Article
Soil Science
Apolline Benoist, Daniel Houle, Robert L. Bradley, Jean-Philippe Bellenger
Summary: The contribution of Coarse Woody Debris (CWD) to N inputs in boreal ecosystems has been reported, but data from Eastern Canadian forests is scarce. This study evaluated the contribution of CWD to total biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in two forest sites and tested factors that can affect the conversion ratio for N-2-fixation estimates. The results showed that N-2-fixation by CWD in balsam fir and black spruce from eastern boreal forest is low compared to other estimates, and moss-covered CWD can significantly contribute to CWD N-2-fixation.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Angela L. Larsen-Gray, Susan C. Loeb, Matina C. Kalcounis-Rueppell
Summary: This study found that experimental manipulations of coarse woody debris in South Carolina did not significantly affect rodent population and community dynamics over the long-term. Variations in captures of cotton mice and southern flying squirrels were observed across seasons and years, but overall, the experimental treatments had minimal effects on the rodent community composition and structure.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Britta Uhl, Franz-Sebastian Krah, Petr Baldrian, Roland Brandl, Jonas Hagge, Joerg Mueller, Simon Thorn, Tlaskal Vojtech, Claus Baessler
Summary: The reduction of deadwood due to forest management threatens saproxylic diversity. Deadwood types have a stronger effect on alpha- and beta-diversity than microclimate, with logs showing higher diversity for beetles and fungal fruits, and snags having high fungal diversity. Effective combinations of deadwood types and microclimate contribute to gamma-diversity.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Julia Rothacher, Jonas Hagge, Claus Baessler, Roland Brandl, Axel Gruppe, Joerg Mueller
Summary: Experimental manipulations in mature beech forests showed that opening the canopy and increasing deadwood resources (including stumps, logs, and snags) can enhance the abundance, species number, and species richness of saproxylic and non-saproxylic beetles. Snags and logs provide longer-lasting deadwood resources compared to stumps, attracting and sustaining beetle populations.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Brian Tobin, Giovanni Pastore, Maarten Nieuwenhuis
Summary: This study investigates the quantities and decomposition rates of windrowed deadwood carbon in reforested commercial Sitka spruce stands in Ireland, and how they contribute to forest carbon sequestration. The carbon stocks in windrowed deadwood ranged from 25 to 8 t C ha(-1) at different stand ages, with decomposition rates ranging from 5.15 to 0.68 t C ha(-1) yr(-1). Decay rate constants were estimated for different components of deadwood, showing significant impacts on decomposition rates. Additionally, comparisons with previously published data indicate that respiratory pathways are the most significant for carbon loss in intensively managed forests.
Article
Geography, Physical
Kailey V. V. Adams, Jean L. L. Dixon, Andrew C. C. Wilcox, Dave McWethy
Summary: Interactions between vegetation and sediment in post-fire landscapes are important for sediment connectivity. Previous research focused on vegetation removal but overlooked the effects of coarse woody debris (CWD) added after fires. Our study investigates the impacts of CWD on hillslope sediment storage and highlights its role in limiting rapid sediment movement. We propose a new conceptual model, conduct tilt table experiments, and estimate hillslope sediment storage capacity in a burned catchment using high-resolution topographic data and digitization of downed logs. The results suggest that fire-produced CWD serves as an important source of sediment disconnectivity in catchments and should be incorporated into models of sediment connectivity.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Zhihui Wang, Fei Li, Jianfeng Hou, Xuqing Li, Rui Cao, Yurui Jiang, Yuchen Lu, Shuning Ma, Wanqin Yang
Summary: Coarse woody debris (CWD) and litter play important roles in soil fungal community composition and function in subalpine forests. CWD significantly influences the composition and functional guilds of soil fungal communities, while there is no significant difference in soil fungal alpha diversity between CWD and litter microhabitats. Soil beneath litter contains more plant pathogens and mycorrhizal fungi, while soil beneath CWD is enriched with saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Soil nitrogen, carbon, and the C:N ratio are key drivers of soil fungal taxonomic composition and functional guilds.
ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Mari Jonsson, Jan-Olov Weslien, Lena Gustafsson
Summary: Retaining trees in small patches at final harvest is a common forest conservation measure to maintain diversity. In this study, we found that most small retention patches did not experience severe tree mortality and had a consistent amount of coarse woody debris over time. Wetland and rocky areas had higher volumes of CWD compared to other patch types.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lorenzo Menichetti, Harri Makinen, Johan Stendahl, Goran Agren, Riitta Hyvonen
Summary: When a trunk is lying on the ground, it can be attacked by microorganisms faster than when it is still standing. The extended model takes into account the influences of tree species and the local position of the wood, which may substantially change model estimates of C balance in forests.
Article
Forestry
Chunsheng Wu, Chunjie Shu, Zhijian Zhang, Yanyan Li, Yi Zhang, Yuanqiu Liu
Summary: Forest fragmentation is increasing rapidly worldwide, with edge effects influencing ecosystem functions like CWD decomposition. This study found that reduced microbial and fauna communities at forest edges can slow down CWD decomposition rates. More long-term experiments with diverse tree species and forest types are needed to assess the generality of edge effects.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Francesco Parisi, Michele Innangi, Roberto Tognetti, Fabio Lombardi, Gherardo Chirici, Marco Marchetti
Summary: The relationships between structural complexity, deadwood abundance, microhabitat type, and species-diversity indicators are crucial tools for monitoring biodiversity in forest ecosystems. However, the impact of these factors on beetle communities can vary in different forest environments. Our study highlights the significance of ecological attributes in tracking changes in beetle biodiversity in specific forest contexts.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Liudmila Mukhortova, Natalia Pashenova, Maria Meteleva, Leonid Krivobokov, Georg Guggenberger
Summary: The study demonstrates that the death of trees in forest ecosystems leads to the formation of coarse woody debris (CWD), which can be a significant source of methane and carbon dioxide emissions. The CO2 and CH4 fluxes from CWD show strong correlations with temperature, moisture, decomposition stage, and wood type, with methane flux being more sensitive at higher temperatures. This research highlights the importance of understanding greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing wood in boreal forests.
Article
Forestry
Shubo Huang, Lixiang Wen, Shuai Yin, Meng Guo, Fangbing Yu
Summary: This study analyzed the characteristics of coarse woody debris decomposition in Larix gmelinii forests over 33 years after a fire, revealing a positive correlation between decay rate and decay class. Factors such as nutrient content, density, and water content explained the variance in decay rate, and the decomposition process was mainly influenced by the structural component of the debris and its nitrogen and water contents. This paper quantified indicators affecting CWD decay to explain the decomposition process.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Larisa Khanina, Maxim Bobrovsky, Vadim Smirnov, Michael Romanov
Summary: This study investigated the decomposition of lying logs in an old-growth broad-leaved forest 14 and 15 years after a windthrow. The results showed high heterogeneity in the decomposition stages of logs and different decomposition rates among tree species. Carbon and nitrogen concentrations increased with increasing decay stage, while pH values decreased and then increased. The findings also suggest that the decomposition rates of different tree species can impact carbon and nitrogen storage in forests.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Remote Sensing
Shukhrat Shokirov, Michael Schaefer, Shaun R. Levick, Tommaso Jucker, Justin Borevitz, Ilhom Abdurahmanov, Kara Youngentob
Summary: The study used LiDAR technology to assess CWD in a grassy woodland ecosystem, finding that model performance varied with different sensor types, vegetation types, and ground cover biomass. Ground cover density had a negative impact on accuracy for TLS and FLS data.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REMOTE SENSING
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Francesco Boscutti, Francesco Lami, Elisa Pellegrini, Massimo Buccheri, Francesco Busato, Fabrizio Martini, Rossella Sibella, Maurizia Sigura, Lorenzo Marini
Summary: This study analyzed how the expansion of urban and agricultural areas can affect exotic species richness at different spatial scales. The results showed that increasing urbanization and high shape complexity of urban elements were major drivers of plant invasions. Agriculture land use also had a significant impact on the spread of ancient species. Therefore, reducing urban sprawl and shape complexity can improve the resistance of landscapes to biological invasions.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Eleonora Cagliero, Donato Morresi, Laure Paradis, Milic Curovic, Velibor Spalevic, Niccolo Marchi, Fabio Meloni, Ilham Bentaleb, Renzo Motta, Matteo Garbarino, Emanuele Lingua, Walter Finsinger
Summary: The Dinaric Mountains are known for their late-successional montane mixed old-growth forests, with historical deforestation levels lower than in other European regions. Human activities during the Middle Ages, including cereal cultivation, cattle herding, and fire, led to a reduction of Abies alba and Picea abies-dominated forests in the region. After a major land abandonment around the Black Death pandemic, Fagus sylvatica-dominated stands developed in more accessible areas surrounding the old-growth forest, with the legacy of past land uses still visible today.
VEGETATION HISTORY AND ARCHAEOBOTANY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Andree Cappellari, Giacomo Santoiemma, Francesco Sanna, Domenico D'Ascenzo, Nicola Mori, Francesco Lami, Lorenzo Marini
Summary: This study explores the spatio-temporal distribution of insect vectors of X. fastidiosa in olive groves using a bipartite network approach. The main vector, Philanus spumarius, was found to be a super-generalist species occupying all habitats, but mostly collected in olive groves. Olive grove patches and grasslands were identified as important factors influencing vector populations.
ENTOMOLOGIA GENERALIS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Andree Cappellari, Giovanna Bonaldi, Maurizio Mei, Dino Paniccia, Pierfilippo Cerretti, Lorenzo Marini
Summary: Managed and wild pollinators coexist in different ecosystems. This study investigated the interactions between plants and pollinators in 51 grasslands and found that honeybee abundance, temperature, plant functional diversity, and trait similarity between wild pollinators and the honeybee influence resource overlap between them. Resource overlap decreases with increasing honeybee abundance, but only in plant communities with high functional diversity. Resource overlap increases with increasing trait similarity between wild pollinators and the honeybee.
Article
Biology
Edurne Martinez del Castillo, Christian S. Zang, Allan Buras, Andrew Hacket-Pain, Jan Esper, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Claudia Hartl, Robert Weigel, Stefan Klesse, Victor Resco de Dios, Tobias Scharnweber, Isabel Dorado-Linan, Marieke Van der Maaten-Theunissen, Ernst van der Maaten, Alistair Jump, Sjepan Mikac, Bat-Enerel Banzragch, Wolfgang Beck, Liam Cavin, Hugues Claessens, Vojtech Cada, Katarina Cufar, Choimaa Dulamsuren, Jozica Gricar, Eustaquio Gil-Pelegrin, Pavel Janda, Marko Kazimirovic, Juergen Kreyling, Nicolas Latte, Christoph Leuschner, Luis Alberto Longares, Annette Menzel, Maks Merela, Renzo Motta, Lena Muffler, Paola Nola, Any Mary Petritan, Ion Catalin Petritan, Peter Prislan, Alvaro Rubio-Cuadrado, Milos Rydval, Branko Stajic, Miroslav Svoboda, Elvin Toromani, Volodymyr Trotsiuk, Martin Wilmking, Tzvetan Zlatanov, Martin de Luis
Summary: The growth of past, present, and future forests is affected by climate variability. While regional studies have assessed this relationship, large-scale analyses are lacking. This study estimates recent changes in growth of beech trees and predicts severe future growth declines across Europe. The findings indicate serious ecological and economic consequences that require immediate forest adaptation.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Giacomo Ortis, Lorenzo Marini, Giacomo Cavaletto, Luca Mazzon
Summary: The study shows that summer temperature has a significant impact on the development of insect eggs, while winter temperature has less influence on egg survival. The species has the ability to switch from a multiyear to an annual life cycle through temperature changes.
Article
Forestry
Hans Pretzsch, Andres Bravo-Oviedo, Torben Hilmers, Ricardo Ruiz-Peinado, Lluis Coll, Magnus Lof, Shamim Ahmed, Jorge Aldea, Christian Ammer, Admir Avdagic, Ignacio Barbeito, Kamil Bielak, Felipe Bravo, Gediminas Brazaitis, Jakub Cerny, Catherine Collet, Lars Drossler, Marek Fabrika, Michael Heym, Stig-Olof Holm, Gro Hylen, Aris Jansons, Viktor Kurylyak, Fabio Lombardi, Bratislav Matovic, Marek Metslaid, Renzo Motta, Thomas Nord-Larsen, Arne Nothdurft, Cristobal Ordonez, Jan den Ouden, Maciej Pach, Marta Pardos, Quentin Ponette, Tomas Perot, Ditlev Otto Juel Reventlow, Roman Sitko, Vit Sramek, Mathias Steckel, Miroslav Svoboda, Enno Uhl, Kris Verheyen, Sonja Vospernik, Barbara Wolff, Tzvetan Zlatanov, Miren del Rio
Summary: The study found that the stand structure becomes more homogeneous with increasing site quality, with the asymmetry of competition and growth distribution increasing with higher site index. Mortality mainly eliminates small trees with increasing site index, reducing size variation and structural heterogeneity.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Alessandra Bottero, Fabio Meloni, Matteo Garbarino, Renzo Motta
Summary: Coppice forests in southern European temperate forests are resilient to browsing by roe deer, as they are capable of recovering growth loss within a few years after browsing has naturally diminished and stopped.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Samuel F. Ward, Eckehard G. Brockerhoff, Rebecca M. Turner, Takehiko Yamanaka, Lorenzo Marini, Songlin Fei, Andrew M. Liebhold
Summary: The unintentional transport of insects beyond their native ranges has increased with globalization, leading to higher propagule pressure in non-native ranges. This study investigated the interceptions of European spruce bark beetle in the USA from 1914 to 2008 and found that interceptions were not related to outbreak levels in the native range, but were inversely related to annual import volume. The abundance of this beetle in invasion pathways has recently decreased, possibly due to strengthened phytosanitary protocols.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Ginevra Nota, Roberta Berretti, Davide Ascoli, Davide Barberis, Simone Ravetto Enri, Marco Pittarello, Renzo Motta, Luca Maria Battaglini, Giampiero Lombardi, Michele Lonati
Summary: Pig grazing can be used for forest restoration and conservation, while providing high-quality meat products and promoting local breeds. The study found that pigs exhibit selective foraging behavior, influenced by the quality and toxicity of plant species.
AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Costanza Geppert, Alessio Bertolli, Filippo Prosser, Lorenzo Marini
Summary: Mountain ecosystems are undergoing significant changes in plant distribution due to human activities. The range dynamics of mountain plants show large variability, with some species expanding, shifting, or shrinking their range. A study of 1,479 species in the European Alps over the past 30 years found that red-listed species experienced a rapid range contraction and were unable to track climate warming. In contrast, aliens quickly expanded upslope while keeping their rear margins almost still. The findings suggest that conservation efforts should prioritize low-elevation areas where red-listed natives and aliens coexist.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yannek Kaber, Christof Bigler, Janneke Hillerislambers, Martina Hobi, Thomas A. Nagel, Tuomas Aakala, Markus Blaschke, Peter Brang, Bogdan Brzeziecki, Marco Carrer, Eugenie Cateau, Georg Frank, Shawn Fraver, Jokin Idoate-Lacasia, Jan Holik, Stanislav Kucbel, Anja Leyman, Peter Meyer, Renzo Motta, Pavel Samonil, Lucia Seebach, Jonas Stillhard, Miroslav Svoboda, Jerzy Szwagrzyk, Kris Vandekerkhove, Ondrej Vostarek, Tzvetan Zlatanov, Harald Bugmann
Summary: Tree regeneration is a key process in forest dynamics and is influenced by climate, disturbances, and biotic factors. The stress gradient hypothesis suggests that competition between trees is more frequent under favorable conditions, while reduced competition and positive interactions are more likely under climatic stress. Tree life-history strategies may also play a role in explaining tree regeneration patterns. This study investigates these topics using statistical models based on a large dataset of recruitment events for 24 tree species in European temperate forests.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gian Luca Spadoni, Jose V. Moris, Giorgio Vacchiano, Mario Elia, Matteo Garbarino, Emanuele Sibona, Antonio Tomao, Anna Barbati, Lorenzo Sallustio, Luca Salvati, Carlotta Ferrara, Saverio Francini, Enrico Bonis, Ilaria Dalla Vecchia, Andrea Strollo, Marco Di Leginio, Michele Munafo, Gherardo Chirici, Raoul Romano, Piermaria Corona, Marco Marchetti, Antonio Brunori, Renzo Motta, Davide Ascoli
Summary: This study examined the impact of active land planning and management on wildfires in Italy and found that territories with more active land governance experienced lower wildfire impacts, even under severe climate and flammability conditions. These findings support current strategies aimed at creating fire-resistant and resilient landscapes through agroforestry, rural development, and nature conservation.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elena Gazzea, Peter Batary, Lorenzo Marini
Summary: Animal pollination is crucial for diverse and balanced diets, improving the commercial attributes and shelf life of fruits and vegetables. However, its impact on nutritional value is limited. The meta-analysis shows that pollination plays a significant role in maintaining food quality.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria Chiara Rosace, Martina Cendoya, Giulia Mattion, Antonio Vicent, Andrea Battisti, Giacomo Cavaletto, Lorenzo Marini, Vittorio Rossi
Summary: World trade has led to an increased risk of introducing non-indigenous pests. However, the lack of historical data on pest introductions poses a challenge. By collecting and compiling data from various sources, a comprehensive dataset on pest introductions in the EU has been created, providing a basis for understanding the factors associated with the likelihood of pest introductions.