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Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests

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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2020) | Viewed by 35870

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Dr. Isabella De Meo

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Guest Editor

Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria(CREA), Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, via di Lanciola 12/A, 50125 Florence, Italy
Interests: landscape forest planning; ecosystem services evaluation; sustainable forest management; public participation processes

Dr. Paolo Cantiani

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Co-Guest Editor

Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Arezzo, Italy
Interests: silviculture; forest planning; forest management; regeneration processes; Mediterranean pine forests
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Dear Colleagues,

Pine forests are one of the most widespread types of vegetation worldwide, both in natural formations and in artificial plantations.

Due to the wide range of its ecological strategies, pine species can play late and early successional roles.

Pine plantations have not only been realized for wood production, but also for other purposes, ranging from soil protection to recreation and from dune stabilization to windbreak creation.

Currently, one of the most important challenges is how to manage natural and artificial pine forests, supporting a synergistic and complementary relationship between various forest ecosystem services while avoiding the generation of ecosystem services trade-offs.

Among the forest management choices that can affect the provision of ecosystem services, an important role is played by silvicultural treatments and their spatial and temporal application. In particular, the application of silvicultural treatments influences regeneration dynamics, forest species composition, and forest structure and density, thus affecting the level of biodiversity and the water cycle components, as well as recreational and landscape services. Furthermore, silvicultural treatments can modify the natural cycle of elements, influencing micro-climatic variability, generating a higher level of soil biodiversity and promoting high growth rates and carbon sequestration.

The goal of this Special Issue is to provide a compendium of documents that scientifically evaluates the effects of the application of different silvicultural treatments on the various ecosystem services expected from pine forests.

Dr. Isabella De Meo
Dr. Paolo Cantiani
Guest Editors

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Keywords

conversion methods
multifunctional silviculture strategies
natural and artificial regeneration
regeneration methods
restoration methods
thinnings
trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem services

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 623 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests

by Isabella De Meo, Claudia Becagli and Paolo Cantiani

Forests 2021, 12(4), 402; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12040402 - 29 Mar 2021

Viewed by 1628

Abstract

Pine forests—as natural stands and artificial plantations—are one of the most extended and common forest types in the world [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

20 pages, 3365 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the Factors Affecting Artificial Seed Sowing Success and Seedling Survival in Pinus brutia Natural Stands in Middle Elevations of Central Cyprus

by Petros Petrou and Elias Milios

Forests 2020, 11(12), 1349; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11121349 - 17 Dec 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2630

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the germination of Pinus brutia Ten. seeds, in the field, in relation to factors such as period of sowing, light environment, and watering, in sites of different productivity in the middle elevations in central Cyprus. Two sowing experiments were conducted in three sites of different productivity. In the first experiment P. brutia seed sowing took place in February 2009 in two sowing environments which were gap and under canopy environments. The shade conditions in those environments were determined using hemispherical photographs. Also, the influence of watering on the seed germination was checked. In the second experiment, which was established in the same areas as in the first experiment, the seed sowing took place in December 2009. However, in this case, no watering was applied during the germination period. Moreover, the survival of the seedlings from both sowing periods were monitored up to the end of 2010. During the period of monitoring, the influence of watering was checked. The germination rates of seeds from the February sowing were very low. On the contrary, from the December sowing, the germination rates of seeds were very high in both sowing environments in all studied sites. In the case of seedling survival from the February and December sowing, mortality rates were relatively high in all sites except from the under-canopy sowing environment where watering was applied in the medium productivity site. From the December sowing, from a practical point of view, the number of survived seedlings, in all the plots of the three sites can be considered adequate for the successful regeneration of P. brutia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests)

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16 pages, 1599 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agents Affecting the Productivity of Pine Plantations on the Loess Plateau in China: A Study Based on Structural Equation Modeling

by Xuan Zhao, Yanjie Li, Hao Song, Yuhuan Jia and Jianjun Liu

Forests 2020, 11(12), 1328; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11121328 - 14 Dec 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2643

Abstract

Stability and productivity are important indicators used to measure the state of forest ecosystems. Artificial forests populations with reasonable structures and strong stability are critical for ecosystem productivity. Previous studies have focused on individual factors, while the mechanisms of how multiple factors affect population productivity remain unknown. We used 57 plots in a Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis) plantation to investigate 23 stand factors and analyzed the relationships among site factors, population structure, population stability, and population productivity using partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that the population productivity of the plantation was directly affected by the population stability latent variable but indirectly affected by the site conditions latent variables (indirect effect path coefficient = 0.249) and forest structure (indirect effect path coefficient = 0.222). However, the site conditions latent variable was the main factor directly affecting the population stability latent variables; the total effect was 0.511 (direct effect path coefficient = 0.307, indirect effect path coefficient = 0.204), and the influence of forest structure on population stability was lower than that of the site conditions latent variable (direct effect path coefficient = 0.454). The factor with the greatest weight among the site conditions latent variable was slope (0.747), indicating that slope contributes the most to latent variables related to forest population stability. Among all variables affecting the forest stability latent variables, forest density had the highest weight value (0.803), and the weight value of forest mortality was lower than that of forest density. The weights of the latent variables associated with population structure from high to low were canopy density, the uniform angle index, and the spatial competition index, indicating that competition for space had the lowest influence on the population stability latent variables. The results provide new insights and ideas for quantifying relationships among different driving factors and a basis for scientific and rational plantation management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests)

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18 pages, 1055 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Thinning on Forest Scenic Beauty in a Black Pine Forest in Central Italy

by Isabella De Meo, Paolo Cantiani and Alessandro Paletto

Forests 2020, 11(12), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11121295 - 1 Dec 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2952

Abstract

Forest management practices determine changes in stand characteristics and consequently influence public perception of forest scenic beauty visually appreciated by visitors. To understand the relationship between forest management practices and public perception, the present study evaluated the effects of thinning on the forest scenic beauty analyzing visitors’ preferences towards images of forest managed in different ways. The investigation was implemented in a black pine (Pinus nigra spp.) forest located in Central Italy, where a designed thinning experiment was conducted during the winter of 2016. Silvicultural interventions were based on three options: traditional thinning (medium-intensity thinning from below), selective thinning, and absence of intervention (control). Then, through the face-to-face administration of a questionnaire to a sample of 200 visitors, visitors’ aesthetic preferences for stands’ characteristics affected by management interventions were assessed. The survey also investigated the perception of the effect of silvicultural treatments on the scenic beauty using pairwise comparison method. Results evidence a strong relation between scenic beauty and forest attributes. In particular, the results show that visitors prefer mixed forest with varying tree heights and layers, and consequently a high and variable quantity of light reaching the soil. Results also show that visitors prefer managed forests, and both kinds of thinning have a positive effect on the scenic beauty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests)

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18 pages, 4880 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Short-Term Impact of Different Silvicultural Thinnings on Soil Nematode and Microarthropod Biodiversity in Artificial Black Pine Stands

by Silvia Landi, Giada d’Errico, Francesco Binazzi, Umberto Di Salvatore, Lorenzo Gardin, Maurizio Marchi, Giuseppe Mazza, Pio Federico Roversi, Stefania Simoncini, Giulia Torrini and Paolo Cantiani

Forests 2020, 11(11), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11111212 - 18 Nov 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2647

Abstract

Soil invertebrates represent almost a quarter of the total diversity of living organisms and their activity affects the entire soil ecological process. The choice of adequate thinning systems may differently affect soil nematode and microarthropod biodiversity in artificial black pinewoods. In this work, the results of the impact of different thinnings on the structure of nematode and microarthropod communities was reported. In a short-term experiment, thinning from below and selective thinning were compared to unmanaged stands to provide indications at the regional scale in central Italy. Soil nematode and microarthropod biodiversity was explored by examining community structure, assessing biodiversity. The interaction between environmental variables (crown volume, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, soil texture, soil temperature, and moisture) with taxa abundance of nematodes and microarthropods were also reported. The results indicated that the effects of thinning practices were temporary and varied between years. Soil nematode community shifted during the first and third years of thinning managements only in the Pratomagno site, while soil microarthropod community shifted in both sites only in the second year. The total nematode abundance was minimally affected by thinning practices, while the nematode community composition showed a decrease of omnivores and predators in the first years. Soil indicators showed inconsistent results. In microarthropods, mites and collembola were the least affected by thinning in terms of abundance and species biodiversity, while eu-edaphic taxa of Chilopoda, Diplopoda, and Pauropoda were not influenced by thinning, hemi-edaphic and epi-edaphic taxa of Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Tysanoptera, and Hemiptera were negatively affected. Soil indicators such as Shannon-Weiner and Simpson indices and soil biological quality (QBS-ar) improved in thinning from below in both sites. Soil temperature and moisture were the main driving factors in affecting soil nematode and microarthropods communities. Thinning from below probably allowed a more rapid recovery than selective thinning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests)

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14 pages, 2200 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Different Thinning Treatments on Stand Resistance to Snow and Wind in Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.) Coastal Plantations of Northern Iran

by Rodolfo Picchio, Farzam Tavankar, Francesco Latterini, Meghdad Jourgholami, Behroz Karamdost Marian and Rachele Venanzi

Forests 2020, 11(10), 1034; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11101034 - 24 Sep 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2287

Abstract

Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) is one of the main exotic conifer species that has been widely planted for the past fifty years for timber production in the coastal areas of northern Iran. Heavy snowfall and strong winds can cause much damage to these forests over a short time span of only a few years. This study was conducted to estimate snow and wind damage and analyze the role of stand thinning in their resistance to snow and wind. Amount and type of snow and wind damage were examined through systematic (80 m × 80 m) sample plots (each plot area of 625 m²) in nine different stands (2–10 plots in each stand) in terms of age, structure, and silviculture history in three replications for each stand in April and May 2020. Results showed that the amount of snow and wind damage had a wide range from 1.3% to 30.7%. Snow damage was more than three times that of wind. Snow and wind damage in the young stands were significantly more serious (p < 0.01) than in the middle-aged and old stands, and damage was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the unthinned stands than in the thinned ones. Slenderness coefficient (Height/Diameter ratio, HD ratio) of trees resulted to be a good indicator in young and middle-aged stands, while crown form indices (relative crown length and relative crown width) were acceptable indicators in old stands for risk of snow and wind damage. Our results showed that the normal thinning (15% of basal area) decreased snow and wind damage in all the stands, while the heavy thinning (35% of basal area) reduced the snow damage, but it increased the wind one. It is possible to recommend high intensity thinning in young stands, normal thinning in middle-aged stands, and light thinning (15% of basal area) in old ones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests)

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14 pages, 2909 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Skidding Operations after Tree Harvesting and Soil Scarification by Felled Trees on Initial Seedling Emergence of Spanish Black Pine (Pinus nigra Arn. ssp. salzmannii)

by Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja, Mehdi Heydari, Isabel Miralles, Demetrio Antonio Zema and Ruben Manso

Forests 2020, 11(7), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11070767 - 17 Jul 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3249

Abstract

Skidding operations are thought to have negative impacts on soil emergence because they may increase soil compaction and reduce vegetation cover and the soil’s organic matter content. We investigated whether and to what extent tree harvesting and subsequent skidding initially altered seedling emergence in two Mediterranean forests of Pinus nigra Arn. ssp. salzmannii (Spanish black pine) in the Cuenca Mountains (Spain). Our main objective was to compare the Spanish black pine seedling emergence rate among skid trails, soil areas scarified by felled trees, and areas undisturbed next to harvest operations. In addition, we selected an unmanaged stand as reference, in order to look for evidence of seedling emergence under natural conditions. We measured Spanish black pine seed fall and seedling emergence immediately after harvest operations in two locations in the Cuenca Mountains (Palancares and Majadas forests), which are typical forests in Cuenca Mountains. The results showed that the Palancares site presented higher seed fall in comparison to the Majadas site. In addition, seed fall was higher in the unmanaged stand, as we recorded a higher tree density in this site in comparison to harvested stands (Palancares and Majadas). Furthermore, our results demonstrated differences in seedling emergence between lower elevation drier Palancares and higher elevation wetter Majadas and relative differences in seedling emergence among skid trail, scarified, and undisturbed harvested areas. Finally, the unmanaged stand presented the highest seedling emergence in comparison to scarified, compacted, and non-disturbed harvested areas. Overall, the results suggest a short-term impact of skidding on seedling emergence, which should be considered for future management guidelines of Spanish black pine in the Mediterranean climate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests)

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13 pages, 1721 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Crop Tree Management on the Fine Root Traits of Pinus massoniana in Sichuan Province, China

by Xiangjun Li, Yu Su, Haifeng Yin, Size Liu, Gang Chen, Chuan Fan, Maosong Feng and Xianwei Li

Forests 2020, 11(3), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11030351 - 20 Mar 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3823

Abstract

Pinus massoniana is an important tree species for wind protection and timber forests in Southern China. In recent years, P. massoniana plantations have been developed on more than 11,300,000 hm² in southern China, but numerous problems have been observed, such as soil degradation, biodiversity reduction, and ecological functional decline. Crop tree management impacts on fine root development, which can be explained by the variations in the root orders. In this study, a 36-year-old P. massoniana plantation located in Huaying, Sichuan Province, was selected as the research field. In 2015, crop tree management was initiated, with a crop tree intensity of 150 trees per hectare. After 3 years of growth, fine roots of crop and noncrop trees were collected by the sector method with an angle of 15 degrees and a radius of 2 meters. We analyzed the morphological characteristics and biomass in different root orders, and explored their carbon and nitrogen contents. The results were as follows: (1) The specific root length (SRL), root length density (RLD), and surface root area (SRA) of the crop trees were larger than those of the noncrop trees; the SRL increased significantly from 0–0.5 m to 1–1.5 m from the stem. (2) The fine root biomass of the crop trees was significantly larger than that of the noncrop trees. The fine root biomass of the crop and the noncrop trees increased with the horizontal distance from the stem from 0–0.5 m to 1–1.5 m. The morphological indexes of the noncrop trees at the distances of 1–1.5 m and 1.5–2 m were significantly different, while those of the crop trees at those distances were not. (3) The fine root C content of the crop trees was significantly higher than that of the noncrop trees and varied significantly along a vertical distribution. The fine root N content of the crop trees was significantly higher than that of the noncrop trees, and the N content of topsoil was higher than that of deeper soil. In conclusion, our results indicated that crop tree management increased the production of a large-diameter wood of P. massoniana, which might be attributed to the improvement of soil permeability and nutrient stock, and thus, the enhancement of fine root quantity and water/nutrient absorption ability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests)

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23 pages, 8789 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Twenty-Five Years after Stand Thinning and Repeated Fertilization in Lodgepole Pine Forest: Implications for Tree Growth, Stand Structure, and Carbon Sequestration

by Thomas P. Sullivan, Druscilla S. Sullivan, Pontus M.F. Lindgren, Douglas B. Ransome and Lisa Zabek

Forests 2020, 11(3), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11030337 - 18 Mar 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4846

Abstract

Silvicultural practices such as pre-commercial thinning (PCT) and repeated fertilization have been used successfully around the world to increase forest biomass for conventional wood products, biofuels, and carbon sequestration. Two complementary studies were designed to test the hypotheses (H) that large-scale PCT and PCT with repeated fertilization of young (13–17 years old) lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) stands, at 25 years after the onset of treatments, would enhance (H₁) productivity and structural features (diameter and height growth, crown volume and dimensions) of crop trees; (H₂) merchantable volume of crop trees, (H₃) abundance of understory conifer, herb and shrub layers, and (H₄) carbon storage (sequestration) of all layers. Results are from two studies in south-central British Columbia, Canada. The PCT study had three densities: 500, 1000, and 2000 stems/ha, an unthinned, and old-growth stand replicated at three areas. The PCT-FERT study had four densities: 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 stems/ha with and without a repeated fertilization treatment, and an unthinned-unfertilized stand, replicated at two areas. Heavily thinned (≤1000 stems/ha) and fertilized stands generally had larger mean diameters and crown dimensions than lightly thinned or unfertilized stands, whereas mean heights of crop trees remained relatively unaffected, and hence partial support for H₁. Despite differences in stand density (4- and 8-fold) of original crop trees, ingress of intermediate crop trees over the 25 years changed density dramatically. There was no support for H₂, as mean merchantable volume of total crop trees was similar across stand densities owing to ingress, and was also similar in fertilized and unfertilized stands. In stands thinned to ≤500 trees/ha, there is an anticipated increase in crop tree density of 2.2 to 4.3 times over 25 years compared with the original post-thinning densities. Mean abundance of understory conifers was generally similar among stands owing to successional development towards canopy closure, whereas herbs and shrubs persisted only in canopy gaps in heavily thinned stands, thereby providing no support for H₃. Mean carbon storage was similar across densities in both studies with ingress contributing a considerable amount to carbon sequestration at the lower densities. Fertilization increased (1.4 times) mean carbon storage significantly among total crop trees, total conifers, and the grand total of all layers, thereby providing partial support for H₄. Thus, much of the potential above-ground carbon storage lost by thinning was restored in the heavily thinned stands at 25 years post-treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests)

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Review

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22 pages, 4284 KiB

Open AccessReview

Reforestation and Sustainable Management of Pinus merkusii Forest Plantation in Indonesia: A Review

by Rinaldi Imanuddin, Asep Hidayat, Henti Hendalastuti Rachmat, Maman Turjaman, Pratiwi, Fitri Nurfatriani, Yonky Indrajaya and Arida Susilowati

Forests 2020, 11(12), 1235; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11121235 - 24 Nov 2020

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 8340

Abstract

Pinus merkusii Jungh et de Vriese, known as Tusam or Sumatran pine, is the only pine that grows naturally in the south of the Equator with its natural distribution found in Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The Sumatran pine is an economically and ecologically important species in Indonesia that covers three native strains, Aceh, Kerinci, and Tapanuli. The resin tapping of the pine has been practiced for hundreds of years while its timber has long been commercially used for various purposes. Although the pine is known as highland species, its adaptability on a wide spectrum environment makes it suitable for various restoration and rehabilitation purposes both in lowland and highland sites. Its high commercial values have also made the species be massively planted in pine plantations outside their natural distribution in Sumatera (i.e., in Java and Sulawesi island). This paper will review the current condition of Sumatran pine and its potential as a restoration and rehabilitation species and delivering its natural and artificial distribution map in Indonesia. In addition, the paper will also show the genetic variability of the species, determine the current innovative practices in silvicultural aspect both at nursery and plantation scales, describe tree improvement program, including its role in agroforestry practices, pine product both timber and non-timber, and its potential resources in relation with climate change mitigation management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Silvicultural Treatments in Pine Forests)

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