Response of beech and fir to different light intensities along the Carpathian and Dinaric Mountains

Abstract

Predicting global change mitigations based on environmental variables, like temperature and water availability, although yielding insightful hypothesis still lacks the integration of environmental responses. Physiological limits should be assessed to obtain a complete representation of a species’ fundamental niche. Detailed ecophysiological studies on the response of trees along the latitudinal gradient are rare. They could shed light on the behaviour under different light intensities and other studied traits. The forests of the Dinaric Mountains and the Carpathians represent the largest contiguous forest complexes in south-eastern Europe. In uneven-aged Carpathian (8 plots) and Dinaric Mountain (11 plots) forests, net assimilation (Amax) and maximum quantum yield (Φ) were measured for beech and fir in three predefined light intensity categories according to the indirect site factor (ISF%) obtained by the analysis of hemispherical photographs in managed and old growth forests, all located above 800 m a.s.l. The measurements were carried out under fixed environmental conditions in each light category per plot for three consecutive years. Data from the last 50-year average period from the CRU TS 4.01 dataset were used for the comparison between Amax, Φ, and climate. The highest Φ for beech were observed in the central part of the Dinaric Mountains and in the south westernmost and northwesternmost part of the Carpathians for both beech and fir, while they were highest for fir in the Dinaric Mountains in the northwesternmost part of the study area. The Φ-value of beech decreased in both complexes with increasing mean annual temperature and was highest in the open landscape. For fir in the Carpathians, Φ decreased with increasing mean annual temperature, while in the Dinaric Mountains it increased with higher temperature and showed a more scattered response compared to the Carpathians. Short-term ecophysiological responses of beech and fir were consistent to long-term radial growth observations observed on same locations. The results may provide a basis and an indication of the future response of two tree species in their biogeographical range to climate change in terms of competitiveness, existence and consequently forest management decisions.

Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.): Review of Ecological Insights, Forest Management Strategies, and Climate Change’s Impact on European Forests

“…The basic principle of close-to-nature forestry, defined as the integration of different silvicultural systems, such as selection, irregular shelterwood, and free-style silviculture, each adapted to the specific conditions and goals of a particular site, is the continuous and gradual improvement of forest stands and sites, promoting a holistic view of forest ecosystems [314]. The study by Čater et al [315] deepened our understanding of optimizing silvicultural systems for light conditions, essential for the growth and regeneration of tree species, such as silver fir and European beech. It found significant variations in the assimilation rates of beech and fir under varying light intensities in the Carpathian and Dinaric Mountains, indicating that each tree species exhibits distinct growth responses to available light [315,316].…”

“…The study by Čater et al [315] deepened our understanding of optimizing silvicultural systems for light conditions, essential for the growth and regeneration of tree species, such as silver fir and European beech. It found significant variations in the assimilation rates of beech and fir under varying light intensities in the Carpathian and Dinaric Mountains, indicating that each tree species exhibits distinct growth responses to available light [315,316].…”