Article
Forestry
Ronald K. Salemme, Jennifer M. Fraterrigo
Summary: Non-native grass invasions are changing fuels and fire behavior in forests, affecting tree regeneration and forest dynamics. The study found that invaded forests with longer intervals between prescribed fires may help protect juvenile trees, which are negatively impacted by grass invasion.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Stuart T. Schwab, G. Darrel Jenerette, Loralee Larios
Summary: Prescribed burning is commonly used to reduce non-native grass cover and seed availability, but its effectiveness in reducing non-native forbs remains unclear. Residual singed stands of invasive forbs can create high heterogeneity in postburn landscape and increase reinvasion. A field experiment in a prescribed burn area found that litter presence reduced temperature and light availability, while singed stands had lower soil moisture and temperature. The presence of litter increased Oncosiphon cover and viable seeds, and singed stands had even greater Oncosiphon cover and viable seeds. The addition of native seed did not affect native or Oncosiphon cover. These results highlight the importance of considering secondary treatments to reduce reinvasion when using prescribed burns for managing invasive forbs.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Wei Huang, Grizelle Gonzalez, Maria Fernanda Barberena-Arias, Xiaoming Zou
Summary: The study found that reduction in faunal diversity and increases in UV radiation can affect litter decomposition, with prescribed burn reducing soil arthropod diversity and increasing UV radiation to slow down plant litter decomposition.
BIOLOGY AND FERTILITY OF SOILS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Felicia Fonseca, Diego Silva, Paulo Bueno, Zulimar Hernandez, Ana Caroline Royer, Tomas de Figueiredo
Summary: This study investigated the effects of prescribed fire on carbon storage in Montesinho Natural Park in Portugal. It found that after 36 months, aboveground shrub biomass and litter layer carbon storage significantly decreased, while mineral soil carbon storage increased. This suggests that shrub species remain important carbon pools even after anthropogenic disturbances such as wildfires.
Article
Ecology
Rachel S. Smith, Heather Alley, Diane Klement, Linsey E. Haram
Summary: The study found that planting native perennial plants is an effective restoration method that can replace herbicides without affecting the density of non-target species. It also showed that herbicide needs to be applied annually to maintain its efficacy, while planting native plants is most effective after a single herbicide application.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jennifer M. Fraterrigo, Mara K. Rembelski
Summary: Frequent fire increases microbial nitrogen limitation, decreases productivity of invasive grass Microstegium, and reduces soil carbon and nitrogen loss. Frequent fire also enhances microbial nitrogen limitation through the accumulation of microbially resistant pyrogenic nitrogen.
Article
Plant Sciences
Brett R. Lane, Amy E. Kendig, Christopher M. Wojan, Ashish Adhikari, Michelle A. Jusino, Nicholas Kortessis, Margaret W. Simon, Robert D. Holt, Matthew E. Smith, Keith Clay, S. Luke Flory, Philip F. Harmon, Erica M. Goss
Summary: This study examined the dynamic changes in foliar fungal communities on the invasive plant Microstegium vimineum. The researchers found that the phyllosphere fungal community became increasingly diverse and underwent substantial composition changes over a period of two months with increasing disease severity. Fungicide application caused shifts in fungal community composition and increased diversity at the late-season timepoint. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the roles of putative endophytes in disease dynamics of invasive plants.
PHYTOBIOMES JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nicholas Kortessis, Amy E. Kendig, Michael Barfield, S. Luke Flory, Margaret W. Simon, Robert D. Holt
Summary: Community structure is influenced by species' responses to environmental factors and their effects on the environment. This study focuses on the role of plant litter and its interactions with two plant species. The results highlight the importance of litter and broader ecosystem parameters, such as decomposition rate, in determining the outcome of species interactions. The trade-offs between competition tolerance and litter-based interference competition allow for coexistence, but the litter-tolerant species must produce more litter at the population level. Litter-mediated interactions disrupt the traditional relationship between biomass accumulation and decomposition. Increasing decomposition rate may not necessarily decrease litter density, and in some cases, may even increase litter load. Overall, this study emphasizes the significance of ecosystem variables in influencing community outcomes and ecosystem processes.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Liliana Benitez, Amy E. Kendig, Ashish Adhikari, Keith Clay, Philip F. Harmon, Robert D. Holt, Erica M. Goss, S. Luke Flory
Summary: Plant litter and its pathogens negatively impact competition with native plants, favoring invasive species and increasing disease incidence on native species.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Min Tan, Ruyi Ding, Qiong Huang, Sheng Qiang
Summary: Bipolaris panici-miliacei SX5-2 strain showed high pathogenicity in Microstegium vimineum, with a wide host range but severe infection in maize and sugar cane.
BIOCONTROL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
J. R. Molina, M. Ortega, F. Rodriguez Y. Silva
Summary: Climate change and accumulation of surface fuel are causing more severe fires globally. Prescribed fire can efficiently reduce wildfire hazards and manage fire-prone landscapes, but social and administrative constraints may arise on a larger scale. Science-based knowledge on fire behavior, fuel reduction, and tree impacts is essential for supporting prescribed fire use. Different ignition patterns can affect fire behavior, with strip-heading fire increasing spread rate and flame length, while flanking fire decreases spread rate. Spot-heading fire can reduce spread rate and flame length, but increase flame residence time at higher distances between points. The study aims to balance fire intensity and its impacts on trees, soil, and surface roots.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dakota M. Hunter, Douglas A. Deberry
Summary: This study aimed to understand the factors influencing plant community structure and invasive plant prevalence in wetland mitigation sites. The analysis revealed specific environmental drivers for each invasive species and identified several consistently important factors. These findings have been used to develop recommended best practices for wetland mitigation projects to encourage desired plant communities and reduce invasion risk.
Article
Ecology
Janet A. Morrison, Bernadette Roche, Maren Veatch-Blohm
Summary: Plants in suburban forests of eastern North America face the dual stressors of high white-tailed deer density and invasion by nonindigenous plants. Chronic deer herbivory combined with strong competition from invasive plants could alter a plant's stress- and defense-related secondary chemistry, especially for long-lived juvenile trees in the understory, but this has not been studied.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kathryn M. Miller, Brian J. McGill, Aaron S. Weed, Camilla E. Seirup, James A. Comiskey, Elizabeth R. Matthews, Stephanie Perles, John Paul Schmit
Summary: The study found that most of the eastern national parks in the United States showed an increasing trend in invasive plant abundance, with Japanese stiltgrass being the most aggressive invader. Invasive shrubs, especially Japanese barberry, Japanese honeysuckle, multiflora rose, and wineberry, also showed increasing trends, sometimes at the expense of Japanese stiltgrass.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Zhaofei Fan, Aiyun Song, Linshui Dong, Heather D. Alexander, Shaoyang Yang, Nannan Cheng, Jonathan L. Pitchford
Summary: Prescribed fire is effective in depleting the tallow seedbank without contributing to post-invasion spread. The tallow soil seedbank is significantly greater around seed trees, with seedling recruitment rates increasing with fire intensity.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
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)