Recovery and diversity of the forest shrub community 38 years after biomass harvesting in the northern Rocky Mountains |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Forest Management, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA;2. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 1221 South Main, Moscow, ID 83843, USA;1. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, MS 443, Cincinnati, OH, 45268, USA;2. Center for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems, University of Colorado Denver, 1200 Larimer Street, Denver, CO, 80217, USA;3. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR, 97333, USA;4. Posthumously, Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University, 3000 Sternberg Drive, Hays, KS, 67601-2006, USA;1. P.O. Box 17-01-3631, Quito, Ecuador;2. North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Quincy, FL 32351, USA;1. Natural Resources Institute Finland, Luke, P.O. Box 68, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland;2. University of Eastern Finland, Mekrijärvi Research Station, Yliopistontie 4, FI-82900 Ilomantsi, Finland;3. Finnish Meteorological Institute, Aviation and Military Services, Yliopistonranta 1 F, FI-70210 Kuopio, Finland;1. Sao Paulo State University, College of Agricultural Sciences (UNESP/FCA), Jose Barbosa Barros St 1780, Botucatu/Sao Paulo, Brazil;2. CNR IVALSA, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy;1. Centro Chirurgico Toscano, Arezzo, Italy;2. Division of Oncology-Unit of Urology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy;3. Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy;4. Department of Urology, Humanitas Clinical and Researcher Centre, Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan, Italy |
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| Abstract: | We investigated the long-term impact of biomass utilization on shrub recovery, species composition, and biodiversity 38 years after harvesting at Coram Experimental Forest in northwestern Montana. Three levels of biomass removal intensity (high, medium, and low) treatments combined with prescribed burning treatment were nested within three regeneration harvest treatments (shelterwood, group selection, and clearcut). Four shrub biomass surveys (pre-treatment, 2, 10, and 38 years after treatment) were conducted. Shrub biomass for all treatment units 38 years after treatment exceeded the pre-treatment level, and biomass utilization intensity did not affect shrub recovery (ratio of dry biomass at time t to pre-treatment biomass). Species composition changed immediately after harvesting (2 years); however, the species composition of treated units did not differ from the untreated control 38 years after harvesting. Biodiversity indices (Shannon’s and Pielou’s indices) also decreased immediately following harvesting, but recovered 10 years after harvesting. The responses of diversity indices over time differed among biomass utilization levels with the high-utilization level and unburned treatment producing the most even and diverse species assemblages 38 years after harvesting. Our results indicate the shrub community is quite resilient to biomass harvesting in this forest type. |
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| Keywords: | Biomass utilization Non-metric multidimensional scaling Western larch forest Silviculture Forest stand dynamics |
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