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Forests
Special Issues
Fir and Pine Management in Changeable Environment
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Fir and Pine Management in Changeable Environment

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 November 2023) | Viewed by 9606

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Andrej Bončina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: sustainable and multi-objective forest management; forest planning; stand dynamics; modelling; ecological forestry
Prof. Dr. Teresa Fidalgo Fonseca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forestry Sciences and Landscape Architecture (CIFAP), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal Forest Research Centre (CEF), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: silviculture; forest management, biometrics; forest inventory; data science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Dalibor Ballian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Forestry, Department of Silviculture, University of Sarajevo, Zagrebačka 20, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Interests: forest genetics and breeding, biodiversity, climate change, conservation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fir and pine forests are widely represented around the world, and have important ecological, economic and social roles. There are several risks and opportunities to be addressed when managing these forests in changeable environments. Climate change might affect fir and pine forest dynamics (regeneration, growth, and mortality), and this requires adaptive management strategies.

In this Special Issue, selected papers presented at the IUFRO conference ABIES & PINUS 2022, Fir and Pine Management in Changeable Environments will be published. The conference is organized in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a joint event of two IUFRO units: 1.01.09 Ecology and Silviculture of Fir and 1.01.10 Ecology and Silviculture of Pine.

We encourage conference participants and their co-authors to prepare scientific papers within the conference theme and submit them for publishing. We hope that the conference and the Special Issue will contribute to advancing research on fir and pine management in changeable environments. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following main themes considered in the conference:

  1. Stand dynamics of fir and pine forests: regeneration, growth, mortality, dendrochronology and soil fertility;
  2. Ecology and management of fir and pine species in changeable environments;
  3. Gene pool and provenances of fir and pine species: improving adaptability to a changing environment;
  4. Providing products and ecosystem services from fir and pine forests;
  5. Silviculture and management planning given the pressure on wood requirements.

This Special Issue of Forests is sponsored by IUFRO research units 1.01.09 - Ecology and silviculture of fir and research unit 1.01.10 - Ecology and silviculture of pine, from Division 1 Silviculture.

Prof. Dr. Andrej Bončina
Prof. Dr. Teresa Fidalgo Fonseca
Prof. Dr. Dalibor Ballian
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fir forests
  • pine forests
  • stands dynamics
  • silviculture and management
  • adaptability to a changing environment
  • products and ecosystem services
  • diseases and risks

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 5184 KiB  
Article
Influence of Tree Attributes on Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) Transitioning to Higher Defoliation Classes Determined by Logistic Regression
by Anamarija Jazbec, Damir Ugarković, Mladen Ognjenović and Mislav Vedriš
Forests 2023, 14(7), 1322; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071322 - 28 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1186
Abstract
The age, size and morphology of trees, including crown dimensions, can influence crown defoliation. In Croatia, the selection management of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) forests involves pure or mixed stands, either of which can be affected by various disturbances, resulting in [...] Read more.
The age, size and morphology of trees, including crown dimensions, can influence crown defoliation. In Croatia, the selection management of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) forests involves pure or mixed stands, either of which can be affected by various disturbances, resulting in unbalanced stand structures. The aim of this study was to estimate the probability of trees transitioning from one defoliation class to the next, examine the influence of tree attributes on that process and analyze the changes in survival over time. The study was conducted over a 18-year period (1990–2007) on two sites with contrasting stand structures: a uniform stand with a dominant share of silver fir (Site A) and an uneven-aged mixed beech–fir stand (Site B). Logistic regression was used to model tree transitions between defoliation classes. Uniform stand structure increased the likelihood of silver fir trees transitioning to a higher defoliation class, with limited dependence on the tree crown position. In contrast, suppressed and central trees in uneven-aged stands were more likely to transition to a higher defoliation due to greater competition between them. Diameter at breast height (DBH) was found to be a significant predictor of tree transition to higher defoliation classes, with a linear trend of increasing probability with increasing DBH. Crown position and crown length were also found to be significant predictors of changing defoliation class, with observed differences between sites occurring due to differences in stand structure. To ensure a balanced stand structure and enhance tree vitality, careful consideration of easily measurable tree elements such as DBH, crown length, and tree crown position is imperative when selecting trees for felling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fir and Pine Management in Changeable Environment)
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13 pages, 7609 KiB  
Article
Growth Response of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) to Climate Factors along the Carpathian Massive
by Pia Caroline Adamič, Tom Levanič, Mihail Hanzu and Matjaž Čater
Forests 2023, 14(7), 1318; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071318 - 27 Jun 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1850
Abstract
European forests are becoming increasingly threatened by climate change and more frequent droughts. The likely responses of species to climate change will vary, affecting their competitiveness, their existence, and consequently, forest management decisions and measures. We determined the influence of climate on the [...] Read more.
European forests are becoming increasingly threatened by climate change and more frequent droughts. The likely responses of species to climate change will vary, affecting their competitiveness, their existence, and consequently, forest management decisions and measures. We determined the influence of climate on the radial growth of European beech and silver fir along the Carpathians to find similarities between the two species and the main differences. Along the Carpathian Mountains, seven sites with mature fir–beech stands above 800 m above sea level were selected and analyzed. Our study confirmed different responses depending on species and location. A more pronounced response of tree growth to climate was observed on the eastern side of the Carpathians, while it was less expressed or even absent on the southern sites. Both beech and fir show better radial growth with higher precipitation in July and slower growth with higher average and maximum temperatures in June of the current year. Fir demonstrates a positive correlation between radial growth and temperature in winter, while beech demonstrates a negative correlation between radial growth and temperature in summer. In the 1951–1960 decade, the average tree ring widths in fir and beech were largest at the southern sites compared to the other sites, but since 2011, the southern sites have had the lowest increase while northern sites have had the largest. Both species respond differently to climate and are likely to follow different competitive paths in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fir and Pine Management in Changeable Environment)
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16 pages, 2697 KiB  
Article
Select or Not? Comparing the Impact of Selective and Schematic Thinning on Scots Pine Tree Growth and Stand Structure
by Amanda Castro Segtowich, Saija Huuskonen, Nils Fahlvik and Emma Holmström
Forests 2023, 14(6), 1194; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061194 - 9 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1773
Abstract
The first commercial thinning usually entails a high cost in harvest operations and a low resulting income. From a practical forestry perspective, a schematic spatial selection might be more efficient than a selective approach. Therefore, this study aimed to compare basal area, total [...] Read more.
The first commercial thinning usually entails a high cost in harvest operations and a low resulting income. From a practical forestry perspective, a schematic spatial selection might be more efficient than a selective approach. Therefore, this study aimed to compare basal area, total and standing volumes, and periodic annual increment (PAI), as well as stand structure, between different thinning designs (selective and schematic thinning) and strategies (thinning once or more than once) over a long-term monitoring period of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) plantations in Sweden. We also evaluated the relevancy of distance-dependent competition indices (CIs) in individual tree growth models by comparing growth model predictions with the use of distance-dependent and distance-independent CIs. Despite higher heterogeneity in schematically thinned stands, there were no significant differences in standing and total volumes (m3·ha−1) among treatments in the short or long term. Although the inclusion of a distance-dependent CI improved the model slightly, distance-independent models predicted diameter growth just as effectively. Schematic thinning could be a viable option for a first commercial thinning or one-time thinning if, at least, one more thinning is included in the management plan, or if the motivating interest is mainly volume. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fir and Pine Management in Changeable Environment)
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16 pages, 2071 KiB  
Article
Diameter Growth of Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.), Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), and Black Pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) in Central European Forests: Findings from Slovenia
by Andrej Bončina, Vasilije Trifković and Andrej Ficko
Forests 2023, 14(4), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14040793 - 12 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1615
Abstract
The main objectives of the study were to (1) determine the response of the diameter growth of silver fir, Scots pine, and black pine in Central European seminatural forests to tree, stand, and environmental factors and (2) test for differences in their growth [...] Read more.
The main objectives of the study were to (1) determine the response of the diameter growth of silver fir, Scots pine, and black pine in Central European seminatural forests to tree, stand, and environmental factors and (2) test for differences in their growth rate on different soils. Based on 26,291 permanent sampling plots (500 m² each), we developed a linear mixed-effects model of the diameter increment for each of these tree species. The models explained 32%–47% of the total diameter increment variability. The models differ in the set of predictors. All models suggested a non-linear effect of tree diameter on diameter increment. Nine predictors were common to all three models (stand basal area, quadratic mean diameter, basal area of overtopping trees, the proportion of beech in the stand volume, inclination, elevation, mean annual temperature, mean diurnal range, and soil unit), and six predictors were specific for one or two models (tree diameter, logarithm of tree diameter, proportion of other broadleaves, site productivity, rockiness, eastness index). Tree diameter was the most important variable for fir growth, while climatic variables explained most of the variability in pine diameter growth. The soil unit contributed from 5.3% to 7.5% to the explained diameter increment variability. Although the developed models are only locally accurate and cannot be used outside the study area without validation, the model predictions can be compared to those in other stand growth simulators and other geographical regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fir and Pine Management in Changeable Environment)
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15 pages, 2498 KiB  
Article
Impact of Fire Recurrence and Induced Water Stress on Seed Germination and Root Mitotic Cell Cycle of Pinus pinaster Aiton
by Stéphanie Ribeiro, Maria João Gaspar, José Lima-Brito, Teresa Fonseca, Paula Soares, Adelaide Cerveira, Paulo M. Fernandes, José Louzada and Ana Carvalho
Forests 2023, 14(1), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14010078 - 31 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2103
Abstract
Climate change will increase the frequency of drought, heat waves, and wildfires. We intended to analyse how fire recurrence and/or induced water stress can affect seed germination and root cell division in Pinus pinaster Aiton. Seeds from stands with no prior fire history [...] Read more.
Climate change will increase the frequency of drought, heat waves, and wildfires. We intended to analyse how fire recurrence and/or induced water stress can affect seed germination and root cell division in Pinus pinaster Aiton. Seeds from stands with no prior fire history and from post-fire regeneration (in areas burnt once, twice, and thrice) in northern Portugal were germinated in distilled water (control) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to simulate water stress for four weeks, followed by a recovery period. Roots were analysed cytogenetically. The germination index of the Pinus pinaster seeds was not statistically influenced by the induction of osmotic stress, nor by the fire recurrence of the stands. The mean germination time (MGT) was 10–29 days and 1–36 days for the stress and recovery periods, respectively, and increased with PEG concentration. The 20% PEG treatment inhibited root growth after germination. The 10% PEG treatment induced a high frequency of cytogenetic anomalies, mostly in the sites which experienced fire exposure. While fire recurrence did not affect the germination rate, it seemed to reduce the water stress response, negatively impacting cell division and impair root growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fir and Pine Management in Changeable Environment)
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