The contribution of two common shrub species to aboveground and belowground carbon stock in Iberian dehesas

Ruíz-Peinado, Ricardo; Moreno, Gerardo; Juárez, Enrique; Montero, Gregorio; Roig, Sònia

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.11.002

Cited by 34 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Estimating belowground biomass is therefore a complex process which requires much effort in terms of time and cost for collecting data (Niiyama et al 2010;Ruiz-Peinado et al 2013;Marziliano et al 2014). Although the research conducted on this topic is extensive, quantitative knowledge on belowground biomass distribution in forest ecosystems still remains scarce (Cairns et al 1997;Brunner and Godbold 2007;Litton et al 2007).…”

Section: Handling Editor: Shuqing Zhaomentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating belowground biomass and root/shoot ratio of Phillyrea latifolia L. in the Mediterranean forest landscapes

Marziliano

Lafortezza

Medicamento

et al. 2015

Annals of Forest Science

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& Key message This study developed and tested models to predict the belowground biomass and root/shoot ratio using aboveground field measures. The predictive power of such indirect measurement is useful for a rapid and reliable assessment of the biomass of the Mediterranean species. & Context Forest biomass estimation has been simplified by the availability of indirect methodologies for automatic measuring. However, most of the information on forest root systems is largely unexplored due to the difficulty in estimating belowground biomass (BGB) at large scale. A plausible approach to investigating forest BGB is to establish a relationship between a number of dendrometric parameters related to the aboveground vegetation (AGB) (e.g., tree diameter and height) and the belowground component of the total biomass. & Aims This work presents findings for indirect measurements of BGB in the typical Mediterranean landscapes focusing on sclerophyllous vegetation, specifically Phillyrea latifolia L. The purpose of the present study is twofold: (a) to develop a model explaining the BGB distribution of P. latifolia based on field data for dendrometric parameters, and (b) to understand how the ratio between BGB and AGB varies according to stem diameter as a proxy of plant growth. & Methods A total of 50 P. latifolia plants were randomly selected in the study areas and considered for excavation. Individual plants were analyzed to determine AGB and BGB development. A number of models were developed and tested to predict the BGB and root/shoot ratio using aboveground field measures. Allometric equations were employed to predict the AGB and BGB and relative partitioning in the Phillyrea community. & Results Models for P. latifolia AGB and BGB estimation that include crown diameter and stem height measures augment the models' predictive power. When used alone, the predictive power of the root collar diameter appears to be overestimated, while its effect is stronger for a subset of observations with larger crown diameter and stem height. The root/shoot ratio values of plant species typically related to the Mediterranean context seem to be largely superior to the ratio values of trees and forests. & Conclusions The model is ideally suited to incorporate indirectly measured tree height for a rapid and reliable assessment of the biomass of single Mediterranean species. Further research might include replication of the same studies in different geographic areas of the Mediterranean and in-depth analyses of AGB.

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Section: Handling Editor: Shuqing Zhaomentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating belowground biomass and root/shoot ratio of Phillyrea latifolia L. in the Mediterranean forest landscapes

Marziliano

Lafortezza

Medicamento

et al. 2015

Annals of Forest Science

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“…The restoration and management of the tree and shrub layers in these systems will also have a substantial effect on soils. Studies focusing on soil carbon stock distribution (Howlett et al, 2011a,b;Simón et al, 2013), land management (Pulido-Fernández et al, 2013;Seddaiu et al, 2013, López-Díaz et al, 2017, fine root distribution (Moreno et al, 2005) or shrub biomass (Castro & Freitas, 2009;Ruiz-Peinado et al, 2013b) could help forest managers to maximize carbon sequestration, avoid degradation and guarantee sustainability.…”

Section: Agroforestry Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An increasing amount of research in recent years has been focused on estimating the carbon stocks in Mediterranean shrublands, mainly through the development of estimation tools (e.g., Navarro & Blanco, 2006;Corona et al, 2012;Ruiz-Peinado et al, 2013b;Botequim et al, 2014;Pasalodos-Tato et al, 2015). The importance of shrub layer will depend on the ecosystem considered, the shrub species and tree density among other factors.…”

Section: Shrub Layer Importancementioning

confidence: 99%

Forest management and carbon sequestration in the Mediterranean region: A review

et al. 2017

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Aim of study: TTo review and acknowledge the value of carbon sequestration by forest management in the Mediterranean area. Material and methods:We review the main effects of forest management by comparing the effects of silvicultural systems (even-aged vs. uneven-aged stands, coppice systems, agroforestry systems), silvicultural options (thinning, rotation period, species composition), afforestation, harvesting, fire impact or effects of shrub layer on carbon sequestration in the Mediterranean area.Main results: We illustrate as forest management can clearly improve forest carbon sequestration amounts. We conclude that forest management is an effective way to maintain and enhance high carbon sequestration rates in order to cope with climate change and provision of ecosystem services. We also think that although much effort has been put into this topic research, there are still certain gaps that must be dealt with to increase our scientific knowledge and in turn transfer this knowledge to forest practitioners in order to achieve sustainable management aimed at mitigating climate change.Research highlights: It is important to underline the importance of forests in the carbon cycle as this role can be enhanced by forest managers through sustainable forest management. The effects of different management options or disturbances can be critical as regards mitigating climate change. Understanding the effects of forest management is even more important in the Mediterranean area, given that the current high climatic variability together with historical human exploitation and disturbance events make this area more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.Additional keywords: global carbon cycle; forest sink; forest mitigation strategies; carbon sequestration potential; climate change mitigation; Mediterranean forests.

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“…Studies on shrublands have shown that shrubs may have a similar effect on pasture production to the effect of trees on open woodlands because of their positive effect on microclimate, soil erosion and organic matter accumulation (Moreno and ObradorOlán 2007;Ruiz-Peinado et al 2013). It can therefore be assumed that shrubs play a positive role in dehesa productivity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shrub encroachment of Iberian dehesas: implications on total forage productivity

et al. 2015

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The Iberian dehesa, a grazed Mediterranean open woodland, is an outstanding example of a silvopastoral system. Shrub encroachment has been proposed as an effective method to facilitate natural tree regeneration and ensure the sustainability of silvopastoral systems. At the same time, shrubs can affect both pasture understory and tree overstory production. The effects of varying intensities of shrub encroachment on the productivity of four forage components of this system-pasture, acorns, shrub browse and tree browse-were tested and the overall metabolisable energy (ME) under different scenarios of vegetation structure was calculated. Two common shrub species with contrasting plant architectures and ecological functions were studied as models: Cistus ladanifer and Retama sphaerocarpa. Cistus negatively affected acorn, tree browse and pasture production, whereas Retama positively affected pasture and browse production and was neutral for acorn production. The highest ME values were found when tree cover was ca. 70 % and C. ladanifer cover was low or R. sphaerocarpa cover was medium. The authors recommend conserving and promoting patched three-layered plots in Iberian dehesas and similar extensive silvopastoral systems where certain shrub species could simultaneously encourage the sustainability of these systems and reinforce (with R. sphaerocarpa) or maintain (with C. ladanifer) their productivity.

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The contribution of two common shrub species to aboveground and belowground carbon stock in Iberian dehesas

Cited by 34 publications

References 42 publications

Estimating belowground biomass and root/shoot ratio of Phillyrea latifolia L. in the Mediterranean forest landscapes

Estimating belowground biomass and root/shoot ratio of Phillyrea latifolia L. in the Mediterranean forest landscapes

Forest management and carbon sequestration in the Mediterranean region: A review

Shrub encroachment of Iberian dehesas: implications on total forage productivity

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