Forest Ecology and Management最新文献

{"title":"Evaluating the potential of oxygen isoscapes for tropical timber tracing","authors":"Mart Vlam ,&nbsp;Laura Boeschoten ,&nbsp;Peter van der Sleen ,&nbsp;Ulfa Adzkia ,&nbsp;Arnoud Boom ,&nbsp;Gaël U.D. Bouka ,&nbsp;Jannici C.U. Ciliane-Madikou ,&nbsp;Tijs Kuzee ,&nbsp;Nestor Laurier Engone Obiang ,&nbsp;Mesly Guieshon-Engongoro ,&nbsp;Joël J. Loumeto ,&nbsp;Dieu-merci M.F. Mbika ,&nbsp;Cynel G. Moundounga ,&nbsp;Rita M.D. Ndangani ,&nbsp;Dyana Ndiade Bourobou ,&nbsp;Kathelyn Paredes-Villanueva ,&nbsp;Mohamad M. Rahman ,&nbsp;Barbara Rocha Venâncio Meyer-Sand ,&nbsp;Iskandar Z. Siregar ,&nbsp;Steve N. Tassiamba ,&nbsp;Pieter A. Zuidema","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122757","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122757","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Independent verification of timber origin is needed to enforce legislation aimed at combatting illegal tropical timber trade. A potential technique is tracing back the stable isotope signal preserved in wood samples, but the scarcity of reference data currently hampers its operationalization. This can be overcome by creating isoscapes. Here we develop continental isoscapes (at 0.5° resolution) for five tropical timbers based on wood δ¹⁸O ratios and assess their potential for timber tracing. We compiled a pantropical database of δ¹⁸O measurements from 712 trees in 20 countries. We tested effects of δ¹⁸O in rainfall, potential evapotranspiration (PET), temperature and precipitation on wood δ¹⁸O and used these to develop isoscapes based on quantile regression forests. A first indication of the tracing potential of these isoscapes was tested in leave one out cross validation (LOOCV) analyses. Across the five isoscapes, ranges in wood δ¹⁸O values (10th-90th percentile) averaged 3.9 ‰ and δ¹⁸O differences increased with distance. Yet local variability in wood δ¹⁸O was substantial compared to large-scale variability. The LOOCV analysis showed that the actual origin was included in the probable origin for 59–79 % of the cases. The area of probable origin was large, however, suggesting a low spatial precision of assignment. This study finds limited support for a potential to use wood oxygen isoscapes for tropical timber tracing within continents. Necessary future steps in timber isotope tracing include improving regional representation, conducting similar analyses for other isotopes, rigorous testing of species differences and conducting blind sample tests.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"590 ","pages":"Article 122757"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143948828","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":"Evaluating the potential of Pinus strobus, Pinus nigra, and Pinus rigida as alternatives to Pinus sylvestris in central Europe's changing climate","authors":"Sławomir Wilczyński ,&nbsp;Tomasz Danek ,&nbsp;Małgorzata Danek ,&nbsp;Jacek Banach","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122769","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122769","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The observed weakening and dying of <em>Pinus sylvestris</em> in central Europe has prompted a search for species that can replace it. For this purpose, historical late 19th-century survey plots in southern Poland containing <em>Pinus sylvestris</em> and three non-native species, i.e., <em>Pinus strobus</em>, <em>Pinus rigida</em>, and <em>Pinus nigra</em>, were analyzed. The width of annual tree-ring growth was used to measure the effect of climatic variability on tree growth. The climate–growth relationship was analyzed using multivariate methods, linear correlation, and machine learning, which enabled the identification of nonlinearities that would otherwise remain hidden. Temporal variability of these relationships was considered. The pines’ growth was significantly affected by winter temperatures, but March temperature was the dominant growth factor for <em>P. sylvestris</em>, <em>P. rigida</em> and <em>P. nigra</em>. Average March temperatures of 0°C and 5°C were found to be the threshold values, below and above which the effect of temperature on tree-ring growth remained constant. For July precipitation, which is the dominant climatic growth factor for <em>P. strobus</em>, these thresholds were 70 and 120 mm. <em>P. strobus</em> had the largest growth during the analyzed period. High April temperatures for P. rigida, cool May conditions favorable for P. nigra, and low December temperatures beneficial for P. strobus, could serve as distinguishing characteristics for these species under analyzed conditions. Water deficiency in early spring and in the summer negatively affected the growth of all the studied pine species. None of the analyzed non-native species appears suitable for large-scale replacement of <em>P. sylvestris.</em></div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"589 ","pages":"Article 122769"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143942191","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":"Seedlings and trees respond differently to tree plantation-driven forest fragmentation: Fragment isolation affects seedlings, while fragment area affects trees","authors":"Mengli Li ,&nbsp;Xinyu Zhu ,&nbsp;Xueting Li ,&nbsp;Fengqun Meng","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122789","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122789","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global expansion of tree plantations, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions, has fragmented natural forests. Understanding plant diversity patterns and underlying mechanisms in these fragmented \"islands\" is crucial for biodiversity conservation. We examined the species–isolation relationships (hereafter SIR) and species–area relationships (hereafter SAR) for all woody plants, trees and seedlings in a tree plantation-driven fragmented system in Guangxi, China. We also investigated the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed SIR and SAR. We found a negative SIR and a positive SAR for all woody plants. However, seedlings and trees responded differently to tree plantation-driven fragmentation: seedlings exhibited a negative SIR but no SAR, while trees showed a positive SAR but no SIR. The negative SIR for seedlings was driven by a response of animal-dispersed species to isolation, evidenced by a negative SIR for animal-dispersed seedlings but no SIR for non-animal-dispersed seedlings. This isolation effect on seedlings likely reflects limitations in plant regeneration within fragmented forests, potentially due to a decline in seed dispersers. The positive SAR for trees was linked to greater heterogeneity in community composition in larger fragments, which in turn was associated with higher levels of overall habitat heterogeneity. Our results suggest that the SAR for trees is primarily driven by habitat heterogeneity. Restoration efforts should focus on improving the permeability for natural forest species within tree plantations, such as reforestation with mixed-tree plantations instead of monocultures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"590 ","pages":"Article 122789"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143942340","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":"Intraspecific responses to climate change in Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.: Local may not be the best","authors":"Hong Wang ,&nbsp;Aiguo Duan ,&nbsp;Jianguo Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122784","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122784","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The response of tree growth to ongoing climate change has significant implications for sustainable forest management. An analysis of 10-year diameter at breast height, height, individual stem volume, and volume per hectare was conducted for 43 populations of Chinese fir (<em>Cunninghamia lanceolata</em> (Lamb.) Hook.) grown in 32 common gardens across southern China. Population-specific performance under contemporary and future climate conditions was examined using response function and transfer projection. Findings indicated that mean temperature in the coldest month was the most influential variable in predicting population growth-related traits. Adaptation lags were more pronounced in populations at the climatic margins compared to core populations. On average, provenances from cooler climates benefited from long southward transfers (3.9–4.0 °C warmer), while warm-origin provenances responded favorably to shorter northward transfers (2.7–3.0 °C cooler). Calculated transfer limits were substantial, indicating populations could tolerate significant climatic shifts before experiencing a decline below 90 % of the local seed source's growth. The moderate climate model (SSP119) predicted minimal declines, whereas the extreme scenario (SSP585) projected significant growth reductions in southern populations. Other nonmarginal populations in near-optimal climates were also expected to be negatively affected, whereas most northern populations were projected to benefit from climate warming. These findings indicate that the response of Chinese fir to climate variation varies according to genetic differences between populations. These valuable insights are essential for the strategic selection of seed sources in reforestation initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"590 ","pages":"Article 122784"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937409","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":"Standing at the crossroads: Path analysis highlights potential levers to preserve fungal richness when shifting tree species for forest adaptation","authors":"Vincent Moulin ,&nbsp;Ludovic Henneron ,&nbsp;Robinson Ribémont ,&nbsp;Yannick Colin ,&nbsp;Sylvaine Buquet ,&nbsp;Michaël Aubert ,&nbsp;Lucie Vincenot","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122772","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122772","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tree species risk living outside their ecological niche due to climate change. Assisted tree migration is proposed as an adaptive strategy, but its impact on forest biodiversity remains unclear. This study examines soil fungal diversity responses to tree species substitution (that is to say clear-cut of a stand and plantation of a different tree species) and its underlying mechanisms. Three substitution treatments were tested across 69 stands in Northern France: (1) from mature <em>Fagus sylvatica</em> to young <em>Quercus petraea</em>, (2) from mature <em>Pinus sylvestris</em> to young <em>P. nigra</em> subsp. <em>Laricio</em>, and (3) from mature <em>P. sylvestris</em> to young <em>Q. rubra</em>. Holorganic and organo-mineral horizons were sampled to assess Ascomycota and Basidiomycota species richness with eDNA metabarcoding. Tree species identity was translated into trait values along the plant economic spectrum. Structural Equation Models (SEM) were used to separate the effects of tree traits, stand age, basal area and tree diversity on fungal diversity across four pathways: (1) stand structure, (2) edaphic humidity, (3) plant understorey (cover of dominant plant species and species richness), and (4) humipedon using variables describing the horizonation process of the holorganic horizon. After 25 years, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota richness did not respond to substitution treatments. SEM analyses showed that Basidiomycota richness in the organo-mineral horizon correlated positively with acquisitive tree species. Ascomycota richness was negatively linked to dominant understorey cover, following canopy openness and humipedon horizonation. In the organo-mineral horizon, Ascomycota richness increased with root nitrogen and wood density, spontaneous tree diversity and was favoured by reduced basal area related to stand rejuvenation. Forest management that promotes spontaneous tree diversity and reduces basal area could enhance Ascomycota richness in both horizons, mitigating the impacts of tree rejuvenation and species change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"589 ","pages":"Article 122772"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143936870","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":"Survival and growth of high-value timber species planted in Central African rainforest logging gaps","authors":"Crispin Ilunga-Mulala ,&nbsp;Gauthier Ligot ,&nbsp;Achille Bernard Biwolé ,&nbsp;Nils Bourland ,&nbsp;Yves Brostaux ,&nbsp;Fousseni Fétéké ,&nbsp;Yanick Serge Nkoulou ,&nbsp;Stephane Tchakoudeu ,&nbsp;Benjamin Cerisier ,&nbsp;Guillaume Neve ,&nbsp;Jean-Louis Doucet","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122790","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122790","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Logging gaps could provide suitable conditions for enrichment plantation of timber species. However, there is little data on the long-term performance of planted species, particularly in Central Africa. In this study, we assessed the performance of 15 species planted in 198 logging gaps in a forest logging concession of South-Eastern Cameroon. A total of 2304 trees were monitored for up to 14.3 years or 19 years. We assessed the influence of species, guild, age and tree size on tree survival and growth using linear mixed-effects models. Survival rates varied across species, age and guild. Five species (<em>Detarium macrocarpum</em> Harms<em>, Erythrophleum suaveolens</em> (Guill. &amp; Perr.) Brenan, <em>Terminalia superba</em> Engl. &amp; Diels, <em>Baillonella toxisperma</em> Pierre and <em>Prioria oxyphylla</em> (Harms) Breteler) had annual survival rates greater than the average, with more than 80 % of the trees planted had survived after 14.3–19 years. On the other hand, all <em>Entandrophragma cylindricum</em> (Sprague) Sprague individuals had died after 14.8 years. Diameter and height growth also varied across species, age and guild. <em>Terminalia superba</em> had the highest diameter (16 mm.yr⁻¹) and height (103 cm.yr⁻¹) increments. <em>Lovoa trichilioides</em> Harms and <em>B. toxisperma</em> had diameter increments higher than 2 mm.yr⁻¹ while <em>E. utile</em>, <em>L. trichilioides</em>, <em>E. suaveolens</em>, <em>E. angolense</em> and <em>Mansonia altissima</em> (A.Chev.) A.Chev. had height increments higher than 15 cm.yr⁻¹. This study thus recommends enriching logging gaps of South-Eastern Cameroon with a pioneer species, <em>T. superba</em>. The use of other species (e.g., <em>B. toxisperma</em>, <em>E. suaveolens</em> and <em>D. macrocarpum)</em> could only be considered if maintenance can be regularly carried out.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"590 ","pages":"Article 122790"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937408","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":"Assessing the impacts of forest conversion and seasonal dynamics on soil nutrient heterogeneity associated with termite mounds","authors":"Myo Thant ,&nbsp;Akihiro Nakamura ,&nbsp;Louise A. Ashton ,&nbsp;Shengjie Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122768","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122768","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Termite mounds function as nutrient hotspots, enhancing soil nutrient heterogeneity and microhabitat complexity. However, the extent of their influence across different land cover types and seasons has not been adequately explored. In this study, we investigated the impacts of a rubber plantation and a tropical natural forest on soil nutrient heterogeneity around termite mounds during both dry and wet seasons. We observed six termite mounds in the rubber plantation and eight in the natural forest. Soil samples were collected from termite nests and adjacent areas at increasing distances (0–5 m) in four cardinal directions. Results indicated that soil nutrient heterogeneity was significantly greater in the rubber plantation for exchangeable micronutrients (calcium, magnesium, manganese, and aluminum). In the natural forest, macronutrients (total carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and nitrite+nitrate) showed greater heterogeneity. Moreover, absolute concentrations of micronutrients were consistently higher in the rubber plantation than in the natural forest. This pattern likely reflects the accumulation of base cations from the subsoil layers for mound stability in the rubber plantation and the acidic conditions prevalent in the natural forest. Seasonal variations significantly influenced the concentrations of certain macronutrients (phosphorus, nitrite+nitrate, and ammonium) and micronutrients (aluminum and iron), but had limited effects on termite mound-associated heterogeneity across all soil nutrients. This highlights the consistent and unique influence of termite mounds on soil nutrient heterogeneity, regardless of seasonal variations. Understanding the soil heterogeneity around termite mounds underscores their critical role in nutrient distribution, biodiversity maintenance, and ecosystem resilience, with potential applications in improving ecological models and guiding conservation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"589 ","pages":"Article 122768"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143927746","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":"Nutrient addition to a white sand tropical forest results in greater growth of saplings of canopy tree species than understorey specialist tree species","authors":"Giacomo Sellan ,&nbsp;Jill Thompson ,&nbsp;Rolando Robert ,&nbsp;Francis Q. Brearley","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122755","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122755","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In tropical rain forest understories, canopy tree saplings coexist with understorey specialist trees, in a highly competitive environment for light, space, and soil nutrients. To investigate the impact of increasing nutrient pollution from human activity, we assessed differences between canopy trees saplings and understory specialists in their crown structures, allometries, and growth rates in response to experimental nutrient fertilization. In a nutrient-poor white sand forest in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo we measured tree size and crown dimensions for understorey specialists and canopy tree saplings (≤ 10 cm diameter) before and after experimental fertilization with nitrogen and calcium carbonate. Results showed that saplings of canopy species were taller than understorey specialists for a given stem diameter, but crown allometries were similar. Three years of fertilization did not affect allometric relationships between diameter and tree height or crown dimensions, suggesting that these allometries are stable and resource-independent. However, relative crown radius growth rate and crown volume growth rate for canopy tree saplings were three times faster after N + CaCO₃ fertilization when compared to controls, demonstrating canopy tree saplings’ crown plasticity to maximize access to light. This study highlights different strategies employed by canopy and understorey species in the competitive forest understorey. Canopy saplings showed greater crown plasticity, investing added soil nutrients into crown expansion for enhanced light interception. Nitrogen deposition could thus advantage canopy species through increased competition with understory specialists resulting in potential species loss. The stability of the allometric relationships, when forests are subjected to nitrogen deposition supports their use for biomass estimation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"589 ","pages":"Article 122755"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143924735","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":"Diplodia tip blight (Diplodia sapinea) and site conditions shape Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) endophytic mycobiome","authors":"Laura Brodde ,&nbsp;Silvia Miñana-Posada ,&nbsp;Amelia Tudoran ,&nbsp;Miguel Angel Redondo ,&nbsp;Malin Elfstrand ,&nbsp;Jonás Oliva ,&nbsp;Jan Stenlid","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122781","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122781","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Diplodia sapinea</em> (Fr.) Fuckelis is an opportunistic pathogen of Scots pine (<em>Pinus sylvestris</em> (L.) that causes Diplodia tip blight following host stress. The factors driving its shift from endophyte to pathogen are not well understood, particularly in relation to the surrounding fungal community. The objective of the current study was to determine the association of <em>D. sapinea</em> and the composition of the general endophyte community with symptomatic and asymptomatic sites, trees, twigs and tissues in an ongoing outbreak of Diplodia tip blight. The endophytic fungal community was characterized using metabarcoding of the ribosomal ITS2 region. We found that variation in fungal community composition was most influenced by differences between sites, highlighting the importance of site-specific environmental conditions such as previous drought impact and associated crown dieback. However, the fungal communities also varied between symptomatic and asymptomatic trees indicating the significance of tree health. The fungal communities of symptomatic trees, especially in twigs with tip blight symptoms, included <em>D. sapinea</em>, <em>Therrya pini</em>, and <em>Lophodermium arboricola</em>. These results are consistent with the balanced antagonism hypothesis, suggesting that shifts in community composition under stress may facilitate the transition of <em>D. sapinea</em> from a latent endophyte to a pathogen. <em>D. sapinea</em> was found in both healthy and symptomatic twigs, with a ∼60-fold increase in symptomatic tissues. Site differences accounted for 42.6 % of fungal community variation. In contrast, taxa from the order Phaothecales were more abundant in asymptomatic twigs and in healthy tissues of of symptomatic twigs - suggesting potential antagonism. Our findings provide insights into early disease detection and underscore the importance of monitoring endophyte community shifts to support Scots pine forest resilience under climate stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"589 ","pages":"Article 122781"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143927744","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":"Tree size diversity can enhance the drought resilience of Abies alba Mill. in the European mountain forests","authors":"Bohdan Kolisnyk ,&nbsp;Marcin Czacharowski ,&nbsp;Logan Bingham ,&nbsp;Camilla Wellstein ,&nbsp;Enno Uhl ,&nbsp;Stanisław Drozdowski ,&nbsp;Kamil Bielak","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122765","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122765","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing frequency and severity of extreme events, such as drought, are expected to disturb forest ecosystems worldwide. Stand structure, including tree size diversity, may play a crucial role in how forests respond to these changes. This study examines the effect of tree size diversity on the drought resilience of silver fir (<em>Abies alba</em> Mill.) using data from 138 circular plots in even- and uneven-aged mountain stands across Germany, Italy, and Poland. Increment cores from nearly 600 trees were evaluated to calculate complementary resilience indices. Generalized linear mixed-effect models were fitted to assess how tree size diversity affects individual tree growth response to drought stress under varying environmental conditions, mediated by admixture of broadleaf species, stand density, and individual tree size. We found that tree size diversity improves the growth response of silver fir to drought stress, expressed by higher resistance and stress-driven deviation (SDD) indices, in more water-limited sites. However, this benefit diminishes or becomes slightly negative with increasing climate humidity. Similarly, smaller trees demonstrated higher resistance and SDD, although these effects also weakened with more favorable water conditions. The admixture of broadleaf species and stand density did not mediate the impact of tree size diversity on growth resilience. Our results are in line with the stress-gradient hypothesis. Ecophysiological adaptations to prevailing conditions can lead to different competition regimes (symmetric and asymmetric), causing variations in the impact of stand structure on drought resilience. Since tree size diversity is crucial in water-limited environments, it can be considered a strategic forest management tool for adapting silver fir-dominated forests to anticipated global changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"589 ","pages":"Article 122765"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143924734","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}