People value proximity and easy access to protected areas in urban landscapes, including state and regional parks, wildlife refuges, and open space preserves. The popularity of outdoor recreation activities such as hiking and birdwatching has more than doubled in the past 20 years, and surveys indicate that proximity to natural areas is an important factor determining where residents choose to ...

In this paper, I analyse the interaction between the holm-oak Quercus ilex, and one of its main dispersers, the European jay Garrulus glandarius, in an heterogeneous Mediterranean landscape. I quantify the spatial dispersal pattern of the seed shadow at two spatial scales, landscape (among patches) and microhabitat (within patches), by directly tracking the movement of seeds. Two main traits of...

Fire suppression allows tree species that are intolerant of fire stress to increase their distribution, potentially resulting in disruption of historical species-environmental relationships. To measure changes between historical General Land Office surveys (1815 to 1850) and current USDA Forest Inventory and Assessment surveys (2004 to 2008), we compared composition, distribution, and site fact...

Drought impairs tree growth in the inner-Alpine valleys of Central Europe. We investigated species-specific responses to contrasting water supply, with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), threatened by drought-induced mortality, and pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens Willd.), showing no connection between drought events and mortality. The two co-occurring tree species were compared, growing either ...

Many temperate European tree species have their southernmost distribution limits in the Mediterranean Basin. The projected climatic conditions, particularly an increase in dryness, might induce an altitudinal and latitudinal retreat at their southernmost distribution limit. Therefore, characterizing the morphological and physiological variability of temperate tree species under dry conditions i...

Modeling the height and diameter growth of trees is an important part forest management. Growth models provide basis for determining thinning regime, target tree dimensions optimal proportions developmental phases stands. We developed individual dominant Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in two types (sessile oak-European forests pre-Alpine silver fir-Eu...