Pub Date : 2023-11-24DOI: 10.1093/forestry/cpad058
Andrzej M Jagodziński, Paweł Horodecki, Anna K Jasińska, Tomasz Maliński, Zenon Pilarek, Kacper Woźniak, Dorota Wrońska-Pilarek, Jerzy Zieliński, Marcin K Dyderski
Biological invasions are one of the most important threats to biodiversity. However, spread mechanisms have been described in detail only for some widespread taxa. Here, we aim to characterize the unique phenomenon of ×Sorbaronia ′Mitschurinii′ (Rosaceae) spread into temperate Scots pine forests. We assessed the surroundings of an abandoned ×Sorbaronia ′Mitschurinii′ plantation, established in 1986 near Ośno Lubuskie (W Poland). Around the plantation we established 66 study plots in 30 m intervals along eight transects, in a systematic design. Using generalized linear mixed-effects models we analysed how the distance from the propagule source (i.e. abandoned plantation), maximum age of ×Sorbaronia shrubs assessed using dendrochronological techniques, and light availability determined the density and biomass of the studied plant. We found that its mean aboveground biomass in the plantation was 7.22 ± 0.66 Mg ha−1, and decreased with distance from the propagule source: 6.83 Mg ha−1 30 m from the abandoned plantation, 1.38 Mg ha−1 at a distance of 90 m, and 0.11 Mg ha−1 at a distance of 180 m, almost disappearing at further distances (but present at the maximum distance of 450 m). The density and aboveground biomass of ×Sorbaronia ′Mitschurinii′ increased with increasing maximal age of the studied plant and its light availability. The ×Sorbaronia ′Mitschurinii′ plantation acted as a strong propagule source, as it reached a density of 100 ind. 100 m−2 after five years, forming a dense shrub layer, capable of reproducing. We conclude that alien species planted at high density and left with no management control might transform into invasion hotspots under favourable circumstances. The study highlights the importance of scientific awareness of similar cases of overlooked invasion sources, as management to limit their spread is still possible.
{"title":"×Sorbaronia ′Mitschurinii′—an overlooked alien shrub rapidly expands in temperate Scots pine forests","authors":"Andrzej M Jagodziński, Paweł Horodecki, Anna K Jasińska, Tomasz Maliński, Zenon Pilarek, Kacper Woźniak, Dorota Wrońska-Pilarek, Jerzy Zieliński, Marcin K Dyderski","doi":"10.1093/forestry/cpad058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad058","url":null,"abstract":"Biological invasions are one of the most important threats to biodiversity. However, spread mechanisms have been described in detail only for some widespread taxa. Here, we aim to characterize the unique phenomenon of ×Sorbaronia ′Mitschurinii′ (Rosaceae) spread into temperate Scots pine forests. We assessed the surroundings of an abandoned ×Sorbaronia ′Mitschurinii′ plantation, established in 1986 near Ośno Lubuskie (W Poland). Around the plantation we established 66 study plots in 30 m intervals along eight transects, in a systematic design. Using generalized linear mixed-effects models we analysed how the distance from the propagule source (i.e. abandoned plantation), maximum age of ×Sorbaronia shrubs assessed using dendrochronological techniques, and light availability determined the density and biomass of the studied plant. We found that its mean aboveground biomass in the plantation was 7.22 ± 0.66 Mg ha−1, and decreased with distance from the propagule source: 6.83 Mg ha−1 30 m from the abandoned plantation, 1.38 Mg ha−1 at a distance of 90 m, and 0.11 Mg ha−1 at a distance of 180 m, almost disappearing at further distances (but present at the maximum distance of 450 m). The density and aboveground biomass of ×Sorbaronia ′Mitschurinii′ increased with increasing maximal age of the studied plant and its light availability. The ×Sorbaronia ′Mitschurinii′ plantation acted as a strong propagule source, as it reached a density of 100 ind. 100 m−2 after five years, forming a dense shrub layer, capable of reproducing. We conclude that alien species planted at high density and left with no management control might transform into invasion hotspots under favourable circumstances. The study highlights the importance of scientific awareness of similar cases of overlooked invasion sources, as management to limit their spread is still possible.","PeriodicalId":12342,"journal":{"name":"Forestry","volume":"72 3-4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2023-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138512638","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}
Abstract Phoebe chekiangensis is endemic to China and highly valued for art ware, furniture, and timber architecture, having a special status in Chinese history. Natural sources of P. chekiangensis are being depleted, and the species was listed as ‘VULNERABLE’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 1998 (https://www.iucnredlist.org/) due to excessive anthropogenic deforestation and the plant’s weak self-regeneration ability. Most studies have attempted to elucidate this weak natural regeneration by culturing seedlings and community surveys, ignoring the different light requirements of seedlings at distinct ages. In this study, we examined five consecutive age groups of seedlings/saplings with current-year (seedling) and 1–4-year-olds exposed to four shading treatments (100%, 40%, 15%, and 5% of full sunlight) for 2 years, based on a randomized complete block design. Using analysis of variance and Duncan’s multiple comparison, the growth rate, photosynthetic response, photosynthetic pigments, and ultrastructure of chloroplasts were evaluated among the shading treatments. The results show that the light requirements of P. chekiangensis change during the development process. Moderate shading (40% of full sunlight) is beneficial for the early development of Phoebe seedlings, increasing height growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and photosynthetic pigment content and protecting the development of chloroplast structures. However, full exposure to sunlight is necessary for growing saplings (more than 2 years old) to meet the increased energy demands for growth and development. Overall, this study elucidates P. chekiangensis light utilization during the early regeneration phase, informing seedling cultivation activities and the development of silvicultural strategies of this endangered species.
{"title":"The response of different-aged saplings to light gradients reveals new insights into the light requirements of an endangered woody plant species, <i>Phoebe chekiangensis</i>","authors":"Junhong Zhang, Wenting Xu, Shengcai Zhou, Qiyan Liu, Qi Yang, Zaikang Tong","doi":"10.1093/forestry/cpad056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad056","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Phoebe chekiangensis is endemic to China and highly valued for art ware, furniture, and timber architecture, having a special status in Chinese history. Natural sources of P. chekiangensis are being depleted, and the species was listed as ‘VULNERABLE’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 1998 (https://www.iucnredlist.org/) due to excessive anthropogenic deforestation and the plant’s weak self-regeneration ability. Most studies have attempted to elucidate this weak natural regeneration by culturing seedlings and community surveys, ignoring the different light requirements of seedlings at distinct ages. In this study, we examined five consecutive age groups of seedlings/saplings with current-year (seedling) and 1–4-year-olds exposed to four shading treatments (100%, 40%, 15%, and 5% of full sunlight) for 2 years, based on a randomized complete block design. Using analysis of variance and Duncan’s multiple comparison, the growth rate, photosynthetic response, photosynthetic pigments, and ultrastructure of chloroplasts were evaluated among the shading treatments. The results show that the light requirements of P. chekiangensis change during the development process. Moderate shading (40% of full sunlight) is beneficial for the early development of Phoebe seedlings, increasing height growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and photosynthetic pigment content and protecting the development of chloroplast structures. However, full exposure to sunlight is necessary for growing saplings (more than 2 years old) to meet the increased energy demands for growth and development. Overall, this study elucidates P. chekiangensis light utilization during the early regeneration phase, informing seedling cultivation activities and the development of silvicultural strategies of this endangered species.","PeriodicalId":12342,"journal":{"name":"Forestry","volume":" 507","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135186630","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}
Pub Date : 2023-11-08DOI: 10.1093/forestry/cpad047
Eleanor R Tew, Bianca Ambrose-Oji, Malcolm Beatty, Ulf Büntgen, Holly Butterworth, Gerard Clover, Dan Cook, Dainis Dauksta, William Day, John Deakin, Alison Field, Barry Gardiner, Paddy Harrop, John R Healey, Rebecca Heaton, Gabriel Hemery, Louise Hill, Oliver Hughes, P K Khaira-Creswell, Keith Kirby, Andy Leitch, John MacKay, Rebecca McIlhiney, Brian Murphy, Lee Newton, Darren Norris, Richard Nugee, John Parker, Gillian Petrokofsky, Annie Prosser, Chris Quine, Gurch Randhawa, Christine Reid, Miles Richardson, Daniel J Ridley-Ellis, Rachel Riley, Josh E Roberts, Richard Schaible, Louise E Simpson, Rebecca Spake, Ian Tubby, Julie Urquhart, Fabian Wallace-Stephens, Jeremy D Wilson, William J Sutherland
Forests are in the spotlight: they are expected to play a pivotal role in our response to society’s greatest challenges, such as the climate and biodiversity crises. Yet, the forests themselves, and the sector that manages them, face a range of interrelated threats and opportunities. Many of these are well understood, even if the solutions remain elusive. However, there are also emerging trends that are currently less widely appreciated. We report here the results of a horizon scan to identify developing issues likely to affect UK forest management within the next 50 years. These are issues that are presently under-recognized but have potential for significant impact across the sector and beyond. As the forest management sector naturally operates over long timescales, the importance of using good foresight is self-evident. We followed a tried-and-tested horizon scanning methodology involving a diverse Expert Panel to collate and prioritize a longlist of 180 issues. The top 15 issues identified are presented in the Graphical Abstract. The issues represent a diverse range of themes, within a spectrum of influences from environmental shocks and perturbations to changing political and socio-economic drivers, with complex emerging interactions between them. The most highly ranked issue was ‘Catastrophic forest ecosystem collapse’, reflecting agreement that not only is such collapse a likely prospect but it would also have huge implications across the sector and wider society. These and many of the other issues are large scale, with far-reaching implications. We must be careful to avoid inaction through being overwhelmed, or indeed to merely focus on ‘easy wins’ without considering broader ramifications. Our responses to each of the challenges and opportunities highlighted must be synergistic and coherent, involving landscape-scale planning. A more adaptive approach to forest management will be essential, encouraging continual innovation and learning. The 15 horizon scan issues presented here are a starting point on which to build further research, prompt debate and action, and develop evidence-based policy and practice. We hope that this stimulates greater recognition of how our forests and sector may need to change to be fit for the future. In some cases, these changes will need to be fundamental and momentous.
{"title":"A horizon scan of issues affecting UK forest management within 50 years","authors":"Eleanor R Tew, Bianca Ambrose-Oji, Malcolm Beatty, Ulf Büntgen, Holly Butterworth, Gerard Clover, Dan Cook, Dainis Dauksta, William Day, John Deakin, Alison Field, Barry Gardiner, Paddy Harrop, John R Healey, Rebecca Heaton, Gabriel Hemery, Louise Hill, Oliver Hughes, P K Khaira-Creswell, Keith Kirby, Andy Leitch, John MacKay, Rebecca McIlhiney, Brian Murphy, Lee Newton, Darren Norris, Richard Nugee, John Parker, Gillian Petrokofsky, Annie Prosser, Chris Quine, Gurch Randhawa, Christine Reid, Miles Richardson, Daniel J Ridley-Ellis, Rachel Riley, Josh E Roberts, Richard Schaible, Louise E Simpson, Rebecca Spake, Ian Tubby, Julie Urquhart, Fabian Wallace-Stephens, Jeremy D Wilson, William J Sutherland","doi":"10.1093/forestry/cpad047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad047","url":null,"abstract":"Forests are in the spotlight: they are expected to play a pivotal role in our response to society’s greatest challenges, such as the climate and biodiversity crises. Yet, the forests themselves, and the sector that manages them, face a range of interrelated threats and opportunities. Many of these are well understood, even if the solutions remain elusive. However, there are also emerging trends that are currently less widely appreciated. We report here the results of a horizon scan to identify developing issues likely to affect UK forest management within the next 50 years. These are issues that are presently under-recognized but have potential for significant impact across the sector and beyond. As the forest management sector naturally operates over long timescales, the importance of using good foresight is self-evident. We followed a tried-and-tested horizon scanning methodology involving a diverse Expert Panel to collate and prioritize a longlist of 180 issues. The top 15 issues identified are presented in the Graphical Abstract. The issues represent a diverse range of themes, within a spectrum of influences from environmental shocks and perturbations to changing political and socio-economic drivers, with complex emerging interactions between them. The most highly ranked issue was ‘Catastrophic forest ecosystem collapse’, reflecting agreement that not only is such collapse a likely prospect but it would also have huge implications across the sector and wider society. These and many of the other issues are large scale, with far-reaching implications. We must be careful to avoid inaction through being overwhelmed, or indeed to merely focus on ‘easy wins’ without considering broader ramifications. Our responses to each of the challenges and opportunities highlighted must be synergistic and coherent, involving landscape-scale planning. A more adaptive approach to forest management will be essential, encouraging continual innovation and learning. The 15 horizon scan issues presented here are a starting point on which to build further research, prompt debate and action, and develop evidence-based policy and practice. We hope that this stimulates greater recognition of how our forests and sector may need to change to be fit for the future. In some cases, these changes will need to be fundamental and momentous.","PeriodicalId":12342,"journal":{"name":"Forestry","volume":"41 9","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135430794","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}
Pub Date : 2023-11-07DOI: 10.1093/forestry/cpad054
Grzegorz Szewczyk, Wojciech Kraj, Bartosz Mitka, Piotr Bożek, Paweł Tylek
Abstract Platforms mounted in rope parks cause injuries to trees. A new method for mounting platforms uses clamps, which are theoretically less damaging to trees. The aim of the study was to determine changes in the vitality of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in response to both old and new platform mounting systems. In the old system, wooden brackets are embedded in the cut fragments of tree trunks. The new system utilizes clamps that hug the trunks. A vitality assessment was carried out for control trees and trees with platforms on the basis of changes in the assimilation apparatus and the degree of thinning of the outer parts of the tree crowns. The visual assessments differentiated between four classes 0–3. We conducted the visual assessment of tree vitality four years after the installation of the platforms. The level of trunk circumference damaged at the platform attachment point was determined using photogrammetric measurements and laser scanning technology. The obtained results were compared to the vitality recorded for the control trees. Trees that initially had better vitality showed a clear decrease in vitality of ~0.5 class. Trees that initially had worse vitality showed a clear increase in vitality, ranging from 0.25 class for pines to 1 class for beeches. Pine and beech trees reacted differently to injuries caused by platform installations. Pine trees responded with a slight increase in vitality, while beech trees experienced a decrease of over a hundred percent. The reactions were more pronounced for the new type of platform. Although the new method of platform installation caused more damage to the surface of tree trunks, its impact on tree vitality was not significantly greater than that of the old system. Since the new system allows, in the long term, to change the position on the tree and adjust the clamping force to the trunk, it can be recommended for use in practice despite the overall slightly worse state of the trees when compared to trees with the old mounting system.
{"title":"The impact of platform mounting systems used in rope parks on tree vitality","authors":"Grzegorz Szewczyk, Wojciech Kraj, Bartosz Mitka, Piotr Bożek, Paweł Tylek","doi":"10.1093/forestry/cpad054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad054","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Platforms mounted in rope parks cause injuries to trees. A new method for mounting platforms uses clamps, which are theoretically less damaging to trees. The aim of the study was to determine changes in the vitality of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in response to both old and new platform mounting systems. In the old system, wooden brackets are embedded in the cut fragments of tree trunks. The new system utilizes clamps that hug the trunks. A vitality assessment was carried out for control trees and trees with platforms on the basis of changes in the assimilation apparatus and the degree of thinning of the outer parts of the tree crowns. The visual assessments differentiated between four classes 0–3. We conducted the visual assessment of tree vitality four years after the installation of the platforms. The level of trunk circumference damaged at the platform attachment point was determined using photogrammetric measurements and laser scanning technology. The obtained results were compared to the vitality recorded for the control trees. Trees that initially had better vitality showed a clear decrease in vitality of ~0.5 class. Trees that initially had worse vitality showed a clear increase in vitality, ranging from 0.25 class for pines to 1 class for beeches. Pine and beech trees reacted differently to injuries caused by platform installations. Pine trees responded with a slight increase in vitality, while beech trees experienced a decrease of over a hundred percent. The reactions were more pronounced for the new type of platform. Although the new method of platform installation caused more damage to the surface of tree trunks, its impact on tree vitality was not significantly greater than that of the old system. Since the new system allows, in the long term, to change the position on the tree and adjust the clamping force to the trunk, it can be recommended for use in practice despite the overall slightly worse state of the trees when compared to trees with the old mounting system.","PeriodicalId":12342,"journal":{"name":"Forestry","volume":"126 11","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135540765","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}
Pub Date : 2023-11-04DOI: 10.1093/forestry/cpad053
Mari Myllymäki, Sakari Tuominen, Mikko Kuronen, Petteri Packalen, Annika Kangas
Abstract There is considerable interest in identifying and locating natural forests as accurately as possible, because they are deemed essential in preventing biodiversity loss. In the boreal region, natural forests contain a substantial amount of dead wood and exhibit considerable variation in tree age, size, and species composition. However, it is difficult to define natural forests in a quantitative manner. This is an issue, for example, in the Finnish national forest inventory. If naturalness could be related to the metrics derived from tree measurements, it would be easier to locate natural forests based on the inventory data. In this study, we investigated the value of metrics computed from tree locations and tree sizes for the characterization of a key aspect of naturalness, namely, structural naturalness as defined in the Finnish national forest inventory. We used L-moments, Gini coefficient, Lorenz asymmetry, and interquartile range to quantify the variations in tree size at the plot level. We summarized the spatial pattern of trees with a spatial aggregation index. We compared the structural metrics, species proportions, and stand age using the classes of structural naturalness described in the Finnish national forest inventory, which have been determined in the field without strict numerical rules. These categories are ‘natural’, ‘near-natural’, and ‘non-natural’. We found that the forests evaluated as structurally natural had larger variations in tree size and species composition and showed a more clustered spatial pattern of trees on average, although the variation in the structural metrics was considerable in all three classes. In addition, we used the structural metrics to predict naturalness by employing a random forest algorithm. Based on the structural metrics, it was possible to obtain high precision in the classification only if we simultaneously accepted low recall, and vice versa; the link between the inspected metrics and naturalness evaluated in the field was weak. The stand age separated the three classes more clearly and it also improved the classification.
{"title":"The relationship between forest structure and naturalness in the Finnish national forest inventory","authors":"Mari Myllymäki, Sakari Tuominen, Mikko Kuronen, Petteri Packalen, Annika Kangas","doi":"10.1093/forestry/cpad053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad053","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract There is considerable interest in identifying and locating natural forests as accurately as possible, because they are deemed essential in preventing biodiversity loss. In the boreal region, natural forests contain a substantial amount of dead wood and exhibit considerable variation in tree age, size, and species composition. However, it is difficult to define natural forests in a quantitative manner. This is an issue, for example, in the Finnish national forest inventory. If naturalness could be related to the metrics derived from tree measurements, it would be easier to locate natural forests based on the inventory data. In this study, we investigated the value of metrics computed from tree locations and tree sizes for the characterization of a key aspect of naturalness, namely, structural naturalness as defined in the Finnish national forest inventory. We used L-moments, Gini coefficient, Lorenz asymmetry, and interquartile range to quantify the variations in tree size at the plot level. We summarized the spatial pattern of trees with a spatial aggregation index. We compared the structural metrics, species proportions, and stand age using the classes of structural naturalness described in the Finnish national forest inventory, which have been determined in the field without strict numerical rules. These categories are ‘natural’, ‘near-natural’, and ‘non-natural’. We found that the forests evaluated as structurally natural had larger variations in tree size and species composition and showed a more clustered spatial pattern of trees on average, although the variation in the structural metrics was considerable in all three classes. In addition, we used the structural metrics to predict naturalness by employing a random forest algorithm. Based on the structural metrics, it was possible to obtain high precision in the classification only if we simultaneously accepted low recall, and vice versa; the link between the inspected metrics and naturalness evaluated in the field was weak. The stand age separated the three classes more clearly and it also improved the classification.","PeriodicalId":12342,"journal":{"name":"Forestry","volume":"284 6","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135775868","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}
Pub Date : 2023-10-28DOI: 10.1093/forestry/cpad052
Jennifer Xiao, Sarah Yakimowski, Marika Brown, Shane Heartz, Amy L Parachnowitsch, Christopher B Edge
Abstract Herbicides are commonly used in forestry to enhance conifer tree growth by reducing the abundance of competitive, undesired, early successional species. Reducing the abundance of understory species could also lead to changes in community composition that need to be documented to aid the understanding of any downstream ecosystem changes. We examined the effects of glyphosate-based herbicides on the abundance, diversity, and community composition of the understory vegetation community of forests located in the temperate-boreal transition zone. We sampled 37 blocks in two ecoregions of the Acadian Forest in eastern Canada that were harvested over the last 15 years. Species richness, Shannon’s diversity, or evenness did not differ among blocks with different herbicide history. However, community composition differed between the non-herbicide and herbicide blocks in both ecoregions. Overall, 26.5% of the plant community variation was explained by the factors herbicide use (10.6%), Biomass Growth Index/site quality (8.6%), time since harvest (3.6%), and ecoregion (1.7%). We found 16 indicator species that differentiated the non-herbicide (9 species) and herbicide blocks (7 species). Indicator species for non-herbicide blocks included two blueberry species, three shrubs (two flowering), and two ferns, whereas indicator species for herbicide blocks were largely perennial forbs. Together, our results indicate that herbicide use does not alter species richness but does reduce shrub abundance, a change that persists throughout the 10 years post-herbicide application captured in our study. The reduced shrub layer likely leads to other changes in the plant community. Herbicide use is associated with subtle changes to the understory plant community, and these changes are missed when only alpha diversity is used to examine the effects of herbicides use on community composition.
{"title":"Changes to the understory vegetation community of the Acadian Forest a decade after herbicide use","authors":"Jennifer Xiao, Sarah Yakimowski, Marika Brown, Shane Heartz, Amy L Parachnowitsch, Christopher B Edge","doi":"10.1093/forestry/cpad052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad052","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Herbicides are commonly used in forestry to enhance conifer tree growth by reducing the abundance of competitive, undesired, early successional species. Reducing the abundance of understory species could also lead to changes in community composition that need to be documented to aid the understanding of any downstream ecosystem changes. We examined the effects of glyphosate-based herbicides on the abundance, diversity, and community composition of the understory vegetation community of forests located in the temperate-boreal transition zone. We sampled 37 blocks in two ecoregions of the Acadian Forest in eastern Canada that were harvested over the last 15 years. Species richness, Shannon’s diversity, or evenness did not differ among blocks with different herbicide history. However, community composition differed between the non-herbicide and herbicide blocks in both ecoregions. Overall, 26.5% of the plant community variation was explained by the factors herbicide use (10.6%), Biomass Growth Index/site quality (8.6%), time since harvest (3.6%), and ecoregion (1.7%). We found 16 indicator species that differentiated the non-herbicide (9 species) and herbicide blocks (7 species). Indicator species for non-herbicide blocks included two blueberry species, three shrubs (two flowering), and two ferns, whereas indicator species for herbicide blocks were largely perennial forbs. Together, our results indicate that herbicide use does not alter species richness but does reduce shrub abundance, a change that persists throughout the 10 years post-herbicide application captured in our study. The reduced shrub layer likely leads to other changes in the plant community. Herbicide use is associated with subtle changes to the understory plant community, and these changes are missed when only alpha diversity is used to examine the effects of herbicides use on community composition.","PeriodicalId":12342,"journal":{"name":"Forestry","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136160290","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}
Pub Date : 2023-10-21DOI: 10.1093/forestry/cpad050
Joachim Schmerbeck, Somidh Saha, Anjana Srimathi, Birgit Einhellinger, Mamang Hangsing
Abstract Whether environmental conditions under exotic tree plantations abandoned in the Western Ghats of India can facilitate the natural regeneration of tropical montane forest (Shola forest) tree species is being debated. In many cases, the exotic tree plantations are being cleared to allow for the restoration of native ecosystems. In this paper, we examined whether exotic tree plantations have indeed a negative effect on the regeneration of Shola forest tree species. For this, we assessed the abundance, diversity, and composition of the regeneration of Shola forest tree species in plantations, each with different dominant tree species (Acacia mearnsii, Pinus sp., and Eucalyptus sp.). We tested the abundance of regenerating native tree species against the main plantation canopy species (plantation type) as well as other environmental factors (aspect, distance to nearest Shola forest, structural diversity, slope, elevation, presence of herbivores, and canopy closure). We found that the number of native tree species regenerating in all plantation types was at an acceptable level: 1960, 1773, and 462 individuals ha−1 for Acacia, Eucalyptus, and Pinus plantations, respectively. A rare fraction analysis showed that the highest number of Shola tree species were regenerating under Acacia mearnsii (25) followed by Eucalyptus (19) and Pinus (8) plantations. The density and diversity of regenerating Shola trees was greatest under Acacia plantations and northern aspects but declined with increasing elevation. The presence of herbivores also reduced the density and diversity of Shola tree regeneration. We concluded that the restoration of Shola forest in the Western Ghats is possible in existing stands of exotic tree species and this process can be accelerated with appropriate silvicultural methods. We additionally recommend that studies involving long-term exclosures can provide valuable insights into the effects of browsing on regeneration and species composition.
{"title":"Tropical montane forest (Shola) tree species can regenerate under abandoned exotic tree plantations in the Western Ghats of India","authors":"Joachim Schmerbeck, Somidh Saha, Anjana Srimathi, Birgit Einhellinger, Mamang Hangsing","doi":"10.1093/forestry/cpad050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad050","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Whether environmental conditions under exotic tree plantations abandoned in the Western Ghats of India can facilitate the natural regeneration of tropical montane forest (Shola forest) tree species is being debated. In many cases, the exotic tree plantations are being cleared to allow for the restoration of native ecosystems. In this paper, we examined whether exotic tree plantations have indeed a negative effect on the regeneration of Shola forest tree species. For this, we assessed the abundance, diversity, and composition of the regeneration of Shola forest tree species in plantations, each with different dominant tree species (Acacia mearnsii, Pinus sp., and Eucalyptus sp.). We tested the abundance of regenerating native tree species against the main plantation canopy species (plantation type) as well as other environmental factors (aspect, distance to nearest Shola forest, structural diversity, slope, elevation, presence of herbivores, and canopy closure). We found that the number of native tree species regenerating in all plantation types was at an acceptable level: 1960, 1773, and 462 individuals ha−1 for Acacia, Eucalyptus, and Pinus plantations, respectively. A rare fraction analysis showed that the highest number of Shola tree species were regenerating under Acacia mearnsii (25) followed by Eucalyptus (19) and Pinus (8) plantations. The density and diversity of regenerating Shola trees was greatest under Acacia plantations and northern aspects but declined with increasing elevation. The presence of herbivores also reduced the density and diversity of Shola tree regeneration. We concluded that the restoration of Shola forest in the Western Ghats is possible in existing stands of exotic tree species and this process can be accelerated with appropriate silvicultural methods. We additionally recommend that studies involving long-term exclosures can provide valuable insights into the effects of browsing on regeneration and species composition.","PeriodicalId":12342,"journal":{"name":"Forestry","volume":"25 4","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135513298","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}
Pub Date : 2023-09-30DOI: 10.1093/forestry/cpad045
Guillaume Moreau, Catherine Chagnon, Malcolm J L Cecil-Cockwell, David Pothier, Alexis Achim, Steve Bédard, François Guillemette, John Caspersen
Abstract In northern hardwood forests, tree markers select the trees to be harvested during logging operations using classification systems that assign harvest priorities based on the presence of a wide range of individual defects. According to the most recent advances in our understanding of the impact of defects on both tree vigour (the risk of mortality or decline in growth) and quality (the potential for recovering valuable sawlogs), tree markers should adopt a simpler classification system that considers fewer defects than the current operational practice, and they should prioritize the removal of trees with crown dieback. Since the probability of developing defects and dying increases substantially with tree diameter, tree markers should also favour the removal of larger trees that have maintained their quality. However, these recommendations were developed based on tree-level analyses. To provide further validation at the stand scale, we compared stand improvement and value recovery under three tree marking regimes: a new, simplified regime based on the recommendations above, and two regimes used in the province of Quebec, Canada. To do so, we conducted tree marking simulations and value recovery assessments in 14 managed stands distributed across the northern hardwood range of Quebec. Our results confirmed that the simplified tree marking regime not only facilitated stand improvement by removing a greater proportion of low-vigour trees, but also recovered significantly more value (17% on average) at the stand scale. By prioritizing the removal of trees with crown dieback, the simplified regime was superior at salvaging the current value of low-vigour trees before they die or decline in quality. Based on our results, we propose simplified and empirically-validated tree marking guidelines for northern hardwood forests.
{"title":"Simplified tree marking guidelines enhance value recovery as well as stand vigour in northern hardwood forests under selection management","authors":"Guillaume Moreau, Catherine Chagnon, Malcolm J L Cecil-Cockwell, David Pothier, Alexis Achim, Steve Bédard, François Guillemette, John Caspersen","doi":"10.1093/forestry/cpad045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad045","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In northern hardwood forests, tree markers select the trees to be harvested during logging operations using classification systems that assign harvest priorities based on the presence of a wide range of individual defects. According to the most recent advances in our understanding of the impact of defects on both tree vigour (the risk of mortality or decline in growth) and quality (the potential for recovering valuable sawlogs), tree markers should adopt a simpler classification system that considers fewer defects than the current operational practice, and they should prioritize the removal of trees with crown dieback. Since the probability of developing defects and dying increases substantially with tree diameter, tree markers should also favour the removal of larger trees that have maintained their quality. However, these recommendations were developed based on tree-level analyses. To provide further validation at the stand scale, we compared stand improvement and value recovery under three tree marking regimes: a new, simplified regime based on the recommendations above, and two regimes used in the province of Quebec, Canada. To do so, we conducted tree marking simulations and value recovery assessments in 14 managed stands distributed across the northern hardwood range of Quebec. Our results confirmed that the simplified tree marking regime not only facilitated stand improvement by removing a greater proportion of low-vigour trees, but also recovered significantly more value (17% on average) at the stand scale. By prioritizing the removal of trees with crown dieback, the simplified regime was superior at salvaging the current value of low-vigour trees before they die or decline in quality. Based on our results, we propose simplified and empirically-validated tree marking guidelines for northern hardwood forests.","PeriodicalId":12342,"journal":{"name":"Forestry","volume":"161 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136342937","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}
Abstract Timber and non-timber ecosystem services (ESs) of forests can have trade-offs. These trade-offs are often influenced by local characteristics, and a higher awareness of local ESs among the location population could support forest management to supply ESs sustainably. This study examines trade-offs among timber and non-timber ESs in three adjacent municipalities in Japan where social contexts differ and discusses them in relation to the environmental awareness of each community. First, we explored the local awareness of the population of ESs in interviews. Then we produced maps of landslide prevention, sediment retention, and forest recreation ESs in plantations at 30-m resolution and classified forests according to evaluations of each ES. We overlaid the ES maps with a map of logging locations from the previous 5 years to calculate the logged ratio for each ES class. In a region with a long history of forestry, where awareness of ESs seems to be high, forests providing a wider range of ESs had a lower logged ratio than forests with lower ESs. In contrast, in a region in which contracted foresters from outside of that region were coordinating logging activities, even forests providing numerous ES had a high logged ratio. Thus, increasing awareness of ESs amongst the local population may lead to a more balanced use of ESs. Our results indicate that local governments would be best placed to raise awareness by educating forest enterprises or providing science-based information on ESs to foresters. We conclude that analyses of local ES trade-offs under consideration of the social context as presented here, is the first step towards developing and maintaining sustainable forest management principles.
{"title":"Conflicts among ecosystem services may depend on environmental awareness: a multi-municipality analysis","authors":"Yusuke Yamada, Yuichi Yamaura, Katsuto Shimizu, Wataru Murakami, Kazuki Nanko, Norimasa Takayama","doi":"10.1093/forestry/cpad046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad046","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Timber and non-timber ecosystem services (ESs) of forests can have trade-offs. These trade-offs are often influenced by local characteristics, and a higher awareness of local ESs among the location population could support forest management to supply ESs sustainably. This study examines trade-offs among timber and non-timber ESs in three adjacent municipalities in Japan where social contexts differ and discusses them in relation to the environmental awareness of each community. First, we explored the local awareness of the population of ESs in interviews. Then we produced maps of landslide prevention, sediment retention, and forest recreation ESs in plantations at 30-m resolution and classified forests according to evaluations of each ES. We overlaid the ES maps with a map of logging locations from the previous 5 years to calculate the logged ratio for each ES class. In a region with a long history of forestry, where awareness of ESs seems to be high, forests providing a wider range of ESs had a lower logged ratio than forests with lower ESs. In contrast, in a region in which contracted foresters from outside of that region were coordinating logging activities, even forests providing numerous ES had a high logged ratio. Thus, increasing awareness of ESs amongst the local population may lead to a more balanced use of ESs. Our results indicate that local governments would be best placed to raise awareness by educating forest enterprises or providing science-based information on ESs to foresters. We conclude that analyses of local ES trade-offs under consideration of the social context as presented here, is the first step towards developing and maintaining sustainable forest management principles.","PeriodicalId":12342,"journal":{"name":"Forestry","volume":"75 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134971089","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}
Pub Date : 2023-08-28DOI: 10.1093/forestry/cpad044
Flávia Fernanda Azevedo Fagundes, Fabrina Bolzan Martins, Fernando Yuri da Silva Reis, Haroldo Felipe da Costa
Abstract Development models are used to quantify the dynamics and rate of initial development, the seedling phase duration, and global warming impacts on forest species. Such models relate the physiological age of the plant, through air temperature functions, to its morphological appearance, given by the cumulative leaf number on the main stem. Despite their potential, studies on initial development dynamics are still scarce, especially for native forest species. Thus, this study calibrated and evaluated the performance of two development models—Phyllochron and Wang and Engel—in estimating the cumulative leaf number and seedling phase duration of two Brazilian native forest species—Cybistax antisyphilitica (Mart.) Mart. (Bignoniaceae) and Platycyamus regnellii Benth. (Fabaceae). Cumulative leaf number and seedling phase duration data from outdoor experiments carried out during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons with 12 sowing dates in Itajubá, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were used. These experiments provided a rich dataset for calibrating and evaluating the Phyllochron and Wang and Engel development models. Both development models were capable of predicting cumulative leaf number with low and acceptable errors for both species and produced less accurate estimates for seedling phase duration. For C. antisyphilitica, both models were remarkably similar in estimating cumulative leaf number and seedling phase duration, with a root-mean-square error of 3.3 leaves and 25 days, respectively. For P. regnellii, the Wang and Engel model was slightly better than the Phyllochron, with an error of fewer than 2.06 leaves and 13.1 days. Using the coefficients calibrated in this study and, preferably, the Wang and Engel model, it is possible to project the development of both forest species under climate change scenarios.
摘要发展模型用于量化森林物种的初始发育动态和速率、幼苗期持续时间以及全球变暖对森林物种的影响。这些模型通过气温函数将植物的生理年龄与主茎上的累积叶数所给出的形态外观联系起来。尽管它们具有潜力，但对其初始发育动态的研究仍然很少，特别是对原生森林物种的研究。因此，本研究在估计两种巴西原生森林物种cybistax antisyphilitica (Mart.)的累积叶片数和幼苗期时，校准和评估了两种发育模型(phyllochron和Wang and engel)的性能。集市。(大戟科)和菖蒲。(蝶形花科)。研究使用了2017年和2018年生长季在巴西米纳斯吉拉斯州itajub进行的12个播期室外试验的累积叶片数和苗期数据。这些实验为校准和评估Phyllochron和Wang and Engel发育模型提供了丰富的数据集。这两种发育模型都能够以较低的可接受误差预测两种物种的累积叶片数，而对幼苗期持续时间的估计则不太准确。两种模型对抗梅毒草的累积叶数和苗期持续时间的估计非常相似，均方根误差分别为3.3片和25天。Wang和Engel模型的结果略好于Phyllochron模型，误差小于2.06片叶和13.1天。利用本研究校准的系数，最好是Wang和Engel模型，可以预测气候变化情景下这两种森林物种的发展。
{"title":"Modeling the initial development dynamics for two native Brazilian forest tree species","authors":"Flávia Fernanda Azevedo Fagundes, Fabrina Bolzan Martins, Fernando Yuri da Silva Reis, Haroldo Felipe da Costa","doi":"10.1093/forestry/cpad044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpad044","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Development models are used to quantify the dynamics and rate of initial development, the seedling phase duration, and global warming impacts on forest species. Such models relate the physiological age of the plant, through air temperature functions, to its morphological appearance, given by the cumulative leaf number on the main stem. Despite their potential, studies on initial development dynamics are still scarce, especially for native forest species. Thus, this study calibrated and evaluated the performance of two development models—Phyllochron and Wang and Engel—in estimating the cumulative leaf number and seedling phase duration of two Brazilian native forest species—Cybistax antisyphilitica (Mart.) Mart. (Bignoniaceae) and Platycyamus regnellii Benth. (Fabaceae). Cumulative leaf number and seedling phase duration data from outdoor experiments carried out during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons with 12 sowing dates in Itajubá, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were used. These experiments provided a rich dataset for calibrating and evaluating the Phyllochron and Wang and Engel development models. Both development models were capable of predicting cumulative leaf number with low and acceptable errors for both species and produced less accurate estimates for seedling phase duration. For C. antisyphilitica, both models were remarkably similar in estimating cumulative leaf number and seedling phase duration, with a root-mean-square error of 3.3 leaves and 25 days, respectively. For P. regnellii, the Wang and Engel model was slightly better than the Phyllochron, with an error of fewer than 2.06 leaves and 13.1 days. Using the coefficients calibrated in this study and, preferably, the Wang and Engel model, it is possible to project the development of both forest species under climate change scenarios.","PeriodicalId":12342,"journal":{"name":"Forestry","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136349130","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}
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