The potential ecological envelope of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) based on its present distribution suggests a high suitability for moist rather than warm and dry environments. This contrasts with paleoecological evidence reporting its former presence at low elevations under meso-Mediterranean conditions. In this study, we evaluated the growth performance of silver fir at low elevation (20–60 m a

Physiological response to rapid light exposure due to canopy disintegration in young beech, fir, Norway spruce and sycamore trees was measured in three consecutive years after the severe ice storm in 2014 and after windthrow in 2017. Nitrogen amount (Ntot), maximum assimilation response to light (Amax) and quantum yield (Φ) were measured in three categories of different light intensities under closed

Resprouting is an ecological strategy widely adopted by trees in response to different restrictive factors, in which the stems can be emitted at different heights of the tree. Although the patterns of resprouting height are already known in response to some restrictive factors (such as fire), their occurrence is not well elucidated in non-fire prone dry environments where continuous resource restriction

Impacts of forest management practices on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics remain under debate due to complex interactions between belowground biogeochemical processes. To optimize practices that minimize soil C and N losses, we investigated the effects of management practices on soil C and N fluxes, including the leaching of dissolved organic C (DOC) and N, by comparing clearcutting, stem

Forest management guidelines are designed to protect water quality from unintended effects of land use changes such as timber harvest, mining, or forest road construction. Although streams that periodically cease to flow (nonperennial) drain the majority of forested areas, these streams are not consistently included in forest management guidelines. This paper reviews management guidelines for nonperennial

We investigated winter selection of resting sites by wolves in a commercial pine forest to test if roads, settlements, and type of forest influenced the resting behaviour of wolves during the day and at night. At the landscape scale, wolves selected resting sites that were farther from settlements, public roads and high-traffic forest roads than random points. At the fine scale, wolves chose sites

Moso bamboo is widely distributed in southern China and plays an important role in terrestrial C cycling. However, the implications of extensive management on soil properties, C sequestration, and plant restoration in degraded forests remain poorly understood. Here, four representative areas with four comparable stands each were selected for analysis, including those that have been extensively managed

Cork value is determined mainly by its thickness at the moment of debarking but is also affected by the presence of any discontinuities related to porosity characteristics and/or the presence of anomalies in the cork plank. Cork quality is closely related to the final price of the raw material, so inventories conducted prior to the cork debarking are aimed at identifying the characteristics of the

Extensive deer browsing threatens the ability of many forests in the northeastern United States to regenerate and sustain their biodiversity. To reliably assess whether deer are reducing the regeneration of key tree species valued for timber and wildlife, we developed a rapid field protocol for Assessing Vegetation Impacts from Deer (AVID, http://AVIDdeer.com). AVID is a method for foresters, landowners

The European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) occurs in the Cantabrian Range (NW Spain), at the southwestern limit of the wide distribution area of the species in Europe, forming relatively unmanaged forests of high biodiversity value. In this study, we measured three-dimensional positions, diameter at breast height and height of all the trees present in 112 inventory plots established in beech-dominated

Selective logging in tropical forests is often perceived as a source of forest degradation and carbon emissions. Improved practices, such as reduced-impact logging (RIL), and alternative timber production strategies (e.g. plantations) can drastically change the overall carbon impact of the wood production sector. Assessing the carbon balance of timber production is crucial but highly dependent on methodological

Globally, forests are under pressure to cope with an increasing human demand for forest products, while the need to protect forest biota increases. Old-growth forests are reference systems for the study of natural structures and processes in forest ecosystems. Results from such studies can be used to derive management practices that support and even foster biodiversity. Most temperate bat species exhibit

The ecology of leeches worldwide has been scarcely studied, with the ecology of Neotropical leeches remaining highly unknown. Americobdella valdiviana, an endemic, carnivorous, and giant leech that inhabits the Valdivian evergreen forest in southern Chile, an ecosystem that has experienced an increase in its net loss from 3.6% to 12% in the last decades due to various human activities. Here, we combined

Hickories (Carya spp.) are common species in eastern US forests. Despite being a noted component of the most prevalent forest type in the eastern US, remarkably little is known about the ecology and silvics of the genera, especially compared to oaks (Quercus spp.). To improve our understanding about the dynamics of hickories in stand development and forest succession, we used a variety of datasets

Deer impacts on forest vegetation have complicated attempts at forest regeneration in many parts of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic States, and other regions. Deer overabundance limits the success of forest regeneration. One strategy is to reduce deer browsing by temporarily excluding them from regeneration harvests. Because of the costs of fence installation, maintenance, and removal, we developed and

The development of relict vegetation at the edges of some ecosystems has taken place particularly in environments where the regeneration of foundational species is declining. As an important stage of regeneration in the Taxodium distichum, this study explored the relationship of cone volume and seed number across environmental gradients in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (MRAV) and northern Gulf

Tree mortality and its relationships with forest structure and environmental factors have been studied for many decades using permanent plots. In the last decades, plot monitoring showed that tree mortality rates were increasing in tropical and temperate regions. We analyzed tree mortality in subtropical montane forests of Northwestern Argentina to: (i) compare tree mortality rates between secondary

Forest residue left on the ground following harvesting (i.e., “slash”) plays an important role in moderating the physical and chemical environment of the soil for future forest growth. Leaving too little slash can leave the soil exposed to extreme fluctuations in soil conditions and fewer nutrients that may hinder future forest growth, while leaving too much slash makes it difficult for new trees to

Conventionally, forests and rice terraces are regarded as separate elements, and their interactions are largely overlooked. Afforestation of rice terraces has been regarded as a “failure” and is almost a taboo among households and policy-makers. We analyze the ecological interactions of afforestation for charcoal making and mushroom (shiitake, Lentinula edodes) production in former rice terraces and

The recent impacts of climate change have threatened the health and functioning of forested ecosystems on a global scale. Widespread tree mortality from altered disturbance regimes creates significant uncertainty about tree recovery in subalpine ecosystems. Aging seedlings is an important mechanism for understanding tree regeneration, and when paired with long-term climate, can provide critical information

Species-specific environmental adaptability results in different species having different suitable distribution ranges in nature. Investigating the change of relative advantages in growth performances among tree species along elevational gradients and the underlying mechanism are essential for selecting elevation-specific optimal species in forest management in mountainous regions. Xylem hydraulics

The recovery time of trees after extreme events may vary over space and among individuals, affecting the accuracy of predicting forest vulnerability to climate change. However, it remains unclear how different regional moisture conditions modulate the recovery time of trees in the long term. Here, we address this problem by examining 747 juniper trees at 24 sites on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Tree-growth

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and diazotrophs have the potential for nutrient transfer and biological nitrogen fixation in ecosystems, respectively. However, their response to vegetation restoration remains unclear, especially under varying temperature and precipitation levels in karst ecosystems. This study aimed to understand the effects of three climatic levels within four natural and managed

We reflect on the socio-economic challenges in designing, implementing and monitoring tree planting activities using a case study of Ethiopia, a country aiming to restore 15 of the 127.7 million hectares (ha) pledged by 31 African countries as of June 2021. Based on a literature review and expert assessments, we describe and analyse the historical context of both deforestation and afforestation and

The coastal tailed frog (Ascaphus truei) has a biphasic life-history that includes the use of montane streams adjacent to mature old growth forests. This species is at risk from a variety of land-use activities, including forest harvesting, that results in younger and more fragmented terrestrial habitats. Post-metamorphic tailed frogs are cryptic and difficult to capture, making for few studies of

The area-wide estimation of aboveground biomass (AGB) and its changes as a proxy for the sequestration and emission of carbon are currently associated with high uncertainties. Here we combined interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) height models derived from TanDEM-X with repeated ground-based inventories from the years 2012 and 2019 to estimate InSAR height and AGB changes in a structurally

The impact of harvesting intensity, vegetation control and fertilization on soil N availability 5–20 years post-harvest was determined at 18 jack pine and black spruce forests in northern Ontario, Canada. The study sites are affiliated with the North American long-term soil productivity (LTSP) study. Boreal forest growth is commonly N limited and young stands approaching crown closure acquire most

Tropical forest degradation makes a major contribution to greenhouse gas emission. Crown width (CW) is one of the important predictors in forest growth and yield models that provide basic data for assessment of forest degradation. Precise method of estimating tree crown for two tropical tree species (Dacrydium pierrei Hickel and Podocarpus imbricatus Bl), which are the major species in the degraded

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is a global devastating threat to forest ecosystems. Therefore, a feasible and effective approach to precisely monitor PWD infection is indispensable, especially at the early stages. However, a precise definition of “early stage” and a rapid and high-efficiency method to detect PWD infection have not been well established. In this study, we systematically divided the PWD infection

Pine shoot beetle (PSB, Tomicus spp.) outbreaks cause widespread Yunnan pine (Pinus yunnanensis Franch) mortality in southwestern China. Early identification of PSB attacks could help forest managers mitigate the infestation before it turns into an outbreak. However, the subtle spectral changes and complex process of PSB-induced crown discoloration make the remote sensing approach difficult. This study

Climate shifts and concomitant weather extremes such as extended droughts make it difficult to determine the best seed sources for reforestation. Seed source selection based on current climate conditions avoids further disrupting biotic interactions that may confer ecosystem resilience, but seed source selection could also draw from populations adapted to anticipated future climate conditions. Knowledge

Climate driven tree mortality threatens the current performance and productivity of the temperate boreal forests. For economically important tree species, progeny trials provide an opportunity to assess variability in wood quality and growth traits and their associations with climatic stressors, such as water availability. Data from 3,152 34-year-old white spruce and lodgepole pine progeny, representing

A growing portion of woodlands worldwide is allocated to tree plantations. These are intensively managed and support significantly lower biodiversity than natural forests. However, given their rising extension and importance, understanding how to enhance the role of plantations in aiding biodiversity is crucial. In the present study, we assessed the suitability of traditional poplar plantations for

Agroforestry options such as mixed-species tree planting and natural regeneration in oil palm plantations may alleviate negative effects of forest loss on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The effects of agroforestry on microclimate and land surface temperatures (LST) remain largely unknown despite their central role in controlling abiotic and biotic factors and in buffering climate at a larger

Growth and production models can help to simulate the growth of tree dimensions to predict forest productivity at different levels. In this context, the following questions arise: (i) is it possible to recognize the growth pattern of eucalyptus species based on spectral features using machine learning (ML) for data modeling? (ii) what spectral features provides better accuracy? and (iii) what ML algorithms

Increased fire frequency is predicted in global forests over the 21st century owing to climate change. Fire–averse animals are expected to be negatively impacted by frequent wildfire events, or corresponding habitat alteration and reduction in the extent of long unburnt forest in landscapes. Mobility is an attribute that may enable bird species persistence in this context, but the capacity to move

Deforestation and forest fragmentation have serious negative consequences for biodiversity and species distribution, but many studies approach species distributions and speciation processes without taking in account the local history of human disturbances. Nevertheless, the complex recovery process after forest destruction is widely distributed around the world and takes place under a wide mosaic of

Tropical forests play a fundamental role in mitigating climate change through storage of carbon in above- and below- ground biomass. Their mitigation potential is, however, affected by significant greenhouse gas emissions through tropical deforestation or forest degradation. Mitigating degradation caused by conventional logging is therefore an important challenge for silvicultural management, and various

Despite their role as keystone organisms, insect pollinator populations have declined across many regions. Although pollinator populations face a multitude of threats, among the most important is habitat loss and degradation. In eastern North America, forested landscapes are thought to serve as strongholds for robust pollinator populations, however, even these high-quality landscapes are increasingly

Height-diameter (H-D) allometry plays an important role in exploring forest growth dynamics and estimating forest biomass and carbon storage. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is one of the most economically and ecologically valuable tree species in North America. However, our understanding about the H-D allometry of ponderosa pine and its variation along environmental gradients is still limited. To

Oak species worldwide are experiencing declines, with negative consequences for hardwood forests and their associated biodiversity, but the causes of these declines vary across species and habitats. We examine changes in extent of banj oak-dominated (Quercus leucotrichophora) moist temperate hardwood forests in a Western Himalayan landscape between 1991 and 2017. Using classified satellite imagery

Interest in oak species in European forestry has been increasing as they are regarded as having high ability to cope with accelerating anticipated climate changes during the next 50 years. However, improvements in regeneration and silvicultural methods are needed due to oak stands’ high management costs and vulnerability to browsing. Thus, three methods of establishing oak stands were compared in terms

Active forest management for timber production, through the harvesting of forest stands using cut blocks, frequently overlaps grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) habitat on multi-use landscapes in North America, making it critical to understand how forest harvest management can effectively support grizzly bear conservation efforts. While many localised studies have investigated the relationships between forest

Eucalyptus tree stocking can be adjusted to increase, depending on purpose, cellulose, timber or bioenergy production, but the effect of stocking on ecosystem water balance is still understudied. Studies on soil and catchment hydrology and forest management, encompassing distinct climatic years, are needed for understudied ecosystems to improve water use efficiency and streamflow regulation, and thus

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are increasingly being used to enhance crop abiotic stress resistance. Common myrtle is an economically important essential oil-producing plant but knowledge about its drought resistance mechanisms and the drought mitigation potential of AMF and PGPR is scant. Here, we investigated the effects of single and dual AMF

The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) is a bark beetle that is native to pine forests of western North America and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Recent eastward range expansion into stands of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) and associated hybrids with lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) in western Canada has created concern that the insect will continue moving eastward. In the Great

Ecological mechanisms that maintain species identity between potentially interfertile sympatric populations are puzzling. Local adaptation to a particular environment by means of phenology may confine plants to very specific habitats that may result in assortative mating within an initially panmictic population. Nothofagus pumilio, N. antarctica and N. dombeyi are sister species. They can occur in

Active forest management operations, such as regeneration harvests, can reduce hazardous fuel loads and alter fuel structure, potentially minimizing extreme wildfire conditions while maintaining ecosystem services, such as wildlife habitat and water quality. Regeneration harvests of differing intensities (clearcut, high-retention shelterwood, and low-retention shelterwood) were first applied between

Floodplain hardwood forests that exist on islands and immediately adjacent to channels along the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) are ecologically important due to high floral and faunal biodiversity. The recent decline and regeneration failure of hard mast species—e.g. Quercus spp. and Carya spp.—along the UMRS has been well documented, but causes of these trends have not been widely examined

We used a simulation model to analyse the effect of continuous-cover forestry on the carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions from nutrient-rich drained peatland sites in southern Finland. The simulation scenarios were constructed by varying harvesting interval and post-harvest basal area in a typical mature Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) stand. A process-based model of soil organic

The future habitat and productivity of industrial forest plantations (IFPs) are facing large uncertainties due to global warming. As an important IFP species, Populus deltoides is widely used for afforestation worldwide, serving as a key model species to assess the impact of climate change on potentially suitable area and productivity. Here we first compiled a global productivity dataset of P. deltoides

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations have increased remarkably in many parts of the world. In predominantly Muslim regions such as Peninsular Malaysia, wild boars are native species that have thrived, in part, because Muslims do not hunt them, and also because apex predators such as Malayan tigers (Panthera tigris jacksoni) are declining rapidly. We examined the relationship between the number of wild

Understanding patterns of tropical forest resilience is a central challenge in conservation ecology particularly in seasonally-dry tropical forests, where anthropogenic disturbance and climate change are pervasive threats. Here, we investigate the recovery rate and community organization of dung beetles along a Caatinga dry forest regeneration cline in the context of slash-and-burn agriculture in northeast

Research dating back to the 1950 s has documented negative effects from harvesting of primeval forests on stream ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. By the early 1990 s, state and federal forest practice rules governing timber harvest were modified throughout North America to better protect aquatic habitats and biotic resources, principally salmonids. These rules inspired a generation of studies using

The area of planted forests increases worldwide and those forests have a potential to contribute to climate change mitigation. Often the genetically improved planting material is used for reforestation, but its potential to accumulate more carbon (C) in biomass through enhanced or faster growth is not fully appreciated. The aim of this study was to investigate variation among native Scots pine and

Small mustelids such as the American marten (Martes americana) and short-tailed weasel (Mustela erminea) are important furbearers in temperate and boreal forests and are negatively affected by clearcutting. A major prey species, the southern red-backed vole (Myodes gapperi), also disappears from clearcuts and does not return to abundance levels of uncut forest for many decades. We tested the hypotheses