1. River distance, stand basal area, and climatic conditions are the main drivers influencing lying deadwood in riparian forestsJanine Oettel, Martin Braun, Marcus Sallmannshofer, Maarten De Groot, Silvio Schueler, Charlotte Virgillito, Marjana Westergren, Gregor Božič, Laszlo Nagy, Srdjan Stojnić, Katharina Lapin, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Riparian forests are among the most diverse terrestrial ecosystems, yet their biodiversity is increasingly threatened by habitat degradation, climate change, river regulation and invasive species. We investigated deadwood, widely recognized as an indicator for forest biodiversity, in riparian forests of the Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve. The Biosphere Reserve is a conservation area that spans five countries and three rivers located in south-eastern Europe. In detail, we analyzed the drivers of lying deadwood volume, occurrence and decay related to floodplain type, silvicultural management, and climatic conditions using regression models. Lying deadwood occurrence and volume significantly decreased as distance from the river edge increased, indicating that river dynamics likely play a role in deadwood accumulation in riparian forests. Deadwood volume was also positively influenced by stand basal area, a parameter that can be directly addressed by silvicultural management. Deadwood decay was affected positively by temperature and negatively by precipitation, highlighting the importance of climatic conditions on decay progression. However, in order to draw more accurate conclusions about the drivers and dynamics of deadwood in riparian forests, further monitoring efforts that consider river flooding and flow regime, deadwood transport and saproxylic organism activity in addition to forest management and site conditions, are needed.
Keywords: alluvial forest, hardwood floodplain, deadwood decay, Mura-Drava-Danube transboundary biosphere, reserve, riparian area, softwood floodplain, UNESCO biosphere reserve, wetlands
Published in DiRROS: 18.07.2022; Views: 520; Downloads: 414
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2. Analysis of the influece of ungulates on the regeneration of Dinaric fir-beech forests in the research site Trnovec in the Kočevje forest managementregionKristjan Jarni, Dušan Robič, Andrej Bončina, 2004, original scientific article Abstract: In the period 1970-2000, 152 fenced-in areas were built in the Kočevje Forest Management Region with an aim to protect tree seedlings and saplings from ungulatesć activity and to monitor the influence of roe and red deer on natural regeneration. The average surface area of fenced areas is 0.71 ha. Using the pair comparison technique (fenced vs. unfenced areas), the structureand the composition of the natural regeneration of tree species as well as complete shrub and herb vegetation were analysed in the research site Trnovec. Furthermore, the vegetation was investigated using the Braun-Blanquetmethod. The research results show significant differences between fenced and unfenced areas, both in tree species composition and in theheight structure of the sapling community. In fenced areas the total numberof saplings taller than 50 cm is higher and an increase is also evident in the number of saplings of silver fir Abies alba, sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus, elm Ulmus glabra and other minor tree species. There are also significant differences in species composition and in the abundance of plant species in the herb layer. The results show that natural regeneration of Dinaric fir-beech forests is successful, provided the influence of ungulates is excluded.
Keywords: natural forest regeneration, Fagus sylvatica, roe deer, fir-beech forest, Abies alba, fenced area, seedling browsing, Kočevje forest region, research site Trnovec
Published in DiRROS: 12.07.2017; Views: 4551; Downloads: 2027
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