The soil propagule bank in a boreal old-growth spruce forest: changes with depth and relationship to aboveground vegetation (original) (raw)
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Soil seed bank and vegetation in mixed coniferous forest stands with different disturbance regimes
Forest Ecology and Management, 2007
We studied the soil seed bank in mesophyte mixed spruce forest in Koeru, central Estonia, represented by three old stands with low intensity management, and three young regenerating planted stands in areas clear-cut 20-25 years ago. The seed bank consisted of 36-plant species altogether, of which 14 were not represented in the vegetation. There were 42 phanerogam species in the forest understory, which were not represented in the seed bank. There were on average 900 seeds per m 2 in the top 10 cm soil layer, this number was significantly higher in young (1105 seeds) than in old (640 seeds) stands. Differences in the seed bank between the top 0-5 and 5-10 cm layers were negligible. Rubus idaeus and Carex pallescens were the most abundant species in the seed bank, the first species being abundant in old stand gaps, whereas the second was not represented in the vegetation. CA ordination showed that community composition differed between the vegetation and the seed bank, as well as between young and old stands. Within both young and old stands, there was a poor correspondence between the vegetation and the seed bank. #
Annals of Forest Science, 2004
In the perspective of the conversion of Norway spruce plantations, there is a need for foresters to assess the potential of the natural woody species regeneration. We studied 50 Norway spruce plantations on alluvial soils throughout the Grand-duché de Luxembourg and compared the regeneration characteristics (species composition, spatial heterogeneity) with 42 riverine deciduous stands (the target communities). Within the Norway spruce plantations, Fraxinus excelsior and Acer pseudoplatanus were the main regenerating species, probably because of their very good dispersal abilities. Norway spruce seedlings were quasi-absent. Low Norway spruce densities and baserich soils (local factors) as well as proximity of riverine deciduous forests (regional factor) strongly favoured the regeneration of a suite of broad-leaved species. The thickness of Norway spruce litter did not appear to be a limiting factor, at least for large-seeded tree seedlings. The spatial heterogeneity of the woody regeneration was rather similar in coniferous and deciduous stands. We conclude that for the development of multifunctional forests, the spontaneous regeneration under low-dense Norway spruce stands on base-rich soils provides a valuable starting point. Picea abies / floodplain / spontaneous rejuvenation / spatial heterogeneity / Luxembourg Résumé-Évaluation des potentialités de régénération naturelle pour la conversion des plantations d'épicéas sur sols alluviaux. Dans une perspective de conversion des plantations d'épicéas, les forestiers ont besoin d'évaluer les potentialités de régénération naturelle. Nous avons étudié 50 plantations d'épicéas sur sols alluviaux au grand-duché de Luxembourg et comparé les caractéristiques de cette régénération naturelle (composition, hétérogénéité spatiale) à 42 forêts riveraines de feuillus (communautés de référence). Dans les plantations d'épicéas, Fraxinus excelsior et Acer pseudoplatanus sont les principales espèces qui régénèrent, probablement en raison de leur grande capacité de dispersion. Les jeunes épicéas sont quasiment absents. La régénération des essences feuillues est fortement favorisée par de faibles densités d'épicéas, par des sols riches en bases (facteurs locaux) et par la proximité de forêts alluviales (facteur régional). La litière de l'épicéa ne semble pas être un facteur limitant à la régénération, au moins pour les essences à grosses graines. L'hétérogénéité spatiale de la régénération est très similaire dans les peuplements de feuillus ou d'épicéas. En conclusion, la régénération spontanée d'essences feuillues sous les plantations d'épicéas peu denses et établies sur des sols basiques est un point de départ très intéressant dans un processus de conversion de ces plantations vers des forêts multifonctionelles.
Journal of Forest Science, 2020
Clear-cutting is the most common silvicultural system. Sometimes, if the new crop is not established successfully, clearcut is left unreforested. This study focused on a site where early successional species such as silver birch (Bi) and rowan (Ro) were accompanied with Norway spruce (Sp) in 13-year-old stand from natural regeneration at 550 m of altitude at an acidic site with eastern aspect and 25% slope. We found five types of stand composition: treeless gaps, Ro-Bi, Ro-Bi-Sp, Bi-Sp and monospecific Sp. Besides these juvenile ones, adjacent 100-year-old spruce (Sp old) stand representing pre-harvesting conditions was studied. In addition to the performance of trees, organic layer (Hum), topsoil (Ah) and upper subsoil (B) horizons were sampled to study an expected shift of chemical properties after clear-cutting and secondary succession at the site of interest. Birch dominated the natural regeneration; rowan and spruce were present mostly in understorey. Old spruce was more acidic...
K e y w o r d s : Norway spruce, natural regeneration, irradiation, forest soil, ground vegetation, mycorrhiza, forest gaps. S u m m a r y DIACI J., KUTNAR L., RUPEL M., SMOLEJ I., URBANCIC M. & KRAIGHER H. 2000. Interactions of ecological factors and natural regeneration in an altimontane Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stand. -Phyton (Horn, Austria) 40 (4): (17) -(26).
Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 2010
In Canada's boreal forest region, there is increasing demand for practical regeneration strategies that will recreate mixed stands of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). In 2002, we implemented an experiment in both west-central Alberta and northeastern Ontario to better understand the effects of herbaceous and woody vegetation control on crop tree survival and growth, within the context of prescription development for the regeneration of a single-cohort, intimate mixture of spruce and aspen. After five growing seasons, good spruce growth, health, and survival were observed with 2 m radial treatments consisting of herbaceous and woody (i.e., complete) vegetation control centred on trees planted at 5 m spacing. These spruce were 4%-64% taller and 68%-178% larger in stem diameter than untended trees, leading to 167%-1166% gains in stem volume, and were at least equivalent to the same stock grown at 2.5 m spacing and provided with complete, continuous relief from competition. Removing only the woody vegetation within treated radii stimulated herbaceous competition, resulting in reduced survival and growth of spruce and reduced height of surrounding aspen. Early results suggest that spot treatments that provide 2-4 years of relief from herbaceous and woody competition may offer a practical strategy for growing spruce with aspen.
Forest Ecology and Management, 2001
Remnant tree stands left intact following a disturbance constitute the sole seed banks available for regeneration of coniferous species that neither bear serotinous cones nor reproduce vegetatively. The success of regeneration of tree species on these disturbed sites is, therefore, dependent on the distance from potential seed sources. The regeneration of balsam ®r (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) was studied at two sites in Que Âbec's southwestern boreal forest in order to quantify the in¯uence of remnant stands on spatial distribution of regeneration. The ®rst site is located in an area that burned in 1944 while the second site is located in an area that was clear-cut in the mid-1980s. Canonical correspondence analyses were used to determine the respective contributions of environmental data and spatial variables to the pattern of spatial distribution of regeneration. The results reveal that distance from a remnant stand is the most important variable in explaining spatial distribution of regeneration when compared to environmental variables such as soil type, drainage, slope and altitude. The plots of regeneration density against distance from a remnant stand for both the burned site and logged site show that regeneration density decreases abruptly with distance from a remnant stand. Furthermore, spatial autocorrelation analyses (Moran's I) indicate that even small remnant zones can signi®cantly in¯uence the pattern of spatial distribution of regeneration for the three species studied. The results presented here suggest that where preestablished regeneration is not abundant enough, alternative silvicultural systems such as strip clear-cutting or seedtree systems could be used instead of cuts with protection of regeneration and soils (CPRS). #
2007
87 Nowadays, between four and five thousand ha of declined forest in the 5umava National Park are as a direct consequence of bark beetle gradation, both on the German and Czech side of the border. The presented study was performed on 14 permanent regional research plots characterized by severe Norway spruce decline, which were used for a comparison of declined and vital forest. Observed spruce regeneration was currently sufficient (average number over 11000 saplings.ha· in the vital stand and almost half of this number in the declined stand). A large number of seedlings in most of the vital stands (1.280-31.000 individuals.ha· ), react actively under modified light and temperature conditions. Faster growth was reported on the declined plots, which led to the larger number of natural regeneration in the higher height classes. On the other hand, the age structure is influenced negatively in declined stands, because of the missing part of the youngest age class. These results indicate ...
The effects of different types of woodstand disturbance on the persistence of soil seed banks
Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae, 2011
The research was conducted on four patches of thermophilous oak wood in Białowieża Primeval Forest: A – with a woodstand: oak + approx. 30-year-old hornbeam + hornbeam brushwood; B – with a hornbeam stand formed by natural seed fall after logging (ca. 1920) oaks; C – after logging oaks and replanted (ca. 1965) with pine and oak; D – with a natural low-density oak stand. Species composition and seed bank density were estimated using the seedling emergence method. Seedling emergence was observed over two vegetation seasons. Research demonstrated that: 1) the species abundance of the seed banks depends on canopy cover (A, B approx. 50 species; C, D approx. 70 species); 2) the floristical similarity (Sørensen's index) of the seed bank and ground vegetation is higher in the undisturbed patch D (0.50) than in disturbed patches (0.30-0.35); 3) species diversity in plots A, B, C, D (H'=12.5; 13.4; 15.5; 16.9) and seed bank density per m<sup>2</sup> (432.5; 958.0; 1486.5;...