Explaining the large-scale diversity of soil organisms that drive biogeochemical processes and their responses to environmental change is critical. However, identifying consistent drivers of belowground diversity and abundance for some soil organisms at large spatial scales remains problematic. Within the ICP Forests, group for ectomycorrhiza, we have investigated a major guild, the ectomycorrhizal fungi, across European forests at a spatial scale and resolution that is to our knowledge unprecedented, to explore key biotic and abiotic predictors of ectomycorrhizal diversity and to identify dominant responses and thresholds for change across complex environmental gradients. We have shown the effect of 38 host, environment, climate and geographical variables on ectomycorrhizal diversity, and defined thresholds of community change for key variables. We quantified host specificity and revealed plasticity in functional traits involved in soil foraging across gradients. We concluded that environmental and host factors explain most of the variation in ectomycorrhizal diversity, that the environmental thresholds used as major ecosystem assessment tools need adjustment and that the importance of belowground specificity and plasticity has previously been underappreciated.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5104806
We present BeechCOSTe52; a database of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) phenotypic measurements for several traits related to fitness measured in genetic trials planted across Europe. The dataset was compiled and harmonized during the COST-Action E52 (2006%2010), and subsequently cross-validated to ensure consistency of measurement data among trials and provenances. Phenotypic traits (height, diameter at breast height, basal diameter, mortality, phenology of spring bud burst and autumn%leaf discoloration) were recorded in 38 trial sites where 217 provenances covering the entire distribution of European beech were established in two consecutive series (1993/95 and 1996/98). The recorded data refer to 862,095 measurements of the same trees aged from 2 to 15 years old over multiple years. This dataset captures the considerable genetic and phenotypic intra-specific variation present in European beech and should be of interest to researchers from several disciplines including quantitative genetics, ecology, biogeography, macroecology, adaptive management of forests and bioeconomy.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5157798
Background and questions How forest vegetation responds to disturbance continues to be a focal point, especially in the context of biodiversity conservation. To investigate the short-term effects of forest management on understory vegetation, we asked: (1) Are there any plant indicator species associated with different felling intensities? (2) What are the differences in abundances of plant functional types along the disturbance gradient? (3) How do typical forest species respond to silvicultural treatments? Location The Dinaric Mountains in Slovenia. Methods At each of three study sites in Illyrian beech forests, nine plots were established, comprising a total of 27 plots. Three different felling intensities were implemented at each site: control, 50% of the growing stock removed and 100% of the growing stock removed. In the centre of each plot, a vegetation survey of vascular plants was done before and two years after felling in a circular sampling area of 400 m2. We employed indicator species analysis, and species were grouped into functional types with respect to their traits. Results Understory species composition differed significantly between treatments. Fortyseven species (out of 251) were significantly associated with the 100% felling intensity. This relatively high number of indicators was due to the post-disturbance colonization of early successional, non-forest species. In the short term, ecological conditions in canopy gaps were not modified to an extent that would be detrimental to the persistence of typical forest species (shade-tolerant).
COBISS.SI-ID: 5300134
The aim of the paper was to present the improved version of the fungal ITS sequences of the UNITE database as reference corpus in systematics, environmental sequencing, and the next-generation sequencing pipeline QIIME. Emphasis was placed on the taxonomic aspects of sequence reliability and richness. Key elements comprised designation of representative sequences for species, reannotating incorrectly or under-annotated sequences, and adding metadata such as voucher specimen to sequences. We aimed to demonstrate how anyone with sufficient taxonomic or molecular expertise in any given lineage or group of fungi can contribute annotations and changes through the remote, third-party annotation functionalities of the UNITE platform and how the platform can be applied in fungi identification. Each taxon in the database is annotated to a new-conceptualized "species" concept named "species hypothesis", which is a result of morphological and phylogenetic data of the particular taxon. The paper pointing out a new concept of use of nucleotide data in identification of fungi, based on a "species hypothesis" principle is the co-author who is a PS member reaching 868 (WoS)/857 (Scopus)/1111(GoogleScholar) citations.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3693990
Reproductive performance is one of the most important life-history traits that should be routinely studied and considered in adaptive wildlife management. We analysed 2,594 intact uteri of roe deer hunted from 2006–2015 in an Apennine population, Tuscany, central Italy. By comparing the number of corpora lutea (CL) and foetuses in the same individuals (i.e., success in blastocyst implantation), we revealed a mean implantation failure of 8.6%, with a high inter-annual variability (range?=?3.6–19.8%). Implantation success was affected by individual maternal characteristics (positive effect of body mass and negative effect of age), climatic condition in summer, winter harshness, and altitude. For yearlings, which also express the highest variability in the ovulation rates, CL counts provide important information on their reproductive outcome because they have low implantation failure. Therefore, we suggested CL counting in roe deer yearlings to be included as a useful indicator in the adaptive population management.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5286310
Large-scale disturbances in forests are becoming more frequent due to a changing climate. Biotic disturbances can have cascading effects and therefore have a significant economic impact in forestry. It is therefore important to gain an understanding of the drivers of forest pest outbreaks in epidemic situations after large-scale disturbances and the implications for forest management. We investigated the influence of drivers on the bark beetle outbreaks following a large-scale ice storm in 2014 in Slovenia. A country-wide survey was done on the variables affecting ice storm damage to spruce trees. Additionally, the influence of the drivers of bark beetle attacks on outbreak intensity was assessed and compared under epidemic and endemic situations, and the effectiveness of forest management measures was assessed. Spruce trees were either uprooted or snapped, or the crown was lightly to severely damaged. The outbreaks under endemic situations were potentiated by the increasing amount of spruce and reduced by increasing slope. After the ice storm, the amount of sanitary felling because of outbreaks increased in areas with more steeper slopes, where the ice storm took place. An increase in the level of disturbance and a higher availability of dead and weakened trees positively affected bark beetle populations. The removal of dead trees alone in,the first year after the ice storm was found to be an insufficient measure for preventing bark beetle outbreaks. The ineffectiveness of current practices suggests that bark beetle management should be reconsidered with regard to large-scale disturbances. When defining measures against bark beetle outbreaks, drivers in epidemic situations should be prioritized over those that are important in endemic situations. The results imply that the known factors that affect bark beetle attacks are not necessarily the same as those that drive bark beetle attacks after extraordinary disturbance events. Mixed stands should be promoted in forests for sustainable management.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4898982
To halt the loss of biodiversity in natural habitats, the EU passed the Habitats Directive and established the Natura 2000 network. The network captured forest habitats and habitat types, whose conservation status must be reported under Article 17 of the Directive. Hence, the harmonization of habitat assessment methods and reporting formats are a critical issue. So far, the EU Commission and Member States have managed to design and issue reporting guidelines. However, as many of these reports are largely based on expert opinions, they tend to be biased and incomparable. To make conservation status assessments and reporting more consistent, this study evaluated a set of indicators with two decision support models. The DEX model operated with linguistic statements derived from numerical values, while the fuzzy model utilized numeric input. Both models were tested with data from Slovenia's three largest forest habitat types (FHT), namely 9110 – Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests, 91K0 – Illyrian Fagus sylvatica forests (Aremonio-Fagion) and 91L0 – Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests (Erythronio-Carpinion), provided by the Forest and Forest Ecosystem Condition Survey. The DEX model produced uniform results and defined the conservation status of all three FHTs as least favorable. Conversely, the fuzzy model produced three different conservation status grades for the FHTs: a favorable conservation status for the 91K0 FHT, least favorable for the 9110 FHT and unfavorable for the 91L0 FHT. Its results were logical and in accord with the existing assessments. The study showed that both models could be used for the evaluation of FHT traits. However, because of its larger sensitivity, the fuzzy model allowed detecting subtle differences among the indicator values due to the use of continuous numerical data and more sophisticated mathematical procedures.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5008294
European forests have a long record of management. However, the diversity of the current forest management across nations, tree species and owners, is hardly understood. Often when trying to simulate future forest resources under alternative futures, simply the yield table style of harvesting is applied. It is now crucially important to come to grips with actual forest management, now that demand for wood is increasing and the EU Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation has been adopted requiring 'continuation of current management practices' as a baseline to set the Forest Reference Level carbon sink. Based on a large dataset of 714,000 re-measured trees in National Forest inventories from 13 regions, we are now able to analyse actual forest harvesting. From this large set of repeated tree measurements we can conclude that there is no such thing as yield table harvesting in Europe. We found general trends of increasing harvest probability with higher productivity of the region and the species, but with important deviations related to local conditions like site accessibility, state of the forest resource (like age), specific subsidies, importance of other forest services, and ownership of the forest. As a result, we find a huge diversity in harvest regimes. Over the time period covered in our inventories, the average harvest probability over all regions was 2.4%yr-1 (in number of trees) and the mortality probability was 0.4% yr-1. Our study provides underlying and most actual data that can serve as a basis for quantifying 'continuation of current forest management'. It can be used as a cornerstone for the base period as required for the Forest Reference Level for EU Member States.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5258406
• Construction of the first long (428 yrs.) Pinus nigra chronology for Albania • Climate signal pointed out importance of June and July temperature for the growth of Pinus nigra • Long (1583-2010) climate reconstruction of June-July period for the region of Albania
COBISS.SI-ID: 4010406
• We investigated the impact of soil water availability on intra-annual leaf phenology, radial growth dynamics and variation in NSC amounts in the stem of Quercus pubescens from sub-Mediterranean region. • Soil water availability substantially influenced secondary growth in the stem of Q. pubescens, whereas NSC amounts seemed to be less affected. • The results show how the intricate relationships between soil properties, such as water availability, and tree performance should be considered when studying the impact of stressful events on the growth and functioning of trees.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5196710