Community Ecology
Volume/Issue:
Volume 8: Issue 2
Effects of topography and tree stand characteristics on susceptibility of forests to natural disturbances (ice and wind) in the Börzsöny Mountains (Hungary)
Authors:
K. Kenderes L. Eötvös University Department of Plant Taxonomy and Ecology Pázmány sétány 1/c H-1117 Budapest Hungary

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R. Aszalós Hungarian Academy of Sciences Institute of Ecology and Botany H-2163 Vácrátót Hungary

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J. Ruff Ipoly Erdő Inc. Királyrét Forest Directorate Királyrét 6 H-2624 Szokolya Hungary

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Zs. Barton Ipoly Erdő Inc. Királyrét Forest Directorate Királyrét 6 H-2624 Szokolya Hungary

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T. Standovár L. Eötvös University Department of Plant Taxonomy and Ecology Pázmány sétány 1/c H-1117 Budapest Hungary

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Pages:
209–220
Online Publication Date:
19 Mar 2008
Publication Date:
01 Dec 2007
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/comec.8.2007.2.7
Keywords:
Beech; C&RT; Fagus sylvatica ; Ice break; Quercus petraea ; Sessile oak; Windthrow
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We analysed the role of topography, tree stand characteristics and management on the susceptibility of forest stands to abiotic natural disturbances. In 1996, stands of Börzsöny Mts, Hungary were hit by a severe ice storm, then by strong winds three years later. Affected areas were mapped on aerial photos, and we built a GIS database containing variables describing topography and tree stand characteristics. The role of variables in predicting ice break and windfall was investigated by non-parametric statistical tests and by a series of C&RT (Classification and Regression Tree) analyses. Elevation, aspect and slope proved to have strong statistical relationships with the distribution of both ice break and windfall, with misclassification error (MER) of 18% and 15%, respectively, if studied without stand descriptors. Mixing ratio and age of beech were the most important stand descriptors to explain the distribution of ice break (MER=15%), whereas that of windfall was best described by the age and height of the two dominant tree species (MER=11%). The explanatory power could be increased if all variables (topographic + stand descriptors) were considered, though the increase in explanatory power was higher in the case of ice break (MER decreased from 15% to 11%) than for windfall (MER decreased from 11% to 10%). Since management related stand variables (beech mixture ratio, age, height, amount of recently felled stock, slenderness) and susceptibility to disturbance events seemed to be related, our results suggest that the sensitivity of tree stands could be decreased by increasing compositional and structural heterogeneity.

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Cover Community Ecology
Community Ecology An Interdisciplinary Journal Reporting Progress in Community and Population Studies
Print ISSN:
1585-8553
Online ISSN:
1588-2756

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Community Ecology
Language English
Size A4
Year of
Foundation		 2000
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 3
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
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Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
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ISSN 1585-8553 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2756 (Online)

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