Modelling water balance and nitrate leaching in temperate Norway spruce and beech forests located on the same soil type with the CoupModel

In Northern Europe, an increase in heterogeneity of summer precipitation regime will subject forests to water deficit and drought. This is particularly topical for Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.), which is a drought sensitive, yet economically important species. Nevertheless, local populations still might be highly plastic and tolerant, supporting their commercial application. Accordingly, the tolerance of Norway spruce seedlings from an Eastern Baltic provenance (western part of Latvia) to artificial drought according to soil type was assessed in a shelter experiment. To simulate drought, seedlings were subjected to reduced amounts (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of naturally occurring precipitation (irrigation intensity). Three soil types (oligotrophic mineral, mesotrophic mineral, and peat) were tested. Seedling height, chlorophyll a concentration, and fluorescence parameters were measured. Both growth and photochemical reactions were affected by the irrigation intensity, the effect of which experienced an interacted with soil type, implying complex controls of drought sensitivity. Seedlings were more sensitive to irrigation intensity on mesotrophic mineral soil, as suggested by growth and photosynthetic activity. However, the responses were nonlinear, as the highest performance (growth and fluorescence parameters) of seedlings occurred in response to intermediate drought. On peat soil, which had the highest water-bearing capacity, an inverse response to irrigation intensity was observed. In general, fluorescence parameters were more sensitive and showed more immediate reaction to soil water deficit than concentration of chlorophyll on mesotrophic mineral and peat soils, while the latter was a better indicator of seedling performance on oligotrophic soil. This indicated considerable plastic acclimation and hence tolerance of seedlings from the local Norway spruce population to drought, though drought sensitivity is age-dependent.

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Biotic and Abiotic Determinants of Soil Organic Matter Stock and Fine Root Biomass in Mountain Area Temperate Forests—Examples from Cambisols under European Beech, Norway Spruce and Silver Fir (Carpathians, Central Europe)

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12070823 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 823

Author(s):

Anna Zielonka ◽

Marek Drewnik ◽

Łukasz Musielok ◽

Marcin K. Dyderski ◽

Dariusz Struzik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Norway Spruce ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Fine Root ◽

Stand Density ◽

European Beech ◽

Fine Root Biomass ◽

Silver Fir ◽

Beech Forests

Forest ecosystems significantly contribute to the global organic carbon (OC) pool, exhibiting high spatial heterogeneity in this respect. Some of the components of the OC pool in a forest (woody aboveground biomass (wAGB), coarse root biomass (CRB)) can be relatively easily estimated using readily available data from land observation and forest inventories, while some of the components of the OC pool are very difficult to determine (fine root biomass (FRB) and soil organic matter (SOM) stock). The main objectives of our study were to: (1) estimate the SOM stock; (2) estimate FRB; and (3) assess the relationship between both biotic (wAGB, forest age, foliage, stand density) and abiotic factors (climatic conditions, relief, soil properties) and SOM stocks and FRB in temperate forests in the Western Carpathians consisting of European beech, Norway spruce, and silver fir (32 forest inventory plots in total). We uncovered the highest wAGB in beech forests and highest SOM stocks under beech forest. FRB was the highest under fir forest. We noted a considerable impact of stand density on SOM stocks, particularly in beech and spruce forests. FRB content was mostly impacted by stand density only in beech forests without any discernible effects on other forest characteristics. We discovered significant impacts of relief-dependent factors and SOM stocks at all the studied sites. Our biomass and carbon models informed by more detailed environmental data led to reduce the uncertainty in over- and underestimation in Cambisols under beech, spruce, and fir forests for mountain temperate forest carbon pools.

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Water Balance in Afforestation Chronosequences of Common Oak and Norway Spruce on Former Arable Soils in Denmark as Evaluated Using the DAISY Model

Procedia Environmental Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.proenv.2013.06.024 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 217-223 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

O. Salazar ◽

S. Hansen ◽

P. Abrahamsen ◽

K. Hansen ◽

P. Gundersen

Keyword(s):

Water Balance ◽

Norway Spruce ◽

Arable Soils ◽

Common Oak

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Verjüngungspotenzial verschiedener Waldföhrenund Fichtenherkünfte bei variabler Trockenheit

Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen ◽

10.3188/szf.2015.0399 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 166 (6) ◽

pp. 399-407 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Barbara Moser ◽

Marek Metslaid ◽

Lorenz Walthert ◽

Ulrich Wasem ◽

Thomas Wohlgemuth

Keyword(s):

Water Balance ◽

Norway Spruce ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Water Retention Capacity ◽

Summer Drought ◽

Retention Capacity ◽

Rhine Valley ◽

A Minor

Regeneration potential of different Scots pine and Norway spruce provenances under variable drought Rising temperatures will lead to extended periods of summer drought, which may challenge the persistence of Scots pine and Norway spruce in dry alpine valleys where these species play an important role in the protection against natural hazards. We tested whether the natural regeneration of the two species in the Rhine valley near Chur, Switzerland, might be limited under future climatic conditions and we compared the performance of autochthonous provenances with that of seedlings originating from regions with already drier summer climate such as the Rhone valley, continental Eastern Europe or the Mediterranean basin. Seeds of Scots pine and Norway spruce were sown repeatedly in forest clearings at three south-exposed sites in the Rhine valley near Chur, Switzerland. Soil moisture was manipulated to a minor extent with throughfall reduction roofs. In both species, regeneration success was primarily driven by the weather conditions during the three months following seed sowing: the seedlings having emerged in the rainy spring of 2013 had a higher survival rate and accumulated up to five times more aboveground biomass than the seedlings emerging in the dry spring of 2011. In years with an average or even positive water balance, Scots pine seedlings were able to establish at all sites. In Norway spruce, by contrast, establishment rate exceeded 10% of viable seeds only at the site with the highest water retention capacity. In years with a positive water balance during spring, the seedlings from the Rhine and Rhone valleys outperformed those from most Mediterranean and Eastern European provenances, while no differences between provenances were found in the dry spring of 2011. We suggest that periodical regeneration of Scots pine will be likely in the Rhine valley even under future climatic conditions, whereas the establishment of Norway spruce may remain an exceptional event in dry, south-exposed clearings.

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