1. A five-step framework for creating forests for the futureMarko Kovač, Gregor Božič, Andreja Ferreira, Gal Kušar, Boštjan Mali, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Changing environmental conditions, disturbances, and escalating demands for forest ecosystem services require foresters to restore present forestlands with new forest generations that will exhibit ecological integrity, diversity, high adaptive capacity, and the ability to provide essential ecosystem services. Establishing such forests requires careful consideration of the forest landscape and site dynamics. In pursuit of these requirements, we developed a novel framework that enables the restoration of forest sites and promotes the desired features of the forest complex at the same time. This framework was designed with the methods of system engineering and was organized in the same way as the forest planning process. It was tested in the habitat type of Illyrian Fagus sylvatica forests belonging to the Natura 2000 network. The environmental, vegetation, and site conditions were investigated via field inspections, available forest management plans, and simple GIS analyses. Additionally, we established a seminatural stand composed of European beech, sessile oak, sycamore maple, silver fir, and some wild fruit tree species. The survival of planted species was assessed using census and simple random sampling, the performance of provenances by the Student’s test, while microhabitat factors were explored by a one-way ANOVA. The survival rate of key species was estimated to be 55.6%, while that of fruit species was estimated to be 94.5%. Our framework demonstrated satisfactory performance and contained sufficient benchmarks to facilitate consistent decision-making. In the discussion, we elucidate the framework’s primary features and attributes of the mixed stand, where we also expose some open issues to be addressed in the future.
Keywords: restoration, forest habitat type, indigenous species, planting, mixed stand, key species, fruit species
Published in DiRROS: 13.06.2024; Views: 27; Downloads: 18
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2. Proximity to riverbed influences physiological response of adult pedunculate oak treesLazar Kesić, Matjaž Čater, Saša Orlović, Bratislav Matović, Marko Stojanović, Mirjana Bojović, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: The pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) is economically and ecologically one of the most significant tree species in Serbia, however, little is known about the influence of the riverbed distance and its water supply on ecophysiological responses of this species. Given the limited information on the light-response curve of photosynthesis for oaks in southwest Srem, Serbia, the aim of this paper is to enhance understanding of their ecophysiological responses in this context. Maximum assimilation rate (Amax), the quantum yield (Ф), and light compensation point (LCP) were compared in adult trees situated along the transect from the river: (1) close to the river, (2) intermediate, (3) farthest from the river, and (4) forest reserve (second closest), with the first three transects being managed forests and the last one being an unmanaged forest reserve. The measurements were conducted in July during the first evidence of drought. The highest Amax rates were measured in all light intensities on the site closest to the river and the smallest on the site that was most distant to the water source. The most efficient were trees close to the river and the ones in the forest reserve. No significant difference between compensation points was confirmed for the studied groups of trees, although the forest reserve trees showed slightly higher values. The results demonstrated clear response between transects, which followed the distance from the riverbed. Pedunculate oak's reliance on groundwater is in tight relation with ecophysiological processes in trees; groundwater depletion may threaten its survival in areas distant from the river.
Keywords: Quercus robur L., floodplain forest, drought, light-response curves, transects
Published in DiRROS: 05.06.2024; Views: 1030; Downloads: 48
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4. Accelerated drought-induced resilience decline across European forestsAllan Buras, Benjamin Meyer, Konstantin Gregor, Lucia Layritz, Jernej Jevšenak, Christian Zang, Anja Rammig, 2024, published scientific conference contribution abstract Keywords: Europe, drought, forest, Europe
Published in DiRROS: 14.05.2024; Views: 154; Downloads: 127
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5. Future possibilities for long-term business cooperation between private forest owners and forest service providers in SloveniaZala Uhan, Nike Krajnc, Špela Pezdevšek Malovrh, 2023, review article Abstract: Private forest ownership, with small and fragmented forest properties prevailing in Europe, is affected by demographic, economic and social changes as well as by forest-related policy goals. This is reflected in the lack of knowledge about forest management, insufficient forest management and underutilization of forest resources. Considering that, business coop- eration between private forest owners and with forest service providers or managers is recog- nized as one of the key instruments to increase the efficiency of private forest management. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is a potential for further development of forest lease as form of long-term business cooperation. In this research, interviews (n=8) were conducted with tenants who have signed long-term forest lease contracts with private forest owners in Slovenia. The results show that there are limited possibilities for further develop- ment of long-term business cooperation between private forest owners and forest service pro- viders/managers (e.g. forest lease). The results indicate that there are many benefits of long- term business cooperation for both sides, but private forest owners’ interest is questionable. If we want long-term business cooperation (forest lease) to succeed, forest lease should be rec- ognized in legislation, education about business cooperation (forest lease) should be given to public forest service employees, so they could promote forest lease and provide information to private forest owners. In addition, a connection between potential business partners should be established and examples of good practice should be promoted to gain trust between busi- ness partners, which could increase private forest owners’ interest and consequently improve private forest management and utilization of forest resources from private forests.
Keywords: small-scaled private forest owners, business contract, forest lease agreement, snowball sampling
Published in DiRROS: 24.04.2024; Views: 184; Downloads: 72
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6. Fungal community composition predicts forest carbon storage at a continental scaleMark A. Anthony, Leho Tedersoo, Bruno De Vos, Luc Croisé, Henning Meesenburg, Markus Wagner, Henning Andreae, Frank Jacob, Paweł Lech, Anna Kowalska, Aleksander Marinšek, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Forest soils harbor hyper-diverse microbial communities which fundamentally regulate carbon and nutrient cycling across the globe. Directly testing hypotheses on how microbiome diversity is linked to forest carbon storage has been difficult, due to a lack of paired data on microbiome diversity and in situ observations of forest carbon accumulation and storage. Here, we investigated the relationship between soil microbiomes and forest carbon across 238 forest inventory plots spanning 15 European countries. We show that the composition and diversity of fungal, but not bacterial, species is tightly coupled to both forest biotic conditions and a seven-fold variation in tree growth rates and biomass carbon stocks when controlling for the effects of dominant tree type, climate, and other environmental factors. This linkage is particularly strong for symbiotic endophytic and ectomycorrhizal fungi known to directly facilitate tree growth. Since tree growth rates in this system are closely and positively correlated with belowground soil carbon stocks, we conclude that fungal composition is a strong predictor of overall forest carbon storage across the European continent.
Keywords: fungal community, carbon storage, forest
Published in DiRROS: 19.04.2024; Views: 176; Downloads: 79
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7. Mixed signals of environmental change and a trend towards ecological homogenization in ground vegetation across different forest typesJanez Kermavnar, Lado Kutnar, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Forest ground vegetation may serve as an early warning system for monitoring anthropogenic global-change impacts on temperate forests. Climate warming may induce a decline of cool-adapted species to the benefit of more thermophilous plants. Nitrogen deposition has been documented to potentially result in soil eutrophication or acidification, which can increase the proportion of species with higher nutrient requirements and species impoverishment caused by competitive exclusion. Abiotic forest disturbances are changing the light conditions in the forest understorey environment. In this resurvey study, we tested the magnitude and direction of change in alpha (species richness) and beta (within-site dissimilarity) diversity and composition of forest ground vegetation in forests of different types in Slovenia over fifteen years. Using plant-derived characteristics (Ellenberg-type indicator values) and by testing a priori predictions concerning expected effects of environmental drivers, we show that the magnitude and direction of forest ground vegetation diversity and floristic changes varies greatly between forest sites. Divergent responses at different sites resulted in low net change of alpha and beta diversity and a weak overall environmental signal. The largest decrease in species number was observed in lowland oak-hornbeam forests, which were also among the sites with the greatest compositional shifts. Changes in beta diversity did not show any consistent trend, and anticipated floristic convergence was not confirmed when all sites were considered. Thermophilization was mainly detected in montane beech sites and alpine spruce forests whereas eutrophication signal was most significant on nutrient-poor sites. Vegetation responses were strongly dependent on initial site conditions. Shrinkage of ecological gradients (process of ecological homogenization) suggests that sites positioned at the ends of the gradients are losing their original ecological character and are becoming more similar to mid-gradient sites that generally exhibit smaller changes. Our results point to the importance of local stand dynamics and overstorey disturbances in explaining the temporal trends in forest ground vegetation. Ground vegetation in Slovenian forests is changing in directions also dictated by multiple regional and global change drivers.
Keywords: vegetation resurvey, thermophilization, eutrophication, forest disturbances, alpha and beta diversity, initial site conditions, ICP-Forests network
Published in DiRROS: 09.04.2024; Views: 272; Downloads: 143
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8. Importance of habitat context in modelling risk maps for two established invasive alien plant species : the case of Ailanthus altissima and Phytolacca americana in Slovenia (Europe)Maarten De Groot, Erika Kozamernik, Janez Kermavnar, Marija Kolšek, Aleksander Marinšek, Andreja Nève Repe, Lado Kutnar, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Forests are important ecosystems that face threats from climate change and global environmental shifts, with invasive alien plant species being a significant concern. Some of these invasive species have already become established, while others are in the process of naturalisation. Although forests are a relatively stable ecosystem, extreme weather events increase their vulnerability to change, and clearings left after natural disturbances are particularly susceptible to invasion by alien plant species (IAPS). We created risk maps of two species that have spread rapidly in the last decade: American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) and the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). We prepared a generalised linear model based on the occurrence data collected within the LIFE ARTEMIS project. Eleven environmental variables were used to determine habitat characteristics. We constructed two models for each species: one covering the entirety of Slovenia and the other specifically for the forested areas in Slovenia, with the latter incorporating forest-specific variables (such as forest sanitation felling and monocultures). We observed the presence of both species at lower altitudes and in close proximity to water sources. American pokeweed tends to occur nearer to railways, while the presence of the tree of heaven is associated with areas lacking carbonate parent material and influenced by land use patterns. In forested areas, the occurrence of American pokeweed is influenced by forest habitat characteristics, such as disturbances caused by extreme weather events or the prevalence of Norway spruce monocultures. In contrast, the occurrence of the tree of heaven is influenced by more general environmental variables, such as altitude and proximity to railways. Consequently, we have generated risk maps for the entirety of Slovenia and separately for forested areas, both of which indicate similar levels of risk, particularly for the tree of heaven. The risk map for American pokeweed highlights numerous vulnerable areas, especially forest edges, which are highly susceptible to invasion. Furthermore, there is a higher likelihood of this species occurring in areas that have undergone sanitation felling. This study suggests that the production of risk maps of IAPS could be improved by focussing on habitat types and taking into account habitat-specific variables. This approach could enhance the early detection and management of these invasive species.
Keywords: American pokeweed, tree of heaven, species distribution modelling, forests, forest disturbance, habitat suitability
Published in DiRROS: 26.03.2024; Views: 232; Downloads: 1690
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9. Understanding commitment to agroforestry: a crosssectional study among a sample of Nigerian farmersFausat Motunrayo Ibrahim, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Agroforestry is strategic in reconciling food production with forest biodiversity conservation. The methodical investigation of the beneficial and ecological imperativeness that informs smallholder farmers’ commitment to agroforestry is called for. This work is therefore an attempt to examine the relative importance of farmers' attitudes towards forest loss and perceived benefits of agroforestry in farmers' commitment to agroforestry among a group of farmers in Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria. The study is a cross-sectional survey that featured the interview administration of 400 structured questionnaires among crop farmers that were selected through clustered purposive sampling. Respondent’s agreement with sets of relevant statements was elicited and used in the assessment of variables. Independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to examine the significance of the difference in respondents’ commitment to agroforestry across sub-groups of gender and age/education respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between variables. Results indicate that 57.8% exhibited a 'high' commitment to agroforestry. Gender, age and education had main effects on commitment (p < 0.05). There is no significant relationship between attitude towards forest loss and commitment to agroforestry (r = 0.038, p > 0.05) but not perceived benefits (r = 0.426, p < 0.05). Being male, middle-aged and poorly educated are significantly more predisposing to exhibiting lower commitment to agroforestry. There is hardly an ecological or forest restoration motivation for agroforestry in the study area. Ecologically smart agriculture or the restorative importance of agroforestry appears to be poorly entrenched among farmers in the study area.
Keywords: forest loss, attitude, perception, agroforestry, commitment, Nigeria
Published in DiRROS: 21.03.2024; Views: 387; Downloads: 122
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10. Harmonised statistics and maps of forest biomass and increment in EuropeValerio Avitabile, Roberto Pilli, Mirco Migliavacca, Bogdan Grégory Henry E. Duveiller, Andrea Camia, Viorel Blujdea, Radim Adolt, Iciar Alberdi, Susana Barreiro, Susann Bender, Mitja Skudnik, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Forest biomass is an essential resource in relation to the green transition and its assessment is key for the sustainable management of forest resources. Here, we present a forest biomass dataset for Europe based on the best available inventory and satellite data, with a higher level of harmonisation and spatial resolution than other existing data. This database provides statistics and maps of the forest area, biomass stock and their share available for wood supply in the year 2020, and statistics on gross and net volume increment in 2010–2020, for 38 European countries. The statistics of most countries are available at a sub-national scale and are derived from National Forest Inventory data, harmonised using common reference definitions and estimation methodology, and updated to a common year using a modelling approach. For those counties without harmonised statistics, data were derived from the State of Europe’s Forest 2020 Report at the national scale. The maps are coherent with the statistics and depict the spatial distribution of the forest variables at 100 m resolution.
Keywords: harmonised statistics, harmonised maps, forest biomass, gorest increment, Europe
Published in DiRROS: 11.03.2024; Views: 238; Downloads: 108
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