Abstract
An important challenge for silvicultural practices is the conservation of tree diversity while fulfilling the traditional objectives of forest management, most notably timber harvesting. The purpose of this study was to compare the tree diversity before and after the application of silvicultural treatments in a temperate forest in northern Mexico. Fifteen experimental plots, each measuring 2500 m2, were established to evaluate the immediate effect of four silvicultural treatments. These treatments were identified by their levels of management: intensive (clearcut, removal 100%), semi-intensive (removal of 59–61% of basal area), conservative (removal of 29–31% of basal area), and a control group. New forest guidelines, in contrast to conventional approaches, were applied to the semi-intensive and conservative treatments based on health and diversity conditions. Basal area, canopy cover, tree and total volume were measured in each plot. The Importance Value Index, alpha diversity, and evenness were estimated before and after treatments. Eighteen species belonging to five genera and five families were found in the study area. The species with the highest ecological values were Pinus durangensis, P. teocote, Quercus sideroxyla, and Quercus convallata with IVI numbers between 13.6 and 24.5%. Alpha diversity was intermediate (Margalef: 2.9 to 3.8), while dominance and evenness were above average compared to other studies (Simpson: 0.69 to 0.77; Shannon-Wiener: 1.44 to 1.6; Pielou: 0.76 to 0.85). The species evenness index in the conservative treatment was high (Sorensen, Jaccard, quantitative Sorensen and Morisita-Horn; 88 to 99%), although abundance decreased. Overall, there were no significant differences in IVI values and diversity indicators before and after treatments, with the exception of the clearcut treatment. When associating the diversity indices with stand variables, only the Pielou’s evenness index showed a significant relationship between them. We concluded that both the conservative and semi-intensive treatments did not generate significant changes in tree diversity, but the former had slightly higher alpha diversity indices. These results can provide a better insight on silvicultural practices and their effects on species composition.
Highlights
An ecosystem is defined as the group of organisms and their physical environment that interact in a site [1]
In order to assess the effects of management on tree diversity, in each plot we considered the following indicators: importance value index (IVI) by genus and species, alpha diversity, and similarity indices
The tree strata in the sampling plots included 18 species, mainly pines, oaks, and madrones: Pinus durangensis Martınez, P. arizonica Engelm., P. leiophylla Schltdl. & Cham., P. teocote Schltdl. & Cham., P. engelmannii Carr., P. lumholtzii Rob. & Fern., P. strobiformis Engelm., Quercus sideroxyla Humb. & Bonpl., Q. rugosa Nee, Q. convallata Trel., Q. brachystachys Benth., Q. urbanii Trel., Q. durifolia Seemen ex Loes., Juniperus deppeana Steud., Arbutus madrensis S
Summary
An ecosystem is defined as the group of organisms and their physical environment that interact in a site [1]. Ecosystem services are the benefits that people receive from nature [3]. They include climate regulation, water quality, food, wood, and recreation, among others. Plant diversity has multiple roles in the provision or regulation of various ecosystem services. There is a positive effect of plant diversity on provisioning of useful plant products, erosion control, resistance to plant invasions, and pathogen regulation [8]. It is still unclear the optimal number of species needed to maintain ecosystem services [7], which strongly depends on the ecosystem and region. One ecosystem of particular research interest is the temperate forests of northern Mexico that are managed through various silvicultural regimes
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