Incorporating canopy gap-induced growth responses into spatially implicit growth model projections

Arseneault, Justin E.; Saunders, Michael R.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.04.003

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Ultimately, FVS was chosen due to its (1) wide applicability and technical accessibility to a variety of audiences (i.e., growth and mortality models can be calibrated to specific geographic areas of the United States and twenty geographically-specific FVS variants exist), (2) ease at which it allows users to test alternative hypotheses related to different treatments and disturbances, and assess future forest conditions, and (3) long history of applications in forest resource assessment and planning (Crookston and Dixon, 2005). The FVS is not without its well-documented limitations, such as weaknesses in predicting crown and canopy fuel characteristics (e.g., Cruz and Alexander, 2010;Keyser and Smith, 2010), shortcomings when simulating responses to canopy gap-related disturbances (e.g., Arseneault and Saunders, 2012), inability to use spatially-explicit information or spatially-explicit predictions (e.g., Chivoiu et al, 2006), and general inaccuracies and imperfections in the underlying growth model (e.g., Ex and Smith, 2014;Petrova et al, 2014;Dickinson et al, 2019). Ultimately we selected FVS as the best choice of underlying model that adequately generalized forest stand development and its response to silvicultural treatments, as well as provided robust estimates that could be used to assess the risk of state transitions and predict the impact of management on an ecosystem's response to future disturbances.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Framework for Quantifying Resilience to Forest Disturbance

Bryant

Waring

Meador

et al. 2019

Front. For. Glob. Change

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The concept of ecological resilience is an invaluable tool to assess the risk of state transitions and predict the impact of management on an ecosystem's response to future disturbances. However, resilience is difficult to quantify and the factors contributing to resilience are often unknown in systems subject to multiple disturbances. Here, we develop and demonstrate a framework to assess the potential of ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer forests to be resilient to future disturbance (recover as the same forest type within a managerially significant timeframe) by combining indicators of short-term resilience (ability to withstand disturbance) to fire, insect, and drought disturbances using data from the Rio Tusas-Lower San Antonio landscape in northern New Mexico. The dry mixed conifer forests displayed an average resilience score of 4.54, while ponderosa pine forests had an average score of 3.45 (total possible of nine points) Stand density index was the most important driver of the overall score in the dry mixed conifer type. In the ponderosa pine type, overall basal area was the strongest driver of the overall score. These indicators have the greatest impact on the resilience score and provide the most effective targets for management to increase the possibility of resilience in these forest types. We applied the model in both forest types by comparing individual stands to an "ideal" score for a stand that is within the historic range of variation (HRV) of forest structure for each forest type and confirmed that stands outside of HRV had a low possibility of resilience and stands that had received restoration-based treatments were more likely to be resilient. Our results provide evidence that the changes to forest structure and species composition that have occurred since the onset of fire exclusion have degraded the potential of these forest types to be resilient to future fire, insect, and drought-related disturbances. By modifying disturbances and resilience indicator thresholds this model can be applied to assess resilience to other disturbances within these forest types and across various regions and ecosystem types.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Framework for Quantifying Resilience to Forest Disturbance

Bryant

Waring

Meador

et al. 2019

Front. For. Glob. Change

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“…For example, we assumed that there was a homogeneous increase in growth within all plots within one tree height (i.e., 66 ft) of a harvest gap; in reality, these increases would vary with factors such as gap size, tree species, and shade tolerance (Menard et al 2002, Coates et al 2003, Banal et al 2007. We also assumed, because of some underlying weaknesses of the FVS-NE model (Ray et al 2009, Arseneault andSaunders 2012), that regeneration occurred subsequent to harvest, when in fact advanced regeneration is ubiquitous in these forests (Brissette 1996). Furthermore, we did not simulate natural disturbance events, other than senescence, within the FVS projections and, therefore, made the assumption that natural disturbance agents affected all stands equally.…”

Section: Assumptions and Validitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This discrepancy arises from two sources. First, there are known weaknesses with modeling mortality in many eastern FVS variants, particularly in stands with shadetolerant species that experience growth stagnation (Arseneault and Saunders 2012). Improving these mortality functions is an active area of research for many of the variants (FVS-Southern [SN]: Radtke et al 2012; FVS-NE/-Acadian [ACD]: Weiskittel et al 2012) as more longer-term data become available from Forest Inventory and Analysis plots (Shaw 2012).…”

Section: Assumptions and Validitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Yields and Economic Returns of Natural Disturbance-Based Silviculture: A Case Study from the Acadian Forest Ecosystem Research Program

Saunders¹,

Arseneault

2013

Journal of Forestry

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Intrastand variability is promoted by many silvicultural systems designed to emulate natural disturbance regimes (natural disturbance-based silviculture [NDBS] systems) in the eastern United States and Canada but this variability is difficult to model in many growth-and-yield models, limiting application by the region's forest managers. We used a resampling approach to integrate intrastand variability into Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) growth-and-yield projections. We subsequently compared potential yield and financial returns over a 100-year period for two NDBS systems monitored in the Acadian Forest Ecosystem Research Program with two conventional systems: a two-stage uniform shelterwood and a single-tree selection system. NDBS systems produced the widest diameter distribution at the end of the harvest rotation and were more effective in recruiting large trees (Ͼ24 in.) and more diverse species relative to conventional silviculture systems. Projected merchantable yield and financial return were highest for the single-tree selection, followed by the two NDBS systems and finally the shelterwood; however, if standing merchantable value at the end of simulation was included, the NDBS systems ranked first and third overall financially. Our analysis suggests that NDBS systems are capable of sustaining a greater diversity in forest structure and composition while producing volume yields and financial returns that are competitive with conventional even-and uneven-aged silvicultural systems.

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“…Additionally, the structure and spatial complexity of canopy plants are expected to affect understory species abundance and richness by inducing shifts in resource availability and competitive relationships (Berger & Puettmann, 2000), and the vegetation cover and richness increased with size of the canopy openings (Trentini et al, 2017;Wang & Liu, 2011). Therefore, thinning is adopted as a common management practice to produce highly heterogeneous stands in even-aged plantations (Arseneault & Saunders, 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Thinning‐induced canopy opening exerted a specific effect on soil nematode community

Yang

Pang

Bao

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Changes in microclimate, soil physicochemical properties, understory vegetation cover, diversity, and composition as well as soil microbial community resulting from silvicultural practices are expected to alter soil food webs. Here, we investigated whether and how contrasting‐sized canopy openings affect soil nematode community within a 30 year‐aged spruce plantation. The results indicated that the responses of soil nematodes to canopy opening size were dependant on their feeding habit. The abundance of total nematodes and that of free‐living nematodes was negatively correlated with soil bulk density, whereas the abundance of omnivore–predators was negatively correlated with soil bulk density and shrubs cover, respectively. The ratio of the sum abundance of predators and omnivores to the plant parasites’ abundance, Simpson's dominance index, Pielou's evenness index, and sigma maturity index, maturity index (MI), MI 2‐5, basal index, enrichment index, and structure index was sensitive to alteration in canopy opening size. Multivariate analysis indicated that thinning‐induced gap size resulted in contrasting nematode assemblages. In conclusion, soil nematodes should be integrated as an indicator to monitor soil multifunctionality change due to thinning.

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Incorporating canopy gap-induced growth responses into spatially implicit growth model projections

Cited by 10 publications

References 39 publications

A Framework for Quantifying Resilience to Forest Disturbance

A Framework for Quantifying Resilience to Forest Disturbance

Potential Yields and Economic Returns of Natural Disturbance-Based Silviculture: A Case Study from the Acadian Forest Ecosystem Research Program

Thinning‐induced canopy opening exerted a specific effect on soil nematode community

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