scholarly journals Effect of forest clear cuts on plant–pollinator interactions: the case of three ericaceous subshrubs in Lithuanian pine forests

2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Remigijus Daubaras ◽  
Laima Cesoniene ◽  
Marcin Zych ◽  
Vytautas Tamutis ◽  
Vidas Stakėnas
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Calluna Vulgaris ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Forest Understory ◽  
Pollinator Visitation ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Visitation Frequency ◽  
Mature Stands ◽  
The Impact

Managed boreal pine forests are subject to regular clear cuts causing significant disturbances to these ecosystems. It is believed that, to some extent, they resemble natural cycles of forest growth, decline, and regeneration and can benefit, e.g., mutualistic relations among plants and pollinators. To study the impact of forest management (clear cuts) on pollinator visitation, we focused on three ericaceous plant species, <em>Vaccinium myrtillus</em>, <em>V. vitis-idaea</em>, and <em>Calluna vulgaris</em>, common elements of pine forest understory. Our observations, conducted in Lithuania, showed that there are no differences among control mature stands and clear cut areas in terms of visitation frequency for all three studied species. However, at least for <em>C. vulgaris</em>, a shift toward fly visits was observed in the clear cut site, showing that open areas are preferred habitats for these insects. Ants constituted an important share of visitors to flowers of <em>V. myrtillus</em> and <em>C. vulgaris</em>, suggesting their important role in reproduction of these plant species.

Effect of climate change, drought, and insects on oak-pine forests in the Ozark highlands

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Shengwu Duan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Drought Effect ◽  
Ozark Highlands ◽  
Disturbance Regimes ◽  
Warming Climate ◽  
The Impact

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI--COLUMBIA AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Oak-dominated forests in the Ozarks Highlands of Arkansas and Missouri have been suffering severe oak decline and this became a chronic problem since the late 1970s. Such decline became increasingly severe as numerous dense oak forests in this region approaching physiological maturity. Repeated droughts and insect outbreaks in the Ozarks Highlands from 1998 to 2015 accelerate the decline process and resulted in increased mortality of the oaks, particularly those in red oak group. Given these concerns, the overall objective of this dissertation was to conduct a regional scale assessment to evaluate and predict the impact of drought and insects on the oak forests under changing climate. This dissertation contained three main objectives: 1) to evaluate the drought effect on forest growth phenology and productivity by using spatially-explicit drought indices and land surface phenology techniques to capture oak, pine and mixed oak-pine forests' responses to repeated droughts; 2) to develop a climate sensitive biotic disturbance agent (BDA) module in forest landscape modeling framework to quantify the relative importance in determining the insect disturbance regimes under the warming climate; and 3) to predict the effects of insect disturbance, climate change and their interactions on forest composition under alternative climate and insect disturbance scenarios. The dissertation provided a methodology to disassemble the spatial and temporal variation of drought conditions in the Ozark Highlands and provided new insights into improving drought resistance and recovery capacity of forests with different species under climate change. The results from this dissertation also helped to understand the importance of vegetation feedback in predicting inset disturbance regimes under a warming climate as they may mediate or even reverse the expectation of increased insect disturbance in this region. In addition, the projections of how tree species will response to insect disturbance will benefit decision making in silvicultural prescriptions and longterm management plans in the Ozark Highlands.

scholarly journals ЗАЛЕЖНІСТЬ СИСТЕМАТИЧНОЇ ТА ЕКОЛОГІЧНОЇ СТРУКТУРИ ТРАВ’ЯНОГО ПОКРИВУ ЛІСОВИХ ЕКОСИСТЕМ ВІД АНТРОПОГЕННОГО ВПЛИВУ

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (01) ◽  
pp. 29-40
Author(s):  
N. V. Miroshnik ◽  
O. V. Tertychna
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Industrial Agglomeration ◽  
Grass Cover ◽  
Alluvial Deposits ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Forest Conditions

<p>Pine forests Chigirinsky Bor grow on fresh sod-podzolic soils formed on ancient alluvial deposits. Pine forests are characterized by stringent moisture regimes and constantly suffer from lack of productive moisture in soil.  Industrial development of Cherkasy in 60th years of ХХ century leaded air pollution and emissions of SO2, NOx, NH3, and dust. This contributed to significant negative influence on the surrounding forest ecosystems from enterprises of  Cherkassy industrial agglomeration.</p> <p>The grass cover in pine stands of Chigirinsky Bor transforms into xerophytic grasses and ruderal communities under the impact of negative biotic and abiotic factors. They are namely the anthropogenic violation of forest conditions, stands decline, recreational and industrial tree crowns understocking, xerophytic and heliophytic transformations of forest conditions. All the above mentioned caused strong ruderal and adventive transformation of grass cover. We registered the changes in nitrophilous plant spread regards the Cherkasy industrial agglomeration approaching which emits toxic with nitrogen-containing gases. Adventive and other non-forest species displace ferns and mosses, the ratio of ecomorfs is also changes due to increase of the quantity and development activation of annuals, xerophytic, ruderal, and nitrofil plants. The <em>Asteraceae</em>/<em>Brassicaceae</em> 3:1 ratio indicates significant anthropogenic violations in the region.</p> <p>We fixed the xerophytic, ruderal, and adventive transformation of grass cover in forest ecosystems. It is also founded the tendency of expanding the fraction of mesophilic plant species due to alterations in water regime (creation of Kremenchug reservoir and draining of floodplain Tyasmyn). When approaching the Cherkasy industrial agglomeration the grass cover degradation is clearly observed on the environmental profile. All this causes the forest ecosystem degradation and gradual loss of forest vegetation typical characteristics. We revealed the domination of plant species that are tolerant to transformed forest conditions due to drastic anthropogenic changes of ecological regimes in Chygyryn's Bor.</p> <p><em>Key words:</em><em> grass cover, Chigirin's Bor, anthropogenic impact, forest ecosystem, industrial transformation and degradation of grass cover.</em></p>

Leaf habit, phenology, and longevity of 11 forest understory plant species in Algonquin State Forest, northwest Connecticut, USA

Botany ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
pp. 457-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack T. Tessier
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
New York State ◽  
Leaf Longevity ◽  
Forest Understory ◽  
Spring Ephemeral ◽  
Leaf Habit ◽  
Understory Plant ◽  
Forest Plant Species ◽  
The Impact

Many functional attributes of plant species are predicated on their leaf habit. To fully understand the way that plant species coexist and respond to future conditions, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the leaf habit, phenology, and longevity of common forest plant species. I quantified these traits in 11 forest understory species in the Algonquin State Forest of northwestern Connecticut, USA, by labeling and monitoring individual leaves of three replicates of each species over a period of 3 years. While clear patterns exist within the evergreen, wintergreen, seasonalgreen, deciduous, and spring-ephemeral groupings, significant differences exist within and among these groups, including differences in the timing of leafing and senescence, and minimum leaf longevity. Because the impact of local and global disturbance is often predicated on the phenological and life-history traits of species, these differences may be important to the responses that these species have to future disturbance. The size of leaf-supporting structures was positively correlated with leaf longevity across species, supporting a predictive connection between construction costs and leaf longevity. Additionally, the leaf habit of Oxalis acetosella L. at this study site is significantly different from that observed previously in the Catskill Mountains, New York State, USA. These differences may be due to local habitat conditions or genetic predisposition.

scholarly journals Species composition of arthropods on six understory plant species growing in high and low light conditions

Dendrobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 58-80
Author(s):  
Piotr Karolewski ◽  
Adrian Łukowski ◽  
Dawid Adamczyk ◽  
Michał Żmuda ◽  
Marian J. Giertych ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Leaf Damage ◽  
Forest Understory ◽  
Herbivorous Insects ◽  
Light Conditions ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Arthropod Species ◽  
Understory Plant ◽  
The Impact

The quality of leaves as food for insects is affected both by plant species and the light conditions present during growth. Little information exists concerning the impact of these factors on the diversity of insects that live in the forest understory. We studied arthropod fauna on six understory plant species commonly occurring in Europe. Different groups of herbivorous insects were identified, as well as predatory insects and arachnids. We analysed the influence of both plant species and light conditions during growth (low light; high light) on the species spectrum, and the number of insect specimens present. The resulting data were investigated in relation to the susceptibility of plant leaves to feeding by folivorous insects, as determined in earlier studies. We compared the similarity in species diversity, based on the Sørensen’s coefficient, and discussed the potential causes of observed differences in leaf damages. We found a total of 153 arthropod taxa on studied plants, under both light conditions. Corylus avellana and Prunus serotina, species characterized by greater leaf damage, have a wider diversity of arthropod species, and a greater number of herbivorous insects. Generally, light conditions had a greater effect on arthropod abundance than on species diversity. For two plant species, C. avellana and P. serotina, light conditions strongly, but reversely, influenced the total number of insects and, thus, the extent of leaf damage. The number and abundance of zoophagous species, and ratio to folivores (except C. avellana) are associated more with plant species than with light conditions

scholarly journals Effect of Competition and Climatic Conditions on the Growth of Beech in the Mixed Pine Beech Stand: Lithuanian Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Edgaras Linkevičius ◽  
Gerda Junevičiūtė
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Competition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Competition Effect ◽  
Diameter Increment ◽  
Cart Analysis ◽  
Crown Width ◽  
Beech Stand ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact

Climate change and warming will potentially have profound effects on forest growth and yield, especially for pure stands in the near future. Thus, increased attention has been paid to mixed stands, e.g., pine and beech mixtures. However, the interaction of tree species growing in mixtures still remains unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the interspecific and intraspecific competition to diameter, height, and crown width of pine and beech trees growing in mixtures, as well as to evaluate the impact of climatic indicators to the beech radial diameter increment. The data was collected in 2017 at the mixed mature pine beech double layer stand, located in the western part of Lithuania. The sample plot of 1.2 hectare was established and tree species, diameter at the breast height, tree height, height-to-crown base, height-to-crown width, and position were measured for all 836 trees. Additionally, a representative sample of radial diameter increments were estimated only for the beech trees by taking out core discs at the height of 1 m when the stand was partially cut. Competition analysis was based on the distance-dependent competition index, which was further based on crown parameters. Climatic effect was evaluated using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. We found almost no interspecific competition effect to diameter, height, or crown width for both tree species growing in the first layer. However, it had an effect on beeches growing in the second layer. The intraspecific competition effect was important for pine and beech trees, showing a negative effect for both of them. Our results show the possible coexistence of these tree species due to niche differentiation. An analysis of climatic indicators from 1991–2005 revealed that precipitation from February–May of the current vegetation year and mean temperatures from July to September expressed radial diameter increment effects for beech trees. Low temperatures during March and April, as well as high precipitation during January, had a negative effect on beech radial increments. From 2006–2016, the highest effect on radial diameter increments was the mean temperatures from July to September, as well as the precipitation in January of the current year. From 1991–2016, the highest effect on radial diameter increments was the temperature from July to September 1991–2016 and the precipitation in June 1991–2016. Generally, cool temperatures and higher precipitation in June had a positive effect on beech radial increments. Therefore, our results show a sensitivity to high temperatures and droughts during summer amid Lithuanian’s growth conditions.

scholarly journals Root-Associated Mycobiomes of Common Temperate Plants (Calluna vulgaris and Holcus lanatus) Are Strongly Affected by Winter Climate Conditions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathilde Borg Dahl ◽  
Derek Peršoh ◽  
Anke Jentsch ◽  
Jürgen Kreyling
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Calluna Vulgaris ◽  
Absolute Temperature ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Temperature Variability ◽  
Holcus Lanatus ◽  
Soil Frost ◽  
Winter Climate

AbstractWinter temperatures are projected to increase in Central Europe. Subsequently, snow cover will decrease, leading to increased soil temperature variability, with potentially different consequences for soil frost depending on e.g. altitude. Here, we experimentally evaluated the effects of increased winter soil temperature variability on the root associated mycobiome of two plant species (Calluna vulgaris and Holcus lanatus) at two sites in Germany; a colder and wetter upland site with high snow accumulation and a warmer and drier lowland site, with low snow accumulation. Mesocosm monocultures were set-up in spring 2010 at both sites (with soil and plants originating from the lowland site). In the following winter, an experimental warming pulse treatment was initiated by overhead infrared heaters and warming wires at the soil surface for half of the mesocosms at both sites. At the lowland site, the warming treatment resulted in a reduced number of days with soil frost as well as increased the average daily temperature amplitude. Contrary, the treatment caused no changes in these parameters at the upland site, which was in general a much more frost affected site. Soil and plant roots were sampled before and after the following growing season (spring and autumn 2011). High-throughput sequencing was used for profiling of the root-associated fungal (ITS marker) community (mycobiome). Site was found to have a profound effect on the composition of the mycobiome, which at the upland site was dominated by fast growing saprotrophs (Mortierellomycota), and at the lowland site by plant species-specific symbionts (e.g. Rhizoscyphus ericae and Microdochium bolleyi for C. vulgaris and H. lanatus respectively). The transplantation to the colder upland site and the temperature treatment at the warmer lowland site had comparable consequences for the mycobiome, implying that winter climate change resulting in higher temperature variability has large consequences for mycobiome structures regardless of absolute temperature of a given site.

scholarly journals Threat or Corrective? Assessing the Impact of Populist Parties in Government on the Qualities of Democracy: A 19-Country Comparison

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Davide Vittori
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Liberal Democratic ◽  
Country Comparison ◽  
Democratic Regimes ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Scholars have long debated whether populism harms or improves the quality of democracy. This article contributes to this debate by focusing on the impact of populist parties in government. In particular, it inquires: (1) whether populists in government are more likely than non-populists to negatively affect the quality of democracies; (2) whether the role of populists in government matters; and (3) which type of populism is expected to negatively affect the quality of liberal-democratic regimes. The results find strong evidence that the role of populists in government affects several qualities of democracy. While robust, the findings related to (2) are less clear-cut than those pertaining to (1). Finally, regardless of their role in government, different types of populism have different impacts on the qualities of democracy. The results show that exclusionary populist parties in government tend to have more of a negative impact than other forms of populism.

scholarly journals The Impact of Economic Specialization on Regional Economic Development in the European Union: Insights for Formation of Smart Specialization Strategy

Economies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Giedrė Dzemydaitė
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Regional Economic Development ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Location Quotient ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Smart Specialization ◽  
Economic Specialization ◽  
The Impact

The smart specialization concept was implemented in the EU in 2014, stating that regions have to specify specialization areas for development of innovations. Economic specialization reveals a comparative advantage in that field. However, there are different arguments linking specialization to economic development. This study analyzes these arguments and aims to investigate the impact of economic specialization on regional economic development and to give insights into identifying prospective areas in regional economies. A panel fixed effect estimation of industry-level regional data suggests that economic specialization in broader regional employment, called relative specialization, is ambiguously associated with economic development. Our findings suggest that neither economic specialization nor economic diversity are a clear-cut solution for ensuring economic growth. Economic structure in EU regions differs, and there is no one answer for which approach is better for economic development. Specialization measures, particularly the location quotient, cannot fully capture the dynamics in the industry structure that could be essential for formation of regional development strategy.

Flight from Governmental Repression or Popular Violence

2019 ◽  
pp. 107-120
Author(s):  
Robert Chazan
Keyword(s):  
Twelfth Century ◽  
Jewish Population ◽  
Jewish Life ◽  
Population Movement ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Jewish Migration ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

Beginning in the twelfth century, edicts of expulsion set in motion for the first time since early antiquity forced Jewish population movement. There have arguably been two further sources of pre-modern involuntary Jewish migration—repressive governmental edicts that made Jewish life spiritually or materially impossible and popular violence so threatening as to necessitate flight. Neither of these pressures is clear-cut in its impact, as were the edicts of expulsion from European states. This chapter considers the impact of both these pressures on Jewish population movement. It describes instances of abrogation of basic Jewish religious rights, expressed as governmental demands that Jews convert to the ruling faith.

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