Managed and unmanaged silver fir-beech forests show similar structural features in the western Pyrenees

doi:10.3832/ifor2720-011

Managed and unmanaged silver fir-beech forests show similar structural features in the western Pyrenees

Vlatka Horvat , Jorge García De Vicuña, Idoia Biurrun, Itziar García-Mijangos

iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, Volume 11, Issue 5, Pages 698-704 (2018)
doi: https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor2720-011
Published: Oct 23, 2018 - Copyright © 2018 SISEF

Research Articles

PDF Version

Full Text

Citation

Geo-mapping

Forest structure is considered one of the basic features of the forest ecosystem and it is widely studied with the aim of developing sustainable management strategies. The usual approach is to compare structural features of stands in managed and unmanaged forests. Managed stands are those disturbed in some way by silvicultural practices, whereas unmanaged stands are subject to natural disturbance dynamics and may serve as a reference. Up to now, there has been insufficient research into sustainable management strategies for Pyrenean silver fir-beech forests and the structure of managed and unmanaged stands has not yet been evaluated. The aim of this study is to provide a detailed characterisation of the structural attributes of these mixed mountain forests in the western Pyrenees and compare managed and unmanaged stands regarding selected stand parameters. Potential differences between managed and unmanaged stands were assessed with Mann-Whitney U-tests. Diameter distribution was modelled using third-order polynomials and non-linear regression was performed to compare the tree heights in managed and unmanaged stands. Stand structure was similar in both management categories. The diameter distribution of Pyrenean unmanaged silver fir-beech stands showed a tendency towards a rotated sigmoid distribution. Our results indicate that the recommended diameter distribution has been preserved in managed stands despite they were intensively managed in the past, whilst the unmanaged stands are still in the process of developing old-growth attributes because management was abandoned too recently for significant changes in forest structure to have occurred.

Keywords

Forest Management, Gaps, Pyrenees, Stand Structure

Authors’ address

(1)

Dept. Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, P. O. Box 644, Bilbao (Spain)

Corresponding author

Vlatka Horvat
vlatkahorvat0@gmail.com

Citation

Horvat V, García De Vicuña J, Biurrun I, García-Mijangos I (2018). Managed and unmanaged silver fir-beech forests show similar structural features in the western Pyrenees. iForest 11: 698-704. - doi: 10.3832/ifor2720-011

Academic Editor

Gianluca Piovesan

Paper history

Received: Jan 03, 2018
Accepted: Jul 26, 2018

First online: Oct 23, 2018
Publication Date: Oct 31, 2018
Publication Time: 2.97 months

Open Access

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

Breakdown by View Type

(Waiting for server response...)

Article Usage

Total Article Views: 40216
(from publication date up to now)

Breakdown by View Type
HTML Page Views: 35529
Abstract Page Views: 1697
PDF Downloads: 2273
Citation/Reference Downloads: 8
XML Downloads: 709

Web Metrics
Days since publication: 2221
Overall contacts: 40216
Avg. contacts per week: 126.75

Article Citations

Article citations are based on data periodically collected from the Clarivate Web of Science web site
(last update: Feb 2023)

Total number of cites (since 2018): 7
Average cites per year: 1.17

(no Plumx Metrics available for this paper)

Publication Metrics

by Dimensions ^©

Articles citing this article

List of the papers citing this article based on CrossRef Cited-by.

(1)

Arx G, Dobbertin M, Rebetez M (2012)
Spatio-temporal effects of forest canopy on understory microclimate in a long-term experiment in Switzerland. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 166-167: 144-155.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(2)

Barbati A, Salvati R, Ferrari B, Di Santo D, Quatrini A, Portoghesi L, Travaglini D, Iovino F, Nocentini S (2012)
Assessing and promoting old-growthness of forest stands: Lessons from research in Italy. Plant Biosystems 146: 167-174.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(3)

Barbier S, Gosselin F, Balandier P (2008)
Influence of tree species on understory vegetation diversity and mechanisms involved-a critical review for temperate and boreal forests. Forest Ecology and Management 254: 1-15.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(4)

Becker M (1989)
The role of climate on present and past vitality of silver fir forests in the Vosges mountains of northeastern France. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 19: 1110-1117.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(5)

Bianchi L, Bottacci A, Calamini G, Maltoni A, Mariotti B, Quilghini G, Salbitano F, Tani A, Zoccola A, Paci M (2011)
Structure and dynamics of a beech forest in a fully protected area in the northern Apennines (Sasso Fratino, Italy). iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry 4 (3): 136-144.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(6)

Bilek L, Remes J, Zahradnik D (2011)
Managed vs. unmanaged. Structure of beech forest stands (Fagus sylvatica L.) after 50 years of development, Central Bohemia. Forest Systems 20: 122-138.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(7)

Boncina A (2000)
Comparison of structure and biodiversity in the Rajhenav virgin forest remnant and managed forest in the Dinaric region of Slovenia. Global Ecology and Biogeography 9: 201-211.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(8)

Burrascano S, Keeton WS, Sabatini FM, Blasi C (2013)
Commonality and variability in the structural attributes of moist temperate old-growth forests: a global review. Forest Ecology and Management 291: 458-479.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(9)

Collet C, Piboule A, Leroy O, Frochot H (2008)
Advance Fagus sylvatica and Acer pseudoplatanus seedlings dominate tree regeneration in a mixed broadleaved former coppice-with-standards forest. Forestry 81: 135-150.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(10)

Commarmot B, Bachofen H, Bundziak V, Bürgi A, Ramp B, Shparyk Y, Sukhariuk D, Viter R, Zingg A (2005)
Structures of virgin and managed beech forests in Uholka (Ukraine) and Sihlwald (Switzerland): a comparative study. Forest Snow and Landscape Research 79: 45-56.
Online | Gscholar

(11)

Dobrowolska D (1998)
Structure of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) natural regeneration in the Jata’ reserve in Poland. Forest Ecology and Management 110: 237-247.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(12)

Gao T, Hedblom M, Emilsson T, Nielsen AB (2014)
The role of forest stand structure as biodiversity indicator. Forest Ecology and Management 330: 82-93.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(13)

Gil Pelegrín E, Villar L, López Unzu F (1989)
Sobre la estructura de un hayedo abetal virgen en el Pirineo Occidental: la selva de Aztaparreta (Alto Roncal-Navarra) [On the structure of a virgin silver fir-beech forest in the western Pyrenees: the forest of Aztaparreta (Alto Roncal-Navarre)]. Acta Biologica Montana 9: 225-236. [in Spanish]
Gscholar

(14)

Hanewinkel M, Kuhn T, Bugmann H, Lanz A, Brang P (2014)
Vulnerability of uneven-aged forests to storm damage. Forestry 87: 525-534.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(15)

Hobi ML, Commarmot B, Bugmann H (2015)
Pattern and process in the largest primeval beech forest of Europe (Ukrainian Carpathians). Journal of Vegetation Science 26: 323-336.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(16)

Horvat V, Biurrun I, García-Mijangos I (2017)
Herb layer in silver fir-beech forests in the western Pyrenees: does management affect species diversity? Forest Ecology and Management 385: 87-96.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(17)

Huang S, Titus SJ, Wiens DP (1992)
Comparison of nonlinear height-diameter functions for major Alberta tree species. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 22: 1297-1304.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(18)

Hunter ML (1990)
Wildlife, forests, and forestry. Principles of managing forests for biological diversity. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA, pp. 370.
Online | Gscholar

(19)

Kenderes K, Mihók B, Standovár T (2008)
Thirty years of gap dynamics in a Central European beech forest reserve. Forestry 81: 111-123.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(20)

Kucbel S, Jaloviar P, Saniga M, Vencurik J, Klimaš V (2010)
Canopy gaps in an old-growth fir-beech forest remnant of Western Carpathians. European Journal of Forest Research 129: 249-259.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(21)

Motta R, Berretti R, Borchi S, Bresciani A, Garbarino M, Trucchi D (2013)
Stand structure and coarse woody debris profile of “La Verna” forest (Arezzo, Italy). Italian Journal of Forest and Mountain Environments 65: 591-605.
Online | Gscholar

(22)

Müller-Using S, Bartsch N (2009)
Decay dynamic of coarse and fine woody debris of a beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest in Central Germany. European Journal of Forest Research 128: 287-296.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(23)

Nagel TA, Diaci J (2006)
Intermediate wind disturbance in an old-growth beech-fir forest in southeastern Slovenia. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36: 629-638.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(24)

Gobierno de Navarra (2000)
Plan forestal de Navarra [Forest management plan of Navarre]. Publicaciones del Gobierno de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, pp. 466. [in Spanish]
Gscholar

(25)

O’Hara K, Gersonde R (2004)
Stocking control concepts in uneven-aged silviculture. Forestry 77: 131-143.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(26)

Oliva J, Colinas C (2007)
Decline of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) stands in the Spanish Pyrenees: role of management, historic dynamics and pathogens. Forest Ecology and Management 252: 84-97.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(27)

Paillet Y, Pernot C, Boulanger V, Debaive N, Fuhr M, Gilg O, Gosselin F (2015)
Quantifying the recovery of old-growth attributes in forest reserves: a first reference for France. Forest Ecology and Management 346: 51-64.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(28)

Pinto PE, Gégout JC, Hervé JC, Dhôte JF (2008)
Respective importance of ecological conditions and stand composition on Abies alba Mill. dominant height growth. Forest Ecology and Management 255: 619-629.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(29)

Piovesan G, Di Filippo A, Alessandrini A, Biondi F, Schirone B (2005)
Structure, dynamics and dendroecology of an old-growth Fagus forest in the Apennines. Journal of Vegetation Science 16: 13-28.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(30)

Pretzsch H (1997)
Analysis and modelling of spatial stand structures. Methodological considerations based on mixed beech-larch stands in Lower Saxony. Forest Ecology and Management 97: 237-253.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(31)

Rivas-Martínez S (2007)
Mapa de series, geoseries y geopermaseries de vegetación de España. Memoria del mapa de vegetación potencial de España. Parte I [Map of series, geoseries and geopermaseries of the vegetation in Spain. Report of the potential vegetation map of Spain. Part I]. Itinera Geobotanica 7: 5-436. [in Spanish]
Gscholar

(32)

Rivas-Martínez S, Báscones JC, Díaz TE, Fernández-González F, Loidi J (1991)
Vegetación del Pirineo Occidental [Vegetation of the western Pyrenees]. Itinera Geobotanica 5: 5-456. [in Spanish]
Gscholar

(33)

Rubin BD, Manion PD, Faber-Langendoen D (2006)
Diameter distributions and structural sustainability in forests. Forest Ecology and Management 222: 427-438.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(34)

Rugani T, Diaci J, Hladnik D (2013)
Gap dynamics and structure of two old-growth beech forest remnants in Slovenia. PloS ONE 8: e52641.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(35)

Sangüesa-Barreda G, Camarero JJ, Oliva J, Montes F, Gazol A (2015)
Past logging, drought and pathogens interact and contribute to forest dieback. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 208: 85-94.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(36)

Schütz JP, Saniga M, Diaci J, Vrška T (2016)
Comparing close-to-nature silviculture with processes in pristine forests: lessons from Central Europe. Annals of Forest Science 73: 911-921.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(37)

Schwartz J, Nagel L, Webster C (2005)
Effects of uneven-aged management on diameter distribution and species composition of northern hardwoods in Upper Michigan. Forest Ecology and Management 211: 356-370.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(38)

Silver EJ, D’Amato AW, Fraver S, Palik BJ, Bradford JB (2013)
Structure and development of old-growth, unmanaged second-growth, and extended rotation Pinus resinosa forests in Minnesota, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 291: 110-118.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(39)

Sitzia T, Trentanovi G, Dainese M, Gobbo G, Lingua E, Sommacal M (2012)
Stand structure and plant species diversity in managed and abandoned silver fir mature woodlands. Forest Ecology and Management 270: 232-238.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(40)

Townsend CR, Begon M, Harper JL (2003)
Essentials of ecology. Blackwell Science, Boston, USA, pp. 530.
Gscholar

(41)

Westphal C, Tremer N, Von Oheimb G, Hansen J, Von Gadow K, Härdtle W (2006)
Is the reverse J-shaped diameter distribution universally applicable in European virgin beech forests? Forest Ecology and Management 223: 75-83.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(42)

Yamamoto SI (2000)
Forest gap dynamics and tree regeneration. Journal of Forest Research 5: 223-229.
CrossRef | Gscholar

(43)

Zenner E, Hibbs D (2000)
A new method for modeling the heterogeneity of forest structure. Forest Ecology and Management 129: 75-87.
CrossRef | Gscholar

iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry

Contents

Search

Journal Info

Journal Subjects and Fields

For Authors

For Reviewers

For Readers

SISEF Publishing

Search iForest Contents