Forests — Open Access Journal

The ber fruit fly Carpomya vesuviana Costa (Diptera: Tephritidae) is the most destructive pests of Ziziphus spp. Carpomya vesuviana infestation causes great economic losses. We re-parameterized an existing CLIMEX model, and used the updated CliMond 30′ gridded resolution datasets within CLIMEX for the periods 1987–2016 and 2071–2100, representing historical and future climates, respectively, to predict the potential global distribution of the pest. Under the historical climate scenario, C. vesuviana had a wide climatically suitable distribution worldwide, from approximately 46° S to 50° N. Future climate change expanded the upper boundary of the potential distribution northward, and predicted that the pest would distribute approximately from 50° S to 60° N. Temperature was the primary determinant of the potential distribution of the pest among all driving variables. Irrigation was associated with a slight improvement in the climate favorability for the pest in some areas, including south-western North America, northern and southern Africa, and most of Oceania. The projections clarify the impacts of climate change on the potential global distribution of C. vesuviana, and are instructive for quarantine and management agencies for reducing economic damage caused by the fly and preventing expansion of C. vesuviana due to climate change. Full article

Western spruce budworm (WSBW) is a common defoliating insect that has caused extensive damage and mortality to a number of tree species across the western United States (US). Past studies have linked outbreaks of WSBW to increased moisture stress of host trees in the Northwest and decreased moisture stress in the Southwest. Our study analyzed seasonal drought stress metrics with WSBW outbreaks within Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) forests in the western US during 1997–2015. Superposed epoch analysis and defoliation area growth rates (representing insect population growth rates) were assessed to quantify the drought conditions associated with the initiation and continuation of outbreaks, respectively. We found that multiple years of drought occurred prior to and during outbreak initiation in the Northwest, and that outbreak initiation in the Southwest was associated with only weak drought or neutral conditions. During the outbreak continuation stage, there was a weak positive correlation between May moisture availability and defoliation area growth rates in the Southwest (R² = 0.12), but no clear relationship was identified in the Northwest. Increased frequency of summer droughts such as these expected from climate change may increase WSBW outbreaks and promote tree dieoff. Improved understanding of the role of different influences of drought and moisture availability across landscapes will lead to improved predictions and management of future outbreaks of WSBW. Full article

Research Highlights: Direct comparison of leaf litter decomposition rates between harsh soil conditions of degraded lands and adjacent “closer to natural” forest areas has not been done before. Background and Objectives: We aimed to fill this knowledge gap by determining the differences in amounts of carbon and nitrogen released by species-specific litter depending on decomposition rates in various stand and habitat conditions, which enables selection of the most ecologically and economically appropriate (for fast soil organic layer development) tree species for afforestation of reclaimed lands. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on the external spoil heap of the “Bełchatów” lignite mine (Central Poland) and adjacent forests. In December 2013, we established a litterbag experiment beneath the canopies of birch and pine stands. We used litter of Alnusglutinosa(Gaertn.), Betulapendula (Roth), Pinussylvestris (L.), and Quercusrobur (L.) collected ex situ, which we installed (after oven-drying) beneath the canopies of eight stands. The experiment lasted for three years (with sampling of three-month intervals). Results: Harsh soil conditions of degraded lands are unfavorable for litter mineralization. It was found that 23%–74% of decomposed materials were mineralized in spoil heap stands, whereas in forest stands these amounts ranged from 35%–83%. Litter of Q. robur in birch stands on the spoil heap is predicted to take 12 years longer for total decomposition than in forest stands of the same species. This hinders organic carbon turnover and could result in elongation of the time for full biological and economic reclamation of degraded lands. On the other hand, decomposition of relatively fast decomposable litter (A. glutinosa and B. pendula) in pine stands on the spoil heap was faster than in pine stands in forest sites (17% and 13% faster, respectively). We did not observe this trend for decomposition of more recalcitrant litter types of P. sylvestris and Q. robur. Conclusions: The results show the value of selective choice of tree species for afforestation of post-mining areas to accelerate the development of technogenic soil substrates. We recommend introducing all tree species studied in the cluster form of admixtures as all of them could bring some profits in ecological and economical reclamation. Full article

Microbial communities and their associated enzyme activities play key roles in carbon cycling in ecosystems. Forest thinning is likely to change the soil properties and feedbacks on the structure and function of microbial communities, consequently affecting microbial regulation on the soil carbon process. However, few studies have focused on the mechanism of how thinning affects the quantity and stability of soil carbon. To reveal the influence of thinning on soil carbon and to explore the regulated key factors, this study was conducted in a pure Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr plantation with different thinning intensity (light, medium, and high) in Shanxi province, China. Soil properties (soil pH, soil water content, soil organic carbon, and soil microbial biomass carbon) were measured. Meanwhile, soil microbial communities were examined with the method of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), and soil enzyme activities were measured as indicators of soil microbial functions. The results showed that medium and high thinning has positive effects on soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, soil microbial abundance, and soil enzyme activities. Actinomycetes and gram-negative bacteria were the major factors to affect soil microbial community function relating to carbon decomposition. Soil pH contributed to actinomycetes and gram-negative bacteria through direct influences on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Moreover, there were strong correlations between soil pH and microbial community to control soil carbon turnover. The increasing of soil microbial abundance and the microbial regulation on soil carbon in forest thinning need to be considered for sustainable forest management practices in northern China. Full article

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) is a fast-growing evergreen conifer with high-quality timber and is an important reforestation and commercial tree species in southern China. Planting density affects the productivity of Chinese fir plantations. To study the effect of five different planting densities and soil depth on soil nutrient contents of a mature C. lanceolata plantation, the soil nutrient contents (soil depths 0–100 cm) of 36-year-old mature Chinese fir plantations under five different planting densities denoted A (1667 trees·ha⁻¹), B (3333 trees·ha⁻¹), C (5000 trees·ha⁻¹), D (6667 trees·ha⁻¹), and E (10,000 trees·ha⁻¹) were measured in Pingxiang county, Guangxi province, China. Samples were collected from the soil surface down to a one meter depth from each of 45 soil profiles, and soil samples were obtained at 10 different soil depths of 0–10, 10–20, 20–30, 30–40, 40–50, 50–60, 60–70, 70–80, 80–90, and 90–100 cm. Twelve soil physical and chemical indicators were analyzed. The results showed that: (1) as planting density increased, the organic matter, organic carbon, total N and P, available N, effective Fe, and bulk density decreased. Soil pH, total K, and effective K increased with increasing planting density. Planting density did not significantly influence the exchangeable Ca and Mg. (2) Soil organic matter; organic carbon; total N and P; effective N, P, and K; exchangeable Ca and Mg; effective Fe content; and bulk density decreased with increasing soil depth. This pattern was particularly evident in the top 30 cm of the soil. (3) Excessively high planting density is not beneficial to the long-term maintenance of soil fertility in Chinese fir plantations, and the planting density of Chinese fir plantations should be maintained below 3333 stems·ha⁻¹ (density A or B) to maintain soil fertility while ensuring high yields. Full article

Decades of fire exclusion in the Southern Appalachian Mountains led to fuel accumulation and conversion from open oak-pine woodlands to closed-canopy mesic forests dominated by shade-tolerant hardwoods and shrubs that often do not support a diverse understory. Southern Appalachian forest managers and scientists recognize this and are implementing silvicultural treatments such as prescribed burning, mechanical treatments or a combination of these to restore forest structure. In this study, conducted at the Southern Appalachian Fire and Fire Surrogate Study site in Green River Game Land, North Carolina, we assessed the effects of four fuel reduction methods: burned 4x (B), mechanical treatment 2x (M), mechanical treatment 2x + burned 4x (MB), and control (C) on the changes in understory vegetation guilds from pretreatment to post-treatment years (2001–2016). The MB treatment was most effective at meeting the restoration objectives, as it resulted in increases in oak (Δ_MB = 23,400 stems/ha) and pine (Δ_MB = 900 stems/ha) stem density, importance value—calculated as the sum of relative cover and frequency—for graminoids (Δ_MB = 26.0), and density of oak stems >50 cm in height (Δ_MB = 7133 stems/ha). The B and M treatments were generally less effective, but nonetheless met a subset of the restoration objectives. The B treatment reduced ericaceous shrub cover (Δ_B = −1.2%) and increased oak stems 10–50 cm in height (Δ_B = 10,017 stems/ha), while the M treatment resulted in only modest increases of mesic hardwoods, specifically for yellow-poplar (Δ_M = 200 stems/ha) and blackgum (Δ_M = 200 stems/ha) as compared with other treatments, but significantly increased mountain laurel and rhododendron cover (Δ_M = 10.0%). Overall, these fire and fire surrogate treatments had some success in restoring understory structure, but our findings suggest a slow response in understory herbaceous vegetation. Full article

Street tree inventories are a critical component of urban forest management. However, inventories conducted in the field by trained professionals are expensive and time-consuming. Inventories relying on citizen scientists or virtual surveys conducted remotely using street-level photographs may greatly reduce the costs of street tree inventories, but there are fundamental uncertainties regarding the level of data quality that can be expected from these emerging approaches to data collection. We asked 16 volunteers to inventory street trees in suburban Chicago using Google Street View^TM imagery, and we assessed data quality by comparing their virtual survey data to field data from the same locations. We also compared virtual survey data quality according to self-rated expertise by measuring agreement within expert, intermediate, and novice analyst groups. Analyst agreement was very good for the number of trees on each street segment, and agreement was markedly lower for tree diameter class and tree identification at the genus and species levels, respectively. Interrater agreement varied by expertise, such that experts agreed with one another more often than novices for all four variables assessed. Compared to the field data, we observed substantial variability in analyst performance for diameter class estimation and tree identification, and some intermediate analysts performed as well as experts. Our findings suggest that virtual surveys may be useful for documenting the locations of street trees within a city more efficiently than field crews and with a high level of accuracy. However, tree diameter and species identification data were less reliable across all expertise groups, and especially novice analysts. Based on this analysis, virtual street tree inventories are best suited to collecting very basic information such as tree locations, or updating existing inventories to determine where trees have been planted or removed. We conclude with evidence-based recommendations for effective implementation of this type of approach. Full article

Phosphorus (P) is a necessary nutrient for plant growth and plays an important role in plant metabolisms; however, the majority of P in soil is in insoluble forms. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can convert the insoluble phosphates into plant-available forms and may have the potential for use in sustainable agricultural practices. This study examined the effects of two native PSB, namely Bacillus aryabhattai (JX285) and Pseudomonas auricularis (HN038), and a mixture of both strains (1:1) on the growth of Camellia oleifera Abel. seedlings. The results showed a significant promotion of the growth of C. oleifera plants by three inoculation treatments. All the PSB inoculation treatments could improve the leaf nitrogen (N) and P content and had positive effects on the available N, P, and potassium (K) content of rhizosphere soil. A co-inoculation of the two native PSB strains caused a synergistic effect and achieved the best benefit. In conclusion, B. aryabhattai and P. auricularis could be used as biological agents instead of chemical fertilizers for agricultural production to reduce environmental pollution and increase the yield of tea oil. Full article

Research Highlights: Cyclocarya paliurus, native to the subtropical region of China, is a monoecious species with a heterodichogamous mating system. Its flowering phenology and low seed success characteristics differ from other typical heterodichogamous Juglandaceae species. This could be caused by the existence of polyploidy in the population. Background and Objectives: C. paliurus has been attracting more attention as a result of its medicinal value. To meet the needs for leaf harvest, cultivation expansion is required, but this is limited by a shortage of seeds. This study aims to profile the flowering phenology and the efficacy of pollen dispersal as well as elucidate on the mechanism of low seed success in the population. Materials and Methods: The flowering phenology pattern of C. paliurus was observed in a juvenile plantation containing 835 individuals of 53 families from 8 provenances at the individual (protandry, PA and protogyny, PG) and population levels for 5 consecutive years (2014–2018). Slides with a culture medium of 10% sucrose and 0.01% boric acid were used to estimate pollen density and viability in the population, and seeds were collected from 20 randomly selected PA and PG individuals to assess seed success during 2017–2018. Results: Four flowering phenotypes and strongly skewed ratios of PA/PG and male/female occurred in the juvenile population. Sexual type and ratio changed significantly with the growth of the population over the years, showing an increasing monoecious group (11.1% to 57.2%) and a decreasing unisexual group (33.6% to 16.3%), as well as a tendency for the sexual ratio to move towards equilibrium (5.42:1 to 1.39:1 for PG:PA). Two flowering phases and bimodality in gender were displayed, as in other heterodichogamous species. However, the high overlap of inter-phases and within individuals was quite different from many previous reports. Owing to the low pollen viability of C. paliurus (~30%), low seed success was monitored in the plantation, as well as in the investigated natural populations. Conclusions: Female-bias (PG and F) and a skewed ratio of mating types corresponded to nutrient accumulation in the juvenile population. Heterodichogamy in C. paliurus was verified, but was shown to be different from other documented species in Juglandaceae. The latest finding of major tetraploidy in a natural population could explain the characteristics of the flowering phenology and seed set of C. paliurus and also give rise to more questions to be answered. Full article

The basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) family is an important transcription factor for eukaryotes and is involved in a wide range of biological activities. Among these, bHLH can interaction with WD repeat (WD40 or WDR) and V-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) form a ternary complex to promote the efficient synthesis of anthocyanins. In this study, a total of 138 jujube bHLH (ZjbHLH) family members were screened from the transcriptome of the two jujube cultivars, ‘Junzao’ (JZ) and ‘Tailihong’ (TLH). Of these, 95 ZjbHLH genes were mapped to 12 chromosomes. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using 27 arabidopsis bHLH (AtbHLH) protein sequences of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. and 138 ZjbHLH protein sequences of jujube. The results show that the ZjbHLH family of jujube can be divided into 12 subfamilies. The three candidate genes, ZjGL3a, ZjGL3b and ZjTT8, related to anthocyanin synthesis, were classified into subgroup III. Meanwhile, ZjGL3a, ZjGL3b and ZjTT8 have high homology with the bHLH transcription factors involved in anthocyanin synthesis in other plants. In addition, it was found that the jujube ZjbHLH transcript family showed changing patterns of expression during fruit development. The relative expression levels of ZjGL3a, ZjGL3 and ZjTT8 were consistent with the changes of the anthocyanin contents in the two jujube cultivars examined. To better understand the anthocyanin synthesis pathway involved in ZjbHLH, a regulatory pathway model for anthocyanin synthesis was constructed. This model involves the processes of anthocyanin signal transduction, synthesis and transport. Full article

In Lithuania, free-ranging European bison live sedentarily in the fragmented landscape of the central part of the country. The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution and habitat selection of European bison in a semi-isolated territory. Free-ranging European bison living sedentarily have formed six groups in the mosaic landscape of central Lithuania. A herd of 34 individuals of European bison entered into a new semi-isolated territory in 2016. During the snow-free season, we tracked the movements of the herd by fitting a global positioning system (GPS) collar to the leading cow. To evaluate the home range and habitat selection, we used ArcGIS software, Jacobs’ index, and chi-square testing to verify significant differences between proportions. The home range of European bison was largest in spring, decreased in summer, and increased again in autumn; this was associated with feeding and the food supply in agricultural lands. European bison spent more time in the forest, especially during the daytime, due to disturbance, but in summer time and at night, the bison did not avoid agricultural land. In the forests, European bison preferred clear-cut, small-leaved deciduous (aspen, grey alder) forests of middle and mature age, but they avoided broad-leaved deciduous (ash), coniferous, and young forests. The increased number of European bison caused damage to agricultural crops and increased conflict with farmers. Full article

Over the past decade, countries have strived to develop a global governance structure to halt deforestation and forest degradation, by achieving the readiness requirements for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). Nonetheless, deforestation continues, and seemingly intact forest areas are being degraded. Furthermore, REDD+ may fail to consider the crucial ecosystem functions of forest fauna including seed dispersal and pollination. Throughout the tropics, forest animal populations are depleted by unsustainable hunting to the extent that many forests are increasingly devoid of larger mammals—a condition referred to as empty forests. Large mammals and birds, who often disperse seeds of larger more carbon-rich tree species, are preferentially targeted by hunters and the first to be depleted. Such defaunation has cascading ecosystem effects, changing forest structure and composition with implications for carbon storage capacity. Failure to address defaunation would therefore be a major oversight in REDD+, compromising its long-term viability. We carried out a desktop study reviewing REDD+ documents and national implementation efforts in Colombia, Ecuador, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Indonesia to assess the extent to which they address hunting and acknowledged the ecosystem functions of fauna. We also assessed sub-national REDD+ projects to determine whether they recognized hunting and if and how they incorporated hunting management and wildlife monitoring at the project level. Moreover, we assessed to what extent sub-national REDD+ projects addressed the long-term impacts of the sustainability of hunting on forest ecosystem function including carbon storage. We found that hunting, the risk of defaunation, and its effects have been ignored in the REDD+ policy process at both the international and national levels. At the project level, we found some reference to hunting and the risks posed by the loss of forest fauna, albeit only addressed superficially. Our results underline the fact that forest ecosystems are being reduced to their carbon content and that, despite the rhetoric of biodiversity co-benefits, fauna is not treated as a functional component of forests. This neglect threatens to undermine forest ecosystem function and service delivery as well as long-term forest carbon assimilation capacity and hence, ultimately, to compromise REDD+ objectives. Full article

The TEOSINTE BRANCHED1, CYCLOIDEA, and PROLIFERATION CELL FACTOR (TCP) transcription factor is a plant-specific gene family and acts on multiple functional genes in controlling growth, development, stress response, and the circadian clock. In this study, a class I member of the TCP family from Fraxinusmandshurica Rupr. was isolated and named FmTCP15, which encoded a protein of 362 amino acids. Protein structures were analyzed and five ligand binding sites were predicted. The phylogenetic relationship showed that FmTCP15 was most closely related to Solanaceae and Plantaginaceae. FmTCP15 was localized in the nuclei of F.mandshurica protoplast cells and highly expressed in cotyledons. The expression pattern revealed the FmTCP15 response to multiple abiotic stresses and hormone signals. Downstream genes for transient overexpression of FmTCP15 in seedlings were also investigated. A yeast two-hybrid assay confirmed that FmTCP15 could interact with DELLA proteins. FmTCP15 participated in the GA-signaling pathway, responded to abiotic stresses and hormone signals, and regulated multiple genes in these biological processes. Our study revealed the potential value of FmTCP15 for understanding the molecular mechanisms of stress and hormone signal responses. Full article

Research Highlights: This study comprehensively revealed the carbon sequestration characteristics of secondary forests in the central Loess Plateau during vegetation succession. Background and Objectives: The secondary succession of Loess Plateau forests is of great significance in global climate change, but their carbon storage dynamics are poorly understood. The study objectives were to clarify the pattern of changes and contribution level of carbon stocks in various components of ecosystem during succession. Materials and Methods: We selected 18 plots for Pinus tabuliformis Carr. forest at the early stage of succession, 19 for pine-broadleaved mixed forest at the middle stage, and 12 for Quercus-broadleaved mixed forest at the climax stage to determine the tree, shrub, herb, fine root, litter, coarse wood debris (CWD), and soil carbon stocks. Results: Ecosystem carbon stocks increased from 160.73 to 231.14 Mg·ha⁻¹ with the succession stages. Vegetation (including tree, shrub and herb) and soil were the two largest carbon pools, and carbon was mainly sequestrated in tree biomass and shallow soil (0–50 cm). In the early stage, soil contributed more carbon stocks to the ecosystem than vegetation, but with succession, the soil contribution decreased while vegetation contribution increased, finally reaching a balance (46.78% each) at the climax stage. Fine root, litter, and CWD contributed little (average 6.59%) to ecosystem carbon stocks and were mainly involved in the turnover of vegetation biomass to soil carbon. Conclusions: Our results provide direct evidence for carbon sequestration of secondary forests on the Loess Plateau. The dynamic results of carbon storage provide an important basis for forest restoration management under climate change. Full article

Plant roots play a key role in stabilizing slopes, particularly in the Mediterranean region, characterized by rough and unstable terrain. However, forest species differ in their stabilizing capacities. The purpose of this study is to fill the gap of knowledge on root biomechanical properties of relevant Mediterranean trees and shrubs in relation to slope stability. Root specimens of typical montane Mediterranean tree and shrub species were sampled in Southern Italy. Root characteristics, such as tensile strength (T_r) and root area ratio (RAR), were assessed from live roots sampled in trenches, while root cohesion was calculated. Power law functions yielded the best fit for the relationship of T_r versus root diameter; however, no significant relationship was found between root strength and root moisture content. RAR varied amongst different tree and shrub species. Roots of Quercus cerris L. were the most resistant to breaking under tension, while roots of Ilex aquifolium L. had the highest tensile strength among all shrub species. Results provide quantitative information on the role of root systems of montane Mediterranean forest species in stabilizing soils and will improve modeling of landslide susceptibility to the prevention and mitigation of natural hazards in mountain environments. Full article

The relative abundance of nitrogen-fixing species has been hypothesised to influence tree biomass, decomposition, and nitrogen availability in eucalypt forests. This prediction has been demonstrated in experimental settings (two-species mixtures) but is yet to be observed in the field with more realistically complex communities. We used a combination of (a) field measurements of tree-community composition, (b) sampling of soil from a subset of these sites (i.e., the local environment), and (c) a decomposition experiment of forest litter to examine whether there is a local-scale effect of the nitrogen-fixing Acacia dealbata Link (presence and abundance) on nitrogen availability, and whether increases in this essential nutrient led to greater biomass of the canopy tree species, Eucalyptus obliqua L’Hér. Average A. dealbata tree size was a significant predictor of forest basal area in 24 plots (12% deviance explained) and, when combined with average distance between trees, explained 29.1% variance in E. obliqua biomass. However, static patterns of local nitrogen concentration were unrelated to the presence or size of A. dealbata, despite our experiments showing that A. dealbata leaf litter controls decomposition rates in the soil (due to three times higher N). Such results are important for forest management in the context of understanding the timing and turnover of shorter-lived species like acacias, where higher N (through either litter or soil) might be better detected early in community establishment (when growth is faster and intraspecific competition more intense) but with that early signal subsequently dissipated. Full article

Intra-ring variation in wood density and tracheid anatomical properties and wood property interrelationships were investigated in Thuja occidentalis L. Samples were taken from three stands in Abitibi–Témiscamingue, Quebec, Canada. The structure of T. occidentalis wood is simple, homogeneous and uniform, which is desirable for wooden structures that require wood uniformity. From early- to latewood, cell and lumen diameter decreased, while cell wall thickness increased. These changes led to an increase of the cell wall proportion. Wood ring density and width interrelationships were weaker in mature wood compared to juvenile wood. Earlywood density is the more important in determining mature wood density than latewood density and proportion. Earlywood density explains 92% and 89% of the variation in juvenile and mature wood density, respectively. The negative relationship between ring density and width, although significant, was low and tends to weaken with increasing tree age, thus providing the opportunity for silvicultural practices to improve both growth and wood density. Ring width was positively and strongly correlated to early- and latewood width, but negatively correlated to tracheid length and latewood proportion. Accordingly, increases in ring width produce smaller tracheids and wider earlywood without a corresponding increase in latewood. Practical implications of the results are discussed. Full article

Soil microorganisms play key roles in ecosystems and respond quickly to environmental changes. Liming and/or understory removal are important forest management practices and have been widely applied to planted forests in humid subtropical and tropical regions of the world. However, few studies have explored the impacts of lime application, understory removal, and their interactive effects on soil microbial communities. We conducted a lime application experiment combined with understory removal in a subtropical Eucalyptus L’Hér. plantation. Responses of soil microbial communities (indicated by phospholipid fatty acids, PLFAs), soil physico-chemical properties, and litter decomposition rate to lime and/or understory removal were measured. Lime application significantly decreased both fungal and bacterial PLFAs, causing declines in total PLFAs. Understory removal reduced the fungal PLFAs but had no effect on the bacterial PLFAs, leading to decreases in the total PLFAs and in the ratio of fungal to bacterial PLFAs. No interaction between lime application and understory removal on soil microbial community compositions was observed. Changes in soil microbial communities caused by lime application were mainly attributed to increases in soil pH and NO₃^–-N contents, while changes caused by understory removal were mainly due to the indirect effects on soil microclimate and the decreased soil dissolved carbon contents. Furthermore, both lime application and understory removal significantly reduced the litter decomposition rates, which indicates the lime application and understory removal may impact the microbe-mediated soil ecological process. Our results suggest that lime application may not be suitable for the management of subtropical Eucalyptus plantations. Likewise, understory vegetation helps to maintain soil microbial communities and litter decomposition rate; it should not be removed from Eucalyptus plantations. Full article

Climate change continues to threaten forests and their ecosystem services while substantially altering natural disturbance regimes. Land cover changes and consequent management entail discrepancies in carbon sequestration provided by forest ecosystems and its accounting. Currently there is a lack of sufficient and harmonized data for Ukraine that can be used for the robust and spatially explicit assessment of forest provisioning and regulation of ecosystem services. In the frame of this research, we established an experimental polygon (area 45 km²) in Northern Ukraine aiming at estimating main forest carbon stocks and fluxes and determining the impact caused by natural disturbances and harvest for the study period of 2010–2015. Coupled field inventory and remote sensing data (RapidEye image for 2010 and SPOT 6 image for 2015) were used. Land cover classification and estimation of biomass and carbon pools were carried out using Random Forest and k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) method, respectively. Remote sensing data indicates a ca. 16% increase of carbon stock, while ground-based computations have shown only a ca. 1% increase. Net carbon fluxes for the study period are relatively even: 5.4 Gg C·year⁻¹ and 5.6 Gg C C·year⁻¹ for field and remote sensing data, respectively. Stand-replacing wildfires, as well as insect outbreaks and wind damage followed by salvage logging, and timber harvest have caused 21% of carbon emissions among all C sources within the experimental polygon during the study period. Hence, remote sensing data and non-parametric methods coupled with field data can serve as reliable tools for the precise estimation of forest carbon cycles on a regional spatial scale. However, featured land cover changes lead to unexpected biases in consistent assessment of forest biophysical parameters, while current management practices neglect natural forest dynamics and amplify negative impact of disturbances on ecosystem services. Full article