Importance of Dead Wood in Virgin Forest Ecosystem Functioning in Southern Carpathians

Dead wood (DW) is an important component of sustainable forest management and climate change mitigation. Three research plots (each with an area of 1 ha), located in virgin forests in the Southern Carpathians (Semenic P20, Retezat–Zănoaga, and Făgăraș–Șinca), were installed in order to study the synergies between DW and climate change mitigation effects. Data on the dendrometric characteristics of standing and lying DW, the species, and the degree of decay were recorded. The aboveground biomass (AGB) and carbon stock (CS) of the DW were also determined. The DW volume was between 48 m3·ha−1 and 148 m3·ha−1, with the total volume (dead and alive) ranging between 725 m3·ha−1 and 966 m3·ha−1. The DW volume distribution shows a decreasing trend, with the most suitable theoretical distributions for describing this being the lognormal, the 2P Weibull, and the 2P-Gamma. The AGB ranged between 17 t·ha−1 and 30 t·ha−1 and showed a decreasing trend according to altitude. The CS was between 8 t·ha−1 and 14.33 t·ha−1. A slow decomposition rate for the hardwood was identified by analyzing the relationship between the surface and volume of the DW. This highlighted the capacity of DW to store carbon for a long period of time.

[1]  Nirwan,et al.  Developing Glasgow Accord for COP-26 Using Game Theory , 2021, Journal of Climate Change.

[2]  J. V. Van Stan,et al.  Bark-Water Interactions Across Ecosystem States and Fluxes , 2021, Frontiers in Forests and Global Change.

[3]  M. Tanase,et al.  Fire, drought and productivity as drivers of dead wood biomass in eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia , 2021 .

[4]  S. Zięba,et al.  How much, why and where? Deadwood in forest ecosystems: The case of Poland , 2021 .

[5]  B. Apostol,et al.  Development phases and structural characteristics of the Penteleu-Viforta virgin forest in the Curvature Carpathians , 2020 .

[6]  W. Kurz,et al.  Dynamics of dead wood decay in Swiss forests , 2020, Forest Ecosystems.

[7]  J. Lasota,et al.  Interspecific Variability of Water Storage Capacity and Absorbability of Deadwood , 2020 .

[8]  Seita Romppanen.  The LULUCF Regulation: the new role of land and forests in the EU climate and policy framework , 2020 .

[9]  R. Picchio,et al.  Structure and Dynamics of Deadwood in Pine and Oak Stands and their Role in CO2 Sequestration in Lowland Forests of Central Italy , 2020, Forests.

[10]  A. Węgiel,et al.  Aboveground Carbon Content and Storage in Mature Scots Pine Stands of Different Densities , 2020, Forests.

[11]  L. Dincă,et al.  Dead wood diversity in a Norway spruce forest from the Calimani National Park (Eastern Carpathians) , 2019 .

[12]  M. Bayat,et al.  An assessment of height–diameter growth variation in an unmanaged Fagus orientalis-dominated forest , 2019, European Journal of Forest Research.

[13]  Arshad Ali,et al.  Climate and soils determine aboveground biomass indirectly via species diversity and stand structural complexity in tropical forests , 2019, Forest Ecology and Management.

[14]  R. A. Moose,et al.  Dead wood fungi in North America: an insight into research and conservation potential , 2019, Nature Conservation.

[15]  G. Cardellini,et al.  Substitution effects of wood-based products in climate change mitigation , 2018, From Science to Policy.

[16]  Violeta Dimitrova.  Zalihe biomase mrtvog drva u šumskim ekosustavima bukve (Fagus sylvatica L.) na području zapadnog Balkana, Bugarska , 2018, Šumarski list.

[17]  B. Matović,et al.  Comparison of stand structure in managed and virgin european beech forests in Serbia , 2018 .

[18]  N. Picard,et al.  Positive biodiversity-productivity relationship predominant in global forests , 2016, Science.

[19]  A. Savaresi.  The Paris Agreement: a new beginning? , 2016 .

[20]  C. Bigler,et al.  Structural patterns of beech and silver fir suggest stability and resilience of the virgin forest Sinca in the Southern Carpathians, Romania , 2015 .

[21]  C. Bouget,et al.  Increasing temperature may compensate for lower amounts of dead wood in driving richness of saproxylic beetles , 2015 .

[22]  P. Corona,et al.  Dead wood and stand structure - relationships for forest plots across Europe , 2014 .

[23]  A. Floren,et al.  The influence of tree species, stratum and forest management on beetle assemblages responding to deadwood enrichment , 2014 .

[24]  Adriano Mazziotta,et al.  Modeling the effects of climate change and management on the dead wood dynamics in boreal forest plantations , 2013, European Journal of Forest Research.

[25]  A. Hector,et al.  Biodiversity Promotes Tree Growth during Succession in Subtropical Forest , 2013, PloS one.

[26]  I. Abrudan,et al.  Comparison of structure, regeneration and dead wood in virgin forest remnant and managed forest on Grmeč Mountain in Western Bosnia , 2013 .

[27]  P. Reich,et al.  Forest productivity increases with evenness, species richness and trait variation: a global meta‐analysis , 2012 .

[28]  M. Dobbertin,et al.  Dead wood volume to dead wood carbon: the issue of conversion factors , 2012, European Journal of Forest Research.

[29]  Christopher Baraloto,et al.  Modeling decay rates of dead wood in a neotropical forest , 2010, Oecologia.

[30]  Jürgen Bauhus,et al.  Silviculture for old-growth attributes , 2009 .

[31]  I. Rotherham,et al.  Coarse Dead Wood Volume of Managed Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) Stands in Turkey , 2008 .

[32]  T. Vrška,et al.  Tree layer dynamics of the Cahnov–Soutok near-natural floodplain forest after 33 years (1973–2006) , 2008, European Journal of Forest Research.

[33]  A. Elosegi,et al.  Contribution of dead wood to the carbon flux in forested streams , 2007 .

[34]  Yoshiki Yamagata,et al.  A synopsis of land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) under the Kyoto Protocol and Marrakech Accords , 2007 .

[35]  M. Moroni.  Disturbance history affects dead wood abundance in Newfoundland boreal forests , 2006 .

[36]  W. Keeton.  Managing for late-successional/old-growth characteristics in northern hardwood-conifer forests , 2006 .

[37]  M. Lindbladh,et al.  A comparison of saproxylic beetle occurrence between man-made high- and low-stumps of spruce (Picea abies) , 2006 .

[38]  K. Gadow,et al.  Is the reverse J-shaped diameter distribution universally applicable in European virgin beech forests? , 2006 .

[39]  U. Mueller,et al.  The Evolution of Agriculture in Insects , 2005 .

[40]  P. Meyer,et al.  Dead wood in European beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest reserves , 2005 .

[41]  M. Jonsson,et al.  Cost efficiency of measures to increase the amount of coarse woody debris in managed Norway spruce forests , 2005 .

[42]  John Harte,et al.  Dead wood biomass and turnover time, measured by radiocarbon, along a subalpine elevation gradient , 2004, Oecologia.

[43]  M. Jonsell,et al.  Saproxylic beetles in natural and man-made deciduous high stumps retained for conservation , 2004 .

[44]  Mark E. Harmon,et al.  Coarse woody debris in mixed-conifer forests, Sequoia National Park, California , 1987 .

[45]  R. Graham,et al.  Mass, nutrient content, and decay rate of dead boles in rain forests of Olympic National Park , 1982 .

[46]  M.Nawaz Sharif,et al.  The Weibull distribution as a general model for forecasting technological change , 1980 .

[47]  M. Stephens.  Tests of fit for the logistic distribution based on the empirical distribution function , 1979 .

[48]  D. Darling,et al.  A Test of Goodness of Fit , 1954 .

[49]  D. Turcu,et al.  The Importance of Dead Wood in the Forest , 2011 .

[50]  C. Messier,et al.  The effect of biodiversity on tree productivity: from temperate to boreal forests , 2011 .

[51]  J. Parviainen.  Virgin and natural forests in the temperate zone of Europe , 2005 .

[52]  S. Hodge,et al.  Deadwood in British forests: priorities and a strategy , 1998 .

[53]  M. Harmon,et al.  Ecology of Coarse Woody Debris in Temperate Ecosystems , 1986 .