Interspecific Variability of Water Storage Capacity and Absorbability of Deadwood

Anna Klamerus-Iwan,Ewa Błońska,Jarosław Lasota

doi:10.3390/f11050575

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the water storage capacity and absorbability of deadwood of different tree species with varying degrees of decomposition. Coniferous (Silver fir—Abies alba Mill.) and deciduous (Common hornbeam—Carpinus betulus L., Common ash—Fraxinus excelsior L., Common alder—Alnus glutinosa Gaertn., and Common aspen—Populus tremula L.) species were selected for the research. The study focuses on the wood of dead trees at an advanced stage of decomposition. Deadwood samples were collected at the Czarna Rózga Nature Reserve in central Poland. Changes over time of the water absorbability and water storage capacity of deadwood were determined under laboratory conditions. The research confirmed the significance of the wood species and the degree of wood decomposition in shaping the water storage capacity and absorbability of deadwood in forest ecosystems. Fir wood was characterized by having the highest water storage capacity and water absorbability. Among deciduous species under analysis, aspen wood was characterized by having the highest water storage capacity and absorbability. Our research has confirmed that deadwood may be a significant reservoir of water in forests.

Highlights

The wood of dead trees is an important element of the forest ecosystem
The main aim of this study is to show changes in hydrological properties, i.e., water storage capacity and absorbability of deadwood of different tree species with varying degrees of decomposition
The analyses presented in this study include data for 5 species with different decomposition levels, i.e., decomposition classes III, IV, and V

Summary

Introduction

The wood of dead trees is an important element of the forest ecosystem. It includes the dead, woody parts of plants, or the entire woody and shrubby plants at various stages of decomposition [1,2].In forest ecosystems, the wood of dead trees, both standing and lying, has many ecological functions.Among others, it creates diverse micro-habitats for numerous fungi, lichens, bacteria, and mosses [3,4].Deadwood is an integral element of the forest [5,6], one that affects nutrient circulation, carbon sequestration, and the amount of water retention [7,8,9]. The wood of dead trees is an important element of the forest ecosystem. It includes the dead, woody parts of plants, or the entire woody and shrubby plants at various stages of decomposition [1,2]. In forest ecosystems, the wood of dead trees, both standing and lying, has many ecological functions. Among others, it creates diverse micro-habitats for numerous fungi, lichens, bacteria, and mosses [3,4]. Deadwood supports multiple functions of the ecosystem including regeneration after disturbances [10], as well as carbon, nutrient, and hydrological cycles [11,12]. Deadwood can have a real impact on the microclimate [13,14]

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