Decay dynamics of oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) deadwood in mixed beech stands

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 M. Sc. Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I.R. Iran

2 Prof., Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I.R. Iran

3 Assistant Prof., Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I.R. Iran

4 Assistant Prof., Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Technology, University of ‎Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, I.R. Iran.‎

Abstract

Due to their significance for carbon sequestration and ecosystem management, information on decay dynamic of deadwood and its total decay time are of great importance to ecologists and forest managers. This study was conducted in Kheirud forest of Nowshahr to study the decay process of beech and hornbeam deadwood. Therefore, 72 beech and hornbeam dead trees were randomly selected. For each sample tree, information on species, diameter, decay classes and slope gradient were recorded. The cubic cut samples with 5 cm length, width and height in two perpendicular aspects were taken from each decaying stump. 30 and 16 years of decaying time were shown to be needed for 95% dry mass of dead beech and hornbeam logs, respectively. In addition, the required periods for passing through all stages of decay for beech and hornbeam dead trees were 27 and 21 years, respectively. A strong relation (R2=0.8) between density and decay stage of dead trees was indicated. Therefore, the density of dead wood was concluded to significantly decline with increased decay stage in both species.

Keywords

References

- Anonymous, 2008. Forest Management Plan of Gorazbon District, Kheirud Forest. Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, 375p (In Persian).
- Davis, J.W. 1983. Snags are for wildlife: 4–9. In. Davis, J.W., Goodwin, G.A., Ockenfels, R.A., (Eds.). Proceedings of the Symposium on Snag Habitat Management. RM, 99 p.
- Eaton, J.M. and Lawrence, D. 2006.Woody debris stock and flux during succession in a dry tropical forest. Forest Ecology and Management, 232: 46-55.
Fasth, B.G., Harmon, M.E., Sexton, J. and White, P. 2011. Decomposition of fine woody debris in a deciduous forest in North Carolina. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society, 138(2): 192-206.
- Garrett, L.G., Davis, M.R. and Oliver, G.R. 2007. Decomposition of coarse woody debris, and methods for determining decay rates. New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science, 37: 227-240.
- Garrett, L.G., Kimberley, M.O., Oliver, G.R., Pearce, S.H. and Beets, P.N. 2012. Decomposition of coarse woody roots and branches in managed Pinus radiata plantations in New Zealand– A time series approach. Forest Ecology and Management, 269: 116-123.
- Garrett, L.G., Oliver, G.R., Pearce, S.H. and Davis, M.R. 2008. Decomposition of Pinus radiata coarse woody debris in New Zealand. Forest Ecology and Management, 255: 3839-3845.
- Guo, L.B., Bek, E. and Gifford, R.M. 2006. Woody debris in a 16-year old Pinus radiata plantation in Australia: mass, carbon and nitrogen stocks, and turnover. Forest Ecology and Management, 228: 145-151.
- Harmon, M., Krankina, O. and Sexton, J. 2000. Decomposition vectors: a new approach to estimating woody detritus decomposition dynamics. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 30:76-84.
- Harmon, M.E., Cromack, K. and Smith, B.G. 1987. Coarse woody debris in mixed-confer forests, Sequoia National Park, California. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 17: 1265-1272.
- Harmon, M.E., Franklin, J.F., Swanson, F.J., Sollins, P., Gregory S.V., Lattin, J.D., Anderson, N.H., Cline, S.P., Aumen, N.G., Sedell, J.R., Lienkamper, G.W., Cromack, J. and Cummins, K.W. 1986. Ecology of coarse woody debris in temperate ecosystems. Advance Ecology Restoration, 15: 133-302.
- Janisch, J.E., Harmon, M.E., Chen, H., Fasth, B. and Sexton, J. 2005. Decomposition of coarse woody debris originating by clearcutting of an old-growth conifer forest. Ecoscience, 12(2): 151-160.
- Kappes, H., Catalano, C. and Topp, W. 2007. Coarse woody debris ameliorates chemical and biotic soil parameters of acidified broad-leaved forests. Applied Soil Ecology, 36: 190-198.
- Kennedy, P.G. and Quinn, T. 2001. Understory plant establishment on old-growth stumps and the forest floor in western Washington. Forest Ecology and Management, 154: 193-200.
- Kiasari, M.Sh. and Rahmani, R. 2001. The effect of dead trees on natural regeneration in the mixed beech and hornbeam forests, Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 54(2): 143-152 (In Persian).
- Mackensen, J. and Bauhus, J. 2003. Density loss and respiration rates in coarse woody debris of Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus regnans and Eucalyptus maculata. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 35: 177-186.
- Marvie Mohadjer, M.R. 2011. Silviculture. University of Tehran Press, Tehran, 387p (In Persian).
- Mattson, K.G., Swank, W.T. and Waide, J.B. 1987. Decomposition of woody debris in a regenerating, clear-cut forest in the southern Appalachians. Canadian Journal of Forest Research: 712-721.
- McComb, W. C. 2003. Ecology of coarse woody debris and its role as habitat for mammals. Mammal community dynamics: management and conservation in the coniferous forests of western North America. Cambridge University Press, New York, New York, 374-404.
- Müller, S.U. and Bartsch, N. 2009. Decay dynamic of coarse and fine woody debris of a beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest in central Germany. European Journal of Forest Research, 128: 287-296.
- Olson, J.S. 1963. Energy storage and the balance of producers and decomposers in ecological systems. Ecology, 44: 322-330.
- Radtke, P.J., Amateis, R.L., Prisley, S.P., Copenheaver, C.A., Chojnacky, D.C., Pittman, J.R. and Burkhart, H.E. 2009. Modeling production and decay of coarse woody debris in loblolly pine plantations. Forest Ecology and Management, 257: 790-799.
- Santiago, J.M. and Amanda, D.R. 2005. Dead Trees as Resources for Forest Wildlife. Extension Fact Sheet, Ohio State University Express, 12p.
- Sefidi, K. and Marvie Mohadjer, M.R. 2010. Characteristics of coarse woody debris in successional stages of natural beech (Fagus orientalis) forests of Northern Iran. Journal of Forest Science, 56: 7-17.
- Sefidi, K., Marvie Mohadjer, M.R., Mosandl, R. and Copenheaver, C.A. 2011. Canopy gaps and regeneration in old-growth Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) stands, Northern Iran. Forest Ecology and Management, 262: 1094-1099.
- Sefidi, K., Marvie Mohadjer, M.R., Mosandl, R. and Copenheaver, C.A. 2013. Coarse and fine woody debris in mature oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) forests of northern Iran. Natural Areas Journal, 33(3): 248-255.
- Sefidi, K., Marvi-Mohajer, M.R., Zobeyri, M. and Etemad, V. 2008. Investigation on dead trees effects on natural regeneration of oriental beech and hornbeam in a mixed beech forest. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 15: 365-373 (In Persian).
- Stachura, K., Bobiec, A., Obidziоski, A., Oklejewicz, K. and Wolkowycki, D. 2007. Old trees and decaying wood in forest ecosystems of Poland “Old Wood". A toolkit for participants,Version 07,05.08.2011.
- Tobin, B. 2006. Carbon sequestration in Sitka spruce in Ireland. Ph. D. thesis, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin.
- Yan, E., Wang, X., Huang, J., Zeng, R. and Gong, L. 2007. Long - lasting legacy of forest succession and forest management: Characteristics of coarse woody debris in an evergreen broad-leaved forest of Eastern China. Forest Ecology and Management, 252: 98-107.
- Yang, L., Dai, L. and Zhang, Y. 2002. Storage and decomposition of fallen wood in dark coniferous forest on the North Slope of Changbai Mountain in Chinese. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 13(9): 1069-1071.
- Yatskov, M., Harmon M.E. and Krankina, O.N. 2003. A chronosequence of wood decomposition in the boreal forests of Russia. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 33: 1211-1226.
- Yeboah, D. 2011. Variation in carbon content of tropical tree species from Ghana. Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2011. http://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etds/161.
- Yin, X., 1999. The decay of forest dead wood: numerical modeling and implications based on some 300 data cases from North America. Oecologia, 121:81-98.
 
Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research
Volume 22, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
January 2015
Pages 624-635

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics