Is the Effect of Drought on Stem Radial Increment Less Intense in Spruce-Larch-Beech Mixed Stands than in Monocultures?

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62156489%3A43410%2F24%3A43925565" target="_blank" >RIV/62156489:43410/24:43925565 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://silvic.unitbv.ro/images/conferinte/trace2024/TRACE2024_Book_of_abstracts.pdf" target="_blank" >https://silvic.unitbv.ro/images/conferinte/trace2024/TRACE2024_Book_of_abstracts.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

—

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Is the Effect of Drought on Stem Radial Increment Less Intense in Spruce-Larch-Beech Mixed Stands than in Monocultures?

Original language description

We analyzed stem radial increment (SRI) and tree water deficit (TWD) in 10 young larch, spruce, and beech mixed and monoculture stands growing in lower altitudes of fertile Czech forests. We selected short distances between stands to keep the same climatic conditions. SRI and TWD were calculated at the single tree level and averaged curves represented stand responses. The main aim was to evaluate growth responses to environmental conditions in 2022 and 2023 and to determine if the presence of larch could mitigate the effect of drought on other tree species. Although precipitation in the growing season (March-September) of 2023 was 9% less than in 2022, we recorded higher mean SRI by 22% in almost all stands. This effect could be caused by uneven distribution of precipitation in spring 2023 (predominantly in March-April). Beeches were affected by climatic conditions at the beginning of the 2023 growing season (later growth) and at the end (growth extended). Spruces were affected too (earlier growth), and larches showed no significant differences between seasons. Beeches in mixtures with larches and spruces exhibited the highest mean increments (497μm). Spruces had the highest mean SRI (435μm) in monocultures and, surprisingly, one of the lowest mean TWD (24μm). Overall, the lowest TWD (13μm-19μm) was recorded in a mixture of spruce and larch. However, the method applied did not detect a response to water stress (TWD = 0μm) in beech. We speculate that automatic dendrometers are not an accurate tool for the identification of TWD in beech. Generally, the highest water stress was observed in larches during both seasons. The differences between seasons in mean TWD were smaller in larch (by 45%) than in spruce (by 69%). In conclusion, the effect of drought on radial increments shows fewer differences between monocultures and mixtures than expected.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10510 - Climatic research

Project

<a href="/en/project/QK21010335" target="_blank" >QK21010335: The potential how to employ European larch in the Czech forests under GCC</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů