The Effects of Tree and Stand Traits on the Specific Leaf Area in Managed Scots Pine Forests of Different Ages
The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between stand structure (tree size, volume, biomass, social position, stand density) and the variability of specific leaf area (SLA) at the stand level, which could improve forest management modeling. The study was carried out on 100 tree...
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/4/396 |
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| author | Agnieszka Błasiak Andrzej Węgiel Adrian Łukowski Sławomir Sułkowski Mieczysław Turski |
| author_facet | Agnieszka Błasiak Andrzej Węgiel Adrian Łukowski Sławomir Sułkowski Mieczysław Turski |
| author_sort | Agnieszka Błasiak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between stand structure (tree size, volume, biomass, social position, stand density) and the variability of specific leaf area (SLA) at the stand level, which could improve forest management modeling. The study was carried out on 100 trees selected from 10 stands of Scots pine located in northwestern Poland. The stands had been established in a similar way and were similarly managed. Five mid-aged (51–60 years) and five mature (81–90 years) pure Scots pine stands were selected. To obtain the SLA index, we used the direct method, which involves scanning ca. 50 needles from each part of the tree crown. The average SLA was from 4.65 to 6.62 m<sup>2</sup>·kg<sup>−1</sup> and differed significantly according to the part of the crown measured (<i>p</i> < 0.0001) and the tree age (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). The smallest SLA was in the upper part of the crown and the largest in the lower part of the crown, which is in line with the known relation to the light exposure of needles. Mid-aged stands of Scots pine have higher SLA values than mature ones. Dominant trees in mid-aged stands have a lower SLA than more shaded intermediate ones, which is probably due to the different lighting conditions within the canopy. No clear relationship is observed between the stand density and the SLA. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:51:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e15287b3eb7c405b9999f9d5ae6d8b67 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:51:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-e15287b3eb7c405b9999f9d5ae6d8b672023-11-21T13:03:31ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072021-03-0112439610.3390/f12040396The Effects of Tree and Stand Traits on the Specific Leaf Area in Managed Scots Pine Forests of Different AgesAgnieszka Błasiak0Andrzej Węgiel1Adrian Łukowski2Sławomir Sułkowski3Mieczysław Turski4Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, PolandFaculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, PolandFaculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, PolandFaculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, PolandFaculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, PolandThe purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between stand structure (tree size, volume, biomass, social position, stand density) and the variability of specific leaf area (SLA) at the stand level, which could improve forest management modeling. The study was carried out on 100 trees selected from 10 stands of Scots pine located in northwestern Poland. The stands had been established in a similar way and were similarly managed. Five mid-aged (51–60 years) and five mature (81–90 years) pure Scots pine stands were selected. To obtain the SLA index, we used the direct method, which involves scanning ca. 50 needles from each part of the tree crown. The average SLA was from 4.65 to 6.62 m<sup>2</sup>·kg<sup>−1</sup> and differed significantly according to the part of the crown measured (<i>p</i> < 0.0001) and the tree age (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). The smallest SLA was in the upper part of the crown and the largest in the lower part of the crown, which is in line with the known relation to the light exposure of needles. Mid-aged stands of Scots pine have higher SLA values than mature ones. Dominant trees in mid-aged stands have a lower SLA than more shaded intermediate ones, which is probably due to the different lighting conditions within the canopy. No clear relationship is observed between the stand density and the SLA.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/4/396SLAstand densityaboveground biomasstree social positionfoliage |
| spellingShingle | Agnieszka Błasiak Andrzej Węgiel Adrian Łukowski Sławomir Sułkowski Mieczysław Turski The Effects of Tree and Stand Traits on the Specific Leaf Area in Managed Scots Pine Forests of Different Ages Forests SLA stand density aboveground biomass tree social position foliage |
| title | The Effects of Tree and Stand Traits on the Specific Leaf Area in Managed Scots Pine Forests of Different Ages |
| title_full | The Effects of Tree and Stand Traits on the Specific Leaf Area in Managed Scots Pine Forests of Different Ages |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of Tree and Stand Traits on the Specific Leaf Area in Managed Scots Pine Forests of Different Ages |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of Tree and Stand Traits on the Specific Leaf Area in Managed Scots Pine Forests of Different Ages |
| title_short | The Effects of Tree and Stand Traits on the Specific Leaf Area in Managed Scots Pine Forests of Different Ages |
| title_sort | effects of tree and stand traits on the specific leaf area in managed scots pine forests of different ages |
| topic | SLA stand density aboveground biomass tree social position foliage |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/4/396 |
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