Deadwood Characteristics in Mature and Old-Growth Birch Stands and Their Implications for Carbon Storage
As one of the most abundant tree species in the hemiboreal zone, birch is important from both commercial and biodiversity perspectives. While old-growth deciduous stands are important for biodiversity conservation with an emphasis on deadwood availability, the role that deadwood in these stands play...
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/5/536 |
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| author | Silva Šēnhofa Ieva Jaunslaviete Guntars Šņepsts Jurģis Jansons Līga Liepa Āris Jansons |
| author_facet | Silva Šēnhofa Ieva Jaunslaviete Guntars Šņepsts Jurģis Jansons Līga Liepa Āris Jansons |
| author_sort | Silva Šēnhofa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As one of the most abundant tree species in the hemiboreal zone, birch is important from both commercial and biodiversity perspectives. While old-growth deciduous stands are important for biodiversity conservation with an emphasis on deadwood availability, the role that deadwood in these stands plays in carbon sequestration remains unclear. We studied mature (71–110 years old) and old-growth (121–150 years old) birch stands on fertile mineral soils. The marginal mean deadwood volume was 43.5 ± 6.4 m<sup>3</sup> ha<sup>−1</sup> in all mature stands, 51.3 ± 7.1 m<sup>3</sup> ha<sup>−1</sup> in recently unmanaged mature stands, and 54.4 ± 4.4 m<sup>3</sup> ha<sup>−1</sup> in old-growth stands; the marginal mean deadwood carbon pool for each stand type was 5.4 ± 0.8 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>, 6.3 ± 0.9 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>, and 7.9 ± 0.6 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. Deadwood volume was not related to stand productivity in terms of stand basal area, stand height, or stand age. The difference between mature and old-growth stands remained non-significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05). A high volume of deadwood was almost continuously present throughout the landscape in assessed unmanaged sites; moreover, 88% of sample plots in old-growth stands and 63% of sample plots in mature stands had a deadwood volume higher than 20 m<sup>3</sup>·ha<sup>−1</sup>. Old-growth stands had a slightly greater volume of large deadwood than unmanaged mature stands; in both, almost half of the deadwood was more than 30 cm in diameter and approximately one-fifth had a diameter greater than 40 cm. Both groups of stands had similar proportions of coniferous and deciduous deadwood and lying and standing deadwood. Old-growth stands had a higher volume of recently and weakly decayed wood, indicating increased dieback during recent years. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:54:37Z |
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| id | doaj.art-85d16e1f0e714db2b2ea5c44d4cab30f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:54:37Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
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| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-85d16e1f0e714db2b2ea5c44d4cab30f2023-11-20T00:02:19ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072020-05-0111553610.3390/f11050536Deadwood Characteristics in Mature and Old-Growth Birch Stands and Their Implications for Carbon StorageSilva Šēnhofa0Ieva Jaunslaviete1Guntars Šņepsts2Jurģis Jansons3Līga Liepa4Āris Jansons5Latvian State Forest Research Institute Silava, Rigas Street 111, LV–2169 Salaspils, LatviaLatvian State Forest Research Institute Silava, Rigas Street 111, LV–2169 Salaspils, LatviaLatvian State Forest Research Institute Silava, Rigas Street 111, LV–2169 Salaspils, LatviaLatvian State Forest Research Institute Silava, Rigas Street 111, LV–2169 Salaspils, LatviaLatvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Forestry Faculty, Liela 2, LV–3001 Jelgava, LatviaLatvian State Forest Research Institute Silava, Rigas Street 111, LV–2169 Salaspils, LatviaAs one of the most abundant tree species in the hemiboreal zone, birch is important from both commercial and biodiversity perspectives. While old-growth deciduous stands are important for biodiversity conservation with an emphasis on deadwood availability, the role that deadwood in these stands plays in carbon sequestration remains unclear. We studied mature (71–110 years old) and old-growth (121–150 years old) birch stands on fertile mineral soils. The marginal mean deadwood volume was 43.5 ± 6.4 m<sup>3</sup> ha<sup>−1</sup> in all mature stands, 51.3 ± 7.1 m<sup>3</sup> ha<sup>−1</sup> in recently unmanaged mature stands, and 54.4 ± 4.4 m<sup>3</sup> ha<sup>−1</sup> in old-growth stands; the marginal mean deadwood carbon pool for each stand type was 5.4 ± 0.8 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>, 6.3 ± 0.9 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>, and 7.9 ± 0.6 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. Deadwood volume was not related to stand productivity in terms of stand basal area, stand height, or stand age. The difference between mature and old-growth stands remained non-significant (<i>p</i> < 0.05). A high volume of deadwood was almost continuously present throughout the landscape in assessed unmanaged sites; moreover, 88% of sample plots in old-growth stands and 63% of sample plots in mature stands had a deadwood volume higher than 20 m<sup>3</sup>·ha<sup>−1</sup>. Old-growth stands had a slightly greater volume of large deadwood than unmanaged mature stands; in both, almost half of the deadwood was more than 30 cm in diameter and approximately one-fifth had a diameter greater than 40 cm. Both groups of stands had similar proportions of coniferous and deciduous deadwood and lying and standing deadwood. Old-growth stands had a higher volume of recently and weakly decayed wood, indicating increased dieback during recent years.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/5/536birch senescencedeclineovermaturedeadwood carbon pool |
| spellingShingle | Silva Šēnhofa Ieva Jaunslaviete Guntars Šņepsts Jurģis Jansons Līga Liepa Āris Jansons Deadwood Characteristics in Mature and Old-Growth Birch Stands and Their Implications for Carbon Storage Forests birch senescence decline overmature deadwood carbon pool |
| title | Deadwood Characteristics in Mature and Old-Growth Birch Stands and Their Implications for Carbon Storage |
| title_full | Deadwood Characteristics in Mature and Old-Growth Birch Stands and Their Implications for Carbon Storage |
| title_fullStr | Deadwood Characteristics in Mature and Old-Growth Birch Stands and Their Implications for Carbon Storage |
| title_full_unstemmed | Deadwood Characteristics in Mature and Old-Growth Birch Stands and Their Implications for Carbon Storage |
| title_short | Deadwood Characteristics in Mature and Old-Growth Birch Stands and Their Implications for Carbon Storage |
| title_sort | deadwood characteristics in mature and old growth birch stands and their implications for carbon storage |
| topic | birch senescence decline overmature deadwood carbon pool |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/5/536 |
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