Biomass Allocation to Resource Acquisition Compartments Is Affected by Tree Density Manipulation in European Beech after Three Decades
This study reports on an investigation of fine root and foliage productivity in forest stands dominated by European beech (<i>Fagus sylvatica</i> L.) and exposed to contrasting intensities of mature forest harvesting. The main aim of this study was to consider the long-term effects of ca...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/9/940 |
| _version_ | 1797555334052577280 |
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| author | Bohdan Konôpka Milan Barna Michal Bosela Martin Lukac |
| author_facet | Bohdan Konôpka Milan Barna Michal Bosela Martin Lukac |
| author_sort | Bohdan Konôpka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study reports on an investigation of fine root and foliage productivity in forest stands dominated by European beech (<i>Fagus sylvatica</i> L.) and exposed to contrasting intensities of mature forest harvesting. The main aim of this study was to consider the long-term effects of canopy manipulation on resource acquisition biomass compartments in beech. We made use of an experiment established in 1989, when five different light availability treatments were started in plots within a uniform forest stand, ranging from no reduction in tree density to full mature forest removal. We measured fine root standing stock in the 0–30 cm soil layer by coring in 2013 and then followed annual fine root production (in-growth cores) and foliage production (litter baskets) in 2013–2015. We found that the plot where the tree density was reduced by 30% had the lowest foliage and the highest fine root production. In 2013, this plot had the highest fine root turnover rate (0.8 year<sup>−1</sup>), while this indicator of fine root dynamics was much lower in the other four treatments (around 0.3 year<sup>−1</sup>). We also found that the annual fine root production represented around two thirds of annual foliage growth on the mass basis in all treatments. While our findings support the maintenance of source and sink balance in woody plants, we also found a long-lasting effect of tree density manipulation on investment into resource acquisition compartments in beech forests. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:45:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8b047eed83754e99a2f25e1daf7ae3ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:45:57Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b047eed83754e99a2f25e1daf7ae3ab2023-11-20T11:39:54ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072020-08-0111994010.3390/f11090940Biomass Allocation to Resource Acquisition Compartments Is Affected by Tree Density Manipulation in European Beech after Three DecadesBohdan Konôpka0Milan Barna1Michal Bosela2Martin Lukac3Forest Research Institute, National Forest Centre, T.G. Masaryka 22, SK-960 01 Zvolen, SlovakiaInstitute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Science, Ľ. Štúra 2, SK-960 53 Zvolen, SlovakiaFaculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 24, SK-960 01 Zvolen, SlovakiaFaculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Science Prague, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00 Praha 6–Suchdol, Czech RepublicThis study reports on an investigation of fine root and foliage productivity in forest stands dominated by European beech (<i>Fagus sylvatica</i> L.) and exposed to contrasting intensities of mature forest harvesting. The main aim of this study was to consider the long-term effects of canopy manipulation on resource acquisition biomass compartments in beech. We made use of an experiment established in 1989, when five different light availability treatments were started in plots within a uniform forest stand, ranging from no reduction in tree density to full mature forest removal. We measured fine root standing stock in the 0–30 cm soil layer by coring in 2013 and then followed annual fine root production (in-growth cores) and foliage production (litter baskets) in 2013–2015. We found that the plot where the tree density was reduced by 30% had the lowest foliage and the highest fine root production. In 2013, this plot had the highest fine root turnover rate (0.8 year<sup>−1</sup>), while this indicator of fine root dynamics was much lower in the other four treatments (around 0.3 year<sup>−1</sup>). We also found that the annual fine root production represented around two thirds of annual foliage growth on the mass basis in all treatments. While our findings support the maintenance of source and sink balance in woody plants, we also found a long-lasting effect of tree density manipulation on investment into resource acquisition compartments in beech forests.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/9/940<i>Fagus sylvatica</i>fine rootsfoliagestanding stock and productionroot-to-shoot ratio |
| spellingShingle | Bohdan Konôpka Milan Barna Michal Bosela Martin Lukac Biomass Allocation to Resource Acquisition Compartments Is Affected by Tree Density Manipulation in European Beech after Three Decades Forests <i>Fagus sylvatica</i> fine roots foliage standing stock and production root-to-shoot ratio |
| title | Biomass Allocation to Resource Acquisition Compartments Is Affected by Tree Density Manipulation in European Beech after Three Decades |
| title_full | Biomass Allocation to Resource Acquisition Compartments Is Affected by Tree Density Manipulation in European Beech after Three Decades |
| title_fullStr | Biomass Allocation to Resource Acquisition Compartments Is Affected by Tree Density Manipulation in European Beech after Three Decades |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biomass Allocation to Resource Acquisition Compartments Is Affected by Tree Density Manipulation in European Beech after Three Decades |
| title_short | Biomass Allocation to Resource Acquisition Compartments Is Affected by Tree Density Manipulation in European Beech after Three Decades |
| title_sort | biomass allocation to resource acquisition compartments is affected by tree density manipulation in european beech after three decades |
| topic | <i>Fagus sylvatica</i> fine roots foliage standing stock and production root-to-shoot ratio |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/9/940 |
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