Forest Ecology and Management最新文献

{"title":"Canopy functional traits directly drive tree radial growth in subtropical forests","authors":"Jian Kang ,&nbsp;Zhuolin Yang ,&nbsp;Lihao Yang ,&nbsp;Huoxing Zhu ,&nbsp;Biyun Yu ,&nbsp;Shaowei Jiang ,&nbsp;Qianqian Ma ,&nbsp;Xiaogang Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122663","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122663","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Subtropical forests are important carbon sink areas, and the factors affecting tree radial growth in this area are complex and diverse. Previous studies primarily focused on the effects of single factors on radial growth, but how multiple factors affect tree radial growth and their internal relations have not been clarified. In this study, by constructing 16 tree-ring chronologies and combining four potential variables (climate, soil, spatial factors, and canopy leaf functional traits), we established radial growth models of coniferous and broad-leaved trees using a partial least squares path model (PLS-PM). We found that canopy functional traits directly drive tree radial growth in subtropical forests. However, the direct effect of climate on radial growth is partially offset by the indirect effect of climate on radial growth through canopy. Moreover, in all models, spatial factors and soil indirectly affect radial growth through different paths, although the influence is weak. Together, our work provides evidence for assessing the growth dynamics and carbon sink potential of subtropical forests based on canopy monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"585 ","pages":"Article 122663"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143621269","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":"Do soil enzymes respond to silvicultural management?","authors":"Fernanda C.C. Oliveira ,&nbsp;Allan Bacon ,&nbsp;Thomas R. Fox ,&nbsp;Eric J. Jokela ,&nbsp;Michael B. Kane ,&nbsp;Timothy A. Martin ,&nbsp;Asko Noormets ,&nbsp;C. Wade Ross ,&nbsp;Jason Vogel ,&nbsp;Daniel Markewitz","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122651","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122651","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil enzymes mediate important soil processes and have been used to indicate changes due to management practices. In forest ecosystems, rotation length challenges the ability to assess the impacts of silvicultural practices on soil enzymes, which has led to these effects being understudied. The fluorometric microplate 4-methylumbelliferyl (MUF) enzyme assay using dry soil samples offers a promising method to explore soil enzyme activities over large time scales. Here, we investigated the impacts of silvicultural practices on soil enzymes, β-glucosidase (BG), β-glucosaminidase (NAG), and acid-phosphatase (AP), using the MUF enzymes assay method. We sampled across an extensive southeastern U.S. experimental pine plantation network which included the most common silvicultural practices - herbicide, thinning, fertilization, and intensification of fertilization (Intensity). We selected 264 plots and collected soil samples at 0–10, 10–20, 20–50, and 50–100 cm depth. Soil enzyme activities were extremely low below the 20 cm depth. Soil enzyme activities were spatially variable across soil depth and soil Orders, but did not show seasonal or other temporal variation. Soil pH, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and permanganate oxidizable carbon correlated positively with all enzymes analyzed at 0–10 and 10–20 cm depths and, in general, edaphic properties had higher importance in explaining enzyme variability than climate or stand properties. Compared to control plots (untreated), at the 0–10 cm depth, fertilization suppressed BG, NAG, and AP activities. Among managed forests, sites under Intensity management, at the 0–10 cm depth, showed higher NAG activity and NAG:AP ratio but lower BG:NAG. AP responded negatively to the frequency and doses of fertilization applied (Intensity treatment). The same trend was observed for BG, but it depended on how enzyme activity was expressed, particularly in relation to soil organic matter (SOM) content. Results from this study indicate that soil enzymes can be used to monitor impacts of silvicultural practices, but their effectiveness relies upon soil depth sampled, how their activity is expressed, and the choice of specific enzymes based on monitoring goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"585 ","pages":"Article 122651"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143620808","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":"Edge effect impacts on forest structure and carbon stocks in REDD+ projects: An assessment in the Amazon using UAV-LiDAR","authors":"Leo Eiti Haneda ,&nbsp;Pedro H.S. Brancalion ,&nbsp;Denis Valle ,&nbsp;Carlos Alberto Silva ,&nbsp;Eric Bastos Gorgens ,&nbsp;Gabriel Atticciati Prata ,&nbsp;Renan Akio Kamimura ,&nbsp;Silvio H.M. Gomes ,&nbsp;Arthur K. Sanchez ,&nbsp;Danilo Roberti Alves de Almeida","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122646","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122646","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land use/land cover change (LULCC) is an ongoing process in the Brazilian Amazon, and it is a major source of emissions through the processes of deforestation and forest degradation. Identifying and monitoring deforestation and different sources of degradation is crucial for the success of forest conservation and REDD+ projects (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). This study aims to investigate edge effects caused by land use change in REDD+ projects and understand their effect on forest structure and carbon storage potential. Here, the edge effect is not primarily caused by direct human intervention but rather by microclimatic changes induced by the agricultural conversion of adjacent areas. The study was conducted on ongoing REDD+ projects established in the Brazilian Amazon, and we relied on statistical modeling to relate forest structural characteristics (i.e., canopy height, canopy roughness, canopy openness, carbon stock, leaf area index, and understory leaf area index) along the distance gradient from the forest edge to its interior. Our findings demonstrate that edge effects extend up to a distance between 30 and 65 m, showcasing the remarkable resilience of the forests examined in this study. By comparing the area impacted by the edge effect to the forest interior, we observed a 19.6 % reduction in canopy height, 23.3 % reduction in carbon stock, 17 % reduction in leaf area index, 35.6 % increase in canopy roughness, and more than 100 % increase in canopy openness. Our results show how this source of edge effect can affect the total carbon stock of projects with different sizes. In large areas (i.e., 5000 ha), edge effect does not have a significant impact on the total carbon stock due to the small proportion of edge area, reducing 0.8 % of the total carbon stock. Nevertheless, small areas are more subjected to emission caused by edge effect, where a project with 100 ha can have a loss of 5 % in carbon stock. These results underscore the importance of promoting the widespread adoption of remote sensing techniques in REDD+ projects. This study has revealed the significant potential of LiDAR technology for monitoring local degradation in REDD+ projects. The methodology allowed for a comprehensive and detailed assessment of forest structure, offering replicable and periodic monitoring capabilities to enhance its effectiveness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"585 ","pages":"Article 122646"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610592","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":"Recovery of planted spruce seedlings from abiotic damage caused by exceptional weather conditions in the boreal forest: Identification of risks associated with site selection and regeneration practices","authors":"Jaana Luoranen ,&nbsp;Aura Salmivaara ,&nbsp;Jari Miina","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Extreme weather events are predicted to increase in the Nordic boreal region with climate change, and stress conditions can damage newly planted seedlings and affect future stand development. The aim of the study was to investigate the recovery of Norway spruce (<em>Picea abies</em> (L.) Karst.) container seedlings from winter and drought damage in southern and central Finland (60–64°N) and the effect of damage on regeneration outcome three growing seasons after damage. Abiotic damage reduced the number of planted spruces (over 1600 trees ha⁻¹) to an average of 1500 planted crop trees ha⁻¹ three years after damage. Natural regeneration supplemented the stands and regeneration outcomes were good (&gt;1600 trees ha⁻¹) in most of the stands. Abiotic damage reduced planted spruces quality, increased the number of multiple stems, and further reduced planted tree growth. Weather conditions had an effect on the recovery of drought-damaged seedlings, but not on the recovery of winter-damaged seedlings. Fall planting, packing growing seedlings in closed cardboard boxes during summer and fall, and planting growing seedlings from outdoor winter storage in dry conditions in early summer reduced seedling recovery from abiotic damage. The use of open geospatial data is promising to identify regeneration sites at high risk of abiotic damage (dry sites and high topographic position). In conclusion, good regeneration results in a changing climate can be achieved by making the right decisions during the regeneration process and by using natural regeneration to supplement planted spruce stands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"585 ","pages":"Article 122620"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610591","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":"Do Pinus radiata hybrids represent a solution to forestry’s wilding conifer problem?","authors":"Sarah V. Wyse ,&nbsp;Robert D. Gibson II ,&nbsp;Daniel C. Raikes ,&nbsp;Philip E. Hulme","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122618","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122618","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Afforestation by non-native pines has led to substantial conifer invasions globally, damaging ecosystems and resulting in substantial ongoing control costs. Any further new non-native conifers being introduced to forestry programmes must therefore be assessed from the perspective of spread risk prior to their widespread establishment. <em>Pinus radiata</em> × <em>attenuata</em> is a hybrid taxon that has been trialled for forestry suitability in New Zealand. The taxon performs favourably compared to <em>Pinus radiata</em> at higher elevation sites due to its greater cold tolerance, and as such is now beginning to be planted by the forestry industry at higher elevation sites that are typically unsuitable for <em>P. radiata</em> afforestation. It has been assumed that the likelihood of invasive spread by <em>P. radiata</em> × <em>attenuata</em> from areas of afforestation is low, however this has not been formally assessed. Here, we undertook assessments of cone production, cone opening, seed viability, seed dispersal, seedling establishment, and sapling survival for <em>P. radiata</em> hybrids with <em>P. attenuata</em>. In addition, we undertook analogous assessments of <em>P. radiata</em> to provide a baseline for comparison, given its propensity to establish outside of cultivation. Our results indicate that while cone production and seedling survival are higher for the hybrids than <em>P. radiata</em> at high elevation sites, cone opening requires significantly higher temperatures. On average, only 3.6 % of ripe cones on mature (26-year-old) trees opened on the <em>P. attenuata</em> × <em>radiata</em> trees in field conditions suggesting that the strong cone serotiny may present a barrier to invasion for this taxon. Based on our current data, we suggest that the spread risk from these <em>P. radiata</em> hybrids is likely to be lower than that from <em>P. radiata</em>. Future work should examine the longevity of seed in aerial seed banks and include field surveys to assess for wilding spread from mature <em>P. radiata</em> with <em>attenuata</em> hybrid stands. We emphasise, however, that the high temperatures required to break cone serotiny appears to be the only factor limiting the spread of <em>P. radiata</em> hybrids with <em>P. attenuata</em>. Any back-crossing of these hybrids with <em>P. radiata</em> in future breeding programmes may lower the cone-opening temperatures and remove this barrier to spread. Further, the high temperatures generated by forest fires will lead to more extensive release of seed from the aerial seed banks and should thus be treated as incursion events. The likelihood of such fires is expected to increase in predicted future climate scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"585 ","pages":"Article 122618"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610495","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":"Hotter drought increases population levels and accelerates phenology of the European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus","authors":"Mária Potterf ,&nbsp;Tobias Frühbrodt ,&nbsp;Dominik Thom ,&nbsp;Hannes Lemme ,&nbsp;Andreas Hahn ,&nbsp;Rupert Seidl","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122615","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122615","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bark beetle-induced tree mortality has increased strongly in Europe in recent years. Bark beetle populations are highly sensitive to temperature, and drought weakens tree defenses against beetle attacks. Yet, the compound effects of drought and heat (termed hotter drought) remain poorly quantified, even though climate change increases their joint occurrence. Here, we analyzed data from a regional-scale network of pheromone-baited <em>Ips typographus</em> traps (158 traps across 7 Mha in southeast Germany, with 67.5·million beetles caught between 2015 and 2021), contrasting the unprecedented hotter drought period of 2018–2020 with non-drought years. Our objectives were (i) to assess the effect of hotter drought on bark beetle population dynamics, (ii) to quantify changes in spatial patterns during hotter drought, and (iii) to investigate how well trap data can explain observed tree mortality. Bark beetle population levels were strongly driven by temperature and drought, with an annual increase of approximately 2000 beetles per trap per °C under drought conditions (SPEI = −1). Furthermore, critical phenological thresholds were reached 7 days earlier for aggregation and 4 days earlier for peak swarming timing per °C increase in temperature. In drought years, <em>I. typographus</em> population levels were autocorrelated across hundreds of kilometers. Trap data explained between 37 % and 49 % of observed bark beetle mortality, highlighting that pheromone trap networks are a useful tool for monitoring and managing forest risk. We conclude that hotter drought intensifies and extends mass outbreaks of the European spruce bark beetle, suggesting the emergence of novel patterns of disturbance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"585 ","pages":"Article 122615"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601517","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":"Mechanical site preparation and use of non-invasive cover crops influences early-successional forest vegetation composition of a reclaimed airstrip in the Boreal Forest","authors":"Nicholas Harper ,&nbsp;Amanda L. Schoonmaker ,&nbsp;Andrés G. Rolhauser ,&nbsp;Mark Baah-Acheamfour ,&nbsp;Ann Smreciu ,&nbsp;Erin C. Fraser-Reid","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rebuilding native forest ecosystems after industrial disturbance is key to sustainable resource development. However, self-sustaining forests do not always result from current reclamation practices, mostly due to grass-driven arrested succession. Here we assessed the interactive effects of soil treatment and cover cropping on forest succession in a recently reclaimed airstrip in western Canada. Three surface soil treatment techniques were applied in five block replicates following asphalt removal, soil decompaction, site recontouring and topsoil placement with dozers: no surface treatment (smooth), discing with agricultural disc harrows (disc), or plowing with a RipPlow™ (plow). Within each soil treatment, subplots were then either seeded with <em>Secale cereale</em> (fall rye), a non-invasive annual grass, or left without a cover crop. In the first 5 years after treatment, soil treatment had a much greater impact on the vegetation than cover cropping. Plowing favored tree growth while both plowing and discing treatments supported natural regeneration of seed-banking shrub species and native forb cover when compared to the smooth treatment. The smooth treatment favored grass species (mostly non-native), presumably by allowing them to spread horizontally though it also encouraged higher rates of establishment of wind-dispersed <em>Salix</em> species. In general, the discing soil treatment had intermediate effects on tree growth and vegetation community composition. <em>Secale cereale</em> suppressed non-native weeds during the early stages and disappeared towards the end of the experiment, without hindering the establishment of desirable woody species. We conclude that increasing soil surface variability through the plow treatment tested in the present investigation, and potentially aided by the addition of a non-invasive cover crop, represent a combination of reclamation strategies to promote forest development in heavily disturbed industrial sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"585 ","pages":"Article 122621"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601515","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":"Effects of exogenous and endogenous Mn on litter decomposition at different stages under continuous N addition in a subtropical forest","authors":"Shijia Wang ,&nbsp;Qi Zhong ,&nbsp;Wei Ma ,&nbsp;Xueru Li ,&nbsp;Liting Zhang ,&nbsp;Shixing Zhou ,&nbsp;Junxi Hu ,&nbsp;Xinglei Cui ,&nbsp;Congde Huang ,&nbsp;Yang Liu ,&nbsp;Lin Xu ,&nbsp;Hongling Hu ,&nbsp;Haiyan Yi ,&nbsp;Lihua Tu","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122614","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122614","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Manganese (Mn) plays a critical role in the litter continuum decomposition during long-term nitrogen (N) deposition. Both endogenous Mn (present in fresh litter) and exogenous Mn (from the litter layer and soil) may be affected by chronic N deposition, potentially intensifying as N deposition continues. To investigate the effects of continuous N addition, prior N addition, exogenous Mn, endogenous Mn, and decomposition stage on litter decomposition, we utilized six types of fresh leaf litter with varying initial endogenous Mn concentrations, along with four types of unbroken and semi-decomposed litter collected from natural and prior N addition plots, in a litter decomposition experiment treated with continuous N addition and exogenous Mn. Continuous N addition significantly inhibited the decomposition of all ten litter types, while simultaneously enhancing Mn release in treatments without exogenous Mn. Initial endogenous Mn, combined with continuous N addition and exogenous Mn, jointly influenced litter decomposition. Exogenous Mn mitigated, rather than reversed, the inhibitory effect of continuous N addition on litter decomposition, despite a significant and nonlinear negative relationship between the effects of exogenous Mn and continuous N addition. Prior N addition substantially amplified the inhibitory effects of continuous N addition, particularly at 1.5-years of decomposition. Litter decomposition rates slowed as the decay progressed, showing significant differences between unbroken and semi-decomposed litter. Our findings recommend that exogenous Mn could be considered as a mitigation strategy for negative effects of N addition om litter decomposition. Forest management should take into account the various stages of litter decomposition when designing interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"585 ","pages":"Article 122614"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601516","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":"Degradation of tree plantations increases soil erosion risk through changes in aggregate stability and vegetation traits","authors":"Dong Ge ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Gao ,&nbsp;Li Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuyi Zhou ,&nbsp;Yaohui Cai ,&nbsp;Xining Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inappropriate afforestation combined with frequent extreme events has led to degradation of tree plantations globally, which may increase the risk of soil erosion. In this study we evaluated the impact of tree plantation degradation on soil erodibility. To this end, we conducted a study at three sites (Baotaqu, Zichang, and Mizhi) distributed in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China, where the dominant tree species was black locust (<em>Robinia pseudoacacia</em> L.). We evaluated the degrees of degradation of tree plantations by standing dead trees index and set three different levels: T1 level (Standing dead trees index = 9 n ha⁻¹), T2 level (Standing dead trees index = 92 n ha⁻¹), and T3 level (Standing dead trees index = 272 n ha⁻¹). Here, we examined the changes in soil aggregate stability and erodibility index (<em>K</em> factor) under varying degrees of degradation of tree plantations. The results showed that the increase in degradation intensity led to a reduction in the mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter, along with an increase in the <em>K</em> factor. Soil properties and vegetation traits were strong drivers of soil aggregate stability and the <em>K</em> factor, with soil organic carbon content having the highest explanatory power, accounting for 49.5 % of the variance. The degradation of tree plantations weakened both vegetation traits (σ = −0.45) and soil characteristics (σ = −0.73). This degradation indirectly controls the extent of soil susceptibility to erosion (R² = 0.93). This study provides insights into the assessment of soil erosion risk related to the degradation of tree plantations, which would be further aggravated by ongoing and future climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"585 ","pages":"Article 122591"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601514","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":"Dissecting the roles of seed nutrient content and coat thickness in seed dispersal and fate mediated by rodents: A field experiment using artificial seeds","authors":"Xifu Yang ,&nbsp;Kunming Zhao ,&nbsp;Feng Ma ,&nbsp;Zhijie Hou ,&nbsp;Jiebin Guo ,&nbsp;Lili Fu ,&nbsp;Huijun Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seed traits such as nutrient content and coat thickness significantly influence the foraging behavior of scatter-hoarding rodents and the fate of plant seeds. However, isolating the effects of these traits is challenging due to their covariance. This study aims to disentangle these effects using artificial seeds with varying levels of coat thickness and nutrient content to simulate natural seeds in a subtropical forest ecosystem in the Dujiangyan region, China. These seeds were deployed in the field to assess rodent foraging behavior, including harvest preferences, likelihood of consumption, probability of scatter-hoarding, and dispersal distance. We found seed coat thickness and nutrient content independently influenced rodent foraging behavior. Thicker seed coats reduced harvest preferences and consumption likelihood, but increased the dispersal distance; the probability of scatter-hoarding was the highest for seeds with a medium-thick seed coat. Higher nutrient contents increased both harvest preferences and scatter-hoarding probability but reduced consumption likelihood. When both traits were considered together, an optimal trait combination emerged: seeds with medium coat thickness and higher nutrient content had a higher probability of being scatter-hoarded and longer dispersal distances. Our findings highlight the significant impact of seed coat thickness and nutrient content on seed fates and dispersal distance through their influence on rodent foraging behavior. This study provides a novel insight into the complex interactions between plants and animals, as well as offers vital evidence for understanding seed ecology and plant population dynamics in forest ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"585 ","pages":"Article 122650"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143592264","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}