Nitrogen deposition is the most important environmental driver of growth of pure, even-aged and managed European forests
Journal article, 2020
Changing environmental conditions may substantially interact with site quality and forest stand characteristics, and impact forest growth and carbon sequestration. Understanding the impact of the various drivers of forest growth is therefore critical to predict how forest ecosystems can respond to climate change. We conducted a continental-scale analysis of recent (1995–2010) forest volume increment data (ΔVol, m3 ha−1 yr−1), obtained from ca. 100,000 coniferous and broadleaved trees in 442 even-aged, single-species stands across 23 European countries. We used multivariate statistical approaches, such as mixed effects models and structural equation modelling to investigate how European forest growth respond to changes in 11 predictors, including stand characteristics, climate conditions, air and site quality, as well as their interactions. We found that, despite the large environmental gradients encompassed by the forests examined, stand density and age were key drivers of forest growth. We further detected a positive, in some cases non-linear effect of N deposition, most pronounced for beech forests, with a tipping point at ca. 30 kg N ha−1 yr−1. With the exception of a consistent temperature signal on Norway spruce, climate-related predictors and ground-level ozone showed much less generalized relationships with ΔVol. Our results show that, together with the driving forces exerted by stand density and age, N deposition is at least as important as climate to modulate forest growth at continental scale in Europe, with a potential negative effect at sites with high N deposition.
Observational study
Air pollution
Ozone
Climate change
ICP Forests
Statistical modelling
Forest management
Author
Sophia Etzold
Eidgenossische Forschungsanstalt fur Wald, Schnee Und Landschaft Eth-Bereichs
Marco Ferretti
Eidgenossische Forschungsanstalt fur Wald, Schnee Und Landschaft Eth-Bereichs
G. J. Reinds
Wageningen University and Research
Svein Solberg
The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO)
Arthur Gessler
Eidgenossische Forschungsanstalt fur Wald, Schnee Und Landschaft Eth-Bereichs
Peter Waldner
Eidgenossische Forschungsanstalt fur Wald, Schnee Und Landschaft Eth-Bereichs
Marcus Schaub
Eidgenossische Forschungsanstalt fur Wald, Schnee Und Landschaft Eth-Bereichs
David Simpson
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Microwave and Optical Remote Sensing
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Sue Benham
Forest Research (UK)
Karin Hansen
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
Morten Ingerslev
University of Copenhagen
Mathieu Jonard
Universite catholique de Louvain
Per Erik Karlsson
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
Antti Jussi Lindroos
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
Aldo Marchetto
Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche
Miklos Manninger
Forest Research Institute
Henning Meesenburg
Northwest German Forest Research Institute (NW-FVA)
P Merilä
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
Pekka Nöjd
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
Pasi Rautio
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
Tanja G.M. Sanders
Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems
Walter Seidling
Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems
Mitja Skudnik
Slovenian Forestry Institute
Anne Thimonier
Eidgenossische Forschungsanstalt fur Wald, Schnee Und Landschaft Eth-Bereichs
Arne Verstraeten
Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Brussels
Lars Vesterdal
University of Copenhagen
Monika Vejpustkova
Forestry and Game Management Research Institute
W. de Vries
Wageningen University and Research
Forest Ecology and Management
0378-1127 (ISSN)
Vol. 458 117762Subject Categories
Forest Science
Physical Geography
Climate Research
DOI
10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117762