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Thinning effects on pine-spruce forest transpiration in central Sweden

Lagergren, Fredrik LU ; Lankreijer, Harry LU orcid ; Kucera, Jiri ; Cienciala, Emil ; Mölder, Meelis LU and Lindroth, Anders LU orcid (2008) In Forest Ecology and Management 255(7). p.2312-2323
Abstract
This study analyses the effects of thinning on stand transpiration in a typical mixed spruce and pine forest in the southern boreal zone. Studies of transpiration are important for models of water, energy and carbon exchange, and forest management, like thinning, would change those processes. Tree transpiration was measured by the tissue heat-balance sapflow technique, on a reference plot and a thinning plot situated in a 50-year-old stand in central Sweden. Sapflow was measured during one season (1998) on both plots before thinning, to establish reference values. In winter 1998/1999 24% of the basal area was removed from the thinning plot. Thinning was done so as to preserve the initial species composition and the size distribution. The... (More)
This study analyses the effects of thinning on stand transpiration in a typical mixed spruce and pine forest in the southern boreal zone. Studies of transpiration are important for models of water, energy and carbon exchange, and forest management, like thinning, would change those processes. Tree transpiration was measured by the tissue heat-balance sapflow technique, on a reference plot and a thinning plot situated in a 50-year-old stand in central Sweden. Sapflow was measured during one season (1998) on both plots before thinning, to establish reference values. In winter 1998/1999 24% of the basal area was removed from the thinning plot. Thinning was done so as to preserve the initial species composition and the size distribution. The measurements continued after thinning during the growing seasons of 1999 and 2000. The climate showed remarkable differences between the 3 years; 1998 was wet and cool, with frequent rain, and the soil-water content was high throughout the year. In contrast, 1999 was dry and warm, and the soil-water content decreased to very low values, ca. 5-6% by volume. In 2000, the weather was more normal, with variable conditions. Stand transpiration was similar on both plots during the year before thinning; the plot to be thinned transpired 6% more than the reference plot. After thinning, transpiration was initially ca. 40% lower on the thinned plot, but the difference diminished successively. When the following drought was at its worst, the thinned plot transpired up to seven times more than the reference plot. During the second season after thinning, the thinned plot transpired ca. 20% more than the reference plot. The increased transpiration of the thinned plot could not be attributed to environmental variables, but was most probably caused by changes in biological factors, such as a fertilization effect. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
sap flow, thinning, Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, forest management, drought
in
Forest Ecology and Management
volume
255
issue
7
pages
2312 - 2323
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000256143900029
  • scopus:41949129592
ISSN
1872-7042
DOI
10.1016/j.foreco.2007.12.047
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4dd8ac91-3d44-4986-aae3-4b3b70f0e933 (old id 1201750)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:08:32
date last changed
2024-06-06 10:45:10
@article{4dd8ac91-3d44-4986-aae3-4b3b70f0e933,
  abstract     = {{This study analyses the effects of thinning on stand transpiration in a typical mixed spruce and pine forest in the southern boreal zone. Studies of transpiration are important for models of water, energy and carbon exchange, and forest management, like thinning, would change those processes. Tree transpiration was measured by the tissue heat-balance sapflow technique, on a reference plot and a thinning plot situated in a 50-year-old stand in central Sweden. Sapflow was measured during one season (1998) on both plots before thinning, to establish reference values. In winter 1998/1999 24% of the basal area was removed from the thinning plot. Thinning was done so as to preserve the initial species composition and the size distribution. The measurements continued after thinning during the growing seasons of 1999 and 2000. The climate showed remarkable differences between the 3 years; 1998 was wet and cool, with frequent rain, and the soil-water content was high throughout the year. In contrast, 1999 was dry and warm, and the soil-water content decreased to very low values, ca. 5-6% by volume. In 2000, the weather was more normal, with variable conditions. Stand transpiration was similar on both plots during the year before thinning; the plot to be thinned transpired 6% more than the reference plot. After thinning, transpiration was initially ca. 40% lower on the thinned plot, but the difference diminished successively. When the following drought was at its worst, the thinned plot transpired up to seven times more than the reference plot. During the second season after thinning, the thinned plot transpired ca. 20% more than the reference plot. The increased transpiration of the thinned plot could not be attributed to environmental variables, but was most probably caused by changes in biological factors, such as a fertilization effect.}},
  author       = {{Lagergren, Fredrik and Lankreijer, Harry and Kucera, Jiri and Cienciala, Emil and Mölder, Meelis and Lindroth, Anders}},
  issn         = {{1872-7042}},
  keywords     = {{sap flow; thinning; Pinus sylvestris; Picea abies; forest management; drought}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{2312--2323}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Forest Ecology and Management}},
  title        = {{Thinning effects on pine-spruce forest transpiration in central Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2007.12.047}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.foreco.2007.12.047}},
  volume       = {{255}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}