Windthrow and recruitment of large woody debris in riparian stands

To document the impacts of windthrow in riparian leave strips and identify the components needed for small stream large woody debris (LWD) recruitment modeling, we monitored nine small streams at a temperate rainforest site in coastal British Columbia. This study was a component of a larger integrated study of forest management impacts on small streams. A series of small clearcuts were harvested in 1998 in a 70-year-old second growth stand that had regenerated naturally following logging and wildfire. Three cutblocks each were assigned to 10 m and 30 m buffer width treatments and three areas were assigned as unharvested controls. Seven years after the 1998 logging, all logs greater than 10 cm diameter that spanned at least part of stream channel width were measured. A total of 179 logs were recorded. Post-harvest windthrow was higher in the 10 m buffer treatment, while competition-related standing tree mortality was higher in the controls. The major windthrow events had occurred in the first and second years after logging of adjacent stands. There was no significant difference in the number of spanning and in-stream logs in the 10 m, 30 m buffer and control treatments. More than 90% of the LWD was in the 10–30 cm diameter classes. The majority of logs were oriented perpendicular to the stream channel. At the time of measurement, the majority of these trees were still suspended above the stream channel, indicating that the recruitment of logs into the stream channel is a long-term process. Time to recruitment into the channel is dependent on log and valley geometry, log size, species, and log condition prior to toppling. Log height above stream was negatively correlated with log decay class and valley width. Log length was negatively correlated with state of decay, and many windthrown logs were in an advanced state of decay before they entered the stream.     

Long-term dynamics of large woody debris in a managed boreal forest stream

Little is known about how past forest management in Sweden influenced the quantity and quality of large woody debris (LWD) in streams. The present study provides information of the long-term dynamics of LWD in a reach of a boreal stream intersecting a managed forest. Dendrochronological methods were used to reconstruct mortality years of the pieces of LWD and the general history of fire and cuttings of the surrounding riparian forest. Today, spruce dominates among the living trees, whereas the LWD is dominated by birch in the forest and by pine in the stream. Fire frequency prior to active fire suppression was similar to values reported from boreal forests. Pine trees were more abundant in the riparian forest before selective logging operations and active fire suppression began in the 1800s. Many of the pieces of LWD found in the stream today died more than 200 years ago and derived from a cohort of pines that generated in the early 1600s. Pine LWD in stream channels is highly resistant to decomposition and can reside for more than 300 years. A substantial amount of the LWD found today in managed forest streams in boreal Sweden most likely derives from the time before extensive human influence and is likely to decrease further in the future. Management of riparian forests to ascertain future supply of long-lived LWD in streams should target to increase the proportion of pine trees.     

Dynamics of coarse woody debris and decomposition rates in an old-growth forest in lower tropical China

The biomass and decomposition of coarse woody debris (CWD, ≥10 cm in diameter) were studied in a monsoon evergreen broad-leaved old-growth forest in Dinghushan Nature Reserve, Southern China. The study examined the biomass of CWD from 1992 to 2008 and decomposition of three dominant tree species CWD (Castanopsis chinensis, Cryptocarya concinna, Schima superba) from 1999 to 2008. Changes in the wood density of three tree species’ CWD were used to estimate the decay rates with a single exponential model. The results showed that the biomass of CWD in the old-growth forest was increasing from 17.41 tonnes ha⁻¹ (t ha⁻¹) in 1992 to 38.54 t ha⁻¹ in 2008, and a higher decay constant was observed for C. concinna (0.1570 – 19 years for 95% mass loss); the decay rates of S. superba and C. chinensis were 0.1486 (20 years for 95% mass loss) and 0.1095 (27 years for 95% mass loss), respectively. The difference in decay constant rates may be due to their substrate quality and decomposers. The content of carbon (C) in three species declined after 9 years of decay. Nitrogen (N) content increased in all species with decay. The C/N ratio in the three species declined during the decay process.     

Stocks and decay dynamics of above- and belowground coarse woody debris in managed Sitka spruce forests in Ireland

Coarse woody debris (CWD) has become recognised as an important component of the carbon (C) pool in forest ecosystems. In Ireland, managed Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong) Carr.) forests account for 52.3% of the total forest estate. To determine the stock and decay dynamics of above and belowground CWD, field surveys using fixed area sample plots, were conducted in six even-aged Sitka spruce stands, representing the young, intermediate and mature stages of a typical commercial rotation. The volume, mass, density loss and C:N ratio of all CWD types (logs, stumps, and coarse roots) were determined using a five-decay class (DC) system. The decay rates and half life of CWD was also determined. To estimate CWD coarse root mass; roots associated with stumps classified in different decay classes were excavated. The coarse roots were categorised into small (2-10 mm), medium (10-50 mm) and large (>50 mm) diameter classes.CWD C-mass ranged from 6.98 to 18.62 Mg ha⁻¹ and was highest in an intermediate forest (D35), while the aboveground volume varied from 6.31 to 42.27 m³ ha⁻¹. Coarse roots accounted for 21% to 85% of the total CWD C-pool in the surveyed stands. The total CWD C-mass was poorly correlated with the number of thinning events (R² = 0.29), when data from D35 was excluded. The density loss was significant in logs (45%), stumps (58%), and small- (38%), medium- (50%) and large roots (38%) as decay progress from DC 0 to 4. There was a 46%, 41%, 51%, 72% and 57% decline in C:N ratio of logs, stumps, small-, medium- and large roots, respectively, as decay progressed from DC 0 to 4. The density decay rates were 0.059, 0.048 and 0.036 kg m⁻³ year⁻¹ for logs, stumps and coarse roots, respectively. The size classification of roots did not significantly affect their decay rate. The half life (50% decomposition) of CWD was estimated has 12-, 14- and 19 years for logs, stumps and roots of Sitka spruce. Regression curves showed a strong correlation between the density and C:N ratio (R² = 0.69, 0.74 and 0.93 for logs, stumps and coarse roots, respectively). The long term storage of C and its slow rate of decomposition make CWD a vital structural and functional component of the CWD C-pool and a major controller of forest ecosystem C-retention.     

Dynamics of windthrow events in a natural fir-beech forest in the Carpathian mountains

The age of single windthrows (single uprooted trees and/or pit/mound microtopographical pairs) in a natural fir-beech forest was assessed in the flysch zone of the Outer Western Carpathians. The following characteristics were evaluated for all 1562 single windthrows occurring in a 10.8 ha area: dimensions; thickness of organic and upper mineral soil horizons both on mounds and in pits; and the presence of new trees taking root on the windthrows. For more recent windthrows, selected quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the uprooted trees were evaluated. A suppositional gradient of age (SGA) was constructed based on the windthrow characteristics using principal component analysis. A representative sample of windthrows was dated along the SGA with the use of dendroecological techniques and historic records from 1972 and 1995. For European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) we were able to measure the actual threshold of release value – at 12% of growth change. The age of windthrows was determined in 37 of a total of 51 cases. The development of windthrow properties over time was studied. Age explained 33.7% of the variability in the measured windthrow characteristics (F = 19.31, p = 0.0002, measured characteristics see above). A multiple regression model (R² = 0.844, F = 65.62, p < 1 × 10⁻⁶) was constructed to evaluate the age of undated windthrows. The best predictors of age were: ordinal classification of trunk disintegration and thickness of F and A horizons on the mound.     

Dynamics of wood recruitment in streams of the northeastern US

Wood is an important component of forested stream ecosystems, and stream restoration efforts often incorporate large wood. In most cases, however, stream restoration projects are implemented without information regarding the amount of wood that historically occurred or the natural rates of wood recruitment. This study uses a space-for-time analysis to quantify large wood loading to 28 streams in the northeastern US with a range of in-stream and riparian forest characteristics. We document the current volume and frequency of occurrence of large wood in streams with riparian forests varying in their stage of stand development as well as stream size and gradient. Linear models relating stream wood characteristics to stream geomorphic and forest characteristics were compared using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) model selection. The AIC analysis indicated that the volume and frequency of large wood and wood accumulations (wood jams) in streams was most closely associated with the age of the dominant canopy trees in the riparian forest (best models: log₁₀(large wood volume (m³ 100 m⁻¹)) = (0.0036 × stand age) − 0.2281, p < 0.001, r² = 0.80; and large wood frequency (number per 100 m) = (0.1326 × stand age) + 7.3952, p < 001, r² = 0.63). Bankfull width was an important factor accounting for wood volume per unit area (m³ ha⁻¹) but not the volume of wood per length of stream (100 m⁻¹). The empirical models developed in this study were unsuccessful in predicting wood loading in other regions, most likely due to difference in forest characteristics and the legacy of forest disturbance. However, these models may be applicable in other streams in the northeastern US or in streams with comparable riparian forests, underlying geology, and disturbance regimes—factors that could alter long-term wood loading dynamics. Our results highlight the importance of understanding region-specific processes when planning stream restoration and stream management projects.     

湘中丘陵区马尾松林粗木质残体研究

以湘中丘陵区马尾松林为研究对象,分析粗木质残体(CWD)的储量特征、物种组成、径级结构以及腐烂等级,研究湘中丘陵区马尾松林CWD的基本特征。结果表明:湘中丘陵区马尾松林CWD的平均储量为1.72 t/hm2,马尾松和杉木是针叶CWD的主要组成树种,樟树、南酸枣、枫香是阔叶CWD的主要组成树种。马尾松-阔叶树种混交林的CWD总储量显著大于马尾松-杉木混交林的,两者的CWD总储量与其对应森林总生物量的比例差异明显,且均表现为随森林生物量增长而增加的趋势。CWD的个体数量随着径级的增加而减少,呈反J型下降趋势,且不同存在形式CWD的数量比例大致表现为倒木枯立木大枝根桩。CWD具备完整的腐烂等级(Ⅰ~Ⅴ级),主要集中在Ⅰ、Ⅱ腐烂等级,且随着径级的增加,各腐烂等级CWD的数量比例呈现逐渐减少的趋势。     

火干扰对天然红松林结构和演替过程的影响

Investigations on charcoal in the soil, fire-scarred trees, stand composition, forest structure as well as regeneration status were carried out in the natural broad-leaved/Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forest after fire disturbance at Liangshui Nature Reserve on the mid-north of Xiaoxing‘an Mountains from 1990 to 1992, and the ecological effects of fire disturbance on the formation and succession of this kind of forest were analyzed according to the survey results. The average depth of charcoal in the soil was related to the timing of the fire. According to the characteristic of fire-scarred trees, the dynamic map of the fire behavior was drawn onto the topographic map. It showed that the dimension and extent of the fire disturbance was closely related with site conditions. Fire disturbance only led to a significant difference in stand composition and diameter class structurefor the stands at different locations, rather than completely destroying the forest. After fire disturbance, the horizontal community structure was a mosaic of different patches, which were made up of different deciduous species or different sizes of Korean pines, and the succession trend of each patch was also different. In the sites with the heavy fire disturbance, the intolerant hardwood species were dominant, and there were a large number of regenerative Korean pine saplings under the canopy. In the moderate -disturbed sites, the tolerant hardwood species were dominant, and a small number of large size Korean pines still survived. In the light-disturbed sites, large size Korean pines were dominant.