Secondary forest succession in Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) southern limits in Europe, in a site of Natura 2000 network – an ecogeographical approach

Nikolaos Georgios Oikonomakis,Petros Ganatsas

doi:10.5424/fs/2020292-15680

Nikolaos Georgios Oikonomakis, Petros Ganatsas

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5424/fs/2020292-15680

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Journal: Forest Systems	Publication Date: Nov 16, 2020
Citations: 8	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Abstract

Aim of the study: To investigate the secondary forest succession in the study area and the pathways of its spread and the existing environmental, autecological factors and possible inter-specific competition relationships.Area of study: The study area is a Site of Natura 2000 network in northern Greece dominated by two pioneer forest species, Betula pendula and Pinus sylvestris. Study area is the southern limit of Silver birch in Europe and genotypes of these forests may be important due to the anticipated global increase of temperature and the forthcoming climate change.Materials and methods: The main forest types studied were: pure forests of B. pendula and P. sylvestris and mixed forests of these two main species. To study the expansion of forests in the area, a spatial analysis was performed based on geographical data. To detect forest changes, the rate thereof and their specific spatial distribution and preferences, a statistical analysis was performed.Main results: Approximately 60% of the studied area in 1945 was transformed from grasslands/barelands to forests. The composition of new forests was found to be different from the old ones. The rate of forest establishment in the first years was lower than in the latter years. All factors examined played an important role to the expansion of forest exept slope.Research highlights: Distance from the old stands played the most determining role to new forest structure and composition. Inter-specific competition results to the formation of pure stands, as indicated by the older stands.Keywords: secondary forest succession; Betula pendula; GIS; spatial analysis; forest species competition; forest species distribution.

Highlights

Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) is a cold-tolerant and fast-growing tree species, distributed across Europe, from the Mediterranean to central Siberia (Beck et al, 2016)
Management should include provision for the conservation of biodiversity except for wood production by protecting flora and fauna species. This can be achieved by the implementation of management plans, friendly to the ecosystem and based on selective logging and natural forest regeneration, as well as actions to improve the habitats of important species
Conservation of the Silver birch population in this area is of critical importance, as this area forms the southernmost limit of birch, and the disturbance occurred in a vast area in which the forest was rapidly re-established in the past few years

Summary

Introduction

Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) is a cold-tolerant and fast-growing tree species, distributed across Europe, from the Mediterranean to central Siberia (Beck et al, 2016) It is a light-demanding species that can grow rapidly even on poor soils, while its winged fruits are very efficiently distributed by wind and its roots are associated with a large number of ectomycorrhizal fungi. These combined characteristics make birch trees thrive as pioneers during early stages of secondary vegetation succession (Beck et al, 2016). The southernmost distribution limits appear to be determined by summer drought

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