Predicting Understorey VegetationCover from Overstorey Attributes in Two Temperate MountainForests

Summary : It is important to develop a predictive understanding for the environmental controls on understorey vegetation, which harbor most of the plant biodiversity and are the source of food and cover for wildlife. Forest succession models (i. e. gap models) representing overstorey dynamics are not commonly linked to mathematical models of understorey dynamics. This is surprising, given that understorey vegetation clearly responds to changes in the overstorey that result in changing light availability. One difficulty may lie in the coarse representation of light regime captured by most gap models. Linkage of overstorey-understorey models might be facilitated if the diameter structure of simulated stands could be used to drive understorey change, as a proxy for light and other influences. The objective of this study was to determine whether understorey vegetation cover can be adequately predicted by variables derived from overstorey diameter structure alone, or if canopy cover and light availability are important, from additional predictors. Field sampling was conducted at a montane and a subalpine study area in the Swiss Alps. We used regression analysis to assess the relative importance of various overstorey predictors for understorey cover and composition. In the subalpine study area, the relative dominance of graminoids increased with increasing light availability, at the expense of forbs. In the montane study area, forb cover increased sharply with increasing light, while graminoid cover remained at low levels. As a result, the relative dominance of graminoid species declined with increasing light levels. This difference is attributed to the presence of Adenostyles alliariae, a tall, large-leaved forb. The effects of changes in the physical environment on plant community composition were thus mediated by interspecific interactions. This makes it difficult to predict overstorey-induced changes in understorey species composition at the level of functional groups. At both study sites, diameter structure variables were found to provide a reasonable approximation of total understorey cover, cover of the more common species, and species richness. Models of understorey community composition often improved (0-31% increased predictive ability) with inclusion of variables representing the light environment. In the context of gap model development, the great complexity associated with improved representation of light availability must be weighed against the relatively low gain in predictive power that is likely to result. We recommend that efforts to include forest understorey dynamics in gap models begin by considering empirical relationships between understorey patterns and overstorey diameter structur

Ungulate herbivory modifies the effects of climate change on mountain forests

Recent temperature observations suggest a general warming trend that may be causing the range of tree species to shift to higher latitudes and altitudes. Since biotic interactions such as herbivory can change tree species composition, it is important to understand their contribution to vegetation changes triggered by climate change. To investigate the response of forests to climate change and herbivory by wild ungulates, we used the forest gap model ForClim v2.9.6 and simulated forest development in three climatically different valleys in the Swiss Alps. We used altitudinal transects on contrasting slopes covering a wide range of forest types from the cold (upper) to the dry (lower) treeline. This allowed us to investigate (1) altitudinal range shifts in response to climate change, (2) the consequences for tree species composition, and (3) the combined effect of climate change and ungulate herbivory. We found that ungulate herbivory changed species composition and that both basal area and stem numbers decreased with increasing herbivory intensity. Tree species responded differently to the change in climate, and their ranges did not change concurrently, thus causing a succession to new stand types. While climate change partially compensated for the reductions in basal area caused by ungulate herbivory, the combined effect of these two agents on the mix of the dominant species and forest type was non-compensatory, as browsing selectively excluded species from establishing or reaching dominance and altered competition patterns, particularly for light. We conclude that there is an urgent need for adaptive forest management strategies that address the joint effects of climate change and ungulate herbivor

Adapting a growth equation to model tree regeneration in mountain forests

Management and risk analysis of protection forests depend on a reliable estimation of regeneration processes and tree growth under different site conditions. While the growth of forest stands and thus the average growth of larger trees is well studied and published in yield tables as well as embodied in numerous simulation models, there is still a lack of information about the crucial initial stages of tree growth. Thus, we evaluated juvenile tree growth for different site conditions in the Swiss Alps and developed an approach to model both the early and later stages of growth based on the Bertalanffy equation. This equation is physiologically well founded and requires only two parameter estimates: a maximum tree height and a growth parameter. Data for the parameter estimation were available from studies of tree regeneration at a range of sites in Switzerland: growth patterns of larch (Larix decidua) were available from a high-elevation afforestation experiment. For spruce (Picea abies), data were obtained from a blowdown area in the Alps. The growth equation was fitted to the observed data and we found a good correlation of the fitted curves with the observed data. The parameter estimates were validated with independent data sets. The extrapolated growth curves, calculated with the estimated growth rates, correspond well to the validation data. Thus, it is possible to use the Bertalanffy equation to model both the early and later stages of growth. With this approach, we provide a basis for modelling the growth of juvenile and mature trees of different tree species in mountain forests of the European Alp

Incidence and distribution of Heterobasidion and Armillaria and their influence on canopy gap formation in unmanaged mountain pine forests in the Swiss Alps

Various disturbance factors on different spatial scales can lead to the creation of canopy gaps in forest ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the role of root rot fungi in the formation of canopy gaps in the Swiss National Park in the Central Alps. Dying or recently dead mountain pine (Pinus mugo subsp. uncinata trees (n=172) and saplings (n=192) from 42 canopy gaps were assessed for Armillaria and Annosum root rot. Heterobasidion annosum s.str. proved to be the dominant pathogen and was isolated from 49% of the trees and 64% of the saplings. Armillaria was found on 13% of the trees and 20% of the saplings. Three Armillaria species, A. borealis, A. cepistipes, and A. ostoyae, were identified. Armillaria ostoyae was the most frequent species, accounting for 72% of all Armillaria isolates. A total of 31 (74%) gaps were associated with H. annosum, and six (14%) with A. ostoyae. The remaining gaps were either associated with both pathogens (7%) or with other, unknown, factors (5%). Our findings suggest that the two pathogenic fungi, H. annosum s.str. and A. ostoyae, are the main reason for the large-scale mortality of mountain pines and the creation of canopy gaps in high elevation forests of the Swiss National Par

Improving the establishment submodel of a forest patch model to assess the long-term protective effect of mountain forests

Simulation models such as forest patch models can be used to forecast the development of forest structural attributes over time. However, predictions of such models with respect to the impact of forest dynamics on the long-term protective effect of mountain forests may be of limited accuracy where tree regeneration is simulated with little detail. For this reason, we improved the establishment submodel of the ForClim forest patch model by implementing a more detailed representation of tree regeneration. Our refined submodel included canopy shading and ungulate browsing, two important constraints to sapling growth in mountain forests. To compare the old and the new establishment submodel of ForClim, we simulated the successional dynamics of the Stotzigwald protection forest in the Swiss Alps over a 60-year period. This forest provides protection for an important traffic route, but currently contains an alarmingly low density of tree regeneration. The comparison yielded a significantly longer regeneration period for the new model version, bringing the simulations into closer agreement with the known slow stand dynamics of mountain forests. In addition, the new model version was applied to forecast the future ability of the Stotzigwald forest to buffer the valley below from rockfall disturbance. Two scenarios were simulated: (1) canopy shading but no browsing impact, and (2) canopy shading and high browsing impact. The simulated stand structures were then compared to stand structure targets for rockfall protection, in order to assess their long-term protective effects. Under both scenarios, the initial sparse level of tree regeneration affected the long-term protective effect of the forest, which considerably declined during the first 40years. In the complete absence of browsing, the density of small trees increased slightly after 60years, raising hope for an eventual recovery of the protective effect. In the scenario that included browsing, however, the density of small trees remained at very low levels. With our improved establishment submodel, we provide an enhanced tool for studying the impacts of structural dynamics on the long-term protective effect of mountain forests. For certain purposes, it is important that predictive models of forest dynamics adequately represent critical processes for tree regeneration, such as sapling responses to low light levels and high browsing pressur

Drought response and changing mean sensitivity of European beech close to the dry distribution limit

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) covers a large area mainly in the colline and montane ranges in Europe, and a drier and warmer climate, as expected for the coming decades, is likely to alter its distribution. So far, an altitudinal shift has been projected using a variety of modelling approaches. However, we lack knowledge about the climatic and edaphic factors that control the growth and competitive behaviour of beech at its dry distribution limit. We applied and further developed dendroecological methods to study the drought response and sensitivity pattern of beech at sites with different moisture regimes. We compared three pairs of sites from different geographical regions near the dry distribution limit of beech in Switzerland, consisting of a dry and mesic site each. Radial growth differed between mesic and dry sites, in that average ring-width at mesic sites was around double the width at dry sites. For the whole study period (1930-2006), the sites with the lowest available soil water capacity (AWC) were found to respond most sensitively to drought. However, in recent years, sites with higher AWC have shown increasing drought sensitivity, i.e. they have responded even more strongly to drought than the dry sites. This change in sensitivity corresponds to a seasonal shift in drought response at mesic sites, with a change in the months showing significant drought response in all three studied regions compared with the past. Even though dry sites generally displayed a larger number of negative pointer years than mesic sites, it appears that the frequency of pointer years has increased at mesic sites, i.e. they have become more sensitive particularly in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Yet, the frequency of pointer years at the dry sites has remained fairly constant. These results indicate that beech trees near their dry distribution limit are adapted to extreme conditions already, while changes in the growth patterns of beech under mesic conditions have to be expecte

Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is able to thrive and prosper under meso-Mediterranean conditions

The potential ecological envelope of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) based on its present distribution suggests a high suitability for moist rather than warm and dry environments. This contrasts with paleoecological evidence reporting its former presence at low elevations under meso-Mediterranean conditions. In this study, we evaluated the growth performance of silver fir at low elevation (20–60 m a.s.l.) under meso-Mediterranean climatic conditions in Tuscany (central Italy). We conducted a dendroecological analysis on Abies alba trees along a geomorphological gradient (from depression to upper slope conditions). Climate-growth relationships were assessed by means of correlations, response functions, pointer years, and superposed epoch analysis. Silver fir was found to grow and regenerate well in these stands mixed with evergreen (e.g., Quercus ilex L.) and thermophilous deciduous Mediterranean tree species (e.g., Q. cerris L.). Summer drought was the most growth-influencing factor, with immediate (i.e., current season) negative impacts on tree-ring widths (TRW). No significant impacts were observed in the four years following extreme summer droughts, but the TRW series (which started between the 1930s and 1950s) showed a growth decline since the mid-1990s that is likely drought-related. Our results show that, provided there is a sufficiently large soil water holding capacity, silver fir provenances exist which are able to withstand Mediterranean summer droughts, can naturally and regularly regenerate in these systems, and may even dominate over typical meso-Mediterranean species. As long as annual precipitation is not too low (i.e., >850 mm) and summer drought conditions not too extreme (i.e., less than three months), silver fir has thus the potential to thrive under warm Mediterranean conditions.ISSN:0378-1127ISSN:1872-704