Reconstruction of Stand History and Impact Evaluation of an Invasive Bark Beetle in Siberian Fir Forests with the Help of Spatial Structure Analysis
Journal Title: Lesnoy Zhurnal (Russian Forestry Journal) - Year 2020, Vol 18, Issue 3
Abstract
The most devastating insect invasion of forest ecosystems in Russia is the recent mass reproduction of the four-eyed fir bark beetle (Polygraphus proximus Blandf.) in southern Siberian fir (Abies sibirica Ledeb.) forests. The objective of our research was to study the spatial structure of fir forests and their change under the impact of the four-eyed fir bark beetle in its secondary (invasive) distribution range. We selected two fir stands located near the villages of Itatka and Malinovka in the Tomsk region. Both stands represent natural ripe succession forests on sites that previously experienced logging activities, which were triggered by settlement activities in the second half of the nineteenth century. We used Field-Map technology for gathering non-spatial and spatial stand data. The analysis showed that height, diameter and radial increment of fir trees, killed or severely weakened by attacks of the four-eyed fir bark beetle, were significantly lower than that of healthy individuals. The social status of fir trees, seriously attacked or already killed by Polygraphus proximus was indicated by the Ui index as moderately suppressed. In contrast to the distribution pattern of living firs, the pattern of dead or severally weakened firs killed by the four-eyed fir bark beetle was significantly clumped over short distances (sample plots (SP) Itatka and Malinovka). This finding coincides with visual observations in other stands, that dead trees are grouped to some extent. However, the hypothesis of spatial independence of the tree positions of living and dead firs was accepted for both plots.
Authors and Affiliations
N. M. Debkov, A. Gradel, A. A. Aleinikov
Keywords
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- EP ID EP683369
- DOI 10.37482/0536-1036-2020-3-24-41
- Views 260
- Downloads 0
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