Silvicultural thinning usually improves the water status of remaining trees in water-limited forests. We evaluated the usefulness of a dual stable isotope approach (d 13C, d 18O) for comparing the physiological performance of remaining trees between forest stands subjected to two different thinning intensities (moderate versus heavy) in a 60-yearold Pinus halepensis Mill. plantation in semiarid...

• In masting trees, synchronized, heavy reproductive events are thought to deplete stored resources and to impose a replenishment period before subsequent masting. However, direct evidence of resource depletion in wild, masting trees is very rare. Here, we examined the timing and magnitude (local vs individual-level) of stored nutrient depletion after a heavy mast event in Pinus albicaulis. • I...

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is the main perennial Spanish crop. Soil management in olive orchards is mainly based on intensive and tillage operations, which have a great relevancy in terms of negative environmental impacts. Due to this reason, the European Union (EU) only subsidizes cropping systems which require the implementation of conservation agro-environmental techniques such as cover crops ...

The bending and growth characteristics of large fresh stems from four silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and three Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees were studied. Twenty logs taken from different stem heights were subjected to four-point bending tests. From the bending test records, we calculated stress-strain curves, which accounted for detailed log taper, shear deformation and self wei...

• The primary objective of this study was to determine if gradually increasing levels of atmospheric CO 2 , as opposed to ‘step’ increases commonly employed in controlled studies, have a positive impact on radial growth rates of ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ) in natural environments, and to determine the spatial extent and variability of this growth enhancement. • We developed a series of t...

The growth of planar and spatial objects is often modelled using one-dimensional size parameters, e.g. volume, area or average radius. We take a more detailed approach and model how the boundary of a growing object expands in time. We mainly consider star-shaped planar objects. The model can be regarded as a dynamic deformable template model. The limiting shape of the object may be circular but...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of climate change on the radial growth, wood structure and chemistry of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth), trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). The materials for this study were obtained from climate change studie...

Since recent drought events have already caused severe damage to trees and droughts in the near future are expected occur even more frequently, this study investigated response of forest ecosystems changing climate conditions topographically complex region Bavaria, southeast Germany. For purpose, climate–growth relationships important European deciduous coniferous tree species were over past 50...

Although several manipulative experiments provided evidence for a negative effect of defoliation on tree growth, results from observational studies were less univocal. This may be due to the ability observed reflect health status individual trees, influence site condition and amplitude time window used growth assessment. Here, we investigated relationship between two indicators (crown defoliati...