Quantifying stand structural complexity and its relationship with forest management, tree species diversity and microclimate

Ehbrecht, Martin; Schall, Peter; Ammer, Christian; Seidel, Dominik

doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2017.04.012

Cited by 208 publications

(223 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…and Pinus sylvestris [L.]) tree species. The forest structure and management intensity were measured as the Stand Structural Complexity (quantified based on fractal dimension derived from single terrestrial laser scans; Ehbrecht et al., ), Risk of Stand Loss and Stand Density (Schall & Ammer, 2013b). The Risk of Stand Loss and Stand Density are the components of a Silvicultural Management Index (Schall & Ammer, 2013b).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assembly processes of trophic guilds in the root mycobiome of temperate forests

et al. 2018

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Root‐associated mycobiomes (RAMs) link plant and soil ecological processes, thereby supporting ecosystem functions. Understanding the forces that govern the assembly of RAMs is key to sustainable ecosystem management. Here, we dissected RAMs according to functional guilds and combined phylogenetic and multivariate analyses to distinguish and quantify the forces driving RAM assembly processes. Across large biogeographic scales (>1,000 km) in temperate forests (>100 plots), RAMs were taxonomically highly distinct but composed of a stable trophic structure encompassing symbiotrophic, ectomycorrhizal (55%), saprotrophic (7%), endotrophic (3%) and pathotrophic fungi (<1%). Taxonomic community composition of RAMs is explained by abiotic factors, forest management intensity, dominant tree family (Fagaceae, Pinaceae) and root resource traits. Local RAM assemblies are phylogenetically clustered, indicating stronger habitat filtering on roots in dry, acid soils and in conifer stands than in other forest types. The local assembly of ectomycorrhizal communities is driven by forest management intensity. At larger scales, root resource traits and soil pH shift the assembly process of ectomycorrhizal fungi from deterministic to neutral. Neutral or weak deterministic assembly processes are prevalent in saprotrophic and endophytic guilds. The remarkable consistency of the trophic composition of the RAMs suggests that temperate forests attract fungal assemblages that afford functional resilience under the current range of climatic and edaphic conditions. At local scales, the filtering processes that structure symbiotrophic assemblies can be influenced by forest management and tree selection, but at larger scales, environmental cues and host resource traits are the most prevalent forces.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assembly processes of trophic guilds in the root mycobiome of temperate forests

et al. 2018

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“…The SSCI is a measure of the geometrical complexity of the vegetation in a forest stand (Ehbrecht et al, 2017). It was derived from three-dimensional point clouds recorded by a Faro Focus 3D 120 (Faro Technologies Inc., Lake Mary, Florida) terrestrial laser scanner during the same time period as the drone flights.…”

Section: Environmental Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant composition, not richness, drives occurrence of specialist herbivores

Knuff¹,

Staab²,

Frey

et al. 2019

Ecological Entomology

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1. How herbivore plant diversity relationships are shaped by the interplay of biotic and abiotic environmental variables is only partly understood. For instance, plant diversity is commonly assumed to determine abundance and richness of associated specialist herbivores. However, this relationship can be altered when environmental variables such as temperature covary with plant diversity. 2. Using gall‐inducing arthropods as focal organisms, biotic and abiotic environmental variables were tested for their relevance to specialist herbivores and their relationship to host plants. In particular, the hypothesis that abundance and richness of gall‐inducing arthropods increase with plant richness was addressed. Additionally, the study asked whether communities of gall‐inducing arthropods match the communities of their host plants. 3. Neither abundance nor species richness of gall‐inducing arthropods was correlated with plant richness or any other of the tested environmental variables. Instead, the number of gall species found per plant decreased with plant richness. This indicates that processes of associational resistance may explain the specialised plant herbivore relationship in our study. 4. Community composition of gall‐inducing arthropods matched host plant communities. In specialised plant herbivore relationships, the presence of obligate host plant species is a prerequisite for the occurrence of its herbivores. 5. It is concluded that the abiotic environment may only play an indirect role in shaping specialist herbivore communities. Instead, the occurrence of specialist herbivore communities might be best explained by plant species composition. Thus, plant species identity should be considered when aiming to understand the processes that shape diversity patterns of specialist herbivores.

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“…Stand structural complexity was measured at nine systematically distributed points using a terrestrial 3D laser scanner which was installed at a height of 130 cm. Based on the laser scans and their reflection, a three-dimensional distribution of biomass in space was measured and calculated in an index for stand structural complexity (Ehbrecht et al 2017). As measurement for nestsite opportunities and suitable microhabitats, we used (1) dead wood volume, measured in m 3 /ha for standing and lying trunks with a diameter >25 cm over the whole plot in 2012, and (2) leaf litter thickness, measured in each plot at 14 sampling points using a 15 9 15 cm metal frame and then averaged over the whole plot.…”

Section: Environmental Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of forest management on temperate ant communities

et al. 2018

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Human management of ecosystems can have direct or indirect effects on species communities. How species communities are affected by management is a key question in ecology and nature conservation. As keystone taxon, changes in ant communities can have sustained consequences for entire ecosystems. In forests, management has been shown to have an overall negative effect on ant communities in tropical and a positive effect in boreal forests. However, in temperate forests, it is unclear what components of forest management affect ant communities and how. This study explores the direct and indirect effects of forest management on the taxonomic and functional diversity of ant communities in 150 temperate forest stands in three regions in Germany. Using a multi‐model inference approach and structural equation models, we analyzed the effects of 18 variables, including variables of forest management, forest structure, arthropod diversity, and biomass, as well as abiotic factors, on ant species richness, abundance, and functional trait diversity (Rao's Q) based on morphological (FDM) and life‐history traits (FDLH). In total, we found 28 ant species occurring on 120 plots. Main direct effects of forest management on ant abundance and species richness were caused by tree species selection, measured as dominant tree species. The main positive indirect effect was mediated by a reduced canopy cover with an increasing proportion of oak and pine, resulting in a higher temperature amplitude. Due to the low number of species in two regions, we analyzed functional diversity for the most ant species diverse region only. FDLH was affected positively by tree harvesting and negatively by structural complexity. FDM showed no response to forest management, potentially due to the low morphological diversity of temperate forest ants. Our results show that forest management practices in temperate forests strongly impact ant community structure. This can be beneficial for ants if management reduces the canopy cover, either by tree harvesting or by changing the tree species composition toward shade‐intolerant tree species. To promote ant diversity as key taxon for maintaining ecosystem processes in forest ecosystems, we suggest to integrate forest stands with more open and warmer conditions in future management strategies.

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Quantifying stand structural complexity and its relationship with forest management, tree species diversity and microclimate

Cited by 208 publications

References 43 publications

Assembly processes of trophic guilds in the root mycobiome of temperate forests

Assembly processes of trophic guilds in the root mycobiome of temperate forests

Plant composition, not richness, drives occurrence of specialist herbivores

Effect of forest management on temperate ant communities

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