Pine–cypress forest

Pine–cypress forest is a type of mixed conifer woodland in which at least one species of pine (genus Pinus) and one species of cypress (genus Cupressaceae) are present. Such forests are noted in several parts of the world, but are particularly well studied in Japan,[1] and the United States.[2]

Not to be confused with Cypress pine.
Pines and cypresses on the western slopes of Mount Herzl, at the circular road surrounding the Mount Herzl in Jerusalem Forest.

Ecology

A quality of these mixed conifer forests is the mutualistic relationship between pine and cypress trees. In Japanese pine-cypress forests, pine stumps have been found to help stimulate the growth and germination of cypress trees.[3] Cypress trees are extremely sensitive to pH and prefer more acidic soils. Decaying pine stumps have a lower pH than surrounding soils, it is believed that this is the main factor influencing the increased prevalence of cypress seedlings.[3] Analysis of evapotranspiration on pine and cypress wetlands found that both tree types are sensitive to changes in ambient temperature, but pines are more sensitive to changes in humidity.[4] This difference in vulnerabilities could contribute to overall forest resiliency.

Forest management

Like many mixed forest types, human forest management can impact the structures of pine-cypress forests. A study based in Taiwan used computer modeling to determine the stand density index for pine-cypress forests.[5] This helps to measure interspecies relationships within forests, including species density, competition, and tree development. This is helpful for informing future management practices by maintaining a more current understanding of forest dynamics.[5] Because both tree types can be very sensitive to changes in forest hydrology, additional management is necessary beyond density monitoring.[6] Contentious management of flooding and drainage was shown to improve the health of both pine and cypress trees in a mixed ecosystem.[6]  

Global occurrences

Japan

Pine-cypress forests can be found in much of central Japan. A heterogeneous landscape, consisting of pine-oak forests, timber plantations and cypress groves help to maintain this forest structure.[3]

California

California occurrences of pine–cypress forest are typically along Pacific coastal headlands.[2] Understory species in these California pine–cypress forests include salal and western poison oak.[7]

Florida

Many of the Florida occurrences of pine–cypress forest are in swampy areas such as the Everglades.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Eternal Forests: The Veneration of Old Trees in Japan | Arnold Arboretum". arboretum.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  2. Donald F. Harker (1999). Landscape Restoration Handbook. United States Golf Association, CRC Press. ISBN 1-56670-175-9.
  3. Fukasawa, Yu (2018). "Pine stumps act as hotspots for seedling regeneration after pine dieback in a mixed natural forest dominated by Chamaecyparis obtusa". Ecological Research. 33 (6): 1169–1179. doi:10.1007/s11284-018-1631-z. ISSN 0912-3814. S2CID 48363959.
  4. Liu, Shuguang; Riekerk, Hans; Gholz, Henry L. (1998-12-01). "Simulation of evapotranspiration from Florida pine flatwoods". Ecological Modelling. 114 (1): 19–34. doi:10.1016/S0304-3800(98)00103-3. ISSN 0304-3800.
  5. Yang, Ting-Ru; Lam, Tzeng Yih; Kershaw, John A. (2018). "Developing relative stand density index for structurally complex mixed species cypress and pine forests". Forest Ecology and Management. 409: 425–433. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2017.11.043. ISSN 0378-1127.
  6. Conner, William H. (1994). "Effect of forest management practices on southern forested wetland productivity". Wetlands. 14 (1): 27–40. doi:10.1007/bf03160619. ISSN 0277-5212. S2CID 29182578.
  7. C. Michael Hogan (2008). "Western poison-oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum". GlobalTwitcher. Archived from the original on 2009-07-21.
  8. Thomas E. Lodge (2005). The Everglades Handbook: Understanding the Ecosystem. CRC Press. ISBN 1-56670-614-9.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.