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How management intensity and neighborhood composition affect the structure of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees

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The intensity of silvicultural interventions and the neighborhood composition determine branching patterns, crown shape, and trunk attributes of beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) trees.

Abstract

The intensity of silvicultural interventions and the composition of tree species are important forest management decisions. Both determine tree shape and thus influence the value of a tree, be it in terms of economy (trunk form, branchiness), or in terms of ecology (microhabitats). However, our knowledge on the distinct changes in tree architecture due to silvicultural management intensity or different neighborhood diversities is still limited, especially if the focus is on single tree attributes, e.g., branching patterns or crown shapes. We used terrestrial laser scanner data to calculate 25 structural measures for 55 European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees that grew either in pure stands along a gradient of management intensity or in intra or interspecific neighborhoods in unmanaged stands. We found a lower height of maximal horizontal crown extension, a higher crown surface area, and straighter trunks with increasing management intensity. Moreover, our study revealed that beech trees surrounded by valuable hardwoods showed a lower height of maximal horizontal crown extension, a lower height–diameter ratio, and longer branches with flatter branch angles than beech trees surrounded by conspecific neighbors. Our findings provide evidence of phenotypic plasticity of European beech to diverse environmental conditions. The differences in tree structure indicate an increasing crown competition with decreasing management intensity and stronger competitive pressure for beech surrounded by conspecific neighbors in comparison to alien neighbors.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the managers of the three Exploratories, Kirsten Reichel-Jung, Swen Renner, Katrin Hartwich, Sonja Gockel, Kerstin Wiesner, and Martin Gorke for their work in maintaining the plot and project infrastructure; Christiane Fischer and Simone Pfeiffer for giving support through the central office, Michael Owonibi for managing the central data base, and Markus Fischer, Eduard Linsenmair, Dominik Hessenmöller, Jens Nieschulze, Daniel Prati, Ingo Schöning, François Buscot, Ernst-Detlef Schulze, Wolfgang W. Weisser, and the late Elisabeth Kalko for their role in setting up the Biodiversity Exploratories project. The work has been funded by the DFG (German Science Foundation) Priority Program 1374 “Infrastructure-Biodiversity-Exploratories”. Field work permits were issued by the responsible state environmental offices of Baden-Württemberg, Thüringen, and Brandenburg (according to § 72 BbgNatSchG). This work was funded by research grants granted to Dominik Seidel (reference number: Se 2383/2-1) and Christian Ammer (reference number: Am 149/15-1) by the German Research Foundation and by a research scholarship granted to Dominik Seidel by the German Research Foundation (reference number: Se 2383/1-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Ecology and Silviculture of the temperate Zones, Faculty of Forest Science, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Julia Juchheim, Peter Annighöfer, Christian Ammer & Dominik Seidel

  2. Earth Observation, Climate and Optical Group, National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0LW, UK

    Kim Calders

  3. Department of Geography, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Kim Calders

  4. Laboratory of Mathematics, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 553, 33101, Tampere, Finland

    Pasi Raumonen

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  1. Julia Juchheim
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Correspondence to Julia Juchheim.

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Communicated by G. Wieser.

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Juchheim, J., Annighöfer, P., Ammer, C. et al. How management intensity and neighborhood composition affect the structure of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees. Trees 31, 1723–1735 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-017-1581-z

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