Special issue/Topical collection Archive

12 Oct 2020

Climate-growth relationships for Aspidosperma tomentosum Mart. in South American tropical dry forests

Key message The precise demarcation and cross-dating of tree rings in Aspidosperma tomentosum Mart., a valuable timber species in the tropical dry forests of South America, were used to develop the first well-replicated chronology covering the period
2 Sep 2020

New Topical Collection on “Establishment of second-growth forests in human landscapes: ecological mechanisms and genetic consequences”

This special issue gathers articles (see references below) arising from the ERA-NET BiodivERsA3 research project “Unraveling the Potential of Spontaneous Forest Establishment for Improving Ecosystem Functions and Services in Dynamic Landscapes (SPONFOREST)”.   SPONFOREST addressed two major
2 Sep 2020

Establishment of second-growth forests in human landscapes: ecological mechanisms and genetic consequences

Key message This special issue gathers articles arising from the ERA-NET BiodivERsA3 research project “Unraveling the Potential of Spontaneous Forest Establishment for Improving Ecosystem Functions and Services in Dynamic Landscapes (SPONFOREST)”. Using a broad spectrum of research
2 Sep 2020

Forest decline differentially affects trophic guilds of canopy-dwelling beetles

Key message Decline can affect the structure, resources, and microclimates of the forest canopy, and potentially have cascading effects on canopy-dwelling species. Our survey shows that an oak decline can promote saproxylic beetles, especially xylophagous ones, and
28 Aug 2020

Tree potential growth varies more than competition among spontaneously established forest stands of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur)

Key message Analyses of dendrochronological data from 15 recently established tablished stands of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) revealed that functions describing potential tree growth in the absence of neighbours varied more between stands than functions describing
28 Aug 2020

Recruitment of a genotyped Quercus robur L. seedling cohort in an expanding oak forest stand: diversity, dispersal, and performance across habitats

Key message Few studies have linked the origin of dispersed tree seeds with their post-dispersal fate. We show that habitat-dependent mortality in a pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur L.) seedling cohort reshapes the effective fecundity of individual
23 Jul 2020

The flexural lumber properties of Pinus patula Schiede ex Schltdl. & Cham. improve with decreasing initial tree spacing

Key message An increase in the stiffness of lumber with a decrease in initial tree spacing was confirmed for Pinus patula Schiede ex Schltdl. & Cham. The underlying properties of microfibril angle, wood density and knot frequency
15 Jul 2020

CO2 fertilization, transpiration deficit and vegetation period drive the response of mixed broadleaved forests to a changing climate in Wallonia

Key message The change in forest productivity was simulated in six stands in Wallonia (Belgium) following different climate scenarios using a process-based and spatially explicit tree growth model. Simulations revealed a strong and positive impact of the
9 Jul 2020

Functional distance is driven more strongly by environmental factors than by genetic relatedness in Juniperus thurifera L. expanding forest stands

Key message In our study of colonisation of abandoned farmland by Juniperus thurifera L., environmental and geographic distances were stronger drivers of functional differentiation among trees than genetic distance and tree intrinsic features. However, these effects varied
16 Jun 2020

Climate warming differently affects Larix decidua ring formation at each end of a French Alps elevational gradient

Key message The ongoing global warming tends to reduce Larix decidua radial growth and ring wood density at the bottom of an elevational gradient in the French Alps, while it has a less marked effect at the