1
|
Pan Y, Birdsey RA, Phillips OL, Houghton RA, Fang J, Kauppi PE, Keith H, Kurz WA, Ito A, Lewis SL, Nabuurs GJ, Shvidenko A, Hashimoto S, Lerink B, Schepaschenko D, Castanho A, Murdiyarso D. The enduring world forest carbon sink. Nature 2024; 631:563-569. [PMID: 39020035 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07602-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
The uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) by terrestrial ecosystems is critical for moderating climate change1. To provide a ground-based long-term assessment of the contribution of forests to terrestrial CO2 uptake, we synthesized in situ forest data from boreal, temperate and tropical biomes spanning three decades. We found that the carbon sink in global forests was steady, at 3.6 ± 0.4 Pg C yr-1 in the 1990s and 2000s, and 3.5 ± 0.4 Pg C yr-1 in the 2010s. Despite this global stability, our analysis revealed some major biome-level changes. Carbon sinks have increased in temperate (+30 ± 5%) and tropical regrowth (+29 ± 8%) forests owing to increases in forest area, but they decreased in boreal (-36 ± 6%) and tropical intact (-31 ± 7%) forests, as a result of intensified disturbances and losses in intact forest area, respectively. Mass-balance studies indicate that the global land carbon sink has increased2, implying an increase in the non-forest-land carbon sink. The global forest sink is equivalent to almost half of fossil-fuel emissions (7.8 ± 0.4 Pg C yr-1 in 1990-2019). However, two-thirds of the benefit from the sink has been negated by tropical deforestation (2.2 ± 0.5 Pg C yr-1 in 1990-2019). Although the global forest sink has endured undiminished for three decades, despite regional variations, it could be weakened by ageing forests, continuing deforestation and further intensification of disturbance regimes1. To protect the carbon sink, land management policies are needed to limit deforestation, promote forest restoration and improve timber-harvesting practices1,3.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yude Pan
- USDA Forest Service, Durham, NH, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | - Pekka E Kauppi
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Heather Keith
- Climate Action Beacon, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Werner A Kurz
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Victoria, Canada
| | | | - Simon L Lewis
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- Department of Geography, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gert-Jan Nabuurs
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Anatoly Shvidenko
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Shoji Hashimoto
- The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Bas Lerink
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Dmitry Schepaschenko
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
| | | | - Daniel Murdiyarso
- Department of Geophysics and Meteorology, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
- Center for International Forestry Research - World Agroforestry, Bogor, Indonesia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Carrillo-Arizmendi L, Vargas-Hernández JJ, Rozenberg P, Pérez-Suárez M, Martínez-Campos AR. Phenotypic plasticity of growth ring traits in Pinus hartwegii at the ends of its elevational gradient. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1072638. [PMID: 37799549 PMCID: PMC10548213 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1072638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Phenotypic plasticity (PP) could be an important short-term mechanism to modify physiological and morphological traits in response to climate change and global warming, particularly for high-mountain tree species. The objective was to evaluate PP response of growth ring traits to temperature and precipitation in Pinus hartwegii Lindl. populations located at the ends of its elevational gradient on two volcanic mountains in central Mexico (La Malinche and Nevado de Toluca). Methods Increment cores collected from 274 P. hartwegii trees were used to estimate their PP through reaction norms (RN), which relate the ring width and density traits with climate variables (temperature and precipitation). We estimated the trees' sensitivity (significant RN) to climatic variables, as well as the relative proportion of RN with positive and negative slope. We also estimated the relationship between the PP of ring width and density traits using correlation and Principal Component (PC) analyses. Results Over 70% of all trees showed significant RN to growing season and winter temperatures for at least one growth ring trait, with a similar proportion of significant RN at both ends of the gradient on both mountains. Ring width traits had mostly negative RN, while ring density traits tended to have positive RN. Frequency of negative RN decreased from lower to higher elevation for most traits. Average PP was higher at the lower end of the gradient, especially on LM, both for ring width and ring density traits, although high intrapopulation variation in PP was found on both mountains. Discussion Results indicate that P. hartwegii presents spatially differentiated plastic responses in width and density components of radial growth. PP was particularly strong at the lower elevation, which has higher temperature and water stress conditions, putting these populations at risk from the continuing global warming driven by climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lizbeth Carrillo-Arizmendi
- Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - J. Jesús Vargas-Hernández
- Department of Forestry Sciences, Colegio de Postgraduados, Montecillo, Texcoco, Estado de México, Mexico
| | | | - Marlin Pérez-Suárez
- Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Estado de México, Mexico
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Thorogood R, Mustonen V, Aleixo A, Aphalo PJ, Asiegbu FO, Cabeza M, Cairns J, Candolin U, Cardoso P, Eronen JT, Hällfors M, Hovatta I, Juslén A, Kovalchuk A, Kulmuni J, Kuula L, Mäkipää R, Ovaskainen O, Pesonen AK, Primmer CR, Saastamoinen M, Schulman AH, Schulman L, Strona G, Vanhatalo J. Understanding and applying biological resilience, from genes to ecosystems. NPJ BIODIVERSITY 2023; 2:16. [PMID: 39242840 PMCID: PMC11332022 DOI: 10.1038/s44185-023-00022-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
The natural world is under unprecedented and accelerating pressure. Much work on understanding resilience to local and global environmental change has, so far, focussed on ecosystems. However, understanding a system's behaviour requires knowledge of its component parts and their interactions. Here we call for increased efforts to understand 'biological resilience', or the processes that enable components across biological levels, from genes to communities, to resist or recover from perturbations. Although ecologists and evolutionary biologists have the tool-boxes to examine form and function, efforts to integrate this knowledge across biological levels and take advantage of big data (e.g. ecological and genomic) are only just beginning. We argue that combining eco-evolutionary knowledge with ecosystem-level concepts of resilience will provide the mechanistic basis necessary to improve management of human, natural and agricultural ecosystems, and outline some of the challenges in achieving an understanding of biological resilience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rose Thorogood
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Ville Mustonen
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE Helsinki Institute for Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alexandre Aleixo
- LUOMUS Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pedro J Aphalo
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Fred O Asiegbu
- Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mar Cabeza
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- HELSUS Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johannes Cairns
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ulrika Candolin
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- LUOMUS Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jussi T Eronen
- HELSUS Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Programme in Ecosystems and Environment, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- BIOS Research Unit, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maria Hällfors
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Syke Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE Helsinki Institute for Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aino Juslén
- LUOMUS Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Syke Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Andriy Kovalchuk
- Department of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Espoo, Finland
- Onego Bio Ltd, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jonna Kulmuni
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Liisa Kuula
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Raisa Mäkipää
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Otso Ovaskainen
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Anu-Katriina Pesonen
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Craig R Primmer
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE Helsinki Institute for Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alan H Schulman
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE Helsinki Institute for Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leif Schulman
- LUOMUS Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Syke Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giovanni Strona
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate D - Sustainable Resources, Ispra, Italy
| | - Jarno Vanhatalo
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yuan Y, Li J, Yao L. Soil microbial community and physicochemical properties together drive soil organic carbon in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations of different stand ages. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13873. [PMID: 36032943 PMCID: PMC9406796 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbon sequestration in forest soil is critical for reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and slowing down global warming. However, little is known about the difference in soil organic carbon (SOC) among different stand ages and the relative importance of biotic and abiotic variations such as soil microbial community and soil physicochemical properties in the regulation of SOC in forests. In the present study, we measured the SOC of the topsoil (0-10 cm) in Chinese subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations of three different stand ages (young plantation of 6 years, middle-aged plantation of 12 years, and mature plantation of 25 years). We further measured microbial community composition by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and soil organic carbon physical fractions by wet sieving and density floating as well as other physicochemical properties. The effects of the main impact factors on SOC were investigated. The results showed that: the middle-aged plantation had significantly higher SOC (10.63 g kg-1) than the young plantation (5.33 g kg-1), and that of the mature plantation (7.83 g kg-1) was in between. Besides, the soil total PLFAs and all the functional groups (i.e., bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, Gram-positive bacteria, and Gram-negative bacteria) of PLFAs were significantly higher in the middle-aged plantation than in the young plantation and the mature plantation. Soil physicochemical properties, including physical fractions, differed among plantations of the three stand ages. Notably, the proportion of organic carbon protected within microaggregates was significantly higher in the middle-aged plantation (40.4%) than those in the young plantation (29.2%) and the mature plantation (27.8%), indicating that the middle-aged Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation had stronger soil organic carbon stability. Both soil microbial community and physicochemical properties exerted dominant effects on SOC and jointly explained 82.7% of the variance of SOC among different stand ages. Among them, total and all the functional groups of PLFAs, nitrate nitrogen, total nitrogen, and organic carbon protected within microaggregates had a significant positive correlation with SOC. These results highlight the important role of soil biotic and abiotic factors in shaping the contents of SOC in forests of different stand ages. This study provides a theoretical basis for forestry management and forest carbon cycling models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ye Yuan
- School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Juan Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| | - Liang Yao
- School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Liu P, Barr AG, Zha T, Black TA, Jassal RS, Nesic Z, Helgason WD, Jia X, Tian Y. Re-assessment of the climatic controls on the carbon and water fluxes of a boreal aspen forest over 1996-2016: Changing sensitivity to long-term climatic conditions. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:4605-4619. [PMID: 35474386 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16218] [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: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that the relationships between climate and boreal tree growth are generally non-stationary; however, it remains uncertain whether the relationships between climate and carbon (C) fluxes of boreal forests are stationary or have changed over recent decades. In this study, we used continuous eddy-covariance and microclimate data over 21 years (1996-2016) from a 100-year-old trembling aspen stand in central Saskatchewan, Canada to assess the relationships between climate and ecosystem C and water fluxes. Over the study period, the most striking climatic event was a severe, 3-year drought (2001-2003). Gross ecosystem production (GEP) showed larger interannual variability than ecosystem respiration (Re ) over 1996-2016, but Re was the dominant component contributing to the interannual variation in net ecosystem production (NEP) during post-drought years. The interannual variations in evapotranspiration (ET) and C fluxes were primarily driven by temperature and secondarily by water availability. Two-factor linear models combining precipitation and temperature performed well in explaining the interannual variation in C and water fluxes (R2 > .5). The temperature sensitivities of all three C fluxes (NEP, GEP and Re ) declined over the study period (p < .05), and, as a result, the phenological controls on annual NEP weakened. The decreasing temperature sensitivity of the C fluxes may reflect changes in forest structure, related to the over-maturity of the aspen stand at 100 years of age, and exacerbated by high tree mortality following the severe 2001-2003 drought. These results may provide an early warning signal of driver shift or even an abrupt status shift of aspen forest dynamics. They may also imply a universal weakening in the relationship between temperature and GEP as forests become over-mature, associated with the structural and compositional changes that accompany forest ageing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng Liu
- School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Alan G Barr
- Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Tianshan Zha
- School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - T Andrew Black
- Biometeorology and Soil Physics Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rachhpal S Jassal
- Biometeorology and Soil Physics Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Zoran Nesic
- Biometeorology and Soil Physics Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Warren D Helgason
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Xin Jia
- School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Tian
- School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Aszalós R, Thom D, Aakala T, Angelstam P, Brūmelis G, Gálhidy L, Gratzer G, Hlásny T, Katzensteiner K, Kovács B, Knoke T, Larrieu L, Motta R, Müller J, Ódor P, Roženbergar D, Paillet Y, Pitar D, Standovár T, Svoboda M, Szwagrzyk J, Toscani P, Keeton WS. Natural disturbance regimes as a guide for sustainable forest management in Europe. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2596. [PMID: 35340078 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2596] [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: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In Europe, forest management has controlled forest dynamics to sustain commodity production over multiple centuries. Yet over-regulation for growth and yield diminishes resilience to environmental stress as well as threatens biodiversity, leading to increasing forest susceptibility to an array of disturbances. These trends have stimulated interest in alternative management systems, including natural dynamics silviculture (NDS). NDS aims to emulate natural disturbance dynamics at stand and landscape scales through silvicultural manipulations of forest structure and landscape patterns. We adapted a "Comparability Index" (CI) to assess convergence/divergence between natural disturbances and forest management effects. We extended the original CI concept based on disturbance size and frequency by adding the residual structure of canopy trees after a disturbance as a third dimension. We populated the model by compiling data on natural disturbance dynamics and management from 13 countries in Europe, covering four major forest types (i.e., spruce, beech, oak, and pine-dominated forests). We found that natural disturbances are highly variable in size, frequency, and residual structure, but European forest management fails to encompass this complexity. Silviculture in Europe is skewed toward even-aged systems, used predominately (72.9% of management) across the countries assessed. The residual structure proved crucial in the comparison of natural disturbances and silvicultural systems. CI indicated the highest congruence between uneven-aged silvicultural systems and key natural disturbance attributes. Even so, uneven-aged practices emulated only a portion of the complexity associated with natural disturbance effects. The remaining silvicultural systems perform poorly in terms of retention compared to tree survivorship after natural disturbances. We suggest that NDS can enrich Europe's portfolio of management systems, for example where wood production is not the primary objective. NDS is especially relevant to forests managed for habitat quality, risk reduction, and a variety of ecosystem services. We suggest a holistic approach integrating NDS with more conventional practices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Réka Aszalós
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Dominik Thom
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
- Institute of Silviculture, Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Tuomas Aakala
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Per Angelstam
- School for Forest Management, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skinnskatteberg, Sweden
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Koppang, Norway
| | | | | | - Georg Gratzer
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Tomáš Hlásny
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Klaus Katzensteiner
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Bence Kovács
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Thomas Knoke
- Institute of Forest Management, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Laurent Larrieu
- University of Toulouse, INRAE, UMR DYNAFOR, Castanet-Tolosan, France
- CNPF-CRPF Occitanie, Tarbes, France
| | - Renzo Motta
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Jörg Müller
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Péter Ódor
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Dušan Roženbergar
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Yoan Paillet
- University Grenoble - Alpes, INRAE, LESSEM, Saint-Martin-D'Hères, France
| | - Diana Pitar
- National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry "Marin Dracea", Voluntari, Romania
| | - Tibor Standovár
- Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miroslav Svoboda
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jerzy Szwagrzyk
- Department of Forest Biodiversity, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
| | - Philipp Toscani
- Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Economics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - William S Keeton
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Thom D, Rammer W, Laux P, Smiatek G, Kunstmann H, Seibold S, Seidl R. Will forest dynamics continue to accelerate throughout the 21st century in the Northern Alps? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3260-3274. [PMID: 35170829 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Observational evidence suggests that forests in the Northern Alps are changing at an increasing rate as a consequence of climate change. Yet, it remains unclear whether the acceleration of forest change will continue in the future, or whether downregulating feedbacks will eventually decouple forest dynamics from climate change. Here we studied future forest dynamics at Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany by means of a process-based forest landscape model, simulating an ensemble of 22 climate projections until the end of the 21st century. Our objectives were (i) to assess whether the observed acceleration of forest dynamics will continue in the future, (ii) to analyze how uncertainty in future climate translates to variation in future forest disturbance, structure, and composition, and (iii) to determine the main drivers of future forest dynamics. We found that forest dynamics continue to accelerate in the coming decades, with a trend towards denser, structurally more complex and more species rich forests. However, changes in forest structure leveled off in the second half of the 21st century regardless of climate scenario. In contrast, climate scenarios caused trajectories of tree species change to diverge in the second half of the 21st century, with stabilization under RCP 2.6 and RCP 4.5 scenarios and accelerated loss of conifers under RCP 8.5. Disturbance projections were 3 to 20 times more variable than future climate, whereas projected future forest structure and composition varied considerably less than climate. Indirect effects of climate change via alterations of the disturbance regime had a stronger impact on future forest dynamics than direct effects. Our findings suggest that dampening feedbacks within forest dynamics will decelerate forest change in the second half of the 21st century. However, warming beyond the levels projected under RCP 4.5 might profoundly alter future forest disturbance and composition, challenging conservation efforts and ecosystem service supply.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Thom
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Werner Rammer
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Patrick Laux
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Campus Alpin, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
- Institute of Geography, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Smiatek
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Campus Alpin, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Harald Kunstmann
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Campus Alpin, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
- Institute of Geography, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Berchtesgaden National Park, Berchtesgaden, Germany
| | - Rupert Seidl
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Berchtesgaden National Park, Berchtesgaden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Species Diversity, Growing Stock Variables and Carbon Mitigation Potential in the Phytocoenosis of Monotheca buxifolia Forests along Altitudinal Gradient across Pakistan. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12031292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
The sub-tropical broadleaved forests in Pakistan are the main constituents of the ecosystem services playing a vital role in the global carbon cycle. Monotheca buxifolia (Falc.) A. DC. is an important constituent of these forests, encompassing a variety of ecological and commercial uses. To our best knowledge, no quantitative studies have been conducted in these forests across the landscape to establish a baseline for future monitoring. We investigated the forest structural attributes, growing stock characteristics and total biomass carbon stock and established relationships among them in the phytocoenosis of Monotheca forests along an altitudinal gradient in Pakistan to expand an eco-systemic model for assessment of the originally-implemented conservation strategies. A floristic survey recorded 4986 individuals of 27 species in overstory and 59 species in the understory stratum. Species richness (ANOVA; F = 3.239; p = 0.045) and Simpson’s diversity (ANOVA; F = 2.802; p = 0.043) differed significantly in three altitudinal zones, with a maximum value for lower elevations, followed by middle and higher elevations. Based on the importance values, Acacia modesta and Olea ferruginea are strong companions of M. buxifolia at lower and higher altitudes, whereas forests at mid elevation represent pure crop of M. buxifolia (IVI = ≥85.85%). A similar pattern in stem density, volume and Basal area were also recorded. The carbon stock in trees stratum (51.81 T ha−1) and understory vegetation (0.148 T ha−1) contributes high values in the lower elevation forests. In contrast, soil carbon had maximum values at higher elevation (36.21 T ha−1) and minimum at lower elevation (16.69 T ha−1) zones. Aboveground biomass carbon stock (AGB BMC) of woody trees, understory vegetation and soil organic carbon (SOC) were estimated higher (77.72 T ha−1) at higher and lower (68.65 T ha−1) elevations. Likewise, the AGB BMC exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) negative correlation with elevation and positive correlation with soil carbon. We concluded that lower elevation forests are more diverse and floristically rich in comparison to higher altitudinal forests. Similarly, the biomass carbon of Monotheca forests were recorded maximum at low altitudes followed by high and middle ranges, respectively.
Collapse
|
9
|
Mikoláš M, Svitok M, Bače R, Meigs GW, Keeton WS, Keith H, Buechling A, Trotsiuk V, Kozák D, Bollmann K, Begovič K, Čada V, Chaskovskyy O, Ralhan D, Dušátko M, Ferenčík M, Frankovič M, Gloor R, Hofmeister J, Janda P, Kameniar O, Lábusová J, Majdanová L, Nagel TA, Pavlin J, Pettit JL, Rodrigo R, Roibu CC, Rydval M, Sabatini FM, Schurman J, Synek M, Vostarek O, Zemlerová V, Svoboda M. Natural disturbance impacts on trade-offs and co-benefits of forest biodiversity and carbon. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211631. [PMID: 34666524 PMCID: PMC8527197 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
With accelerating environmental change, understanding forest disturbance impacts on trade-offs between biodiversity and carbon dynamics is of high socio-economic importance. Most studies, however, have assessed immediate or short-term effects of disturbance, while long-term impacts remain poorly understood. Using a tree-ring-based approach, we analysed the effect of 250 years of disturbances on present-day biodiversity indicators and carbon dynamics in primary forests. Disturbance legacies spanning centuries shaped contemporary forest co-benefits and trade-offs, with contrasting, local-scale effects. Disturbances enhanced carbon sequestration, reaching maximum rates within a comparatively narrow post-disturbance window (up to 50 years). Concurrently, disturbance diminished aboveground carbon storage, which gradually returned to peak levels over centuries. Temporal patterns in biodiversity potential were bimodal; the first maximum coincided with the short-term post-disturbance carbon sequestration peak, and the second occurred during periods of maximum carbon storage in complex old-growth forest. Despite fluctuating local-scale trade-offs, forest biodiversity and carbon storage remained stable across the broader study region, and our data support a positive relationship between carbon stocks and biodiversity potential. These findings underscore the interdependencies of forest processes, and highlight the necessity of large-scale conservation programmes to effectively promote both biodiversity and long-term carbon storage, particularly given the accelerating global biodiversity and climate crises.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Mikoláš
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Marek Svitok
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
- Department of Biology and General Ecology, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Technical University in Zvolen, Masaryka 24, Zvolen 96001, Slovakia
| | - Radek Bače
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Garrett W. Meigs
- Department of Natural Resources, Washington State, 1111 Washington Street SE, Olympia, WA 98504, USA
| | - William S. Keeton
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, 81 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Heather Keith
- Griffith Climate Change Response Program, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Queensland 4222, Australia
| | - Arne Buechling
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Volodymyr Trotsiuk
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf 8903, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Kozák
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Kurt Bollmann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf 8903, Switzerland
| | - Krešimir Begovič
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Čada
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Oleh Chaskovskyy
- Faculty of Forestry, Ukrainian National Forestry University, Gen. Chuprynka 103, Lviv 790 57, Ukraine
| | - Dheeraj Ralhan
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Martin Dušátko
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Matej Ferenčík
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Michal Frankovič
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Rhiannon Gloor
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Jeňýk Hofmeister
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Janda
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Kameniar
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Jana Lábusová
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Linda Majdanová
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Thomas A. Nagel
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 83, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Jakob Pavlin
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Joseph L. Pettit
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
- Department of Biology, Minot State University, Minot, ND, USA
| | - Ruffy Rodrigo
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
- Department of Forest Science, Biliran Province State University, Biliran Campus, Biliran 6549, Philippines
| | - Catalin-Constantin Roibu
- Forest Biometrics Laboratory–Faculty of Forestry, ‘Stefan cel Mare’ University of Suceava, Universitătii Street no. 13, Suceava 720229, Romania
| | - Miloš Rydval
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Francesco M. Sabatini
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology, Am Kirchtor 1, Halle 06108, Germany
- Alma Mater Studiorum–University of Bologna, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, BIOME Laboratory, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Jonathan Schurman
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Michal Synek
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Vostarek
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Zemlerová
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Svoboda
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 Suchdol, 16521 Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Asbeck T, Kozák D, Spînu AP, Mikoláš M, Zemlerová V, Svoboda M. Tree-Related Microhabitats Follow Similar Patterns but are More Diverse in Primary Compared to Managed Temperate Mountain Forests. Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00681-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe impact of forest management on biodiversity is difficult to scrutinize along gradients of management. A step towards analyzing the impact of forest management on biodiversity is comparisons between managed and primary forests. The standardized typology of tree-related microhabitats (TreMs) is a multi-taxon indicator used to quantify forest biodiversity. We aim to analyze the influence of environmental factors on the occurrence of groups of TreMs by comparing primary and managed forests. We collected data for the managed forests in the Black Forest (Germany) and for the primary forests in the Western (Slovakia) and Southern Carpathians (Romania). To model the richness and the different groups of TreMs per tree, we used generalized linear mixed models with diameter at breast height (DBH), altitude, slope and aspect as predictors for European beech (Fagus sylvatica (L.)), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.)) and silver fir (Abies alba (Mill.)) in primary and managed temperate mountain forests. We found congruent results for overall richness and the vast majority of TreM groups. Trees in primary forests hosted a greater richness of all and specific types of TreMs than individuals in managed forests. The main drivers of TreMs are DBH and altitude, while slope and aspect play a minor role. We recommend forest and nature conservation managers to focus: 1) on the conservation of remaining primary forests and 2) approaches of biodiversity-oriented forest management on the selection of high-quality habitat trees that already provide a high number of TreMs in managed forests based on the comparison with primary forests.
Collapse
|
11
|
Thom D, Seidl R. Accelerating Mountain Forest Dynamics in the Alps. Ecosystems 2021; 25:603-617. [PMID: 35509678 PMCID: PMC9016046 DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00674-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Climate change alters forest development pathways, with consequences for ecosystem services and biodiversity. As the rate of warming increases, ecosystem change is expected to accelerate. However, ecosystem dynamics can have many causes unrelated to climate (for example, disturbance and stand development legacies). The compound effects of multiple drivers remain largely unclear. Here, we assessed forest dynamics over 28 years at Berchtesgaden National Park (BGNP), Germany, quantifying the spatiotemporal patterns and unraveling the drivers of forest change. We analyzed high-density forest inventory data, consisting of three consecutive censuses of 3759 permanent sample plots (132,866 tree records in total). We used semi-variograms to analyze spatial patterns of change, and boosted regression trees to quantify the effect of 30 covariates on changes in nine indicators of forest structure and composition. Over the 28 years investigated, the forests of BGNP were becoming denser, structurally more complex, and more species rich. Changes in forest structure were more pronounced and spatially correlated on the landscape than changes in tree species composition. Change rates of all indicators increased over time, signifying an acceleration of forest dynamics since the 1980s. Legacies and climate were the most important drivers of change, but had diverging impacts. Although forest change accelerated with increasing temperature, high legacy levels typical for late development stages dampened it. We here provide evidence for accelerating forest dynamics in mountain forests of the Alps, with potentially far-reaching consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem processes. We highlight that unmanaged forest development toward old-growth conditions could counteract climate-mediated acceleration of forest change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Thom
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, Institute of Silviculture, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, 617 Main Street, Burlington, Vermont 05405 USA
| | - Rupert Seidl
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, Institute of Silviculture, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria
- Berchtesgaden National Park, Doktorberg 6, 83471 Berchtesgaden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Thom D, Taylor AR, Seidl R, Thuiller W, Wang J, Robideau M, Keeton WS. Forest structure, not climate, is the primary driver of functional diversity in northeastern North America. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 762:143070. [PMID: 33127131 PMCID: PMC7612768 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Functional diversity (FD), represented by plant traits, is fundamentally linked to an ecosystem's capacity to respond to environmental change. Yet, little is known about the spatial distribution of FD and its drivers. These knowledge gaps prevent the development of FD-based forest management approaches to increase the trait diversity insurance (i.e., the response diversity) against future environmental fluctuations and disturbances. Our study helps fill these knowledge gaps by (i) mapping the current FD distribution, (ii) and analyzing FD drivers across northeastern North America. Following the stress-dominance hypothesis, we expected a strong environmental filtering effect on FD. Moreover, we expected abundant species to determine the bulk of FD distributions as suggested by the mass-ratio hypothesis. We combined a literature and database review of 44 traits for 43 tree species with terrestrial inventory data of 48,426 plots spanning an environmental gradient from northern boreal to temperate biomes. We evaluated the statistical influence of 25 covariates related to forest structure, climate, topography, soils, and stewardship on FD by employing an ensemble approach consisting of 90 non-parametric models. Temperate forests and the boreal-temperate ecotone east and northeast of the Great Lakes were identified as FD hotspots. Environmental filtering by climate was of secondary importance, with forest structure explaining most of the FD distribution of tree species in northeastern North America. Thus, our study provides only partial support for the stress-dominance hypothesis. Species abundance weightings altered trait diversity distributions and drivers only marginally, supporting the mass-ratio hypothesis. Our results suggest that forest management could increase FD without requiring knowledge of functional ecology by fostering stand structural complexity instead. Further, mixing species from different functional groups identified in this study can enhance the trait diversity insurance of forests to an uncertain future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Thom
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, 81 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, 617 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; Institute of Silviculture, Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - Anthony R Taylor
- Atlantic Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 1350 Regent Street, P.O. Box 4000, Fredericton, NB E3B 5P7, Canada
| | - Rupert Seidl
- Institute of Silviculture, Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany; Berchtesgaden National Park, Doktorberg 6, 83471 Berchtesgaden, Germany
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Université Savoie-Mont-Blanc, LECA, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Jiejie Wang
- Atlantic Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 1350 Regent Street, P.O. Box 4000, Fredericton, NB E3B 5P7, Canada
| | - Mary Robideau
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, 81 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - William S Keeton
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, 81 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, 617 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Biodiversity response to forest management intensity, carbon stocks and net primary production in temperate montane forests. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1625. [PMID: 33452277 PMCID: PMC7810709 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80499-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Managed forests are a key component of strategies aimed at tackling the climate and biodiversity crises. Tapping this potential requires a better understanding of the complex, simultaneous effects of forest management on biodiversity, carbon stocks and productivity. Here, we used data of 135 one-hectare plots from southwestern Germany to disentangle the relative influence of gradients of management intensity, carbon stocks and forest productivity on different components of forest biodiversity (birds, bats, insects, plants) and tree-related microhabitats. We tested whether the composition of taxonomic groups varies gradually or abruptly along these gradients. The richness of taxonomic groups was rather insensitive to management intensity, carbon stocks and forest productivity. Despite the low explanatory power of the main predictor variables, forest management had the greatest relative influence on richness of insects and tree-related microhabitats, while carbon stocks influenced richness of bats, birds, vascular plants and pooled taxa. Species composition changed relatively abruptly along the management intensity gradient, while changes along carbon and productivity gradients were more gradual. We conclude that moderate increases in forest management intensity and carbon stocks, within the range of variation observed in our study system, might be compatible with biodiversity and climate mitigation objectives in managed forests.
Collapse
|
14
|
Rollinson CR, Dawson A, Raiho AM, Williams JW, Dietze MC, Hickler T, Jackson ST, McLachlan J, Jp Moore D, Poulter B, Quaife T, Steinkamp J, Trachsel M. Forest responses to last-millennium hydroclimate variability are governed by spatial variations in ecosystem sensitivity. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:498-508. [PMID: 33377307 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Forecasts of future forest change are governed by ecosystem sensitivity to climate change, but ecosystem model projections are under-constrained by data at multidecadal and longer timescales. Here, we quantify ecosystem sensitivity to centennial-scale hydroclimate variability, by comparing dendroclimatic and pollen-inferred reconstructions of drought, forest composition and biomass for the last millennium with five ecosystem model simulations. In both observations and models, spatial patterns in ecosystem responses to hydroclimate variability are strongly governed by ecosystem sensitivity rather than climate exposure. Ecosystem sensitivity was higher in models than observations and highest in simpler models. Model-data comparisons suggest that interactions among biodiversity, demography and ecophysiology processes dampen the sensitivity of forest composition and biomass to climate variability and change. Integrating ecosystem models with observations from timescales extending beyond the instrumental record can better understand and forecast the mechanisms regulating forest sensitivity to climate variability in a complex and changing world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine R Rollinson
- Center for Tree Science, The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 60532, USA
| | - Andria Dawson
- Department of General Education, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, T3E 6K6, Canada
| | - Ann M Raiho
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 100 Galvin Life Science Center, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - John W Williams
- Department of Geography and Center for Climatic Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53704, USA
| | - Michael C Dietze
- Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Thomas Hickler
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt/Main, 60325, Germany.,Department of Physical Geography, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Stephen T Jackson
- US Geological Survey, Southwest and South Central Climate Adaptation Centers, Denver, DE, USA.,Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Jason McLachlan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 100 Galvin Life Science Center, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - David Jp Moore
- School of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | | | - Tristan Quaife
- Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6BB, UK
| | - Jörg Steinkamp
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt/Main, Germany.,Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mathias Trachsel
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53704, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Aboveground Wood Production Is Sustained in the First Growing Season after Phloem-Disrupting Disturbance. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11121306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Carbon (C) cycling processes are particularly dynamic following disturbance, with initial responses often indicative of longer-term change. In northern Michigan, USA, we initiated the Forest Resilience Threshold Experiment (FoRTE) to identify the processes that sustain or lead to the decline of C cycling rates across multiple levels (0, 45, 65 and 85% targeted gross leaf area index loss) of disturbance severity and, in response, to separate disturbance types preferentially targeting large or small diameter trees. Simulating the effects of boring insects, we stem girdled > 3600 trees below diameter at breast height (DBH), immediately and permanently disrupting the phloem. Weekly DBH measurements of girdled and otherwise healthy trees (n > 700) revealed small but significant increases in daily aboveground wood net primary production (ANPPw) in the 65 and 85% disturbance severity treatments that emerged six weeks after girdling. However, we observed minimal change in end-of-season leaf area index and no significant differences in annual ANPPw among disturbance severities or between disturbance types, suggesting continued C fixation by girdled trees sustained stand-scale wood production in the first growing season after disturbance. We hypothesized higher disturbance severities would favor the growth of early successional species but observed no significant difference between early and middle to late successional species’ contributions to ANPPw across the disturbance severity gradient. We conclude that ANPPw stability immediately following phloem disruption is dependent on the continued, but inevitably temporary, growth of phloem-disrupted trees. Our findings provide insight into the tree-to-ecosystem mechanisms supporting stand-scale wood production stability in the first growing season following a phloem-disrupting disturbance.
Collapse
|
16
|
Dobor L, Hlásny T, Zimová S. Contrasting vulnerability of monospecific and species-diverse forests to wind and bark beetle disturbance: The role of management. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:12233-12245. [PMID: 33209284 PMCID: PMC7663067 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Wind and bark beetle disturbances have increased in recent decades, affecting Europe's coniferous forests with particular severity. Management fostering forest diversity and resilience is deemed to effectively mitigate disturbance impacts, yet its efficiency and interaction with other disturbance management measures remain unclear.We focused on Central Europe, which has become one of the hotspots of recent disturbance changes. We used the iLand ecosystem model to understand the interplay between species composition of the forest, forest disturbance dynamics affected by climate change, and disturbance management. The tested measures included (a) active transformation of tree species composition toward site-matching species; (b) intensive removal of windfelled trees, which can support the buildup of bark beetle populations; and (c) reduction of mature and vulnerable trees on the landscape via modified harvesting regimes.We found that management systems aiming to sustain the dominance of Norway spruce in the forest are failing under climate change, and none of the measures applied could mitigate the disturbance impacts. Conversely, management systems fostering forest diversity substantially reduced the level of disturbance. Significant disturbance reduction has been achieved even without salvaging and rotation length reduction, which is beneficial for ecosystem recovery, carbon, and biodiversity. Synthesis and applications: We conclude that climate change amplifies the contrast in vulnerability of monospecific and species-diverse forests to wind and bark beetle disturbance. Whereas forests dominated by Norway spruce are not likely to be sustained in Central Europe under climate change, different management strategies can be applied in species-diverse forests to reach the desired control over the disturbance dynamic. Our findings justify some unrealistic expectations about the options to control disturbance dynamics under climate change and highlight the importance of management that fosters forest diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Dobor
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Tomáš Hlásny
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| | - Soňa Zimová
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences PraguePragueCzech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Zimová S, Dobor L, Hlásny T, Rammer W, Seidl R. Reducing rotation age to address increasing disturbances in Central Europe: Potential and limitations. FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT 2020; 475:118408. [PMID: 35686290 PMCID: PMC7612832 DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Forest disturbance regimes are intensifying in many parts of the globe. In order to mitigate disturbance impacts a number of management responses have been proposed, yet their effectiveness in addressing changing disturbance regimes remains largely unknown. The strong positive relationship between forest age and the vulnerability to disturbances such as windthrows and bark beetle infestations suggests that a reduced rotation length can be a potent means for mitigating the impacts of natural disturbances. However, disturbance mitigation measures such as shortened rotation lengths (SRL) can also have undesired consequences on ecosystem services and biodiversity, which need to be considered in their application. Here, we used the process-based landscape and disturbance model iLand to investigate the effects of SRL on the vulnerability of a 16,000 ha forest landscape in Central Europe to wind and bark beetle disturbances. We experimentally reduced the current rotation length (between 100 and 115 years) by up to -40% in 10% increments, and studied effects on disturbance dynamics under current and future climate conditions over a 200-year simulation period. Simultaneously, we quantified the collateral effects of SRL on forest carbon stocks and indicators of biodiversity. Shortening the rotation length by 40% decreased disturbances by 14%. This effect was strongly diminished under future climate change, reducing the mitigating effect of shortened rotation to < 6%. Collateral effects were severe in the initial decades after implementation: Reducing the rotation length by 40% caused a spike in harvested timber volume (+ 92%), decreased total forest carbon storage by 6% and reduced the number of large trees on the landscape by 20%. The long-term effects of SRL were less pronounced. At the same time, SRL caused an increase in tree species diversity. Shortening rotation length can reduce the impact of wind and bark beetle disturbances, but the overall efficiency of the measure is limited and decreases under climate change. Given the potential for undesired collateral effects we conclude that a reduction of the rotation length is no panacea for managing increasing disturbances, and should be applied in combination with other management measures reducing risks and fostering resilience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soňa Zimová
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Laura Dobor
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Hlásny
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Werner Rammer
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Rupert Seidl
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Peter Jordan Straße 82, 1190 Wien, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Cianconi P, Betrò S, Janiri L. The Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health: A Systematic Descriptive Review. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:74. [PMID: 32210846 PMCID: PMC7068211 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 271] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change is one of the great challenges of our time. The consequences of climate change on exposed biological subjects, as well as on vulnerable societies, are a concern for the entire scientific community. Rising temperatures, heat waves, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, fires, loss of forest, and glaciers, along with disappearance of rivers and desertification, can directly and indirectly cause human pathologies that are physical and mental. However, there is a clear lack in psychiatric studies on mental disorders linked to climate change. METHODS Literature available on PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library until end of June 2019 were reviewed. The total number of articles and association reports was 445. From these, 163 were selected. We looked for the association between classical psychiatric disorders such as anxiety schizophrenia, mood disorder and depression, suicide, aggressive behaviors, despair for the loss of usual landscape, and phenomena related to climate change and extreme weather. Review of literature was then divided into specific areas: the course of change in mental health, temperature, water, air pollution, drought, as well as the exposure of certain groups and critical psychological adaptations. RESULTS Climate change has an impact on a large part of the population, in different geographical areas and with different types of threats to public health. However, the delay in studies on climate change and mental health consequences is an important aspect. Lack of literature is perhaps due to the complexity and novelty of this issue. It has been shown that climate change acts on mental health with different timing. The phenomenology of the effects of climate change differs greatly-some mental disorders are common and others more specific in relation to atypical climatic conditions. Moreover, climate change also affects different population groups who are directly exposed and more vulnerable in their geographical conditions, as well as a lack of access to resources, information, and protection. Perhaps it is also worth underlining that in some papers the connection between climatic events and mental disorders was described through the introduction of new terms, coined only recently: ecoanxiety, ecoguilt, ecopsychology, ecological grief, solastalgia, biospheric concern, etc. CONCLUSIONS The effects of climate change can be direct or indirect, short-term or long-term. Acute events can act through mechanisms similar to that of traumatic stress, leading to well-understood psychopathological patterns. In addition, the consequences of exposure to extreme or prolonged weather-related events can also be delayed, encompassing disorders such as posttraumatic stress, or even transmitted to later generations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Cianconi
- Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Janiri
- Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|