Deadwood abundance in Labrador high-boreal black spruce forests

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Hagemann ◽  
Martin T. Moroni ◽  
Franz Makeschin
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Reduction Rate ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Standing Dead

Deadwood (woody debris (WD), standing dead trees (snags), stumps, and buried deadwood) abundance was estimated in Labrador humid high-boreal black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) forests regrown following natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Aboveground deadwood (DW) abundance in Labrador was similar to values observed in other boreal forests experiencing drier or warmer climates. Clear-cut harvest generated large amounts of WD, which had almost completely decomposed 34–36 years following harvesting, with a fitted volume reduction rate of –0.058 year–1. Total WD in all harvested stands was composed of predominantly <10 cm pieces, which should be included in DW inventories of disturbed coniferous boreal forests. Postfire WD likely peaked ∼20 years following disturbance, as a result of the collapse of snags, and was dominated by large amounts of medium-sized logs (10.0–19.9 cm). Buried DW stocks considerably exceeded total aboveground DW stocks in old-growth, middle-aged, and older harvested stands. Old-growth stands contained 179.3 m3·ha–1 of buried DW, a vast amount indicative of long-term accumulation requiring significantly depressed rates of WD decomposition following burial. DW stocks could be significantly underestimated if buried DW is excluded from DW inventories in cool and moist coniferous forests with long fire-return intervals.

scholarly journals Bryophyte Conservation in Managed Boreal Landscapes: Fourteen-Year Impacts of Partial Cuts on Epixylic Bryophytes

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Opoku-Nyame ◽  
Alain Leduc ◽  
Nicole J. Fenton
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Old Growth Forests ◽  
Over Time

Clear cut harvest simplifies and eliminates old growth forest structure, negatively impacting biodiversity. Partial cut harvest has been hypothesized (1) to have less impact on biodiversity than clear cut harvest, and (2) to encourage old growth forest structures. Long-term studies are required to test this hypothesis as most studies are conducted soon after harvest. Using epixylic bryophytes as indicators, this study addresses this knowledge gap. Fourteen years after harvest, we examined changes in epixylic bryophyte community composition richness and traits, and their microhabitats (coarse woody debris characteristics and microclimate) along an unharvested, partial cuts and clear cuts harvest treatment in 30 permanent plots established in the boreal black spruce (Picea mariana) forests of northwestern Quebec, Canada. Our results were compared to those of an initial post-harvest study (year 5) and to a chronosequence of old growth forests to examine species changes over time and the similarity of bryophyte communities in partial cut and old growth forests. Coarse woody debris (CWD) volume by decay class varied among harvest treatments with partial cuts and clear cuts recording lower volumes of early decay CWD. The epixylic community was richer in partial cuts than in mature unharvested forests and clear cuts. In addition, species richness and overall abundance doubled in partial and clear cuts between years 5 and 14. Species composition also differed among treatments between years 5 and 14. Furthermore, conditions in partial cut stands supported small, drought sensitive, and old growth confined species that are threatened by conditions in clear cut stands. Lastly, over time, species composition in partial cuts became more similar to old growth forests. Partial cuts reduced harvest impacts by continuing to provide favorable microhabitat conditions that support epixylic bryophytes. Also, partial cut harvest has the potential to encourage old growth species assemblages, which has been a major concern for biodiversity conservation in managed forest landscapes. Our findings support the promotion of partial cut harvest as an effective strategy to achieve species and habitat conservation goals.

scholarly journals Resources of dead wood in the municipal forests in Warsaw

2015 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 322-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konrad Skwarek ◽  
Szymon Bijak
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Standing Dead ◽  
High Degree

Abstract Dead wood plays an important role for the biodiversity of forest ecosystems and influences their proper development. This study assessed the amount of coarse woody debris in municipal forests in Warsaw (central Poland). Based on the forest site type, dominant tree species and age class, we stratified all complexes of the Warsaw urban forests in order to allocate 55 sample plots. For these plots, we determined the volume of dead wood including standing dead trees, coarse woody debris and broken branches as well as uprooted trees. We calculated the amount of dead wood in the distinguished site-species-age layers and for individual complexes. The volume of dead matter in municipal forests in Warsaw amounted to 38,761 m3, i.e. 13.7 m3/ha. The obtained results correspond to the current regulations concerning the amount of dead organic matter to be left in forests. Only in the Las Bielański complex (northern Warsaw) volume of dead wood is comparable to the level observed in Polish national parks or nature reserves, which is still far lower than the values found for natural forests. In general, municipal forests in Warsaw stand out positively in terms of dead wood quantity and a high degree of variation in the forms and dimensions of dead wood.

Disturbance history affects dead wood abundance in Newfoundland boreal forests

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (12) ◽  
pp. 3194-3208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin T Moroni
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Diameter Distribution ◽  
Natural Disturbances ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Almost All

Dead wood (dead standing tree (snag), woody debris (WD), buried wood, and stump) abundance was estimated in Newfoundland balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) forests regrown following natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Although harvesting left few snags standing, natural disturbances generated many snags. Most were still standing 2 years after natural disturbance, but almost all had fallen after 33–34 years. Snag abundance then increased in stands aged 86–109 years. Natural disturbances generated little WD 0–2 years following disturbance. Harvesting, however, immediately generated large amounts of WD. Thirty-two to forty-one years following disturbance, most harvesting slash had decomposed, but naturally disturbed sites had large amounts of WD from collapsed snags. Harvested sites contained less WD 32–72 years following disturbance than naturally disturbed sites. Amounts of WD in black spruce regrown following harvesting and fire converged 63–72 years following disturbance, despite significant initial differences in WD quantities, diameter distribution, and decay classes. Abundance of WD increased from sites regrown 32–72 years following disturbance to older sites. Precommercial thinning had a minor impact on dead wood stocks. Stumps contained minor biomass. Buried wood and WD biomass were equivalent at some sites.

Wood-inhabiting cryptogams on dead Norway spruce (Picea abies) trees in managed Swedish boreal forests

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Kruys ◽  
Clas Fries ◽  
Bengt Gunnar Jonsson ◽  
Tomas Lämås ◽  
Göran Ståhl
Keyword(s):  
Picea Abies ◽  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Red Lists ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Utilization Patterns ◽  
Specific Species

We surveyed the quantity and quality of dead Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees and wood-inhabiting cryptogams in a managed boreal forest landscape in northern Sweden. Size and decay of dead trees was related to substrate utilization by wood-inhabiting species. Coarse woody debris (CWD) was surveyed along 34 strip transects. CWD and wood-inhabiting cryptogams were surveyed in eight circular plots at each site. A total of 6195 spruce CWD units occurred along strip transects and 809 spruce CWD units in circular plots. On average 2.2 m3/ha spruce CWD was found on the plots. The majority (63%) of the transect CWD units were <10 cm diameter and in early to intermediate decay stages. Sixty-eight wood-specific species of fungi, lichens, mosses, and hepatics occurred on the plots. Of these, 13 occurred on [Formula: see text]5% of the 809 CWD units surveyed for wood-inhabiting species. Eight species occur on the Swedish red lists, indicating that such species are indeed uncommon in managed forests. Red-listed species showed strong preferences for large diameter CWD and CWD in late decay stages, i.e., substrates that are poorly represented in managed forests. Frequently occurring species, however, showed utilization patterns that correspond with the distribution of the substrate types.

Woody debris along an upland chronosequence in boreal Manitoba and its impact on long-term carbon storage

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 472-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
K L Manies ◽  
J W Harden ◽  
B P Bond-Lamberty ◽  
K P O'Neill
Keyword(s):  
Decay Rate ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Standing Dead

This study investigated the role of fire-killed woody debris as a source of soil carbon in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stands in Manitoba, Canada. We measured the amount of standing dead and downed woody debris along an upland chronosequence, including wood partially and completely covered by moss growth. Such woody debris is rarely included in measurement protocols and composed up to 26% of the total amount of woody debris in older stands, suggesting that it is important to measure all types of woody debris in ecosystems where burial by organic matter is possible. Based on these data and existing net primary production (NPP) values, we used a mass-balance model to assess the potential impact of fire-killed wood on long-term carbon storage at this site. The amount of carbon stored in deeper soil organic layers, which persists over millennia, was used to represent this long-term carbon. We estimate that between 10% and 60% of the deep-soil carbon is derived from wood biomass. Sensitivity analyses suggest that this estimate is most affected by the fire return interval, decay rate of wood, amount of NPP, and decay rate of the char (postfire) carbon pool. Landscape variations in these terms could account for large differences in deep-soil carbon. The model was less sensitive to fire consumption rates and to rates at which standing dead becomes woody debris. All model runs, however, suggest that woody debris plays an important role in long-term carbon storage for this area.

Logging-residue extraction does not reduce the diversity of litter-layer saprotrophic fungi in three Swedish coniferous stands after 25 years

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1737-1748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Allmér ◽  
Jan Stenlid ◽  
Anders Dahlberg
Keyword(s):  
Woody Debris ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Litter Layer ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Saprotrophic Fungi ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Logging Residues ◽  
Logging Residue

Logging residues, consisting of branches and treetops, are increasingly being extracted for biofuel purposes in Fennoscandia, thereby decreasing the availability of fine woody debris (FWD). Little is known about the importance of FWD and litter to fungal diversity, although they constitute the major components of dead organic matter in both managed and natural forests. We investigated the long-term effects of removing logging residue on the saprotrophic fungi community in the litter layer by using an experiment established 25 years ago, comprising stands with and without removal of clear-cut slash. The fungal communities were identified using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism from standardized baits of wood and needles left in the litter layer for 30 months. A total of 74 fungal taxa were recorded. No differences in species richness or frequency of abundant species were detected between the stands with and without slash removal, suggesting that the extraction of logging residues has a negligible long-term impact on abundant saprotrophic fungi. Twenty-five of the 36 abundant species colonized wood and needles indiscriminately, while 10 species occurred exclusively on wood or needles and only one species mainly on wood. The importance of litter to certain wood-inhabiting fungi may therefore be underrated. The frequent records of Trichaptum abietinum (Dicks.) Ryvarden indicate that wood-inhabiting species may, surprisingly, be found in the litter layer.

Relationship of root rot to black spruce windfall and mortality following strip clear-cutting

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
R D Whitney ◽  
R L Fleming ◽  
K Zhou ◽  
D S Mossa
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Root Rot ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Armillaria Ostoyae ◽  
Stem Breakage ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Standing Dead ◽  
Standing Dead Trees

Root and butt rots are often implicated as causal factors influencing windfall and mortality of residual trees following partial cutting. Measurements of decay at stump level (i.e., the upward extension of root rot) were made on cross-sectional discs taken from windfallen and standing dead 100- to 130-year-old black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) near Nipigon in northwestern Ontario. Subsequently, causal fungi were identified using laboratory culturing procedures. The incidence and amount of decay in windfallen trees within leave strips following alternate strip clear-cutting was higher than the general stand levels but lower than that found in windfallen trees in uncut forest. The incidence and amount of decay was also higher in windfallen trees near the centres of the leave strips than in those near the edges and corners of these strips. These results indicate a strong association between root rot and windfall and suggest that for comparable windfirmness, trees near the edges of residual stands must have less decay than those in more sheltered locations. Decay levels tended to be lower on poorly drained sites than on well-drained sites. In uncut forest, and especially in the leave strips, more trees were uprooted than died standing or suffered stem breakage. The incidence and amount of decay tended to be lower in uprooted trees than in standing dead trees or those with stem breakage, although in uncut forest virtually all windfallen or standing dead trees had some degree of stump-level decay. Of the 21 wood-rotting Basidiomycetes isolated from windfallen and standing dead trees, Inonotus tomentosus (Fr.:Fr.) Teng was the most frequent, followed in order by Armillaria ostoyae (Romagn.) Herink, Coniophora puteana (Schum.:Fr.) Karst., and Scytinostroma galactinum (Fr.) Donk. The incidence of I. tomentosus, C. puteana, Xeromphalina campanella (Batsch.:Fr.) Kuhner & Maire, and Serpula himantioides (Fr.:Fr.) Karst., but not Armillaria ostoyae, Scytinostroma galactinum, and Sistotrema brinkmanii (Bres.) Erik., was greater in windfallen and standing dead trees from the leave strips than in the general stand populations. In the leave strips, I. tomentosus, Amylostereum chailletii (Pers.:Fr.) Boid., and Trichaptum abietinum (Dickson:Fr.) Ryv. tended to greater relative abundance in standing dead trees, while the relative abundance of C. puteana and Serpula himantioides was greater in trees with stem breakage. Armillaria ostoyae and Scytinostroma galactinum were as abundant in uprooted trees as in standing dead trees or those with stem breakage. Ascocoryne sarcoides (Jacq.:Fr.) G. & W., a staining fungus that may protect against decay fungi, was frequently isolated in this study.

Impact of wetland disturbance on phosphorus loadings to lakes

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (11) ◽  
pp. 1695-1703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieran C. Pinder ◽  
M. Catherine Eimers ◽  
Shaun A. Watmough
Keyword(s):  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
The Past ◽  
South Central ◽  
Tree Community ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Standing Dead ◽  
Mixed Age ◽  
Wetland Cover

Total phosphorus (TP) concentrations have declined in many lakes and streams across south-central Ontario, Canada, over the past three decades, and changes have been most pronounced in wetland-dominated catchments. In this study, long-term (1980–2007) patterns in TP concentrations in streams were assessed at four wetland-dominated catchments that drain into Dickie Lake (DE) in south-central Ontario. Two of the subcatchments (DE5 and DE6) have particularly large wetland components (31%–34% of catchment area), and these wetlands are characterized by numerous standing dead trees and many young live trees (18–27 years old). These two streams exhibited large peaks in TP and potassium (K) export in the early 1980s. In contrast, TP and K export from DE8 and DE10 (wetland cover 19%–20%) were relatively flat over the entire record (1980–2007), and field surveys indicated negligible standing dead biomass in these wetlands and a relatively healthy, mixed-age tree community. The coincidence of high TP and K concentrations in the DE5 and DE6 streams as well as evidence of a disturbance event in their wetlands during the early 1980s suggest that disturbance events (e.g., flooding) that lead to wetland tree mortality may contribute to patterns in surface water TP observed in this region.

scholarly journals The Effects of a Western Spruce Budworm Outbreak on the Dead Wood Component in Relation to Ownership in Forests of Eastern Oregon

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 176-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Azuma
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Western Spruce Budworm ◽  
Wood Component ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Standing Dead ◽  
Standing Dead Trees ◽  
The Dead

Abstract Forest Inventory and Analysis data were used to investigate the effects of a severe western spruce budworm outbreak on the dead wood component of forests in 11 counties of eastern Oregon for two time periods. The ownership and the level of damage (as assessed by aerial surveys) affected the resulting down woody material and standing dead trees. The pattern of coarse woody debris with respect to ownership and management intensity remained consistent into the next 10-year period. Harvesting tended to lower the amount of coarse woody debris on private forests. Federally managed forests had more standing dead trees than private lands, with more in the reserved than nonreserved areas. There was a reduction in the number of standing dead trees between the two periods.

Wie viel Totholz braucht der Wald? | Dead wood in managed forests: how much is enough?

2004 ◽  
Vol 155 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Bütler ◽  
Rodolphe Schlaepfer
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Threshold Level ◽  
Bioenergetic Model ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Standing Dead ◽  
Standing Dead Trees

Dead wood is of paramount importance for forest biodiversity. For this reason it was adopted as an indicator for sustainable forest management by the Ministerial Conference on the protection of forests in Europe. This paper aims to answer the question of how much dead wood is necessary for the maintenance of biodiversity in sub-alpine spruce forest ecosystems. For this purpose we studied the habitat preferences of the three-toed woodpecker, a bird species that depends heavily on dead trees. Previous ecological studies had already demonstrated that this woodpecker is an indicator of spruce forests with a high degree of naturalness and biodiversity. Our field study in Swiss sub-Alpine spruce and Swedish boreal forests showed that, below a threshold level of about 20 m3 standing dead trees per ha, the probability of finding these woodpeckers drastically decreases. Similar results were obtained using a bioenergetic model, which calculated the energy requirements of this insectivorous woodpecker. Based on the results, our recommendation is to ensure a scattering of dead-wood rich areas in forest landscapes. Each area should cover about one square kilometre and have a mean of 5% of standing dead trees (≥ 18 m3 ha–1), and a total of approx. 9% of dead wood(≥ 33 m3 ha–1 standing and fallen).

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