Tree dieback, woody plant diversity, and ecosystem driven by topography in semi-arid mountain forests: Implication for ecosystem management.

Autor: Heydari M; Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran. Electronic address: m.heidari@ilam.ac.ir., Cheraghi J; Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran. Electronic address: javadcheraghi98@gmail.com., Omidipour R; Department of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Sciences, Shahrekord University, 8818634141 , Shahrekord, Iran. Electronic address: R.omidipour@stu.sku.ac.ir., Rostaminia M; Department of Soil and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran. Electronic address: m.rostaminya@ilam.ac.ir., Kooch Y; Faculty of Natural Resources & Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, 46417-76489, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. Electronic address: yahya.kooch@modares.ac.ir., Valkó O; 'Lendület' Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, 2-4 Alkotmány Str., H-2163, Vácrátót, Hungary. Electronic address: valko.orsolya@ecolres.hu., Carcaillet C; Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris Sciences & Lettres Université (EPHE-PSL), F-75014, Paris, France; Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE (UMR 5023 LEHNA), F-69622, Villeurbanne, France; Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: christopher.carcaillet@ephe.psl.eu.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of environmental management [J Environ Manage] 2023 Aug 01; Vol. 339, pp. 117892. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Apr 17.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117892
Abstrakt: Mountain landscapes are highly heterogeneous due to topography, notably positions along slope and slope shapes, which control ecosystem mechanisms. We hypothesized that tree dieback is controlled by topography, selecting productive and less diverse communities in lower slopes, and stress-resistant and more diverse communities on upper slopes. Understanding how this heterogeneity drives vegetation patterns should provide benchmarks for ecosystem management of mountain forest dominated by Quercus brantii. Woody communities were sampled along convex vs concave topography (i.e., ridge vs talweg), and with measurements of tree dieback severity, environmental variables (litter depth, soil quality, rock outcrop), stand structure (canopy cover, mistletoe infestation, tree diameter and height, diameter and height differentiations, oaks' number from sprout-clumps or seed-origin), and biodiversity. Slope position was the most significant driver that affected all variables, excepted evenness. Dieback severity was higher on slope shoulders and summits, and lower in lower slopes where trees were the most productive: taller, larger, more homogeneous, and mostly seed-origin. Catena shape affected the diversity and dieback severity, both higher in talwegs, but had no effect on environmental variables and little on stand structure. Outputs indicate that the higher diversity of woody plants is on upper slopes supporting stress-resistant community associated with more severe dieback and mistletoe infection probably because frugivore birds attracted by the shrubs' fruits. Semi-arid forest management must consider the shaped-slope ecosystem heterogeneity by preserving ridges that are more susceptible to tree dieback, and naturally support biodiversity. Restoration measures on lower fertile slopes could be carried out by oak planting or seedlings under the cover of shrubs to counter dieback effects and environmental stresses. In addition, forestry measures can be taken in lower positions for the conversion of coppice to high oak forest to potentially consider a moderate forestry.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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