Spruce Forest Research Articles

Модель формирования березово-еловых насаждений в условиях южной тайги Русской равнины

The results of 30 years or research on the formation and growth of birch forests from the subcanopy spruce population in the conditions of the Russian Plain southern taiga are presented. The studies have been carried out on 19 permanent sample plots (PSPs). They were laid in regionally representative sorrel-blueberry birch forests aged 15–115 years with high density and productivity. The birch plantations on the PSPs belong to the same natural age series. The majority of spruce trees appeared under the canopy of birch forests up to 40 years old. As the birch trees aged, the age structure of spruce trees changed from even-aged to conditionally even-aged. Based on the study of the dynamics of the number of trees, the vertical structure of stands, the growing stock and the total stem wood stock, the age stages of development of the spruce population in the birch forests up to 120 years old have been determined. They are regeneration, young growth, polewood and maturation. The end of the maturation stage occurs at the birch tree age of 120 years. At the same time, the average spruce tree age in the first and second layers is 90 years. The duration of the stages varies from 10 years (the young growth stage) to 40 years (the regeneration and maturation stages). To determine the time of onset and end of other age stages of the subcanopy spruce population, the studies in birch forests older than 120 years are needed. The work performed has made it possible to propose a model of the joint formation of birch forests and the subcanopy spruce population, in which the main taxation characteristics are given for all elements of the stand: age, number of trees, the sum of the cross-section of the stems, the stock of the growing and dead wood, as well as total productivity. According to the model, by the age of a birch of 120 years, the total productivity of modal plantations will be about 950 m3/ha and the growing stock of the stand will be about 490 m3/ha. The share of spruce wood will be 28 % or about 150 m3/ha. After the birch forest decay, a low-density spruce forest of the 3rd quality class can form in its place.

Иглоподобные листовые органы хвойных. Часть I. Моделирование периметра поперечного сечения иглы

Despite the availability of measuring systems for estimating the surface area of leaf organs of higher plants, the need for simple standard methods for determining this indicator area remains relevant for plant physiologists. The methods for estimating the surface area of needle-like leaf organs of conifers, based on the geometry of an individual needle rest on the general principle of calculating the needle surface area as the product of its length by the perimeter of its cross-section. This makes the cross-section perimeter one of the most important parameters needed to characterize the needle surface area. The strong variability of this parameter depending on the species necessitates the development of individual models of the cross-section of individual needles. The aim of this study has been to create a universal model for estimating the needle cross-section perimeter, irrespective of the tree species. For the practical implementation of the aim, a method was proposed for estimating the perimeter of the needle cross-section, based on the well-known fact that any closed line is transformable into an equivalent circle, while the length of the closed line does not change. The perimeter of the equivalent circle can be related to the parameters of the geometric figure before the transformation. This approach allows us to relate the width and thickness of the needle cross-section to its perimeter. The developed universal model of the needle cross-section has been verified on cross-sections of Siberian fir (Abies sibirica L.) and common juniper (Juniperus communis L.) needles. The samples of needles of these woody plants have been collected from a bilberry-sphagnum spruce forest in the boreal zone of the north-east of the European part of Russia (Knyazhpogostkiy district, the Komi Republic). Statistical analysis has shown the significance and adequacy of the model. It can be used to assess the perimeter of coniferous needles, irrespective of their species. In this case, the accuracy of perimeter estimation is comparable to the accuracy of direct perimeter measurement by the piecewise linear approximation method.

Estimation of the leaf area index in a decline spruce forest in the Western Tatra Mountains for determination of rainfall interception

Estimation of the leaf area index in a decline spruce forest in the Western Tatra Mountains for determination of rainfall interception

Assessment of the Biomass of Coniferous–Deciduous Forest by the Example of the Chashnikovo Training and Experimental Soil Ecological Center of Moscow State University

Abstract The aim of this work is to assess the contribution of the components of plant community—biomass and mortmass of tree stands, undergrowth, living ground cover, and forest litter—to its total organic matter pool. The study object is represented by a coniferous-deciduous forest located in the Solnechnogorsk city district of Moscow oblast and characterized by five permanent 50 × 50-m test plots laid in it. The greatest contribution to the total organic matter mass of the studied plant communities is made by perennial parts and mortmass of the forest stand (to 87% and 14%, respectively). The proportion of phytomass of deciduous trees in stand comprises from 32 to 98%, which is connected with the incomplete forest restoration succession. The contribution of forest litter does not exceed 3%. Low litter reserves (0.18–1.21 kg m–2) and the destructive type of all litters are not typical for spruce forests. The floristic composition and the ecological–coenotic structure of the living ground cover are typical for the subzone of coniferous-deciduous forests; and its contribution to the total productivity of forest biogeocenosis is insignificant. The spatial pattern of litter reserves and of the biomass of the living ground cover within the biogeocenoses is disturbed in comparison with typical spruce forests due to the high proportion of deciduous species in the forest stand. Their participation in the tree layer is typical for the final stage of formation of a secondary coniferous forest during succession and causes a slight increase in the intensity of the biological cycle, which is indicated in our case by a decrease in the reserves and a simpler structure of litters. Since the biomass and mortmass of tree stand contribute most to carbon sequestration by forest biogeocenoses, these components require a detailed assessment during monitoring surveys, the purpose of which is to evaluate carbon reserves of land ecosystems.

Catalogue of Bombus wurflenii Radoszkowski, 1860 (Hymenoptera, Apidae) specimens deposited in the State Museum of Natural History NASU, Lviv, Ukraine

Bombus wurflenii Radoszkowski, 1860 belongs to the subgenus Alpigenobombus and is one of the 40 bumblebee species that occur in Ukraine. This Boreal-Alpine species has a disjunctive range and is confined to the mountains and hills of Europe. It occurs in Scandinavia, in central and southern Europe (the Cantabrian Mountains, the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Apennines, the Balkans, the Carpathians). It is also known from the far east of Europe (the Ural Mountains), and from the north-eastern Turkey and the Caucasus (Rasmont, Iserbyt, 2010-2012; Rasmont et al., 2015). All scenarios of future distribution of Bombus wurflenii project a moderate reduction of suitable areas by 2050. By 2100 the climatic niche space of the species would be even more restricted. With low dispersal capability and since Bombus wurflenii is a specialized species linked to cold boreal and alpine-subalpine conditions, it would suffer substantially from global warming (Rasmont et al., 2015). Bombus wurflenii is a medium sized bumblebee. It is highly adapted for “nectar robbing”, i. e. perforating holes at the base of long flower corollas to reach the nectar. To do this, it uses its modified mandibles, each with six denticles on outer margin . In Ukraine the species is represented by the subspecies B. wurflenii mastrucatus Gerst. and occurs in the Ukrainian Carpathians only. It inhabits mountain forests from a height of 500 m a. s. l. to the subalpine zone inclusive. The highest number of population of the species is observed within the altitude range of 800-1100 m above sea level (Konovalova, 2010). B. wurflenii is nesting underground, using the abandoned nests of rodents in beech, beech-spruce and spruce forests, in polonynas, meadows and also on rocky slopes in the subalpine. The emergence of queens from hibernation happens in late spring and early summer. The development of small colonies lasts until July-August, culminating in the emergence of new reproductive generation. In the Carpathian highlands B. wurflenii is considered a common one. However, during last decades, the destruction of both nesting sites and forage flora of this species due to excessive recreational pressure, is a serious factor threatening the persistence of its population. For this reason, B. wurflenii has been included into the Red Book of the Ukrainian Carpathians as vulnerable one, also taking into account a relatively limited area inhabited by populations of the species. The species plays a significant role in the pollination of high mountain flora. A feeding diet of this bumblebee in the Ukrainian Carpathians includes at least 23 plant species belonging to 16 families (unpublished data of the author). Among its favourite forage plants are: Centaurea phrygia subsp. carpatica (Porcius) Dostál, Cirsium waldsteinii Rouy, Gentiana asclepiadea L., Rhododendron kotschyi Simonk., Vaccinium spp., Aconitum spp. In the entomological collection of the State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 42 specimens of B. wurflenii have been deposited. Only one specimen belongs to an old historical collection. It was collected from the Tatry Mts. in Poland on 30.07.1905 and identified by J. Snieżek. From the present territory of Ukraine B. wurflenii was recorded for the first time in 1939 in Chornohora mountain range, at an altitude of 1500 m a.s.l. (Fudakowski et al., 1939). The recent part of the collection includes specimens, found from 2000 to 2006 in mountain regions of Ivano-Frankivska and Zakarpatska provinces of Ukraine (fig. 1). The recent collection of B. wurflenii represents all three castes of the species: 1 queen, 32 workers and 8 males. Bumblebees were collected during June, July and August within altitudes of 800-1700 m a.s.l. in the following physiographic regions: UC: PlChr: Chornohora massif; UC: PlChr: Svydovets massif; UC: OCVV: Gg: Outer Gorgany range. The vast majority of specimens have been collected in protected territories: Carpathian Biosphere Reserve (Chornohora protected massif, Svydovets protected massif) and Carpathian National Nature Park.

The relationship between trampling damages on roots and wood decay in Norway spruce forests used for silvopasture

Forest grazing by free-roaming livestock is a common practice in many countries. The forestry sector sees the practice as unfortunate owing to several reasons, such as damages inflicted by grazing in young plantations. Concerning Norway spruce forests, a tree species known to develop wood decay with high frequency followed from stem bark damage, there is a strong perception among foresters that the trampling damage caused by livestock on the superficial root system of this tree leads to decay. Because of the very limited scientific documentation available on this topic, we pursued a clarification by investigating three 38- to 56-year-old Norway spruce forests used for silvopasture. Two types of injuries were observed on exposed roots: bark cracks characterized by resin exudation, and injuries involving localized bark peeling and exposure of the underlying wood. These injuries occurred up to 250 cm away from the root collar, with the sector 50–150 cm away from the root collar showing the highest incidence of injuries. In two of the forest stands, wood within the injured root areas was primarily colonized by the wound parasite Corinectria fuckeliana or species of the order Helotiales, fungi that do not cause wood decay. Wood colonization of injured roots by Heterobasidion species, the most frequent wood decay fungi of Norway spruce, was common in the third stand, but only in a few cases it was possible to deduce that the colonization had probably initiated via trampling injuries on roots. In a few cases, an injury was located at stem base at the root collar height along paths used by animals, and in such cases, it was obvious that stem colonization by Heterobasidion species had initiated via the wound. The relatively small amount of data warrants caution when drawing conclusions. Considering the high establishment frequency of decay via stem bark wounds of Norway spruce observed in previous studies, our data would suggest that roots are generally better equipped to defend themselves upon infliction of superficial wounds than stem of this tree species. The likelihood of trampling injuries leading to decay may vary considerably between different stands, this presumably depending on the level of local propagule pressure by pathogenic wood decay fungi and the frequency of damages close to root collar.

Discrepancies and Evaluation of Needle-Leaf and Tracheid Traits of Qinhai Spruce in Qilian Mountains, Northwest China

Phenotypic variation analysis and comprehensive evaluation are important tools for selecting provenances of forest trees, which, in turn, is crucial for genetic improvement of forest trees. The study analyzed eight needle-leaf and fourteen tracheid trait indexes of ten provenances of Qinghai spruce forest stands. Multiple comparisons, correlation analysis, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis were used to evaluate the differences in needle-leaf and tracheid traits among the different provenances. The study found significant differences in the needle-leaf and tracheid traits among the provenances. All traits included 50 pairs of positive and 26 pairs of negative correlations. The coefficient of variation for the tracheid trait (18.86%) was higher than that for the needle-leaf trait (17.20%). A comprehensive evaluation of needle-leaf and tracheid traits was conducted using principal component analysis. The study demonstrated that the degree of variation in needle-leaf and tracheid traits among the provenances of Qinghai spruce was extensive, with a multitude of sources of variation. Therefore, it is crucial to strengthen the selection of good provenances in the early seed selection process. The results of the comprehensive evaluation can be utilized as a foundation for the selection of good provenances for carbon sequestration and timber properties.

Deadwood enrichment in Fennoscandian spruce forests – New results from the EVO experiment

In Fennoscandian forests, evidence on the effects of variable tree retention, prescribed burning and deadwood creation on deadwood quantity and quality is still scarce. We studied the effects of prescribed burning, tree retention and downed wood creation on the deadwood profile in managed boreal Norway spruce forest stands over a 16-year period. The stand scale treatments of the experiment included cuttings with a constant volume of dispersed retention trees (50 m3 ha-1, ca. 200 trees per ha), and three levels of downed deadwood creation (5, 30 and 60 m3 ha-1), in both upland and paludified biotopes of Myrtillus site type, with or without prescribed burning, with three replicates each.After 16 years since the treatments, the diverse deadwood profiles with varying distribution by decay class were formed. The volume of deadwood varied from 9 to 107 m3 ha-1 with a mean of 65 m3 ha-1. The index of deadwood diversity was positively influenced by prescribed burning and negatively influenced by deadwood creation. The volume of all deadwood and coarse woody debris (CWD), volume and number of logs, as well as dead to live volume ratio increased after prescribed burning and with the level of deadwood creation. The positive effect of deadwood creation on the total CWD volume was higher in the upland biotopes than in the paludified ones. The highest amounts of all deadwood, CWD and logs were recorded in the upland biotopes after prescribed burning without deadwood creation. Our findings highlight the impact of tree retention with prescribed burning and deadwood creation in diversifying deadwood profile and maintaining deadwood continuum for decades.

Seeing the wood for the trees: active human–environmental interactions in arid northwestern China

Abstract. Due largely to demographic growth, agricultural populations during the Holocene became increasingly more impactful ecosystem engineers. Multidisciplinary research has revealed a deep history of human–environmental dynamics; however, these pre-modern anthropogenic ecosystem transformations and cultural adaptions are still poorly understood. Here, we synthesis anthracological data to explore the complex array of human–environmental interactions in the regions of the prehistoric Silk Road. Our results suggest that these ancient humans were not passively impacted by environmental change; rather, they culturally adapted to, and in turn altered, arid ecosystems. Underpinned by the establishment of complex agricultural systems on the western Loess Plateau, people may have started to manage chestnut trees, likely through conservation of economically significant species, as early as 4600 BP. Since ca. 3500 BP, with the appearance of high-yielding wheat and barley farming in Xinjiang and the Hexi Corridor, people appear to have been cultivating Prunus and Morus trees. We also argue that people were transporting preferred coniferous woods over long distances to meet the need for fuel and timber. After 2500 BP, people in our study area were making conscious selections between wood types for craft production and were also clearly cultivating a wide range of long-generation perennials, showing a remarkable traditional knowledge tied into the arid environment. At the same time, the data suggest that there was significant deforestation throughout the chronology of occupation, including a rapid decline of slow-growing spruce forests and riparian woodlands across northwestern China. The wood charcoal dataset is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8158277 (Shen et al., 2023).

Influence of Picea Abies Logs on the Distribution of Vascular Plants in Old-Growth Spruce Forests

The deadwood contributes to an increase in soil heterogeneity due to the changing the microrelief (by the formation of windthrow-soil complexes), as well as changes in physical and chemical characteristics of decaying wood directly during xylolysis. We hypothesized that fallen logs as an element of microrelief influence the species composition and cover structure of vascular plants. We studied the influence of Picea abies (L.) Karst fallen logs of moderate and advanced decay stages on the horizontal distribution and heterogeneity of vascular plant cover in different microsite types (small boreal grass type, blueberry type, small boreal grass-blueberry type, herbs, and blueberry type) in old-growth middle taiga spruce forest in the Kivach State Nature Reserve (Republic of Karelia, Russia). The fallen deadwood acts as a factor of heterogeneity, causing reversible changes in the homogeneity of the original plant cover. The decaying logs influence the horizontal distribution of small herbs by changing the occurrence and density of shoots of Oxalis acetosella L., Maianthemum bifolium (L.) F.W. Schmidt, Vaccinium myrtillus L., and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., as well as the occurrence of Luzula pilosa (L.) Willd. and Calamagrostis arundinacea (L.) Roth. Its impact on the heterogeneity parameters can be traced up to 20 cm from the log. The differences in vascular plant cover between fallen logs and the surrounding forest floor depend on the soil conditions of the microsite. The heterogeneity of conditions created by the logs smoothed out with increasing decay class, resulting in decreasing differences in the heterogeneity parameters of vascular plant cover between deadwood and forest floor. The changes in the homogeneity of the initial vascular plant cover by deadwood and the gradual smoothing of heterogeneity between the logs and the forest floor in rich and poor conditions have different, mainly opposite, trends. Finally, the structure of the vegetation cover reaches a state that is typical of particular growth conditions beyond deadwood.

CONIFEROUS LEAF-BEARING FOREST BIOMASS ASSESSMENT BY THE EXAMPLE OF THE EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL SOIL AND ECOLOGICAL CENTER OF LOMONOSOV MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY “CHASHNIKOVO”

The aim of the work was to assess the contribution of the following components - biomass and mortmass of tree stands, undergrowth, living ground cover, and forest litter - to the total organic matter’s pool of plant community. The object of the study was a territory of coniferous-deciduous forest located in Solnechnogorsk City District of the Moscow region, in which five permanent sample trial plots of 50·50 m were allocated. The greatest contribution to the total organic matter mass of studied plant communities was made by forest stand perennial parts (up to 87%) and forest stand mortmass (up to 14%), and phytomass of deciduous trees in stand containing 32 to 98%, which was connected with incompleteness of forest restoration succession process. The contribution of forest litter was no more than 3%; litter deposit was low (0,18-1,21 kg·m-2), which is not typical for spruce forests, as is the fact that all litter is of the destructive type. Living ground cover in terms of floristic composition and ecological-coenotic structure was typical for the subzone of coniferous-deciduous forests; its contribution to the overall productivity of forest biogeocenosis was insignificant. The spatial intrabiogeocenotic structure of litter reserves and living ground cover biomass distribution was disturbed compared to typical spruce forests due to the high proportion of deciduous species in the forest stand. Deciduous species inclusion in the tree tier, typical of the final stage of formation of a secondary coniferous forest during succession, caused a slight increase in the intensity of the biological cycle, which was indicated in this case by a decrease in the supply of litter and a simplification of their structure. Since the biomass and mortmass of tree stand make the greatest contribution to the sequestration of carbon by forest biogeocenoses, it is these components that require the most detailed assessment during monitoring observations, the purpose of which is to assess the carbon reserves of terrestrial ecosystems.

The main biogenic elements’ content in Lobaria pulmonaria cephalolichen thalli in different ontogenetic stages in the boreal forests of Karelia (Paanajärvi National Park)

ABSTRACT The analysis of the main biogenic elements in the thalli of the epiphytic cephalolichen Lobaria pulmonaria of different ontogenetic stages was conducted. Thallus for research was collected in the spruce forests of the Paanajärvi National Park, which disturbance age varied from 190 to 270 years from the tree trunks (living and dead) of Populus tremula, Salix caprea, Sorbus aucuparia, Betula spp. Chemical analysis of thalli samples showed that N content increased (r = 0.43, p = 0.0039) and K content decreased (r = −0.42, p = 0.0046) in the ontogenetic stages from virginal 1 to senile. We revealed different elements were accumulated in lichen thalli, depending on the elements’ content in the substrate: C, K, Mn – in the young thalli, Ca, Cu, Zn – in old ones, Fe – in both groups. The results indicated the necessity to consider the ontogenetic stages of lichen thalli when analysing the element content, because the ignoring of this parameter can lead to results that did not reflect reality.

Gap expansion is the dominant driver of canopy openings in a temperate mountain forest landscape

Abstract Natural disturbances are important drivers of forest dynamics, and canopy gaps are their fingerprints in forest ecosystems. Gaps form and persist because of the interplay of tree mortality and regeneration. They can have long‐lasting impacts on ecosystems, yet the temporal dynamics of gap formation and closure remains poorly quantified. We analysed 11,331 canopy gaps and their changes through time across 3999 ha of unmanaged temperate mountain forests at Berchtesgaden National Park (Germany). We assessed gap formation and closure using three repeat lidar acquisitions between 2009 and 2021, analysing canopy height changes at 1 m horizontal resolution. Our objective was to determine the dominant mode of gap formation, distinguishing the creation of new gaps from the expansion of existing ones. Additionally, we studied the rate of gap closure, considering closure from tree regeneration and lateral crown expansion. Gap formation was primarily driven by gap expansion rather than the initiation of new gaps. Gap expansion accounted for 81.3% of gap formation, although new gaps were on average twice as large as gap expansions. Only 1.4% of gaps did not expand over the 12‐year study period, and Norway spruce forests had the highest rate of gap expansion. Overall, gap closure rate (0.74 ha 100 ha−1 year−1) was higher than gap formation (0.58 ha 100 ha−1 year−1) in our study system. Ingrowth of the regenerating tree cohort was the primary mode of gap closure, with lateral crown expansion accounting for 20% of all gap area closed. Mixed‐species stands had the highest rate of gap closure, and gaps <0.1 ha closed faster than larger gaps. Synthesis. While canopy openings are generally small in the European Alps, we show that they keep growing over multiple years, underlining that gap expansion is an important driver of temperate forest dynamics. Canopy gaps closed faster than they were created, highlighting the resilience of European mountain forests to natural disturbances. However, as disturbances are projected to increase under climate change, this resilience might be challenged in the future, requiring a continuous monitoring of gap dynamics as an important early warning indicator of forest change.

Interannual Variations in Spring Snowmelt Timing of Alaskan Black Spruce Forests Using a Bulk‐Surface Energy Balance Approach

AbstractSpring snowmelt occurs for a short duration on an annual time scale, but their timings considerably affect the carbon and hydrological cycle in high‐latitude ecosystems. Here, we developed a simple snowmelt model, treating the ecosystem surface as a bulk‐surface layer. Energy fluxes across this bulk surface and the snow‐soil boundary determine snow temperature and the energy utilized for snowmelt. Parameterizing the bulk surface using decade‐long eddy covariance site data from two Alaskan open black spruce forests offered an opportunity to quantitatively evaluate meteorological drivers affecting snowmelt timings without the needs for detailed canopy information. The sensitivity analysis suggested that the total snowfall on the forest floor, ranging from 0.35 m in 2016 to about 1 m in 2018 and 2020, was the most crucial driver for snowmelt timing. This factor accounted for a 10‐day difference in the interannual variations in snow disappearance dates. The importance of the snowfall varied from year to year, and in 2013, the late snowmelt was characterized by low air temperatures, which increased sensible heat loss from the snowpack. The importance of atmospheric radiation was revealed in relatively warm years, such as 2016 and 2019. Our modeling approach necessitates adjusting one empirical parameter that reflects the heat conductivity from the bulk surface to the snow, based on observations. Nevertheless, despite this need for adjustment, the bulk‐surface approach helps identify important meteorological drivers underlying observed snowmelt within a simple theoretical framework.

Catalogue of Asplenium septentrionale (L.) (Tracheophyta, Polypodiopsida, Aspleniaseae) specimens deposited in the State Museum of Natural History NASU, Lviv, Ukraine

The detailed analysis of origin of the Asplenium septentrionale (L.) Hoffm. specimens, deposited in the main collection of vascular plants’ herbarium in the SMNH NASU, has been carried out. Asplenium septentrionale (L.) Hoffm. – northern spleenwort – is a perennial fern of the genus Asplenium, the family Aspleniaceae, a Holarctic petrophilous species with a disjunctive Eurasian-North American natural range (Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Western Siberia, Mongolia, Himalayas, Far East, North America). Its localities are confined to petrophilic communities, mainly on granite outcrops devoid of calcium (rock crevices, rocky slopes, landslides, boulders, shady spruce forests, etc.), and the species rises to the upper mountain belt. In Ukraine, this species occurs within the Carpathians, the Crimea, Steppe (Prydniprovska and Azov uplands, Donetsk Ridge) and Forest-Steppe (Volynska and Prydniprovska uplands) zones, Polissya (occasionally in Volynske and Zhytomyrske Polissya). Asplenium septentrionale (L.) Hoffm. has been included into the official lists of regionally rare plants in many regions of Ukraine (Dnipropetrovska, Donetska, Zhytomyrska, Zaporizka, Ivano-Frankivska, Kyivska, Kirovohradska, Luhanska, Rivnenska, Chernivetska provinces and the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea). The main collection of the Herbarium of Vascular Plants in the SMNH NASU contains 26 herbarium specimens of A. septentrionale (L.) Hoffm., all being included into the electronic database "Biodiversity of Ukraine" (http://dc.smnh.org/) and digitized. The geography of the herbarium collections of A. septentrionale (L.) Hoffm., besides the modern territory of Ukraine (Dnipropetrovska (1901), Donetska (1939, 1947, 1965, 1966), Zhytomyrska (1949), Zakarpatska (1948, 1957, 1961, 1969), Ivano-Frankivska (1967), Kirovohradska (1900), Rivnenska (1948) provinces and the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea (1900)), has been represented also by the territories of Poland (1905), Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Romania (1905), Finland (1898) and the Russian Federation (North Ossetia, 1898). In descending order of the number of collected herbarium specimens with the participation of 16 collectors, the following series has been formed: Slobodian M. (3 herbarium specimens), Vainagii I. (2), Voloshchak E. (2), Hanieshyn S. (2), Lazebna A. (2), Malynovskyi K. (2), Zinger M. (2), Berko J. (1), Golde K. (1), Kotov M, Karnaukh E. (1), Markovych V. (1), Melnychuk V. (1), Rheman A. (1), Stoyko S. (1), Finn V. (1), Khrzhyzhanovskyi V., Lazebna A. (1), Shokhin V. (1). The chronology of the herbarium collections covers the period from 1898 to 1969. The earliest specimens (second half of the 19th century) were collected in Finland (V. Shokhin collection) and North Ossetia (V. Markovych collection). This article was written with the support of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, call 2022.01 «Science for the Recovery of Ukraine in the War and Post-War Periods» the project 2022.01/0013 «Digitization of natural history collections damaged as a result of hostilities and related factors: development of protocols and implementation on the basis of the State Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine». The contents of this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine and are the sole responsibility of the State Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine.

Traces of Local Adaptive Acclimatization Response in the Tracheid Anatomical Traits between Dry and Wet Mesic Norway Spruce (Picea abies) Forests in Moravia, Czech Republic?

Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests in temperate zones are already reacting to short-term extreme summer heatwaves, threatening the vitality of trees and forest productivity, and can even lead to local and regional dieback events. Examining quantitative wood anatomy can provide helpful information in terms of understanding the physiology mechanisms and related responses of conifer trees to local environmental interactions in relation to tracheid adaptive capacity. This study analysed the tracheid functional anatomical traits (FATs) plasticity of six young Norway spruce trees growing in two mesic research plots with high annual precipitation (~43%) and air temperature differences during 2010–2017. The research plots are located in the sub-mountainous (Rájec Němčice) and mountainous (Bílý Kříž) belts of the Moravia region, Czech Republic. Vapour pressure deficit and cell wall reinforcement index (CWRI) were shown to be the most representative environmental parameters as proxies of dry conditions. Tracheid FATs indicated latewood phenological plasticity sensitivity, with more pronounced variability in the warmer and drier plots. Latewood tracheids of Norway spruce trees grown in the RAJ formed significantly thicker cell walls than BK during the studied period. The observed differences between the two research plots indicate additional support for tracheid cells’ hydraulic safety against cavitation and potential traces of adaptive acclimatization response.

A Comparison of Co-Occurrence of Special Forms of Selected Metals in Soil, on the Example of Sycamore, Beech, and Spruce Forest Complexes in Urbanized and Non-Urbanized Regions of Tatra National Park

A Comparison of Co-Occurrence of Special Forms of Selected Metals in Soil, on the Example of Sycamore, Beech, and Spruce Forest Complexes in Urbanized and Non-Urbanized Regions of Tatra National Park

Early detection of bark beetle infestation using UAV-borne multispectral imagery: a case study on the spruce forest in the Czech Republic

Over the last decade, biotic disturbances caused by bark beetles have represented a serious environmental and economic issue in Central Europe. Great efforts are expended on the early detection and management of bark beetle infestation. Our study analyses a time series of UAV-borne multispectral imagery of a 250-ha forest in the Vysočina region in the Czech Republic. The study site represents a typical European spruce forest with routine silvicultural management. UAV-borne data was acquired three times during the vegetation period, specifically (a) before swarming, (b) at the early stage of infestation, and (c) in the post-abandon phase, i.e., after most bark beetle offspring left the trees. The spectral reflectance values and vegetation indices calculated from orthorectified and radiometrically calibrated imageries were statistically analyzed by quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA). The study shows that healthy and infested trees could be distinguished at the early stage of infestation, especially using NIR-related vegetation indices (NDVI and BNDVI in our case). Detecting infested trees is more significant by vegetation indices than spectral bands and increases with the increasing time after infestation. The study verified the usability of UAV-borne multispectral imageries for early detection of bark beetle infestation at the level of individual trees. Thus, these methods can contribute to precise and effective forest management on a local level.

Forest-floor respiration, N2O fluxes, and CH4 fluxes in a subalpine spruce forest: drivers and annual budgets

Abstract. Forest ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon (C) budget by sequestering a large fraction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and by acting as important methane (CH4) sinks. The forest-floor greenhouse gas (GHG; CO2, CH4, and nitrous oxide (N2O)) flux, i.e., from soil and understory vegetation, is one of the major components to consider when determining the C or GHG budget of forests. Although winter fluxes are essential to determine the annual C budget, only very few studies have examined long-term, year-round forest-floor GHG fluxes. Thus, we aimed to (i) quantify seasonal and annual variations of forest-floor GHG fluxes; (ii) evaluate their drivers, including the effects of snow cover, timing, and amount of snowmelt; and (iii) calculate annual budgets of forest-floor GHG fluxes for a subalpine spruce forest in Switzerland. We measured GHG fluxes year-round during 4 years with four automatic large chambers at the ICOS Class 1 Ecosystem station Davos (CH-Dav). We applied random forest models to investigate environmental drivers and to gap-fill the flux time series. The forest floor emitted 2336 g CO2 m−2 yr−1 (average over 4 years). Annual and seasonal forest-floor respiration responded most strongly to soil temperature and snow depth. No response of forest-floor respiration to leaf area index or photosynthetic photon flux density was observed, suggesting a strong direct control of soil environmental factors and a weak, or even lacking, indirect control of canopy biology. Furthermore, the forest floor was a consistent CH4 sink (−0.71 g CH4 m−2 yr−1), with annual fluxes driven mainly by snow depth. Winter CO2 fluxes were less important for the CO2 budget (6.0 %–7.3 %), while winter CH4 fluxes contributed substantially to the annual CH4 budget (14.4 %–18.4 %). N2O fluxes were very low (0.007 g N2O m−2 yr−1), negligible for the forest-floor GHG budget at our site. In 2022, the warmest year on record with below-average precipitation at the Davos site, we observed a substantial increase in forest-floor respiration compared with other years. The mean forest-floor GHG budget indicated emissions of 2319 ± 200 g CO2 eq. m−2 yr−1 (mean ± standard deviation (SD) over all years), with respiration fluxes dominating and CH4 offsetting a very small proportion (0.8 %) of the CO2 emissions. Due to the relevance of snow cover, we recommend year-round measurements of GHG fluxes with high temporal resolution. In a future with increasing temperatures and less snow cover due to climate change, we expect increased forest-floor respiration at this subalpine site modulating the carbon sink of the forest ecosystem.

Isotopic evidence for seasonal water sources in tree xylem and forest soils

AbstractForest trees greatly influence both the routing of water downward into the subsurface and the re‐routing of water upward through water uptake and transpiration. To reveal how the subsurface soil water pools used by trees change across seasons, we analysed 2 years of stable isotope ratios of precipitation, soil water from different depths (using both bulk sampling and suction‐cup lysimeters), and xylem in a mixed beech and spruce forest. Precipitation as well as mobile and bulk soil waters all showed a distinct seasonal signature; the seasonal amplitude decreased with depth, and mobile soil waters fluctuated less than bulk soil waters. Xylem water signatures in both tree species were similar to the bulk soil water signatures and rather different from the mobile soil water signatures. The beech and spruce trees had different isotope ratios, suggesting the use of different water sources, and these differences were larger under dry antecedent conditions than wet antecedent conditions. Despite these differences, both species predominantly transpired waters with a winter‐precipitation isotopic signature throughout the summer, including during wet conditions when more recent precipitation was available. Over most of the sampling dates, the fraction of recent precipitation (i.e. from the preceding 30 days) in xylem water was low, despite both species typically demonstrating the use of both shallow and deeper soil waters. These results provide evidence that the soil water storages used by these trees are largely filled in winter and bypassed by recent precipitation, implying long residence times.