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1. Understorey vegetation comprises the majority of species diversity and contributes greatly to ecosystem functioning in boreal forests. Although patterns of understorey abundance, species diversity and composition associated with forest stand development are well researched, mechanisms driving these patterns remain largely speculative. 2. We sampled fire-origin stands of varying stand ages and overstorey compositions on mesic sites of the boreal forest of Canada and used structural equation modelling (SEM) to link time since fire (stand age), light availability and heterogeneity, substrate heterogeneity and soil nitrogen to understorey vegetation cover and species diversity. 3. The most parsimonious model for total understorey cover showed a positive direct effect of stand age (r = .43) and an indirect effect via mean light level (0.18) and shrub cover (-0.11), with a positive total effect (0.50); the per cent broadleaf canopy had a direct negative effect (-0.22) and an indirect effect via shrub cover (-0.11). The model for total understorey species richness showed an indirect effect of stand age via mean light (0.24), light heterogeneity (0.10) and substrate heterogeneity (0.07), with a positive total effect (0.52); per cent broadleaf canopy had an indirect effect via light heterogeneity (0.09), and substrate heterogeneity (-0.10). Soil nitrogen did not significantly influence either understorey cover or species richness. The models for vascular plants followed similar trends to those for total understorey cover and species richness; however, there was an opposite indirect effect of light heterogeneity for both cover and species richness of non-vascular plants. Shrub cover had positive direct and negative direct and indirect effects on both vascular and non-vascular cover and species richness. 4. Synthesis. Our findings indicate that understorey cover and species diversity are driven by time since disturbance, light availability as influenced by overstorey and shrub layers, but with important additional effects mediated by light and substrate heterogeneity. Non-vascular understorey vegetation is more strongly determined by time since disturbance than vascular vegetation, and negatively affected by broadleaf tree abundance. The overall results highlight the importance of colonization, light availability and heterogeneity, substrate specialization and growth dynamics in determining successional patterns of boreal forest understorey vegetation.

Scientifically robust yet economical and efficient methods are required to gather information about larger areas of uneven-aged forest resources, particularly at the landscape level, to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and to support the sustainable management of forest resources. In this study, we examined the potential of digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP) for assessing uneven-aged forest resources. Specifically, we tested the performance of biomass estimation by varying the conditions of several factors, e.g., image downscaling, vegetation metric extraction (point cloud- and canopy height model (CHM)-derived), modeling method ((simple linear regression (SLR), multiple linear regression (MLR), and random forest (RF)), and season (leaf-on and leaf-off). We built dense point clouds and CHMs using high-resolution aerial imagery collected in leaf-on and leaf-off conditions of an uneven-aged mixed conifer–broadleaf forest. DAP-derived vegetation metrics were then used to predict the dominant height and living biomass (total, conifer, and broadleaf) at the plot level. Our results demonstrated that image downscaling had a negative impact on the accuracy of the dominant height and biomass estimation in leaf-on conditions. In comparison to CHM-derived vegetation metrics, point cloud-derived metrics performed better in dominant height and biomass (total and conifer) estimations. Although the SLR (%RMSE = 21.1) and MLR (%RMSE = 18.1) modeling methods produced acceptable results for total biomass estimations, RF modeling significantly improved the plot-level total biomass estimation accuracy (%RMSE of 12.0 for leaf-on data). Overall, leaf-on DAP performed better in total biomass estimation compared to leaf-off DAP (%RMSE of 15.0 using RF modeling). Nevertheless, conifer biomass estimation accuracy improved when leaf-off data were used (from a %RMSE of 32.1 leaf-on to 23.8 leaf-off using RF modeling). Leaf-off DAP had a negative impact on the broadleaf biomass estimation (%RMSE > 35% for SLR, MLR, and RF modeling). Our results demonstrated that the performance of forest biomass estimation for uneven-aged forests varied with statistical representations as well as data sources. Thus, it would be appropriate to explore different statistical approaches (e.g., parametric and nonparametric) and data sources (e.g., different image resolutions, vegetation metrics, and leaf-on and leaf-off data) to inform the interpretation of remotely sensed data for biomass estimation for uneven-aged forest resources.

We compared results derived using three different approaches to assess the suitability of common tree species on the Franconian Plateau in southern Germany under projected warmer and drier climate conditions in the period 2061-2080. The study area is currently a relatively warm and dry region of Germany. We calculated species distribution models (SDMs) using information on species’ climate envelopes to predict regional species spectra under 63 different climate change scenarios. We complemented this with fine-scale ecological niche analysis using data from 51 vegetation surveys in seven forest reserves in the study area, and tree-ring analysis (TRA) from local populations of five tree species to quantify their sensitivity to climatic extreme years. The SDMs showed that predicted future climate change in the region remains within the climate envelope of certain species (e.g. Quercus petraea), whilst for e.g. Fagus sylvatica, future climate conditions in one third of the scenarios are too warm and dry. This was confirmed by the TRA: sensitivity to drought periods is lower for Q. petraea than for F. sylvatica. The niche analysis shows that the local ecological niches of Quercus robur and Fraxinus excelsior are mainly characterized by soils providing favorable water supply than by climate, and Pinus sylvestris (planted) is strongly influenced by light availability. The best adapted species for a warmer and potentially drier climate in the study region are Acer campestre, Sorbus torminalis, S. aria, Ulmus minor, and Tilia platyphyllos, which should therefore play a more prominent role in future climate-resilient mixed forest ecosystems.

Plant diversity plays a fundamental role in ecosystem functioning and is essential for sustaining ecosystem services. National forest inventories are key instruments for assessing floristic diversity. However, their measurement protocols may introduce bias by omitting smaller individuals because of the stem diameter criterion used or the minimum plant size threshold applied. Such bias is exacerbated in dryland ecosystems where small-statured plants with low-branching stems are particularly abundant. In this study, we evaluated the effects of using basal diameter (BD) instead of diameter at breast height, and of sampling small individuals (BD ≥ 2.5 cm), on the estimation of abundance, alpha and gamma diversity and community composition in different vegetation types in NW Mexico. We found substantial underestimation due to the omission of smaller individuals in xeric shrubland and tropical dry forest, where gamma diversity may be underestimated by up to 209% and 139%, respectively. Broadleaf forest also showed strong underestimation (133%), whereas mixed conifer–broadleaf forests were unaffected. We discuss these differential effects and propose a methodology to attenuate this underestimation and achieve more accurate floristic diversity estimates from national forest inventories in dryland vegetation, which encompasses roughly one-third of the Earth’s surface and more than half of Mexico’s territory.

To advance our understanding of host effects on the community structure of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF), EMF communities were compared among different host species, genera and families in two mixed conifer-broadleaf forests in Japan. Using molecular identification methods we examined EMF root tips of eight coexisting species belonging to six genera (three families): Abies and Tsuga (Pinaceae), Betula and Carpinus (Betulaceae) and Fagus and Quercus (Fagaceae). In total, 205 EMF species were detected, and the total richness was estimated to exceed 300 species using major estimators. Of the 55 EMF species occurring three or more times, eight showed significantly biased host preference. A Mantel test showed a significantly negative correlation between EMF community similarity and host taxonomic distance. Detrended correspondence analysis separated EMF communities mainly by host taxonomic and successional status. Thus, EMF communities are similar on hosts with similar taxonomic and successional status. A significant proportion of EMF exhibited host specificity, which may contribute to the extremely diverse EMF community in conifer-broadleaf forests.

Aims: Leaf mass per area (LMA) is an important functional trait that can be measured in order to position a species along the resource acquisition–conservation continuum. However, the function of LMA in terms of shade tolerance in deciduous species remains controversial; therefore, how the community-level LMA composition changes during forest succession is not clear in forests dominated by deciduous trees. Herein, we examined how the community-level LMA changes during succession in winter-deciduous broad-leaf forests using long-term data of stem dynamics along a secondary successional chronosequence. Location: Cool temperate forests, central Japan. Methods: We used tree census data from 15 permanent plots with a stand age range of 17–81 years at the initial census, in which measurements were taken for 25 or 30 years at 5- or 10-year intervals. Species-specific LMAs were measured in the same geographic region. Results: Species-specific LMAs were negatively correlated with the estimated year in which the species was most abundant during the secondary succession, suggesting that species with low LMAs have high shade tolerance. Consistent with this, the CWM of LMA gradually decreased during secondary succession. We found that the recruitment of late successional species with low LMA, especially at mid-successional stages, drove changes in the CWM of LMA, while mortality occurred irrespective of LMA. Conclusion: Our results illustrate the detailed dynamic processes of the community-level composition of LMA across succession and demonstrate that tree recruitment contributes to increase in the CWM of LMA during the secondary succession of winter-deciduous broad-leaf forests.

Global change has led to the warming of the atmosphere and oceans, the diminishment of snow and ice, while the sea level is rising. These changes have widespread impacts on human and natural systems on all continents and across the oceans. In tropical regions, ecosystems and socio-economic cultures become more and more affected by the high vulnerability to extreme climate events, deforestation and population growth. Therefore long term climate records from these regions are needed to better understand the natural climate variability and to simulate the magnitude of human-induced factors on climate change. However, climate records from tropical regions are scarce in time and space. Whenever tree growth is limited directly or indirectly by climate variables that can be quantified and dated, dendroclimatological methods can be used to reconstruct past environmental conditions - dendroclimatology examines the relationship between tree growth and climate with an annual resolution. Dendroclimatology in the tropics still remains in an early stage, although paleoclimatic records from tropical regions are essential to our understanding of past changes in the Earth's climatic system, equator-to-pole linkages, and the prediction of sensitivity of tropical regions to future climate change. This review gives an overview on different aspects of tropical dendroclimatology on classical ring width studies in broad-leaved species, looking at two tropical biomes, moist broadleaf and dry broadleaf forests. It points to technical aspects of tropical dendrochronology and refers to a multitude of successful tree-ring studies of tropical species related to climate. This demonstrates that tropical dendroclimatology is undergoing a promising development; however, tropical tree-ring studies mainly take place in the dry tropics, while studies in the wet tropical forests are still the exception. Der globale Wandel führt zur Erwärmung der Atmosphäre und der Ozeane und der Abnahme von Schnee und Eis, während der Meeresspiegel steigt. Diese Veränderungen haben weitreichende Auswirkungen sowohl auf die Ökosysteme auf alien Kontinenten sowie der Weltmeere. In tropischen Regionen werden Ökosysteme und sozioökonomischen Kulturen mehr und mehr durch die hohe Anfälligkeit fur extreme Klimaereignisse, Entwaldung und das stetige Bevölkerungswachstum beeinflusst. Für ein besseres Verständnis der natürlichen Klimaschwankungen und urn den Einfluss des Menschen auf den Klimawandel besser simulieren zu können, sind langfristige Informationen zum Klima aus tropischen Regionen erforderlich. Es fehlen allerdings instrumentelle Messungen und Aufzeichnung gerade aus diesen Gebieten, sowohl in zeitlicher wie auch in räumlicher Hinsicht. Warm immer das Baumwachstum direkt oder indirekt von Klimavariablen abhängig ist, die quantifiziert und datiert werden können, ist es möglich, frühere Klimabedingungen mit Hilfe dendroklimatologischer Methoden zu rekonstruieren: die Dendroklimatologie untersucht die Beziehung zwischen Baumwachstum und Klima mit einer jährlichen Auflösung. Dendroklimatologie in den Tropen steckt noch immer in den Anfängen, obwohl paläoklimatische Datensätze aus tropischen Regionen dringend benötigt werden. Dieses Review gibt einen Überblick über die verschiedenen Aspekte der tropischen Dendroklimatologie basierend auf klassischen Ringbreiten-Studien in Laubbaumarten aus zwei tropischen Biomen, immerfeuchten Laub- und trockenen Laubwälder. Es verweist auf die technischen Aspekte der tropischen Dendrochronologie und auf eine Vielzahl erfolgreicher dendroklimatologischer Studien mit tropischen Laubbaumarten. Die tropische Dendroklimatologie durchläuft eine vielversprechende Entwicklung; allerdings finden klimatologische Jahrringstudien vermehrt in den trockenen Tropen statt, wahrend Studien in den immerfeuchten Tropen noch immer die Ausnahme sind.

High-value timber species such as monarch birch (Betula maximowicziana Regel), castor aralia (Kalopanax septemlobus (Thunb.) Koidz), and Japanese oak (Quercus crispula Blume) play important ecological and economic roles in forest management in the cool temperate mixed forests in northern Japan. The accurate measurement of their tree height is necessary for both practical management and scientific reasons such as estimation of biomass and site index. In this study, we investigated the similarity of individual tree heights derived from conventional field survey, digital aerial photographs derived from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV-DAP) data and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. We aimed to assess the applicability of UAV-DAP in obtaining individual tree height information for large-sized high-value broadleaf species. The spatial position, tree height, and diameter at breast height (DBH) were measured in the field for 178 trees of high-value broadleaf species. In addition, we manually derived individual tree height information from UAV-DAP and LiDAR data with the aid of spatial position data and high resolution orthophotographs. Tree heights from three different sources were cross-compared statistically through paired sample t-test, correlation coefficient, and height-diameter model. We found that UAV-DAP derived tree heights were highly correlated with LiDAR tree height and field measured tree height. The performance of individual tree height measurement using traditional field survey is likely to be influenced by individual species. Overall mean height difference between LiDAR and UAV-DAP derived tree height indicates that UAV-DAP could underestimate individual tree height for target high-value timber species. The height-diameter models revealed that tree height derived from LiDAR and UAV-DAP could be better explained by DBH with lower prediction errors than field measured tree height. We confirmed the applicability of UAV-DAP data for obtaining the individual tree height of large-size high-value broadleaf species with comparable accuracy to LiDAR and field survey. The result of this study will be useful for the species-specific forest management of economically high-value timber species.

Several methods exist for extracting plant phenological information from time series of satellite data. However, there have been only a few successful attempts to temporarily match satellite observations (Land Surface Phenology or LSP) with ground based phenological observations (Ground Phenology or GP). The classical pixel to point matching problem along with the temporal and spatial resolution of remote sensing data are some of the many issues encountered. In this study, MODIS-sensor’s Normalised Differenced Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series data were smoothed using two filtering techniques for comparison. Several start of season (SOS) methods established in the literature, namely thresholds of amplitude, derivatives and delayed moving average, were tested for determination of LSP-SOS for broadleaf forests at a site in southwestern Germany using 2001–2013 time series of NDVI data. The different LSP-SOS estimates when compared with species-rich GP dataset revealed that different LSP-SOS extraction methods agree better with specific phases of GP, and the choice of data processing or smoothing strongly affects the LSP-SOS extracted. LSP methods mirroring late SOS dates, i.e., 75% amplitude and 1st derivative, indicated a better match in means and trends, and high, significant correlations of up to 0.7 with leaf unfolding and greening of late understory and broadleaf tree species. GP-SOS of early understory leaf unfolding partly were significantly correlated with earlier detecting LSP-SOS, i.e., 20% amplitude and 3rd derivative. Early understory SOS were, however, more difficult to detect from NDVI due to the lack of a high resolution land cover information.

The proliferation of digital cameras co-located with eddy covariance instrumentation provides new opportunities to better understand the relationship between canopy phenology and the seasonality of canopy photosynthesis. In this paper we analyze the abilities and limitations of canopy color metrics measured by digital repeat photography to track seasonal canopy development and photosynthesis, determine phenological transition dates, and estimate intra-annual and interannual variability in canopy photosynthesis. We used 59 site-years of camera imagery and net ecosystem exchange measurements from 17 towers spanning three plant functional types (deciduous broadleaf forest, evergreen needleleaf forest, and grassland/crops) to derive color indices and estimate gross primary productivity (GPP). GPP was strongly correlated with greenness derived from camera imagery in all three plant functional types. Specifically, the beginning of the photosynthetic period in deciduous broadleaf forest and grassland/crops and the end of the photosynthetic period in grassland/crops were both correlated with changes in greenness; changes in redness were correlated with the end of the photosynthetic period in deciduous broadleaf forest. However, it was not possible to accurately identify the beginning or ending of the photosynthetic period using camera greenness in evergreen needleleaf forest. At deciduous broadleaf sites, anomalies in integrated greenness and total GPP were significantly correlated up to 60 days after the mean onset date for the start of spring. More generally, results from this work demonstrate that digital repeat photography can be used to quantify both the duration of the photosynthetically active period as well as total GPP in deciduous broadleaf forest and grassland/crops, but that new and different approaches are required before comparable results can be achieved in evergreen needleleaf forest.