Assessing the effects of management on forest growth across France: insights from a new functional-structural model. Guillemot, J., Delpierre, N., Vallet, P., François, C., Martin-Stpaul, N., K., Soudani, K., Nicolas, M., Badeau, V., & Dufrêne, E. Annals of botany, 4, 2014.
abstract   bibtex   
Background and AimsThe structure of a forest stand, i.e. the distribution of tree size features, has strong effects on its functioning. The management of the structure is therefore an important tool in mitigating the impact of predicted changes in climate on forests, especially with respect to drought. Here, a new functional-structural model is presented and is used to assess the effects of management on forest functioning at a national scale.MethodsThe stand process-based model (PBM) Castanea was coupled to a stand structure module (SSM) based on empirical tree-to-tree competition rules. The calibration of the SSM was based on a thorough analysis of intersite and interannual variability of competition asymmetry. The coupled Castanea-SSM model was evaluated across France using forest inventory data, and used to compare the effect of contrasted silvicultural practices on simulated stand carbon fluxes and growth.Key ResultsThe asymmetry of competition varied consistently with stand productivity at both spatial and temporal scales. The modelling of the competition rules enabled efficient prediction of changes in stand structure within the Castanea PBM. The coupled model predicted an increase in net primary productivity (NPP) with management intensity, resulting in higher growth. This positive effect of management was found to vary at a national scale across France: the highest increases in NPP were attained in forests facing moderate to high water stress; however, the absolute effect of management on simulated stand growth remained moderate to low because stand thinning involved changes in carbon allocation at the tree scale.ConclusionsThis modelling approach helps to identify the areas where management efforts should be concentrated in order to mitigate near-future drought impact on national forest productivity. Around a quarter of the French temperate oak and beech forests are currently in zones of high vulnerability, where management could thus mitigate the influence of climate change on forest yield.
@article{
 title = {Assessing the effects of management on forest growth across France: insights from a new functional-structural model.},
 type = {article},
 year = {2014},
 identifiers = {[object Object]},
 keywords = {c allocation,c astanea process-based model,competition asymmetry,eichhorn rule,fagus sylvatica,forest,growth relationship,management,quercus robur,size,stand structure,tree size distribution,water stress},
 pages = {779-793},
 websites = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24769539},
 month = {4},
 day = {25},
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 abstract = {Background and AimsThe structure of a forest stand, i.e. the distribution of tree size features, has strong effects on its functioning. The management of the structure is therefore an important tool in mitigating the impact of predicted changes in climate on forests, especially with respect to drought. Here, a new functional-structural model is presented and is used to assess the effects of management on forest functioning at a national scale.MethodsThe stand process-based model (PBM) Castanea was coupled to a stand structure module (SSM) based on empirical tree-to-tree competition rules. The calibration of the SSM was based on a thorough analysis of intersite and interannual variability of competition asymmetry. The coupled Castanea-SSM model was evaluated across France using forest inventory data, and used to compare the effect of contrasted silvicultural practices on simulated stand carbon fluxes and growth.Key ResultsThe asymmetry of competition varied consistently with stand productivity at both spatial and temporal scales. The modelling of the competition rules enabled efficient prediction of changes in stand structure within the Castanea PBM. The coupled model predicted an increase in net primary productivity (NPP) with management intensity, resulting in higher growth. This positive effect of management was found to vary at a national scale across France: the highest increases in NPP were attained in forests facing moderate to high water stress; however, the absolute effect of management on simulated stand growth remained moderate to low because stand thinning involved changes in carbon allocation at the tree scale.ConclusionsThis modelling approach helps to identify the areas where management efforts should be concentrated in order to mitigate near-future drought impact on national forest productivity. Around a quarter of the French temperate oak and beech forests are currently in zones of high vulnerability, where management could thus mitigate the influence of climate change on forest yield.},
 bibtype = {article},
 author = {Guillemot, Joannès and Delpierre, Nicolas and Vallet, Patrick and François, Christophe and Martin-Stpaul, Nicolas K and Soudani, Kamel and Nicolas, Manuel and Badeau, Vincent and Dufrêne, Eric},
 journal = {Annals of botany},
 number = {C}
}

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