Microclimate through space and time: Microclimatic variation at the edge of regeneration forests over daily, yearly and decadal time scales

Baker, Thomas P.; Jordan, Gregory J.; Steel, E. Ashley; Fountain-Jones, Nicholas M.; Wardlaw, Tim; Baker, Susan

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2014.09.008

Cited by 74 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…This is consistent with prior findings (Vanwalleghem and Meentemeyer, 2009) and may be caused by strong shade gradients during daytime. In addition, during daytime cooler forest air can "drain" at forest edges, decreasing further the buffering capacity of dense forests against high temperatures (Baker et al, 2014;Geiger et al, 2012). Forest fragmentation is therefore predicted to intensify landscape warming trends (Ewers and Banks-Leite, 2013;Vanwalleghem and Meentemeyer, 2009) and may cause extra harm to understory biodiversity, that depends on cooler forest microclimates.…”

Section: Quantifying Forest Microclimate Drivers Across the Seasonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…S4), fragmentation and a high density of forest edges due to the intensive forestry may impede harmful effects of global climate warming, and the spatial arrangement and size of these clearings need careful planning (Dynesius et al, 2008). At the same time, mature forests positively influence conditions on adjacent regenerating forest patches and various forms of retention forestry have been suggested to "promote re-colonization of mature-forest species" (Baker et al, 2014).…”

Section: Implications For Management and Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Monthly microclimate models in a managed boreal forest landscape

Greiser

Meineri

Luoto

et al. 2018

Agricultural and Forest Meteorology

104

121

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. Monthly microclimate models in a managed boreal forest landscape. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Elsevier Masson, 2018, 250-251, pp.147 -158. 10.1016/j.agrformet.2017 A B S T R A C TThe majority of microclimate studies have been done in topographically complex landscapes to quantify and predict how near-ground temperatures vary as a function of terrain properties. However, in forests understory temperatures can be strongly influenced also by vegetation. We quantified the relative influence of vegetation features and physiography (topography and moisture-related variables) on understory temperatures in managed boreal forests in central Sweden. We used a multivariate regression approach to relate near-ground temperature of 203 loggers over the snow-free seasons in an area of ∼16,000 km 2 to remotely sensed and on-site measured variables of forest structure and physiography. We produced climate grids of monthly minimum and maximum temperatures at 25 m resolution by using only remotely sensed and mapped predictors. The quality and predictions of the models containing only remotely sensed predictors (MAP models) were compared with the models containing also on-site measured predictors (OS models). Our data suggest that during the warm season, where landscape microclimate variability is largest, canopy cover and basal area were the most important microclimatic drivers for both minimum and maximum temperatures, while physiographic drivers (mainly elevation) dominated maximum temperatures during autumn and early winter. The MAP models were able to reproduce findings from the OS models but tended to underestimate high and overestimate low temperatures. Including important microclimatic drivers, particularly soil moisture, that are yet lacking in a mapped form should improve the microclimate maps. Because of the dynamic nature of managed forests, continuous updates of mapped forest structure parameters are needed to accurately predict temperatures. Our results suggest that forest management (e.g. stand size, structure and composition) and conservation may play a key role in amplifying or impeding the effects of climate-forcing factors on near-ground temperature and may locally modify the impact of global warming.

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Section: Quantifying Forest Microclimate Drivers Across the Seasonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications For Management and Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monthly microclimate models in a managed boreal forest landscape

Greiser

Meineri

Luoto

et al. 2018

Agricultural and Forest Meteorology

104

121

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Forest management (especially clear-cutting) has a strong and long-lasting effect on air temperature and relative humidity [87,88]; silvicultural interventions could generate alterations in these variables that persist over 25 years. Contrary to previous studies reporting that the temperature and humidity in the stands harvested using moderately intensive management practices had only slightly modified microclimates compared to the uncut plots (e.g., thinning [42], group selection [89], and gaps [79]), we found that almost every treatment type resulted significant departures from the control in these variables.…”

Section: Air Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Short-Term Effects of Experimental Forestry Treatments on Site Conditions in an Oak–Hornbeam Forest

Kovács

Tinya

Guba

et al. 2018

Forests

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Forest management alters forest site; however, information is still limited about how different silvicultural treatments modify abiotic conditions. We compared the effects of four treatments from three different forestry systems on forest microclimate, litter, and soil conditions. The clear-cutting, retention tree group, preparation cutting, and gap-cutting treatments were experimentally established in a European oak-dominated forest, following a complete block design with six replicates. In this study, we show the results of the quantitative analyses of 21 variables, one year after the interventions. Strong treatment effects were observed for the microclimate and litter variables, whereas the soil characteristics remained similar. The increase in light was the highest in the clear-cuts with intermediate effects in the gap-cuts. The means and variances of the air and soil temperature as well as the vapor pressure deficit were the highest for the clear-cutting treatment. An increase in soil moisture, litter pH, and litter moisture was significant in the gap-cuts and, to a smaller extent, in the clear-cuts. The soil pH increased in the retention tree groups. Microclimatic differences between the treatments were the largest during the summer, which demonstrates the buffering effect of the canopy. Our study confirms that less intensive and more spatially heterogeneous silvicultural treatments (e.g., gap-cutting) preserve a stable below-canopy microclimate more effectively. These results can support and might be useful for both forest management and conservation planning.

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“…Additionally, bryophyte establishment and growth is limited by microclimate (Busby et al, 1978;Hanslin et al, 2001;Stewart and Mallik, 2006), particularly during germination (Wiklund and Rydin, 2004). Since the microclimate of harvested forests varies with distance from a mature forest edge (DaviesColley et al, 2000;Godefroid et al, 2006;Baker et al, 2014), locations under forest influence may provide better re-establishment conditions for bryophytes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, many old-growth forest species have limited dispersal ability (During, 1979;Kimmerer, 1994) and are sensitive to microclimate (Busby et al, 1978;Stewart and Mallik, 2006). While these traits may result in high responsiveness to forest influence, mature forest species typically re-colonise during the later stages of forest succession when the magnitude of microclimatic forest influence is diminished (Baker et al, 2014). Therefore, there may be an interesting interaction between species seral stage and the strength of forest influence that impacts on the effect of forest influence persisting through time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%