Canopy tree growth responses following selection harvest in seven species varying in shade tolerance

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 430-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor A. Jones ◽  
Grant M. Domke ◽  
Sean C. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Maximum Growth ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Canopy Tree ◽  
Tolerant Species ◽  
Shade Tolerant Species

We used tree ring measurements to investigate the temporal response of basal area increment (BAI) of canopy trees following selection harvests by sampling across a chronosequence of stands with known harvest dates in tolerant hardwood (Great Lakes – St. Lawrence) stands in central Ontario. Seven tree species of various shade tolerances ranged widely in their responses to reduced competition. The more shade-tolerant species responded more positively: shade-tolerant species showed an average increase in BAI of 35% 4–15 years postharvest compared with 16% for mid-tolerant species and –7.5% for intolerant species. All species showed a time-lag in postharvest growth responses, with maximum growth responses occurring between 3 and 15 years postharvest. Tree size was the most important factor determining the magnitude of BAI response, with smaller trees consistently responding more than larger trees. We suggest that higher growth responses to selection harvests among shade-tolerant species may contribute to declines in mid-tolerant species abundance in selection-managed stands. More broadly, interspecific variability in canopy tree responses to forest disturbance appears to follow patterns distinct from seedling and sapling responses, with important implications to forest community dynamics in both managed and unmanaged forests.

Spatial patterns of tropical forest trees in Western Polynesia suggest recruitment limitations during secondary succession

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Franklin ◽  
Sergio J. Rey
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Secondary Succession ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Tolerant Species ◽  
Shade Tolerant Species

Spatial analysis can be used to relate the patterns of tree species to their regeneration syndromes – pioneer to late-successional – and is a first step in refining hypotheses about the species traits and biotic and abiotic factors that give rise to forest community dynamics. This study examines the spatial pattern of the most abundant trees in three 0.45-ha plots in species-poor lowland rain forests on oceanic islands in Tonga, Western Polynesia, that experience frequent natural disturbance and have a 3000-y history of shifting cultivation. We contrast secondary vs. remnant late-successional forest, with particular attention paid to the spatial dispersion and clustering of tree species, and the presence of spatial dependence in the density of seedlings and saplings. Shade-tolerant species were not strongly clustered at any scale. They did not appear to be dispersal limited, in late successional forest, and only some showed patterns consistent with density-dependent mortality (more clumped when small). Shade-tolerant species were more clumped in secondary forest, and may be dispersal-limited there because vertebrate dispersers prefer primary forest. Shade-intolerant species were clumped in gaps in late-successional forest, but some were also clumped in secondary forest, indicating that they too may be dispersal limited during secondary succession. We also compared the species composition of seedlings and saplings in the centre of plots with trees in the surrounding area and inferred that active dispersal (by vertebrate frugivores) contributed as much as 50% to site species richness.

scholarly journals Initial Responses in Growth, Production, and Regeneration following Selection Cuttings in Hardwood-Dominated Temperate Rainforests in Chile

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 412
Author(s):  
Pablo J. Donoso ◽  
Patricio F. Ojeda ◽  
Florian Schnabel ◽  
Ralph D. Nyland
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Regeneration ◽  
Individual Growth ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
South Central ◽  
Tolerant Species ◽  
Shade Tolerant Species ◽  
Temperate Rainforests ◽  
Area And Volume

Hardwood-dominated forests in south-central Chile have shade-tolerant and mid-tolerant tree species capable of regenerating and growing well in partial shade. To test the potential for using an uneven-aged silviculture in these forests, we established single-tree selection treatments at two mid-elevation sites within the Evergreen forest type in the Coastal range (Llancahue and Los Riscos, 40–42° S Lat). They had an average initial basal area of 70–80 m2 ha−1. In each stand, we established four 2000 m2 plots with a residual basal area of ~40 m2 ha−1, and four with a residual basal area of ~60 m2 ha−1. We planned for a maximum residual diameter of 80 cm, but needed to leave 20%–25% of the residual basal area in larger trees due to their great abundance in these old-growth forests. We re-measured these plots 5–6 years after the cuttings. We used mixed-effects models to evaluate the periodic annual increment (pai) in diameter and the abundance of tree regeneration, and linear models to evaluate ingrowth and changes in the basal area and volume. At Llancahue, the diameter pai of individual trees was significantly greater in the treatment with lower residual densities, especially for mid-tolerant species in lower diameter classes (5–20 cm). At both sites, the pai in the stand basal area and volume was greater in the more heavily stocked treatment, but differences were significant only at Llancahue. Regeneration was dominated by shade-tolerant species at both sites but was more abundant and more diverse at Llancahue. Taller tree regeneration (50–<200 cm) significantly increased after the cuttings at both sites, while small regeneration (5–<50 cm) overall remained at pre-cut levels. This pattern was similar for mid- and shade-tolerant species. However, we found no differences in regeneration responses between the lower and higher levels of the residual basal area. Sapling densities did not differ at both sites for shade-tolerant species, but for mid-tolerant species these were more abundant at Los Riscos. While both sites had many similar trends after implementing selection cuts (a greater individual growth in the treatment with lower basal areas but a higher stand-level growth in the treatment with a high basal area, more abundant regeneration of shade-tolerant species, etc.), they illustrate a differential potential for implementing uneven-aged silviculture, especially due to site-species interactions. These results are a first step towards evaluating the prospects for selection cuttings in these experiments and elsewhere in Valdivian temperate rainforests.

Small-scale disturbance in a northern hardwoods forest: effects on tree species abundance and distribution

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1347-1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan W. McClure ◽  
Thomas D. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Root Competition ◽  
Northern Hardwoods ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Gap Size ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Tolerant Species ◽  
Shade Tolerant Species

Sampling of 24-, 34-, and 44-year-old patch cuts (324–2400 m2) in the Bartlett Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, was undertaken to assess the effect of gap size and location within a gap on tree species abundance (relative basal area and relative density). Shade-tolerant species, especially eastern hemlock (Tsugacanadensis (L.) Carr.) and American beech (Fagusgrandifolia Ehrh.), were relatively more abundant in small gaps and gap edges and generally decreased with increasing gap size. Shade-intolerant species, including paper birch (Betulapapyrifera Marsh.) and pin cherry (Prunuspensylvanica L.f.), were relatively more abundant in large gaps and gap centers and increased with increasing gap size. Intermediately shade-tolerant species, especially yellow birch (Betulaalleghaniensis Britt.) and red maple (Acerrubrum L.), were relatively more abundant in gap centers. Striped maple (Acerpensylvanicum L.) was relatively more abundant in gap edges. Many of these relationships were complex due to interactions with gap age and slope. Sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.) relative abundance was not associated with gap size or location within a gap. Analyses isolating irradiance as a factor influencing species composition were inconclusive. Instead, other effects of gap disturbance and characteristics associated with different locations in the gap, such as soil conditions and root competition, may play an important role in the gap dynamics of this northern hardwoods forest. Gap age had a strong effect on species relative abundances and these patterns reflected typical successional sequences in northern hardwood forests. The gap disturbances increased species richness and diversity in this forest. Gaps contained species not present in the old-growth forest, and the species compositional variations among different gap sizes suggest that a forest with a range of gap sizes will have high diversity. Competitive exclusion appeared to be prevented by the gap disturbances, a likely consequence of the release of previously unavailable resources.

scholarly journals Trees do not always act their age: size-deterministic tree ring standardization for long-term trend estimation in shade-tolerant trees

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (24) ◽  
pp. 4815-4827
Author(s):  
Rachel Dietrich ◽  
Madhur Anand
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Ring Formation ◽  
Tree Size ◽  
Growth Trend ◽  
Biological Growth ◽  
Tolerant Species ◽  
Tree Ring Data ◽  
Shade Tolerant Species

Abstract. With increasing awareness of the consequences of climate change for global ecosystems, the focus and application of tree ring research have shifted to reconstruction of long-term climate-related trends in tree growth. Contemporary methods for estimating and removing biological growth trends from tree ring series (standardization) are ill-adapted to shade-tolerant species, leading to biases in the resultant chronologies. Further, many methods, including regional curve standardization (RCS), encounter significant limitations for species in which accurate age estimation is difficult. In this study we present and test two tree ring standardization models that integrate tree size in the year of ring formation into the estimation of the biological growth trend. The first method, dubbed size-deterministic standardization (SDS), uses tree diameter as the sole predictor of the growth trend. The second method includes the combined (COMB) effects of age and diameter. We show that both the SDS and COMB methods reproduce long-term trends in simulated tree ring data better than conventional methods; this result is consistent across multiple species. Further, when applied to real tree ring data, the SDS and COMB models reproduce long-term, time-related trends as reliably as traditional RCS and more reliably than other common standardization methods (i.e. C-method, basal area increments, conservative detrending). We recommend the inclusion of tree size in the year of ring formation in future tree ring standardization models, particularly when dealing with shade-tolerant species, as it does not compromise model accuracy and allows for the inclusion of unaged trees.

scholarly journals Structure, composition and diversity of restored forest ecosystems on mine-spoils in South-Western Ghana

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252371
Author(s):  
Bertrand Festus Nero
Keyword(s):  
Stand Structure ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Species Abundance Distribution ◽  
Abundance Distribution ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Climax Species ◽  
Mine Spoils ◽  
Tolerant Species ◽  
Shade Tolerant Species ◽  
And Control

In response to national policy obligations, many mining companies in Ghana have restored/reclaimed degraded mined out sites through revegetation. The area extent of such restored areas is unknown and there is also paucity of data on success of restoration, species diversity and compositional dynamics of such restored landscapes, particularly using mixed species. This study assessed stand structure, diversity and composition dynamics of sites restored with mixed species and models species abundance distribution on these sites. Three reclaimed and one control site (adjacent natural forest) were inventoried using 27, 30 x 30 m plots on the Hwini-Butre and Benso concession of the Golden Star Wassa Limited. Overall 3057 (per 24 plots) and 150 (per 3 plots) individual trees were recorded in the overstorey of the reclaimed and control sites, respectively. In all, 31 species in 13 families occurred on the reclaimed site while 61 species in 29 families occurred on the control. Species richness, abundance and diversity were significantly lower in the reclaimed sites than the control in the overstorey (p≤0.018), mid-storey (p ≤ 0.032), and understorey (p≤ 0.031). Species composition of the reclaimed and control sites were mostly dissimilar in the overstorey, midstorey, and understorey. However, the midstorey and overstorey of the reclaimed sites showed high similarity in composition (Jaccard’s index = 0.817). Pioneer and shade-tolerant species were most dominant in the understorey of the control while only shade-tolerant species (mostly herbs and grasses) dominated the reclaimed sites. Species abundance distribution of both reclaimed and control sites followed the geometric series model, indicating that both sites are disturbed but at different intensities. It is concluded that reclamation with mixed species does not necessarily lead to rapid restoration of indigenous climax species on mine spoils. Nonetheless, it may lead to accomplishments of short-term goals of stabilizing and protecting landscapes while conditioning the sites for colonisation of the climax species.

Response of young black cherry stands to fertilization

1982 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. Auchmoody
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Control Level ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Maximum Growth ◽  
Phosphorus Fertilization ◽  
Black Cherry ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Basal Area Growth ◽  
Area Growth

Twenty fertilizer treatments of different rates and combinations of N, P, and K were established in young black cherry (Prunusserotina Ehrh.) stands that originated after clear-cutting in northwestern Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Height, diameter, and basal area growth rates and foliar nutrient composition were evaluated annually for 5 years thereafter. Nitrogen alone and P in combination with N produced large increases in height, diameter, and basal area growth. The addition of K to N + P treatments produced no additional response. Growth responses were largest during the first 2 years after fertilization, with increases in height and diameter lasting for 4 to 5 years. In year 1, maximum growth rates were reached with 112 kg N/ha and 49 kg P/ha, but 224 kg N/ha and 49 kg P/ha were necessary to sustain responses in following years. Both seedling and sapling stands responded to fertilization with similar absolute annual increases in height and diameter, though absolute basal area response of saplings exceeded that of seedlings owing to large differences in pretreatment diameters. Nitrogen fertilization increased average foliar N from 2.51 to 3.94% in year 1, but this concentration declined sharply thereafter and was at the control level by year 4. Phosphorus fertilization increased average foliar P from 0.12 to 0.21% in year 1, with further increases through year 5. Potassium fertilization increased average foliar K from 1.01 to 1.21% over the 5-year period, though there was considerable year-to-year variation.

Tree canopy displacement and neighborhood interactions

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 1323-1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine C Muth ◽  
F A Bazzaz
Keyword(s):  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Forest Plot ◽  
High Resource ◽  
Canopy Position ◽  
Canopy Area ◽  
Canopy Depth

Competitive interactions among plants are largely determined by spatial proximity. However, despite their sessile nature, plants have the ability to avoid neighbors by growing towards areas with high resource availability and reduced competition. Because of this flexibility, tree canopies are rarely centered directly above their stem bases and are often displaced. We sought to determine how a tree's competitive neighborhood influences its canopy position. In a 0.6-ha temperate forest plot, all trees greater than 10 cm DBH (n = 225) were measured for basal area, height, canopy depth, and trunk position. Canopy extent relative to trunk base was determined in eight subcardinal directions, and this information was used to reconstruct canopy size, shape, and position. We found that trees positioned their canopies away from large neighbors, close neighbors, and shade-tolerant neighbors. Neighbor size, expressed as basal area or canopy area, was the best indication of a neighbor's importance in determining target tree canopy position. As neighborhood asymmetry increased, the magnitude of canopy displacement increased, and the precision with which canopies avoided neighbors increased. Flexibility in canopy shape and position appears to reduce competition between neighbors, thereby influencing forest community dynamics.

scholarly journals When a foundation crumbles: forecasting forest community dynamics following the decline of the foundation speciesTsuga canadensis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley S. Case ◽  
Hannah L. Buckley ◽  
Audrey A. Barker-Plotkin ◽  
David A. Orwig ◽  
Aaron M. Ellison
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Adelges Tsugae ◽  
Eastern Hemlock ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Forest Communities ◽  
Salvage Logging ◽  
Hemlock Decline

AbstractIn the forests of northeastern North America, invasive insects and pathogens are causing major declines in some tree species and a subsequent reorganization of associated forest communities. Using observations and experiments to investigate the consequences of such declines are hampered because trees are long-lived. Simulation models can provide a means to forecast possible futures based on different scenarios of tree species decline, death, and removal. Such modeling is particularly urgent for species such as eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), a foundation species in many northeast forest regions that is declining due to the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). Here, we used an individual-based forest simulator, SORTIE-ND, to forecast changes in forest communities in central Massachusetts over the next 200 years under a range of scenarios: a no-adelgid, status-quo scenario; partial resistance of hemlock to the adelgid; adelgid irruption and total hemlock decline over 25 years, adelgid irruption and salvage logging of hemlock trees; and two scenarios of preemptive logging of hemlock and hemlock/white pine.We applied the model to six study plots comprising a range of initial species mixtures, abundances, and levels of hemlock dominance. Simulations indicated that eastern white pine, and to a lesser extent black birch and American beech, would gain most in relative abundance and basal area following hemlock decline. The relative dominance of these species depended on initial conditions and the amount of hemlock mortality, and their combined effect on neighborhood-scale community dynamics. Simulated outcomes were little different whether hemlock died out gradually due to the adelgid or disappeared rapidly following logging. However, if eastern hemlock were to become partially resistant to the adelgid, hemlock would be able to retain its dominance despite substantial losses of basal area. Our modeling highlights the complexities associated with secondary forest succession due to ongoing hemlock decline and loss. We emphasize the need both for a precautionary approach in deciding between management intervention or simply doing nothing in these declining hemlock forests, and for clear aims and understanding regarding desired community- and ecosystem-level outcomes.

scholarly journals Responses in growth and dynamics of the shade-tolerant species Theobroma subincanum to logging gaps in the Eastern Amazon

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. e003
Author(s):  
Nisângela-Severino Lopes-Costa ◽  
Fernando-Cristovam Da-Silva-Jardim ◽  
Jaqueline Macedo-Gomes ◽  
Luiz-Fernandes Silva-Dionisio ◽  
Gustavo Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Diameter Distribution ◽  
Diameter Growth ◽  
Ecological Group ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Annual Increment ◽  
Tolerant Species ◽  
Positive Growth ◽  
Shade Tolerant Species ◽  
Reduced Impact Logging

Aim of study: To assess responses of the shade-tolerant species Theobroma subincanum in relation to canopy gaps created by reduced impact logging (RIL).Materials and methods: A managed forest in themunicipality ofMoju, Pará state,Brazil, harvested in 1997 through RIL was monitored during 12 years (1998-2010). Nine logging gaps were selected and classified in small, medium, and large. Four 10 m x 50 m strips starting from the gap’s border towards the forest and following the directions of cardinal points were installed. Each strip was divided in five 10 m x 10 m plots. Density, diameter distribution (DBH ≥ 5 cm with intervals = 5 cm), and diameter growth were measured.Main results: No significant changes in seedling density of T. subincanum were found, and its diameter distribution followed the reverse “J” shape during all monitoring time. T. subincanum presented diameter growth of 0.15 cm year-1 with highest Periodic Annual Increment in diameter up to three years, and stabilization in nine years after RIL. The species responded to a growth gradient inversely proportional to the gap’s border distance (p = 0.001) but not to gap size and plots direction in cardinal points around the gap.Research highlights: Shade-tolerant species such as T. subincanum have sensible and positive growth responses to disturbances caused by RIL even when seedlings received low amounts of indirect sunlight. These positive responses should be considered in the management of production forests.Keywords: Ecological group; forest management; diameter distribution; reduced impact logging (RIL).

scholarly journals Competition Effects on Growth and Crown Dimensions of Shortleaf and Loblolly Pine in Mature, Natural-Origin, Pine–Hardwood Mixtures of the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain of Arkansas, USA: A Neighborhood Analysis

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 935
Author(s):  
Mohammad Bataineh ◽  
Ethan Childs
Keyword(s):  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Pinus Echinata ◽  
Shortleaf Pine ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
Natural Origin ◽  
Pinus Taeda L ◽  
Crown Dimensions

The need for a comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of competition has never been more important as plants adapt to a changing environment and as forest management evolves to focus on maintaining and enhancing complexity. With the recent decline in shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) land area, it is critical to determine the effects of competition on shortleaf pine and its performance against loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), the preferred planted replacement. We evaluate differences in shortleaf and loblolly pine 10 year mean basal area increment (BAI) and crown dimensions across a gradient of neighborhoods. Linear mixed-effects regression models were developed using BAI and several crown metrics as responses and crowding, competitor species abundance and identity, and initial size and species identity of focal tree as predictors. Crowding of focal trees negatively impacted BAI and crown size (p < 0.001, respectively). Although loblolly pine had three times higher BAI as compared to shortleaf pine within similar neighborhoods, BAI was variable, and the crowding effect did not differ between shortleaf and loblolly pine (p ranged from 0.51–0.99). Competitive impacts on focal trees did not differ by competitor identity (p ranged from 0.07–0.70). Distance-independent competition indices better explained the variation in BAI and horizontal crown metrics, while distance-dependent size ratios were more effective at evaluating vertical crown metrics. These findings highlight shortleaf pine competitive potential in mature, natural-origin stands and provide support for the restoration of pine–hardwood and hardwood–pine stratified mixtures as well as management of shortleaf pine at long rotations.

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