The impact of forest management methods on the ectomycorrhizal community and implications for forest productivity in needleleaf forests
(2023) MVEK12 20231Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)
- Abstract
- Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) form symbiotic relationships with trees by connecting to the roots, procuring soil nutrients in exchange for carbohydrates, and are an important contributor to plant growth. The forestry practice of clearcutting can be detrimental to the ECM community by removing its source of energy and creating unfavorable soil conditions, acutely reducing ECM diversity. This paper aims to examine existing literature for the effects of clearcutting on the ECM community as well as the potential impact of ECM diversity on plant growth, and attempt to determine if the use of alternate harvesting methods could promote plant growth through preservation of the ECM community.
The following research questions will be answered:
1.... (More) - Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) form symbiotic relationships with trees by connecting to the roots, procuring soil nutrients in exchange for carbohydrates, and are an important contributor to plant growth. The forestry practice of clearcutting can be detrimental to the ECM community by removing its source of energy and creating unfavorable soil conditions, acutely reducing ECM diversity. This paper aims to examine existing literature for the effects of clearcutting on the ECM community as well as the potential impact of ECM diversity on plant growth, and attempt to determine if the use of alternate harvesting methods could promote plant growth through preservation of the ECM community.
The following research questions will be answered:
1. What are the impacts of clearcutting on the ECM community compared to alternate harvesting methods?
2. How well do ECM correlate with tree growth?
3. Can the conservation of the ECM community through alternate harvesting methods have a positive impact on forest productivity?
The results indicate that both clearcutting and dispersed tree retention cause a significant loss of ECM diversity. Retention forest patches can lifeboat the ECM community, however it does not speed up the recolonization of seedlings. Conflicting results indicate both a positive and negative correlation between ECM diversity and plant growth, likely depending on specific circumstances. ECM community composition is more closely linked to plant growth, with species adapted to nutrient turnover being the most important, however whether this extends to clearcut sites is uncertain. The reviewed literature was insufficient to draw a conclusion regarding the benefits of a retained ECM community in terms of forest productivity, however if there is no other mature forest in the vicinity, tree retention patches may be necessary for future recolonization of seedlings. (Less) - Popular Abstract (Swedish)
- Ektomycorrhiza-svampar (ECM) bildar symbiotiska relationer med träd genom att ansluta till rötterna, och bidrar till växters tillväxt genom att anskaffa näring från marken i utbyte mot kolhydrater från växten. Skogsbruksmetoden kalhygge kan negativt påverka ECM genom att ta bort dess födokälla samt skapa ogynnsamma markförhållanden vilket direkt minskar diversiteten av ECM. Detta arbete syftar till att undersöka befintlig litteratur över effekterna av kalhygge på ECM samt hur ECM påverkar växters tillväxt, i ett försök att avgöra om alternativa skogsbruksmetoder kan ha en positiv påverkan på skogens tillväxt genom bevarandet av ECM.
Följande forskningsfrågor kommer att besvaras:
1. Vilka effekter har kalhygge på ECM jämfört med... (More) - Ektomycorrhiza-svampar (ECM) bildar symbiotiska relationer med träd genom att ansluta till rötterna, och bidrar till växters tillväxt genom att anskaffa näring från marken i utbyte mot kolhydrater från växten. Skogsbruksmetoden kalhygge kan negativt påverka ECM genom att ta bort dess födokälla samt skapa ogynnsamma markförhållanden vilket direkt minskar diversiteten av ECM. Detta arbete syftar till att undersöka befintlig litteratur över effekterna av kalhygge på ECM samt hur ECM påverkar växters tillväxt, i ett försök att avgöra om alternativa skogsbruksmetoder kan ha en positiv påverkan på skogens tillväxt genom bevarandet av ECM.
Följande forskningsfrågor kommer att besvaras:
1. Vilka effekter har kalhygge på ECM jämfört med alternativa bruksmetoder?
2. Hur väl korrelerar ECM med trädens tillväxt?
3. Kan bevarandet av ECM genom alternativa bruksmetoder ha en positiv påverkan på skogens produktivitet?
Resultatet tyder på att både kalhygge och kvarhållande av spridda träd medför en signifikant förlust av ECM-diversitet. Kvarlämnade trädgrupper kan fungera som en livbåt åt ECM, men påskyndar inte återkoloniseringen av unga plantor. Motsägelsefulla resultat visar både på en positiv och negativ korrelation mellan ECM-diversitet och trädtillväxt. ECM-arter anpassade till näringsomsättning verkar vara viktigast för tillväxt, men huruvida detta stämmer även vid kalhyggen är oklart. Den granskade litteraturen var otillräcklig för att dra slutsatser angående fördelarna av att bevara ECM sett till skogens produktivitet, men i de fall då ingen annan mogen skog finns i närområdet kan kvarlämnade trädgrupper vara nödvändiga för framtida återkolonisering av plantor. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9141646
- author
- Göransson, Oskar LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MVEK12 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Ectomycorrhiza, forestry, clearcutting, continuous cover forestry, biodiversity, forest productivity
- language
- English
- id
- 9141646
- date added to LUP
- 2023-12-01 15:20:59
- date last changed
- 2023-12-01 15:20:59
@misc{9141646,
abstract = {{Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) form symbiotic relationships with trees by connecting to the roots, procuring soil nutrients in exchange for carbohydrates, and are an important contributor to plant growth. The forestry practice of clearcutting can be detrimental to the ECM community by removing its source of energy and creating unfavorable soil conditions, acutely reducing ECM diversity. This paper aims to examine existing literature for the effects of clearcutting on the ECM community as well as the potential impact of ECM diversity on plant growth, and attempt to determine if the use of alternate harvesting methods could promote plant growth through preservation of the ECM community.
The following research questions will be answered:
1. What are the impacts of clearcutting on the ECM community compared to alternate harvesting methods?
2. How well do ECM correlate with tree growth?
3. Can the conservation of the ECM community through alternate harvesting methods have a positive impact on forest productivity?
The results indicate that both clearcutting and dispersed tree retention cause a significant loss of ECM diversity. Retention forest patches can lifeboat the ECM community, however it does not speed up the recolonization of seedlings. Conflicting results indicate both a positive and negative correlation between ECM diversity and plant growth, likely depending on specific circumstances. ECM community composition is more closely linked to plant growth, with species adapted to nutrient turnover being the most important, however whether this extends to clearcut sites is uncertain. The reviewed literature was insufficient to draw a conclusion regarding the benefits of a retained ECM community in terms of forest productivity, however if there is no other mature forest in the vicinity, tree retention patches may be necessary for future recolonization of seedlings.}},
author = {{Göransson, Oskar}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The impact of forest management methods on the ectomycorrhizal community and implications for forest productivity in needleleaf forests}},
year = {{2023}},
}