ForestRege · Tree generation replacement in a European natural forest – unravelling the role of canopy gaps using a spatially explicit approach

Tree generation replacement in a European natural forest– unravelling the role of canopy gaps using a spatially explicit approach

Replacement of successive tree generations is a fundamental process which shapes the structure, dynamics and functioning of forest ecosystems. To accurately predict the course of generation replacement in natural forests, the project produced an explicit and comprehensive evaluation of the temporal and spatial patterns of tree species establishment. The general objective of this project was to achieve a holistic grasp of the long-term dynamics of tree generations in a well-preserved natural forest of Europe. Natural forest regeneration was investigated in an exceptionally well-preserved area of subalpine spruce forest on Mt. Babia Góra (Western Carpathians, Poland), which has retained its nearly primeval character. Recent extensions of spatial point pattern analysis (SPPA) were used to determine the spatial patterns of tree species regeneration in a natural subalpine forest. SPPA deals with statistical analysis of mapped point patterns (e.g. trees), which comprise the coordinates, as well as additional ecological features (e.g. age, size, species). Point pattern analysis can help identify different proximate mechanisms of tree regeneration and quantify the overall spatial pattern and potential associations of saplings and canopy gaps at a range of spatial scales. The project’s results are of great significance for European forest preservation and for reconstruction of forest cover across the continent. Most studies of forest regeneration are short-term and focus on the present status of the young tree generation. More comprehensive knowledge requires long-term data, as forest ecosystem dynamics proceed on the scale of decades and even centuries. Moreover, forest studies in Europe are most often conducted in forests highly altered by human activity. In this project, the long-term dataset comes from a European forest of nearly primeval character. The problem addressed in the project is increasingly important in the context of contemporary global changes. For example, climate change can increase the frequency of disturbances such as windthrows and insect outbreaks, and in consequence can initiate replacement of tree stand generations. To understand the implications of such changes, deep knowledge of natural forest dynamics is needed. To predict the natural stages following a disturbance event, the conditions that permit a new generation of trees to establish must be known.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз