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| Titel |
Biomechanical effects of trees in a mountain temperate forest: implications for biogeomorphology, soil science, and forest dynamics |
| VerfasserIn |
Pavel Šamonil, Pavel Daněk, Anna Senecká, Dušan Adam, Jonathan D. Phillips |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2017
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
en
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 19 (2017) |
| Datensatznummer |
250152349
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 EGU/EGU2017-17176.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Biomechanical effects of trees in forest soils represent a potentially significant factor in
hillslope processes, pedocomplexity, and forest dynamics. However, these processes have
been only rarely studied so far. Within this study we aim (i) to elaborate a detailed and widely
applicable methodology of quantification of the main biomechanical effects of trees in soil,
(ii) to reveal actual (minimal) frequencies, areas and volumes related to these effects in a
mountain temperate old-growth forest.
The research took place in the Boubín Primeval Forest in the Czech Republic. The
fir-spruce-beech forest reserve belongs among the oldest protected areas in Europe. The
reserve occupies NE slopes of an average inclination of about 14˚ on gneiss at an altitude of
930–1110 m a.s.l. We evaluated effects of all standing or lying trees of diameter at breast
height (DBH) ≥ 10 cm in an area of 10.2 ha. In total, 4000 trees were studied from viewpoint
of following features: treethrow, root mound, bioprotective function of standing as well as
lying tree, baumstein, root baumstein, infilling stump, hole after trunk fall, stemwash,
trunkwash.
Any biomechanical phenomena were recorded in 59% of standing and 51% of lying dead
trees (excluding the pervasive soil displacement by thickening trunk and roots and
the converse infilling of the space freed during their decay with surrounding soil).
Approximately one tenth of the trees expressed simultaneously opposing phenomena such as
blocking of slope processes and their intensification. Different tree species and DBH
categories exhibited significantly different structure of biomechanical effects in
soil.
Bioprotective function represented the most frequent process. However, concerning area
and volume of affected soil, treethrows were an even more important phenomenon. Total area
influenced by the studied biomechanical effects of current generation of trees was 343
m2ha−1. Additional 774 m2ha−1 were occupied by older treethrow pit-mounds
with already decayed uprooted trunk. Total volume of soil associated with studied
phenomena was 228 m3ha−1, predominated by material affected by treethrows
followed by stump infilling. Other processes were not so frequent but still important
in forest dynamics, biogeomorphology and soil genesis. We assume significant
differences in the structure of biomechanical effects of trees in managed forests. |
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