Conserving wildlife in managed forests requires knowledge of the interplay between species’ ecology and forestry practices. Spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) are obligate residents of North American conifer forests with a southern range terminus in the northern U.S. We studied survival and reproduction of spruce grouse from 2012 through 2018 in north-central Maine, USA, within a landscape managed

Invasive plants are widely spread throughout the forests of the southern United States (US) and are expected to rapidly increase their distributional ranges over the next few decades. Multiple studies have shown that invasive plants pose great challenges to forest regeneration at local spatial scales; however, little is known about how those local-scale impacts of invasive plants may collectively influence

Tree cavities are an essential requirement for reproduction and survival of secondary cavity nesters. Little is known, however, about how cavity distribution in space and time may limit their use during and outside of the breeding season. Using long-term (17 yr) data on the use of nest-boxes resembling tree cavities by individually marked Eurasian pygmy owls Glaucidium passerinum, we compared the habitat

Forest production is strongly dependent on nutrient uptake; however, sustainable management of intensively managed plantations requires an improved understanding of this relationship when fertilization occurs frequently across short rotations. Here, we studied temporal nitrogen (N) concentration ([N]) and content (Nc) dynamics under different silvicultural practices (herbicide, fertilization, and planting

We established a forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning experiment in southern China by planting 20,480 saplings of eight subtropical tree species in 320 plots in monocultures and mixtures of two, four and eight species to explore the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships and the underlying coexistence determinants. In this study, we aimed to report the growth of these planted

Extensive afforestation is currently being widely promoted as a key nature-based solution for climate change mitigation. Fundamental to this strategy is the sequestration of carbon into long-term stable storage, either in wood products or the soil. However, the long-term effects of tree planting on soil carbon, or other soil properties, has rarely been examined. Importantly, afforestation can take

The Eucalyptus genus is the most widely planted hardwood worldwide. It is, however, mostly used for low value products as a result of various wood quality problems. Splitting and distortion of wood due to growth stresses is arguably the most critical quality issue for this genus. In this research, the effect of water availability on the peripheral and internal longitudinal growth strain of 7-year-old

Forest management can have mixed impacts on tree-roosting bats. Several bat species have benefitted from increased roost availability generated by certain silvicultural methods. To further investigate the impacts of forest management on bats, we conducted a study on the federally threatened northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) in managed forests within south-central Indiana, USA. During

Browsing of poplar clones by wild ungulates is a widespread problem in short rotation coppice (SRC) plantations in Central Europe. We investigated the influence of poplar genotype on ungulate browsing intensity, identified the most browsing-resistant poplar clone and explored its repellent potential. Inspection of 11 poplar clones at 7 unfenced SRC plantations in the Czech Republic revealed the most

Negative intraspecific interactions could provide opportunities for heterospecific regeneration, thereby maintaining species coexistence in forest communities. Increasing conspecific tree and seedling neighbor densities often have negative correlations with seedling survival. If and how the strength of interactions change with seedling age remains a knowledge gap. In this study, we followed 2184 newly

Mangrove forests (MFs), which occur along tropical and subtropical coastal zone, are among the most productive and richest carbon-rich ecosystems in the world. However, MFs have experienced great losses worldwide due to the impacts of intensive human activities and relative sea level rise. Here, the recent dynamic changes in the MFs of the Red River Delta (RRD), the second largest delta in Vietnam

Group harvesting is often used to regenerate mid-tolerant tree species. However, in managed northern hardwood forests of the Great Lakes region, regeneration failures are common among mid-tolerant species regardless of gap size. Coppicing advance regeneration has the potential to alter recruitment patterns within harvest gaps, as some mid-tolerant species have large dormant season carbohydrate reserves

Negative short-term impact of logging on great ape distribution has been investigated but very little information is available on the long-term impacts of selective logging and management plans on ape habitats at a broader scale. We carried out a habitat suitability analysis using the presence data of great apes to identify the spatial relationships between their locations, logging activities patterns

Landscape carbon storage is a key component of climate change mitigation. Tree planting on degraded land has been identified as an effective carbon capture strategy, but it is unclear how various associated restoration treatments influence carbon sequestration. In this study, we measured carbon pools in jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) stands subject to different restoration treatments within severely

Tree plantations are integral for meeting society’s demand for wood products and are increasing in total area worldwide. It is therefore critical to understand how plantations affect native biodiversity. Our aim was to examine the degree to which plantations affect biodiversity by 1) quantifying songbird abundance across a gradient in forest stand age (stand initiation through canopy closure), 2) estimating

In European forests, plant N supply varies from regions where N deposition is negligible and a low natural N supply limits production to regions where high N deposition adds to a high natural N supply. Here, we ask if the differences in N supply are too large to make one system of management for wood production, continuous–cover forestry or rotational forestry, optimal across these conditions. We analyzed

Temperate hardwood deciduous forest is the dominant landcover in the Northeastern US, yet its canopy is usually ignored as pollinator habitat due to the abundance of wind-pollinated trees. We describe the vertical stratification of spring bee communities in this habitat and explore associations with bee traits, canopy cover, and coarse woody debris. For three years, we sampled second-growth woodlots

Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinsk is an important medicinal plant for treating chronic diseases, but it is difficult to obtain high yields when growing on low-fertility soil. Inoculation with soil beneficial microorganism has suggested an effective means of stimulating plant growth and secondary metabolite production, but effect on plant performance when competing degraded field condition remains

Rising greenhouse gases are changing the Earth’s climate and adversely affecting ecosystems that currently provide a suite of invaluable benefits, from cleaning water to sequestering carbon. Some of the world’s most productive forests grow in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, but our understanding of climate change effects on these forests and their carbon is still emerging. Here, we synthesize

Due to the shifting global climate, the frequency and severity of disturbances are increasing, inevitably causing an increase in disturbances overlapping in time and space. Bark beetle epidemics and wildfires have historically shaped the disturbance regimes of Western North American forests. Their interactive effects on stand dynamics and recovery are inadequately studied in Picea engelmannii (Engelmann

Our aims were to describe the role of the selective management of regenerating community (RC) on the recovery of ecosystem functions in production areas of African mahoganies under mixed stands and agroforestry systems, established on abandoned farmland. A randomized block experiment was set up with the following treatments: (T1) mixed-plantation of African mahogany under conventional system (including

In this study, we analyzed the regional spread patterns of Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) and associated factors using the remeasured U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data. Each mapped FIA plot was classified into one of the four categories based on its invasion status during the two consecutive inventory cycles (2000–2009 and 2006–2015): a non-invaded plot in both cycles

Root reinforcement is a mechanism through which forests contribute to the prevention and mitigation of shallow instabilities in soils, one of the main hazards in mountain areas. This study aims to assess how spatial tree distribution and whether thinning operations affect root reinforcement in the most common forest types of the European Southern Alps. We measured size and position of the trees of

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the growth, genetic predisposition and potential for early fructification of pedunculate oak trees (Quercus robur L.) using two different planting stocks: Root Production Method (RPM®) and Cell Grown (CG). The second objective was to investigate the effect of crown clearance on acorn production. This study was undertaken between 2001 and 2016 at an

A growing proportion of the boreal biome consists of managed even-aged secondary forest stands regenerated after clear-cutting. Many disturbance-intolerant species may not be able to recolonize or reach their original abundance in these stands before the next clear-cutting, potentially causing large-scale biodiversity losses. Boreal bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) include many species intolerant

Tropical forest regeneration has gained renewed interest in recent years as secondary forests have being considered biodiversity repositories and a key source for globally relevant ecosystem services as climate regulation and carbon sequestration and storage. Here, we address the regeneration of a Caatinga dry forest in the context of slash-and-burn agriculture and chronic anthropogenic disturbance

Phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) are the major limiting nutrients for plant growth in most ecosystems. However, it is unclear whether P fertilization exhibits higher effects on plant growth than N fertilization and whether the effects vary with season, since plant demands for N vs. P vary differently during different seasons. We seasonally measured N and P concentrations of fine roots, leaves, and soil

Understory vegetation plays a very important role in maintaining biodiversity, soil nutrient cycling and carbon stocks, yet biomass productivity at the understory layer has been largely overlooked in previous studies. Our study provides one of the most comprehensive tests of how niche attributes, soil fertility and canopy attributes shape understory biomass in a forest restoration context. We investigated

Bioacoustic methods analyze sounds to monitor wildlife in forests, providing novel perspectives to understand the relationship between forest vegetation structure and wildlife species. Bioacoustic studies differ from traditional field surveys that are often more visual and require work in the daytime. A sampling of acoustic signals is possible to explore the diurnal variation of the forest ecosystem

Fire events substantially influence biodiversity, carbon cycling, hence climate, human health, and the economy on a global scale. To cope with increasingly widespread fires, we need accurate estimates of the chances of fire occurrence across heterogeneous landscapes. Estimates of risk of fire are fundamental to prevent and fight wildfires. To this end, we developed a monthly fire spread probability

Empirical evidence of the contemporaneous variations in soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions, C-cycling associated hydrolytic enzyme activities, and microbial carbon metabolism during the development of plantations has not been satisfactorily documented. Microbial activity and extracellular enzymes play a crucial role in driving biogeochemical processes, yet the mechanisms by which biotic and abiotic

Tree improvement is considered an effective method to address the shrinking forest land-base in Alberta, Canada. It is also of great necessity to quantify the potential harvest from deployment of improved trees. However, the growth and yield models currently used in Alberta were originally developed based on growth measurements and projections from fire origin stands, and therefore, there is no widely

Ecological restoration of fire-excluded yellow pine-mixed conifer (YPMC) forests in the western US first requires the definition of desired future conditions. The Sierra de San Pedro Martír (SSPM) in Baja California has been used as a modern reference for other western US YPMC forests because it shares similar vegetation, soils, climate, and fire regimes, but is less impacted by logging and fire suppression

Insect herbivory on seedling leaves is one of the most important factors driving seedling growth and mortality in natural forests, which sets the pivotal roles of insect herbivory in affecting natural forest regeneration and species composition. The intensity of herbivory can be influenced by multiple biotic and abiotic factors affecting leaf detection or consumption by insect herbivores. However,

Springtails (Collembola) are the most abundant arthropods in terrestrial ecosystems and, are considered as key indicators of organic matter turnover and soil functioning. Mixture of tree species are often regarded as a mean to improve tree growth, soil fertility and biodiversity. We compared α-diversity, taxonomic β-diversity and functional diversity of Collembola of mixed forest stands to pure stands

Understanding how geographic variation in environmental conditions influences species’ distributions and population dynamics is critical for effective management of at-risk species and can help us anticipate wildlife responses to future change. The Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia; hereafter warbler) is an endangered migratory songbird that nests in oak-juniper woodland in Texas. From

High-elevation Quercus rubra forests in the Appalachian Mountains represent a transition zone between temperate mixed-Quercus forests that dominate lower elevations (<1350 m) and Picea-Abies forests at high (>1530 m) elevations. Little information exists specific to the response to disturbance, including timber harvesting, in these forests. In this study, we examined the long-term (22 years) effects

The use of biomass from forest harvesting residues or stumps for bioenergy has been increasing in the northern European region in the last decade. The present analysis is a regional review from Nordic and UK coniferous forests, focusing on the effects of whole-tree harvesting (WTH) or whole-tree thinning (WTT) and of WTH followed by stump removal (WTH + S) on the forest floor and mineral soil, and

In northern Europe, a long history of human exploitation effectively eliminated legacies of natural disturbances in mixed oak forests and we currently lack understanding of the role of natural disturbance factors in affecting oak regeneration into the forest canopies. We compiled dendrochronological, observational and paleochronological data from Southern Sweden to discuss the role of forest fires

Dead wood, including dead standing trees (DST) and coarse woody debris (CWD), is a critical component of forest ecosystems that provides habitat and refugia for fauna, flora, and microbial communities and plays a key role in carbon and nutrient cycling. However, few studies have modelled the long-term dynamics of dead wood, limiting our ability to predict how the abundance and composition of dead wood

Light is a vital factor affecting tree growth, survival and reproduction. In forests, natural and anthropogenic disturbances are the main drivers of abrupt changes in environmental conditions, including solar irradiance. We examined interspecific differences in the responses of European beech and silver fir to canopy gap characteristics and positions within gaps across various life stages (small seedlings

A better understanding of how dominant fuels affect fire behavior can improve predictions and comparisons of the ecological effects of fires in forests and other ecosystems. Current methods for evaluating effects of fuel characteristics on fire behavior, including maximum temperature and heating duration, range from small-scale laboratory to large-scale field experiments. Small-scale experiments often

Impediments, such as tree logs, can prevent access to saplings for deer, and can increase perceived predation risk by blocking view and escape possibilities for deer in areas with large carnivores. Therefore, impediments can influence deer foraging decisions and the trade-off between safety and food of different quality indirectly influencing tree regeneration. The aim of our study was to test how

Acute Oak Decline (AOD) is a decline-disease that has distinctive symptoms and poses a serious threat to oak. Our understanding of the causal factors of AOD remains poor but it is likely that multiple biotic and abiotic factors contribute to a deterioration in oak condition. There is evidence that indications of above-ground tree health status are frequently reflected below-ground in roots and associated

The potential of pine resin as a renewable non-timber product is furthering the socioeconomic relevance of the resin industry in Europe, where maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) is the main tapped species. Characterizing maritime pine genetic resources in terms of resin yield potential and its covariation with tree growth is crucial to implement efficient tree breeding programs aiming to maximize

Regeneration of mangroves that occurred within Straits of Malacca over the last 35 years offers an excellent model system to examine how stand dynamics change over time. With exact stand age known, assessment of forest structure, biodiversity and biomass along a natural mangrove development chronosequence provides valuable information to define how long it takes mangrove restoration to return to a

Atmospheric deposition of base cations in contact with the canopy alters their chemical characteristics and plays a vital role in offsetting soil acidification and nutrient imbalance by replenishing the base cationic pool in forest ecosystems. However, the effects of site characteristics on deliveries of base cations fluxes via throughfall (TF) and stemflow (SF) across topographic gradients within

Wildfires have important effects on wildlife habitat. Within fire perimeters, ‘fire refugia’ are unburned or less severely burned areas that contain residual pre-fire habitat structures and facilitate species persistence following fire. However, fire refugia may vary in their relative quality. The ability to evaluate the relative quality of fire refugia for wildlife habitat may help efficiently allocate

In historically open-canopied and fire-dependent upland oak (Quercus spp.) forests of the central and eastern United States, fire exclusion is contributing to an increase in competing non-oak tree species that are often shade-tolerant and fire-sensitive. As these non-oak species encroach and oak abundance declines, forests are becoming denser and will likely become cooler, moister, and less flammable

Snags (standing dead trees) are important components of forest ecosystems that, among other benefits, provide critical habitat for many species of wildlife, but also represent important safety concerns to firefighters, forest workers, and the public. We identified factors that influence the fall rates of lodgepole pines, Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud., killed by bark beetles during a severe regional-scale

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) is widely used for afforestation and reforestation in subtropical China because of its high carbon (C) sequestration rate and ability to control soil erosion in degraded areas; it also plays an important role in mitigating climate change. To satisfy the requirements of carbon trading systems, methodologies for estimating changes in C storage under different planting

Drainage of peatlands increases the depth of the oxic peat layer and can turn them into a carbon (C) source to the atmosphere. Afforestation of drained peatlands could help to reverse this process since the trees may enhance C sequestration. We followed the C and water dynamics of an afforested drained peatland in S-Iceland during a 2 year period, during which the Black Cottonwood (Populus balsamifera

Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) is the most important and productive commercial timber species in the southern USA. Common plantation management practices such as fertilization and thinning could become inefficient and economically disadvantageous given anticipated climate change effects, such as increased drought severity, especially in the drier Upper Gulf region of the south-central USA. To calculate