Abstract
AbstractUnderstanding tree and stand growth dynamics in the frame of climate change calls for large-scale analyses. For analysing growth patterns in mountain forests across Europe, the CLIMO consortium compiled a network of observational plots across European mountain regions. Here, we describe the design and efficacy of this network of plots in monospecific European beech and mixed-species stands of Norway spruce, European beech, and silver fir.First, we sketch the state of the art of existing monitoring and observational approaches for assessing the growth of mountain forests. Second, we introduce the design, measurement protocols, as well as site and stand characteristics, and we stress the innovation of the newly compiled network. Third, we give an overview of the growth and yield data at stand and tree level, sketch the growth characteristics along elevation gradients, and introduce the methods of statistical evaluation. Fourth, we report additional measurements of soil, genetic resources, and climate smartness indicators and criteria, which were available for statistical evaluation and testing hypotheses. Fifth, we present the ESFONET (European Smart Forest Network) approach of data and knowledge dissemination. The discussion is focussed on the novelty and relevance of the database, its potential for monitoring, understanding and management of mountain forests toward climate smartness, and the requirements for future assessments and inventories.In this chapter, we describe the design and efficacy of this network of plots in monospecific European beech and mixed-species stands of Norway spruce, European beech, and silver fir. We present how to acquire and evaluate data from individual trees and the whole stand to quantify and understand the growth of mountain forests in Europe under climate change. It will provide concepts, models, and practical hints for analogous trans-geographic projects that may be based on the existing and newly recorded data on forests.
Highlights
We report additional measurements of soil, genetic resources, and climate smartness indicators and criteria, which were available for statistical evaluation and testing hypotheses
We describe the design and efficacy of this network of plots in monospecific European beech and mixed-species stands of Norway spruce, European beech, and silver fir
This project deals with the effects of climate changes on the growth dynamics of mountain forest ecosystems that are so far much less understood than the ones in northern latitudes, they may undergo even worse changes regarding the stability and ecosystem service provision (Tognetti et al 2017)
Summary
In mountain forests, at the edge of their ecological amplitude, little changes of environmental conditions may trigger strong non-linear effects on tree growth superimpose by additional competition effects due to strengthening of neighbours, which grow in the proximity and are better adapted to the new conditions (Pretzsch et al 2020a, b). This project deals with the effects of climate changes on the growth dynamics of mountain forest ecosystems that are so far much less understood than the ones in northern latitudes, they may undergo even worse changes regarding the stability and ecosystem service provision (Tognetti et al 2017). We present the interdisciplinary database and trans-geographic plot network, underlying recent research articles (Hilmers et al 2019; Pretzsch et al 2020a, b; Torresan et al 2020; del Río et al 2021)
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