Recovery of Abies alba and Picea abies saplings to browsing and frost damage depends on seed source.

ABSTRACT: The density of wild ungulates has increased in the last century, and browsing has become a major driver of forest succession in the northern hemisphere. In addition, tree species are expected to respond differently to future climate conditions, especially an increased frequency of late frost events. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of intraspecific genetic variation on the recovery of two tree species to frost and browsing. An experiment with saplings from 90 Abies alba and 72 Picea abies seed sources was conducted. Five-year-old saplings were clipped at three intensities before budburst in spring. Growth (height, diameter, leader shoot length, and biomass) and quality (e.g. stem form, multistemming, reaction type) were assessed before and 1-2 years after cl

SUBMITTER: Kupferschmid AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6434554 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature