Article
Forestry
Adrian Lazaro-Lobo, Rima D. Lucardi, Carlos Ramirez-Reyes, Gary N. Ervin
Summary: Invasive plants are widely spread in the forests of the southern United States and are expected to increase their distributional ranges. They have negative impacts on forest regeneration at local scales, with fast-growing hardwood tree species showing the least negative associations with invasive plants. Incorporating invasive plants into management strategies is crucial for ensuring the persistence of native forest communities and the ecological services they provide.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Matthew Joseph Ruggirello, Rosina Soler, Gimena Bustamante, Maria Vanessa Lencinas
Summary: Historically, wildfires have rarely occurred in the Subantarctic forests on Tierra del Fuego island. However, when they do, they are primarily caused by human activities. This study reveals the impact of wildfires on the understory vegetation dynamics in the Nothofagus antarctica dominated forests, including a decrease in species richness and cover, as well as an increase in exotic species dominance.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alejandro A. Royo, Walter P. Carson
Summary: Chronic ungulate browse pressure in temperate forests can lead to ecological legacies characterized by low plant diversity and dense understory vegetation. An experiment in Pennsylvania, USA, showed that fern cover gaps enhanced tree seedling establishment, while excluding deer increased the height growth of other regeneration species. This highlights the need for stand-replacing disturbances to promote greater forest diversity.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kathryn M. Miller, Stephanie J. Perles, John Paul Schmit, Elizabeth R. Matthews, Aaron S. Weed, James A. Comiskey, Matthew R. Marshall, Peter Nelson, Nicholas A. Fisichelli
Summary: Advanced regeneration is crucial for the long-term viability of forest ecosystems in the eastern United States. However, a lack of regeneration and compositional mismatch can lead to shifts in forest composition and structure. This study examined regeneration across national parks and found widespread regeneration debt, with deer browse impact being the strongest predictor.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Florian Irauschek, Ivan Barka, Harald Bugmann, Benoit Courbaud, Che Elkin, Tomas Hlasny, Matija Klopcic, Marco Mina, Werner Rammer, Manfred J. Lexer
Summary: Forest ecosystem models, including stand-and landscape-scale, empirical, and process-based models, were tested against data from nine forest compartments in the Sn?z?nik region, with results showing good to satisfactory performance for all models in terms of basal area development. SAMSARA2, SIBYLA, and PICUS demonstrated the best agreement among the tested models.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Petri R. Forsstrom, Jussi Juola, Miina Rautiainen
Summary: This study analyzed the spectral reflectance factors and fractional covers of understory vegetation in different forest stands in a southern boreal forest area in Finland. The results showed specific spectral features of the understory related to site fertility type and fractional cover. The findings suggest that remote sensing can differentiate forest site fertility types and estimate understory green fractional cover in northern European boreal forests.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Gabrielle N. Ripa, Steve Demarais, Joshua J. Granger, Richard G. Hamrick, Raymond B. Iglay
Summary: In three different ecoregions in Mississippi, the study aimed to determine the effects of deer herbivory on vegetation structure and composition. The results showed no treatment effects on vegetation composition and structure, but there were changes in overstory canopy conditions between 2005 and 2021, resulting in a decrease in certain plant species preferred by deer. The lack of treatment effects may be due to overstory conditions, low deer densities, and baseline conditions reflecting past herbivory effects.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
C. Moriah Boggess, Carolina Baruzzi, Heather D. Alexander, Bronson K. Strickland, Marcus A. Lashley
Summary: Prescribed fire has a potential negative effect on oak regeneration, but it can also increase the survival rate of acorns in recently burned areas. The exposure to fire can change the selection and removal rate of acorns by different consumers, which plays an important role in the net effects of fall burning on oak regeneration.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lucas B. Harris, Christopher W. Woodall, Anthony W. D. 'Amato
Summary: Tree regeneration surveys provide important insights into forest changes and stand development trajectories. Observations of seedling abundance changes across size classes are crucial for accurately predicting recruitment from seedling to advanced size classes. Collecting relatively coarse seedling height data improves the predictive models.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Lucas B. Harris, Christopher W. Woodall, Anthony W. D'Amato
Summary: Global change drivers have an impact on tree survival and development, especially during the early stages of growth. By analyzing forest inventory plots, it was found that the survival rate of seedlings is influenced by environmental and ecological factors. The results suggest that a comprehensive understanding of the complex and interacting effects on seedling survival is important for predicting and managing successful tree recruitment and future canopy tree composition.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Olivier Villemaire-Cote, Jean-Claude Ruel, Jean-Pierre Tremblay
Summary: Gap dynamics play a crucial role in forest regeneration, but ungulate browsing can limit or eliminate this regeneration. In this study, we found that deer browsing greatly limited cedar regeneration; however, when deer populations decreased, cedar regeneration abundance increased.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Olivier Villemaire-Cote, Jean-Claude Ruel, Jean-Pierre Tremblay
Summary: Gap dynamics are crucial for forest regeneration, but deer browsing can limit or eliminate this process. This study found that deer browsing greatly restricted the regeneration of northern white cedar, but when deer populations decreased, cedar regeneration increased.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Janika Kim Angst, Andrea Doris Kupferschmid
Summary: Browsing by ungulates can have significant impacts on forest stand development, particularly in relation to selective browsing and changes in tree species growth ranking. Assessing browsing impact objectively is challenging in patchily distributed beech forests. However, a k-tree method, which measures height increment and intensity of browsing, was applied near Kirchberg, Switzerland, to evaluate the impact. Winter browsing was found to be more common than summer browsing, leading to reduced height growth and long-lasting effects on saplings. The k-tree method proved to be an effective tool for foresters to assess browsing impact.
Article
Plant Sciences
Adam R. Hanbury-Brown, Thomas L. Powell, Helene C. Muller-Landau, S. Joseph Wright, Lara M. Kueppers
Summary: This article presents a new recruitment scheme that predicts the response of global forests to climate change by considering factors such as light, soil moisture, and reproductive tree productivity. The study shows that this scheme improves the prediction of recruitment rates among different functional types and captures recruitment limitations under varying conditions.
Article
Forestry
Laurent De Vriendt, Martin Barrette, Anders L. Kolstad, Katariina Vuorinen, James D. M. Speed, Sebastien Lavoie, Jean-Pierre Tremblay
Summary: Forest management can enhance ecosystem services but also alter their capacity. Ecosystem-based management has been implemented to reduce differences between managed and natural forests. Moose browsing could interfere with the objectives of maintaining community composition, stand structure, and ecosystem functions. An experiment in boreal forests of Quebec showed that moose browsing indirectly increased deciduous seedling densities while reducing coniferous sapling densities. This interference could prevent the achievement of ecosystem management objectives.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jonathan Knott, Grant Domke, Christopher Woodall, Brian Walters, Michael Jenkins, Songlin Fei
Summary: This study analyzed two decades of forest plot data in the Great Lakes region of the eastern U.S. and found that shifts in forest communities have important implications for carbon dynamics. The carbon content of live trees varied with different communities, while the carbon content of standing dead trees was influenced by community composition and stand structure.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lucia A. Fitts, Grant M. Domke, Matthew B. Russell
Summary: Forest disturbances play a critical role in ecosystem dynamics. This study compared different methods for quantifying disturbances at individual tree and condition-level scales, and provided a methodology for selecting an appropriate disturbance variable. The results showed that the choice of disturbance variable significantly affected the magnitude of disturbances. These findings are important for measuring disturbance magnitude, forest management plans, and carbon stock reports under future global change scenarios.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Courtney L. Giebink, Grant M. Domke, Rosie A. Fisher, Kelly A. Heilman, David J. P. Moore, R. Justin DeRose, Margaret E. K. Evans
Summary: There is great hope for forest ecosystems to contribute to greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and limit global warming. However, the current policy and ecology surrounding forest-based natural climate solutions (NCS), particularly in temperate forests of the United States, have gaps in carbon accounting and a lack of understanding between ambitions and forest ecology. Improved use of data models can help in better assessing and anticipating forest-based climate mitigation.
Article
Geography, Physical
Qiang Zhou, George Xian, Josephine Horton, Danika Wellington, Grant Domke, Roger Auch, Congcong Li, Zhe Zhu
Summary: Forests cover about one-third of the land area of the conterminous United States (CONUS) and play a crucial role in offsetting carbon emissions and supporting local economies. The demand for information on forest regrowth and recovery following disturbances has increased, particularly for cost-effective nature-based climate solutions. However, mapping the tree regrowth duration at an annual time interval and high resolution remains challenging.
GISCIENCE & REMOTE SENSING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nancy F. Sonti, Rachel Riemann, Miranda H. Mockrin, Grant M. Domke
Summary: The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is the fastest-growing land use type in the United States, and it is important to understand how this development affects the landscape and structure of WUI forests. Research found that WUI forests have higher carbon storage but lower structural diversity compared to non-WUI forests, which may impact forest regeneration and other ecological functions.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Kevin M. Potter, Robert M. Jetton, W. Andrew Whittier, Barbara S. Crane, Valerie D. Hipkins, Craig S. Echt, Gary R. Hodge
Summary: Table Mountain pine is an endangered tree species with fragmented but widespread distribution. The species has low genetic diversity and weak differentiation among populations. The genetic differences between northern and southern seed collection zones are minor and may not be useful for guiding future conservation efforts. Simulations suggest that reducing the number of families in conservation plantings would have minimal impact on common alleles, but would affect the representation of rare alleles and overall allelic richness.
Article
Ecology
Elizabeth A. LaRue, Jonathan A. Knott, Grant M. Domke, Han Y. H. Chen, Qinfeng Guo, Masumi Hisano, Christopher Oswalt, Sonja Oswalt, Nicole Kong, Kevin M. Potter, Songlin Fei
Summary: The study shows that the physical structure of vegetation is closely related to ecosystem function, and structural diversity is a robust predictor of forest productivity. It consistently outperforms species diversity as a predictor across different climate conditions in North America. Moreover, structural diversity captures variation in size and can be used to measure realized niche space, making it a better surrogate of niche occupancy. This study highlights the importance of using structural diversity as a metric for restoration and management decisions to maximize ecosystem productivity and carbon sequestration.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kevin M. Potter, Christian Giardina, R. Flint Hughes, Susan Cordell, Olaf Kuegler, Amy Koch, Emma Yuen
Summary: The invasion of non-native plant species in Hawaiian forests has resulted in significant changes in forest composition and structure. Non-native trees have a higher presence in the understory compared to the native canopy trees, suggesting potential replacement of native species. These findings are crucial for the conservation of Hawaiian flora and understanding invasion patterns in other forests.
Review
Ecology
Jonathan A. Knott, Greg C. Liknes, Courtney L. Giebink, Sungchan Oh, Grant M. Domke, Ronald E. McRoberts, Valquiria F. Quirino, Brian F. Walters
Summary: Large-scale ecological sampling networks aim to collect in situ data for various purposes, but the issue of outliers arising in data harmonization is often overlooked. This paper reviews the sources of outliers and their impact on estimates of above-ground biomass population parameters using a case study. The study shows that the inclusion or removal of outliers can lead to substantial differences in biomass estimates, highlighting the importance of proper use of field-collected and remotely sensed data in geospatial data harmonization.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christopher Asaro, Frank H. Koch, Kevin M. Potter
Summary: Forests in the United States are becoming denser, leading to increased competition for resources and vulnerability to disturbances. The total tree basal area (TBA) can serve as an indicator of forest health and be used to identify areas that require further analysis of forest conditions. Comparison of TBA with forest damage maps due to insects and pathogens showed significantly higher TBA in affected areas, indicating its potential as a regional-scale indicator.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Peter W. Clark, Anthony W. D'Amato, Brian J. Palik, Christopher W. Woodall, Paul A. Dubuque, Gregory J. Edge, Jason P. Hartman, Lucia A. Fitts, Maria K. Janowiak, Lucas B. Harris, Rebecca A. Montgomery, Mike R. Reinikainen, Christopher L. Zimmerman
Summary: Tree planting is a strategy to address global change, but the lack of diversity in nursery seedlings hampers the implementation of diverse planting targets.
Article
Forestry
Lucas B. Harris, Christopher W. Woodall, Anthony W. D'Amato
Summary: Global change drivers have an impact on tree survival and development, especially during the early stages of growth. By analyzing forest inventory plots, it was found that the survival rate of seedlings is influenced by environmental and ecological factors. The results suggest that a comprehensive understanding of the complex and interacting effects on seedling survival is important for predicting and managing successful tree recruitment and future canopy tree composition.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Sadadi Ojoatre, Jos Barlow, Suzanne R. Jacobs, Mariana C. Rufino
Summary: This study evaluates the changes in a forest complex in Kenya and finds that within 20 years of disturbance, there is rapid recovery of aboveground biomass and carbon accumulation, and the species diversity remains high in these previously disturbed fragments.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Astor Torano Caicoya, Peter Biber, Miren del Rio, Ricardo Ruiz-Peinado, Catia Arcangeli, Robert Matthews, Hans Pretzsch
Summary: This study analyzed the effects of site and climate on the self-thinning line in Scots pine forests in Europe. The results showed that species tolerance, temperature, and precipitation influenced the slope of the self-thinning line. In terms of the intercept, latitude and radiation had compensating effects. Time did not show significant trends in the self-thinning line. The study highlights the need to adapt management strategies and models based on self-thinning to different latitudes. Climate change has not yet significantly impacted the self-thinning trajectory, but a continuous rise in temperature and high precipitation may accelerate the self-thinning process and result in increased biomass accumulation.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Haonan Zhang, Jianing Xu, Weiqi Meng, Zhonglin Li, Yanyan Ni, Weijie Li, Hao Chen, Xingshuo Zhang, Huanhuan Yuan, Zhi Wang
Summary: Secondary forests play a crucial role in ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity recovery. This study investigated the mechanisms underlying secondary succession in a restored secondary forest and found that deciduous tree species transition from diversity accumulators to repellents as they progress through different life history stages, while evergreen tree species can act as accumulators or remain neutral. The study also revealed the effects of density dependence on the mortality and regeneration of different tree species, and highlighted the importance of early-arriving tree species in facilitating the establishment and diversity of late-arriving counterparts.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Yierxiati Abulaiti, Zijian Huang, Guojiao Xie, Xiaojuan Zou, Qin Luo, Minhuang Wang, Qiong Yang, Ping Hu, Shixiao Yu
Summary: In this study, the resistance to pest infestation of native and exotic mangrove species was compared based on their traits and spectral reflectance. The results showed that exotic species exhibited higher resistance to pest infestation compared to native species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Thomas Feiss, Vincent Robin, Delphine Aran, Joseph Levillain, Thierry Paul, Jean-Luc Dupouey
Summary: Fagus sylvatica L. is a competitive tree in European temperate deciduous forests, but often sporadic or absent in present-day stands where Quercus spp. are dominant. Through soil charcoal analysis in the Lorraine Plateau in France, the presence of Fagus and Quercus in mature Quercus stands was confirmed. Radiocarbon dating results indicated that historical forest management caused the replacement of Fagus by Quercus, starting from the Bronze Age.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Paula Halbig, Anne-Sophie Stelzer, Peter Baier, Josef Pennerstorfer, Horst Delb, Axel Schopf
Summary: The incidence of oak processionary moth in Central Europe has been increasing, posing severe threats to oak trees, humans, and animals. To address this issue, researchers have developed an online early warning system that provides phenological forecasts and decision support for the protection of oak trees and human health.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Jean-Baptiste Ndamiyehe Ncutirakiza, Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury, Philippe Lejeune, Xavier Bry, Catherine Trottier, Frederic Mortier, Adeline Fayolle, Francois Muhashy Habiyaremye, Leopold Ndjele Mianda-Bungi, Gauthier Ligot
Summary: This study examines the influence of canopy structure on tropical tree growth using data collected through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and field measurements. The results show that combining UAV and field data can improve the prediction of tree diameter increment. Diameter at breast height and crown area are complementary predictors, and crown-based competition indices significantly enhance prediction models. The calibrated model at one site can accurately predict growth at another site.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Abebe Damtew, Emiru Birhane, Christian Messier, Alain Paquette, Bart Muys
Summary: Restoring degraded dryland requires a diverse mixture of trees and shrubs. Shading and species diversity can improve seedling survival and vitality. Shaded conditions led to higher seedling survival, vitality, and chlorophyll content, while increasing species richness improved seedling vitality in non-shaded conditions.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Francois Hebert, Isabelle Delisle, Marc Tremblay, Pascal Tremblay, Jean- Francois Boucher, Yan Boucher, Daniel Lord
Summary: Regeneration failures in the closed-crown boreal forest, resulting in the creation of open lichen woodlands, can be restored through clear-cutting, scarification, and natural seeding. Clear-cutting combined with scarification promotes seedling establishment, and scarification creates suitable microsites for germination. Seedling growth in lichen woodlands is higher when logging and scarification are combined, but lower compared to feather moss stands. Afforestation through natural seeding following scarification could be a cost-effective option for restoring lichen woodlands.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Bianca Wulansari Kassun, A. Maarit I. Kallio, Erik Tr Omborg, Meley Mekonen Rannestad
Summary: Mapping and analyzing forest ecosystem services in dry and mountain forests can provide valuable knowledge for sustainable forest management strategies.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Michael Premer, Eric Turnblom, Aaron Weiskittel
Summary: Managed forests serve as a natural climate change solution by sequestering carbon and storing it in harvested wood products, while also providing ecosystem services and wildlife habitat. This study focused on the stem sinuosity of juvenile coastal Douglas-fir and found that genetic improvement, silviculture practices, and local growing conditions can impact stem sinuosity. Factors such as tree spacing, vegetation control, and climate variables also affect the severity of stem sinuosity.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Bronwyn Lira Dyson, Rhea Herpel, Peter Karasch, Jorg Mueller, Dominik Thom, Claus Baessler
Summary: The study aimed to assess the effects of different forest management strategies, dead wood types, and microclimates on Fomes fomentarius. The results showed that the occupancy of Fomes fomentarius was lower in control stands, while the percent cover occupied on snags under a closed canopy was higher. Increasing the number of snags and maintaining dense forest canopies could enhance the presence of Fomes fomentarius as well as provide important microhabitats for various arthropods.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Di Liu, Chaofan Zhou, Xiao He, Xiangdong Lei, Huiru Zhang, Xianzhao Liu
Summary: Canopy structure plays a significant role in the distribution and growth of saplings. Traditional canopy metrics are inadequate in irregular stands. The innovative framework of canopy triangular units provides a comprehensive understanding of the canopy's three-dimensional attributes. Through this framework, we can analyze the differences in various triangular unit types and the spatial dispersion of saplings.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Amalia Valeria Ibanez Moro, Fabian Borghetti, Leonardo Galetto, Juan M. Cellini, Sandra J. Bravo
Summary: This study evaluated the size and persistence of soil seed banks (SSB) of six native woody species in dry subtropical forests of the western Argentine Chaco region. The results showed that SSB size was influenced by different sites and sampling years, and forest disturbances had varying effects on SSB.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Stephanie Landry, Marc-Andre Villard, Gaetan Pelletier, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
Summary: In many regions of the world, excessive browsing by ungulates has reached unsustainable levels, threatening biodiversity and forest regeneration. Moose, as ecological engineers, have severe impacts on forest structure and composition through overbrowsing. The distribution of forage and cover patches affects moose browsing pressure, and this relationship has been explored in conifer-dominated stands but not in hardwood-dominated landscapes.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)