. The model used was iLand, a process‐based simulator operating at individual tree resolution. The indicators of compositional diversity considered included species richness, entropy, evenness and identity, while structural diversity was characterized by indicators describing vertical and horizontal stand structure. Net primary production (NPP) was studied as the response variable, and random forest analysis was used to synthesize simulation output. Results We found positive effects of both compositional and structural diversity on productivity, but their influence changed distinctly over the course of forest development. In early‐seral stages, diversity effects on NPP were dominated by aspects of tree species composition, and displayed a strong positive selection effect for European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). In later stages of forest development, diversity effects on NPP were dominated by structural diversity, with productivity increasing with increased variation in tree diameter and canopy complexity. Conclusion To better understand the effects of diversity on ecosystem functioning, both the compositional and structural dimensions of diversity in forest ecosystems (and their changes over time) need to be considered. In the context of ecosystem management our results suggest that the reduction in productivity associated with the loss of a canopy tree species (e.g. due to the invasion of an alien pest species) can to some degree be compensated through increased structural diversity. Fostering both compositional and structural diversity are important means to increase the robustness of forest ecosystem functioning.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disentangling the effects of compositional and structural diversity on forest productivity

Pedro

Rammer

Seidl

2017

J Vegetation Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our results are in accordance with Fahlvik et al (2015), who reported a significant influence of the structure of mixed stands (Scots pine, Norway spruce and birch in Sweden) during pre-commercial thinning. On the other hand, Pach and Podlaski (2015) found that unmanaged mixed fir/beech stands showed more complex diameter structural diversity compared to managed mixtures. In our study, the above-mentioned trends need (dis)confirmation by subsequent research based on wider experimental material, because of non-replicated plots and relatively small initial proportion of beech in Deštné experiment (especially control plot).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Importance of the first thinning in young mixed Norway spruce and European beech stands

Novák¹,

Dušek²,

Slodičák³

et al. 2017

J. For. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Novák J., Dušek D., Slodičák M., Kacálek D. (2017): Importance of the first thinning in young mixed Norway spruce and European beech stands. J. For. Sci., Experimental results from the first thinning in mixed stands are not broadly experienced by forestry practice. To extend the experience with the thinning of a mixed stand, we studied thinned and unthinned mixtures of Norway spruce with European beech on two study sites in the Czech Republic, which represented different conditions: Všeteč (age of 19-35 years) -originally beech dominated site at 440 m a.s.l. and Deštné (age of 17-33 years) -originally spruce with beech site at 990 m a.s.l. Spruce and beech were mixed individually or in small groups. As the for number of trees, mixtures were 35-54% beech and 46-65% spruce at a lower altitude and 7-30% beech and 70-93% spruce at a higher altitude. In the period 1997-2013, we observed annually: mortality, diameter at breast height of all trees and height of trees (minimum 30 individuals) that represented diameter distribution. Results showed that the growth and development of young mixed spruce/beech stands were positively influenced by the first pre-commercial thinning on both locations. The most pronounced effect of thinning consisted in a decreased amount of basal area of dead trees. On control plots, salvage cut accounted for 34 and 46%, while on thinned plots it reached only 7-8% (thinned from above) and 18% (thinned from below) of basal area periodic increment during the 16-year study period. In contrast, diameter distribution was still relatively wide (i.e. an important amount of thin trees was left) at the end of observations on all plots of both study sites. Thinned stands also showed the better static stability (expressed as an h/d ratio) of dominant spruces compared to unthinned stands on both locations. Additionally, thinning supported the spruce share at a lower altitude and the beech share at a higher altitude.

show abstract

“…Boncina 2011), most studies focus on boreal forests or on the beech and spruce forest zone (Dieler et al 2017). Such forests contain fewer large old trees and less deadwood than primeval forests (Motta et al 2014;Pach and Podlaski 2015), while they can be richer in large trees, gaps, and patches of natural regeneration than rotation forests and recently abandoned rotation forests (Dieler et al 2017;Keren et al 2017;Mölder et al 2019).…”

Section: Electronic Supplementary Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The legacy of management approaches and abandonment on old-growth attributes in hardwood floodplain forests in the Pannonian Ecoregion

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the absence of primeval floodplain forests, near-natural remnants are key references for close-to-nature forestry and nature conservation. Old-growth forest characteristics (OGCs) were quantified in 16 managed (rotation or selection) and abandoned semi-natural floodplain forests by taking snapshot inventories of structural features. Principal component analysis revealed a short gradient from closed-canopy managed stands dominated by large trees (mainly oaks) and hornbeams, with less deadwood, to abandoned older stands with more gaps, very large trees and different kinds of deadwood. All the studied forests are mainly in the early and late biostatic phases of forest development, with innovation and degradation phases almost completely absent. Results showed that selection forests had significantly more very large trees compared to rotation stands. The difference in structure between abandoned selection stands and abandoned rotation stands was more pronounced than in their counterparts that are still managed. Based on diameter distribution and the amount of very large trees and deadwood, abandoned selection stands were closest to the structure of natural forests. Selection forests may recover certain OGCs more rapidly than rotation forests. We concluded that after 100-150 years of homogenising rotation forestry, OGCs are slow to develop in just 25 years of non-intervention. Based on our results, we recommend: (i) an increase in the rotation cycle with selective logging in order to restore and maintain OGCs in managed rotation forests and (ii) total abandonment in certain well-preserved, near-natural forests with natural flooding regimes. However, the failure of oak to regenerate naturally remains a challenge.

show abstract

Tree diameter structural diversity in Central European forests withAbies albaandFagus sylvatica: managed versus unmanaged forest stands

Cited by 45 publications

References 82 publications

Disentangling the effects of compositional and structural diversity on forest productivity

Disentangling the effects of compositional and structural diversity on forest productivity

Importance of the first thinning in young mixed Norway spruce and European beech stands

The legacy of management approaches and abandonment on old-growth attributes in hardwood floodplain forests in the Pannonian Ecoregion

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About