scholarly journals A comparison of presettlement and modern forest composition along an elevation gradient in central New Hampshire

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur ◽  
Steven P. Hamburg ◽  
Charles V. Cogbill ◽  
Wendy Y. Sugimura
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
New Hampshire ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Elevation Data

Tree species composition is influenced not only by edaphic and climatic factors but also by natural and human-caused disturbances. To understand interactions among these influences, we compared forest species composition data from the time of European settlement with modern data. We derived elevation data for 2529 trees mapped by early land surveys (1770–1850) across a 1000 m elevation gradient in central New Hampshire and compared these with modern data (2004–2009) from the Forest Inventory and Analysis program (123 plots containing 2126 trees) and from permanent plots representing case studies of different land-use histories. Spruce and beech are much less abundant today at all elevations than they were prior to settlement, while maples and birches have increased. Fir, hemlock, pines, and oaks have changed little in distribution, although pines and oaks increased in abundance somewhat. Land-use history (agriculture below 500 m and cutting of various intensities at all elevations) is likely the primary explanation for these shifts, although climate change is also an important factor for some. A clearer understanding of presettlement forest composition improves our ability to separate the relative importance of natural and human-driven influences on the species composition of today’s forests.

scholarly journals The Impacts of Land Use and Forest Activities on Tree Species Composition and Structure on the Edges of Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Godfrey Agea ◽  
Clement Akais Okia ◽  
Refaat Atalla Ahmed Abohassan ◽  
James Munga Kimondo ◽  
Susan B. Tumwebaze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Reserve ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Budongo Forest Reserve ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Budongo Forest ◽  
Species Composition And Structure ◽  
Forest Activities

Tree species distribution in Andean forests: influence of regional and local factors

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Blundo ◽  
Lucio R. Malizia ◽  
John G. Blake ◽  
Alejandro D. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Altitudinal Gradient ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Local Factors

Abstract:We identified and quantified regional and local environmental factors and spatial variation associated with tree-species composition across a 2000-m altitudinal gradient of Andean forest in north-western Argentina. A network of 47 1-ha plots was established along the altitudinal gradient within an area of about 25 000 km2; all trees ≥ 10 cm dbh were identified and measured. Constrained ordinations and variance-partitioning analyses were performed to investigate the determinants of tree-species distribution at the regional scale, across and within forest types (i.e. dry and cloud forests). We marked and measured a total of 22 240 trees belonging to 160 species. Significant environmental factors and spatial location combined accounted for 35% of total variation explained. A high proportion of variation was explained by climatic factors that were spatially structured; after removing the spatial effect, climate explained more variation in species composition across the complete gradient than did local factors. Relative importance of regional and local factors varied with geographic extent. Local factors explained more variation in tree-species composition at the within-forest scale than at the scale of the complete gradient. Our findings support the conceptual model of multi-scale controls on vegetation distribution, where local community composition and abundance result from processes at both regional and local scales.

scholarly journals Changes of Tree Species Composition and Distribution Patterns in Mts. Jiri and Baegun, Republic of Korea over 15 Years

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Boknam Lee ◽  
Juhan Park ◽  
Hoontaek Lee ◽  
Tae Kyung Kim ◽  
Sunhee Cho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Topographic Wetness Index ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Species Composition And Distribution

Long-term changes in the abundance and distribution of tree species in the temperate forests of South Korea remain poorly understood. We investigated the changes in tree species composition in temperate mountainous forests using survey data from 130 permanent plots (0.1 ha) from the past 15 years (1998–2012) distributed across Mts. Jiri and Baegun, South Korea. The tree communities showed positive net changes in terms of stand density, richness, diversity, and evenness. At the species level, the change in relative species composition has been mainly driven by species such as Quercus mongolica, Carpinus laxiflora, Quercus serrata, Quercus variabilis, Styrax japonicus, Lindera erythrocarpa, and Pinus densiflora. These changes were categorized into five groups representing gradual increase or decrease, establishment, extinction, or fluctuation in species populations. At the community level, the changes in species composition showed consistent and directional increases in the annual rate of change for the mean species traits, including stand prevalence, pole growth rate, adult growth rate, and adult stature. Based on additive models, topographic variables (elevation, latitude, longitude, slope, topographic wetness index, and curvature) were more strongly associated with the distribution of species diversity than climate variables (annual mean minimum and maximum temperatures, temperature seasonality, annual rainfall, rainfall seasonality). Elevation was the most significant driver, followed by latitude and longitude. This study reveals the dynamics of change in tree species composition and distribution along topographical and climate gradients in South Korea and contributes to a broader understanding of temperate forest ecosystems for the purpose of better forest management.

Historical human influence on forest composition and structure in boreal Fennoscandia

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 872-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torbjörn Josefsson ◽  
Björn Gunnarson ◽  
Lars Liedgren ◽  
Ingela Bergman ◽  
Lars Östlund
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Human Land Use ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Natural Dynamics

In studies on natural dynamics, biodiversity and reference conditions legacies of preindustrial human land use are often neglected. In this study, using archaeology and dendrochronology combined with field surveys on present forest characteristics, we assessed the naturalness of a protected forest landscape and examined the role of indigenous peoples in shaping forest structure in the past. Our results show that the studied Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) forest conforms to the generally accepted impression of pristine forests and that it has a long history of human utilization. Areas with human presence over long time periods, especially in and near settlements, show significant differences in current forest characteristics compared with the rest of the landscape: the forest is younger (mean age 140–190 years compared with >300 years), the volumes of deadwood lower (8–13 m3·ha–1 compared with >20 m3·ha–1), and the tree species composition is substantially different from the surrounding forest. We suggest that these disparities are strongly linked to past land use and that indigenous people can alter ecosystems substantially and that the legacies of their activity may last for centuries. Consequently, in ecological research and conservation strategies, forest characteristics should always be considered in the light of their historical context.

Urban tree species composition and diversity in Zomba city, Malawi: Does land use type matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 126781
Author(s):  
Frank B. Chimaimba ◽  
Dalitso Kafumbata ◽  
Tembo Chanyenga ◽  
Sosten Chiotha
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Land Use Type ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Urban Tree

scholarly journals Canopy Disturbances Catalyse Tree Species Shifts in Swiss Forests

Ecosystems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Scherrer ◽  
Davide Ascoli ◽  
Marco Conedera ◽  
Christoph Fischer ◽  
Janet Maringer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Castanea Sativa ◽  
National Forest Inventory ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Insect Outbreaks ◽  
Tree Species Composition

AbstractWidely observed inertia of forest communities contrasts with climate change projections that suggest dramatic alterations of forest composition for the coming decades. Disturbances might be a key process to catalyse changes in tree species composition under environmental change by creating opportunities for ‘new’ species to establish. To test this assumption, we compared two assessments (1993–1995, 2009–2017) from the Swiss National Forest Inventory to evaluate which forests were opened by natural canopy disturbance (that is, wind, insect outbreaks, fire and drought) and if these disturbances altered tree species composition both in terms of species-specific basal area and recruitment densities. Natural disturbances affected 14% of the Swiss forests within 25 years, with wind and insect outbreaks being the most frequent (75%) and fire and drought being rare (< 1.5%). Disturbances led to a shift from conifer to broadleaf tree species at low elevation, in particular in dense Picea abies stands, but no change was observed at higher elevations. The composition of undisturbed sites persisted during the same period. Our results demonstrate that undisturbed forests widely resist changes in tree species composition as an effect of direct ingrowth by stand-forming species. Disturbance events seem necessary to create opportunities for climatically ‘better suited and site-adapted’ species to (re-)establish and therefore potentially catalyse tree species turnover under environmental changes. We detected a reduction of tree species that were—centuries ago—cultivated outside their primary natural range, in particular P. abies, or depended on traditional management practices (Pinus sylvestris, Castanea sativa), which may inform us on how the projected increase in disturbance frequency and severity might filter tree species composition and hereby alter forest structure.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document