Long term effects of forest management on forest structure and dead wood in mature boreal forests

51 Pages Posted: 25 Mar 2024 Last revised: 27 Mar 2024

See all articles by Johan Asplund

Johan Asplund

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Jenni Nordén

Norwegian Institute for Nature Research

O. Janne Kjønaas

Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research

Rieke Lo Madsen

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Lisa Fagerli Lunde

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Tone Birkemoe

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Eivind Kverme Ronold

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences

Milda Norkute

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Karin Ulrika Jansson

Norwegian Institute for Nature Research

Damian Karlsen

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences

Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Inger Skrede

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences

Ine-Susanne Hopland Methlie

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences

Sundy Maurice

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences

Håvard Kauserud

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences

Line Nybakken

Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Date Written: August 11, 2024

Abstract

The history of forestry in Fennoscandia spans five centuries, with clear-cutting being the dominant practice since the mid-20th century. This has led to a significant transformation of the forest landscape. In this study we investigated long-term effects of clear-cutting on forest structure and dead wood volumes. We established twelve pairs of spruce forest sites in southeastern Norway, each pair constituting of a mature, previously clear-cut stand and its near-natural counterpart with similar edaphic factors. The near-natural stands had 2.8 times higher volumes of dead wood and a larger proportion of dead wood in late stages of decay. The near-natural stands had on average 36.8 ± 9.1 m3 ha-1 of downed dead wood and 24.1 ± 6.2 m3 ha-1 of standing dead wood. Corresponding numbers for the previously clear-cut stands were 10.2 ± 2.8 m3 ha-1 and 11.9 ± 3.7 m3 ha-1. Forests with lower volumes of dead wood often also had lower connectivity of old spruce forests, potentially amplifying negative effects on biodiversity. Furthermore, near-natural stands displayed greater tree size heterogeneity, resulting in a wider variation in light conditions. While no difference was observed in living tree volume, we found only weak evidence for higher basal area in the previously clear-cut stands, which had a higher stem density with more slender stems and shorter crowns. Our findings suggest that managed forests do not develop structures typical of near-natural forests before they become mature for logging. We stress the importance of a thorough site selection for studies of management effects, as forest management history may be confounded with productivity and other edaphic factors. Experimental designs like ours are vital for testing how differences in structure and deadwood volumes, driven by forest management, translate into variations in biodiversity, carbon sequestration and ecosystem functioning in future studies.

Keywords: Coarse woody debris, Clear-cu�ng forestry, Norway spruce, Structural heterogeneity

Suggested Citation

Asplund, Johan and Nordén, Jenni and Kjønaas, O. Janne and Madsen, Rieke Lo and Lunde, Lisa Fagerli and Birkemoe, Tone and Ronold, Eivind Kverme and Norkute, Milda and Jansson, Karin Ulrika and Karlsen, Damian and Sverdrup-Thygeson, Anne and Skrede, Inger and Methlie, Ine-Susanne Hopland and Maurice, Sundy and Kauserud, Håvard and Nybakken, Line, Long term effects of forest management on forest structure and dead wood in mature boreal forests (August 11, 2024). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4772055 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4772055

Johan Asplund (Contact Author)

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) ( email )

Jenni Nordén

Norwegian Institute for Nature Research ( email )

O. Janne Kjønaas

Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research ( email )

Storgata 2-4-6
Oslo, 0155
Norway

Rieke Lo Madsen

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) ( email )

Lisa Fagerli Lunde

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) ( email )

Tone Birkemoe

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) ( email )

Eivind Kverme Ronold

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences ( email )

Milda Norkute

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) ( email )

Karin Ulrika Jansson

Norwegian Institute for Nature Research ( email )

Damian Karlsen

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences ( email )

Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson

Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) ( email )

Inger Skrede

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences ( email )

Ine-Susanne Hopland Methlie

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences ( email )

Sundy Maurice

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences ( email )

Håvard Kauserud

University of Oslo - Department of Biosciences ( email )

Line Nybakken

Norwegian University of Life Sciences ( email )

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