Invasion by Cedrela odorata L. can substantially contribute to above-ground biomass recovery after fire while simultaneously altering forest composition. Tropical forests are increasingly exposed to successive disturbances that can alter forest dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Understanding long-term responses to disturbances offers a solution for sustainable ecosystem services management. This study assessed the long-term aboveground biomass recovery in a tropical semi-deciduous forest that has undergone silvicultural treatments, devastating fire, and invasion by Cedrela odorata L. We also aimed to quantify the contributions of three species groups: local commercial species (Com), C. odorata (Ced), and non-commercial species (Sec), i.e., all other species. First, we used tree inventory data (diameter at breast height ≥ 10 cm) collected over 42 years from 25 permanent plots covering 100 ha. Then, we used a Bayesian framework to infer the aboveground biomass recovery trajectory. Finally, we analyzed the respective effects of fire severity and silvicultural treatment intensity on above-ground biomass recovery. Following invasion by C. odorata, 90
Evergreen coniferous forests and deciduous broadleaf forests in the warm-temperate zone of northern China exhibit fundamentally distinct environmental and spatial correlates of understory herb-layer diversity across α- and β-diversity dimensions. Canopy cover correlates with α-diversity in coniferous forests, while soil organic matter correlates with richness in deciduous broadleaf forests. For β-diversity, compositional turnover correlates primarily with soil pH in coniferous forests but with available potassium in deciduous broadleaf forests, with geographic distance (dispersal limitation) contributing substantially in both. Understory herb layers harbor over 80
Saproxylic biodiversity is a fundamental component of forest ecosystems that remains poorly integrated into operational forest management. We introduce a novel hierarchical classification of saproxylic ecological habitats (SaproHabs) that complements existing tree-related microhabitats frameworks by explicitly linking habitat features to the ecological requirements of saproxylic beetles. By identifying 22 functional forms and 34 SaproHab types through field-observable diagnostic features, the framework provides a standardised, field-oriented tool for assessing and recording habitat features relevant to saproxylic beetles. The SaproHab framework supports biodiversity-oriented forest management in line with the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and the Nature Restoration Law. Integrating the framework into forest monitoring and planning could strengthen conservation outcomes in European temperate and Mediterranean forests, while remaining compatible with sustainable timber-production objectives.
The inter-individual variability in iWUE did not decrease over the course of the hundred years of development of the two oak stands studied. Early-life iWUE was linked to long-term growth only when the social structure of the stand remained stable. However, the modest effect of early-life iWUE on the size of adult trees did not affect survival or health. In a context of increasing drought episodes, identifying the causes of variations in individual growth performance is crucial. We investigated whether early-life intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE), and its plasticity to drought, estimated from tree-ring δ13C, can predict long-term growth performance of sessile oak trees. Two mature stands with contrasting ecological and management contexts were selected: (i) a high-density stand without thinning since a century, and (ii) a low-density stand undergoing chronic soil water deficits. All trees in both plots (n 100 per plot) were cored, enabling reconstruction of the whole within-population variability of iWUE and radial growth trajectories. Although the sampled trees represented only survivors, inter-individual variability in iWUE was remarkably conserved over a century, suggesting that such a diversity may persist naturally within stands, even under environmental and sylvicultural filtering. Early-life diameter and iWUE were both moderate predictors of adult diameter and basal area index in the low-density stand. No relationship was observed between early-life iWUE and cumulative adult growth in the high-density stand. In both sites, iWUE plasticity to drought was not correlated to inter-individual differences in growth performance. At best, early-life iWUE of individual trees was only a modest predictor of adult growth. However, this effect did not extend to tree survival or health.
Enhanced growth of trees adjacent to machine trails partially compensated for basal area increment lost due to unstocked trail area in uneven-aged Norway spruce stands subjected to single-tree selection harvesting, with the compensatory effect apparently independent of residual stand density within the examined range. Machine trail networks are an inherent feature of continuous cover forestry systems, where they occupy a substantial share of stand area and alter local growing conditions. Despite extensive research in even-aged stands, their effects on tree growth and stand-level productivity in uneven-aged forests remain largely unexplored. The study aimed to assess how machine trails influence tree- and stand-level growth in uneven-aged Norway spruce stands, including size- and density-dependent responses and their implications for growth compensation. The study used tree growth data measured over a 12-year period following machine trail establishment in four experimental blocks of uneven-aged Norway spruce, subjected to selection cutting with varying residual stand densities. Generalized additive modeling was applied to quantify the spatial extent of the trail-related growth response by modeling individual-tree basal area increment as a function of distance to machine trail, providing the basis for subsequent stand-level analyses. Stand-level growth compensation was examined by scaling estimated growth differences according to the proportion of trail-affected versus trail-unaffected stand area. Individual tree basal area increment decreased with increasing distance to machine trail, with a proximity effect extending up to 4 m into the stand. We found no evidence that the tree-growth response to distance from machine trail varies with tree size or residual stand-level basal area. The increased growth of trail-affected trees compensated for about half of the basal area increment that would have been produced on the unstocked machine trail area over the 12-year study period. Growth gains at the edges of machine trails can partially offset productivity losses from the trails themselves, as shown here for uneven-aged stands. Together with evidence from even-aged forests, this suggests that this compensatory effect is primarily driven by increased resource availability at trail edges rather than by specific management systems or stand structures.
