Structure of Dominance among Tree Species in Relic Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra L.) Forests in Tatra Mountains

Zięba, Antoni; Różański, Wojciech; Szwagrzyk, Jerzy

doi:10.3161/15052249pje2020.68.2.005

Cited by 5 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…It is considered an emblematic species of the European tree flora and has attracted the attention of local people, foresters and researchers for centuries (Kasthofer 1828;Caudullo and De Rigo 2016). As a consequence, there is a large amount of research on various aspects of the biology, ecology, distribution, biogeography and genetics of P. cembra on a large geographical scale (Gugerli et al 2001;Höhn et al 2009;Casalegno et al 2010;Neuschulz et al 2018;Dauphin et al 2020Dauphin et al , 2021Zięba et al 2020). Far fewer studies have been performed at the local level, especially on the peripheral populations of this species (Lendvay et al 2014;Tóth et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several conifer species were particularly popular in afforestation projects, including Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra L.). The species is distributed in timberline ecotones in the Alps and in the Carpathian Mountains (Ulber et al 2004;Boden et al 2010) and is often considered a glacial relict of high conservation value (Zięba et al 2020). Moreover, it is the most well adapted European tree species to harsh upper subalpine climates (Ulber et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Large-scale historical afforestation failure with Pinus cembra in the Swiss Prealps

et al. 2021

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Between the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, large-scale afforestation projects were undertaken in the Swiss Prealps. The Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra L.), an emblematic alpine tree with important economic potential, conservation value and ecological relevance, was one of the species used in these afforestation efforts. We investigated the distribution and site characteristics of all known natural populations and planted stands in the canton of Fribourg (Switzerland). Between 1885 and 1952, artificial afforestation was carried out in the mountainous regions of the canton of Fribourg. Nearly 450,000 seedlings of P. cembra were planted. One century later, only approximately 650 trees survived (0.15% of all planted trees). Moreover, no natural regeneration can be observed in the afforested stands. Since no known harvest activities were undertaken in these planted stands, the whole afforestation campaign of P. cembra in the canton of Fribourg can be described as a failure. Possible causes are investigated and discussed. In this region, P. cembra occurs naturally only in particular microrefugia with markedly rough topography. We argue that the lack of knowledge or consideration of the ecology of the species at a local scale can be an important factor leading to this failure. In the actual context of large-scale afforestation projects anticipating and mitigating the negative effects of global warming, our study highlights the importance of a precise understanding of species ecology and regional conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large-scale historical afforestation failure with Pinus cembra in the Swiss Prealps

et al. 2021

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“…Selection of differential species is made with consideration of preferential species groups of previously published classifications of Arolla pine communities [12,16,39].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to a very limited distribution of Arolla pine forests within the Polish Tatras, only a few later phytocoenological studies were carried out [i.e. 30,38,39].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most recent data on Arolla pine phytocoenoses within the northern High Tatras were published by Jasík et al [11] and Jasík & Dítě [10], who documented findings of Linnaea borealis, an extremely rare species in the Western Carpathians. Finally, Zięba et al [39] published a larger number of Arolla pine relevés from both the Slovakian northern and, especially, southern part of the Tatra Mountains.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contribution to Knowledge on the Variability of Arolla Pine Woodlands of the North-Eastern Tatra Mountains

Kucera¹,

Barančok²

2021

Contrib.Bot.

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Knowledge of the overall syntaxonomic and habitat variability of forest communities with Arolla pine (Pinus cembra) within the Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians) is still insufficient as field research was hindered by their hardly accessible localities and deforestation for high mountain grazing. Arolla pine woodlands were traditionally classified within the association Pino cembrae-Piceetum Myczkowski et Lesinski 1974, but recent surveys recognize more numerous units. Hitherto unpublished releves from the north-eastern part of the Tatra Mountains document the occurrence of several floristically and ecologically distinct Arolla pine communities: (1) acid woodland of Homogyno alpinae-Pinetum cembrae on nutrient-poor habitats over quartzitic bedrock, and (2) calcareous woodlands of species-poor Pyrolo rotundifoliae-Pinetum cembrae of sites with a well-developed, tangled humus soil horizon, Cystopterido montanae-Pinetum cembrae on habitats influenced by both limestones and quartzites, Primulo elatioris-Pinetum cembrae bound to sites with the most favourable humidity, and Seslerio tatrae-Pinetum cembrae with the most pronounced calcareous character.

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Genetic underpinning of historical afforestation with allochthonous Pinus cembra in the northwestern Swiss Alps

Sonnenwyl,

Dauphin,

Fragnière

et al. 2023

Alp Botany

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Throughout the last centuries, the structure and genetic composition of forests have been strongly affected by forest management. Over 30% of European forests are artificially regenerated, very often using translocated forest reproductive material, among these species the Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra L.). In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the species was largely used for artificial afforestation in the northern Alps. However, only a few planted trees have survived. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate if the historical afforestation of P. cembra in the northwestern Swiss Alps relied on allochthonous material. We sampled 12 sites, genotyping 11 nuclear microsatellites, to infer the spatial genetic structure of regional populations, to test for genetic differences between natural and planted stands, and to infer potential source regions of planted stands using reference samples covering the entire Alps. Population genetic structure analysis allowed us to distinguish planted from natural stands and to determine that forest reproductive material used for plantations was not of regional origin. We found similar levels of genetic diversity between natural and planted stands. Assignment tests revealed that reproductive material for planting was translocated to the study area from two source regions, i.e., near the border of Switzerland and Austria, and further to the East, between Austria and Italy. Our study shows how genetic tools may inform about historical transfer of forest reproductive material, which still may affect the population genetic make-up of regional occurrences, e.g., because of reduced natural regeneration.

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Structure of Dominance among Tree Species in Relic Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra L.) Forests in Tatra Mountains

Cited by 5 publications

References 21 publications

Large-scale historical afforestation failure with Pinus cembra in the Swiss Prealps

Large-scale historical afforestation failure with Pinus cembra in the Swiss Prealps

Contribution to Knowledge on the Variability of Arolla Pine Woodlands of the North-Eastern Tatra Mountains

Genetic underpinning of historical afforestation with allochthonous Pinus cembra in the northwestern Swiss Alps

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