Dec 19, 2018
Strong impact of long-term abandonment of forest management on tree morphology and wood allocation pattern of European beech
The three-dimensional (3D) morphology of individual trees is critical for light interception, growth, stability and interactions with the local environment. Forest management intensity is a key driver of tree morphology, but how the long-term abandonment of silvicultural measures impacts trunk and crown morphological traits is not fully understood. In a new study we used high-resolution terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to explore how management history affects the 3D structure of mature beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees. The management gradient ranged from long-term (>50 years) and short-term (>20 years) unmanaged to extensively and intensively managed beech stands. We determined 28 morphological traits and quantified the vertical distribution of wood volume along the trunk. We found that 93% of the investigated morphological traits and the vertical distribution of trunk wood volume differed significantly between the study stands. Significant differences, however, emerged most strongly in the stand where forest management had ceased >50 years ago. It is suggested that the economic value of individual beech trees from long-term unmanaged forests can be expected to be very high.
Original publication:
Georgi L, Kunz M, Fichtner A, Härdtle W, Reich KF, Sturm K, Welle T, von Oheimb G (2018). Long-term abandonment of forest management has a strong impact on tree morphology and wood volume allocation pattern of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Forests 9: 704.