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Alfieri D, Tognetti R, Santopuoli G. Exploring climate-smart forestry in Mediterranean forests through an innovative composite climate-smart index. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 368:122002. [PMID: 39137635 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122002] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF) has emerged as an innovative approach to sustainable forest management, aiming to enhance forest resilience and to balance the provision of ecosystem services facing climate-related threats. This study introduces for the first time a new composite climate-smart index (ICSF) to assess CSF. The methodological approach comprises the following steps: (i) the selection and evaluation of CSF indicators; (ii) the weighting of these indicators; and (iii) the assessment of CSF for Mediterranean forests in two distinct periods, specifically 2005 and 2015. Eight indicators were selected from a systematic literature review. The Analytic Hierarchy Process was applied to translate the preferences obtained through an online questionnaire from a network of CSF-expert stakeholders into weights, at both indicators and criteria levels (i.e., adaptation, mitigation, and the social dimension). Results reveals that indicators "tree species composition", "forest damage", and "regeneration" are of crucial importance for CSF assessment. The comparison of the CSF value between the years 2005 and 2015, shows a slight increase in CSF ratings. The ICSF serves as a comprehensive index of CSF covering all aspects of that concept, i.e. adaptation, mitigation, and the social dimension (including production). The national-scale analysis provides an overview of the dynamics that involve forest management of Mediterranean forests against climate change. The study offers a practicable method for CSF evaluation with its allover set of indicators, representing a suitable tool for supporting forest managers to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Alfieri
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Italy.
| | - Roberto Tognetti
- Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie, Ambientali e Alimentari, Libera Università di Bozen/Bolzano, Italy; Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Santopuoli
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università degli Studi del Molise, Italy.
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2
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Jing X, Baum C, Castagneyrol B, Eisenhauer N, Ferlian O, Gebauer T, Hajek P, Jactel H, Muys B, Nock CA, Ponette Q, Rose L, Saurer M, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Verheyen K, Van Meerbeek K. Leaf isotopes reveal tree diversity effects on the functional responses to the pan-European 2018 summer drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:1312-1328. [PMID: 38934095 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19931] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Recent droughts have strongly impacted forest ecosystems and are projected to increase in frequency, intensity, and duration in the future together with continued warming. While evidence suggests that tree diversity can regulate drought impacts in natural forests, few studies examine whether mixed tree plantations are more resistant to the impacts of severe droughts. Using natural variations in leaf carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotopic ratios, that is δ13C and δ15N, as proxies for drought response, we analyzed the effects of tree species richness on the functional responses of tree plantations to the pan-European 2018 summer drought in seven European tree diversity experiments. We found that leaf δ13C decreased with increasing tree species richness, indicating less drought stress. This effect was not related to drought intensity, nor desiccation tolerance of the tree species. Leaf δ15N increased with drought intensity, indicating a shift toward more open N cycling as water availability diminishes. Additionally, drought intensity was observed to alter the influence of tree species richness on leaf δ15N from weakly negative under low drought intensity to weakly positive under high drought intensity. Overall, our findings suggest that dual leaf isotope analysis helps understand the interaction between drought, nutrients, and species richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, and College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Christel Baum
- Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 6, Rostock, 18059, Germany
| | | | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstrasse 4, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Olga Ferlian
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstrasse 4, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Tobias Gebauer
- Geobotany, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Peter Hajek
- Geobotany, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Hervé Jactel
- BIOGECO, INRAE, University of Bordeaux, Cestas, 33610, France
| | - Bart Muys
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
| | - Charles A Nock
- Geobotany, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Quentin Ponette
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 2 - box L7.05.24, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - Laura Rose
- Geobotany, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
- Ministry of Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture (BUKEA), Hamburg, 21109, Germany
| | - Matthias Saurer
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf, Zuercherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
| | | | - Kris Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Campus Gontrode, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, 9090, Belgium
| | - Koenraad Van Meerbeek
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
- KU Leuven Plant Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
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3
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Vanneste T, Depauw L, De Lombaerde E, Meeussen C, Govaert S, De Pauw K, Sanczuk P, Bollmann K, Brunet J, Calders K, Cousins SAO, Diekmann M, Gasperini C, Graae BJ, Hedwall PO, Iacopetti G, Lenoir J, Lindmo S, Orczewska A, Ponette Q, Plue J, Selvi F, Spicher F, Verbeeck H, Zellweger F, Verheyen K, Vangansbeke P, De Frenne P. Trade-offs in biodiversity and ecosystem services between edges and interiors in European forests. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:880-887. [PMID: 38424266 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02335-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Forest biodiversity and ecosystem services are hitherto predominantly quantified in forest interiors, well away from edges. However, these edges also represent a substantial proportion of the global forest cover. Here we quantified plant biodiversity and ecosystem service indicators in 225 plots along forest edge-to-interior transects across Europe. We found strong trade-offs: phylogenetic diversity (evolutionary measure of biodiversity), proportion of forest specialists, decomposition and heatwave buffering increased towards the interior, whereas species richness, nectar production potential, stemwood biomass and tree regeneration decreased. These trade-offs were mainly driven by edge-to-interior structural differences. As fragmentation continues, recognizing the role of forest edges is crucial for integrating biodiversity and ecosystem service considerations into sustainable forest management and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Vanneste
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium.
| | - Leen Depauw
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Emiel De Lombaerde
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Camille Meeussen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Sanne Govaert
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Karen De Pauw
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Pieter Sanczuk
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Kurt Bollmann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Jörg Brunet
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Kim Calders
- CAVElab-Computational and Applied Vegetation Ecology, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sara A O Cousins
- Biogeography and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Diekmann
- Vegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology, FB2, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Cristina Gasperini
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Bente J Graae
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per-Ola Hedwall
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Giovanni Iacopetti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Jonathan Lenoir
- UMR CNRS 7058 « Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés », Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Sigrid Lindmo
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Anna Orczewska
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Quentin Ponette
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jan Plue
- Biogeography and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Federico Selvi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Fabien Spicher
- UMR CNRS 7058 « Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés », Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Hans Verbeeck
- CAVElab-Computational and Applied Vegetation Ecology, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Florian Zellweger
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Kris Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Pieter Vangansbeke
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
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4
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Abstract
Tree canopies are one of the most recognizable features of forests, providing shelter from external influences to a myriad of species that live within and below the tree foliage. Canopy disturbances are now increasing across European forests, and climate-change-induced drought is a key driver, together with pests and pathogens, storms and fire. These disturbances are opening the canopy and exposing below-canopy biodiversity and functioning to novel light regimes-spatial and temporal characteristics of light distribution at forest floors not found previously. The majority of forest biodiversity occurs in the shade within and below tree canopies, and numerous ecosystem processes are regulated at the forest floor. Altered light regimes, in interaction with other global change drivers, can thus strongly impact forest biodiversity and functioning. As recent European droughts are unprecedented in the past two millennia, and this has initiated probably the largest pulse of forest disturbances in almost two centuries, we urgently need to quantify, understand and predict the impacts of novel light regimes on below-canopy forest biodiversity and functions. This will be a crucial element in delivering much-needed information for policymakers and managers to adapt European forests to future no-analogue conditions.
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5
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Nikinmaa L, Lindner M, Cantarello E, Gardiner B, Jacobsen JB, Jump AS, Parra C, Plieninger T, Schuck A, Seidl R, Timberlake T, Waring K, Winkel G, Muys B. A balancing act: Principles, criteria and indicator framework to operationalize social-ecological resilience of forests. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 331:117039. [PMID: 36701888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Against a background of intensifying climate-induced disturbances, the need to enhance the resilience of forests and forest management is gaining urgency. In forest management, multiple trade-offs exist between different demands as well as across and within temporal and spatial scales. However, methods to assess resilience that consider these trade-offs are presently lacking. Here we propose a hierarchical framework of principles, criteria, and indicators to assess the resilience of a social-ecological system by focusing on the mechanisms behind resilience. This hierarchical framework balances trade-offs between mechanisms, different parts of the social-ecological system, ecosystem services, and spatial as well as temporal scales. The framework was developed to be used in a participatory manner in forest management planning. It accounts for the major parts of the forest-related social-ecological system and considers the multiple trade-offs involved. We demonstrate the utility of the framework by applying it to a landscape dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) in Central Europe, managed for three different management goals. The framework highlights how forest resilience varies with the pursued management goals and related management strategies. The framework is flexible and can be applied to various forest management contexts as part of a participatory process with stakeholders. It thus is an important step towards operationalizing social-ecological resilience in forest management systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Nikinmaa
- European Forest Institute, Bonn, Germany; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | | | - Elena Cantarello
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jette Bredahl Jacobsen
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alistair S Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Constanza Parra
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tobias Plieninger
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany
| | | | - Rupert Seidl
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; Berchtesgaden National Park, Berchtesgaden, Germany
| | - Thomas Timberlake
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Kristen Waring
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Georg Winkel
- Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bart Muys
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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6
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Storms I, Verdonck S, Verbist B, Willems P, De Geest P, Gutsch M, Cools N, De Vos B, Mahnken M, Lopez J, Van Orshoven J, Muys B. Quantifying climate change effects on future forest biomass availability using yield tables improved by mechanistic scaling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 833:155189. [PMID: 35427613 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155189] [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: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Forests and wood products play a major role in climate change mitigation strategies and the transition from a fossil-based economy to a circular bioeconomy. Accurate estimates of future forest productivity are crucial to predict the carbon sequestration and wood provision potential of forests. Since long, forest managers have used empirical yield tables as a cost-effective and reliable way to predict forest growth. However, recent climate change-induced growth shifts raised doubts about the long-term validity of these yield tables. In this study, we propose a methodology to improve available yield tables of 11 tree species in the Netherlands and Flanders, Belgium. The methodology uses scaling functions derived from climate-sensitive process-based modelling (PBM) that reflect state-of-the-art projections of future growth trends. Combining PBM and stand information from the empirical yield tables for the region of Flanders, we found that for the period 1987-2016 stand productivity has on average increased by 13% compared to 1961-1990. Furthermore, simulations indicate that this positive growth trend is most likely to persist in the coming decades, for all considered species, climate or site conditions. Nonetheless, results showed that local site variability is equally important to consider as the in- or exclusion of the CO2 fertilization effect or different climate projections, when assessing the magnitude of forests' response to climate change. Our projections suggest that incorporating these climate change-related productivity changes lead to a 7% increase in standing stock and a 22% increase in sustainably potentially harvestable woody biomass by 2050. The proposed methodology and resulting estimates of climate-sensitive projections of future woody biomass stocks will facilitate the further incorporation of forests and their products in global and regional strategies for the transition to a climate-smart circular bioeconomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilié Storms
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Sanne Verdonck
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bruno Verbist
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrick Willems
- Hydraulics and Geotechnics Section, Department of Civil Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 40, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Pieterjan De Geest
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Martin Gutsch
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Member of the Leibniz Association, P.O. Box 601203, 14412 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Nathalie Cools
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Environment and Climate Unit, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
| | - Bruno De Vos
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Environment and Climate Unit, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
| | - Mats Mahnken
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Member of the Leibniz Association, P.O. Box 601203, 14412 Potsdam, Germany; Chair of Forest Growth and Woody Biomass Production, TU Dresden, 01737 Tharandt, Germany
| | - Joachim Lopez
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jos Van Orshoven
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Muys
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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7
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Meeussen C, De Pauw K, Sanczuk P, Brunet J, Cousins SAO, Gasperini C, Hedwall PO, Iacopetti G, Lenoir J, Plue J, Selvi F, Spicher F, Uria Diez J, Verheyen K, Vangansbeke P, De Frenne P. Initial oak regeneration responses to experimental warming along microclimatic and macroclimatic gradients. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2022; 24:745-757. [PMID: 35373433 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Quercus spp. are one of the most important tree genera in temperate deciduous forests in terms of biodiversity, economic and cultural perspectives. However, natural regeneration of oaks, depending on specific environmental conditions, is still not sufficiently understood. Oak regeneration dynamics are impacted by climate change, but these climate impacts will depend on local forest management and light and temperature conditions. Here, we studied germination, survival and seedling performance (i.e. aboveground biomass, height, root collar diameter and specific leaf area) of four oak species (Q. cerris, Q. ilex, Q. robur and Q. petraea). Acorns were sown across a wide latitudinal gradient, from Italy to Sweden, and across several microclimatic gradients located within and beyond the species' natural ranges. Microclimatic gradients were applied in terms of forest structure, distance to the forest edge and experimental warming. We found strong interactions between species and latitude, as well as between microclimate and latitude or species. The species thus reacted differently to local and regional changes in light and temperature ; in southern regions the temperate Q. robur and Q. petraea performed best in plots with a complex structure, whereas the Mediterranean Q. ilex and Q. cerris performed better in simply structured forests with a reduced microclimatic buffering capacity. The experimental warming treatment only enhanced height and aboveground biomass of Mediterranean species. Our results show that local microclimatic gradients play a key role in the initial stages of oak regeneration; however, one needs to consider the species-specific responses to forest structure and the macroclimatic context.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Meeussen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - K De Pauw
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - P Sanczuk
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - J Brunet
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - S A O Cousins
- Biogeography and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - C Gasperini
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - P-O Hedwall
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - G Iacopetti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - J Lenoir
- UMR CNRS 7058 « Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés » (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - J Plue
- Biogeography and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - F Selvi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - F Spicher
- UMR CNRS 7058 « Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés » (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - J Uria Diez
- Biogeography and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - K Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - P Vangansbeke
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - P De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
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8
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Yang J, Zhang Q, Song W, Zhang X, Wang X. Radial Growth of Trees Rather Than Shrubs in Boreal Forests Is Inhibited by Drought. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:912916. [PMID: 35720605 PMCID: PMC9201406 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.912916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Of all forest biomes, boreal forests are experiencing the most significant warming. Drought caused by warming has a dramatic impact on species in boreal forests. However, little is known about whether the growth of trees and shrubs in boreal forests responds consistently to warming and drought. We obtained the tree-ring width data of 308 trees (Larix gmelinii and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) and 133 shrubs (Pinus pumila) from 26 sites in northeastern China. According to the climate data from 1950 to 2014, we determined three extreme drought years (1954, 1967, and 2008). The response difference of radial growth of trees and shrubs in boreal forests to drought was compared using resilience index, moving correlation and response analysis. The results showed that high temperature (mean and maximum temperature) in previous and current growing seasons promoted the growth of P. pumila, but inhibited the growth of trees. On the contrary, wetter conditions (higher PDSI) promoted tree growth but were not conducive to P. pumila growth in high latitudes. Moving correlation analysis showed similar results. In addition, water deficit was more likely to inhibit P. pumila growth in low latitudes. The drought resistance of P. pumila was stronger than that of L. gmelinii and P. sylvestris var. mongolica. Therefore, the growth loss and recovery time of P. pumila during drought was less than those of trees. We concluded that L. gmelinii and P. sylvestris var. mongolica are more prone to growth decline than P. pumila after the drought caused by climate warming. In the future climate warming, shrub growth may benefit more than trees. Our findings are of great significance in predicting the future changes in ecosystem composition and species distribution dynamics in extreme climate susceptible areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Yang
- School of Life, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China
- College of Forestry, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Center for Ecological Research and Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management–Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Qiuliang Zhang
- College of Forestry, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Wenqi Song
- Center for Ecological Research and Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management–Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xiaochun Wang
- School of Life, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China
- Center for Ecological Research and Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management–Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
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9
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Češljar G, Jovanović F, Brašanac-Bosanac L, Đorđević I, Mitrović S, Eremija S, Ćirković-Mitrović T, Lučić A. Impact of an Extremely Dry Period on Tree Defoliation and Tree Mortality in Serbia. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:1286. [PMID: 35631711 PMCID: PMC9144404 DOI: 10.3390/plants11101286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents research results on forest decline in Serbia. The results were obtained through monitoring defoliation of 34 tree species at 130 sample plots during the period from 2004 to 2018. This research aimed to determine whether the occurrence of defoliation and tree mortality were caused by drought. Defoliation was assessed in 5% steps according to the International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) methodology. All the trees recorded as dead were singled out, and annual mortality rates were calculated. To determine changes in air temperature and precipitation regimes during the study period, we processed and analysed climatic data related to air temperature and precipitation throughout the year and in the growing season at 28 main weather stations in Serbia. Tree mortality patterns were established by classifying trees into three groups. The first group of trees exhibited a gradual increase in defoliation during the last few years of monitoring, with dying as the final outcome. The second group was characterised by sudden death of trees. The third group of trees reached a higher degree of defoliation immediately after the first monitoring year, and the trees died after several years. Tree mortality rates were compared between years using the Standardised Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPI) and the Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), the most common methods used to monitor drought. The most intensive forest decline was recorded during the period from 2013 to 2016, when the largest percentage of the total number of all trees died. According to the annual mortality rates calculated for the three observation periods (2004-2008, 2009-2013, and 2014-2018) the highest forest decline rate was recorded in the period from 2014 to 2018, with no statistically significant difference between broadleaved and coniferous tree species. As the sample of coniferous species was small, the number of sample plots should be increased in order to achieve better systematic forest condition monitoring in Serbia. The analysis of the relationship between defoliation and climatic parameters proved the correlation between them. It was noted that the forest decline in Serbia was preceded by an extremely dry period with high temperatures from 2011 to 2013, supporting the hypothesis that it was caused by drought. We therefore conclude that these unfavourable climatic conditions had serious and long-term consequences on forest ecosystems in Serbia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Češljar
- Department of Spatial Regulation, GIS and Forest Policy, Institute of Forestry, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Filip Jovanović
- Department of Forest Establishment, Silviculture and Ecology, Institute of Forestry, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia; (F.J.); (S.E.); (T.Ć.-M.)
| | - Ljiljana Brašanac-Bosanac
- Department of Environmental Protection and Improvement, Institute of Forestry, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia; (L.B.-B.); (S.M.)
| | - Ilija Đorđević
- Department of Spatial Regulation, GIS and Forest Policy, Institute of Forestry, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Suzana Mitrović
- Department of Environmental Protection and Improvement, Institute of Forestry, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia; (L.B.-B.); (S.M.)
| | - Saša Eremija
- Department of Forest Establishment, Silviculture and Ecology, Institute of Forestry, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia; (F.J.); (S.E.); (T.Ć.-M.)
| | - Tatjana Ćirković-Mitrović
- Department of Forest Establishment, Silviculture and Ecology, Institute of Forestry, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia; (F.J.); (S.E.); (T.Ć.-M.)
| | - Aleksandar Lučić
- Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding, Seed and Nursery Production, Institute of Forestry, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia;
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10
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Jet stream position explains regional anomalies in European beech forest productivity and tree growth. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2015. [PMID: 35440102 PMCID: PMC9018849 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29615-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanistic pathways connecting ocean-atmosphere variability and terrestrial productivity are well-established theoretically, but remain challenging to quantify empirically. Such quantification will greatly improve the assessment and prediction of changes in terrestrial carbon sequestration in response to dynamically induced climatic extremes. The jet stream latitude (JSL) over the North Atlantic-European domain provides a synthetic and robust physical framework that integrates climate variability not accounted for by atmospheric circulation patterns alone. Surface climate impacts of north-south summer JSL displacements are not uniform across Europe, but rather create a northwestern-southeastern dipole in forest productivity and radial-growth anomalies. Summer JSL variability over the eastern North Atlantic-European domain (5-40E) exerts the strongest impact on European beech, inducing anomalies of up to 30% in modelled gross primary productivity and 50% in radial tree growth. The net effects of JSL movements on terrestrial carbon fluxes depend on forest density, carbon stocks, and productivity imbalances across biogeographic regions. Here the authors show that extremes in the summer jet stream position over Europe create a beech forest productivity dipole between northwestern and southeastern Europe and can result in regional anomalies in forest carbon uptake and growth.
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11
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Gazol A, Camarero JJ. Compound climate events increase tree drought mortality across European forests. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 816:151604. [PMID: 34780817 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate change can lead to the simultaneous occurrence of extreme droughts and heat waves increasing the frequency of compound events with unknown impacts on forests. Here we use two independent datasets, a compiled database of tree drought mortality events and the ICP-Forest level I plots, to study the impacts of the simultaneous occurrence of hot summers, with elevated vapour pressure deficit (VPD), and dry years on forest defoliation and mortality across Europe. We focused on tree drought mortality and background mortality rates, and we studied their co-occurrence with compound events of hot summers and dry years. In total, 143 out of 310 mortality events across Europe, i.e. 46% of cases, corresponded with rare compound events characterized by hot summers and dry years. Over the past decades, summer temperature increased in most sites and severe droughts resulted in compound events not observed before the 1980s. From the ICP-Forest plots we identified 291 (1718 trees) and 61 plots (128 trees) where severe defoliation and mortality, respectively, were caused by drought. The analyses of these events showed that 34% and 27% of the defoliation and mortality cases corresponded with rare compound climate events, respectively. Background mortality rates across Europe in the period 1993-2013 presented higher values in regions where summer temperature and VPD more steeply rose, where drought frequency increased. The steady increase in summer temperatures and VPD in Southern and Eastern Europe may favor the occurrence of compound events of hot summers and dry conditions. Giving that both, local and intense tree drought mortality events and background forest mortality rates, are linked to such compound events we can expect an increase in forest drought mortality in these European regions over the next decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Gazol
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), E-50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - J Julio Camarero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), E-50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
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12
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Ognjenović M, Seletković I, Potočić N, Marušić M, Tadić MP, Jonard M, Rautio P, Timmermann V, Lovreškov L, Ugarković D. Defoliation Change of European Beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) Depends on Previous Year Drought. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:730. [PMID: 35336612 PMCID: PMC8955490 DOI: 10.3390/plants11060730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests provide multiple essential ecosystem goods and services. The projected climatic conditions for the current century will significantly affect the vitality of European beech. The expected impact of climate change on forest ecosystems will be potentially stronger in southeast Europe than on the rest of the continent. Therefore, our aim was to use the long-term monitoring data of crown vitality indicators in Croatia to identify long-term trends, and to investigate the influence of current and previous year climate conditions and available site factors using defoliation (DEF) and defoliation change (ΔDEF) as response variables. The results reveal an increasing trend of DEF during the study period from 1996 to 2017. In contrast, no significant trend in annual ΔDEF was observed. The applied linear mixed effects models indicate a very strong influence of previous year drought on ΔDEF, while climate conditions have a weak or insignificant effect on DEF. The results suggest that site factors explain 25 to 30% DEF variance, while similar values of conditional and marginal R2 show a uniform influence of drought on ΔDEF. These results suggest that DEF represents the accumulated impact of location-specific stressful environmental conditions on tree vitality, while ΔDEF reflects intense stress and represents the current or recent status of tree vitality that could be more appropriate for analysing the effect of climate conditions on forest trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mladen Ognjenović
- Division for Forest Ecology, Croatian Forest Research Institute, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia; (M.O.); (I.S.); (M.M.); (L.L.)
| | - Ivan Seletković
- Division for Forest Ecology, Croatian Forest Research Institute, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia; (M.O.); (I.S.); (M.M.); (L.L.)
| | - Nenad Potočić
- Division for Forest Ecology, Croatian Forest Research Institute, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia; (M.O.); (I.S.); (M.M.); (L.L.)
| | - Mia Marušić
- Division for Forest Ecology, Croatian Forest Research Institute, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia; (M.O.); (I.S.); (M.M.); (L.L.)
| | | | - Mathieu Jonard
- Earth and Life Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium;
| | - Pasi Rautio
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, 00790 Helsinki, Finland;
| | | | - Lucija Lovreškov
- Division for Forest Ecology, Croatian Forest Research Institute, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia; (M.O.); (I.S.); (M.M.); (L.L.)
| | - Damir Ugarković
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
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13
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Lloret F, Jaime LA, Margalef-Marrase J, Pérez-Navarro MA, Batllori E. Short-term forest resilience after drought-induced die-off in Southwestern European forests. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150940. [PMID: 34699836 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Drought-induced die-off in forests is becoming a widespread phenomenon across biomes, but the factors determining potential shifts in taxonomic and structural characteristics following mortality are largely unknown. We report on short-term patterns of resilience after drought-induced episodes of tree mortality across 48 monospecific forests from Morocco to Slovenia. Field surveys recorded plants growing beneath a canopy of dead, defoliated and healthy trees. Site-level structural characteristics and management legacy were also recorded. Resilience was assessed with reference to forest composition (self-replacement), structure, and changes in the climatic suitability of the replacing community relative to the climatic suitability of the dominant pre-drought species. Species climatic suitability was estimated from species distribution models calculated for the baseline 1970-2000 period. Short-term resilience decreased under higher levels of drought-induced damage to the dominant species and with evidences of management legacy. Greater resilience of structural features (fewer gaps, greater canopy height) was observed overall in forests with a larger basal area. Less gaps were also associated with greater woody species richness after drought. Overall, Fagaceae-dominated forests exhibited greater structural resilience than conifer-dominated ones. On those sites that were more climatically suited to the dominant pre-drought species, replacing communities tended to exhibit lower climatic suitability than pre-drought dominant species. There was a greater loss of climatic suitability under a legacy of management and drought intensity, but less so in the replacing communities with higher woody species richness. Our study reveals that short-term forest resilience is determined by pre-drought stand characteristics, often reflecting previous management legacies, and by the impact of drought on both the dominant pre-drought species and post-drought replacing species in terms of their climatic suitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Lloret
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain; Unitat d'Ecologia, Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - L A Jaime
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Margalef-Marrase
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M A Pérez-Navarro
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Batllori
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain; Unitat de Botànica i Micologia, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Louthan AM, Peterson ML, Shoemaker LG. Climate sensitivity across latitude: scaling physiology to communities. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:931-942. [PMID: 34275657 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
While we know climate change will impact individuals, populations, and communities, we lack a cross-scale synthesis for understanding global variation in climate change impacts and predicting their ecological effects. Studies of latitudinal variation in individuals' thermal responses have developed primarily in isolation from studies of natural populations' warming responses. Further, it is unclear whether latitudinal variation in temperature-dependent population responses will manifest into latitudinal patterns in community stability. Integrating across scales, we discuss the key drivers of latitudinal variation in climate change effects, with the goal of identifying key pieces of information necessary to predict warming effects in natural communities. We propose two experimental approaches synthesizing latitudinal variability in climate change impacts across scales of biological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Louthan
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA.
| | - Megan L Peterson
- Plant Biology Department, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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15
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Schwaab J, Davin EL, Bebi P, Duguay-Tetzlaff A, Waser LT, Haeni M, Meier R. Increasing the broad-leaved tree fraction in European forests mitigates hot temperature extremes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14153. [PMID: 32843747 PMCID: PMC7447805 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71055-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Forests influence climate through a myriad of chemical, physical and biological processes and are an essential lever in the efforts to counter climate change. The majority of studies investigating potential climate benefits from forests have focused on forest area changes, while changes to forest management, in particular those affecting species composition, have received much less attention. Using a statistical model based on remote sensing observations over Europe, we show that broad-leaved tree species locally reduce land surface temperatures in summer compared to needle-leaved species. The summer mean cooling effect related to an increase in broad-leaved tree fraction of 80% is relatively modest (~ 0.3-0.75 K), but is amplified during exceptionally warm periods. The reduction of daily maximum temperatures during the hottest days reaches up to 1.8 K in the Atlantic region and up to 1.5 K in Continental and Mediterranean regions. Hot temperature extremes adversely affect humans and ecosystems and are expected to become more frequent in a future climate. Thus, forest management strategies aiming to increase the fraction of broad-leaved species could help to reduce some of the adverse local impacts caused by hot temperature extremes. However, the overall benefits and trade-offs related to an increase in the broad-leaved tree fraction in European forests needs to be further investigated and assessed carefully when adapting forest management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Schwaab
- ETH Zurich, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Edouard L Davin
- ETH Zurich, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Peter Bebi
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos Dorf, Switzerland
| | - Anke Duguay-Tetzlaff
- Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss, Zürich-Airport, Switzerland
| | - Lars T Waser
- Land Change Science, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Haeni
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Ronny Meier
- ETH Zurich, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, Zürich, Switzerland
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16
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O S, Hou X, Orth R. Observational evidence of wildfire-promoting soil moisture anomalies. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11008. [PMID: 32620812 PMCID: PMC7335103 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67530-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildfires can destroy property and vegetation, thereby threatening people’s livelihoods and food security. Soil moisture and biomass are important determinants of wildfire hazard. Corresponding novel satellite-based observations therefore present an opportunity to better understand these disasters globally and across different climate regions. We sampled 9,840 large wildfire events from around the globe, between 2001 and 2018, along with respective surface soil moisture and biomass data. Using composites across fire events in similar climate regions, we show contrasting soil moisture anomalies in space and time preceding large wildfires. In arid regions, wetter-than-average soils facilitate sufficient biomass growth required to fuel large fires. In contrast, in humid regions, fires are typically preceded by dry soil moisture anomalies, which create suitable ignition conditions and flammability in an otherwise too wet environment. In both regions, soil moisture anomalies continuously decrease in the months prior to fire occurrence, often from above-normal to below-normal. These signals are most pronounced in sparsely populated areas with low human influence, and for larger fires. Resolving natural soil moisture–fire interactions supports fire modelling and facilitates improved fire predictions and early warning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungmin O
- Department of Biogeochemical Integration, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745, Jena, Germany.
| | - Xinyuan Hou
- Department of Biogeochemical Integration, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Rene Orth
- Department of Biogeochemical Integration, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745, Jena, Germany
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17
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High Recovery of Saplings after Severe Drought in Temperate Deciduous Forests. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11050546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Drought episodes are predicted to increase their intensity and frequency globally, which will have a particular impact on forest vitality, productivity, and species distribution. However, the impact of tree species interaction on forest vulnerability to drought is not yet clear. This study aims to assess how deciduous saplings react to drought and whether tree species diversity can buffer the impact of drought stress on tree saplings. Based on field measurements of crown defoliation and species diversity, vulnerability, drought recovery, and species interaction were analyzed. Fieldwork was carried out in Central Eastern Germany in 2018 during the vegetation season and repeated in 2019. Ten random saplings were measured in each of the 218 plots (15 × 15 m) with 2051 saplings in total out of 41 tree species. We found that 65% of the saplings experienced defoliation during the drought of 2018, of which up to 13% showed complete defoliation. At the species level, Fagus sylvatica L. and Betula pendula Roth. saplings were less affected (<55%), whereas Carpinus betulus L., Sorbus aucuparia L., and Frangula alnus Mill. saplings were the most affected (≥85%). One year later, in 2019, C. betulus and S. aucuparia had a faster recovery rate than F. sylvatica, B. pendula, Quercus spp., and Crataegus spp. (p < 0.001). Furthermore, we showed that forest stands with high sapling species diversity had a reduced vitality under drought stress (p < 0.001), indicating a higher competition for resources. The study provides evidence that F. sylvatica saplings can withstand and survive to persistent drought. Species-specific responses to drought are essential to be considered for implementing adaptive forest management strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change.
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18
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Ibáñez I, Acharya K, Juno E, Karounos C, Lee BR, McCollum C, Schaffer-Morrison S, Tourville J. Forest resilience under global environmental change: Do we have the information we need? A systematic review. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222207. [PMID: 31513607 PMCID: PMC6742408 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The capacity of forests to recover after disturbance, i.e., their resilience, determines their ability to persist and function over time. Many variables, natural and managerial, affect forest resilience. Thus, understanding their effects is critical for the development of sound forest conservation and management strategies, especially in the context of ongoing global environmental changes. We conducted a representative review, meta-analysis, of the forest literature in this topic (search terms “forest AND resilience”). We aimed to identify natural conditions that promote or jeopardize resilience, assess the efficacy of post-disturbance management practices on forest recovery, and evaluate forest resilience under current environmental changes. We surveyed more than 2,500 articles and selected the 156 studies (724 observations) that compared and quantified forest recovery after disturbance under different contexts. Context of recovery included: resource gradients (moisture and fertility), post-disturbance biomass reduction treatments, species richness gradients, incidence of a second disturbance, and disturbance severity. Metrics of recovery varied from individual tree growth and reproduction, to population abundance, to species richness and cover. Analyses show management practices only favored recovery through increased reproduction (seed production) and abundance of recruitment stages. Higher moisture conditions favored recovery, particularly in dry temperate regions; and in boreal forests, this positive effect increased with regional humidity. Biomass reduction treatments were only effective in increasing resilience after a drought. Early recruiting plant stages benefited from increased severity, while disturbance severity was associated with lower recovery of remaining adult trees. This quantitative review provides insight into the natural conditions and management practices under which forest resilience is enhanced and highlights conditions that could jeopardize future resilience. We also identified important knowledge gaps, such as the role of diversity in determining forest resilience and the lack of data in many regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Ibáñez
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kirk Acharya
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Edith Juno
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Christopher Karounos
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Benjamin R. Lee
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Caleb McCollum
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Samuel Schaffer-Morrison
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Jordon Tourville
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
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