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Only less than one percent of the territory of Latvia is occupied by broadleaved (trees having relatively wide flat leaves) forests. The aim of the research is to assess forest vegetation in the island of Upursala of Cirišs Lake. The data is collected in four forest areas of the island. Totally 12 plots, each with an area of 200 m² (20 x 20 m) have been created. In each plot, the accounting of growing trees and deadwood is carried out. The vegetation is measured in each forest area – the projective vegetation cover and cover of each plant species by tree, shrub, herb and moss layer are determined. The research founds that the average stock of growing trees on the island of Upursala is 565.8 m³ ha⁻¹. The average amount of dead wood is 108 m³ ha⁻¹, it consists mainly of fallen deadwood. Totally 45 species are listed in the vegetation plots, of which seven are determinants of European broadleaved forests. The largest number of determinant species of European broadleaved forests has been observed in stands with mixed forests (aspen – small-leaved lime – pedunculate oak, aspen – Scots pine – pedunculate oak and Scots pine – Silver birch – aspen). It can be argued that these stands will become the European broadleaved forests in the future.

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deadwood lakes forest trees forest cover data collection vegetation ...

Fundamental Library of Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies - Latvia

Tree litter production in coniferous old-growth forests on organic soils

2024

Bičkovskis, Kārlis | Samariks, Valters | Jansons, Āris

Canopy litterfall is a vital component of forest ecosystems, facilitating nutrient and organic carbon transfer to the soil. Understanding litterfall dynamics in forests is crucial for assessing carbon fluxes at the national level and refining carbon balance estimations. However, information about aboveground litterfall dynamics in old-growth forests remains scarce. The aim of the study was to characterize the annual litterfall carbon input in coniferous old-growth forests on drained and undrained organic soils. In total, 12 old-growth Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst) forests stands with the age range of 146–171 years were selected. Using cone-type litter traps, we obtained data on litterfall volumes over a one-year period. Our findings reveal that old-growth forest annual carbon input from litterfall exceeds estimates of mature forest stands aboveground litterfall. In drained sites, mean annual litter carbon input reached 2.80 ± 0.29 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, while in undrained sites, it amounted to 2.17 ± 0.17 t ha⁻¹ yr. Basal area and deadwood showed a close positive correlation with annual litter carbon input, underscoring the peculiarities of late successional forest stand carbon dynamics. Total stand basal area as easily measurable forest inventory parameter was the best predictor of annual litter C input for practical application.

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peat soils forest ecosystems carbon latvia drainage coniferous forests canopy litterfall carbon dynamics overmatured forests ...

Fundamental Library of Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies - Latvia