scholarly journals Structural Diversity in a Mixed Spruce-Fir-Beech Old-Growth Forest Remnant of the Western Carpathians

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzana Parobeková ◽  
Ján Pittner ◽  
Stanislav Kucbel ◽  
Milan Saniga ◽  
Michal Filípek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Western Carpathians ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Forest Remnant

scholarly journals Boreal old-growth forest structural diversity challenges aerial photographic survey accuracy

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxence Martin ◽  
Nicole J. Fenton ◽  
Hubert Morin
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Succession ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Aerial Survey ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Forest Inventories ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Aerial Surveys ◽  
Old Growth Forests

The erosion of old-growth forests in boreal managed landscapes is a major issue currently faced by forest managers; however, resolving this problem requires accurate surveys. The intention of our study was to determine if historic operational aerial forest surveys accurately identified boreal old-growth forests in Quebec, Canada. We first compared stand successional stages (even-aged vs. old-growth) in two aerial surveys performed in 1968 (preindustrial aerial survey) and 2007 (modern aerial survey) on the same 2200 km2 territory. Second, we evaluated the accuracy of the modern aerial survey by comparing its results with those of 74 field plots sampled in the study territory between 2014 and 2016. The two aerial surveys differed significantly; 80.8% of the undisturbed stands that were identified as “old-growth” in the preindustrial survey were classified as “even-aged” in the modern survey, and 60% of the stands identified as “old-growth” by field sampling were also erroneously identified as “even-aged” by the modern aerial survey. The scarcity of obvious old-growth attributes in boreal old-growth forests, as well as poorly adapted modern aerial survey criteria (i.e., criteria requiring high vertical stratification and significant changes in tree species composition along forest succession), were the main factors explaining these errors. It is therefore likely that most of Quebec’s boreal old-growth forests are currently not recognized as such in forest inventories, challenging the efficacy of sustainable forest management policies.

scholarly journals Herb-Layer Dynamics in an Old-Growth Forest: Vegetation–Environment Relationships and Response to Invasion-Related Perturbations

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1069
Author(s):  
Taylor M. Buskey ◽  
Margaret E. Maloney ◽  
Julia I. Chapman ◽  
Ryan W. McEwan
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Alliaria Petiolata ◽  
Agrilus Planipennis ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Herb Layer ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Forest Remnant

Temperate forests of eastern North America are subject to multiple invasions from non-native species that have the potential to drive long-term dynamics in biodiversity. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara and Grande) is an invasive plant in many deciduous forests, and management efforts often focus on removing this species to initiate native species restoration. Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (emerald ash borer; Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is a non-native insect pest that has caused substantial loss of ash trees (Fraxinus spp. L.) in North America. Our goal was to understand how the herbaceous layer in an old-growth forest responded to the removal of a significant invasion of A. petiolata and the loss of Fraxinus spp. due to A. planipennis. Herbaceous diversity and environmental parameters were measured in 32 permanent plots (1 m2 each) from 2012 to 2020 in an old-growth forest remnant that had experienced A. petiolata invasion and subsequent removal as well as mortality of Fraxinus spp. due to A. planipennis. Near-total loss of Fraxinus spp. as a canopy tree was not associated with changes in the understory light environment, possibly due to rapid canopy closure by adjacent trees not susceptible to the insect. Alliaria petiolata removal was associated with changes in herbaceous species richness and possibly shifts in individual species importance. Vegetation–environment relationships remained stable throughout the sampling period, suggesting that resource-related factors that structure the herb layer prevailed throughout the changes associated with Fraxinus spp. mortality and A. petiolata management. From a natural area management perspective, our data offer support for the idea that A. petiolata removal influences herb-layer diversity and indicate that in stands with a diverse tree community, the loss of Fraxinus spp. may not directly influence understory biodiversity.

scholarly journals Forest management has reduced the structural diversity of residual boreal old-growth forest landscapes in Eastern Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 458 ◽  
pp. 117765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxence Martin ◽  
Yan Boucher ◽  
Nicole J. Fenton ◽  
Philippe Marchand ◽  
Hubert Morin
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest

Stand structural diversity and species with leaf nitrogen conservative strategy drive aboveground carbon storage in tropical old-growth forests

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genzhu Wang ◽  
Yuguo Liu ◽  
Xiuqin Wu ◽  
Danbo Pang ◽  
Xiao Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Elevation Gradients ◽  
Niche Complementarity ◽  
Aboveground Carbon ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Stand Structural Diversity ◽  
Aboveground Carbon Storage

Abstract Background: Tropical old-growth forest ecosystems are essential for global carbon regulation. Even there are mounting evidences for the significance of species and functional composition, stand structure and elevation gradients on aboveground carbon storage, the relative strengths of these drivers and whether elevation effects via biotic factors are not clear. Furthermore, the mechanisms (the mass-ratio hypothesis or niche complementarity hypothesis) are still poorly understood. Methods: We analyzed aboveground carbon storage, species diversity, stand structural diversity, community-weighted mean (CWM) of functional traits and functional diversity (FDvar) using date from 56 old-growth forest communities with different elevation gradients in Dawei mountain of southwestern China. Multiple regression models were used to test the relative importance of the predictor variables and structural equation model was used to explore the direct and indirect influences on the aboveground carbon storage. Results: Our optimal multiple regression model show aboveground carbon storage is mostly affected by diameter at breast height (DBH) diversity, followed by FDvar of dry matter concentration in mature leaves and CWM nitrogen concentration in young leaves. The final structural equation model indicates elevation indirectly affected aboveground carbon storage via DBH diversity. The stand structural diversity, but not species diversity or functional diversity, enhanced aboveground carbon storage. Conclusions: Our results indicate mass-ratio and niche complementarity effect promote aboveground carbon storage simultaneously. The complex stand structure and species with leaf nitrogen conservative strategy were the crucial drivers of aboveground carbon storage in tropical old-growth forests.

Canopy gaps in an old-growth fir-beech forest remnant of Western Carpathians

2009 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislav Kucbel ◽  
Peter Jaloviar ◽  
Milan Saniga ◽  
Jaroslav Vencurik ◽  
Vladimír Klimaš
Keyword(s):  
Beech Forest ◽  
Canopy Gaps ◽  
Western Carpathians ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Forest Remnant

scholarly journals Stand structural diversity and species with leaf nitrogen conservative strategy drive aboveground carbon storage in tropical old-growth forests

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genzhu Wang ◽  
Yuguo Liu ◽  
Xiuqin Wu ◽  
Danbo Pang ◽  
Xiao Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Elevation Gradients ◽  
Niche Complementarity ◽  
Aboveground Carbon ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Stand Structural Diversity ◽  
Aboveground Carbon Storage

Abstract Background: Tropical old-growth forest ecosystems are essential for global carbon regulation. Even there are mounting evidences for the significance of species and functional composition, stand structure and elevation gradients on aboveground carbon storage, the relative strengths of these drivers and whether elevation effects via biotic factors are not clear. Furthermore, the mechanisms (the mass-ratio hypothesis or niche complementarity hypothesis) are still poorly understood.Methods: We analyzed aboveground carbon storage, species diversity, stand structural diversity, community-weighted mean (CWM) of functional traits and functional diversity (FDvar) using date from 56 old-growth forest communities with different elevation gradients in Dawei mountain of southwestern China. Multiple regression models were used to test the relative importance of the predictor variables and structural equation model was used to explore the direct and indirect influences on the aboveground carbon storage.Results: Our optimal multiple regression model show aboveground carbon storage is mostly affected by diameter at breast height (DBH) diversity, followed by FDvar of dry matter concentration in mature leaves and CWM nitrogen concentration in young leaves. The final structural equation model indicates elevation indirectly affected aboveground carbon storage via DBH diversity. The stand structural diversity, but not species diversity or functional diversity, enhanced aboveground carbon storage.Conclusions: Our results indicate mass-ratio and niche complementarity effect promote aboveground carbon storage simultaneously. The complex stand structure and species with leaf nitrogen conservative strategy were the crucial drivers of aboveground carbon storage in tropical old-growth forests.

Tradable Disturbance Permits for Old-growth Forest Conservation: Experimental Evaluation of Implementation Options

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 73-107
Author(s):  
Orsolya Perger ◽  
Curtis Rollins ◽  
Marian Weber ◽  
Wiktor Adamowicz ◽  
Peter Boxall
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evaluation ◽  
Forest Conservation ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest
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