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Seidl R, Potterf M, Müller J, Turner MG, Rammer W. Patterns of early post-disturbance reorganization in Central European forests. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240625. [PMID: 39317320 PMCID: PMC11421910 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Disturbances catalyse change in forest ecosystems, and a climate-driven increase in disturbance activity could accelerate forest reorganization. Here, we studied post-disturbance forests after the biggest pulse of tree mortality in Central Europe in at least 170 years, caused by drought and bark beetle (Scolytinae) outbreaks in 2018-2020. Our objectives were to characterize the early state of tree regeneration after mortality, quantify patterns of reorganization relative to undisturbed reference conditions and assess how management and patch size affect forest reorganization after disturbance. We surveyed 1244 plots in 120 patches under managed (salvage-logged, often planted) and unmanaged (deadwood remaining on site, no planting) conditions in Germany. We found that regeneration density on disturbed sites was high (median 11 897 stems ha-1), resulting from a cohort of advance regeneration. Disturbances were strong drivers of change, with indications for resilience on only 36.3% of patches. Reassembly (i.e. a change in species composition) was the dominant pattern of reorganization (61.5%), and Picea abies forests changed most strongly. Post-disturbance management facilitated forest change, particularly promoting a change in species composition. The strength of reorganization increased with patch size. We conclude that the recent wave of tree mortality will likely accelerate forest change in Central Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupert Seidl
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising85354, Germany
- Berchtesgaden National Park, Doktorberg 6, Berchtesgaden83471, Germany
| | - Mária Potterf
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising85354, Germany
| | - Jörg Müller
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Field Station Fabrikschleichach, University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstr. 5, Rauhenebrach96181, Germany
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyungerstr. 2, Grafenau94481, Germany
| | - Monica G. Turner
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53706, USA
| | - Werner Rammer
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising85354, Germany
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Margalef-Marrase J, Molowny-Horas R, Jaime L, Lloret F. Modelling the dynamics of Pinus sylvestris forests after a die-off event under climate change scenarios. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 856:159063. [PMID: 36202357 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, die-off events in Pinus sylvestris populations have increased. The causes of these phenomena, which are usually related to local and regional extreme hot droughts, have been extensively investigated from a physiological viewpoint. However, the consequences of die-off process in terms of demography and vegetation dynamics have been less thoroughly addressed. Here, we projected P. sylvestris plot dynamics after a die-off event, under climate change scenarios, considering also their early demographic stages (i.e., seedlings, saplings and ingrowth from the sapling to adult class), to assess the resilience of P. sylvestris populations after such events. We used Integral Projection Models (IPMs) to project future plot structure under current climate, and under RCP4.5 and RCP8.0 climate scenarios, using climatic suitability - extracted from Species Distribution Models - as a covariable in the estimations of vital rates over time. Field data feeding IPMs were obtained from two successive surveys, at the end of the die-off event (2013) and four years later (2017), undertaken on populations situated across the P. sylvestris range of distribution in Catalonia (NE Spain). Plots affected by die-off experienced a loss of large trees, which causes that basal area, tree diameter and tree density will remain lower for decades relative to unaffected plots. After the event, this situation is partially counterbalanced in affected plots by a greater increase in basal area and seedling recruitment into tree stage, thus promoting resilience. However, resilience is delayed under the climate-change scenarios with warmer and drier conditions involving additional physiological stress, due to a reduced abundance of seedlings and a smaller plot basal area. The study shows lagged effect of drought-induced die-off events on forest structure, also revealing stabilizing mechanisms, such as recruitment and tree growth release, which enhance resilience. However, these mechanisms would be jeopardized by oncoming regional warming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roberto Molowny-Horas
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Bellaterra 08193, Spain
| | - Luciana Jaime
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Bellaterra 08193, Spain
| | - Francisco Lloret
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Bellaterra 08193, Spain; Unitat d'Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Spain
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Kempf M. Enhanced trends in spectral greening and climate anomalies across Europe. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:260. [PMID: 36596916 PMCID: PMC9810573 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10853-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Europe witnessed a strong increase in climate variability and enhanced climate-induced extreme events, such as hot drought periods, mega heat waves, and persistent flooding and flash floods. Intensified land degradation, land use, and landcover changes further amplified the pressure on the environmental system functionalities and fuelled climate change feedbacks. On the other hand, global satellite observations detected a positive spectral greening trend-most likely as a response to rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming. But which are the engines behind such shifts in surface reflectance patterns, vegetation response to global climate changes, or anomalies in the environmental control mechanisms? This article compares long-term environmental variables (1948-2021) to recent vegetation index data (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), 2001-2021) and presents regional trends in climate variability and vegetation response across Europe. Results show that positive trends in vegetation response, temperature, rainfall, and soil moisture are accompanied by a strong increase in climate anomalies over large parts of Europe. Vegetation dynamics are strongly coupled to increased temperature and enhanced soil moisture during winter and the early growing season in the northern latitudes. Simultaneously, temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture anomalies are strongly increasing. Such a strong amplification in climate variability across Europe further enhances the vulnerability of vegetation cover during extreme events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kempf
- Department of Geography, Physical Geography - Landscape Ecology and Geoinformation, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
- CRC1266-Scales of Transformation, Project A2 'Integrative Modelling of Socio-Environmental Dynamics', University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
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Křenová Z, Janík T, Romportl D. One park, two owners—Inconsistencies in forest stewardship. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zdenka Křenová
- Department of Biodiversity Research Global Change Research Institute CAS Brno Czech Republic
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science Charles University Praha Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Janík
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science Charles University Praha Czech Republic
- Department of Spatial Ecology The Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Public Research Institution, v.v.i. Průhonice Czech Republic
| | - Dušan Romportl
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science Charles University Praha Czech Republic
- Department of Spatial Ecology The Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Public Research Institution, v.v.i. Průhonice Czech Republic
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Sommerfeld A, Rammer W, Heurich M, Hilmers T, Müller J, Seidl R. Do bark beetle outbreaks amplify or dampen future bark beetle disturbances in Central Europe? THE JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2021; 109:737-749. [PMID: 33664526 PMCID: PMC7894307 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bark beetle outbreaks have intensified in many forests around the globe in recent years. Yet, the legacy of these disturbances for future forest development remains unclear. Bark beetle disturbances are expected to increase further because of climate change. Consequently, feedbacks within the disturbance regime are of growing interest, for example, whether bark beetle outbreaks are amplifying future bark beetle activity (through the initiation of an even-aged cohort of trees) or dampening it (through increased structural and compositional diversity).We studied bark beetle-vegetation-climate interactions in the Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany), an area characterised by unprecedented bark beetle activity in the recent past. We simulated the effect of future bark beetle outbreaks on forest structure and composition and analysed how disturbance-mediated forest dynamics influence future bark beetle activity under different scenarios of climate change. We used process-based simulation modelling in combination with machine learning to disentangle the long-term interactions between vegetation, climate and bark beetles at the landscape scale.Disturbances by the European spruce bark beetle were strongly amplified by climate change, increasing between 59% and 221% compared to reference climate. Bark beetle outbreaks reduced the dominance of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) on the landscape, increasing compositional diversity. Disturbances decreased structural diversity within stands (α diversity) and increased structural diversity between stands (β diversity). Overall, disturbance-mediated changes in forest structure and composition dampened future disturbance activity (a reduction of up to -67%), but were not able to fully compensate for the amplifying effect of climate change. Synthesis. Our findings indicate that the recent disturbance episode at the Bavarian Forest National Park was caused by a convergence of highly susceptible forest structures with climatic conditions favourable for bark beetle outbreaks. While future climate is increasingly conducive to massive outbreaks, the emerging landscape structure is less and less likely to support them. This study improves our understanding of the long-term legacies of ongoing bark beetle disturbances in Central Europe. It indicates that increased diversity provides an important dampening feedback, and suggests that preventing disturbances or homogenizing post-disturbance forests could elevate the future susceptibility to large-scale bark beetle outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Sommerfeld
- Institute of SilvicultureUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)ViennaAustria
| | - Werner Rammer
- Institute of SilvicultureUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)ViennaAustria
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management GroupSchool of Life SciencesTechnical University of MunichFreisingGermany
| | - Marco Heurich
- Bavarian Forest National ParkGrafenauGermany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife ManagementUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Torben Hilmers
- Chair of Forest Growth and Yield ScienceSchool of Life Sciences WeihenstephanTechnical University of MunichFreisingGermany
| | - Jörg Müller
- Bavarian Forest National ParkGrafenauGermany
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Rupert Seidl
- Institute of SilvicultureUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)ViennaAustria
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management GroupSchool of Life SciencesTechnical University of MunichFreisingGermany
- Berchtesgaden National ParkBerchtesgadenGermany
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Kopáček J, Bače R, Hejzlar J, Kaňa J, Kučera T, Matějka K, Porcal P, Turek J. Changes in microclimate and hydrology in an unmanaged mountain forest catchment after insect-induced tree dieback. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 720:137518. [PMID: 32143039 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Hydrological and microclimatic changes after insect-induced tree dieback were evaluated in an unmanaged central European mountain (Plešné, PL) forest and compared to climate-related changes in a similar, but almost intact (Čertovo, CT) control forest during two decades. From 2004 to 2008, 93% of Norway spruce trees were killed by a bark beetle outbreak, and the entire PL area was left to subsequent natural development. We observed that (1) climate-related increases in daily mean air temperature (2 m above ground) were 1.6 and 0.5 °C on an annual and growing season basis, respectively, and an increase in daily mean soil temperature (5 cm below ground) was 0.9 °C during growing seasons at the CT control from 2004 to 2017; (2) daily mean soil and air temperatures increased by 0.7-1.2 °C on average more at the disturbed PL plots than in the healthy forest; (3) water input to soils increased by 20% but decreased by 17% at elevations of 1122 and 1334 m, respectively, due to decreased occult deposition to, and evaporation from, canopies after tree dieback; (4) soil moisture was 5% higher on average (but up to 17% higher in dry summer months) in the upper PL soil horizons for 5-6 years following the tree dieback; (5) run-off from the PL forest ~6% (~70 mm yr-1) increased relatively to the CT forest (but without extreme peak flows and erosion events) after tree dieback due to the ceased transpiration of dead trees and elevated water input to soils; and (6) relative air humidity was 4% lower on average at disturbed plots than beneath living trees. The rapid tree regeneration during the decade following tree dieback resulted in a complete recovery in soil moisture, a slow recovery of discharge and air humidity, but a still insignificant recovery in air and soil temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Kopáček
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Radek Bače
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Josef Hejzlar
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiří Kaňa
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Kučera
- University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Petr Porcal
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Turek
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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McDowell NG, Allen CD, Anderson-Teixeira K, Aukema BH, Bond-Lamberty B, Chini L, Clark JS, Dietze M, Grossiord C, Hanbury-Brown A, Hurtt GC, Jackson RB, Johnson DJ, Kueppers L, Lichstein JW, Ogle K, Poulter B, Pugh TAM, Seidl R, Turner MG, Uriarte M, Walker AP, Xu C. Pervasive shifts in forest dynamics in a changing world. Science 2020; 368:368/6494/eaaz9463. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz9463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 301] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Craig D. Allen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, New Mexico Landscapes Field Station, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USA
| | - Kristina Anderson-Teixeira
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
- Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Republic of Panama
| | - Brian H. Aukema
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Ben Bond-Lamberty
- Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, College Park, MD 20740, USA
| | - Louise Chini
- Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - James S. Clark
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Michael Dietze
- Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Charlotte Grossiord
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Adam Hanbury-Brown
- Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - George C. Hurtt
- Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Robert B. Jackson
- Department of Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment, and Precourt Institute for Energy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Daniel J. Johnson
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lara Kueppers
- Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Division of Climate and Ecosystem Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Kiona Ogle
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | - Benjamin Poulter
- Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Thomas A. M. Pugh
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK
- Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK
| | - Rupert Seidl
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 1180 Vienna, Austria
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Monica G. Turner
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Maria Uriarte
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Anthony P. Walker
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Chonggang Xu
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
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Interspecific Variability of Water Storage Capacity and Absorbability of Deadwood. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11050575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the water storage capacity and absorbability of deadwood of different tree species with varying degrees of decomposition. Coniferous (Silver fir—Abies alba Mill.) and deciduous (Common hornbeam—Carpinus betulus L., Common ash—Fraxinus excelsior L., Common alder—Alnus glutinosa Gaertn., and Common aspen—Populus tremula L.) species were selected for the research. The study focuses on the wood of dead trees at an advanced stage of decomposition. Deadwood samples were collected at the Czarna Rózga Nature Reserve in central Poland. Changes over time of the water absorbability and water storage capacity of deadwood were determined under laboratory conditions. The research confirmed the significance of the wood species and the degree of wood decomposition in shaping the water storage capacity and absorbability of deadwood in forest ecosystems. Fir wood was characterized by having the highest water storage capacity and water absorbability. Among deciduous species under analysis, aspen wood was characterized by having the highest water storage capacity and absorbability. Our research has confirmed that deadwood may be a significant reservoir of water in forests.
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Pettit JM, Burton JI, DeRose RJ, Long JN, Voelker SL. Epidemic spruce beetle outbreak changes drivers of Engelmann spruce regeneration. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jessika M. Pettit
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84321 USA
- Department of Forest Ecology Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Julia I. Burton
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84321 USA
- Department of Forest and Natural Resource Management State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York 13210 USA
| | - R. Justin DeRose
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84321 USA
- USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Forest Inventory and Analysis 507 25th Street Ogden Utah 84401 USA
| | - James N. Long
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah 84321 USA
| | - Steve L. Voelker
- Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate Utah State University Logan Utah 84321 USA
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Bisbing SM, Buma BJ, Oakes LE, Krapek J, Bidlack AL. From canopy to seed: Loss of snow drives directional changes in forest composition. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8157-8174. [PMID: 31380079 PMCID: PMC6662406 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is altering the conditions for tree recruitment, growth, and survival, and impacting forest community composition. Across southeast Alaska, USA, and British Columbia, Canada, Callitropsis nootkatensis (Alaska yellow-cedar) is experiencing extensive climate change-induced canopy mortality due to fine-root death during soil freezing events following warmer winters and the loss of insulating snowpack. Here, we examine the effects of ongoing, climate-driven canopy mortality on forest community composition and identify potential shifts in stand trajectories due to the loss of a single canopy species. We sampled canopy and regenerating forest communities across the extent of C. nootkatensis decline in southeast Alaska to quantify the effects of climate, community, and stand-level drivers on C. nootkatensis canopy mortality and regeneration as well as postdecline regenerating community composition. Across the plot network, C. nootkatensis exhibited significantly higher mortality than co-occurring conifers across all size classes and locations. Regenerating community composition was highly variable but closely related to the severity of C. nootkatensis mortality. Callitropsis nootkatensis canopy mortality was correlated with winter temperatures and precipitation as well as local soil drainage, with regenerating community composition and C. nootkatensis regeneration abundances best explained by available seed source. In areas of high C. nootkatensis mortality, C. nootkatensis regeneration was low and replaced by Tsuga. Our study suggests that climate-induced forest mortality is driving alternate successional pathways in forests where C. nootkatensis was once a major component. These pathways are likely to lead to long-term shifts in forest community composition and stand dynamics. Our analysis fills a critical knowledge gap on forest ecosystem response and rearrangement following the climate-driven decline of a single species, providing new insight into stand dynamics in a changing climate. As tree species across the globe are increasingly stressed by climate change-induced alteration of suitable habitat, identifying the autecological factors contributing to successful regeneration, or lack thereof, will provide key insight into forest resilience and persistence on the landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Bisbing
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of Nevada – RenoRenoNevadaUSA
| | - Brian J. Buma
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Colorado, DenverDenverColoradoUSA
| | - Lauren E. Oakes
- Department of Earth System ScienceStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Climate Change Americas ProgramWildlife Conservation SocietyBozemanMontanaUSA
| | - John Krapek
- Department of Natural SciencesUniversity of Alaska SoutheastJuneauAlaskaUSA
| | - Allison L. Bidlack
- Alaska Coastal Rainforest CenterUniversity of Alaska SoutheastJuneauAlaskaUSA
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Sandström J, Bernes C, Junninen K, Lõhmus A, Macdonald E, Müller J, Jonsson BG. Impacts of dead wood manipulation on the biodiversity of temperate and boreal forests. A systematic review. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennie Sandström
- Department of Natural Sciences Mid Sweden University Sundsvall Sweden
| | - Claes Bernes
- Mistra Council for Evidence‐Based Environmental Management Stockholm Environment Institute Stockholm Sweden
| | - Kaisa Junninen
- Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland Joensuu Finland
- School of Forest Sciences University of Eastern Finland Joensuu Finland
| | - Asko Lõhmus
- Inst. of Ecology and Earth Sciences Tartu University Tartu Estonia
| | - Ellen Macdonald
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Jörg Müller
- Department of Conservation and Research Bavarian Forest National Park Grafenau Germany
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12
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Weldon J, Grandin U. Major disturbances test resilience at a long-term boreal forest monitoring site. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4275-4288. [PMID: 31016004 PMCID: PMC6467845 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of disturbances on boreal forest plant communities is not fully understood, particularly when different disturbances are combined, and regime shifts to alternate stable states are possible after disturbance. A long-term monitored semi-natural forest site subject to intense combined storm and bark beetle damage beginning in 2005 provided an opportunity to investigate the postdisturbance development of the vegetation community. Previous studies suggest that a shift from Picea abies to Fagus sylvatica domination was possible.We analyzed pre- and postdisturbance vegetation data to investigate to what extent vascular plant species abundances, diversity, traits, and community composition have changed. We were particularly interested in differences between remaining apparently unaffected areas (potential refugia) and disturbed areas, and in signs of consistent change over time in community composition in response to disturbance that could indicate an impending regime shift.We found that the vegetation community present in the refuge areas has remained substantially intact through the period of disturbance. Nonrefuge areas diverged from the refuges in community composition and showed increased taxonomic and functional diversity. Despite this, and an increase in deciduous tree species (particularly F. sylvatica), P. abies has shown strong postdisturbance regeneration. The refuges may be important in the apparent ongoing recovery of the disturbed areas to a P. abies-dominated state similar to that found predisturbance. This fast recovery is interpreted as evidence of a system resilient to a potential shift to a deciduous-dominated state. Synthesis: Our results show that even powerful combined disturbances in a system with multiple stable states can be insufficient to initiate a regime shift. Resilience of the P. abies-dominated forest community is increased by the survival of refuge areas functioning as a form of ecological memory of the previous ecosystem state. The results also demonstrate the value of data generated by long-term monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Weldon
- SLU, Institutionen för vatten och miljöUppsalaSweden
| | - Ulf Grandin
- SLU, Institutionen för vatten och miljöUppsalaSweden
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13
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Oulehle F, Wright RF, Svoboda M, Bače R, Matějka K, Kaňa J, Hruška J, Couture RM, Kopáček J. Effects of Bark Beetle Disturbance on Soil Nutrient Retention and Lake Chemistry in Glacial Catchment. Ecosystems 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-018-0298-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Meigs GW, Keeton WS. Intermediate-severity wind disturbance in mature temperate forests: legacy structure, carbon storage, and stand dynamics. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:798-815. [PMID: 29364572 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Wind is one of the most important natural disturbances influencing forest structure, ecosystem function, and successional processes worldwide. This study quantifies the stand-scale effects of intermediate-severity windstorms (i.e., blowdowns) on (1) live and dead legacy structure, (2) aboveground carbon storage, and (3) tree regeneration and associated stand dynamics at four mature, mixed hardwood-conifer forest sites in the northeastern United States. We compare wind-affected forests to adjacent reference conditions (i.e., undisturbed portions of the same stands) 0-8 yr post-blowdown using parametric (ANOVA) and nonparametric (NMS ordination) analyses. We supplement inventory plots and downed coarse woody detritus (DCWD) transects with hemispherical photography to capture spatial variation in the light environment. Although recent blowdowns transferred a substantial proportion of live overstory trees to DCWD, residual live tree basal area was high (19-59% of reference areas). On average, the initial post-blowdown ratio of DCWD carbon to standing live tree carbon was 2.72 in blowdown stands and 0.18 in reference stands, indicating a large carbon transfer from live to dead pools. Despite these dramatic changes, structural complexity remained high in blowdown areas, as indicated by the size and species distributions of overstory trees, abundance of sound and rotten downed wood, spatial patterns of light availability, and variability of understory vegetation. Furthermore, tree species composition was similar between blowdown and reference areas at each site, with generally shade-tolerant species dominating across multiple canopy strata. Community response to intermediate-severity blowdown at these sites suggests a dynamic in which disturbance maintains late-successional species composition rather than providing a regeneration opportunity for shade-intolerant, pioneer species. Our findings suggest that intermediate-severity wind disturbances can contribute to stand-scale structural complexity as well as development toward late-successional species composition, at least when shade-tolerant regeneration is present pre-blowdown. Advance regeneration thus enhances structural and compositional resilience to this type of disturbance. This study provides a baseline for multi-cohort silvicultural systems designed to restore heterogeneity associated with natural disturbance dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett W Meigs
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
| | - William S Keeton
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
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Application of GIS to Empirical Windthrow Risk Model in Mountain Forested Landscapes. FORESTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/f9020096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Salvage-Logging after Windstorm Leads to Structural and Functional Homogenization of Understory Layer and Delayed Spruce Tree Recovery in Tatra Mts., Slovakia. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8030088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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