scholarly journals Long-Term Assessment of Selective Pruning of Quercus Species for Controlling Populations of Coraebus florentinus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Mediterranean Forests

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Gallardo ◽  
Ana Cárdenas ◽  
Juan Soriano
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Quercus Species ◽  
Coraebus Florentinus

scholarly journals Acorn Isotopic Composition: A New Promising Tool for Authenticity Maps of Montado’s High-Value Food Products

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Alegria ◽  
Cristina Antunes ◽  
Manuela Giovanetti ◽  
Marta Abreu ◽  
Cristina Máguas
Keyword(s):  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Aridity Index ◽  
Isotopic Signature ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Quercus Species ◽  
Iberian Pig ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Δ15n And Δ13c

It is often overlooked that even food production is linked to the ecology of plants and animals. Living organisms respond to environmental short-and long-term variability: acknowledging this may help in the ultimate goal of valorizing a territory/product. We investigated acorns of the two main Quercus species of the Portuguese Montado, a main feed of the renown black Iberian pig. We tested their responses to an aridity gradient by morphological parameters and isotopic signature. Q. rotundifolia and Q. suber acorns did not differ morphologically, even if a higher variability in all parameters was observed in acorns of Q. suber. According to the site-specific Aridity Index, correlations are indicative to higher weight and length only in Q. suber acorns from more arid sites. As for isotopic composition, there were no differences in nitrogen or carbon (δ15N and δ13C) between the two species. However, combining the samples and testing for association with the Aridity Index, we found that more arid sites lead to a 15N enrichment. This result, combined with the positive correlation between AI and acorns length, support the use of acorns as a tool, their isoscapes of nitrogen being a stepping stone for the provenance of the black Iberian pig.

Long-term effects of traditional and conservation-oriented forest management on the distribution of vertebrates in Mediterranean forests: a hierarchical hybrid modelling approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 1141-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Di Febbraro ◽  
Federica Roscioni ◽  
Ludovico Frate ◽  
Maria Laura Carranza ◽  
Lorenzo De Lisio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Hybrid Modelling ◽  
Modelling Approach

scholarly journals Modelling the climatic drivers determining photosynthesis and carbon allocation in evergreen Mediterranean forests using multiproxy long time series

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3695-3712 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Gea-Izquierdo ◽  
F. Guibal ◽  
R. Joffre ◽  
J. M. Ourcival ◽  
G. Simioni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Water Stress ◽  
Stomatal Conductance ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Carbon Allocation ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Climatic Drivers ◽  
Use Efficiency

Abstract. Climatic drivers limit several important physiological processes involved in ecosystem carbon dynamics including gross primary productivity (GPP) and carbon allocation in vegetation. Climatic variability limits these two processes differently. We developed an existing mechanistic model to analyse photosynthesis and variability in carbon allocation in two evergreen species at two Mediterranean forests. The model was calibrated using a combination of eddy covariance CO2 flux data, dendrochronological time series of secondary growth and forest inventory data. The model was modified to be climate explicit in the key processes addressing the acclimation of photosynthesis and the pattern of C allocation, particularly to water stress. It succeeded in fitting both the high- and the low-frequency response of stand GPP and carbon allocation to stem growth. This would support its capability to address both C-source and C-sink limitations. Simulations suggest a decrease in mean stomatal conductance in response to a recent enhancement in water stress and an increase in mean annual intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) in both species during the last 50 years. However, this was not translated into a parallel increase in ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE). The interannual variability in WUE closely followed that in iWUE at both sites. Nevertheless, long-term decadal variability in WUE followed the long-term decrease in annual GPP matching the local trend in annual precipitation observed since the late 1970s at one site. In contrast, at the site where long-term precipitation remained stable, GPP and WUE did not show a negative trend and the trees buffered the climatic variability. In our simulations these temporal changes were related to acclimation processes at the canopy level, including modifications in LAI and stomatal conductance, but also partly related to increasing [CO2] because the model includes biochemical equations where photosynthesis is directly linked to [CO2]. Long-term trends in GPP did not match those in growth, in agreement with the C-sink hypothesis. The model has great potential for use with abundant dendrochronological data and analyse forest performance under climate change. This would help to understand how different interfering environmental factors produce instability in the pattern of carbon allocation and, hence, the climatic signal expressed in tree rings.

scholarly journals Modelling the climatic drivers determining photosynthesis and carbon allocation in evergreen Mediterranean forests using multiproxy long time series

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 2745-2786
Author(s):  
G. Gea-Izquierdo ◽  
F. Guibal ◽  
R. Joffre ◽  
J. M. Ourcival ◽  
G. Simioni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Carbon Allocation ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Intrinsic Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Climatic Drivers ◽  
Use Efficiency

Abstract. Climatic drivers limit several important physiological processes involved in ecosystem carbon dynamics including gross primary productivity (GPP) and carbon allocation in vegetation. Climatic variability limits these two processes differently. We developed an existing mechanistic model to analyse photosynthesis and variability in carbon allocation in two evergreen species at two Mediterranean forests. The model was calibrated using a combination of eddy covariance CO2 flux data, dendrochronological time series of secondary growth and forest inventory data. The model was modified to be climate explicit in the key processes addressing acclimation of photosynthesis and allocation. It succeeded to fit both the high- and the low-frequency response of stand GPP and carbon allocation to the stem. This would support its capability to address both carbon source and sink limitations. Simulations suggest a decrease in mean stomatal conductance in response to environmental changes and an increase in mean annual intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) in both species during the last 50 years. However, this was not translated on a parallel increase in ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE). A long-term decrease in annual GPP matched the local trend in precipitation since the 1970s observed in one site. In contrast, GPP did not show a negative trend and the trees buffered the climatic variability observed at the site where long-term precipitation remained stable. In our simulations these temporal changes would be partly related to increasing [CO2] because the model includes biochemical equations where photosynthesis is directly linked to [CO2]. Long-term trends in GPP did not match those in growth, in agreement with the C-sink hypothesis. There is a great potential to use the model with abundant dendrochronological data and analyse forest performance under climate change. This would help to understand how different interfering environmental factors produce instability in the climatic signal expressed in tree-rings.

scholarly journals Adaptive Management in Relict Mediterranean Forests. Thinning Enhances Long-Term Growth but Short-Term Resilience to Drought in Abies pinsapo

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Pablo Casas-Gómez ◽  
Raúl Sánchez-Salguero ◽  
Víctor Lechuga ◽  
Benjamín Viñegla ◽  
José Ignacio Seco Gordillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Abies Pinsapo ◽  
Diversity Enhancement

Current climate change in the Mediterranean basin is associated to increasing frequency and intensity of droughts. This climate dryness entails a serious impact on drought-sensitive forests, several of them considered as hot spots of biodiversity. Adaptive management, as experimental thinning for stand structural diversity enhancement, may increase tree-level resources availability. However, the long-term stand-level effectiveness of this approach at sustaining forest ecosystem functioning remains uncertain. Here, we attempt to place experimental thinning in a climate change adaptation context, using as experimental system the drought-sensitive fir Abies pinsapo. We conducted a long-term study (2004–2019), focused on tree basal area increment (BAI) and quantified to what extent thinning treatments improved drought resistance, recovery and resilience to drought in the remaining trees. The results support a post-thinning (after 2004) BAI increase in thinned stands (+104% if 30% thinning of basal area was applied; +141% for 60% thinning) compared to controls (+21%). Short-term growth resilience, estimated for an extreme drought occurred after thinning (2005), yielded higher resilience for thinned stands, throughout improved resistance, but similar recovery than control. However, extreme droughts observed thereafter (for instance in 2012) do not support a long-term increase in resilience. Growth resilience, estimated for wetter-than-average years showed similar short-term enhanced resilience in thinned stand, while these differences dispelled afterward.

Drought-induced decline in oak Mediterranean forests: insights from wood anatomical traits

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Colangelo ◽  
Angelo Rita ◽  
Marco Borghetti ◽  
Jesus Julio Camarero ◽  
Tiziana Gentilesca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Quercus Pubescens ◽  
Forest Dieback ◽  
Stress Effects ◽  
Anatomical Plasticity ◽  
Growth Changes ◽  
Growth Divergence

<p>Increased forest vulnerability to drought and heat spells is being reflected as more widespread and severe dieback events. In this regard, the Mediterranean Basin is revealing a high susceptibility to these phenomena across several tree taxa with a high ecological and socio-economic importance, particularly pines and oaks. For instance, oaks are particularly vulnerable to spring-summer droughts with important losses in term of growth and productivity accompanied by rising mortality rates and declining growth rates, despite some of these species are theoretically considered well-adapted to tolerate drought stress. Dendroecological studies using retrospective analysis of wood anatomical traits and tree-rings have demonstrated their potential to supply useful information on the long-term patterns of forest dieback in several oak species.  </p><p>In this study, we explored the xylem anatomical plasticity through time by performing a long-term (1980-2017) reconstruction of wood anatomical traits, aiming at investigate the drought stress effects on dieback of oak species.To this aim, we carried out some field experiments in Italy on four oak species differing in drought tolerance, i.e. Quercus robur, Quercus cerris, Quercus frainetto and Quercus pubescens, considered to have low to high tolerance, respectively, but showing recent decline phenomena. We cored asymptomatic (ND) and symptomatic (D) coexisting trees showing low and high defoliation levels, respectively, and for all sampled species we measured the following anatomical traits in the xylem: vessel area, Dh, vessel density.</p><p>Climate-traits relationships over the last century explained the recent growth divergence observed between D and ND trees because D trees were more sensitive[U1]  to drought stress and summer warm temperatures leading to high evapotranspiration rates. Here, we discuss: i) the relationships between radial growth, changes in wood anatomy and hydraulic functioning of trees to highlight the triggers of oak dieback; ii) the associations between climate, growth and anatomy data to explain likely the differences in acclimation/plasticity to short/long-term changes in environmental conditions.</p>

scholarly journals Long‐term recovery of multifunctionality in Mediterranean forests depends on restoration strategy and forest type

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 745-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verónica Cruz‐Alonso ◽  
Paloma Ruiz‐Benito ◽  
Pedro Villar‐Salvador ◽  
José María Rey‐Benayas
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Mediterranean Forests
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