Forest Ecology and Management最新文献

{"title":"Past disturbances shape present tree size distribution in European temperate primary beech-dominated forests","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122364","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122364","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural disturbances play a crucial role in shaping forest structural dynamics, directly influencing stand structural heterogeneity. In European forests, disturbances occur across varying scales, from small patches to entire landscapes, significantly affecting ecosystem dynamics. However, detailed information on historical disturbances and their specific effects on forest structure, particularly tree size distributions in primary mountain forests, remains limited. With global change altering the severity and frequency of these disturbances, understanding their long-term impact has become increasingly critical for forest management and conservation. We addressed two main questions: (1) Is there variability in tree size distributions at both the plot and stand level? and (2) which specific aspects of disturbance regimes, such as severity and timing, are most influential in shaping these distributions? To address these questions, we analyzed data from 11,755 trees across 23 primary European beech forest stands in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania (139 plots) and Slovakia (99 plots). Using linear mixed-effects models, we assessed how historical disturbances have influenced current tree size distributions. Our results showed that tree size distributions across the Carpathians show variability, with the most common pattern being close to a reverse-J shape, indicative of uneven-aged forest structures. Modelling analyses revealed that disturbance severity and timing are key factors influencing present tree size distribution patterns at small scales in the Carpathian Mountains. High-severity disturbances generally result in unimodal or bimodal distributions, while low-severity disturbances are associated with reverse-J shaped patterns. Specifically, at the plot level (small scale), we observed that last disturbance severity, maximum disturbance severity, and time since the last disturbance all significantly impacted tree size distributions driving them away from a reverse-J shape. Finally, linear mixed-effects modeling revealed that disturbance severity, time since the last disturbance and the interaction between the two were the most influential factors shaping present tree size distributions. Our findings highlight the dynamic nature of forest ecosystems, emphasizing the critical role of historical disturbances in shaping present tree structure and the long-term development of forest stands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Making the most of native seeds: Management techniques interact with seed and seedling traits for enhancing direct seeding success","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Direct seeding offers a cost-effective approach to large-scale restoration, but seedling establishment can vary greatly across species and regions. This study investigates how management techniques used for seed processing, site preparation, seeding, and post-seeding management interact with seed/seedling traits and influence direct seeding success. We conducted a systematic review of Brazilian direct seeding research, encompassing 26 % of global studies. We focused on paired experiments comparing management techniques against control treatments to analyze seedling establishment rates for trees, shrubs, and palms. The techniques included pre-soaking seeds, overcoming seed dormancy, seed burial, mulch application, soil fertilization, intercropping with green manure or agricultural crops, weed control, and sowing in the shade of secondary vegetation. Seed traits were fresh mass, water content, and shape, and seedling traits were functional morphology, successional guild, and vegetation guild, <em>i.e.</em>, forest or savanna. Pre-germination treatments offered no significant benefit. Seed burial doubled establishment, and mulch application only aided unburied seeds. Organic fertilization reduced establishment for savanna species, while intercropping with green manure or crops enhanced establishment for forest species. Weed control effectiveness depended on functional traits. Mowing favored pioneers, while hoeing or herbicide application benefited large-seeded and epigeal-foliaceous-cotyledon seedlings. Pioneer species establishment was 15 % in full sun and 3 % in the shade, while shade-tolerant climax species established at 8 % in full sun and 28 % in the shade. By implementing management techniques, direct seeding success can be increased up to fourfold. This translates to a potential reduction in seed usage, the primary cost of direct seeding, by 25–75 %. These findings pave the way for cost-effective restoration efforts with improved seedling establishment rates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142586090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variations in stand structure, composition, and fuelbeds drive prescribed fire behavior during mountain longleaf pine restoration","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122372","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122372","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Across the central and eastern U.S., frequent-fire (∼ 1–5 year interval) dependent savannas, woodlands, and forests have experienced widespread ecological state shifts due to decades of fire exclusion. Without fire, mesophytes (i.e., shade-tolerant, often fire-sensitive and/or opportunistic tree species) are encroaching in the midstory, creating shady, moist understories with low flammability and reduced biodiversity through a process known as “mesophication.” Although prescribed fire is commonly used to reverse mesophication and restore fire-dependent ecosystems, fire behavior during restoration remains difficult to predict because variations in stand structure and composition and associated fuels interact to influence flammability. To better understand the mesophication mechanisms influencing fire behavior and to identify key predictors of fire behavior for the benefit of land managers, we assessed how metrics that describe fire intensity (maximum temperature, rate of spread, and residence time) and severity (fuel consumption) relate to pre-fire stand and leaf litter composition and structure. We focused on the restoration of remnant mountain longleaf pine (<em>Pinus palustris</em> Mill. (LLP)) stands during the dormant prescribed fire season in the Georgia Piedmont region, USA. Using Bayesian path analysis, we compared the effects of either stand or leaf litter composition and structure on fire behavior. Lower stand basal area and higher relative importance of pine and pyrophytic hardwoods (e.g., upland <em>Quercus</em> spp.) and associated leaf litter types were expected to increase fire intensity. Results showed that stand composition and structure significantly influenced fire behavior, but not because of their influence on litter structure (load and bulk density). Rather, leaf litter composition may better explain fire behavior than leaf litter structure. Results also suggest that simple measures of stand composition and structure alone can be used to predict fire behavior, providing a potentially useful tool for assessing restoration potential of fire-dependent ecosystems under threat of mesophication.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bentonite as substrate conditioner under different water regimes – A Eucalyptus dunnii seedling assay","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The substrate has a lot of functions in the process to develop a high-quality seedling, including the responsibility to hold water and to make the water available for the plants. A compound that can be used to hold water is bentonite. So, the research aimed to evaluate the effects of different proportions of bentonite as a substrate component under two water conditions in the production of <em>Eucalyptus dunniii</em> seedlings. The research was carried out in the forest seedlings nursery in Curitiba/PR - Brazil. For the treatments, bentonite substrate conditioner was used in different proportions, 0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15 % and 20 %, in a commercial substrate (with sphagnum peat) here named as S0, S5, S10, S15 and S20 respectively, in two water regimes for the blocks. The seedlings produced with these bentonite proportions was analyzed by the height, stem diameter, dry matter (shoot, root and total), and two parameters: height/stem diameter ratio (H/SD) and Dickson Quality Index (DQI). The substrate analysis shown a contrary behavior of expected. The bentonite in the substrate for seedlings of <em>E. dunnii</em> did not increase water holding capacity in a linear form and the high proportion of bentonite did not improve seedling in the lower water regime, although the 5 % of bentonite gave a good results of seedlings growth, so the purpose of bentonite in the substrate to improve water holder capacity and minimize the irrigation would not be fully attended.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142578328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of experimental partial harvesting regimes on forest canopy structure and complexity","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122347","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122347","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The physical structure of forest canopies regulates numerous ecological processes and functions, and management strategies to promote specific structural features, such as high structural complexity, are increasingly desired. Partial disturbances — including partial harvests — can modify forest canopy structure, but their specific effects may be influenced by differences in characteristics such as intensity and frequency. Understanding the variable effects of silvicultural treatments on canopy structure will be essential to designing silvicultural regimes that can promote canopy structural complexity. We evaluated the effect of partial harvesting regimes on canopy structure (i.e., density, cover, height, arrangement, and heterogeneity) and complexity (as rugosity), quantified using a suite of metrics derived from portable canopy lidar, across three levels of harvesting intensity in three multi-decadal silvicultural experiments. We specifically assessed: 1) how repeated partial harvesting disturbance affected canopy structure and complexity relative to unmanipulated controls, 2) whether effects of partial harvesting differed among harvesting intensities or 3) between old- and second-growth stands, and 4) if canopy light interception differed among stands with different histories of partial harvesting disturbance. Findings indicated that canopy structure development under partial harvesting regimes differed from that of control stands, reducing vertical and canopy structural complexity at a fine (i.e., 1–6 ha treatment unit) scale, but increasing among-unit variability in canopy structure relative to controls. Variation in intensity among treatments produced relatively little distinction in fine-scale canopy structural outcomes, but the higher intensity selection harvesting regime in particular differed significantly from controls across all metrics of canopy structure. Partial harvesting affected the developmental trajectories of both old-growth and maturing, secondary forest stands, where selection-based management seemed to decrease structural features associated with old forests. Our findings suggest management regimes developed for timber goals could accommodate alternative goals that promote multi-scale canopy structural complexity across managed northern hardwood forest landscapes by adapting the timing (e.g., extending cutting intervals) and intensity (e.g., low intensity harvests) of partial harvesting to retain or develop elements of canopy complexity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142578329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Growth trends of loblolly pine age five or less in relation to soil type and management intensity","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We evaluated three objectives for loblolly pine (<em>Pinus taeda</em> L.) trees age five or less: 1) how height growth varies by soil type and silvicultural intensity, 2) the accuracy of predicted base-age 25 site index (SI25) using age one to five heights, and 3) if height dominance exhibited early in the rotation is maintained throughout the rotation. Data from 42 sites across the southeastern United States with an array of soil textures and management intensities (optimal, intensive, and operational) were used. Management intensity and soils significantly affected tree height. Coarse loamy soils were the most responsive to increasing management intensity. At age four, tree heights were greatest in the optimal group (4.63 m), followed by the intensive (4.31 m), and then the operational (3.06 m). Organic soils do not appear to respond to maximum management intensity. Predictability of SI25 was high especially starting at age four, with R² values ranging from 0.27 for the age four intensive group to 0.78 for the age four operational group. The optimal group had the greatest slope with an expected increase of 2.61, 2.75, 1.88, and 1.78 m in site index per additional meter of height at ages two, three, four, or five, respectively. Data from six different study sites indicate, the tallest (class one) and smallest (class five) trees changed percentile class the least often over time. As early as age two, over 40 % of observations in classes one and five had zero changes in class through age 13. Young tree data were effective in predicting SI25, and height dominance appeared generally set early in the rotation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142578327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling regional forest site productivity accounting spatial structure in climatic and edaphic variables","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With increasing interest in sustaining productivity amid changing climate, disturbance regimes, and management practices, an accurate forest productivity estimate is important to develop sustainable management regimes. Our goal was to estimate and map the potential productivity of co-occurring tree species. We used forest inventory and analysis (FIA) data and climatic and edaphic variables to model the composite site index (CSI) as a proxy of potential forest productivity. Initially, we identified the site index model for selected species: slash pine <em>(Pinus elliottii</em>), longleaf pine (<em>Pinus palustris</em>), loblolly pine (<em>Pinus taeda),</em> and yellow poplar (<em>Liriodendron tulipifera</em>). We then standardized species-specific site index (SI) values to generate composite site index (CSI) values. Finally, we used a random forest (RF) machine learning algorithm (ML) to predict CSI values based on climatic and edaphic factors while addressing spatial dependencies in the data set. The RF model explained 81 % of the variation (R²_adj = 0.81), with a mean bias of 0.11 m and a mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.37 m. The accuracy of modeling and mapping forest productivity using CSI depends on the quality and spatial distribution of national forest inventory data at the species level and climatic information. We recommend modeling forest productivity that accounts for spatial structure in the data to reduce overinflation of overall accuracy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142572298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Green is the New Black: Outcomes of post-fire tree planting across the US Interior West","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122358","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122358","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reforestation activities such as tree planting are important management tools to offset carbon emissions and restore forest ecosystem integrity. Severe wildfire activity, a key driver of forest loss, is increasing throughout the western United States (US) and creating an immense backlog of areas needing reforestation. Major financial investments and recent policy changes are expected to accelerate rates of tree planting, yet the broad-scale impact and efficacy of post-fire planting activities remain poorly understood. We quantified the outcomes of recent (1987–2022) post-fire plantings in the US Interior West using remotely sensed estimates of forest cover change and in-situ survival records (69,245 seedlings) spanning 297 unique fire events. Overall, planted areas gained forest cover 25.7 % more rapidly than environmentally similar, unplanted sites in the same fires, and planted seedling survival averaged 79.5 % (SD = 23.2 %) after one growing season. However, the effects of planting were highly variable over time and across environmental gradients. Forest cover gain and planted seedling survival were typically highest in cold, wet areas and when planting was followed by wetter-than-average years. Planting season also shaped outcomes, with late summer or fall plantings performing best on warm, dry sites, and spring plantings performing best in cold, wet areas. Forest cover gain was fastest in planting units that burned at low to moderate severity and had &gt; 20 % post-fire forest cover in the surrounding area. Nearly half of all plantings were completed in such areas, where natural regeneration processes are most likely to promote forest recovery even without intervention. Here, we demonstrate that tree planting can enhance post-fire forest recovery rates at broad scales, though its effects are dependent on a range of environmental and operational factors. Our results help inform realistic expectations of planting outcomes, an issue of global relevance as such projects expand to achieve restoration and climate mitigation goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142572294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Attention needed in forest carbon projects: An analysis of initiatives in Colombia","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR) projects play a crucial role to combat climate change. In Colombia, ARR projects are important to achieve forest restoration and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Our study presents a comprehensive review of 74 ARR projects in Colombia, examining their spatial distribution, characteristics, and restorative interventions. The projects were identified through a review of carbon registry web pages. Data on project timelines, estimated carbon removal, locations, sizes, natural regions, biomes, species approaches, number of planted species, and types of restorative interventions were extracted from project description documents, validation, monitoring and verification reports. Overall, these projects have treated an area of 314,374 ha, with an estimated removal of 101,553,801 tons of CO2 during the crediting period. The analysis revealed that the Andean, Caribbean, and Orinoco regions had the highest number of ARR projects, while the Pacific and Amazon regions had fewer initiatives. Mixed species plantings were the most common approach, followed by exotic and native species. Afforestation was the most frequent forestry intervention, followed by agroforestry. However, the study also identifies concerning trends, such as the widespread use of invasive species and large number of afforestation projects in naturally non-forest ecosystems. These findings offer critical insights for the governance of ARR projects in Colombia, emphasizing the need to assure quality in carbon sequestration efforts while enhancing ecological and social benefits. Finally, the study supports Colombia’s broader goals of biodiversity restoration and climate resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142572297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"African Mahogany (Khaya anthotheca) negative distance-dependent recruitment in a Ugandan rainforest and implications for restoration","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122357","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122357","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Negative distance-dependent recruitment of seedlings is supposedly widespread in tropical tree communities. However, data from African rainforests is scarce, and it is still poorly understood how proximity to conspecific adults affects successful transitioning from seedlings to saplings of species of African mahogany that are of conservation concern. Such basic ecological information is of critical importance to enrich logged Afrotropical forests. We studied offspring dispersion relative to 37 isolated parent trees of African mahogany (<em>Khaya anthotheca)</em> in a Ugandan semi-deciduous rainforest to provide information for ecological restoration programs. <em>Khaya</em> recruitment is supposedly positively density-dependent as the abundance of regeneration increases with the density of adult conspecifics. Contrary to this, we found offspring recruitment patterns consistent with the Janzen-Connell hypothesis. Mid-sized seedlings were located farther away from the parent tree than small-sized seedlings, while saplings were farther away than mid-sized seedlings. We found a significant positive effect of distance on saplings, suggesting a distance-dependent process drove higher seedling survival farther away. Regardless of the process responsible for seedling mortality, our results show that <em>K.anthotheca</em> recruitment in our study site is negatively distance-dependent, with proximity to reproductive adult trees reducing the survival of seedlings during the transition to saplings. Our results suggest enrichment planting of <em>K.anthotheca</em> seedlings away (&gt; 15 m) from remnant conspecific adult trees may promote greater seedling survival, thereby contributing to the restoration and conservation of this valuable tree species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142572295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}