scholarly journals Saproxylic Diptera assemblages in a temperate deciduous forest: implications for community assembly

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e6027
Author(s):  
Julia J. Mlynarek ◽  
Amélie Grégoire Taillefer ◽  
Terry A. Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forest ◽  
Decay Stage ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Temperate Deciduous ◽  
Species Type ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forests ◽  
Decaying Wood ◽  
Two Stages

Saproxylic insects, those associated directly or indirectly with decaying wood for all or part of their life cycle, compose a large proportion of forest organisms. Flies (Diptera) are often the most abundant and species-rich group of insects in forest microhabitats, yet most work to date on saproxylic insect diversity and ecology has focused on beetles (Coleoptera). We compared saproxylic Diptera assemblages reared from two tree species (sugar maple and American beech) at two stages of decay (early/young and advanced/old) for a total of 20 logs in an eastern Canadian Nearctic old-growth forest. We found that communities are distinct within both species type and decay stage of wood. Early decay stage wood is more variable in community composition than later decay stage; however, as the age of the decaying wood increases, the abundance of Diptera increases significantly. Most indicator species are discernible in later decay stage and wood type. We venture to suggest that stochastic and deterministic processes may play a role in driving Diptera communities in temperate deciduous forests. To retain the highest saproxylic Diptera diversity in a forest, a variety of decaying wood types at different stages of decomposition is necessary.

scholarly journals Saproxylic Diptera assemblages in a temperate deciduous forest: implications for community assembly

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Mlynarek ◽  
Amélie Grégoire Taillefer ◽  
Terry A Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forest ◽  
Decay Stage ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Temperate Deciduous ◽  
Species Type ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forests ◽  
Decaying Wood ◽  
Two Stages

Saproxylic insects, those that feed on wood or bark, compose a large proportion of forest organisms. Flies (Diptera) are often the most abundant and species-rich groups in forest microhabitats, yet most work to date on saproxylic insect diversity and ecology has focused on beetles (Coleoptera). We compared saproxylic Diptera assemblages reared from two tree species (sugar maple and American beech) at two stages of decay (ca. two years, and ca. six years after death) for a total of 20 logs in an eastern Canadian Nearctic old-growth forest. We found that communities are distinct within both species type and decay stage of wood. Early decay stage wood is more variable in community composition than later decay stage; however, as the age of the decaying wood increases, the abundance of Diptera increases significantly. Most indicator species are discernible in later decay stage and wood type. Both stochastic and deterministic processes seem to play a role in community of temperate deciduous forests. To retain the highest saproxylic Diptera diversity in a forest, a variety of decaying wood types at different stages of decomposition is necessary.

scholarly journals Saproxylic Diptera assemblages in a temperate deciduous forest: implications for community assembly

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Mlynarek ◽  
Amélie Grégoire Taillefer ◽  
Terry A Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forest ◽  
Decay Stage ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Temperate Deciduous ◽  
Species Type ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forests ◽  
Decaying Wood ◽  
Two Stages

Saproxylic insects, those that feed on wood or bark, compose a large proportion of forest organisms. Flies (Diptera) are often the most abundant and species-rich groups in forest microhabitats, yet most work to date on saproxylic insect diversity and ecology has focused on beetles (Coleoptera). We compared saproxylic Diptera assemblages reared from two tree species (sugar maple and American beech) at two stages of decay (ca. two years, and ca. six years after death) for a total of 20 logs in an eastern Canadian Nearctic old-growth forest. We found that communities are distinct within both species type and decay stage of wood. Early decay stage wood is more variable in community composition than later decay stage; however, as the age of the decaying wood increases, the abundance of Diptera increases significantly. Most indicator species are discernible in later decay stage and wood type. Both stochastic and deterministic processes seem to play a role in community of temperate deciduous forests. To retain the highest saproxylic Diptera diversity in a forest, a variety of decaying wood types at different stages of decomposition is necessary.

Temperate Deciduous Forests

Ecology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank S. Gilliam
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Deciduous Forests ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forest ◽  
Temperate Deciduous ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forests

Given the global distribution of human populations and their coincidence with temperate deciduous forests, it is likely that when most people consider the term “forest,” what comes to mind most frequently is the temperate deciduous forest biome. Although not to the level of their tropical counterparts, temperate deciduous forests typically display high plant biodiversity and rates of net primary productivity. They contrast sharply, however, with tropical forests in the distribution of biodiversity and productivity. In tropical forests, greatest plant diversity is associated with the vegetation of greatest productivity—trees. By contrast, the greatest plant diversity—up to 90 percent—in temperate deciduous forests occurs among the plants of least physical stature: the herbaceous species. Given the close association between these forests and their use by human populations, whether for food, fiber, habitat, or recreation, it is not surprising that they have been well studied, particularly in North America, and thus have a rich literature going back many years. However, for the very reason of that intensive use, temperate deciduous forests have proved to be an ecological moving target, as timber harvesting, air pollution, and introduced pests (e.g., insects and parasites) have represented a chronic assault on the structure and function of these ecosystems.

scholarly journals Discrimination of canopy gaps and non-regenerating openings in old-growth temperate deciduous forests using airborne LiDAR data

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 774-782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-François Senécal ◽  
Frédérik Doyon ◽  
Benoît St-Onge
Keyword(s):  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Canopy Gaps ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forest ◽  
Tree Establishment ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Predictive Variables ◽  
Temperate Deciduous ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forests ◽  
Study Sites

The use of LiDAR in the study of gap regimes has seen significant progress in recent years. Researchers have assumed that canopy gaps detected in this manner are ecologically equivalent to gaps sampled in situ by more traditional methods. However, those latter methods usually include canopy gaps only and ignore non-regenerating openings that are produced by causes limiting tree establishment. We developed a predictive model capable of discriminating between canopy gaps and non-regenerating openings using LiDAR-derived data. Selected predictive variables were related to conditions that limit tree establishment such as zones of moisture accumulation and steep slopes or to the resulting vegetation physiognomy. The model was applied to three old-growth maple forests to predict the fractions of canopy openings belonging to these two types. On average, non-regenerating openings represented 19.5% of the total area detected as canopy openings and occupied 1.37% of the sites. Canopy gaps formed 80.5% of the total area in canopy openings and covered 5.71% of sites that were studied. The non-regenerating opening seemed more frequent on thin surficial deposits. The canopy gap fraction was similar among study sites but had lower values than usually reported for temperate deciduous forest.

Comparing the carbon budgets of boreal and temperate deciduous forest stands

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 813-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
A G Barr ◽  
T J Griffis ◽  
T A Black ◽  
X Lee ◽  
R M Staebler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Flux ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forest ◽  
Spring Temperature ◽  
Warm Spring ◽  
Temperate Deciduous ◽  
Boreal Ecosystem ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forests

Boreal and temperate deciduous forests at northern mid-latitudes play an important role in the global carbon cycle. We analyze 3 years (1996-1998) of eddy-covariance carbon dioxide flux measurements from two contrasting deciduous forest ecosystems in the boreal and temperate regions of central Canada. The two forest stands have similar ages, heights, and leaf area indices but differ in species composition and climate. Mean annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was similar for the two ecosystems, varying between 0.7 and 2.7 t C·ha–1 (boreal) and 0.6 and 2.4 t C·ha–1 (temperate). In the boreal ecosystem, interannual differences in NEP were primarily controlled by early spring temperature. The warm spring of 1998 caused early leaf out and increased photosynthesis but had little effect on respiration. In the temperate ecosystem, the same warm spring not only caused early leaf out but also increased respiration and drought stress. The contrasting impact of the warm spring on annual NEP at the two sites illustrates the complexity of interpreting climatic impacts on the forest carbon balance. It also illustrates two competing influences of climate change on NEP: spring warming, which promotes photosynthesis and increases NEP, and increased soil temperature and drought, which promote respiration and reduce photosynthesis, thus reducing NEP. We discuss the need for a consistent data post-processing methodology in ecosystem intercomparisons. We also compare our results with a recent synthesis of data from European forests.

Diversity of saproxylic dance flies and long-legged flies (Diptera: Empidoidea) in a temperate deciduous forest in Quebec, Canada

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4521 (2) ◽  
pp. 287
Author(s):  
JEFFREY M. CUMMING ◽  
BRADLEY J. SINCLAIR ◽  
SCOTT E. BROOKS ◽  
JULIA Mlynarek ◽  
TERRY A. WHEELER
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Decayed Wood ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forest ◽  
American Beech ◽  
Emergence Traps ◽  
Temperate Deciduous

A large diversity of saproxylic Empidoidea from a temperate deciduous forest in southern Quebec is documented. Adults of 43 empidoid species representing 19 genera in 12 subfamilies and three families were collected from in situ sealed emergence traps placed over decayed logs of American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrhart) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall). The results of this technique give a clear indication of the saproxylic larval and pupal habitat of these species. The importance of Empidoidea as larval predators in decayed wood niches is noted. 

scholarly journals The seed bank in an old-growth, temperate deciduous forest

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Leckie ◽  
Mark Vellend ◽  
Graham Bell ◽  
Marcia J Waterway ◽  
Martin J Lechowicz
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Minor Component ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Species Variation ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forest ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Temperate Deciduous

We assessed the size and composition of the seed bank in 31 plots representing a range of habitats within an old-growth, temperate deciduous forest at Mont St. Hilaire, Québec, Canada. We identified 49 taxa in the seed bank, with an average of 40 species·m-2 and a median density of 1218 seeds·m-2. The most frequent seeds were species of Carex and Rubus, Diervilla lonicera, and Eupatorium rugosum, while seeds of Carex were the most numerous overall. Of the 12 species in the seed bank not found in the forest, 11 were found growing on the developed landscape surrounding this 10-km2 forest fragment. These nonforest species were numerically only a minor component of the forest seed bank. Vernal herbs were not in the seed bank, and there were only a few tree species. Variation in seed bank richness among habitats was correlated positively with canopy cover, soil moisture, and soil nutrients, but not with the seed bank density or total number of species in the aboveground vegetation. Seed bank density increased with plot soil moisture. Woody species predominated in the seed bank of plots with richer soils, deeper litter, and more closed canopies. Herbaceous species predominated in the seed bank of plots with more open canopies, more mesic water regimes, and greater species richness in the aboveground vegetation. Contrary to earlier results suggesting forest seed banks primarily include shade-intolerant species associated with canopy disturbance or secondary succession, the seed bank in this old-growth, primary forest contains many shade-tolerant forest species.Key words: seed bank, old-growth forest, primary forest, temperate deciduous forest, habitat diversity, seed dispersal.

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