The natural disturbance regime in forests of the Dinaric Mountains: A synthesis of evidence

Nagel, Thomas A.; Mikac, Stjepan; Dolinar, Mojca; Klopčić, Matija; Keren, Srđan; Svoboda, Miroslav; Diaci, Jurij; Bončina, Andrej; Paulić, Vinko

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2016.07.047

Cited by 104 publications

(122 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…, Nagel et al. ). Our study adds to a growing body of literature showing that intermediate‐severity disturbances contribute to stand‐ and landscape‐scale heterogeneity and associated values prioritized by many contemporary forest policies (e.g., wildlife habitat, ecosystem services; Turner et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wind disturbances impart a large range of stand‐scale severity (i.e., tree mortality) while spanning multiple spatiotemporal scales, from frequent, small, gap‐forming events (e.g., Frelich and Lorimer , Lorimer and White , Nagel et al. ) to infrequent, regional hurricane events with large extent but variable severity (e.g., Foster and Boose , Sano et al. , D'Amato et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intermediate‐severity wind disturbance in mature temperate forests: legacy structure, carbon storage, and stand dynamics

Meigs

Keeton

2018

Ecological Applications

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Wind is one of the most important natural disturbances influencing forest structure, ecosystem function, and successional processes worldwide. This study quantifies the stand-scale effects of intermediate-severity windstorms (i.e., blowdowns) on (1) live and dead legacy structure, (2) aboveground carbon storage, and (3) tree regeneration and associated stand dynamics at four mature, mixed hardwood-conifer forest sites in the northeastern United States. We compare wind-affected forests to adjacent reference conditions (i.e., undisturbed portions of the same stands) 0-8 yr post-blowdown using parametric (ANOVA) and nonparametric (NMS ordination) analyses. We supplement inventory plots and downed coarse woody detritus (DCWD) transects with hemispherical photography to capture spatial variation in the light environment. Although recent blowdowns transferred a substantial proportion of live overstory trees to DCWD, residual live tree basal area was high (19-59% of reference areas). On average, the initial post-blowdown ratio of DCWD carbon to standing live tree carbon was 2.72 in blowdown stands and 0.18 in reference stands, indicating a large carbon transfer from live to dead pools. Despite these dramatic changes, structural complexity remained high in blowdown areas, as indicated by the size and species distributions of overstory trees, abundance of sound and rotten downed wood, spatial patterns of light availability, and variability of understory vegetation. Furthermore, tree species composition was similar between blowdown and reference areas at each site, with generally shade-tolerant species dominating across multiple canopy strata. Community response to intermediate-severity blowdown at these sites suggests a dynamic in which disturbance maintains late-successional species composition rather than providing a regeneration opportunity for shade-intolerant, pioneer species. Our findings suggest that intermediate-severity wind disturbances can contribute to stand-scale structural complexity as well as development toward late-successional species composition, at least when shade-tolerant regeneration is present pre-blowdown. Advance regeneration thus enhances structural and compositional resilience to this type of disturbance. This study provides a baseline for multi-cohort silvicultural systems designed to restore heterogeneity associated with natural disturbance dynamics.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intermediate‐severity wind disturbance in mature temperate forests: legacy structure, carbon storage, and stand dynamics

Meigs

Keeton

2018

Ecological Applications

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“…Unlike the typical natural disturbances that cause abrupt changes to forests in the temperate region of Europe, such as strong winds, heavy snow, or icestorms (Nagel, Firm et al, 2017;Nagel, Mikac et al, 2017), the decline of A. alba was a species-specific and protracted episode of increased mortality, a pattern that may be characteristic of the globalchange-type dieback of forests due to a combination of non-native insects, pathogens, and drought under an increasingly warmer climate (Allen et al, 2010;Anderegg et al, 2015). In cases when forest dieback targets foundational tree species (sensu Ellison et al, 2005), the consequences for various ecosystem properties and functions may be particularly pronounced.…”

Section: Con Clus Ionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cascading effects of canopy mortality drive long‐term changes in understorey diversity in temperate old‐growth forests of Europe

Nagel

Iacopetti

Javornik

et al. 2019

J Vegetation Science

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Questions We investigated the influence of protracted mortality of a dominant canopy tree (Abies alba) on long‐term understorey dynamics. We ask (a) how tree regeneration and understorey species diversity and composition changed over 32 years; and (b) whether the observed changes were mainly driven by mortality of A. alba. Location Three old‐growth forest reserves dominated by A. alba and Fagus sylvatica in the Dinaric Mountains of Slovenia. Method Tree layer and understorey regeneration and herbs were surveyed in 147 plots across the three forest reserves in 1983 and 2015. Soils were also sampled in 2015. The study period coincides with a protracted period of increased A. alba mortality in the canopy layer associated with anthropogenic emissions. Results Between 1983 and 2015, the decline in canopy layer A. alba caused a recruitment pulse of F. sylvatica regeneration to the subcanopy tree layer across the three reserves. These changes were accompanied by a significant decline in plot level herb species richness. A model‐based analysis of beta‐diversity revealed significant community convergence during the study period, mainly caused by the loss of rare species. Ellenberg values indicate that these changes were mainly driven by loss of understorey light, while an increase in soil pH may have played a role also. Conclusions This observational study suggests that the long‐term decline of A. alba resulted in a cascade of processes — widespread F. sylvatica recruitment that impeded penetration of light to the forest floor, and possibly a change in soil conditions due to the decline of coniferous litter. These changes caused a significant loss of herb diversity and homogenization of the understorey community across the three sites. This study sheds light on the potential cascading consequences triggered by episodes of increased tree mortality resulting from global‐change‐type drivers.

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“…While fire can cause gaps, large‐scale fire disturbances are usually distinguished from local gap formation (e.g., Pham et al, 2004; McEwan et al, 2014). Although most work describing the effect of gaps on plants has been done in forests (recent examples include Sharma et al, 2016; Després et al, 2017; Nagel et al, 2017), gaps are also key features in habitats such as grasslands (Tozer et al, 2008; Franzese et al, 2009), shrublands (Dickinson et al, 1993; Lloret et al, 2005), woodlands (Pecot et al, 2007), and savannas (Rebertus and Burns, 1997). Few studies have explicitly looked at the effects of fire on gap dynamics in shrublands (but see Menges and Hawkes, 1998; Menges et al, 2008; Franzese et al, 2009).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of gaps, vegetation, and plant species with and without fire

Menges

Crate

Quintana‐Ascencio

2017

American J of Botany

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The natural disturbance regime in forests of the Dinaric Mountains: A synthesis of evidence

Cited by 104 publications

References 52 publications

Intermediate‐severity wind disturbance in mature temperate forests: legacy structure, carbon storage, and stand dynamics

Intermediate‐severity wind disturbance in mature temperate forests: legacy structure, carbon storage, and stand dynamics

Cascading effects of canopy mortality drive long‐term changes in understorey diversity in temperate old‐growth forests of Europe

Dynamics of gaps, vegetation, and plant species with and without fire

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