Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Petr Čermák Author-Name: Tomáš Žid Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Title: The crown condition of Norway spruce and occurrence of symptoms caused by Armillaria spp. in mixed stands Abstract: Mixed stands are currently supported as effective management options to reduce forest vulnerability to climate change. However, our issues about benefits of mixtures, mechanisms of their incidence and conditions for their effectiveness have yet been only partly clarified. We assessed the crown condition of Norway spruce (Picea abies /L./ Karst) and occurrence of symptoms caused by Armillaria spp. on spruce in a small area in the Drahanská vrchovina Highlands (Czech Republic) in differently mixed stands in 2002 and 2019. We found that although the broadleaf abundance affected the total defoliation of Norway spruce, the effect was unstable in time. The observed effect of altitudinal zones and Norway spruce abundance on the occurrence of symptoms of Armillaria root rot in spruce was also unstable. The drought during recent four years and the implemented forestry measures (salvage and intermediate felling) can be reasons for the relationship instability. We did not identify any statistically significant relationship between tree species diversity (Simpson's Index) and defoliation. Keywords: total defoliation, broadleaf abundance, tree species diversity Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 483-491 Volume: 66 Issue: 12 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/86/2020-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/86/2020-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-202012-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:66:y:2020:i:12:id:86-2020-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Igor Štefančík Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Silviculture and Forest Production, National Forest Centre, Zvolen, Slovak Republic Title: Long-term tending effect on static stability of pure beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands Abstract: The production stability together with the provision of required functions are the key requirements for the future existence of stable forest stands. Sufficient mechanic stand stability could be developed by the early and long-term thinning where basic tree characteristics, such as stem and crown parameters play the decisive role. We compared selected parameters of static stability in pure beech stands, which have been exposed to heavy low thinning and free-crown thinning with control stands without interventions. Data from twenty-seven long-term research subplots at eight localities across Slovakia were involved in this study. In total 7 693 trees between 30 and 110 years were analysed. Slenderness (h/d ratio), crown length, crown width and crown ratio proved to be the most explanatory parameters for the defining mechanical stability on subplots with free-crown thinning. We found the least favourable results on control subplots. The differences between the subplots with tending (regardless of the tending method) and the control subplots were statistically significant in all studied parameters (P < 0.05). Keywords: beech, thinning, slenderness ratio, crown width, crown length, crown ratio Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 492-500 Volume: 66 Issue: 12 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/141/2020-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/141/2020-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-202012-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:66:y:2020:i:12:id:141-2020-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ladislav Šumichrast Author-Name: Jaroslav Vencurik Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia Author-Name: Ján Pittner Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia Author-Name: Stanislav Kucbel Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia Title: The long-term dynamics of the old-growth structure in the National Nature Reserve Badínsky prales Abstract: The main goal of this paper was to evaluate structure dynamics in the fir-beech, old-growth forest Badínsky prales. Measurements were taken on four permanent research plots (0.5 ha each) between 1970 and 2018, typically in ten-year intervals. In order to assess long-term structure dynamics, this study used basic stand characteristics and selected structural indices - the relative density (RD), coefficient of homogeneity (H), and structural complexity index (SCI). Species composition was quantified by the relative importance value (RIV), and a detrended correspondence analysis was carried out for the visualisation of long-term changes. The long-term mean of the stand volume reached 634 ± 99 m3.ha-1, and the mean of the basal area was 36.6 ± 4.0 m2.ha-1. Calculated values of the coefficient of homogeneity (1.46-2.54) were similar to values in other old-growth forests with a comparable tree species composition. An increasing trend in beech RIV values was observed; on the other hand, fir RIV values fell by approximately 20%-25%. In 2018, maximal values of the basal area, stand volume and relative density were recorded. These high values may indicate better growth conditions due to climate change, as well as fewer disturbance events in the last few decades. Keywords: old-growth forests, structural dynamics, structural indices, Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 501-510 Volume: 66 Issue: 12 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/139/2020-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/139/2020-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-202012-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:66:y:2020:i:12:id:139-2020-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Alireza Aliarab Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran Author-Name: Elham Okati Vazifekhah Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran Author-Name: Seyed-Ehsan Sadati Author-Workplace-Name: Forest and Rangelands Research Department, Mazandaran Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, , AREEO, Sari, Iran Title: Effect of soil moisture content and nitrogen fertilizer on survival, growth and some physiological characteristics of Platycladus orientalis seedlings Abstract: Given the important applications of oriental arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis /L./ Franco), we examined the interaction effects of soil moisture content (SMC) and urea fertilizer on survival, growth and some physiological characteristics of seedlings of this species. In this study, 270 uniform oriental arborvitae seedlings were transplanted in 2 kg containers filled with the top soil of the natural stand in Soorkesh forest reserve. After 2 months, 6 levels of SMC (100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, 15% and 10%) and 3 levels of urea [control: 0, low nitrogen (LN): 75 mg.kg-1, and high nitrogen (HN): 150 mg.kg-1] were used from June till the end of the first growing season in 3 replications and 5 seedlings per replication as subsamples. The results showed that all seedlings survived under SMC above 25% in control and urea fertilizer treatments. However, under 15% and 10% SMC, the seedling survival decreased significantly in control treatment, but adding urea fertilizer significantly increased the survival, especially in HN treatment. Growth and morphological properties of seedlings, including root and shoot length, number of first-order lateral roots and total biomass, showed a significant decrease at 75%. Seedling quality index gradually decreased with SMC reduction, but the addition of urea to the soil significantly increased it under all SMC treatments. The results also indicated that a decrease in SMC significantly decreased relative water content of leaves and total chlorophyll content, and urea fertilizer increased total chlorophyll under all SMC treatments, but it increased relative water content only at 100% to 25%. Moreover, water use efficiency of P. orientalis seedlings significantly increased under low soil moisture treatments, and urea significantly increased it, especially under HN treatment. In conclusion, urea fertilizer, especially in the higher amount (150 mg.kg-1), improved growth and quality of seedlings under different soil moisture conditions, and increased their survival under severe drought. Keywords: soil moisture content, nitrogen fertilizer, oriental arborvitae, seedling quality, water use efficiency, urea Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 511-523 Volume: 66 Issue: 12 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/34/2020-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/34/2020-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-202012-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:66:y:2020:i:12:id:34-2020-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Naeimeh Zeinolabedin Fard Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran Author-Name: Habib Abbasipour Author-Name: Ayatollah Saeedizadeh Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran Author-Name: Jaber Karimi Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran Title: Laboratory assay of entomopathogenic nematodes against the elm leaf beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola Müller (Col.: Chrysomelidae) Abstract: The susceptibility of the elm leaf beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola Müller (Col.: Chrysomelidae), 3rd instar larvae and adults to the entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema feltiae, S. carpocapsae, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora was determined in laboratory assays. Larval mortality was assessed at 0, 16, 32, 48, 64, 80, 96, and 112 h after exposure of the larvae and adults to six concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500) of infective juveniles (IJs) per mL. The median lethal concentration (LC50) values for each nematode species against the larvae and adults of X. luteola were 167.59 and 6.73 IJ.mL-1 for S. feltiae, 218.23 and 204.09 IJ.mL-1 for S. carpocapsae, and 338.66 and 70.29 IJ.mL-1 for H. bacteriophora, respectively. Also, the median lethal time (LT50) values for each nematode species against the larvae and adults of X. luteola were 44.51 and 22.23 h for S. feltiae, 50.78 and 36.17 h for S. carpocapsae, and 67.64 and 34.71 h for H. bacteriophora, respectively. The S. feltiae nematode was the most effective species in controlling the larvae and adults of the elm leaf beetle, X. luteola. Based on these and other results, the research could be expanded on the prospects of using entomopathogenic nematodes, especially S. feltiae, in managing of the elm leaf beetle, X. luteola. Keywords: biological control, EPNs, Heterorhabditis, Steinernema Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 524-531 Volume: 66 Issue: 12 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/89/2020-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/89/2020-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-202012-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:66:y:2020:i:12:id:89-2020-JFS