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Species prefer to shifting niche positions rather than expanding niche breadth to adapt to the heterogeneous karst forests For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-09-08 Shiren Chen, Zeyu Yang, Yuhang Wu, Yong Li, Longchenxi Meng, Luyao Chen, Yingqun Chen, Xuerong Shao, Mingzhen Sui, Guangqi Zhang, Danmei Chen, Yuejun He, Lipeng Zang, Qingfu Liu
The interspecific variations of plant functional traits can characterize the niche positions of species within communities, while the intraspecific variations can accurately display the species’ niche breadth. Revealing relative contributions of intra- and interspecific variations to plant functional community structure is crucial in understanding how the species coexist together, especially in species-diverse
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The control of external and internal canopy structural heterogeneity on diversity and productivity relationship in a subtropical forest For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-09-06 Yaozhan Xu, Han Y.H. Chen, Xiujuan Qiao, Yani Zhang, Mingxi Jiang
Forest canopy structure is closely related to species diversity, crown packing efficiency, and ecological processes, while influencing ecosystem functions. However, most existing structural diversity indices only consider internal heterogeneity within the canopy but often neglect the heterogeneity of the external canopy. While, the external canopy heterogeneity can increase the exchange surface area
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Nexus of certain model-based estimators in remote sensing forest inventory For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-09-03 Yan Zheng, Zhengyang Hou, Göran Ståhl, Ronald E. McRoberts, Weisheng Zeng, Erik Næsset, Terje Gobakken, Bo Li, Qing Xu
Remote sensing (RS) facilitates forest inventory across a wide range of variables required by the UNFCCC as well as by other agreements and processes. The Conventional model-based (CMB) estimator supports wall-to-wall RS data, while Hybrid estimators support surveys where RS data are available as a sample. However, the connection between these two types of monitoring procedures has been unclear, hindering
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Patterns and impacts of an unprecedented outbreak of bark beetles in Central Europe: A glimpse into the future? For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-28 Prosper Washaya, Roman Modlinger, Daniel Tyšer, Tomáš Hlásny
Natural disturbances have significantly intensified across European forests, with bark beetle outbreaks being the most rapidly escalating disturbance type. Since 2018, the Czech Republic (Central Europe) has become a Europe's disturbance epicentre due to the unprecedented outbreak of spruce bark beetle in the forests dominated by Norway spruce . Here we provide novel insights into the impacts and dynamics
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Effects of phosphorus resorption on bioactive phosphorus of different-aged Pinus massoniana plantations For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-23 Xupeng Xue, Xiaogai Ge, Lei Lei, Benzhi Zhou, Mai-He Li
Phosphorus (P) is an important nutrient element in the photosynthesis process of plants. The effect of stand age on P nutrient dynamics in subtropical plantations is unclear. In this study, the mechanisms of above- and belowground P cycling in subtropical plantations of different stand ages (5, 9, 19, 29 and 35 years) were investigated. The percentage of metabolic P in leaves exhibited an initial rise
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Disrupted connectivity within a metapopulation of a wind-pollinated declining conifer, Taxus baccata L. For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-20 Igor J. Chybicki, Juan J. Robledo-Arnuncio, Jan Bodziarczyk, Marcin Widlak, Katarzyna Meyza, Andrzej Oleksa, Bartosz Ulaszewski
Population connectivity through seed and pollen dispersal determines the genetic diversity, adaptive potential, and demography of plant metapopulations. In wind-pollinated trees, population connectivity is typically maintained by long-distance pollen flow, counteracting the genetic differentiation generated by drift and restricted seed dispersal. Although strong population fragmentation is theoretically
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Decoupling REDD+ understanding of local stakeholders on the onset of materializing carbon credits from forests in Nepal For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-13 Hari Prasad Pandey, Tek Narayan Maraseni, Armando Apan, Shreejana Bhusal
REDD+ is an economic incentivizing mechanism aimed at reducing or offsetting of carbon emissions in forests, while realizing multiple benefits alongside climate action. Engaging local stakeholders is crucial for its sustainable implementation and benefit-sharing mechanism. This study focuses on the knowledge and understanding of local-level stakeholders about REDD+ and its associated attributes, revealing
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Individual tree segmentation in occluded complex forest stands through ellipsoid directional searching and point compensation For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-11 Qingjun Zhang, Shangshu Cai, Xinlian Liang
Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) accurately captures tree structural information and provides prerequisites for tree-scale estimations of forest biophysical attributes. Quantifying tree-scale attributes from TLS point clouds requires segmentation, yet the occlusion effects severely affect the accuracy of automated individual tree segmentation. In this study, we proposed a novel method using ellipsoid
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Influence of crown morphology and branch architecture on tree radial growth of drought-affected Fagus sylvatica L. For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-10 Katja Kröner, Elena Larysch, Zoe Schindler, Nora Obladen, Julian Frey, Dominik Florian Stangler, Thomas Seifert
Trees are able to adapt to changing environmental conditions through modifications in their crown morphology and branch architecture. In light-limited environments, tree structures are mainly optimised to increase light interception. This might have side effects on other properties such as the hydraulic system that determines water conduction and tree reactions to drought events. Given the increasing
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Predicting time-to-harvest in mixed-species forests using a random survival forest algorithm For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-06 Dinuka Madhushan Senevirathne, Sheng-I Yang, Consuelo Brandeis, Donald G. Hodges
Survival analysis is composed of a group of analytical approaches that can be used to predict the occurrence of harvest activities, which provides insightful information about the dynamics of natural resources utilization in a region. Recently, random survival forest (RSF) has been proposed in survival analysis to capture the complex relationships among variables. The main objective of this study was
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Diversity-biomass relationships are shaped by tree mycorrhizal associations and stand structural diversity at different spatial scales For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-05 Rui Zhang, Shuaifeng Li, Xiaobo Huang, Cong Li, Chonghua Xu, Jianrong Su
Diversity-biomass relationships (DBRs) in terrestrial ecosystems tend to vary across spatial scales, but, particularly in hyperdiverse forests, the mechanisms driving these trends remain uncertain. Until now, few have simultaneously investigated the connections between tree species diversity, stand structural diversity, mycorrhizal associations, and ecosystem functioning. In addition, DBRs have only
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Variability and determinants of vascular plant species composition in patches of old managed oak forest stands dispersed within Scots pine monocultures For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-05 Ewa Stefańska-Krzaczek, Rafał Krzaczek, Natalia Mazurek, Damian Chmura
In the temperate zone of Europe, Scots pine forests are expected to occupy the poorest habitats which are unfavourable for deciduous trees. However, as a result of deforestation of the most fertile habitats and the preference for in silviculture, pine forests have become the dominant feature of the landscape in Central Europe. As a result, the area of optimal habitat for deciduous forest flora has
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A bibliometric analysis using machine learning to track paradigm shifts and analytical advances in forest ecology and forestry journal publications from 2010 to 2022 For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-02 Jin Zhao, Liyu Li, Jian Liu, Yimei Yan, Qian Wang, Chris Newman, Youbing Zhou
Forest habitats are critical for biodiversity, ecosystem services, human livelihoods, and well-being. Capacity to conduct theoretical and applied forest ecology research addressing direct (e.g., deforestation) and indirect (e.g., climate change) anthropogenic pressures has benefited considerably from new field- and statistical-techniques. We used machine learning and bibliometric structural topic modelling
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N-fixing tree species promote the chemical stability of soil organic carbon in subtropical plantations through increasing the relative contribution of plant-derived lipids For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-08-02 Xiaodan Ye, Junwei Luan, Hui Wang, Yu Zhang, Yi Wang, Shirong Liu
Biodiversity experiments have shown that soil organic carbon (SOC) is not only a function of plant diversity, but is also closely related to the nitrogen (N) -fixing plants. However, the effect of N-fixing trees on SOC chemical stability is still little known, especially with the compounding effects of tree species diversity. An experimental field manipulation was established in subtropical plantations
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Ecosystem service multifunctionality of mixed conifer-broad-leaved forests under climate change and forest management based on matrix growth modelling For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-31 Xue Du, Xiangdong Lei, Xiao He, Jie Lan, Hong Guo, Qigang Xu
Climate change and forest management are recognized as pivotal factors influencing forest ecosystem services and thus multifunctionality. However, the magnitude and the relative importance of climate change and forest management effects on the multifunctionality remain unclear, especially for natural mixed forests. In this study, our objective is to address this gap by utilizing simulations of climate-sensitive
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Quantifying foliar trait variation and covariation in sun and shade leaves using leaf spectroscopy in eastern North America For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-31 Zhihui Wang, Philip A. Townsend, Eric L. Kruger, Anna K. Schweiger
Characterizing foliar trait variation in sun and shade leaves can provide insights into inter- and intra-species resource use strategies and plant response to environmental change. However, datasets with records of multiple foliar traits from the same individual and including shade leaves are sparse, which limits our ability to investigate trait-trait, trait-environment relationships and trait coordination
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Retention of harvest residues promotes the accumulation of topsoil organic carbon by increasing particulate organic carbon in a Chinese fir plantation For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-27 Jiamin Yang, Ke Huang, Xin Guan, Weidong Zhang, Renshan Li, Longchi Chen, Silong Wang, Qingpeng Yang
As commonly used harvest residue management practices in subtropical plantations, stem only harvesting (SOH) and whole tree harvesting (WTH) are expected to affect soil organic carbon (SOC) content. However, knowledge on how SOC and its fractions (POC: particulate organic carbon; MAOC: mineral-associated organic carbon) respond to different harvest residue managements is limited. In this study, a randomized
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Short lifespan and ‘prime period’ of carbon sequestration call for multi-ages in dryland tree plantations For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-20 Chongyang Xu, Xiuchen Wu, Yuhong Tian, Liang Shi, Yang Qi, Jingjing Zhang, Hongyan Liu
Enhancing forest cover is important for effective climate change mitigation. Studies suggest that drylands are promising areas for expanding forests, but conflicts arise with increased forest area and water consumption. Recent tree mortality in drylands raises concerns about carbon sequestration potential in tree plantations. Using Chinese dryland tree plantations as an example, we compared their growth
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How forest age impacts on net primary productivity: Insights from future multi-scenarios For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-19 Lei Tian, Yu Tao, Simms Joanna, Annikki Mäkelä, Mingyang Li
Forest net primary productivity (NPP) constitutes a key flux within the terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycle and serves as a significant indicator of the forests carbon sequestration capacity, which is closely related to forest age. Despite its significance, the impact of forest age on NPP is often ignored in future NPP projections. Here, we mapped forest age in Hunan Province at a 30-m resolution utilizing
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Fire and retention island remnants have similar deadwood carbon stock a decade after disturbances in boreal forests of Alberta For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-18 Richard Osei, Lance P. Moore, Rosanise A. Odell, Marcel Schneider, Tanvir Ahmed Shovon, Charles A. Nock
In an attempt to reconcile wood extraction and forest biodiversity in managed boreal forests, ecosystem-based forest management (EBM) has become the management approach. Retention forestry represents one prominent way that EBM is implemented in many parts of the world. Retention patches commonly left after harvesting serve as analogues of fire island remnants, which are patches of unburned forests
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Divergent changes in diversity and network complexity across different trophic-level organisms drive soil multifunctionality of fire-impacted subtropical forests For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-18 Luhong Zhou, Shangshi Liu, Debao Lin, Hang-Wei Hu, Ji-Zheng He
Widespread forest fires pose significant challenges to the diverse communities of soil-dwelling organisms and the multiple ecosystem functions they support. However, whether the biodiversity and interactions of various taxonomic groups respond to fire consistently in terms of direction and extent, and their relative role in regulating post-fire soil functioning, remains largely unexplored. In this
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Assessing the effect of invasive organisms on forests under information uncertainty: The case of pine wood nematode in continental Europe For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-17 Nick Schafstall, Laura Dobor, Marco Baldo, Andrew M. Liebhold, Werner Rammer, Juha Honkaniemi, Tomáš Hlásny
Forests worldwide are experiencing increasingly intense biotic disturbances; however, assessing impacts of these disturbances is challenging due to the diverse range of organisms involved and the complex interactions among them. This particularly applies to invasive species, which can greatly alter ecological processes in their invaded territories. Here we focus on the pine wood nematode (PWN, ), an
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Effects of habitat configuration on biodiversity along gradients of forest cover on the Swiss Plateau For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-17 Yiwen Pan, Anna M. Hersperger, Gang Ge, Michael P. Nobis
The negative effects of habitat loss on biodiversity are undisputed, while the effect of habitat configuration, i.e., the spatial arrangement of habitat area, has been debated for decades. To develop a more comprehensive understanding, it is important to know when and how configuration matters. In this study, we tested whether forest configuration influences the richness of species in groups characterized
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Linking nutrient resorption stoichiometry with plant growth under long-term nitrogen addition For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-10 Aijun Xing, Haihua Shen, Longchao Xu, Mengying Zhao, Zhengbing Yan, Jingyun Fang
Increased nitrogen (N) input can potentially lead to secondary phosphorus (P) limitation; however, it remains unclear whether differences in the plant's ability to cope with this P deficiency are related to their growth responses. Using a long-term experiment of N addition in a boreal forest, we explored the potential role of plant nutrient resorption efficiency and its stoichiometry in mediating plant
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Stand biomass of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations benefits from high density monocultures in the boreal zone For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-09 Bingming Chen, Shensi Liu, Jinghua Yu, Yanqing Huang, Shuai Yu, Huanchu Liu, Tianyu Zhang, Xiangdong Liu, Guangze Jin, Wei Chen, Xingyuan He
var. () plantations are extensively established in the boreal zone. Increasing stand biomass of these plantations can effectively enhance carbon stock, which is crucial for mitigating climate change. However, the current understanding of optimizing plantation strategies to maximize stand biomass is primarily derived from experiments in tropical and subtropical zones, which is difficult to extend to
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Dominance of rock exposure and soil depth in leaf trait networks outweighs soil quality in karst limestone and dolomite habitats For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-07-04 Min Jiao, Jiawei Yan, Ying Zhao, Tingting Xia, Kaiping Shen, Yuejun He
Leaf trait networks (LTNs) visualize the intricate linkages reflecting plant trait-functional coordination. Typical karst vegetation, developed from lithological dolomite and limestone, generally exhibits differential communities, possibly due to habitat rock exposure, soil depth, and soil physicochemical properties variations, leading to a shift from plant trait variation to functional linkages. However
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Root overlap and allocation of above- and belowground growth of European beech in pure and mixed stands of Douglas fir and Norway spruce For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-06-24 Amani S. Lwila, Christian Ammer, Oliver Gailing, Ludger Leinemann, Martina Mund
Site conditions and species identity have a combined effect on fine root growth of trees in pure and mixed stands. However, mechanisms that may contribute to this effect are rarely studied, even though they are essential to assess the potential of species to cope with climate change. This study examined fine root overlap and the linkage between fine root and stem growth of European beech () growing
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Differential modulation of crown allometry and stem growth at gap edges in five European tree species by drought conditions For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-06-23 Luke Bohnhorst, Peter Biber, Torben Hilmers, Enno Uhl, Hans Pretzsch
In Central Europe, forests are increasingly affected by various disturbances, resulting in an increasing gap formation in the canopy. In order to support goal-oriented management, more knowledge is required about the acclimation of the crown and its effects on the basal area growth of trees at the edge of a gap. This work compared trees' growth and crown structure at the edge of a transient gap, with
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Leading directions and effective distance of larch offspring dispersal at the upper treeline in the Northern and Polar Urals, Russia For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-06-20 P.A. Moiseev, V.L. Semerikov, T.V. Semerikova, D.S. Balakin, I.B. Vorobiev, S.O. Viuykhin
Climate has changed sufficiently over the last 150 years and forced out upper treeline advance at the most studied sites around the world. The rate of advance has been extremely variable – from tens to hundreds meters in altitude. This is because the degree at which tree frontal populations respond to climate change depends on the complex interaction of biological and physical factors. The resulting
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Carbon stock estimation in halophytic wooded savannas of Uruguay: An ecosystem approach For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-06-18 Andrés Baietto, Andrés Hirigoyen, Carolina Toranza, Franco Schinato, Maximiliano González, Rafael Navarro Cerrillo
Savannas constitute a mixture of trees and shrub patches with a more continuous herbaceous understory. The contribution of this biome to the soil organic carbon (SOC) and above-ground biomass (AGB) carbon (C) stock globally is significant. However, they are frequently subjected to land use changes, promoting increases in CO emissions. In Uruguay, subtropical wooded savannas cover around 100,000 ha
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Tree structure and diversity shape the biomass of primary temperate mountain forests For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-06-15 Dheeraj Ralhan, Ruffy Rodrigo, Heather Keith, Annemiek Irene Stegehuis, Jakob Pavlin, Yumei Jiang, Miloš Rydval, Juliana Nogueira, Alexandre Fruleux, Marek Svitok, Martin Mikoláš, Daniel Kozák, Martin Dušátko, Pavel Janda, Oleh Chaskovsky, Cătălin-Constantin Roibu, Miroslav Svoboda
Primary forests are spatially diverse terrestrial ecosystems with unique characteristics, being naturally regenerative and heterogeneous, which supports the stability of their carbon storage through the accumulation of live and dead biomass. Yet, little is known about the interactions between biomass stocks, tree genus diversity and structure across a temperate montane primary forest. Here, we investigated
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Integrating remote sensing and 3-PG model to simulate the biomass and carbon stock of Larix olgensis plantation For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-06-12 Yu Bai, Yong Pang, Dan Kong
Accurate estimations of biomass and its temporal dynamics are crucial for monitoring the carbon cycle in forest ecosystems and assessing forest carbon sequestration potentials. Recent studies have shown that integrating process-based models (PBMs) with remote sensing data can enhance simulations from stand to regional scales, significantly improving the ability to simulate forest growth and carbon
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Sustaining forest biodiversity: Exploring the effect of long-term natural disturbance dynamics on contemporary lichen communities in primary forest ecosystems For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-06-09 Rhiannon Gloor, Marek Svitok, Martin Mikoláš, Jeňýk Hofmeister, Josef Halda, Pavel Janda, Francesco Maria Sabatini, Lucie Zemanová, Arne Buechling, Daniel Kozák, Matej Ferenčík, Michal Frankovič, Martin Dušátko, Miroslav Svoboda
In this era of biodiversity loss and climate change, quantifying the impacts of natural disturbance on forest communities is imperative to improve biodiversity conservation efforts. Epiphytic and epixylic lichens are effective forest quality bioindicators, as they are generally long-lived organisms supported by continuity of specific forest structures and their associated microclimatic features. However
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Terrain or climate factor dominates vegetation resilience? Evidence from three national parks across different climatic zones in China For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-06-07 Shuang Liu, Lingxin Wu, Shiyong Zhen, Qinxian Lin, Xisheng Hu, Jian Li
Vegetation resilience (VR), providing an objective measure of ecosystem health, has received considerable attention, however, there is still limited understanding of whether the dominant factors differ across different climate zones. We took the three national parks (Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, HTR; Wuyishan National Park, WYS; and Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, NTL) of China
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Evolution history dominantly regulates fine root lifespan in tree species across the world For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-06-01 Xingzhao Huang, Zhouying Lu, Fangbing Li, Yang Deng, Fangfang Wan, Quancheng Wang, Fousseni Folega, Jinsong Wang, Zijian Guo
Understanding the drivers of variations in fine root lifespan is key to informing nutrient cycling and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the general patterns and determinants of forest fine root lifespan at the global scale are still limited. We compiled a dataset of 421 fine root lifespan observations from 76 tree species globally to assess phylogenetic signals among species, explored
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Phosphorus limitation on CO2 fertilization effect in tropical forests informed by a coupled biogeochemical model For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-06-01 Zhuonan Wang, Hanqin Tian, Shufen Pan, Hao Shi, Jia Yang, Naishen Liang, Latif Kalin, Christopher Anderson
Tropical forests store more than half of the world's terrestrial carbon (C) pool and account for one-third of global net primary productivity (NPP). Many terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) estimate increased productivity in tropical forests throughout the 21st century due to CO fertilization. However, phosphorus (P) limitations on vegetation photosynthesis and productivity could significantly reduce
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Resilience and response: Unveiling the impacts of extreme droughts on forests through integrated dendrochronological and remote sensing analyses For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-05-31 Han Shi, Xi Peng, Yong-Jiao Zhou, Ai-Ying Wang, Xue-Kai Sun, Na Li, Quan-Sheng Bao, Gude Buri, Guang-You Hao
Extreme droughts are anticipated to have detrimental impacts on forest ecosystems, especially in water-limited regions, due to the influence of climate change. However, considerable uncertainty remains regarding the patterns in species-specific responses to extreme droughts. Here, we conducted a study integrating dendrochronology and remote sensing methods to investigate the mosaic-distributed maple-oak
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Disparities in tree mortality among plant functional types (PFTs) in a temperate forest: Insights into size-dependent and PFT-specific patterns For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-05-29 Man Hu, Hang Shi, Rui He, Bingbin Wen, Haikun Liu, Kerong Zhang, Xiao Shu, Haishan Dang, Quanfa Zhang
Tree mortality significantly influences forest structure and function, yet our understanding of its dynamic patterns among a range of tree sizes and among different plant functional types (PFTs) remains incomplete. This study analysed size-dependent tree mortality in a temperate forest, encompassing 46 tree species and 32,565 individuals across different PFTs (i.e., evergreen conifer vs. deciduous
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Tree allometry responses to competition and complementarity in mixed-species plantations of Betula alnoides For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-05-29 Boyao Chen, Kaili Liu, Chunsheng Wang, Junjie Guo, Junkun Lu, Lin Chen, Zhigang Zhao, Jie Zeng
Tree allometry plays a crucial role in tree survival, stability, and timber quantity and quality of mixed-species plantations. However, the responses of tree allometry to resource utilisation within the framework of interspecific competition and complementarity remain poorly understood. Taking into consideration strong- and weak-space competition (SC and WC), as well as N-fixing and non-N-fixing tree
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Cut stumps vs broken stumps: Does it make any difference in the maintenance of plant and lichen biodiversity in Central European mountain forests? For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-05-23 Monika Staniaszek-Kik, Jan Żarnowiec, Damian Chmura
Excessive forest exploitation significantly contributes to land degradation and the creation of human-made deadwood. Stumps are sometimes ignored in studies on the biodiversity of coarse woody debris. We investigated whether the type of stump, i.e. broken stumps (naturally created) and cut stumps (formed during forestry operations) had an impact on the species composition and species diversity as well
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Tree mycorrhizal associations determine how biodiversity, large trees, and environmental factors drive aboveground carbon stock in temperate forests For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-05-16 Yue Chen, Zikun Mao, Jonathan A. Myers, Jinghua Yu, Xugao Wang
Biodiversity, large trees, and environmental conditions such as climate and soil have important effects on forest carbon stocks. However, recent studies in temperate forests suggest that the relative importance of these factors depends on tree mycorrhizal associations, whereby large-tree effects may be driven by ectomycorrhizal (EM) trees, diversity effects may be driven by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)
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No effect of invasive tree species on aboveground biomass increments of oaks and pines in temperate forests For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-05-14 Sebastian Bury, Marcin K. Dyderski
and are the most widespread invasive trees in Central Europe. In addition, according to climate models, decreased growth of many economically and ecologically important native trees will likely be observed in the future. We aimed to assess the impact of these two neophytes, which differ in the biomass range and nitrogen-fixing abilities observed in Central European conditions, on the relative aboveground
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Stand dynamics of old-growth hemlock forests in central Bhutan are shaped by natural disturbances For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-05-11 Karma Tenzin, Craig R. Nitschke, Kathryn J. Allen, Raphaël Trouvé, Thiet V. Nguyen, Patrick J. Baker
Understanding how past disturbances have influenced the development of forests is critical for deciphering their current structure and composition and forecasting future changes. In this study, dendrochronological methods were applied to uncover the disturbance history of old-growth hemlock-dominated forests in central Bhutan. Analysis of tree-ring samples from two old-growth hemlock stands, located
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The changes in soil organic carbon stock and quality across a subalpine forest successional series For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-05-11 Fei Li, Zhihui Wang, Jianfeng Hou, Xuqing Li, Dan Wang, Wanqin Yang
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Analysis of the inflection points of height-diameter models For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-05-11 Tzeng Yih Lam, Mark J. Ducey
The inflection point is an important feature of sigmoidal height-diameter (H-D) models. It is often cited as one of the properties favoring sigmoidal model forms. However, there are very few studies analyzing the inflection points of H-D models. The goals of this study were to theoretically and empirically examine the behaviors of inflection points of six common H-D models with a regional dataset.
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Polypore funga and species diversity in tropical forest ecosystems of Africa, America and Asia, and a comparison with temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-05-03 Heng Zhao, Yingda Wu, Zhirong Yang, Honggao Liu, Fang Wu, Yucheng Dai, Yuan Yuan
Polypores play a crucial role in energy recycling and forest regeneration in forest ecosystems. The majority of them are wood degraders; some are forest pathogens and others are ectomycorrhizal symbionts. The basidiocarps provide food and shelter for many organisms, mostly invertebrates, but also some vertebrates, as well as food and medicine for humans. Despite extensive research on the species diversity
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The effects of data aggregation on long-term projections of forest stands development For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-29 Kobra Maleki, Rasmus Astrup, Nicolas Cattaneo, Wilson Lara Henao, Clara Antón-Fernández
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Differential roles of seed and sprout regeneration in forest diversity and productivity after disturbance For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-20 Marek Mejstřík, Martin Svátek, Martina Pollastrini, Martin Šrámek, Radim Matula
Natural regeneration after disturbances is a key phase of forest development, which determines the trajectory of successional changes in tree species composition and diversity. Regenerating trees can originate from either seeds or sprouts produced by disturbed trees with sprouting ability. Although both regeneration strategies often develop and co-occur after a disturbance, they tend to affect forest
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Twenty years of population dynamics in European beech-oak forest at their rear range margin anticipate changes in its structure and composition For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-20 Álvaro Rubio-Cuadrado, Iciar Alberdi, Isabel Cañellas, Fernando Montes, Jesús Rodríguez-Calcerrada, Rosana López, Guillermo G. Gordaliza, María Valbuena-Carabaña, Nikos Nanos, Ramón Perea, Luis Gil
There is an increasing interest in restoring degraded forests, which occupy half of the forest areas. Among the forms of restoration, passive restoration, which involves the elimination of degrading factors and the free evolution of natural dynamics by applying minimal or no management, is gaining attention. Natural dynamics is difficult to predict due to the influence of multiple interacting factors
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Tree species identity and interaction determine vertical forest structure in young planted forests measured by terrestrial laser scanning For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-15 Mengxi Wang, Lander Baeten, Frieke Van Coillie, Kim Calders, Kris Verheyen, Quentin Ponette, Haben Blondeel, Bart Muys, John Armston, Hans Verbeeck
Vertical forest structure is closely linked to multiple ecosystem characteristics, such as biodiversity, habitat, and productivity. Mixing tree species in planted forests has the potential to create diverse vertical forest structures due to the different physiological and morphological traits of the composing tree species. However, the relative importance of species richness, species identity and species
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Atmospheric nitrogen deposition affects forest plant and soil system carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus stoichiometric flexibility: A meta-analysis For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-09 Xiyan Jiang, Xiaojing Wang, Yaqi Qiao, Yi Cao, Yan Jiao, An Yang, Mengzhou Liu, Lei Ma, Mengya Song, Shenglei Fu
Nitrogen (N) deposition affects forest stoichiometric flexibility through changing soil nutrient availability to influence plant uptake. However, the effect of N deposition on the flexibility of carbon (C), N, and phosphorus (P) in forest plant-soil-microbe systems remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis based on 751 pairs of observations to evaluate the responses of plant, soil and microbial
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The rate of deadwood decomposition processes in tree stand gaps resulting from bark beetle infestation spots in mountain forests For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-08 Ewa Błońska, Adam Górski, Jarosław Lasota
Decaying wood is an essential element of forest ecosystems and it affects its other components. The aim of our research was to determine the decomposition rate of deadwood in various humidity and thermal conditions in the gaps formed in the montane forest stands. The research was carried out in the Babiogórski National Park. The research plots were marked out in the gaps of the stands, which were formed
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Litter quality and decomposer complexity co-drive effect of drought on decomposition For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-08 Shumei Wang, Junwei Luan, Siyu Li, Jinhao Ma, Lin Chen, Yi Wang, Shirong Liu
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The unimodal latitudinal pattern of K, Ca and Mg concentration and its potential drivers in forest foliage in eastern China For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-06 Zhijuan Shi, Sining Liu, Yahan Chen, Dongdong Ding, Wenxuan Han
Potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) are essential elements with important physiological functions in plants. Previous studies showed that leaf K, Ca, and Mg concentrations generally increase with increasing latitudes. However, recent meta-analyses suggested the possibility of a unimodal pattern in the concentrations of these elements along latitudinal gradients. The authenticity of this
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Modeling the effect of stand and site characteristics on the probability of mistletoe infestation in Scots pine stands using remote sensing data For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Luiza Tymińska-Czabańska, Piotr Janiec, Paweł Hawryło, Jacek Ślopek, Anna Zielonka, Paweł Netzel, Daniel Janczyk, Jarosław Socha
Over the past decade, the presence of mistletoe ( ssp. ) in Scots pine stands has increased in many European countries. Understanding the factors that influence the occurrence of mistletoe in stands is key to making appropriate forest management decisions to limit damage and prevent the spread of mistletoe in the future. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to determine the probability of
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Leaf habit differentiation explains trait tradeoffs across savanna woody plants For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-04-03 Yangsiding Wang, Da Yang, German Vargas G., Guangyou Hao, Jennifer S. Powers, Yan Ke, Qin Wang, Yunbing Zhang, Jiaolin Zhang
Identifying how leaf habit subdivisions link to the fast–slow and avoidance–tolerance trait tradeoffs can provide new insight into divergence in ecophysiological strategies among plant functional groups. Here, we tested a hypothesis that the differentiation across deciduous, semi-deciduous and evergreen woody species contributes to physiological trait tradeoffs in a dry-hot valley savanna. We investigated
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Carbon allocation in Picea jezoensis: Adaptation strategies of a non-treeline species at its upper elevation limit For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-03-24 Renkai Dong, Na Li, Mai-He Li, Yu Cong, Haibo Du, Decai Gao, Hong S. He
Understanding the physiological adaptations of non-treeline trees to environmental stress is important to understand future shifts in species composition and distribution of current treeline ecotone. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the mechanisms of the formation of the upper elevation limit of non-treeline tree species, , and the carbon allocation strategies of the species on Changbai
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Predicting carbon storage of mixed broadleaf forests based on the finite mixture model incorporating stand factors, site quality, and aridity index For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-03-23 Yanlin Wang, Dongzhi Wang, Dongyan Zhang, Qiang Liu, Yongning Li
The diameter distribution function (DDF) is a crucial tool for accurately predicting stand carbon storage (CS). The current key issue, however, is how to construct a high-precision DDF based on stand factors, site quality, and aridity index to predict stand CS in multi-species mixed forests with complex structures. This study used data from 70 survey plots for mixed broadleaf and forests in the Mulan
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Potential reduction in carbon fixation capacity under climate change in a Pinus koraiensis forest For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-03-22 Dong Kook Woo
There has been an increasing recognition of the crucial role of forests, responsible for sequestering atmospheric CO, as a moral imperative for mitigating the pace of climate change. The complexity of evaluating climate change impacts on forest carbon and water dynamics lies in the diverse acclimations of forests to changing environments. In this study, we assessed two of the most common acclimation
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No generality in biodiversity-productivity relationships along elevation in temperate and subtropical forest landscapes For. Ecosyst. (IF 3.8) Pub Date : 2024-03-22 Jiayun Zou, Yahuang Luo, Rupert Seidl, Dominik Thom, Jie Liu, Lisa Geres, Tobias Richter, Linjiang Ye, Wei Zheng, Liangliang Ma, Jie Song, Kun Xu, Dezhu Li, Lianming Gao, Sebastian Seibold
An improved understanding of biodiversity-productivity relationships (BPRs) along environmental gradients is crucial for effective ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation. The suggests that BPRs are stronger in stressful environments compared to more favorable conditions. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the variation of BPRs along elevational gradients and their generality