All published articles Archive

30 Jan 2025

Beyond the perception of wind only as a meteorological hazard: importance of mechanobiology for biomass allocation, forest ecology and management

Key message Although global changes are expected to intensify the impact of wind as a hazard, recent studies have emphasized the critical role wind plays in tree growth and development. Wind-induced swaying generates strains that the tree
30 Jan 2025

Take five: about the beat and the bar of annual and 5-year periodic national forest inventories

Key message International forest reporting processes and increasing forest disturbances delineate new requirements regarding the information delivered by national forest inventories (NFI), with implications on their sampling strategies. An original comparative review of the sampling designs of
28 Jan 2025

Unlocking genome-based prediction and selection in conifers: the key role of within-family prediction accuracy illustrated in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.)

Key message Based on experimental and simulated data for maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) in a genomic selection context, our study reveals that the often-highlighted equivalence between genome-based and pedigree-based prediction accuracies of breeding values is associated
27 Jan 2025

High genetic gains in wood volume and fecundity can be both achieved by direct selection in half-sib families of Pinus yunnanensis Franch

Key message This study demonstrates the potential of Pinus yunnanensis Franch. for multi-trait selection in breeding programs, highlighting positive co-variation of growth traits with fecundity, trunk straightness, and crown health in 16-year-old progenies. Integrated trait selection could
20 Dec 2024

Ex situ germination of European acorns: data from 93 batches of 12 Quercus species

Key message We provide data on seedlot germination potential—a key trait related to regeneration—of 12 oak species. Germination was tested at the University of Granada following international protocols with 8985 acorns from 93 batches and 16 countries
2 Dec 2024

Changes in tree-ring wood density of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), silver fir (Abies alba Mill.), and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) in European mountain forests between 1901 and 2016

Key message We found a significant increase in the latewood density of European beech, and a decrease in the latewood and mean wood density of silver fir and Norway spruce in European mountain forests over the period
8 Nov 2024

Hydraulic properties for a wide range of undisturbed and compacted French forest soils: in situ measurements and estimation with the BEST method

Key message The dataset provides hydraulic properties estimated using the Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer (BEST) method, on undisturbed and on compacted and rutted French forest soils. It allows a reliable assessment of the effect of traffic
7 Nov 2024

Characterization and prediction of hydraulic properties of traffic-compacted forest soils based on soil information and traffic treatments

Key message The hydraulic properties of compacted and rutted soils were evaluated through in-situ infiltration experiments and predicted based on soil texture class and traffic treatments. A significant decrease in saturated soil water content and soil hydraulic
5 Nov 2024

Volume-based selection in Pinus pinaster Aiton breeding: evaluating resistance to Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner & Buhrer) Nickle and wood properties

Key message Genetic parameter estimates at age 12 years for trunk volume in Pinus pinaster displayed low to moderate heritability for growth and stem form, whereas wood properties showed high heritability. No correlation was detected between resistance
5 Nov 2024

Light-demanding canopy tree species do not indicate past human disturbance in the Yangambi rainforest (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Key message In a former paper, we investigated whether the presence of light-demanding tree species in the forest canopy of the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve (central Congo basin) might be a result of past human disturbances (Luambua et