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Abstract
Large trees are keystone structures for the functioning and maintenance of the biological diversity of wooded landscapes. Thus, we need a better understanding of large-tree–other-tree interactions and their effects on the diversity and spatial structure of the surrounding trees. We studied these interactions in the core of the Białowieża Primeval Forest—Europe’s best-preserved temperate forest ecosystem, characterized by high abundance of ancient trees. We measured diameter and bark thickness of the monumental trees of Acer platanoides L., Carpinus betulus L., Picea abies L. H. Karst, Quercus robur L., and Tilia cordata Mill., as well as the diameter and distance to the monumental tree of five nearest neighbor trees. The effects of the monumental tree on arrangements of the surrounding trees were studied with the help of linear models. We revealed that the species identity of a large tree had, in the case of C. betulus and T. cordata, a significant impact on the diversity of adjacent tree groupings, their distance to the central tree, and frequency of the neighboring trees. The distance between the neighbor and the large trees increased with the increasing diameter of the central tree. Our findings reinforce the call for the protection of large old trees, regardless of their species and where they grow from the geographical or ecosystem point of view.
Highlights
Large old trees, depending on ecological context and geographical region, referred to as giant, monumental, ancient, notable, oversized, or veteran trees, are keystone structures for the functioning and maintenance of the biological diversity of forests, woods, woodlands, and other landscapes, even those sparsely covered by trees, as well as urbanized [1,2,3,4,5]
Stands are diverse, composed of locally dominating C. betulus, T. cordata, Q. robur, A. platanoides, with an admixture of P. abies, Fraxinus excelsior L., U. glabra, Betula pendula Roth, Populus tremula L. and Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. The structure of such forests is shaped by the fine-scale gap mosaic cycle dynamic [62], resulting in multi-layered and uneven age stands, maintained in time and space owing to continuous replacement of old trees by regeneration [45]
Figure clusters associated with large trees of Quercus robur, Carpinus betulus, Acer platanoides, Picea abies, clusters associated with large trees of Quercus robur, Carpinus betulus, Acer platanoides, Picea abies, and Tilia cordata in Białowieża Primeval Forest; letters a–c express significant differences in mingling and Tilia cordata in Białowieża Primeval Forest; letters a–c express significant differences in mingling index value between tree clusters
Summary
Large old trees, depending on ecological context and geographical region, referred to as giant, monumental, ancient, notable, oversized, or veteran trees, are keystone structures for the functioning and maintenance of the biological diversity of forests, woods, woodlands, and other landscapes, even those sparsely covered by trees, as well as urbanized [1,2,3,4,5]. Monumental trees, due to the high number of diverse microhabitats associated with their bark, limbs, dead and dying fragments, cavities, fungal sporocarps, etc., are hotspots of biodiversity of many groups of organisms [19,20,21] They are crucial habitats for saproxylic insects and many other tree- and wood-related species [22,23,24], which are believed to enhance forest resistance to invertebrate pests [25,26]. In forest ecosystems, large old trees occupy the same space for centuries, modifying the local environment through litter and exudates They influence the surrounding stand structure through interactions with neighboring trees and the production of offspring in the closest vicinity.
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