Forest Ecology and Management最新文献

{"title":"Tree planting outcomes after severe wildfire depend on climate, competition, and priority","authors":"Quinn M. Sorenson,&nbsp;Derek J.N. Young,&nbsp;Andrew M. Latimer","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122346","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122346","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With dramatic increases in both area burned and fire severity in Western North American conifer forests, the demand for postfire replanting greatly exceeds land managers’ capacity. Despite the importance of tree planting for forest recovery in many areas, it remains unclear how environmental variation and planting timing affect tree planting success relative to passive natural tree regeneration, or how to optimize limited planting resources by focusing on the right places at the right time. To address this gap, we surveyed replanting success across five fires in California Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest that had been partially replanted with conifer species after intense wildfire. We selected these fires to contain substantial variation in environmental conditions (temperature, elevation, other topographic contrasts) and planting timing, while being as consistent as possible in postfire management. At each fire, we surveyed randomly located 400 m2 circular plots in planted and nearby unplanted areas (total 182 plots), counting seedlings by species as well as shrub cover and other environmental variables. Using mixed models to analyze the data, we found that passive natural regeneration is weaker (&lt;50 seedlings/ha) in hotter, drier sites and that active tree planting can provide a boost (up to 200 %) to forest recovery in these sites. We also found that the timing of tree planting matters, but that the importance of timing depends on the level of competition from shrubs. In places where shrub competition is intense, tree planting is much more successful if planting occurs the year immediately following a fire, the soonest that it is usually practical to plant. In contrast, in places where shrub competition is weaker, delaying tree planting until some shrubs establish can facilitate tree seedling survival, perhaps because shrubs provide shelter from harsh conditions. We also found that tree planting was strongly associated with a higher proportion of pine seedlings, although this positive planting effect was weaker when planting happened later after fire, and was cancelled out at higher levels of shrub cover and shrub height.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"575 ","pages":"Article 122346"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142658341","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":"Long-term soil nutrient and understory plant responses to post-fire rehabilitation in a lodgepole pine forest","authors":"Sophia Kaiser ,&nbsp;Timothy S. Fegel ,&nbsp;David M. Barnard ,&nbsp;Adam L. Mahood ,&nbsp;Kya Sparks ,&nbsp;Kaela K. Amundson ,&nbsp;Michael J. Wilkins ,&nbsp;Charles C. Rhoades","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122359","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122359","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wildfires and other disturbances play a fundamental role in regenerating lodgepole pine forests. Though severe, stand-replacing fires are typical of this ecosystem, they can have dramatic impacts on soil properties and biogeochemical processes that influence the rate and composition of vegetation recovery. Organic soil amendments are often applied to manage post-fire erosion, but they can also improve soil moisture and nutrient retention and potentially alter the trajectory of post-fire revegetation. We compared change in soil nutrients, microbial communities, and understory plant cover and composition on six burned hillslopes treated with 1) biochar (20 t ha ⁻¹), 2) wood mulch (37 t ha⁻¹), 2) biochar + mulch, and 4) an untreated control a decade after the 2010 Church’s Park fire. Wood mulch increased soil moisture and N retention the first three years following treatment. Mulch and biochar were still visible when we resampled in 2023. Mulch continued to increase soil moisture compared to unamended controls, though it had few lasting effects on soil N or cations. Conversely, biochar added alone increased dissolved organic C in soil leachate, C:N in soil and leachate, and hosted microbial communities distinct from those in mulch and combined biochar and mulch treatments. Biochar also elevated various dissolved and extractable soil N forms but reduced net nitrification. The amendments had no general effect on total graminoid, forb, or shrub cover, but had plant species-specific impacts. For example, biochar doubled cover of the dominant shrub <em>Vaccinium scoparium</em>, and mulch reduced cover of the most common forb (<em>Oreochrysum parryi</em>) by more than 50 %. The combined biochar and mulch treatment had persistent, additive effects on both soil and plant responses that exceeded impacts of the individual treatments. As seen increasingly in western North America, conifer regeneration remains scarce in the Church’s Park burn scar, and these findings suggest that mulch and biochar amendments may improve reforestation success following severe wildfires.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"575 ","pages":"Article 122359"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142658433","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":"Abundance of Taphrorychus bicolor in beech forests: Influence of forest size and optimal conditions","authors":"Jaroslav Holuša ,&nbsp;Ivana Henzlová ,&nbsp;Barbora Dvořáková ,&nbsp;Karolina Resnerová ,&nbsp;Jan Šipoš ,&nbsp;Otakar Holuša ,&nbsp;Jaromír Bláha ,&nbsp;Roman Berčák ,&nbsp;Jiří Procházka ,&nbsp;Jiří Trombik ,&nbsp;Tomáš Fiala","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122362","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122362","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The bark beetle <em>Taphrorychus bicolor</em> primarily inhabits <em>Fagus sylvatica</em> forests. Its populations increase after periods of drought. Due to the limited knowledge of factors affecting its abundance, we conducted a large-scale sampling. Beetles were captured using three Theysohn traps lured with bicolorin at 26 study sites in mature homogeneous beech forests distributed throughout the Czech Republic. The traps were checked, and beetles were sampled weekly or biweekly in 2022. Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs), the impact of selected environmental and management variables on the abundance of <em>T. bicolor</em> was analyzed. The species occurs at elevations ranging from 150 m a.s.l. to 1300 m a.s.l. throughout the Czech Republic. This represents its entire host range, e.g., beech, although in the lowest elevations it is also found on other deciduous trees. In 2022, the flight activity lasted from late April to early September, and two generations were recorded, with the filial generation starting to fly in late June. In many study sites, more than 10,000 beetles were captured per trap. The number of females trapped was higher than males, consistent with the species' polygamous strategy, where females move toward increasing concentrations of pheromones. The number of beetles in the traps was influenced by elevation, with the highest abundance observed at around 600 m a.s.l. Abundances were higher in areas with more extensive beech forest complexes. Lower beetle abundances were found in stands where the studied forest bordered with meadows, pastures, or crop fields, indicating the species' reluctance to fly outside the forest habitat. The abundance of the filial generation was higher when there was a larger area of beech forests within a 1000 m radius, suggesting a median dispersal flight distance of approximately 1 km for the filial generation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"575 ","pages":"Article 122362"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142658340","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":"Past disturbances shape present tree size distribution in European temperate primary beech-dominated forests","authors":"Ruffy M. Rodrigo ,&nbsp;Joseph L. Pettit ,&nbsp;Pavel Janda ,&nbsp;Jakob Pavlin ,&nbsp;Dheeraj Ralhan ,&nbsp;Daniel Kozak ,&nbsp;Radim Matula ,&nbsp;William Marchand ,&nbsp;Radek Bače ,&nbsp;Martin Dušátko ,&nbsp;Tomás Kníř ,&nbsp;Michal Frankovič ,&nbsp;Martin Mikoláš ,&nbsp;Jeňýk Hofmeister ,&nbsp;Cătălin-Constantin Roibu ,&nbsp;Melanie Saulnier ,&nbsp;Miroslav Svoboda","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":"574 ","pages":"Article 122364"},"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":"Maxmiller Cardoso Ferreira ,&nbsp;Daniel Luis Mascia Vieira","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":"574 ","pages":"Article 122353"},"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":"Collin J. Anderson ,&nbsp;Matthew P. Weand ,&nbsp;Heather D. Alexander ,&nbsp;Mario Bretfeld ,&nbsp;Nicholas Green","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":"575 ","pages":"Article 122372"},"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":"Alessandra Cunha Pessoa,&nbsp;Leonardo Castilho Balbinot,&nbsp;Luara Castilho Balbinot,&nbsp;Leticia Siqueira Walter,&nbsp;Dagma Kratz,&nbsp;André Carlos Auler,&nbsp;Antônio Carlos Nogueira","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":"574 ","pages":"Article 122352"},"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":"Brandon C. Alveshere ,&nbsp;Christel C. Kern ,&nbsp;Robert T. Fahey","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":"574 ","pages":"Article 122347"},"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":"Christen Beasley ,&nbsp;David R. Carter ,&nbsp;Timothy J. Albaugh ,&nbsp;David Enemo ,&nbsp;Daniel S. Hong ,&nbsp;Rachel Cook ,&nbsp;Otávio Campoe ,&nbsp;Rafael Rubilar","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":"574 ","pages":"Article 122355"},"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":"Mukti Ram Subedi ,&nbsp;Andres Alejandro Baeza-Castro ,&nbsp;Puneet Dwivedi ,&nbsp;Bridgett Costanzo ,&nbsp;James A. Martin","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":"574 ","pages":"Article 122360"},"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}