Laboratory characterization of firebrands involved in spot fires

• Introduction  

Wildfires are considered the most important disturbance in the Mediterranean Basin, and some are propagated over long distances due to lift-off and ignition of firebrands.     

Drought and frost resistance of trees: a comparison of four species at different sites and altitudes

Context   

Drought and frost resistances are key factors for the survival and distribution of tree species.     

Evaluation and comparison of size–density relationships for pure even-aged stands of ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), beech (Fagus silvatica L.), oak (Quercus petraea Liebl.), and sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.)

• Introduction   

Size-density relationships define the maximum number of stems that even-aged stands of a given species can hold in relation to the mean size of trees. They are used to derive stand density measures and are useful tools used to control tree mortality.     

Changes in forest structure and composition on Changbai Mountain in Northeast China

Introduction   

Long-term ecological studies are essential for understanding the dynamics of natural systems. However, describing long-term dynamics in old-growth forests is often hindered by a lack of archival data.     

Shrub island effects on a high-altitude forest cutover in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

• Context  

The roles of woody-plant islands are well documented in low-altitude regions, but research related to such shrub effects in high-altitude regions is scant.     

Clonal variation in heartwood norlignans of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomeria japonica</Emphasis>: evidence for independent control of agatharesinol and sequirin C biosynthesis

• Introduction   

In Cryptomeria japonica, heartwood properties are considered to be affected by specific extractives. It remains unclear whether traits of specific heartwood compounds are under genetic control.     

Contribution of forest management artefacts to plant diversity at a forest scale

• Introduction   

Most temperate forests are managed for wood production, and some forestry practices generate typical environmental features such as roads, paths, ditches and tractor ruts, which are likely to affect forest species distribution.     

Genetic worth and diversity across 18 years in a Nordmann fir clonal seed orchard

• Context  

Many tree breeding programmes rely entirely on clonal seed orchards as the link between breeding activities and forestry, and are thereby also exposed to yearly fluctuations in the orchard crops.     

Capsis: an open software framework and community for forest growth modelling

Context  

Forest scientists build models to simulate stand growth and forests dynamics. Dedicated computer tools are often developed to implement these models in order to run silvicultural scenarios and explore simulation results.     

Unexpected seedling growth in the understory of post-agricultural forests from Eastern Canada

•Introduction  

The agricultural landscape in Eastern Canada has drastically changed in the last decades. Whilst certain forest communities are disappearing, post-agricultural forests are emerging from old fields colonized by fast-growing tree species.     

Human–wildlife competition for Korean pine seeds: vertebrate responses and implications for mixed forests on Changbai Mountain,China

Introduction  

Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) is a dominant tree species in the cold temperate mixed forest zone in eastern Eurasia. Its seeds are food sources for wildlife but have become an important and marketable part of the economy for local communities.     

Joint simulation of stand dynamics and landscape evolution using a tree-level model for mixed uneven-aged forests

• Context  

A century and more after a major reforestation program, large areas in the French Southern Alps have moved to a landscape mosaic of old pine plantations and new, heterogeneous and uneven-aged, mixed stands. These conditions are challenging foresters in silvicultural practices and management choices.     

Linking canopy images to forest structural parameters: potential of a modeling framework

• Context  

Remote sensing methods, and in particular very high (metric) resolution optical imagery, are essential assets to obtain forest structure data that cannot be measured from the ground because they are too difficult to measure or because the areas to sample are too large or inaccessible.     

Estimation of tree biomass,carbon pool and net primary production of an old-growth <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus kesiya</Emphasis> Royle ex. Gordon forest in north-eastern India

• Background  

The data on carbon pool and biomass distribution pattern of old-growth Pinus kesiya Royle ex. Gordon forests are not available.     

Genetic variation within and between populations of a desert poplar (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus euphratica</Emphasis>) revealed by SSR markers

Backgroud   

Populus euphratica Oliv., a long-lived woody perennial plant, is the only forest species naturally distributed in desert regions. Severe desertification has resulted in this species becoming endangered, and its populations are seriously fragmented in northwest China.     

Influence of early re-spacing on Sitka spruce branch structure

• Context   

The frequency, size, and insertion angle of primary branches are important determinants of wood quality and can be significantly influenced by silvicultural activities.     

Genetic and environmental variation in wood properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia melanoxylon</Emphasis>

Context  

Australian blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), is a fast-growing, high-quality, appearance-grade timber species native to eastern Australia. Some of its key wood properties are percentage heartwood, heartwood colour, basic density, wood stiffness and green moisture content. Variation in these properties affects log value, processing and marketing.     

Present and forecasted xeric climatic limits of beech and sessile oak distribution at low altitudes in Central Europe

• Introduction   

Xeric (trailing) forest range limits are particularly vulnerable to impacts of predicted climate change. Regional modelling studies contribute to the identification of potential local climatic threats and may support appropriate management strategies.     

ALS-based estimation of plot volume and site index in a eucalyptus plantation with a nonlinear mixed-effect model that accounts for the clone effect

Introduction  

Most airborne laser scanning (ALS) studies have been carried out in semi-natural forests, but some research has also been carried out in plantations. Results indicate that methods similar to those which are used in semi-natural forest are also usable in plantation forestry. The study was conducted in a pulpwood plantation growing Eucalyptus urograndis in Bahia State, Brazil.     

Reproductive phenology of Brazilian savannas and riparian forests: environmental and phylogenetic issues

Introduction   

The reproductive phenology of plants is expected to be influenced by climatic factors and by the phylogenetic history of the species. In savannas, the peaks of flowering and fruiting are associated with climate seasonality. However, there is still a controversy about the reproductive phenology of plants in riparian forests, a vegetation type that does not experience a severe water shortage.