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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
04:35
Development of an Individual-Tree Basal Area Increment Model using a Linear Mixed-Effects Approach
Published on: July 3, 2020
Hemiboreal Stand Development and Living Biomass Carbon Stocks: An Ontogenetic and Typology-Based Assessment Using
Raimundas Petrokas1, Michael Manton2, Gintaras Kulbokas3
1Department of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų St. 1, LT-53101 Girionys, Lithuania.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Forest type-series classification reveals hidden carbon dynamics and stand structures in hemiboreal forests. This method improves understanding of biomass turnover and supports climate-smart forest management.
Area of Science:
- Forest Ecology
- Biogeochemistry
- Ecosystem Dynamics
Background:
- Traditional forest assessments using dominant-species or growing stock metrics may overlook crucial ontogenetic and demographic processes influencing biomass turnover.
- Hemiboreal forest carbon stocks require nuanced evaluation beyond simple volume or species dominance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if a forest typology-based classification reveals ecological patterns obscured by dominant-species reporting.
- To determine if forest stand composition converges towards phase-typical configurations.
- To compare productivity and carbon dioxide (CO2) flux reversals between fertile four-phase and three-phase forests.
Main Methods:
- Applied a process-based framework integrating succession theory, forest typology, and ontogenetic strategies.
- Reorganized Lithuanian National Forest Inventory data by forest type-series.
- Evaluated three specific research hypotheses (H0, H1, H2) regarding classification effectiveness, compositional convergence, and phase-specific productivity.
Main Results:
- Forest type-series classification revealed distinct contrasts in species assembly, stand structure, and carbon dynamics compared to dominant-species classification (H0 rejected).
- Three-phase forests showed convergence towards colonizer-dominated assemblies, while four-phase forests maintained multi-species, multi-cohort canopies with significant broadleaved presence (H1 supported).
- Four-phase forests demonstrated higher gross volume increment and earlier CO2 flux reversals (61-80 years) than three-phase forests (101-120 years) (H2 supported).
Conclusions:
- Reorganizing forest inventory data by forest type-series provides a powerful diagnostic tool for understanding forest dynamics.
- This approach uncovers critical differences in carbon stocks and biomass turnover, supporting climate and biodiversity-oriented forest management.
- Forest type-series classification offers a more comprehensive understanding of ecosystem processes than traditional metrics.
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