Search results for " beech"
showing 10 items of 14 documents
One taxon does not fit all: Herb-layer diversity and stand structural complexity are weak predictors of biodiversity in Fagus sylvatica forests
2016
Abstract Since adequate information on the distribution of biodiversity is hardly achievable, biodiversity indicators are necessary to support the management of ecosystems. These surrogates assume that either some habitat features, or the biodiversity patterns observed in a well-known taxon, can be used as a proxy of the diversity of one or more target taxa. Nevertheless, at least for certain taxa, the validity of this assumption has not yet been sufficiently demonstrated. We investigated the effectiveness of both a habitat- and a taxa-based surrogate in six European beech forests in the Apennines. Particularly, we tested: (1) whether the stand structural complexity and the herb-layer speci…
Effects of traditional coppice practices and microsite conditions on tree health in a European beech forest at its southernmost range
2016
Abstract: European beech (Fagus sylvatica) grows at the southern limit of its range in the mountain-Mediterranean vegetation belt up to the timberline. The southernmost beech forests of Sicily (southern Italy) show peculiar ecological, structural and silvicultural characteristics, growing in fragmented and isolated stands near the timberline and in topographically marginal unfavorable habitats. Past silvicultural practices increased the heterogeneity of stand structure at these sites. We compared stand structural characteristics and tree health in coppice-cut and control beech stands with respect to the local topographic gradient (bottom, slope and ridge) and canopy cover (clearing/border v…
Effects of local forest continuity on the diversity of fungi on standing dead pines
2018
Human-induced fragmentation affects forest continuity, i.e. availability of a suitable habitat for the target species over a time period. The dependence of wood-inhabiting fungi on landscape level continuity has been well demonstrated, but the importance of local continuity has remained controversial. In this study, we explored the effects of local forest continuity (microhabitat and stand level) on the diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi on standing dead trunks of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). We studied species richness and community composition of decomposers and Micarea lichens on 70 trunks in 14 forests in central Finland that differed in their state of continuity. We used dendrochr…
Bias correction of dynamically downscaled precipitation to compute soil water deficit for explaining year-to-year variation of tree growth over north…
2017
This paper documents the accuracy of a post-correction method applied to precipitation regionalized by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Regional Climate Model (RCM) for improving simulated rainfall and feeding impact studies. The WRF simulation covers Burgundy (northeastern France) at a 8-km resolution and over a 20-year long period (1989–2008). Previous results show a strong deficiency of the WRF model for simulating precipitation, especially when convective processes are involved. In order to reduce such biases, a Quantile Mapping (QM) method is applied to WRF-simulated precipitation using the mesoscale atmospheric analyses system SAFRAN («Système d'Analyse Fournissant des Rense…
Bryophytes as ecological indicators in the beech woods of sicily
2019
Beech woods, which have in Sicily one of the southernmost places of their distribution area, are localized in the mountain belt of North and North-Eastern Sicily, at an altitude of 1300-1900 m, reaching 900 m on the Peloritani. They are referred to the priority habitat 9210*, according to the Natura 2000 network of the European Union. Beech woods settle on different soils, such as incoherent sandy volcanic (Etna), calcareous or silico-arenaceous (Madonie) and clayey-schistose soils (Nebrodi and Peloritani). Bryophytes are considered important components of forestry ecosystems. Many of these organisms are specific to particular types of microhabitats and sensitive to changes such that specie…
Thermomechanical Characterization of Polylactic Acid and Composites
2018
This paper presents the experimental tests for the thermomechanical characterization of biopolymer polylactic acid, and its composites with beech flour or with nanoreiforcement of modified montmorillonite, in order to evaluate any applicability in the automotive sector. Tests of torque and traction are executed for the mechanical characterization and the results comparison; dynamical tests are executed for the thermomechanical characterization, determining the elastic modulus and loss factor versus the actual temperature.
Caratterizzazione termomeccanica dell’acido polilattico e due suoi compositi
2018
Questa memoria presenta i test sperimentali per la caratterizzazione termomeccanica del biopolimero acido polilattico e dei suoi compositi con farina di faggio o con nanorinforzo di montmorillonite modifcata, per uno studio di applicabilità nel settore automobilistico. Per la caratterizzazione meccanica e il confronto dei risultati vengono eseguiti prove di coppia e di trazione; i test dinamici vengono eseguiti per la caratterizzazione termomeccanica, determinando il modulo elastico e il fattore di perdita rispetto alla temperatura effettiva. This paper presents the experimental tests for the thermomechanical characterization of biopolymer polylactic acid, and its composites with beech flour…
A new approach in the monitoring of the phytosanitary conditions of forests: the case of oak and beech stands in the Sicilian Regional Parks.
2016
The objective of this study was to investigate the health conditions of oak and beech stands in the three Regional Parks of Sicily (Etna, Madonie and Nebrodi). A total of 81 sampling areas were investigated, 54 in oak stands and 27 in beech stands. The phytosanitary conditions of each tree within the respective sampling area was expressed with a synthetic index namely phytosanitary class (PC). Oak stands showed severe symptoms of decline, with 85% of the sampling areas including symptomatic trees. In general, beech stands were in better condition, with the exception of Nebrodi Park, where trees showed severe symptoms of decline. On oak trees, infections of fungal pathogens were also observe…
Aphyllophoraceous wood-inhabiting fungi on Fagus sylvatica in Italy
2007
166 species representing 84 genera of aphyllophoraceous fungi growing on Fagus sylvatica in Italy are listed. Steccherinum robustius is reported as new to Italy, while many species are considered rare in Italy, e.g. Antrodiella ichnusana, Crustomyces subabruptus and Dentipellis fragilis.
The southernmost beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests of Europe (Mount Etna, Italy): ecology, structural stand-type diversity and management implications
2013
The southernmost European beech forests are located in the upper forest vegetation belt on Mount Etna volcano. Their standstructural patterns were analysed to assess the effects of the site-ecological factors and previous management practices on the forest structure. Five main structural-silvicultural types were identified among the main beech forest types: coppice, highmountain coppice (HMCo), high forest, coppice in conversion to high-forest and non-formal stand. A detailed standstructural analysis was carried out through measured dendrometric parameters and derived structural characters linked to both the horizontal and the vertical profiles. Plant regeneration processes were also assess…