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A conversion of previously even-aged pine-dominated forests to uneven-aged and multi-functional oak-dominated forests has been ongoing since 1993 in the Pyramida experimental forest (95 ha) situated in the buffer zone of Podyjí National Park, Czech Republic. Based on repeated surveys in 1992, 2003 and 2013, the conversion was assessed according to...
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... assess the conversion process, a five- degree scale of forest types (FT) was devel- oped, characterizing the entire qualitative range of existing stands in 1992 from younger, even-aged Scots pine monocul- tures to multi-aged heterogeneous oak dominated mixed forests (Fig. 2). The pa- rametrization of individual FTs was per- formed such that applicability for practical forestry was retained, as well as to maxi- mize clarity for foresters who carried out the measures. The fundamental division in the qualitative assessment of a FT is the conversion between FT2-and FT2+. At this stage, there is a conversion to ...
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... of forest types were based on the mapping of patches (see above). Every patch was assessed and classified during field work in 1992, 2003 and 2013 according to forest type parameters -basal area measurement as the basis for evaluat- ing the tree species composition, spatial structure, key measures used during trans- formation, and regeneration (Fig. 2). Spa- tio-temporal data and analyses were per- formed in the software ArcGIS and MS ...
Citations
... In Scots pine monocultures planted on rich substrates, where temperate broadleaved forests have occurred in the past, the gradual removal of Scots pine trees and the promotion of natural regeneration of deciduous tree species accelerated the recovery of species composition typical of natural forests (Budde et al., 2011). Numerous studies have confirmed the positive effects of stand conversion practices in coniferous monocultures on various components and indicators of biodiversity, including herbaceous vegetation of the forest floor (Atkinson et al., 2015;Lust et al., 1998;Zerbe, 2002), tree diversity (Kint et al., 2009;Zerbe and Kreyer, 2007), lichens and beetles (Laarmann et al., 2013), mosses (Maciejewski and Zubel, 2009), forest stand structure (Crecente-Campo et al., 2009;Lust et al., 1998), and the number of large habitat trees (Vrska et al., 2017). ...
We tested the effectiveness of the gradual removal of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in former plantations of this species in Roztocze National Park (SE Poland) to support the restoration of natural herbaceous flora and forest structure. We compared 0.5-ha study plots subjected to selective removal of pine trees with control plots excluded from any kind of human intervention for half a century. The observed changes in forest floor vegetation in the converted plots showed naturalization towards habitat-specific species. However, differences in the spatial distribution of trees between the treatment and control plots showed no universal pattern and revealed subtle but positive shifts from regular to random or clustered patterns. The mean tree diameters were higher in plots subjected to Scots pine removal, which resulted from the vigorous growth of tree species, consistent with habitat types. We conclude that forest restoration through the removal of planted trees can support the naturalization of former Scots pine plantations in protected areas. However, the selection of an appropriate method and its intensity are of vital importance. Methods that resemble typical management practices, such as selection thinning, are not always the best approach, as they may preserve or even increase the regular distribution of trees. Therefore, for restoration purposes, we recommend testing other methods that increase spatial heterogeneity, including systematic cutting or emulating natural disturbances. In addition, low-intensity thinning may not be sufficient to support the restoration of natural forest floor vegetation and the variability in forest stand structure.
... The study was conducted in 2023 at the Podyjí National Park ( and Pinus sylvestris (L.). This area, referred to as 'Pyramida', has been used as an experimental area since 1992 to study forest management practices and encompasses a variety of forest types under the conversion process from Pini-querceta arenosa to locally native Carpini-querceta ecosystems (Vrška et al. 2016). ...
This study evaluates the response of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblage to forest management practices by integrating species composition, body traits, wing morphology and developmental instability. Traditional approaches that rely on averaged identity‐based descriptors often overlook phenotypic plasticity and functional trait variability, potentially masking species‐specific responses to environmental changes. To address this, we applied a three‐layered analytical approach to address this gap, utilising ground beetle occurrence and morphological trait data from Podyjí National Park, Czech Republic. The first layer assessed assemblage composition with ecological and dietary preferences across control, ecotone and clearing treatments using multivariate techniques. Building on species‐level knowledge, the second layer analysed the interaction between coarse traits, such as wing morphology and fine‐scale body traits, including body size (proxied by elytron length), head width and last abdominal sternite, to assess their relationship with the different treatments. These interactions were explored as intraspecific wing plasticity can affect functional interpretations. The third layer focused on fluctuating asymmetry as an intraindividual indicator of developmental instability, examining how ground beetles respond to environmental stressors. Our findings revealed: (i) no significant impact of habitat treatments on the presence of specialist species in the assemblage analysis; (ii) analysis of morphological traits highlights the combined influence of a coarse trait, such as wing morphology, and a fine trait, such as head width, which together contribute to the partitioning of assemblages and help distinguish differences in habitat use; and (iii) FA analysis revealed a significant positive association between the second antennal segment of specialist species and litter while displaying a negative association with Collembola. This multilevel analytical framework not only confirms ecological findings but also advances our approach to habitat and species analysis, offering deeper insights into ecosystem dynamics.
... Výzkum byl proveden v národním parku Podyjí (jižní Morava, Česká republika) v pufrační zóně u obce Lukov (48°87´34´´N, 15°88´94´´E) s nadmořskou výškou 385-435 m. Experimentální plocha porostů s rozlohou 95,1 ha má pracovní název Pyramida (Vrška et al. 2016). Od roku 1992 zde probíhá cílená přestavba nepůvodních stejnorodých porostů borovice lesní na skladbu místně původních habrových doubrav s přechodem do sušších bukových doubrav. ...
... Data collected included several environmental parameters such as litter cover, canopy openness, herb coverage (evaluated on July 13, 2023, for grass coverage within a 25 m² area centered around the pitfall trap), ground temperature and moisture levels from a datalogger (TMS-4). The study meticulously detailed the area (Vrška et al. 2016) and sampling design (Sapia et al. 2006) to accurately reflect habitat conditions. Statistical analysis followed Elek et al. (2014) for FA processing, with adjustments for directional asymmetry and square root transformation as per Whalen et al. (2022). ...
We compared the rate of variability in the size of different body parts among three different treatments created by forest management (i.e. clearing, pole-stage stand, ecotone) in the Podyji National Park (Czech Republic). In order to describe changes, we used bioindicative values of the Carabidae (Coleoptera) with the example of Notiophilus rufipes (Curtis, 1829). We conducted fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of ten important metrical traits (e.g. antennal segments, length and width of third palpomer of the labial palpus). We found that specimens have sex specific association to FA of second antennal segment. The interaction of sex and treatment negatively affects the distribution of FA in polestage stand. We revealed that males had higher level of FA in pole-stage stand than females. Ecotones are zones where individuals from diverse habitats interact. Model of FA, with set sex as random effect, have positive association to litter and negative association to Collembola. This research contributes to forest management strategies by demonstrating how human-induced interventions influence eco-evolutionary link between stress and disturbance. The research suggests that for forest management, forest openings in thermophilic oak stands could support phenotypic variation in rare epigeic species.
... If FLR is considered, future cultivation area of Scots pine decreases as other studies document on different scales (Wördehoff et al. 2017;Vrška et al. 2017;Oehmichen et al. 2018;Rosenkranz et al. 2023). An uncertainty of 0.204 m. ha as found in the present study can be considered low: Oehmichen et al. (2018) simulate NFI data nationwide until 2052 and implement a not site specific FLR by emphasizing either coniferous or broadleaved trees and disregarding climate data. ...
... Also in scenarios b-c there might be pine regenerated with pine again which temporarily leads to pure stands even if the FDT does not target monocultures. Overall, FLR rate of about 65% within 50 years corresponds to other studies (Höher 1994, p. 50;Vrška et al. 2017) and still experts call for quadrupling FLR in order to be finished by 2050 (Bolte et al. 2021). Generally, the FLR rate can be interpreted as the inertia and lag time until active forest management induces adaptiveness (Schelhaas et al. 2015;Puettmann and Bauhus 2023). ...
Scots pine is of greatest importance in northern Germany regarding its cultivation area and expected capability to perform in climate change. However, pine predominantly occurs in monocultures. Therefore, future pine forestry depends on an adaptation to climate change while improving ecological and economic forest functions. Yet future development of pine remains uncertain due to leeway in silvicultural guidelines and future climate. This study questions: (i) what is the range of future pine shares under climate change and different silvicultural management in northern Germany, (ii) how will the current stands develop and (iii) what is the range of uncertainty arising from climate models and silvicultural options? To answer these issues we (i) selected forest development types site- and climate-sensitively to either minimize or to maximize pine shares, (ii) simulated four, now practiced forest management scenarios for 50 years based on the German National Forest Inventory and (iii) analyzed the differences, to be interpreted as uncertainty. Novel to our approach is the site- and climate-sensitive selection of forest development types on large scales which emphasizes the contrasts of the different management guidelines. The results show that growing stock and cultivation area will decrease even if pine is promoted in forestry. The predicted restoration rate ranges from 50 to 72% depending on scenario and previous thinning regime. In conclusion, under the given management concepts and considering today’s high proportion of old pine, restoration is alarmingly slow. Amid the rapidly changing climate, we recommend to further adjust the management guidelines to accelerate forest restoration.
... In recent decades, a reversal of this transformation, from coniferous monocultures to mixed or deciduous stands, has started in Central Europe (Bernadzki 1993;Zerbe 2002;Spiecker 2003;Leder and Hanke 2005;Knoke et al. 2008;Noack 2011;Vrška et al. 2016). The rationale is that this will enhance the stands' adaptation ability to anticipated site and habitat conditions under ongoing and predicted climate change. ...
Traditional oak silviculture is costly due to high initial planting density required to obtain management goals of producing high quality timber. New methods therefore reduce the initial planting density and use a planting pattern that allows the inclusion of naturally regenerated trees of other species. The study presents the results of a 13-year experiment on the growth and quality of sessile oak planted in traditional and three alternative planting patterns. We hypothesized that increasing of initial spacing and use of natural regeneration to compensate for lower intra-specific competition does not deteriorate growth and quality parameters of oak. Breast height diameter, height, slenderness, height of the first live branch, diameter of the thickest branch, stem shape and potential future crop oak trees (PFCT) were measured and analysed. The local competition of admixture species was estimated on the basis of the relationship between the height of the oak and the height of admixture trees in its close proximity. The type of planting pattern had no significant effect on oak diameter, but oak height was greater in the traditional pattern than in alternative patterns. Height of the first live branch was the only qualitative trait that differed significantly between the compared planting patterns. The probability of an oak being selected as a PFCT was similar in traditional and alternative patterns, but PFCT absolute number was increasing with an increase of oak planting density. Analysis of competition of admixture species in alternative methods shows that it can reduce height, diameter and stability of oaks. On the other hand, the probability of trees being selected as a PFCT increases significantly with increasing interspecific competition. We conclude that, with controlled competition and at least moderate natural regeneration, the alternative planting patterns can produce oaks with similar growth and quality to those in the traditional pattern.
... In the course of climate change, both European oak species are important tree species that will probably gain in importance as components of mixed species stands due to their drought tolerance (Zimmermann et al. 2015, Arvai et al. 2018, Kunz et al. 2018. Modern silvicultural planning prefers natural oak regeneration to planting in terms of cost reduction (Vrška et al. 2016, Kaliszewski 2017, genetic diversity (Chybicki & Burczyk 2010) and undisturbed root development (González-Rodríguez et al. 2011). However, natural oak regeneration often fails because a number of environmental factors take effect during the regeneration cycle (Watt 1919, Shaw 1968, Mölder et al. 2019b, Kohler et al. 2020. ...
In the course of climate change, natural regeneration of oaks (Quercus spp.) is gaining in importance for forest conversion to climate-adapted mixed forests. In order to predict areas in which natural oak regeneration could establish, variables influencing the occurrence and density of oak regeneration were identified using geostatistical zero-altered negative binomial generalized linear models (ZANB). For this purpose, large-scale inventory data from the state forest of Saxony were analysed. The dataset was derived from 6060 permanent plots. The results show that the occurrence of oak regeneration depends on a number of environmental variables. In addition to seed availability, the establishment environment, especially with regard to the light ecology of oak regeneration, was important. High basal area of pine increased the probability for oak regeneration occurrence. The most important variables for the regen-eration density of oak have similarly been found to be those describing the seed availability. The highest regeneration densities are predicted within oak stands, with an optimum relationship at 25 m 2 ha-1 of oak basal area. The results further show that a high regeneration density was achieved on sites with low fertility and favourable light conditions. Oak regeneration density increased with increasing browsing percent on rowan, indicating that browsing on oak can be reduced if other palatable species are available. Using the identified variables, the occurrence and density of oak regeneration can be predicted in space with high accuracy. The statistical tool developed can be used for planning forest conversion incorporating natural regeneration.
... The advantages of the conversion of artificial-. The advantages of the conversion of artificially planted conifer forests into more stable broadleaf stands are being researched in some parts of Europe, e.g. in Belgium (Maddelein et al., 1990;Verstraeten, 2013), the Czech Republic (Vrška et al., 2017), Sweden (Felton et al., 2016) and Croatia (Topić, 1997). ...
Six broadleaf tree species (Celtis australis L. – Mediterranean hackberry, Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. – sessile oak, Fagus sylvatica L. – European beech, Prunus avium L. – wild cherry, Juglans regia L. – Persian walnut and Acer pseudoplatanus L. – sycamore maple) were planted in 2012 in a trial in the Slovenian Karst on two sites differing in productivity to test their suitability for use in the conversion of old pine stands into ecologically more stable broadleaf forests and to investigate their possible response to the harsher growth conditions predicted in the future. The selected economically interesting tree species have higher timber quality than broadleaves which regenerate naturally (e.g., Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Quercus cerris). Measurements were taken in 2017, after four growth seasons. All planted species except Fagus sylvatica had a high survival rate. In total, 70% of all seedlings survived, which shows promising potential. The survival rate was higher at the site on flat terrain than at the site on a slope. Prunus avium was the most successful of all planted species in terms of survival rate, at 83%, and other measured parameters (height, height increment, stem diameter, vitality and quality), and Fagus sylvatica was the least successful, with a survival rate of only 20%. Celtis australis had the highest survival rate, at 87%. Acer pseudoplatanus had the largest differences in measured parameters between the more and less productive sites among all planted species. Quercus petraea showed high resistance to xeric conditions and is expected to be the most successful in conversions. All planted species except Fagus sylvatica show favourable initial potential for the future conversion of Karst pine forests.
... Using the variables, the occurrence of natural regeneration can be predicted. This is of great interest for regeneration ecology as well as for practical forestry, as nature-oriented forest management favours natural regeneration in terms of cost reduction and site adapted regeneration, especially as a means to facilitate adaptation to climate change (Zerbe 2002;Dobrowolska 2006;Finkeldey and Hattemer 2010;Milad et al. 2013;Vrška et al. 2016;Kaliszewski 2017;Polley et al. 2018). There are several approaches for regeneration modelling, from which two groups can be distinguished: statistical models and mechanistic (process) models. ...
The potential utilisation of natural regeneration of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) for forest conversion has received little attention to date. Ecological knowledge is necessary to understand and predict successful natural regeneration of beech. The objective of this study was to improve understanding of what drives the occurrence of beech regeneration and, once regenera-tion is present, what drives its density. In the study, we utilised a forest inventory dataset provided by Sachsenforst, the state forestry service of Saxony, Germany. The dataset was derived from 8725 permanent plots. Zero-altered negative binomial models (ZANB) with spatial random effects were used to analyse factors influencing occurrence and density simultaneously. The results provided by the spatial ZANB models revealed that the probability of the occurrence of beech regeneration is highly dependent on seed availability, i.e. dependent on source trees in close proximity to a plot. The probability of beech regeneration rises with the increasing diameter of a potential seed tree and decreases with increasing distance to the nearest potential seed source. The occurrence of regeneration is affected by overstorey composition and competition exerted by spruce regeneration. Where sites are affected by groundwater or temporary waterlogging, the impact on the occurrence of regeneration is negative. Although distance to the nearest potential seed source has an influence on occurrence, this variable exerts no influence on density. A high regeneration density arises in conjunction with a high beech basal area in the overstorey. Beech regeneration density, but not occurrence, is negatively affected by browsing intensity. These variables can be used to predict the occurrence and density of beech regeneration in space to a high level of precision. The established statistical tool can be used for decision-making when planning forest conversion using natural regeneration.
... Oaks are also highly valuable tree species for biodiversity conservation as they host large numbers of red-listed species (Löf et al., 2016). In recent decades, the share of oak stands in Polish and other Central European forests has been steadily increasing due to converting Scots pine and Norway spruce monocultures on mesotrophic and fertile sites into more species diverse stands (Zerbe, 2002;Bernadzki, 2006;Vrška et al., 2016). On such sites, oaks have been found to have higher adaptation capacity than coniferous species (Bernadzki, 2006;Knoke et al., 2008). ...
Interest in oak species in European forestry has been increasing as they are regarded as having high ability to cope with accelerating anticipated climate changes during the next 50 years. However, improvements in regeneration and silvicultural methods are needed due to oak stands’ high management costs and vulnerability to browsing. Thus, three methods of establishing oak stands were compared in terms of effects on growth and browsing damage in an area of north-eastern Poland with high browsing pressure of roe and red deer. The treatments were traditional monoculture, double-row planting and group planting, each at initial planting densities of 6600, 3300 and 2400 seedling per hectare. Three precommercial thinnings (PCTs) were applied in each planting treatment to reduce competition from early successional species: traditional removal close to the ground in spring, topping in spring and topping in summer. Observed frequencies of oak saplings damaged by browsing depended on both the planting method and PCT treatment. The frequencies were lower under group planting than under the traditional and double-row planting treatments. The frequencies also decreased with increases in the oaks’ height. The results indicate that the optimal PCT treatment to minimise browsing damage depends on the planting pattern. The lowest frequency of damage was in plots where group or double-row planting was combined with spring topping and traditional planting was combined with summer topping. Under heavy herbivory pressure, group planting might be optimal due to its potential to both reduce browsing damage and improve profitability by eliminating fencing costs.
... The analysis of the responses of different taxonomic groups to forest management is essential to understand the effects of the latter on biodiversity, and to develop species-based surrogates useful for a sustainable management of forest ecosystems (Lindenmayer et al., 2014;Sabatini et al., 2016;Zara et al., 2021). Nevertheless, most of the recent studies on monitoring rehabilitation or restoration of pine stands are based on the response of a single taxonomic group, usually vascular plants (Vrška et al., 2016;Mikulová et al., 2019;Deng et al., 2020). ...
Biodiversity maintenance is a key strategy for sustainable forestry in both above-ground and below-ground biotic communities. However, few studies applied continuous monitoring to analyse the responses of different taxonomic groups to silvicultural treatments. We studied the short-term effects of three silvicultural treatments (no thinning, thinning from below, and selective thinning) on taxonomic richness and composition in two Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold plantations in Tuscany (Italy). We conducted a 1 year before–3 years after control-impact (BACI) experiment with a complete randomized design and analysed the responses of five different taxonomic groups (bacteria, nematodes, microarthropods, mushrooms and vascular plants (overstorey and understorey), along with the patterns of different structural variables. The silvicultural treatments induced a sudden decrease of many parameters such as number of trees per hectare, basal area, and standing volume, with a direct impact on the Photosynthetic Active Radiation on the ground (PAR). Despite this, biological communities showed a high resistance to the tree thinning intensities. Indeed, none of the thinning treatments significantly affected the entire community in the short-term, neither regarding taxonomic richness nor composition. The different taxonomic groups showed a similar, low or null, sensitivity to forest management, and thus a high congruence in their responses.
