Spatial distribution of saplings in heavily worn urban forests: Implications for regeneration and management |
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| Authors: | Kaisa Hauru Aki Niemi Susanna Lehvävirta |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Environmental Sciences, PO Box 65 (Environment House, Viikinkaari 2), FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland;2. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, PO Box 35, FI-40014, University of Jyväskylä, Finland;3. Finnish Forest Research Institute, PO Box 18, FI-01301, Vantaa, Finland;4. Finnish Museum of Natural History, Botanic Garden, PO Box 44 (Jyrängöntie 2), FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland;1. Department of Geology, One Bear Place #97354, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7354, USA;2. Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607-7059, USA;1. University of Liège – Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Unit of Biosystem Physics, Passage des Déportés, 2, Gembloux B-5030, Belgium;2. University of Liège – Laboratory of Plant and Microbial Ecology, Institute of Botany B22, Boulevard du Rectorat 27, Liège 4000, Belgium;3. Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Rue de Liroux, 9, Gembloux B-5030, Belgium;1. AgroParisTech, Centre de Nancy, UMR 1092 Laboratoire d’Étude des Ressources Forêt-Bois (LERFoB), 14 rue Girardet, 54000 Nancy, France;2. INRA, Centre de Nancy-Lorraine, UMR 1092 Laboratoire d’Étude des Ressources Forêt-Bois (LERFoB), 54280 Champenoux, France;1. Atmospheric Science Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA;2. Departamento de Cienciêas Atmosfericas, IAG, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil;4. Centro de Ciência do Sistema Terrestre/Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil;5. Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil;6. Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA;7. Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY, USA;8. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA;9. Climate Services, Climate Analysis, MeteoSwiss, Zurich, Switzerland;10. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Cachoeira Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil;11. Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA;12. Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;13. Embrapa Amazonia Oriental, Belem, Para, Brazil;1. Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, P.H. Holfs, Centro, Viçosa, MG 36570-000, Brazil;2. Department of Meteorology, Federal University of Pelotas, Campus Universitário S/N, Caixa Postal 354, Pelotas, RS 96010-900, Brazil;3. Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies, National Institute for Space Research, Rodovia Presidente Dutra, Km 40, Cachoeira Paulista, SP 12630-000, Brazil;4. Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Lourival Melo Mota, s/n, Tabuleiro do Martins, Maceió, AL 57072-900, Brazil;5. School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom |
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| Abstract: | We studied the spatial distribution of saplings in the vicinity of other saplings and mature trees in heavily worn urban forests. Our aim was to identify favorable microsites for saplings to regenerate under different levels of wear. We hypothesized that these safe microsites were situated close to tree trunks that might offer shelter from trampling caused by humans and their pet dogs. The distribution of saplings was explored at 0.1–0.6 m to the nearest sapling and 0.1–2 m to the nearest mature tree. Sorbus aucuparia was the most abundant sapling species, followed by Populus tremula, Betula pubescens and Picea abies. These species all tended to cluster with their conspecific saplings and were generally randomly distributed with respect to mature trees. Saplings of S. aucuparia and P. tremula favored growing close to mature P. abies (already at 0.4–0.8 up to 2 m from the trunk base, respectively) and S. aucuparia trees (at 0.2–0.4 m up to 2 m). Betula sp. and Acer platanoides grew close to Pinus sylvestris trees. Furthermore, with increased levels of wear, saplings clustered more likely together and close to tree trunks. The results are contrary to the gap regeneration hypothesis known from rural unworn forests where saplings often grow in canopy gaps. We suggest the idea of a ‘sheltering group’, i.e. tree groups and thickets of densely growing conspecific saplings, for the maintenance of regeneration of saplings and other vegetation in heavily worn recreational forests. Since urban forestry may strongly affect the existence and spatial location of a high variety of microhabitats, small-scale spatial exploration is needed to identify microsites that offer opportunities for natural regeneration under heavy recreational use. To maintain natural regeneration and the survival of saplings in worn urban forests, we recommend microhabitat-level species-specific forest management. |
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