Tree size distribution at increasing spatial scales converges to the rotated sigmoid curve in two old-growth beech stands of the Italian Apennines

Alessandrini, Alfredo; Biondi, Franco; Filippo, Alfredo Di; Ziaco, Emanuele; Piovesan, Gianluca

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2011.08.025

Cited by 62 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Dziewolski 1991;Leibundgut 1993;Przybylska et al 1995;Piovesan et al 2005;Westphal et al 2006;Alessandrini et al 2011), the stands differed visibly in stem density (between 288 and 682 live trees per ha), a variation attributable primarily to under-canopy trees. The differences in the number of under-canopy trees influenced the differentiation index values, which were highest in Stand I, with the smallest number of under-canopy trees, and lowest in Stand II, with the highest number.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…von Oheimb et al 2005;Piovesan et al 2005;Westphal et al 2006;Alessandrini et al 2011), changes in species composition ), regeneration Roženbergar et al 2007), coarse woody debris (Christensen et al 2005), stand dynamics (Jaworski and Paluch 2002;Š ebková et al 2011), gap dynamics (Kenderes et al 2009), and reconstruction of natural disturbances (Splechtna et al 2005;Zeibig et al 2005;Nagel and Svoboda 2008;Firm et al 2009;Trotsiuk et al 2012). Only a handful of studies have profiled the spatial variability of the structural attributes in stand patches representative to steady-state conditions; that is, large enough to buffer the effects of natural disturbances and guarantee demographic equilibrium at an approximately constant biomass accumulation level (Dziewolski 1991;Holeksa et al 2009;Š ebková et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial variability of close-to-primeval Fagus–Abies–Picea forests in the Western Carpathians (Central Europe): a step towards a generalised pattern

et al. 2014

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The research objective was to provide a generalised model of spatial variation in the basal area of live and dead trees in primeval beech-fir-spruce forests in the Western Carpathians region. The study was carried out in three primeval stands located in the Polish part of the massif. In each research area, small sample plots (0.015 ha) were localised in a regular 20 9 20 m grid covering approximately 10 ha. In each sample plot, the diameters at breast height (d 1.3 ) and species of all live and dead trees were recorded. The spatial pattern was tested statistically using a variance-to-mean ratio on a single sample plot scale (0.015 ha) and a paired-plot approach for the distance range between 20 and 200 m. Simulation techniques were then used to model variation in the basal area of live and dead trees dependent on spatial scale. The spatial patterns of live and dead canopy trees (d 1.3 [ 50 cm) were regular when analysed on a single sample plot scale (0.015 ha) but most often random at distance lags C20 m. The spatial variability in the basal area of live and dead trees also tended to be random. These results suggest that the patchmosaic assumption is inapplicable to the primeval beechfir-spruce stands in the Western Carpathians. In all three stands studied, the basal area recorded on the plots 0.015 ha in area had a very similar pattern of variation, which could be generalised as either a truncated normal distribution (live trees) or a negative exponential distribution (dead trees). The bell-shaped frequency distribution of the basal area of live trees suggests a dynamics model in which extreme values of biomass accumulation are rare and disturbances frequent but quickly balanced by stand increment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial variability of close-to-primeval Fagus–Abies–Picea forests in the Western Carpathians (Central Europe): a step towards a generalised pattern

et al. 2014

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“…However, the dynamic patterns of most species begin more vigorous growth at around the age of 20, with a DBH of 20 to 30 cm (Table 3). Some species displayed a narrow inverted-J distribution, which represents a typical distribution for uneven-aged forests [93][94][95][96]. A U-shaped distribution was observed for species like P. angolensis and E. abyssinica, which suggests that forest stand dynamics are primarily controlled by competition ( Figure 5C,E,F).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Dynamic Patterns of Trees Species in Miombo Forest and Management Perspectives for Sustainable Production—Case Study in Huambo Province, Angola

Chiteculo

Surový

2018

Forests

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This paper aims to assess important forest parameters, including tree density, diameter at breast height (DBH), and age distribution, investigate the dynamic growth of miombo tree species, and employ this information to design a management framework in miombo forests. The delineation of the management zones was based on unsupervised land cover classification that began with three zones where ground data was collected and increased to five zones. Eighteen circular plots (25.2 m radius) were randomly distributed over the study areas to assess the current situation and potential growth patterns for each species. The patterns of the six most representative tree species of miombo in Angola were described and we used KORFiT 2.4 software to fit data and develop growth curves for at least three miombo species. Growth function fitness was evaluated by root mean squared error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R 2 ), significance of the parameters (p < 0.05), and Akaike's information criterion (AIC). The diameter distribution of miombo tree species resembled a typical distribution of uneven-aged forest stands; higher DBH classes had lower abundances of tree species. Logistic and Gompertz growth functions were the best fits for miombo tree species. Brachystegia spiciformis Benth., is suggested as a potential species for timber management in the region because they displayed high growth potential to more quickly reach an assumed minimum DBH of 20 cm. This study concluded that miombo forest stands present an irregular structure in which DBH distribution illustrated only two patterns: many small stems and a bimodal forest structure.

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“…CANOPY experiments suggest that a rotated sigmoid size distribution (sensu Goff and West [10]) with variable q-ratios may be required across the full range of size classes, as in a forest managed for old-growth characteristics [51]. Rotated sigmoid size distributions have been widely reported in old-growth, uneven-aged stands of various shade-tolerant species (e.g., [14,[52][53][54][55][56]), including those in the present study areas [45,57,58].…”

Section: Characteristics and Dynamics Of Sustainable Size Distributionsmentioning

confidence: 88%

A Demographic Approach to Evaluating Tree Population Sustainability

Halpin

Lorimer

2017

Forests

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Quantitative criteria for assessing demographic sustainability of tree populations would be useful in forest conservation, as climate change and a growing complex of invasive pests are likely to drive forests outside their historic range of variability. In this paper, we used CANOPY, a spatially explicit, individual-tree model, to examine the effects of initial size distributions on sustainability of tree populations for 70 northern hardwood stands under current environmental conditions. A demographic sustainability index was calculated as the ratio of future simulated basal area to current basal area, given current demographic structure and density-dependent demographic equations. Only steeply descending size distributions were indicated to be moderately or highly sustainable (final basal area/initial basal area ≥0.7 over several tree generations). Five of the six principal species had demographic sustainability index values of <0.6 in 40%-84% of the stands. However, at a small landscape scale, nearly all species had mean index values >1. Simulation experiments suggested that a minimum sapling density of 300 per hectare was required to sustain the initial basal area, but further increases in sapling density did not increase basal area because of coincident increases in mortality. A variable slope with high q-ratios in small size classes was needed to maintain the existing overstory of mature and old-growth stands. This analytical approach may be useful in identifying stands needing restoration treatments to maintain existing species composition in situations where forests are likely to have future recruitment limitations.

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Tree size distribution at increasing spatial scales converges to the rotated sigmoid curve in two old-growth beech stands of the Italian Apennines

Cited by 62 publications

References 50 publications

Spatial variability of close-to-primeval Fagus–Abies–Picea forests in the Western Carpathians (Central Europe): a step towards a generalised pattern

Spatial variability of close-to-primeval Fagus–Abies–Picea forests in the Western Carpathians (Central Europe): a step towards a generalised pattern

Dynamic Patterns of Trees Species in Miombo Forest and Management Perspectives for Sustainable Production—Case Study in Huambo Province, Angola

A Demographic Approach to Evaluating Tree Population Sustainability

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