Ecological factors affecting the recent Picea abies decline in Slovenia: the importance of bedrock type and forest naturalness
Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) has been at the centre of controversy for many decades. Recent evidence of its profound disturbance-induced damage and consequent stock depletions across forest landscapes in Europe has reinforced doubts regarding the sustainability and prospects of this tree...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)
2023-04-01
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| Series: | iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor4168-016 |
| _version_ | 1797857444241604608 |
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| author | Kermavnar J Kutnar L Pintar AM |
| author_facet | Kermavnar J Kutnar L Pintar AM |
| author_sort | Kermavnar J |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) has been at the centre of controversy for many decades. Recent evidence of its profound disturbance-induced damage and consequent stock depletions across forest landscapes in Europe has reinforced doubts regarding the sustainability and prospects of this tree species in the future. Like many other European countries, Slovenia has experienced significant Norway spruce mortality and a decrease in growing stock primarily as the result of several disturbance agents (bark beetle outbreaks, an ice storm, windthrows). We investigated a countrywide spruce growing stock decline based on data between 2010 and 2018. Particular focus was placed on identifying the main ecological drivers of this decline, namely geological conditions, climatic parameters, soil attributes, topographic factors and forest stand characteristics. The effects of potential predictors on the relative change (%) in spruce volume (m3 ha-1) during the period 2010-2018 were analysed with Generalized Additive Models. Based on a national dataset including forest compartments (n = 6355) with a spruce growing stock decline > 10%, we found mixed support for ecology-based hypotheses. While spruce decline responded to bedrock type as predicted (i.e., greater relative decline in carbonate compared to silicate compartments), higher forest naturalness (preservation of tree species composition) was not associated with a lower decline. Spruce decline was amplified by higher potential evapotranspiration and soil clay content but showed a strong negative relationship with spruce proportion in the year 2010. General trends along the gradients of other selected predictors (stoniness/rockiness and heat load index) were less pronounced. The results suggest that most of these ecological predictors interact with geology and forest naturalness in affecting Norway spruce decline. Our analysis reveals that bedrock type can play an important role due to its mitigating effects. However, forest naturalness is of secondary significance as intensified large-scale forest disturbances likely override its buffering potential. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T20:56:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c6d9232828a842af8db44a9e39318e46 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1971-7458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T20:56:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry |
| spelling | doaj.art-c6d9232828a842af8db44a9e39318e462023-03-29T16:58:19ZengItalian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry1971-74582023-04-0116110511510.3832/ifor4168-0164168Ecological factors affecting the recent Picea abies decline in Slovenia: the importance of bedrock type and forest naturalnessKermavnar J0Kutnar L1Pintar AM2Slovenian Forestry Institute, Department of Forest Ecology, Večna pot 2, 1000 Ljubljana - SloveniaSlovenian Forestry Institute, Department of Forest Ecology, Večna pot 2, 1000 Ljubljana - SloveniaSlovenian Forestry Institute, Department for Forest and Landscape Planning and Monitoring, Večna pot 2, 1000 Ljubljana - SloveniaNorway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) has been at the centre of controversy for many decades. Recent evidence of its profound disturbance-induced damage and consequent stock depletions across forest landscapes in Europe has reinforced doubts regarding the sustainability and prospects of this tree species in the future. Like many other European countries, Slovenia has experienced significant Norway spruce mortality and a decrease in growing stock primarily as the result of several disturbance agents (bark beetle outbreaks, an ice storm, windthrows). We investigated a countrywide spruce growing stock decline based on data between 2010 and 2018. Particular focus was placed on identifying the main ecological drivers of this decline, namely geological conditions, climatic parameters, soil attributes, topographic factors and forest stand characteristics. The effects of potential predictors on the relative change (%) in spruce volume (m3 ha-1) during the period 2010-2018 were analysed with Generalized Additive Models. Based on a national dataset including forest compartments (n = 6355) with a spruce growing stock decline > 10%, we found mixed support for ecology-based hypotheses. While spruce decline responded to bedrock type as predicted (i.e., greater relative decline in carbonate compared to silicate compartments), higher forest naturalness (preservation of tree species composition) was not associated with a lower decline. Spruce decline was amplified by higher potential evapotranspiration and soil clay content but showed a strong negative relationship with spruce proportion in the year 2010. General trends along the gradients of other selected predictors (stoniness/rockiness and heat load index) were less pronounced. The results suggest that most of these ecological predictors interact with geology and forest naturalness in affecting Norway spruce decline. Our analysis reveals that bedrock type can play an important role due to its mitigating effects. However, forest naturalness is of secondary significance as intensified large-scale forest disturbances likely override its buffering potential.https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor4168-016Norway SpruceBark Beetle OutbreaksIce StormSoil-geology RelationshipTree Species CompositionSlovenia |
| spellingShingle | Kermavnar J Kutnar L Pintar AM Ecological factors affecting the recent Picea abies decline in Slovenia: the importance of bedrock type and forest naturalness iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry Norway Spruce Bark Beetle Outbreaks Ice Storm Soil-geology Relationship Tree Species Composition Slovenia |
| title | Ecological factors affecting the recent Picea abies decline in Slovenia: the importance of bedrock type and forest naturalness |
| title_full | Ecological factors affecting the recent Picea abies decline in Slovenia: the importance of bedrock type and forest naturalness |
| title_fullStr | Ecological factors affecting the recent Picea abies decline in Slovenia: the importance of bedrock type and forest naturalness |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecological factors affecting the recent Picea abies decline in Slovenia: the importance of bedrock type and forest naturalness |
| title_short | Ecological factors affecting the recent Picea abies decline in Slovenia: the importance of bedrock type and forest naturalness |
| title_sort | ecological factors affecting the recent picea abies decline in slovenia the importance of bedrock type and forest naturalness |
| topic | Norway Spruce Bark Beetle Outbreaks Ice Storm Soil-geology Relationship Tree Species Composition Slovenia |
| url | https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor4168-016 |
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