Are temperate mixedwood forests perceived by birds as a distinct forest type?

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1895-1907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Girard ◽  
Marcel Darveau ◽  
Jean-Pierre L Savard ◽  
Jean Huot
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Mixedwood Forests ◽  
Forestry Practices ◽  
Habitat Composition ◽  
Forest Mosaic ◽  
Northern Parula ◽  
Mixedwood Stands

Forestry practices used in mixedwood forests have led to a reduction of the availability of mixedwood stands and to a simplification of the forest mosaic, with unknown consequences on wildlife. We assessed bird occurrences at different spatial scales (50-, 100-, and 1000-m radius) in response to coniferous, deciduous, and mixedwood stands within the Quebec balsam fir – yellow birch domain. Our objective was to evaluate whether birds perceive temperate mixedwood forests as distinct from deciduous and coniferous forests. We quantified bird occurrence at 57 observation points and determined habitat composition from forest maps. At the 50-, 100-, and 1000-m scales, the occurrence of two, four, and four species, respectively, was positively related to mixedwood stands. Among them the Blackburnian Warbler, the Northern Parula, the Black-throated Blue Warbler, and the Ovenbird responded at more than one scale. Some species were also influenced by coniferous and deciduous stands at the three spatial scales. Mixedwood stands were positively associated with the occurrence of many species and moreover were preferred over coniferous or deciduous stands by some species. These results support our hypothesis that mixedwood forests are distinct habitats and provide a new justification for preserving this forest type.

Decomposition of broadleaf and needle litter in forests of British Columbia: influences of litter type, forest type, and litter mixtures

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 1742-1750 ◽  
Author(s):  
C E Prescott ◽  
L M Zabek ◽  
C L Staley ◽  
R Kabzems
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Coastal Forests ◽  
Mixedwood Forests ◽  
Needle Litter

We measured rates of decomposition at three sites representing the major mixedwood forest types of British Columbia: (i) boreal forests of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.); (ii) coastal forests of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.); and (iii) a wet interior forest of Douglas-fir, paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Doug. ex Loud.). Mass loss of litter of each species (both pure and in combination with the other species) was measured for 2-5 years in forests of each species to determine (i) if broadleaf litter decomposed faster than needle litter, (ii) if litter decomposed faster in broadleaf or mixedwood forests than in coniferous forests, and (iii) if mixing with broadleaf hastened decomposition of needle litter. The broadleaf litters decomposed faster than needles during the first year but, thereafter, decomposed more slowly, so differences were small after 3 years. Litter tended to decompose faster in the broadleaf forests than in the coniferous forests. There was either no effect or a slight suppression of decomposition when litters were mixed; thus, there was no evidence that addition of broadleaf litter hastened decomposition of needle litter. The results clearly indicate that the mixing of needle litter with broadleaf litter is unlikely to hasten decomposition in mixedwood forests of British Columbia. The main influence of broadleaves was more rapid decomposition in broadleaf or mixedwood forest floors, which does not appear to be simply an effect of litter quality or litter mixing.

scholarly journals Distribution and diversity of myxomycetes in Tiantangzhai National Forest Park, China

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12059
Author(s):  
Min Li ◽  
Gaowei Wang ◽  
Yang Gao ◽  
Mingzhu Dou ◽  
Ziqi Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Retention ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Moist Chamber ◽  
Mixed Forests ◽  
Forest Park ◽  
Main Factor

Although myxomycetes are ubiquitous in terrestrial ecosystems, studies on their distribution and diversity in subtropical humid forests are still lacking. Field collections and moist chamber cultures were conducted from May to October within a two-year period in the Tiantangzhai National Forest Park of China. A total of 1,492 records representing 73 species belonging to 26 genera were obtained, of which 243 records/37 species were from field collections, and 1,249 records/52 species were from moist chamber cultures. Among the specimens obtained by culturing, 896 records/38 species and 353 records/37 species were obtained from living bark and ground litter, respectively. ANOVA showed that the sampling months had significant impacts on collection of myxomycetes from field and those that inhabit litter. An LEfSe analysis indicated that Arcyria was significantly abundant in August, while Stemonitis and Physarum were more abundant in July when collected from field. An RDA analysis showed that temperature was the main factor that affected the litter-inhabiting myxomycetes. The ANOVA indicated that forest type was the significant factor for bark-inhabiting myxomycetes. Diderma effusum was primarily obtained from mixed forests, while Clastoderma debaryanum and Colloderma oculatum were more common in coniferous forests. The RDA analysis indicated that the vegetation, pH, water retention, and elevation were the primary factors that affected the bark-inhabiting myxomycetes.

Demography and spatial dynamics in balsam fir stands after a spruce budworm outbreak

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1112-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Rossi ◽  
Hubert Morin
Keyword(s):  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Spatial Dynamics ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Random Pattern ◽  
Advance Regeneration ◽  
Competition For Resources

The renewal of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) P. Mill.) stands is related to the recurrent spruce budworm (Archips fumiferana Clemens [syn.: Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens)]) outbreaks that favour the growth of the regeneration following death of the dominant trees. The aim of this study was to investigate the population demography and the spatial relationships among individuals in four permanent plots of the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada, after a spruce budworm outbreak. This was realized by collecting data on trees and saplings every five years from 1994 to 2004 and by using Ripley’s K statistics. The younger plots showed recruitment of up to 90 new trees·ha–1·year–1, and mortality following competition among individuals affected up to 27% and 50% of the trees and saplings, respectively. In the plot with the lowest tree density, sapling recruitment was estimated as 378 new individuals·ha–1·year–1. Saplings were aggregated at all spatial scales, whereas trees showed a random pattern of stem distribution. A significant tendency to separation between saplings and trees was observed. The specific stand dynamics observed in balsam fir are connected to an abundant advance regeneration and an age-dependent competition for resources in a heterogeneous environment with different levels of resource availability.

Patterns of initial versus delayed regeneration of white spruce in boreal mixedwood succession

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1597-1609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vernon S Peters ◽  
S Ellen Macdonald ◽  
Mark RT Dale
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Mixedwood Forests ◽  
Regeneration Period ◽  
Postfire Regeneration ◽  
Distance To Seed Source ◽  
Mixedwood Stands

The timing of white spruce regeneration in aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) – white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) boreal mixedwood stands is an important factor in stand development. We examined boreal mixedwood stands representing a 59-year period of time since fire and determined (1) whether and when a delayed regeneration period of white spruce occurred, (2) whether the relative abundance of initial (<20 years) versus delayed (≥20 years postfire) regeneration is related to seed availability at the time of the fire, and (3) what are the important regeneration substrates for initial versus delayed regeneration. Initial regeneration occurred primarily on mineral soil or humus, while delayed regeneration established primarily on logs and peaked 38–44 years after fire. Of the 20 stands investigated, seven were dominated by initial regeneration, six were dominated by delayed regeneration, and seven were even mixtures of both. The dominance of a site by initial or delayed regeneration could not be simply explained by burn timing relative to mast years or distance to seed source; our results suggested that fire severity and the competitive influence of initial regeneration on delayed regeneration were important at fine scales. Based on our results we describe several possible postfire successional pathways for boreal mixedwood forests.

scholarly journals Diversity of Understory Communities in Boreal Forests: Influences of Forest Type, Latitude, and Spatial Scale

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1003
Author(s):  
Yu-Song Jin ◽  
Yu-Kun Hu ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Dan-Dan Liu ◽  
Ying-Hua Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Lower Latitude ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Vegetation Diversity ◽  
Alpha And Beta Diversity

Understory vegetation hosts high biodiversity and plays a critical role in the ecosystem processes of boreal forests. However, the drivers of understory plant diversity in this high-latitude ecosystem remain uncertain. To investigate the influences of forest type and latitude on understory beta diversity at different scales, we quantified the species composition of Vaccinium uliginosum Linnaeus communities under broadleaf and coniferous forests at two latitudes at the quadrat (2 × 2 m) and plot (10 × 10 m) scales in the Greater Xing’an Mountains, NE China. At the quadrat scale, species alpha diversity of V. uliginosum communities was higher in broadleaf forests than that in coniferous forests at both latitudes. The differences in species beta diversity (the Sørensen’s dissimilarity) in two forest types depended on the latitude: beta diversity in broadleaf forests was higher than that in coniferous forests at the higher latitude, while beta diversity in coniferous forests was higher at the lower latitude. At the plot scale, alpha and beta diversity of V. uliginosum communities decreased from broadleaf forests to coniferous forests at the higher latitude, and they did not show significant differences between forest types at the lower latitude. These results indicate the interactive effects of forest type and latitude on beta diversity of understory vegetation. Moreover, the influences of forest type and latitude on species alpha and beta diversity were different across the two spatial scales, suggesting that the assembly mechanisms underlying species diversity may be different at different scales. Understanding the maintenance of understory vegetation diversity will benefit the conservation and management of boreal forests.

scholarly journals Age structure of coniferous saplings in mountain old-growth forests of the Middle Urals

2021 ◽  
Vol 265 ◽  
pp. 01024
Author(s):  
Natalya Ivanova ◽  
Irina Petrova
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Middle Urals ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Ural Mountains ◽  
The Middle Urals

The processes of natural reforestation play a crucial role for the preservation of primary coniferous forests and the success of their restoration after catastrophic impacts. The objective of our research was to identify the features of the natural renewal of the main coniferous forest-forming plants under the canopy of stands in the mountains of the Middle Urals, to establish dependencies on the forest type not only the total number of tree saplings, but also its age structure. The research was carried out in the mountainous part of the Sverdlovsk region (Russia) on the eastern macroslope of the Ural Mountains. We studied old-age pine forests, which belong to the 4 most common forest types. The tree saplings were counted into account on 2-4 subplots with a length of 20 meters and a width of 2 meters. It is established that under the canopy of all types of forest there is a different age coniferous saplings, despite significant differences in habitats. The most abundant pine saplings are found in pine forests with Vaccinium vitis-idaea, and the most abundant spruce saplings is found in pine forest with spruce and moss cover.

Occurrence of wildfire in the northern Great Lakes Region: Effects of land cover and land ownership assessed at multiple scales

2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Cardille ◽  
Stephen J. Ventura
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Usda Forest Service ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Spatially Explicit Data ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Relationship Of

Risk of wildfire has become a major concern for forest managers, particularly where humans live in close proximity to forests. To date, there has been no comprehensive analysis of contemporary wildfire patterns or the influence of landscape-level factors in the northern, largely forested parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, USA. Using electronic archives from the USDA Forest Service and from the Departments of Natural Resources of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, we created and analysed a new, spatially explicit data set: the Lake States Fire Database. Most of the 18 514 fires during 1985—1995 were smaller than 4 ha, although there were 746 fires larger than 41 ha. Most fires were caused by debris burning and incendiary activity. There was considerable interannual variability in fire counts; over 80% of fires occurred in March, April, or May. We analysed the relationship of land cover and ownership to fires at two different fire size thresholds across four gridded spatial scales. Fires were more likely on non-forest than within forests; this was also true if considering only fires larger than 41 ha. An area of National or State Forest was less likely to have experienced a fire during the study period than was a forest of equal size outside National or State Forest boundaries. Large fires were less likely in State Forests, although they were neither more nor less likely to have occurred on National Forests. Fire frequency also varied significantly by forest type. All results were extremely consistent across analysis resolutions, indicating robust relationships.

Variation in foliar nitrogen concentration by forest type and climatic gradients in North America

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 1587-1602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiwei Yin
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Net Photosynthesis ◽  
Deciduous Forests ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Foliar Nitrogen ◽  
Foliar N ◽  
July Temperature

Published data were used to explore variation in foliar nitrogen (N) concentration in relation to forest type, foliar life-span, latitude, mean January temperature, mean July temperature, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, annual actual evapotranspiration, mean monthly solar radiation in foliar lifetime, and annual soil water deficit. The hypothesis was that foliar N concentration integrating carbon and N links should be closely correlated with climatic constraints at a broad regional scale. The data set included 49 deciduous broadleaf forests and 58 evergreen coniferous forests distributed across North America. Foliar N concentrations were correlated primarily with mean July temperature for deciduous forests (negative), but also with mean January temperature, mean annual temperature, latitude, and solar radiation for coniferous forests (negative quadratic). These correlations also existed for individual forest groups defined by N requirement or genera of dominant species. Deciduous forests nearly always had higher foliar N concentrations than coniferous forests for given climates, but differences diminished in warm climates. Mean July temperature and latitude each explained 69% of variance in foliar N concentrations of deciduous and coniferous forests, respectively, and together explained 90% of variance in the total data set. Independent data confirmed these correlations. It is proposed that foliar N concentrations of deciduous forests increase with decreasing mean July temperature because (i) N may be passively concentrated due to low temperatures reducing net photosynthesis and foliar life-spans, but not N availability; and (ii) N may be actively concentrated as a plant adaptation to counteract suboptimum temperature effects on net photosynthesis. In coniferous forests, N may concentrate in foliage with decreasing but sufficiently high light availability and temperature, when foliar life-spans are fairly constant, and where soil is rarely frozen. As light availability and temperature fall below a limit, conifer foliar N concentrations may decrease due to combined effects of prolonged foliar life-spans and restricted N uptake.

scholarly journals Lignicolous fungal assemblages and relationships with environment in broadleaved and mixed forests from the North-East Region of Romania

2020 ◽  
Vol 153 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-58
Author(s):  
Ovidiu Copoț ◽  
Constantin Mardari ◽  
Ciprian C. Bîrsan ◽  
Cătălin Tănase
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Aridity Index ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Agglomerative Clustering ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
East Region ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Fungal Assemblages

Background and aims – Lignicolous fungal assemblages perform numerous functions in forest ecosystems, one of the most important being their capacity to decay wood. As a consequence of their belonging to different ecological niches, the forest ecosystem influences the fungal assemblages in terms of species richness and composition. Methods – In this study we analyzed the main lignicolous macrofungal assemblages in some deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests in the North-East Region of Romania. We searched to find fungal indicator species for a certain forest type and which are the main drivers and their effects on the composition of the lignicolous macrofungal assemblages. Fungal assemblages were identified using a hierarchical agglomerative clustering procedure, while diagnostic species for each cluster were identified based on the indicator value index. Relationships between fungal composition of plots and environmental variables were performed using detrended and canonical correspondence analyses.Key results – A total of 377 fungal taxa in approximately 4600 records (in 59 plots) were identified. Six distinct clusters of lignicolous fungal assemblages were defined and separated three groups: 1) species-rich lignicolous fungal assemblages in beech forests (1 cluster), 2) well defined fungal assemblages in the mixed broadleaved-coniferous forests (2 clusters), and 3) fungal assemblages typical to oak forests (3 clusters). Ordination methods highlighted the forest type as the most important factor influencing the fungal composition of plots. Forestry Aridity Index, tree diversity and large trees basal area were also important factors for fungal assemblages but with a lower contribution. Conclusion – In the studied region, fungal assemblages changed from oak to beech and to mixed, broadleaved-coniferous forests mainly as a consequence of different tree composition. Climate also shaped fungal composition but to a lesser extent.

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