J 2017

Domination of hillslope denudation by tree uprooting in an old-growth forest

PHILLIPS, Jonathan D., Pavel ŠAMONIL, Łukasz PAWLIK, Jan TROCHTA, Pavel DANĚK et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Domination of hillslope denudation by tree uprooting in an old-growth forest

Authors

PHILLIPS, Jonathan D. (840 United States of America), Pavel ŠAMONIL (203 Czech Republic), Łukasz PAWLIK (616 Poland), Jan TROCHTA (203 Czech Republic) and Pavel DANĚK (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Geomorphology, AMSTERDAM, ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 2017, 0169-555X

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10511 Environmental sciences

Country of publisher

Netherlands

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Impact factor

Impact factor: 3.308

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/17:00096015

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

UT WoS

000388777800004

Keywords in English

Biogeomorphology; Hillslopes; Old-growth forest; Tree uprooting; Disturbance

Tags

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 20/1/2020 17:27, Mgr. Marie Šípková, DiS.

Abstract

V originále

Razula forest preserve in the Carpathian Mountains of the Czech Republic is an unmanaged forest that has not been logged or otherwise anthropically disturbed for at least 83 years, preceded by only infrequent selective logging. We examined this 25 ha area to determine the dominant geomorphological processes on the hillslope. Tree uprooting displaces about 2.9 m(3) of soil and regolith per year, representing about 1.5 uprooted trees ha(-1) yr(-1), based on forest inventory records dating back to 1972, and contemporary measurements of displaced soil and pit-mound topography resulting from uprooting. Pits and mounds occupy >14% of the ground surface. Despite typical slope gradients of 0.05 mm(-1), and up to 0.41, little evidence of mass wasting (e.g., slump or flow scars or deposits, colluvial deposits) was noted in the field, except in association with pit-mound pairs. Small avalanche and ravel features are common on the upslope side of uproot pits. Surface runoff features were rare and poorly connected, but do include stemwash erosion associated with stemflow. No rills or channels were found above the valley bottom area, and only small, localized areas of erosion and forest litter debris indicating overland flow. Where these features occurred, they either disappeared a short distance downslope (indicating infiltration), or indicate flow into tree throw pits. Surface erosion is also inhibited by surface armoring of coarse rock fragments associated with uprooting, as well as by the nearly complete vegetation and litter cover. These results show that the combination of direct and indirect impacts of tree uprooting can dominate slope processes in old-growth, unmanaged forests. The greater observed expression of different hillslope processes in adjacent managed forests (where tree uprooting dynamics are blocked by management activities) suggests that human interventions can change the slope process regime in forest ecosystems.

Links

MUNI/A/1301/2016, interní kód MU
Name: Diverzita, dynamika a fylogenetické vztahy klíčových společenstev významných evropských biotopů (Acronym: DIDYF)
Investor: Masaryk University, Category A