Forest Ecology and Management最新文献

{"title":"Retrospective long-term effects of halo thinning: Ground-cover vegetation diversity 20 years after remnant oak release","authors":"Agnese Anta Liepiņa,&nbsp;Diāna Jansone,&nbsp;Didzis Elferts,&nbsp;Jānis Donis,&nbsp;Zane Lībiete","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123522","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123522","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Integrating biodiversity objectives into production forestry requires management practices that maintain structural and functional diversity over time. In hemiboreal regions, historical favouring of conifers has simplified forest composition, reducing broadleaved components crucial to understorey diversity. Selective canopy release through halo thinning has been proposed as a multifunctional approach to enhance habitat heterogeneity, yet its long-term ecological outcomes remain insufficiently quantified. This study retrospectively assessed canopy light conditions and forest ground-cover vegetation around halo-thinned pedunculate oak (<em>Quercus robur</em> L.) trees twenty years after the intervention in mixed hemiboreal forests of Latvia. Vegetation surveys and hemispherical canopy photography were conducted in the vicinity of 22 halo-thinned and 21 control oak trees across eight forest stands. Ground-cover vegetation structure beneath remnant oak trees was broadly comparable between managed and control plots, with no persistent differences in cover, richness, or diversity. Species associated with oak-dominated habitats likewise showed limited responses, indicating that targeted oak release alone was insufficient to recreate conditions characteristic of broadleaved forests. Notably, herb-layer richness showed no consistent relationship with stand basal area or gap fraction but was strongly associated with fine-scale canopy architecture, emphasising that foliage distribution, rather than overall stand openness, shaped long-term understorey responses. Overall, the findings suggest that small-scale halo thinning alone is unlikely to induce persistent shifts in understorey composition, but it may help maintain structural heterogeneity around remnant oaks. When integrated with broader or repeated interventions, halo thinning may contribute to multipurpose forestry strategies that reconcile oak conservation with production-oriented forest management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"605 ","pages":"Article 123522"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974839","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":"Dominant vegetation effect on microbial diversity and composition in a mosaic Mediterranean forest","authors":"Lucia Pole ,&nbsp;Željko Zgrablić ,&nbsp;Olga Malev ,&nbsp;Ana Pošta ,&nbsp;Armin Mešić ,&nbsp;Tijana Martinović","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mediterranean forests exhibit high spatial heterogeneity and host diverse soil microbial communities critical for ecosystem functioning and resilience. Yet, the relative contributions of dominant vegetation, environmental factors, spatial heterogeneity and legacy effects in shaping these microbial communities remain insufficiently resolved. We address this gap by analysing soil fungal and bacterial communities across dominant vegetation species: <em>Cistus</em> spp., <em>Pinus halepensis</em>, and <em>Quercus ilex</em> in Donji Kamenjak, Croatia – a protected area with history of agricultural use and current passive forest management. We hypothesised that vegetation would influence microbial communities, particularly ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi, through host-specific interactions, while acknowledging that site-related factors could mediate these effects and that a core microbiome would persist across environmental gradients. Soil samples were analysed for soil properties, microbial biomass, enzymatic activity, and microbial community composition using amplicon sequencing. Contrary to our hypothesis, vegetation effect on microbial communities was weak. Instead, spatial structuring was the main driver of community variation, with limited influence of environmental variables. Ectomycorrhizal fungi showed clear structuring by dominant vegetation, consistent with their host associations. Fungal core community was dominated by saprotrophs and EcM, while Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria dominated in the bacterial core community. These findings suggest that mosaic habitats, spatial vectors, and passive management may buffer vegetation-driven changes, contributing to overall community stability and the vegetation effects are likely guild-specific. This study adds to our understanding of microbial communities in Mediterranean forests, highlighting the importance of spatial scale in interpretation of vegetation-microbe relationships, with implications for conservation and forest management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"605 ","pages":"Article 123521"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974878","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":"Author response to \"Comments on “Clear-cuts and warming summers caused forest bird populations to decline in a southern boreal area” by Virkkala et al. \" by Vauhkonen","authors":"R. Virkkala,&nbsp;A.-M. Määttänen,&nbsp;R.K. Heikkinen","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123477","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123477","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In his correspondence, Vauhkonen (2025) argues that our analysis indicating a significant effect of clear-cutting on the decline of forest bird populations is misleading because of the use of cumulative clear-cuts as an explanatory variable in the model. He has reanalysed our bird census data by including annual clear-cuts in different analyses. Here, we reply to Vauhkonen’s critique and show that annual clear-cuts cannot be used as an explanatory variable because they do not take account of the long-term effects of clear-cuts. Annual clear-cuts cover only 1.4 % of the study area, on average (7.5 ha/564 ha). Such a small proportion of the landscape cannot, on its own, affect bird population densities yearly across the whole study area during the 30-year study. In contrast, as most of the abundant bird species prefer forests with a mean stand height of over 10 m, clear-cuts have long-lasting negative effects on boreal bird populations that accumulate across several years or even decades. This effect is ignored in the models by Vauhkonen (2025), rendering them ecologically irrelevant. We conclude that our approach of using cumulative clear-cuts is well-founded for analysing the effects of clear-cuts on bird populations. Other factors criticized by the author, such as aging of the observer and the use of Global Forest Change data in measuring clear-cut cover, do not cause deviations to the original results presented by us.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"605 ","pages":"Article 123477"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188564","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":"How artificial drought generated by the Balbina hydropower dam has transformed the floristic structure of downstream floodplain forests","authors":"Carla Iara Dos Santos Dantas ,&nbsp;Layon Oreste Demarchi ,&nbsp;Florian Wittmann ,&nbsp;Maria Teresa Fernandez Piedade ,&nbsp;Giuliette Barbosa Mano ,&nbsp;João Paulo Martins de Souza ,&nbsp;Jochen Schöngart","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123496","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123496","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The central Amazon basin has been affected by the two lowest water levels on instrumental records in 2023/2024, inducing severe hydrological droughts affecting human populations and floodplain ecosystems. However, the impacts of severe droughts on Amazonian floodplains are poorly studied. Here we investigate the extent of an artificial drought in the blackwater floodplains (igapó) downstream of the Balbina dam, caused by the damming of the Uatumã River to fill the reservoir in the period 1987–1989. Our hypothesis is that the severe prolonged hydrological drought conditions killed the igapó forests downstream the dam. Therefore, we established at regular fluvial distance of 10 ± 1 km a plot along the main course of the Uatumã River to analyze changes in floristic composition, diversity, structure and biomass of the igapó forests downstream of the Balbina dam. In 15 plots (total area 3,75 ha) a total of 2559 trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 10 cm were inventoried, identified, and allometric equations were applied to estimate aboveground biomass. Based on floristic dissimilarity, a non-metric multidimensional scaling suggests two plot clusters, separated by the fluvial distance of about 120 km downstream of the dam. While the plot cluster close to the dam is characterized by a high abundance of resprouting trees and biomass of disturbance-indicator species, plot cluster 2 presents a higher species richness and basal area and is dominated by late-successional species. We discuss these findings in the background of increased frequency and magnitude of severe droughts in recent years and the planned hydropower plants which are threats for this ecosystems harboring an unique biodiversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"605 ","pages":"Article 123496"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188562","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":"Seasonal habitat selection in an arboreal mammal identifies landscape characteristics that improve species resilience under climate change","authors":"Stefanie Bonat ,&nbsp;Megan S. Sparrow ,&nbsp;Lachlan Pettit ,&nbsp;Kellie Leigh","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123480","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123480","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective conservation under climate change requires an understanding of species responses to thermal variation, and landscape features that confer resilience. Forest ecosystems can buffer climate extremes by maintaining microclimates that may act as refugia, yet the role of microclimates in animal habitat selection remains under-studied. Arboreal species are relatively exposed to wind and solar radiation and their habitat preferences under different seasonal conditions can offer insights to inform conservation priorities under global change. Habitat selection studies often use measures like landform, that are derived from topography alone and do not capture the more complex characteristics of microclimates. To assess if microclimates provided a better explanation of habitat selection, we first characterised them using hydrological features and measured their seasonal temperatures.</div><div>To assess the variables influencing seasonal habitat selection by koalas (<em>Phascolarctos cinereus</em>) we analysed GPS location data and tree use data from collared animals in two populations at different sites in NSW, Australia. We compared habitat models based on landform topography to models utilising Strahler-derived microclimates.</div><div>Results indicated that gully microclimates were important year-round. Koalas demonstrated seasonal shifts in preferences for aspect, elevation, and vegetation condition. During warm seasons, koalas selected higher elevations and west aspects, indicating use of convective cooling from prevailing winds. In cooler seasons, they preferred north aspects, suggesting use of radiant heat. Use of shelter trees increased during warm seasons at one site. These findings highlight the importance of conserving landscapes with heterogeneous terrain, and associated microrefugia, to ensure species resilience under climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"604 ","pages":"Article 123480"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940362","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":"Thinning promotes forest carbon stocks by optimizing tree growth and soil properties","authors":"Zichun Wang ,&nbsp;Zheyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiaqi Zhou ,&nbsp;Yaoxiang Li ,&nbsp;Guangyu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123494","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123494","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forest thinning is a common silvicultural practice that influences the forest carbon dynamics. However, current research focused on a few thinning management variables and specific regions, and the drivers of carbon stock changes in thinned forests at the global scale remain unclear. Through a global meta-analysis of 197 studies comprising 821 pairs of thinning data, we comprehensively evaluated the effects of thinning on aboveground carbon (AGC) and soil organic carbon stocks (SOCS), and to identify the drivers of them. Thinning generally reduced AGC in the short term, but moderate intensities (20 %–35 %), especially combined with understory plant removal, accelerated AGC recovery. Stem-only harvesting (SOH) increased the recovery rate of AGC by 6.05 % compared with whole-tree harvesting (WTH). Strip thinning impeded AGC recovery due to edge effects. Thinning significantly enhanced SOCS by 3.53 %. However, thinning intensity was not the primary determinant, and the positive effects on SOCS gradually disappeared after 10 years. Moreover, fertilization, pruning, and understory plant removal all contributed to further increased SOCS in thinned forests. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that AGC was driven by thinning intensity and recovery time, and soil organic carbon (SOC) and tree height were main direct determinants. SOCS was indirectly enhanced by increases in soil total nitrogen (TN), whereas it was negatively influenced by diameter at breast height (DBH) growth driven by recovery time. Overall, our findings emphasize the critical role of appropriate thinning practices in facilitating carbon stock recovery, while also elucidating the driving mechanisms of tree growth and soil properties on carbon dynamics in thinned forests.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"604 ","pages":"Article 123494"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940409","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":"Pawpaw proliferation: Significant increases in the pawpaw tree (Asimina triloba [L.] Dunal) across the eastern United States in the early 21st century","authors":"Stephen J. Tulowiecki","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123500","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123500","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The pawpaw (<em>Asimina triloba</em> [L.] Dunal) is an understory tree with diverse ecological functions and potential as a horticultural product. Due to toxicity in its leaves and bark that make it unpalatable to deer, it thrives in forests where browsing decreases other tree species, and where its ability to attenuate light suppresses other seedlings. However, its future under climate change remains unclear, as change may have opposing influences upon its success. This study examined early 21st-century trends in pawpaw abundance, dominance, and frequency in the eastern US. Utilizing the Forest Inventory and Analysis database, this study characterized trends across eight metrics for the entire eastern US, within EPA-defined ecoregions, and within select states. The study found that pawpaw was significantly increasing (often <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) across most metrics, within most ecoregions, and within states examined. For instance, estimates from 2010 to 2021 for pawpaw seedlings (i.e., &lt;2.54 cm DBH) increased from 60.7 (±4.3) to 74.5 (±4.7) stems ha⁻¹ of forestland, and trees increased from 3.6 (±0.5) to 4.6 (±0.6) stems ha⁻¹ of forestland, within a region covering 30 states. Increases were greater in some ecoregions, and occurred in many ecoregions where pawpaw was most common. The tree comprised an increasingly higher percentage of total stems and basal area. Overall, pawpaw is increasing at a continental scale likely from the combined effects of preferential deer browsing, pests or pathogens afflicting neighboring tree species, fire suppression, and a warming climate. Landowners and managers should weigh the pros and cons of pawpaw expansion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"604 ","pages":"Article 123500"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940408","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":"Invasion of fleshy-fruited plants alter patterns of native seedling recruitment in a temperate forest of Patagonia","authors":"Valeria L. Martin-Albarracin ,&nbsp;Matthias Schleuning ,&nbsp;Jörg Albrecht ,&nbsp;Guillermo C. Amico","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123499","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123499","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biological invasions are one of the main threats to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Invasive fleshy-fruited plants can alter seed dispersal interactions, however the implications for the natural regeneration of native fleshy fruited plants are not well understood. In this study conducted in the temperate forest of Patagonia, we evaluated (1) differences in seed rain and seedling recruitment between sites with different degrees of invasion of fleshy-fruited plants; (2) how seed rain determines seedling recruitment at the level of the plant community; and (3) how invasion alters the native seedling recruitment process. For this, we selected 10 study sites; five invaded and five uninvaded by fleshy-fruited plants, establishing one 100 × 30 m² plot per site. We estimated density and crop size per plant species, seed rain and seedling recruitment. We collected 1857 seeds and recorded 377 seedlings of fleshy-fruited plants across all sites, consisting of 10 native and 6 non-native species. The total number of seedlings was similar between invaded and uninvaded sites, but seed rain and species richness was higher in invaded sites. There was a positive relationship between seed rain and seedling recruitment. Plant invasion had not direct effect on seed rain or seedling recruitment, however, seed rain and seedling recruitment of native species became decoupled in invaded sites. This study shows that the invasive species studied not only spread in the native forest but also reduce the recruitment of native fleshy-fruited plants with which they share seed dispersers. Therefore, controlling exotic species is critical for native forest regeneration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"604 ","pages":"Article 123499"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883290","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":"Savanna restoration on the Cumberland Plateau impacts whole-ecosystem carbon storage and increases biodiversity","authors":"Tamara F. Milton ,&nbsp;Heather D. Alexander ,&nbsp;Craig A. Harper ,&nbsp;Maya M. Lapp ,&nbsp;Nathan Wilhite","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123489","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123489","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Across the central and eastern U.S., fire-maintained oak (<em>Quercus</em> spp.) and pine (<em>Pinus</em> spp.) savannas are transitioning to closed-canopy forests because of fire exclusion and land-use change, prompting restoration efforts using low-intensity prescribed fire. Although restoring and maintaining open ecosystems with fire can increase plant diversity and improve wildlife habitat, there are largely unknown consequences for overall ecosystem carbon (C) balance, especially in relation to fire regime (frequency/seasonality). We investigated ecosystem C and plant biodiversity response to 14 years of savanna restoration treatments (early vs. late growing season fire at 1-, 2-, or 3-year frequency) compared to an unmanaged, closed-canopy forest and early-successional old-field on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, USA. Because of greater tree biomass, the closed-canopy forest stored 2–3 times more total C (226.6 Mg ha⁻¹) than the restored savanna (78.6–111.5 Mg ha⁻¹) and old-field (86.2 Mg ha⁻¹). However, the savanna stored as much or more C in protected (e.g., fine roots/mineral soils) and quickly recovering (e.g., understory vegetation) pools than the closed-canopy forest. Within the restored savanna, early growing season fires led to more total C (98.9 Mg ha⁻¹) than those conducted later in the growing season (86.3 Mg ha⁻¹), largely as a result of elevated fine root and mineral soil C. Plant diversity was greatest in the savanna regardless of fire regime. We documented a trade-off between total C storage and biodiversity in closed vs. open ecosystem states and increased C pools when burning earlier in the growing season. Overall, savanna restoration may increase plant biodiversity while promoting long-term C storage in protected and resilient pools.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"604 ","pages":"Article 123489"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883291","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 growth response to growing season frost and drought is shaped by species traits and competition in temperate-boreal transition zone forests","authors":"Josh Beisel ,&nbsp;Colin T. Maher ,&nbsp;Justin S. Crotteau ,&nbsp;Andrew J. Larson","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123493","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123493","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how species-specific traits and density-dependent competition modulate the effects of extreme climate events is essential for informing future forest management strategies. We analyzed the radial growth of western larch (<em>Larix occidentalis</em>) and Douglas-fir (<em>Pseudotsuga menziesii</em> var. <em>glauca</em>) trees growing in unmanaged old-growth stands — and western larch grown at two experimentally controlled densities — at four sites across western Montana, USA. Differences in leaf habit (deciduous vs. evergreen) and divergent water use strategies (anisohydric vs. isohydric) of western larch and Douglas-fir provided a model for linking growth–climate relationships to functional traits. We evaluated resistance, resilience, and recovery of basal area growth to drought and growing season frosts between (a) species and (b) experimental stand densities. Western larch growth exhibited a negative relationship with previous autumn frost (October freezing degree days; FDD), while Douglas-fir showed no response. Radial growth response to spring frost (May-June FDD) was negative for both species, with western larch exhibiting greater sensitivity. Both species showed reduced growth in years following drought conditions (previous July-August Palmer Drought Severity Index; PDSI), while only Douglas-fir was sensitive to contemporaneous July-August PDSI. Growth of larch trees in low-density stands was more resistant and resilient to previous summer drought and spring frost than that of trees in high-density stands. Furthermore, observations of greater soil volumetric water content in low-density stands provide a mechanistic link for drought responses. However, growth response to autumn frost was density independent. Our results suggest that early thinning has the potential to limit the negative impacts of summer drought and spring frost in sensitive species, and that species-specific physiological traits can drive divergent growth responses to extreme climate events.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"604 ","pages":"Article 123493"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940348","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}