Higher drought sensitivity of radial growth of European beech in managed than in unmanaged forests

Mausolf, Katharina; Wilm, Paul; Härdtle, Werner; Jansen, Kirstin; Schuldt, Bernhard; Sturm, Knut; Oheimb, Goddert von; Hertel, Dietrich; Leuschner, Christoph; Fichtner, Andreas

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.065

Cited by 55 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…To transfer findings to the stand level, the density and the spatial distribution patterns of stems are decisive factors. The stem density is by far the highest in the long-term unmanaged stand SZ, and therefore the stand basal area increment is also high in SZ, despite a relatively low individual-tree radial increment [19]. Accordingly, a very high stand wood volume of 1416 m 3 ha −1 exists in SZ, compared to 1120, 1142, and 680 m 3 ha −1 in HEV, BKS and SIR, respectively (wood volumes calculated on the basis of our sample trees).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the long-term unmanaged stand, SZ, very high values of stand basal area and stand volume accumulated (59 m 2 ha −1 , and 903 m 3 ha −1 , respectively [19]). It is well known that a high growing stock, accompanied by high stand densities and a closed canopy, strongly impacts crown dimensions [16,38,39].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Crown dimensions, in turn, are one of the most important drivers of tree growth [17,40]. Mausolf et al [19] found that radial growth rates increased significantly with increasing management intensities (SZ: 23.6 cm 2 year −1 ; HEV: 33.3 cm 2 year −1 ; BKS: 43.4 cm 2 year −1 ) as a result of decreasing intraspecific competition. As a consequence, we observed a significantly lower DBH and wood volume of individual beech trees in SZ than in the other stands.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fichtner et al [16] found significant differences in several morphological traits of beech trees only after the long-term abandonment of forest management. Mausolf et al [19] confirmed the impact of forest management on the radial growth of beech under fluctuating climatic conditions and found that beech trees in unmanaged stands were less sensitive to drought than those in managed stands. Importantly, the observed effect was most pronounced in the forest with the longest unmanaged period.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…In all stands, the soil type was (pseudogleyic) luvisol. Mausolf et al [19] analysed the soil chemical properties of the upper mineral soil horizon (A-horizon) in three of the four stands (SZ, HEV, BKS). In general, similar values were found, though a trend towards slightly higher soil fertility at SZ and BKS was observed than at HEV.…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-Term Abandonment of Forest Management Has a Strong Impact on Tree Morphology and Wood Volume Allocation Pattern of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Georgi

Kunz

Fichtner

et al. 2018

Forests

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The three-dimensional (3D) morphology of individual trees is critical for light interception, growth, stability and interactions with the local environment. Forest management intensity is a key driver of tree morphology, but how the long-term abandonment of silvicultural measures impacts trunk and crown morphological traits is not fully understood. Here, we take advantage of a long management intensity gradient combined with a high-resolution terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) approach to explore how management history affects the 3D structure of mature beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees. The management gradient ranged from long-term (>50 years) and short-term (>20 years) unmanaged to extensively and intensively managed beech stands. We determined 28 morphological traits and quantified the vertical distribution of wood volume along the trunk. We evaluated the differences in tree morphological traits between study stands using Tukey's HSD test. Our results show that 93% of the investigated morphological traits differed significantly between the study stands. Significant differences, however, emerged most strongly in the stand where forest management had ceased >50 years ago. Furthermore, we found that the vertical distribution of trunk wood volume was highly responsive between stands with different management intensity, leading to a 67% higher taper top height and 30% lower taper of beech trees growing in long-term unmanaged stands compared to those in short-term unmanaged or managed stands. These results have important implications for management intensity decisions. It is suggested that the economic value of individual beech trees from long-term unmanaged forests can be expected to be very high. This might also translate to beech forests that are extensively managed, but we found that a few decades of implementation of such a silvicultural system is not sufficient to cause significant differences when compared to intensively managed stands. Furthermore, TLS-based high-resolution analyses of trunk and crown traits play a crucial role in the ability to better understand or predict tree growth responses to the current drivers of global change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-Term Abandonment of Forest Management Has a Strong Impact on Tree Morphology and Wood Volume Allocation Pattern of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Georgi

Kunz

Fichtner

et al. 2018

Forests

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Long‐term assessment of macro‐ and micronutrients in foliage of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in thinned versus unmanaged old‐growth stands

Borys,

Wieczorek,

Nicke

et al. 2024

J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci.

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BackgroundScience‐based decisions regarding forest management require the knowledge of the impact of thinning regimens on the forests’ vitality and resilience. There is no systematic study analysing the role of forest management approaches on the nutritional status of forests, serving as a surrogate for their health and growth.AimsWe assessed the impact of ‘heavy thinning from above’ versus ‘no management’ on the foliar chemistry of old‐growth European beech stands on a calcareous site with cambisol/chromic luvisol soil in Thuringia, Germany.MethodsMacro‐ and micronutrients were analysed by serial foliar analysis of six trees per experimental plot over 13 years (2009–2021). To assess potential differences of foliar chemistry between the two plots and over time, a linear mixed‐effects model was applied.ResultsFoliar concentrations of all macro‐ and micronutrients were not significantly different between the two plots (p > 0.05), demonstrating that the management approach had no relevant impact on the nutritional status of beech trees growing at the calcareous site. Furthermore, all foliar concentrations were dynamic over the 13‐year evaluation period. Hence, long‐term forest monitoring is crucial to capture the complex interplay between the trees and environmental conditions.ConclusionsSerial foliar analysis allows for a reliable evaluation of a forest's nutritional status. The results indicate that either regimen, that is, ‘heavy thinning from above’ or ‘no management’, shall not pose any risk in terms of growth and stability. Our results add to the understanding of beech forest dynamics and may provide a further piece for science‐based strategies of sustainable forest management.

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Forest Ecosystems: A Functional and Biodiversity Perspective

Fichtner

2021

Environmental Challenges and Solutions

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Higher drought sensitivity of radial growth of European beech in managed than in unmanaged forests

Cited by 55 publications

References 46 publications

Long-Term Abandonment of Forest Management Has a Strong Impact on Tree Morphology and Wood Volume Allocation Pattern of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Long-Term Abandonment of Forest Management Has a Strong Impact on Tree Morphology and Wood Volume Allocation Pattern of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Long‐term assessment of macro‐ and micronutrients in foliage of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in thinned versus unmanaged old‐growth stands

Forest Ecosystems: A Functional and Biodiversity Perspective

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