Optimizing stand density for climate-smart forestry: a way forward towards resilient forests with enhanced carbon storage under extreme climate events

TY - JOUR

T1 - Optimizing stand density for climate-smart forestry: a way forward towards resilient forests with enhanced carbon storage under extreme climate events

AU - Sterck, Frank

AU - Vos, Marleen

AU - Hannula, S. Emilia

AU - de Goede, Steven (S.P.C.)

AU - de Vries, Wim

AU - den Ouden, Jan

AU - Nabuurs, Gert-Jan

AU - van der Putten, Wim

AU - Veen, Ciska (G.F.)

N1 - 7263, TE; No NIOO Data

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - As a response to the increased pressure of global climate change on most ecosystems, national and international agreements aim at creating forests that are productive, resilient to climate change, and that store carbon to mitigate global warming. However, these aims are being challenged by increased tree mortality rates and decreased tree growth rates in response to increased incidence of extreme drought events. These phenomena make us aware of a lack of crucial insights into the effects of forest management on the growth and survival of trees, and on carbon storage in both trees and forest soils under increased incidence of drought. Here we compile current knowledge on how forest management and drought impact on tree growth and survival, and above- and belowground carbon storage in forest ecosystems. Based on this, we propose that climate-smart forestry may benefit from controlling stand density at intermediate levels (>60%, e.g.∼80%) by applying low levels of tree harvest intensity on a regular base. Furthermore, we propose that the actual optimal density will depend on the tree species, site conditions and management history. As a next step, studies are needed that take an above- and belowground approach and combine forest experiments with mechanistic models on water, carbon and nutrient flows in trees and soils within forests in order to transform current results, which focus on either soil or trees and are often highly-context dependent, to a more generic forest framework. Such a generic framework would be needed to enhance understanding across forest ecosystems on how forest management may promote forest resilience, productivity and carbon storage with increasing drought.

AB - As a response to the increased pressure of global climate change on most ecosystems, national and international agreements aim at creating forests that are productive, resilient to climate change, and that store carbon to mitigate global warming. However, these aims are being challenged by increased tree mortality rates and decreased tree growth rates in response to increased incidence of extreme drought events. These phenomena make us aware of a lack of crucial insights into the effects of forest management on the growth and survival of trees, and on carbon storage in both trees and forest soils under increased incidence of drought. Here we compile current knowledge on how forest management and drought impact on tree growth and survival, and above- and belowground carbon storage in forest ecosystems. Based on this, we propose that climate-smart forestry may benefit from controlling stand density at intermediate levels (>60%, e.g.∼80%) by applying low levels of tree harvest intensity on a regular base. Furthermore, we propose that the actual optimal density will depend on the tree species, site conditions and management history. As a next step, studies are needed that take an above- and belowground approach and combine forest experiments with mechanistic models on water, carbon and nutrient flows in trees and soils within forests in order to transform current results, which focus on either soil or trees and are often highly-context dependent, to a more generic forest framework. Such a generic framework would be needed to enhance understanding across forest ecosystems on how forest management may promote forest resilience, productivity and carbon storage with increasing drought.

KW - carbon storage

KW - drought

KW - stand density

KW - soil biota

KW - saprophyte

KW - ectomycorrhiza

KW - national

KW - Plan_S-Compliant_NO

U2 - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108396

DO - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108396

M3 - Article

SN - 0038-0717

VL - 162

JO - Soil Biology & Biochemistry

JF - Soil Biology & Biochemistry

M1 - 108396

ER -