{"title":"Influence of stand structure on tree height: A comparative study across 46 species","authors":"Yuuki Tsunoda, Takaaki Tsuda, Yasuyuki Ohno","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122474","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growth patterns of trees, influenced by competition for light and space among neighboring trees, vary significantly depending on species and environmental conditions. Effective forest management practices such as thinning require a comprehensive understanding of the competitive effects of tree height across diverse species. In this study, we focused on two indices that can easily identify competitive status in forest management: stand volume (<em>Y</em><sub><em>B</em></sub>) and stand density (<em>N</em><sub><em>B</em></sub>), defined as the degree of packing by constituent individuals. Based on height and diameter at breast height (<em>DBH</em>) data from 16311 individual trees across 327 plots, a hierarchical Bayesian model was employed to determine the effects of <em>Y</em><sub><em>B</em></sub> and <em>N</em><sub><em>B</em></sub> on the height of 46 tree species. The difference in the magnitude of these effects was further explained in terms of the successional status and leaf longevity. The results indicated that <em>Y</em><sub><em>B</em></sub> or <em>N</em><sub><em>B</em></sub> had a significant positive effect on tree height in 44 of the 46 species, demonstrating that stand structure influenced tree height. Interspecific differences in the extent of this effect could not be explained by successional status; however, the effect of <em>Y</em><sub><em>B</em></sub> was negatively correlated with leaf longevity. Tree height relative to <em>DBH</em> was significantly lower in coniferous species compared to other species, while it was notably higher in species classified as large-gap-dependent. This study revealed the interspecific characteristics of stand structure effects on tree height and highlighted the potential for tree height control through forest management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"578 ","pages":"Article 122474"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Forest Ecology and Management","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112724007862","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FORESTRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The growth patterns of trees, influenced by competition for light and space among neighboring trees, vary significantly depending on species and environmental conditions. Effective forest management practices such as thinning require a comprehensive understanding of the competitive effects of tree height across diverse species. In this study, we focused on two indices that can easily identify competitive status in forest management: stand volume (YB) and stand density (NB), defined as the degree of packing by constituent individuals. Based on height and diameter at breast height (DBH) data from 16311 individual trees across 327 plots, a hierarchical Bayesian model was employed to determine the effects of YB and NB on the height of 46 tree species. The difference in the magnitude of these effects was further explained in terms of the successional status and leaf longevity. The results indicated that YB or NB had a significant positive effect on tree height in 44 of the 46 species, demonstrating that stand structure influenced tree height. Interspecific differences in the extent of this effect could not be explained by successional status; however, the effect of YB was negatively correlated with leaf longevity. Tree height relative to DBH was significantly lower in coniferous species compared to other species, while it was notably higher in species classified as large-gap-dependent. This study revealed the interspecific characteristics of stand structure effects on tree height and highlighted the potential for tree height control through forest management.
期刊介绍:
Forest Ecology and Management publishes scientific articles linking forest ecology with forest management, focusing on the application of biological, ecological and social knowledge to the management and conservation of plantations and natural forests. The scope of the journal includes all forest ecosystems of the world.
A peer-review process ensures the quality and international interest of the manuscripts accepted for publication. The journal encourages communication between scientists in disparate fields who share a common interest in ecology and forest management, bridging the gap between research workers and forest managers.
We encourage submission of papers that will have the strongest interest and value to the Journal''s international readership. Some key features of papers with strong interest include:
1. Clear connections between the ecology and management of forests;
2. Novel ideas or approaches to important challenges in forest ecology and management;
3. Studies that address a population of interest beyond the scale of single research sites, Three key points in the design of forest experiments, Forest Ecology and Management 255 (2008) 2022-2023);
4. Review Articles on timely, important topics. Authors are welcome to contact one of the editors to discuss the suitability of a potential review manuscript.
The Journal encourages proposals for special issues examining important areas of forest ecology and management. Potential guest editors should contact any of the Editors to begin discussions about topics, potential papers, and other details.