Annals of Forest Science blog
About Annals of Forest Science
Former Associate Editors
Latest posts for authors
Latest posts for referees
Structural and compositional dynamics of strictly protected woodland communities with silvicultural implications, using Białowieża Forest as an example
By AFS On 17 October 2018 In All published articles, Data in repository, Open Access, Research paper
Mixed hornbeam – oak forest
Long-term strict protection of woodland communities may lead to their compositional simplification and homogenisation.
Context In the past, it has often been postulated that structures and processes typical for natural forests should be mimicked by silvicultural activities in the case of managed tree stands.
Aims To determine which features and traits of natural woodland communities (alongside typical old-growth attributes) should be imitated in managed forests, as well as which should not (and for what reasons).
Methods Tree data from five permanent study plots (of a total area of 15.44 ha) established in 1936 in the core area of the Białowieża National Park (NE Poland) are used to calculate several quantitative indices describing the temporal dynamics (in terms of stand structure and composition) of eight major woodland community types.
Results Most structural attributes revealed rather high stability over time. In contrast to these, during the observation period, noticeable changes in the composition of particular Białowieża woodland communities have been taking place, related to declining occurrence and reduced roles characteristic for a large number of tree species.
The remnants of dead spruce trees (Picea abies).
Conclusion In many ways, natural forests can serve as an important model for managed forest stands. However, in certain circumstances, silvicultural treatments counteracting natural developmental trends may appear to be indispensable, especially when more diverse and stable tree species composition (at a given spatial and temporal scale) is indicated or desirable.
Close-to-nature silviculture, Community dynamics, Natural forest, Stand composition, Stand structure, Structural index
Brzeziecki, B., Bielak, K., Bolibok, L. et al. Annals of Forest Science (2018) 75: 89.
The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available in the dryad repository (Brzeziecki et al. 2018). Datasets are not peer reviewed. Brzeziecki B, Bielak K, Bolibok L, et al. (2018) Data from: structural and compositional dynamics of strictly protected woodland communities with silvicultural implications, using Białowieża Forest as an example. Dryad Digital Repository [Dataset]. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.35vr46g
Annals of Forest Science blog Copyright © 2023.
We use cookies on our site to provide you with the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences, repeat visits and to analyze our traffic. By clicking on "Accept", you consent to the use of cookies enabled in the settings. Cookies policy
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics 6 months This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional 6 months The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others 6 months This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance 6 months This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
_pk_id.8.b4c0 13 months This cookie name is associated with the Matomo open source web analytics platform. It is used to help website owners track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. It is a pattern type cookie, where the prefix _pk_ses is followed by a short series of numbers and letters, which is believed to be a reference code for the domain setting the cookie.
_pk_ses.8.b4c0 30 minutes This cookie name is associated with the Matomo open source web analytics platform. It is used to help website owners track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. It is a pattern type cookie, where the prefix _pk_ses is followed by a short series of numbers and letters, which is believed to be a reference code for the domain setting the cookie.
vglnk.Agent.p 1 month The cookie is set by VigLink to track the user behavior in order to serve relevant advertising. The cookie is also used to limit the ads displayed and measure the effectiveness of an ad campaign.
vglnk.PartnerRfsh.p 1 month This cookie is set by VigLink platform. The cookie is used to serve users with relevant advertisement. The cookie is also used to limit the number of adverts that are shown to the customers and measure the effectiveness of a campaign.