Woody biomass removal in harvested boreal forest leads to a partial functional homogenization of soil mesofaunal communities relative to unharvested forest

Rousseau, Laurent; Venier, Lisa A.; Aubin, Isabelle; Gendreau-Berthiaume, Benoît; Moretti, Marco; Salmon, Sandrine; Handa, I. Tanya

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2019.02.021

Cited by 30 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…In boreal forests, but possibly also in temperate and tropical forests, intensive forest management for timber and other woody biomass harvest has led to a biotic, genetic, structural and functional homogenization of forest stands across large spatial extents (Rousseau et al, 2019). The even aged single species stands typical of intensively managed forests and plantations have reduced the resilience of the whole system to, for instance, increasing frequency and severity of climate‐induced pest outbreaks and wildfires (Cudmore et al, 2010; Gauthier et al, 2015).…”

Section: How Will Macroclimate Warming Affect Forest Microclimates?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest microclimates and climate change: Importance, drivers and future research agenda

Frenne

Lenoir

Luoto

et al. 2021

Global Change Biology

534

353

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Forest microclimates contrast strongly with the climate outside forests. To fully understand and better predict how forests' biodiversity and functions relate to climate and climate change, microclimates need to be integrated into ecological research. Despite the potentially broad impact of microclimates on the response of forest ecosystems to global change, our understanding of how microclimates within and below tree canopies modulate biotic responses to global change at the species, community and ecosystem level is still limited. Here, we review how spatial and temporal variation in forest microclimates result from an interplay of forest features, local water balance, topography and landscape composition. We first stress and exemplify the importance of considering forest microclimates to understand variation in biodiversity and ecosystem functions across forest landscapes. Next, we explain how macroclimate warming (of the free atmosphere) can affect microclimates, and vice versa, via interactions with land‐use changes across different biomes. Finally, we perform a priority ranking of future research avenues at the interface of microclimate ecology and global change biology, with a specific focus on three key themes: (1) disentangling the abiotic and biotic drivers and feedbacks of forest microclimates; (2) global and regional mapping and predictions of forest microclimates; and (3) the impacts of microclimate on forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the face of climate change. The availability of microclimatic data will significantly increase in the coming decades, characterizing climate variability at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales relevant to biological processes in forests. This will revolutionize our understanding of the dynamics, drivers and implications of forest microclimates on biodiversity and ecological functions, and the impacts of global changes. In order to support the sustainable use of forests and to secure their biodiversity and ecosystem services for future generations, microclimates cannot be ignored.

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Section: How Will Macroclimate Warming Affect Forest Microclimates?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest microclimates and climate change: Importance, drivers and future research agenda

Frenne

Lenoir

Luoto

et al. 2021

Global Change Biology

534

353

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The detrimental effects of clear-cutting on the diversity and abundance of soil Collembola assemblages have been reported by many authors [9,10,[12][13][14][15][62][63][64][65]. Moreover, it was proven that changes in soil microarthropod communities depend on the management intensity, i.e., biomass removal treatment, forest floor disturbance, or disruption of the soil profile during site preparation [13][14][15]66].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…In general, harvesting whole trees or more intense practices, such as stump extraction and site preparation involving forest floor removal, decreases the deadwood volume, herb vegetation, and moss and organic soil cover. It has been shown that all these changes have negative effects on the diversity and abundance of soil microarthropods [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Unfortunately, the majority of these studies involved short-term experiments.…”

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confidence: 99%

Seven Decades of Spontaneous Forest Regeneration after Large-Scale Clear-Cutting in Białowieża Forest do not Ensure the Complete Recovery of Collembolan Assemblages

Sławski

Sławska

2019

Forests

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The long-term effects of large-scale disturbance on forest ecosystem processes and structure are poorly understood. To assess the effects of large-scale clear-cutting on the taxonomic and functional structure of collembolan assemblages, 18 plots were established in the Polish part of Białowieża Forest. All plots, situated in a mixed Tilio-Carpinetum broad-leaved forest, had eutrophic Cambisol developed on rich glacial deposits. The Collembola assemblages in the stands that had naturally regenerated on large-scale clear-cuts performed at the beginning of the 20 th century were compared to those in old-growth forests (i.e., the endpoint of stand development following stand-replacing disturbance). Collembolans, one of the most numerous soil microarthropods, are successfully used to assess the consequences of forest management and ecosystem restoration. Our study tested whether seven decades of spontaneous forest development after large-scale anthropogenic disturbance ensures the complete recovery of the soil Collembola. Using complementary taxonomic and life-form approaches, we provide evidence that the collembolan assemblages associated with the tree stands that had spontaneously developed in large harvesting plots distinctly differed from those in old-growth deciduous forests in this region despite seven decades of regenerative forest succession. The species diversity of the assemblages in the naturally regenerated tree stands was significantly lower, and their life-form structure was noticeably different from those in the reference forests. Moreover, the shift in the functional group structure of the collembolan assemblages in the stands that had regenerated after clear-cutting indicates that their activity seven decades after disturbance is concentrated mainly on the decomposition of the litter in the upper layers, whereas the processes controlled by these organisms in the deeper soil layers are not fully restored.2 of 18 because its ecological and economic consequences are unknown. Therefore, studies to elucidate the dynamic pattern exhibited by naturally regenerating forests are urgently needed, especially because the objects for such studies are currently available.Białowieża Forest, inscribed by UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on the World Heritage List, includes a complex of lowland forests that are characteristic of the Central European mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion. The area has exceptional conservation significance due to the scale of its old-growth forests, which include extensive undisturbed areas where natural processes occur. However, the wasteful exploitation of these precious forest stands has taken place over various periods in history. Such activity in Białowieża Forest occurred mainly during World War I in the years 1915-1918 by German occupants and shortly after that, in 1924-1929, by The Century European Timber Corporation. During these periods, 4 million and 2.5 million cubic meters of wood were cut down, respectively, mainly via clear-cutting [6...

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“…highly variable but mainly negative responses of edaphic Collembola (Bird et al, 2004;Malmström et al, 2009;Rousseau et al, 2018, Rousseau et al, 2019) but see (Setälä et al 2000). This result is also true for large-scale abiotic natural disturbances, such as windthrow and re (Čuchta et al, 2013, Čuchta et al, 2019).…”

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confidence: 88%

Collembolan Assemblages Response to Wild Boars (Sus Scrofa L.) Rooting in Pine Forest Soil

Sławski

Sławska

2020

Preprint

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Background: Collembola are an important component of soil communities in all terrestrial ecosystems. In temperate coniferous forests, they are one of the most numerous invertebrate groups and disturbances that change their density and structure may have negative effects on soil fertility and productivity. Our goal was to determine whether intensive rooting in the forest floor by wild boars affects edaphic Collembola. Soil samples from three paired rooted and non-rooted plots in Scots pine stands were taken twice a year to study the impact of such bioturbation on forest collembolan assemblages. Results: Substantial changes in the taxonomic and functional structure of the collembolan assemblages were identified in all disturbed plots. The abundance and number of species significantly decreased in the bioturbated forest floor. The shares of atmobiotic and hemiedaphic springtails increased at the expense of epedaphic forms. Most of the differences were evident shortly after grubbing but were not significant a few months later. The decline in moisture in disturbed soil could be an explanatory factor causing the differences in the structure and abundance of collembolan assemblages between the bioturbated and intact plots.Conclusions:Our study revealed that large mammals ubiquitous in forest ecosystems can be an important disturbing factor for soil microarthropods. Intensive wild boar rooting in the forest floor had a strong negative effect on the occurrence and abundance of Collembola. This kind of bioturbation caused also the modification to the functional structure of assemblages, which in turn may have important consequences for soil food web and above- and below-ground interactions.

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Woody biomass removal in harvested boreal forest leads to a partial functional homogenization of soil mesofaunal communities relative to unharvested forest

Cited by 30 publications

References 71 publications

Forest microclimates and climate change: Importance, drivers and future research agenda

Forest microclimates and climate change: Importance, drivers and future research agenda

Seven Decades of Spontaneous Forest Regeneration after Large-Scale Clear-Cutting in Białowieża Forest do not Ensure the Complete Recovery of Collembolan Assemblages

Collembolan Assemblages Response to Wild Boars (Sus Scrofa L.) Rooting in Pine Forest Soil

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