Tomas Lundmark

Snow and soil frost depth in two types of shelterwood and a clear‐cut area

In this study, the snow and soil frost conditions in three different forest stand treatments in northern Sweden were investigated during winter and spring 1998/99. In total, 49 frost tubes and 25 snow gauges were used in one clear‐cut area, one multilayered shelterwood of mixed Scots pine (Pinus sylvesths) and Norway spruce (Picea abies), and one single‐layered shelterwood of old Scots pine. The snow cover was thicker and smoother and less soil frost was observed in the clear‐cut area than in the shelterwoods. In the multilayered shelterwood the mean snow cover was shallower than in the single‐layered shelterwood, but with larger spatial variation in snow depth related to the canopy density and with patches of snow and soil frost that lasted until early summer. Close to the shelter trees in the single‐layered shelterwood the deepest soil frost was observed during the winter and early start of snow melting and soil frost thawing in spring. In conclusion, the snow and soil frost depths in the shelterwoods were related to the stem density. The single‐layered shelterwood of large pines appeared to promote an earlier snowmelt and thawing of the soil frost than the multilayered shelterwood of mixed pine and spruce.

Recovery from winter depression of photosynthesis in pine and spruce

SummaryRecovery from winter depression of photosynthesis was studied in Pinus sylvestris, Pinus conforta and Picea abies by means of chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchange measurements. During the winter 1986–1987 the fluorescence yield was low and no variable fluorescence was detectable before the end of March. In the field recovery of variable fluorescence/maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm) during spring was slow for all three species studied. The temperature dependence of recovery was confirmed from measurements of the potential rate of recovery of Fv/Fm at different temperatures in the laboratory. At 20° C, Fv/Fm increased from 0.1 to 0.8 within 3 days. Recovery of Fv/Fm was paralleled by an increase in apparent photon yield. No significant differences could be demonstrated between the studied tree species in potential rate of recovery in the laboratory or in actual recovery in the field.

Seasonal variation of maximum photochemical efficiency in boreal Norway spruce stands

Abstract The seasonal variation in maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and the relationship between Fv/Fm and climatic factors such as irradiance, frost-nights and daily mean temperature was studied in young Norway spruce trees for 4 years in northern Sweden. As a result of night frost, the Fv/Fm-ratio gradually decreased during the autumn. There was between-year variation in the pattern of Fv/Fm in fully exposed shoots during autumn and spring, largely as an effect of differing temperature conditions. During spring, there was a strong apparent relationship between daily mean temperature and Fv/Fm within the temperature range –3 to 12°C. The light regime to which the needles were exposed during winter affected Fv/Fm, and moderately shaded shoots from the bottom of the canopy generally had a higher Fv/Fm-ratio than fully exposed shoots from the top of the canopy.

Functions for Biomass Estimation of Young Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies and Betula spp. from Stands in Northern Sweden with High Stand Densities

New silvicultural regimes with high within-stand competition require new functions for estimation of standing stock and growth of biomass components, since the allometry of trees is changed by light competition. This paper presents functions for estimation of the aboveground biomass dry weights for stem wood, stem bark, branches and leaves of young (diameter at breast height <10 cm) Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] and birch (Betula pendula Roth. and Betula pubescens Ehrh.) trees growing in dense mixed stands. The functions were derived from a sample consisting of 84 Scots pine, 43 Norway spruce and 66 birch trees from six stands in northern Sweden with high stand densities (>10000 st ha-1). The logarithmically transformed power function displayed a good ability to stabilize the variance of dry weights and showed a good fit to the material (0.37< R 2 <0.99). A comparison with the most commonly used biomass functions in Sweden today showed that they overestimated the weight of stem wood and branches, while the weight of foliage was underestimated. The nature of these discrepancies suggested that the precision of biomass estimations might also be improved for young trees at wider spacing.

Replacing monocultures with mixed-species stands: Ecosystem service implications of two production forest alternatives in Sweden

Whereas there is evidence that mixed-species approaches to production forestry in general can provide positive outcomes relative to monocultures, it is less clear to what extent multiple benefits can be derived from specific mixed-species alternatives. To provide such insights requires evaluations of an encompassing suite of ecosystem services, biodiversity, and forest management considerations provided by specific mixtures and monocultures within a region. Here, we conduct such an assessment in Sweden by contrasting even-aged Norway spruce (Piceaabies)-dominated stands, with mixed-species stands of spruce and birch (Betula pendula or B. pubescens), or spruce and Scots pine (Pinussylvestris). By synthesizing the available evidence, we identify positive outcomes from mixtures including increased biodiversity, water quality, esthetic and recreational values, as well as reduced stand vulnerability to pest and pathogen damage. However, some uncertainties and risks were projected to increase, highlighting the importance of conducting comprehensive interdisciplinary evaluations when assessing the pros and cons of mixtures.

Effects of summer frost oh the gas exchange of field‐grown Pinus sylvestris L. seedlings

The effect of night temperatures on the gas exchange of naturally established Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings was investigated at a site with frequent summer frosts in northern Sweden. During the growing season, a reversible inhibition of light‐saturated rates of CO2‐assimilation was observed after nightfrosts. Stomatal conductance decreased or increased in parallel with changes in the CO2‐assimilation rate. The inhibition of photosynthesis was not primarily the result of stomatal closure, since intercellular CO2‐concentration increased after night frosts. Naturally regenerated Scots pine seedlings survived repeated frosts during the growing season and showed no visible damage although air temperatures as low as ‐8.2°C were recorded during the period of shoot elongation

Socio-ecological implications of modifying rotation lengths in forestry

The rotation length is a key component of even-aged forest management systems. Using Fennoscandian forestry as a case, we review the socio-ecological implications of modifying rotation lengths relative to current practice by evaluating effects on a range of ecosystem services and on biodiversity conservation. The effects of shortening rotations on provisioning services are expected to be mostly negative to neutral (e.g. production of wood, bilberries, reindeer forage), while those of extending rotations would be more varied. Shortening rotations may help limit damage by some of today’s major damaging agents (e.g. root rot, cambium-feeding insects), but may also increase other damage types (e.g. regeneration pests) and impede climate mitigation. Supporting (water, soil nutrients) and cultural (aesthetics, cultural heritage) ecosystem services would generally be affected negatively by shortened rotations and positively by extended rotations, as would most biodiversity indicators. Several effect modifiers, such as changes to thinning regimes, could alter these patterns.

The role of biogeochemical hotspots, landscape heterogeneity, and hydrological connectivity for minimizing forestry effects on water quality

Protecting water quality in forested regions is increasingly important as pressures from land-use, long-range transport of air pollutants, and climate change intensify. Maintaining forest industry without jeopardizing sustainability of surface water quality therefore requires new tools and approaches. Here, we show how forest management can be optimized by incorporating landscape sensitivity and hydrological connectivity into a framework that promotes the protection of water quality. We discuss how this approach can be operationalized into a hydromapping tool to support forestry operations that minimize water quality impacts. We specifically focus on how hydromapping can be used to support three fundamental aspects of land management planning including how to (i) locate areas where different forestry practices can be conducted with minimal water quality impact; (ii) guide the off-road driving of forestry machines to minimize soil damage; and (iii) optimize the design of riparian buffer zones. While this work has a boreal perspective, these concepts and approaches have broad-scale applicability.

Species‐specific activation time‐lags can explain habitat restrictions in hydrophilic lichens

Photosystem II (PSII) activation after hydration with water or humid air was measured in four hydrophilic and a generalist lichen to test the hypothesis that slow activation might explain habitat restriction in the former group. For the hydrophilic species, activation was after 4 h nearly completed in Lobaria amplissima and Platismatia norvegica, while only c. 50% for Bryoria bicolor and Usnea longissima. The generalist Platismatia glauca was activated instantaneously. The effect of this on lichen field performance was investigated using a dynamic model separating the two water sources rain and humid air. Model simulations were made using the species-specific characteristics and climate data from 12 stream microhabitats. For U. longissima, slow PSII activation could reduce realized photosynthesis by a factor of five. Bryoria bicolor was almost as severely affected, while P. norvegica displayed moderate reductions. Lobaria amplissima displayed longer realized activity periods even in unfavourable microclimates, possibly because of a higher water loss resistance. Both close proximity to streams and presence of turbulent water had a positive impact on realized activity among the slowly activated species, coinciding with observed distribution patterns of hydrophilic species. The results presented here may thus partly explain observed habitat restrictions of rare hydrophilic lichens.

Leaf photosynthetic properties in a willow ( Salix viminalis and Salix dasyclados ) plantation in response to fertilization

Specific leaf area (SLA), nitrogen and chlorophyll concentrations and photosynthetic characteristics were studied in upper and lower canopy leaves of Salix viminalis and S. dasyclados grown at two nutrition levels. Fertilization increased SLA and leaf mass-based nitrogen concentration in most cases. Positive effects of fertilization on leaf light-saturated photosynthetic rate (AmaxA) and maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax) were not detected. Significant differences between the leaves from upper and lower canopy layers in area-based nitrogen, AmaxA, SLA, mass-based chlorophyll, Vcmax and stomatal conductance were found for most plots. We attempted to estimate the fraction of non-photosynthetic nitrogen and found that it tended to be higher due to fertilization. Thus, the insensitivity of leaf photosynthesis to fertilization could be caused by higher proportion of non-photosynthetic nitrogen in the leaves of fertilized plots. Though leaf-level photosynthesis was not increased by fertilization, considerably higher leaf area index of fertilized plots still resulted in increased canopy carbon gain.