European beech stem diameter grows better in mixed than in mono-specific stands at the edge of its distribution in mountain forests

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F86652079%3A_____%2F21%3A00533555" target="_blank" >RIV/86652079:_____/21:00533555 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/62156489:43410/21:43918381 RIV/60460709:41320/21:89503

Result on the web

<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10342-020-01319-y" target="_blank" >https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10342-020-01319-y</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10342-020-01319-y" target="_blank" >10.1007/s10342-020-01319-y</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

European beech stem diameter grows better in mixed than in mono-specific stands at the edge of its distribution in mountain forests

Original language description

Recent studies show that several tree species are spreading to higher latitudes and elevations due to climate change. European beech, presently dominating from the colline to the subalpine vegetation belt, is already present in upper montane subalpine forests and has a high potential to further advance to higher elevations in European mountain forests, where the temperature is predicted to further increase in the near future. Although essential for adaptive silviculture, it remains unknown whether the upward shift of beech could be assisted when it is mixed with Norway spruce or silver fir compared with mono-specific stands, as the species interactions under such conditions are hardly known. In this study, we posed the general hypotheses that the growth depending on age of European beech in mountain forests was similar in mono-specific and mixed-species stands and remained stable over time and space in the last two centuries. The scrutiny of these hypotheses was based on increment coring of 1240 dominant beech trees in 45 plots in mono-specific stands of beech and in 46 mixed mountain forests. We found that (i) on average, mean tree diameter increased linearly with age. The age trend was linear in both forest types, but the slope of the age-growth relationship was higher in mono-specific than in mixed mountain forests. (ii) Beech growth in mono-specific stands was stronger reduced with increasing elevation than that in mixed-species stands. (iii) Beech growth in mono-specific stands was on average higher than beech growth in mixed stands. However, at elevations > 1200 m, growth of beech in mixed stands was higher than that in mono-specific stands. Differences in the growth patterns among elevation zones are less pronounced now than in the past, in both mono-specific and mixed stands. As the higher and longer persisting growth rates extend the flexibility of suitable ages or size for tree harvest and removal, the longer-lasting growth may be of special relevance for multi-aged silviculture concepts. On top of their function for structure and habitat improvement, the remaining old trees may grow more in mass and value than assumed so far.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

40102 - Forestry

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2021

Confidentiality

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

Name of the periodical

European Journal of Forest Research

ISSN

1612-4669

e-ISSN

1612-4677

Volume of the periodical

140

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

19

Pages from-to

127-145

UT code for WoS article

000572715000001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85091498928