Dataset Information

Dataset on stand structural indices and forest ecosystem naturalness in hemiboreal forests.

ABSTRACT: The data paper refers to the research article "Assessment of spatial stand structure of hemiboreal conifer dominated forests according to different levels of naturalness" [1]. Forest ecosystem structure was quantified by using structural indices based on the nearest-neighborhood approach for individual trees. Species mingling, deadwood mingling, deadwood distribution, diameter differentiation and the uniform angle indices characterize the patterns of the complexity and diversity of forest ecosystems, including the arrangement of tree dimensions, species and deadwood as well as tree positioning regularities. The data is collected all over Estonia from the Estonian Network of Forest Research Plots; altogether 212 sample plots were used in this study. The plots of the Estonian Network of Forest Research Plots are re-measured in nature with an interval of five years. Forests were classified by their naturalness level as managed forests, recovering forests and natural forests. The information in this paper can be used by forest inventories for developing the methods of ecosystem naturalness assessment as well as for analysing naturalness, stand structures and tree patterns in hemiboreal forest ecosystems.

SUBMITTER: Korjus H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7082525 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Dataset on stand structural indices and forest ecosystem naturalness in hemiboreal forests.

Korjus Henn H Kiviste Andres A Kangur Ahto A Paluots Teele T Laarmann Diana D Põldveer Eneli E

Data in brief 20200306

The data paper refers to the research article "Assessment of spatial stand structure of hemiboreal conifer dominated forests according to different levels of naturalness" [1]. Forest ecosystem structure was quantified by using structural indices based on the nearest-neighborhood approach for individual trees. Species mingling, deadwood mingling, deadwood distribution, diameter differentiation and the uniform angle indices characterize the patterns of the complexity and diversity of forest ecosys ...[more]

PMID: 32211460

Similar Datasets

Project description:Deeper understanding on natural forest dynamics requires long-term data series from forests that have not been affected by human interventions, which are often scarce especially in the Pannonian Bioregion. Unmanaged, but regularly inventoried forest reserves provide an opportunity to fill this gap. The dataset provides repeated inventory data for 233 permanent plots situated in the core areas of six forest reserves selected from primary forests (Kékes), long abandoned forests (Kecskés-galya, Szalafő, Várhegy) and abandoned ones (Hidegvíz-völgy, Nagy Istrázsa-hegy). The sampled old stands represent the four most widespread hilly forest types in Hungary: Carpathian submountainous beech forest; sessile oak-hornbeam forest; Turkey oak and sessile oak forest; downy oak forest. In each plot, stand level attributes included main mensuration variables (canopy closure, stand height, tree density, basal area, living and dead volume, lying deadwood and admixture of the main tree species). Tree level attributes (diameter at breast height, height measured and estimated, crown position in the canopy, health status, tree history of all trees or shrubs having diameter larger or equal to 5 cm) were also measured in two inventories (after 6-16 years) for a total of 6,986 individual trees sampled in all plots. Fagus sylvatica L., Quercus petraea agg., Q. cerris L., Q. pubescens Willd., Carpinus betulus L., Acer campestre L. and Cornus mas L. were the most abundant. The individual tree history classification refers to regeneration ingrowth, growing phase, mortality, decaying phase and disappearance events, that can be used for calculation of various stand dynamics attributes. The dataset offers valuable opportunities for quantifying changes in stand structures and tree population dynamic attributes after the abandonment of management. Inventory data can be integrated with environmental and climatic information to understand the drivers of forest stand dynamics under a changing climate.

Project description:An important challenge for silvicultural practices is the conservation of tree diversity while fulfilling the traditional objectives of forest management, most notably timber harvesting. The purpose of this study was to compare the tree diversity before and after the application of silvicultural treatments in a temperate forest in northern Mexico. Fifteen experimental plots, each measuring 2500 m2, were established to evaluate the immediate effect of four silvicultural treatments. These treatments were identified by their levels of management: intensive (clearcut, removal 100%), semi-intensive (removal of 59-61% of basal area), conservative (removal of 29-31% of basal area), and a control group. New forest guidelines, in contrast to conventional approaches, were applied to the semi-intensive and conservative treatments based on health and diversity conditions. Basal area, canopy cover, tree and total volume were measured in each plot. The Importance Value Index, alpha diversity, and evenness were estimated before and after treatments. Eighteen species belonging to five genera and five families were found in the study area. The species with the highest ecological values were Pinus durangensis, P. teocote, Quercus sideroxyla, and Quercus convallata with IVI numbers between 13.6 and 24.5%. Alpha diversity was intermediate (Margalef: 2.9 to 3.8), while dominance and evenness were above average compared to other studies (Simpson: 0.69 to 0.77; Shannon-Wiener: 1.44 to 1.6; Pielou: 0.76 to 0.85). The species evenness index in the conservative treatment was high (Sorensen, Jaccard, quantitative Sorensen and Morisita-Horn; 88 to 99%), although abundance decreased. Overall, there were no significant differences in IVI values and diversity indicators before and after treatments, with the exception of the clearcut treatment. When associating the diversity indices with stand variables, only the Pielou's evenness index showed a significant relationship between them. We concluded that both the conservative and semi-intensive treatments did not generate significant changes in tree diversity, but the former had slightly higher alpha diversity indices. These results can provide a better insight on silvicultural practices and their effects on species composition.

Project description:Subtropical planted forests are rapidly expanding. They are traditionally managed for intensive, short-term goals that often lead to long-term yield decline and reduced carbon sequestration capacity. Here we show how it is possible to increase and sustain carbon stored in subtropical forest plantations if management is switched towards more sustainable forestry. We first conducted a literature review to explore possible management factors that contribute to the potentials in ecosystem C in tropical and subtropical plantations. We found that broadleaves plantations have significantly higher ecosystem C than conifer plantations. In addition, ecosystem C increases with plantation age, and reaches a peak with intermediate stand densities of 1500-2500 trees ha⁻¹. We then used the FORECAST model to simulate the regional implications of switching from traditional to sustainable management regimes, using Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantations in subtropical China as a study case. We randomly simulated 200 traditional short-rotation pure stands and 200 sustainably-managed mixed Chinese fir--Phoebe bournei plantations, for 120 years. Our results showed that mixed, sustainably-managed plantations have on average 67.5% more ecosystem C than traditional pure conifer plantations. If all pure plantations were gradually transformed into mixed plantations during the next 10 years, carbon stocks could rise in 2050 by 260.22 TgC in east-central China. Assuming similar differences for temperate and boreal plantations, if sustainable forestry practices were applied to all new forest plantation types in China, stored carbon could increase by 1,482.80 TgC in 2050. Such an increase would be equivalent to a yearly sequestration rate of 40.08 TgC yr⁻¹, offsetting 1.9% of China's annual emissions in 2010. More importantly, this C increase can be sustained in the long term through the maintenance of higher amounts of soil organic carbon and the production of timber products with longer life spans.

Dataset Information

Dataset on stand structural indices and forest ecosystem naturalness in hemiboreal forests.

Publications

Dataset on stand structural indices and forest ecosystem naturalness in hemiboreal forests.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets