Forest EcosystemsPub Date : 2025-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100305
Ashton Shell , Ajay Sharma , John L. Willis , John Tracy , Adam Polinko , Santosh Ojha , Jason Vogel
{"title":"Growth dynamics of longleaf pine during conversion to uneven-aged stands","authors":"Ashton Shell , Ajay Sharma , John L. Willis , John Tracy , Adam Polinko , Santosh Ojha , Jason Vogel","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100305","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100305","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A growing recognition that uneven-aged silviculture can offer multiple benefits to forested ecosystems has encouraged some landowners in the southern region of the United States to convert even-aged pine stands into multi-aged stands. For shade-intolerant pines of the southern United States, however, few studies have examined residual tree growth following silvicultural treatments that convert even-aged stands to multi-aged stands. Understanding the growth response of residual trees to different kinds of stand conversion treatments is critical to stand development and sustainability, as trees must be recruited into larger size classes during the conversion process to develop the desired stand structure and maintain productivity. In this study, we utilized a replicated, long-term silvicultural experimental trial in the southeastern United States to assess the effects of two cutting treatments (dispersed “single tree cutting” that created small canopy gaps and the “patch cutting” that created 0.1–0.8 ha patch openings) and an uncut control on the 14-year growth (∼cutting cycle length) of residual longleaf pine (<em>Pinus palustris</em> Mill.) trees. We found that tree growth, measured as mean basal area increment (BAI), was significantly higher following patch cutting (mean BAI of 16.97 cm<sup>2</sup>) compared to both the single tree cutting (13.33 cm<sup>2</sup>) and the uncut control (12.68 cm<sup>2</sup>) (<em>p</em> < 0.001). In patch cutting, the size of the patch opening, the location of trees surrounding the patch opening, and the position of the tree canopy all had a significant effect on BAI. Trees surrounding patch openings of 0.4 ha exhibited greater growth, with a mean BAI of 19.24 cm<sup>2</sup>, compared to those surrounding 0.1 and 0.8 ha patch openings, which had mean BAI values of 15.89 and 15.71 cm<sup>2</sup>, respectively (<em>p</em> < 0.001). The position of a tree around the patch opening also influenced tree growth, as residual trees more to the North, South, and East sides exhibited significantly higher mean BAI than trees on the West side of the patch openings (<em>p</em> < 0.001). However, distance from the patch opening border did not significantly affect the mean BAI (<em>p</em> = 0.522). In all treatments, dominant and co-dominant trees exhibited higher BAI than intermediate and overtopped trees, indicating that tree canopy position significantly influenced tree growth (<em>p</em> < 0.001). Understanding how residual trees grow after these silvicultural treatments is crucial for thoroughly assessing their efficacy with longleaf pine. This study's findings will enhance our understanding of stand dynamics during stand conversion and help land managers anticipate the growth of longleaf pine into larger size categories after single tree and patch cuttings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100305"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143518958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest EcosystemsPub Date : 2025-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100306
Dumitru-Mircea Dușcu , Geta Rîșnoveanu
{"title":"Understanding visitor preferences: Perceived importance of anthropogenic and natural forest features in supplying cultural ecosystem services","authors":"Dumitru-Mircea Dușcu , Geta Rîșnoveanu","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cultural ecosystem services (CES) provided by urban green infrastructure are essential for enhancing social well-being and resilience. Identifying and mapping CES at a local scale is crucial for informed land-use decisions that align with citizens' perceptions. However, research on ecosystem services in Romania has been limited, with a notable gap in the assessment of CES provided by urban green spaces. This study is the first to focus on Băneasa Forest, the only urban forest in Bucharest, which serves as a vital recreational area for thousands of residents and visitors. For the first time in Romania, this research uses a web-based Participatory GIS survey to collect spatially referenced data. The survey, which combines questionnaires and mapping exercises, allows us to produce high-resolution CES maps based on 816 responses. The results reveal that the forest's natural characteristics are perceived as the primary contributors to CES. These findings are valuable for urban planners, as they highlight the needs and expectations of forest visitors, promote conservation efforts, and foster collaboration to prevent conflicts. Alongside factors frequently discussed in the literature, such as age and accessibility, the percentage of green space in residents' neighborhoods emerges as a significant factor influencing CES preferences. This insight presents a novel contribution to the literature, being of particular importance for urban planners and policymakers, as it underscores the need to consider not just the green space within parks and forests, but also the broader context of surrounding neighborhoods when planning for CES. Understanding that the availability of nearby green space influences residents' CES preferences can guide more effective strategies to enhance access to CES in urban areas, both in Bucharest and elsewhere. This is especially relevant in the face of climate change and other emerging challenges, which are likely to increase the demand for CES in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100306"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143444264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest EcosystemsPub Date : 2025-02-08DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100303
Sanne Verdonck , Anneleen Geussens , Roman Zweifel , Arno Thomaes , Koenraad Van Meerbeek , Bart Muys
{"title":"Mitigating drought stress in European beech and pedunculate oak: The role of competition reduction","authors":"Sanne Verdonck , Anneleen Geussens , Roman Zweifel , Arno Thomaes , Koenraad Van Meerbeek , Bart Muys","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100303","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100303","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Droughts pose significant threats to forest ecosystems globally. Effective forest management strategies, adapted to local conditions, are needed to mitigate negative drought impacts. One proposed strategy is competition reduction to increase water availability and, as a result, alleviate drought stress. This study investigates the effect of competition intensity on drought stress and tree growth in European beech (<em>Fagus sylvatica</em>) and pedunculate oak (<em>Quercus robur</em>). We deployed 72 point dendrometers, placed along a competition intensity gradient, in National Park Brabantse Wouden (Belgium), to measure daily minimum tree water deficit (TWD<sub>min</sub>) as a drought stress proxy and daily radial growth at tree level. Our results revealed species-dependent effects of competition intensity (CI). For European beech, competition reductions positively influenced growth and alleviated (1 < CI < 2) or aggravated (CI < 0.5) drought stress. For pedunculate oak, competition intensity did not affect drought stress or growth along the investigated gradient. Environmental variables consistently affected TWD<sub>min</sub> and growth of both species. Precipitation reduced TWD<sub>min</sub> and increased growth, while vapor pressure deficit led to opposite trends. Thus, environmental conditions and competition can play a critical role in forest dynamics, especially in light of climate change. However, reducing competition through increased management efforts does not seem to be a one-size-fits-all solution to alleviating drought stress. Additionally, there seems to be a trade-off between reducing drought stress and improving tree growth in European beech: tree growth continuously benefited from competition reductions, while under low competition (CI < 0.5) drought stress increased. Revisiting or reviving long-term thinning intensity trials encompassing various regions, species, and soil types will be needed to gain comprehensive insights into mitigating drought stress through management interventions under different local stand conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100303"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143518954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest EcosystemsPub Date : 2025-02-08DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100304
Timothy J. Fahey , Natalie L. Cleavitt , Pamela H. Templer , Peter M. Groffman , Amey S. Bailey , Stephen B. Caron , Geoffrey Wilson
{"title":"Foliar resorption of beech and maple along an elevation gradient in a northern hardwood forest","authors":"Timothy J. Fahey , Natalie L. Cleavitt , Pamela H. Templer , Peter M. Groffman , Amey S. Bailey , Stephen B. Caron , Geoffrey Wilson","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100304","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100304","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Foliar resorption is a principal nutrient conservation mechanism in terrestrial vegetation that could be sensitive to ongoing changes in climate and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition. We quantified N resorption in northern hardwood forests along an elevation gradient of decreasing temperature and increasing soil N availability to evaluate how this critical nutrient cycling process can be expected to respond to global and regional environmental changes. Foliar N resorption proficiency (NRP) increased significantly at lower elevations for both sugar maple and American beech, the dominant species in these forests. Foliar N resorption efficiency (NRE) also decreased with increasing elevation, but only in one year. Both species exhibited strong negative relationships between NRP and soil N availability. Thus, we anticipate that with climate warming and decreasing N inputs, northern hardwood forests can be expected to exhibit stronger N conservation via foliar resorption. Both species also exhibited strong correlations between resorption efficiency of N and C, but resorption of both elements was much greater for beech than sugar maple, suggesting contrasting mechanisms of nutrient conservation between these two widespread species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100304"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143394544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest EcosystemsPub Date : 2025-02-02DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100302
Hermane Diesse , John L. Godlee , Nichola Knox , Jonathan Muledi , Leena Naftal , David Nkulu , Ben Nkomba , Gabriel Uusiku , Kyle Dexter , Vera De Cauwer
{"title":"Quantifying unseen woody biomass and diversity in understorey trees and shrubs at the extremes of water availability in the Miombo ecoregion","authors":"Hermane Diesse , John L. Godlee , Nichola Knox , Jonathan Muledi , Leena Naftal , David Nkulu , Ben Nkomba , Gabriel Uusiku , Kyle Dexter , Vera De Cauwer","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100302","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Miombo ecoregion covers eastern and southern Africa, with variations in plant species composition, structure, and biomass across a broad precipitation gradient. Most studies of woody plant communities focus exclusively on larger overstorey trees (≥5 or ≥10 cm stem diameter), overlooking the contribution of small trees and shrubs in the understorey, which can comprise a significant portion of total biomass and diversity. Here, we evaluate the contribution of both large overstorey and small understorey woody plants to species diversity and above-ground biomass (AGB), with 17 plots (0.5–1 ha) across five sites representing both extremes of rainfall gradient spanning the Miombo ecoregion, in northeast Namibia (500–700 mm mean annual precipitation, MAP) and southern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (>1,200 mm MAP).</div><div>Mean AGB per site ranged from 21 to 119 Mg⋅ha⁻<sup>1</sup>, increasing with rainfall, while the proportional AGB contribution of small trees, saplings, and shrubs decreased. In dry Namibia, small trees, saplings, and shrubs (<5 cm DBH) contributed up to 28.2% of total AGB (mean ± standard deviation: 18.3% ± 3.4%), whereas in wet DRC, they contributed only up to 2.5% (2.3% ± 1.4%).</div><div>Namibian sites, on average, contained a large proportion of woody species diversity exclusively in small trees and shrubs (<5 cm DBH), with 55 species representing 59.4% of the total diversity. In contrast, DRC sites had higher overall small woody plant diversity (66 species) but fewer species found exclusively as small individuals (25.2%), with many saplings that grow to larger trees. Understorey composition also differed, with saplings of overstorey trees dominating in DRC, while shrubs dominated in Namibia.</div><div>Our findings show that woody biomass and diversity in dry woodlands are substantially underestimated when studies focus only on larger trees. This highlights the need to consider all woody vegetation to better understand woody plant diversity and biomass variation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100302"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143552316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest EcosystemsPub Date : 2025-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100301
Hanyu Xiang , Yimei Yan , Tian Tian , Nan Wu , Jie Wang , Qian Qian , Jinyu Guo , Chris Newman , Christina D. Buesching , Hechun Chen , Youbing Zhou
{"title":"Long-term forest damage due to an extreme weather event: An ice storm mediated by elevation causes tree breakage in sub-tropical China","authors":"Hanyu Xiang , Yimei Yan , Tian Tian , Nan Wu , Jie Wang , Qian Qian , Jinyu Guo , Chris Newman , Christina D. Buesching , Hechun Chen , Youbing Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100301","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100301","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Extreme weather events pose an ever-greater threat to people, infrastructure, and nature. Forest ecosystems are highly sensitive to extreme cold events that can disrupt ecosystem functions, especially in montane regions. Ice storms can be particularly destructive, with rapid ice accretion causing tree branches to break, even snapping or uprooting entire trees. In March 2022, the Shennongjia forest in central China experienced severe ice storm conditions that severely damaged over 230,300 ha. We utilized this opportunity to assess the vulnerability of different tree types (coniferous, deciduous, and evergreen broad-leaved) and stand compositions to damage resulting from ice glaze along an elevation gradient from 1,200 to 2,400 m a.s.l. Among the 7,144 trees surveyed, 10.1% suffered some extent of damage, which was most prolific in the middle elevation zone. While 96.8% of all damage occurred to deciduous broadleaved trees that dominated the forest community, the most severe damage (uprooting and lower trunk breakage) occurred to coniferous trees. The extent and severity of tree damage were moderated by forest composition, with secondary effects of forest structure and slope. Abiotic factors predominantly affected coniferous trees. We emphasize that more research and monitoring are needed to better understand the full impact of extreme weather events on forests, especially as the frequency and intensity of these events increases due to climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100301"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Utilizing quantile regressions to predict vertical distribution of branch size in Larix olgensis Henry: Capturing the differentiated responses of varying branch sizes to stand and tree factors","authors":"Zheng Miao , Fengri Li , Xuehan Zhao , Yumeng Jiang , Lihu Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100300","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100300","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Branch size is a crucial characteristic, closely linked to both tree growth and wood quality. A review of existing branch size models reveals various approaches, but the ability to estimate branch diameter and length within the same whorl remains underexplored. In this study, a total of 77 trees were sampled from Northeast China to model the vertical distribution of branch diameter and length within each whorl along the crown. Several commonly used functions were taken as the alternative model forms, and the quantile regression method was employed and compared with the classical two-step modeling approach. The analysis incorporated stand, tree, and competition factors, with a particular focus on how these factors influence branches of varying sizes. The modified Weibull function was chosen as the optimal model, due to its excellent performance across all quantiles. Eight quantile regression curves (ranging from 0.20 to 0.85) were combined to predict branch diameter, while seven curves (ranging from 0.20 to 0.80) were used for branch length. The results showed that the quantile regression method outperformed the classical approach at model fitting and validation, likely due to its ability to estimate different rates of change across the entire branch size distribution. Lager branches in each whorl were more sensitive to changes in <span><math><mtext>DBH</mtext></math></span>, crown length (<span><math><mtext>CL</mtext></math></span>), crown ratio (<span><math><mtext>CR</mtext></math></span>) and dominant tree height (<span><math><mrow><msub><mi>H</mi><mtext>dom</mtext></msub></mrow></math></span>), while slenderness (<span><math><mtext>HDR</mtext></math></span>) more effectively influenced small and medium-sized branches. The effect of stand basal area (<span><math><mtext>BAS</mtext></math></span>) was relatively consistent across different branch sizes. The findings indicate that quantile regression is a good way not only a more accurate method for predicting branch size but also a valuable tool for understanding how branch growth responds to stand and tree factors. The models developed in this study are prepared to be further integrated into tree growth and yield simulation system, contributing to the assessment and promotion of wood quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100300"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest EcosystemsPub Date : 2025-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100299
Ardalan Daryaei , Zoran Trailovic , Hormoz Sohrabi , Clement Atzberger , Eduard Hochbichler , Markus Immitzer
{"title":"Optimal integration of forest inventory data and aerial image-based canopy height models for forest stand management","authors":"Ardalan Daryaei , Zoran Trailovic , Hormoz Sohrabi , Clement Atzberger , Eduard Hochbichler , Markus Immitzer","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100299","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100299","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate, reliable, and regularly updated information is necessary for targeted management of forest stands. This information is usually obtained from sample-based field inventory data. Due to the time-consuming and costly procedure of forest inventory, it is imperative to generate and use the resulting data optimally. Integrating field inventory information with remote sensing data increases the value of field approaches, such as national forest inventories. This study investigated the optimal integration of forest inventory data with aerial image-based canopy height models (CHM) for forest growing stock estimation. For this purpose, fixed-area and angle-count plots from a forest area in Austria were used to assess which type of inventory system is more suitable when the field data is integrated with aerial image analysis. Although a higher correlation was observed between remotely predicted growing stocks and field inventory values for fixed-area plots, the paired <em>t</em>-test results revealed no statistical difference between the two methods. The <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> increased by 0.08 points and the RMSE decreased by 7.7 percentage points (24.8 m<sup>3</sup>·ha<sup>−1</sup>) using fixed-area plots. Since tree height is the most critical variable essential for modeling forest growing stock using aerial images, we also compared the tree heights obtained from CHM to those from the typical field inventory approach. The result shows a high correlation (<em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 0.781) between the tree heights extracted from the CHM and those measured in the field. However, the correlation decreased by 0.113 points and the RMSE increased by 4.2 percentage points (1.04 m) when the allometrically derived tree heights were analyzed. Moreover, the results of the paired <em>t</em>-test revealed that there is no significant statistical difference between the tree heights extracted from CHM and those measured in the field, but there is a significant statistical difference when the CHM-derived and the allometrically-derived heights were compared. This proved that image-based CHM can obtain more accurate tree height information than field inventory estimations. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated that image-based CHM can be integrated into the forest inventory data at large scales and provide reliable information on forest growing stock. The produced maps reflect the variability of growth conditions and developmental stages of different forest stands. This information is required to characterize the status and changes, e.g., in forest structure diversity, parameters for volume, and can be used for forest aboveground biomass estimation, which plays an important role in managing and controlling forest resources in mid-term forest management. This is of particular interest to forest managers and forest ecologists.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100299"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest EcosystemsPub Date : 2025-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100298
Hsiao-Chi Lo, Tzeng Yih Lam
{"title":"Demystifying field application of Critical Height Sampling in estimating stand volume","authors":"Hsiao-Chi Lo, Tzeng Yih Lam","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100298","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100298","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Critical Height Sampling (CHS) estimates stand volume free from any model and tree form assumptions. Despite its introduction more than four decades ago, CHS has not been widely applied in the field due to perceived challenges in measurement. The objectives of this study were to compare estimated stand volume between CHS and sampling methods that used volume or taper models, the equivalence of the sampling methods, and their relative efficiency. We established 65 field plots in planted forests of two coniferous tree species. We estimated stand volume for a range of Basal Area Factors (BAFs). Results showed that CHS produced the most similar mean stand volume across BAFs and tree species with maximum differences between BAFs of 5–18 m<sup>3</sup>·ha<sup>−1</sup>. Horizontal Point Sampling (HPS) using volume models produced very large variability in mean stand volume across BAFs with the differences up to 126 m<sup>3</sup>·ha<sup>−1</sup>. However, CHS was less precise and less efficient than HPS. Furthermore, none of the sampling methods were statistically interchangeable with CHS at an allowable tolerance of ≤55 m<sup>3</sup>·ha<sup>−1</sup>. About 72% of critical height measurements were below crown base indicating that critical height was more accessible to measurement than expected. Our study suggests that the consistency in the mean estimates of CHS is a major advantage when planning a forest inventory. When checking against CHS, results hint that HPS estimates might contain potential model bias. These strengths of CHS could outweigh its lower precision. Our study also implies serious implications in financial terms when choosing a sampling method. Lastly, CHS could potentially benefit forest management as an alternate option of estimating stand volume when volume or taper models are lacking or are not reliable.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100298"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143071604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest EcosystemsPub Date : 2025-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100297
Lu Han , J. Julio Camarero , Guodong Jia , Zhiqiang Zhang , Lixin Chen
{"title":"Drought resilience and legacy effects in two forest tree species on Loess Plateau of China: Growth and water-use efficiency under different drought conditions","authors":"Lu Han , J. Julio Camarero , Guodong Jia , Zhiqiang Zhang , Lixin Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100297","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100297","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As droughts become more frequent and severer, understanding tree resilience and its role in mediating drought legacy effects (LEs) is critical for predicting forest ecosystem responses to future droughts and informing forest management. Both <em>Pinus tabuliformis</em> and <em>Populus davidiana</em> are widely distributed in the Loess Plateau region of western China and play important roles in provision of ecosystem services. In this study we quantified the LEs and resilience, including resistance (Rt) and recovery (Rc), of radial growth (BAI, basal area increment) and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) of the two species, determined the external and internal factors influencing Rt and Rc, and disentangled the respective contribution of Rt and Rc to LEs in the these two tree species. We found either negative or positive legacy effects in BAI (LE<sub>BAI</sub>) and iWUE (LE<sub>iWUE</sub>) in both species, mostly lasting for 1–3 years. Species differences were only detected in LE<sub>iWUE</sub> during the severer drought event. But species variation in resilience did not differ. <em>P</em>. <em>tabuliformis</em> exhibited lower Rt but higher Rc than <em>P. davidiana</em>. Tree diameter and drought intensity were negatively correlated with Rt and Rc; whereas tree age and growth variability positively influenced both resilience components. In <em>P. tabulaeformis</em>, the influence of Rt was stronger on LE than on Rc during the milder droughts, whereas during the severer droughts LE was affected by Rc. The reversed patterns of the effects were exhibited by <em>P. davidiana</em>. Our findings help advance current understanding on the factors driving resilience and how trees use different resilience strategies under different drought conditions to alleviate negative LEs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100297"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143402727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}