气候变化领域集成服务门户(CCPortal): Effects of bark beetle attacks on forest snowpack and avalanche formation – Implications for protection forest management

CCPortal

DOI	10.1016/j.foreco.2019.01.052
	Effects of bark beetle attacks on forest snowpack and avalanche formation – Implications for protection forest management
	Teich M.; Giunta A.D.; Hagenmuller P.; Bebi P.; Schneebeli M.; Jenkins M.J.
发表日期	2019
ISSN	0378-1127
起始页码	186
结束页码	203
卷号	438
英文摘要	Healthy, dense forests growing in avalanche terrain reduce the likelihood of slab avalanche release by inhibiting the formation of continuous snow layers and weaknesses in the snowpack. Driven by climate change, trends towards more frequent and severe bark beetle disturbances have already resulted in the death of millions of hectares of forest in North America and central Europe, affecting snowpack in mountain forests and potentially reducing their protective capacity against avalanches. We examined the spatial variability in snow stratigraphy, i.e., the characteristic layering of the snowpack, by repeatedly measuring vertical profiles of snow penetration resistance with a digital snow micro penetrometer (SMP) along 10- and 20-m transects in a spruce beetle-infested Engelmann spruce forest in Utah, USA. Three study plots were selected characterizing different stages within a spruce beetle outbreak cycle: non-infested/green, infested > 3 years ago/gray stage, and salvage-logged. A fourth plot was installed in a non-forested meadow as the control. Based on our SMP measurements and a layer matching algorithm, we quantified the spatial variability in snow stratigraphy, and tested which forest, snow and/or meteorological conditions influenced differences between our plots using linear mixed effects models. Our results showed that spatial variability in snow stratigraphy was best explained by the percentage of canopy covering a transect (R 2 = 0.71, p < 0.001), and that only 14% of the variance was explained by the stage within the outbreak cycle. That is, differences between green and gray stage stands did not depend much on the reduction in needle mass, but spatial variability in snow stratigraphy increased significantly with increasing forest canopy cover. At both study plots, a more heterogeneous snow stratigraphy developed, which translates to disrupted and discontinuous snow layers and, therefore, reduced avalanche formation. We attribute this to the effect that small fine branches and twigs still present in the canopy of gray stage trees have on snow interception and unloading, and especially on canopy drip. In contrast, salvage logging that reduced the canopy cover to ∼25%, led to a spatially less variable and similar snow stratigraphy as observed in the meadow. At these two study plots, a homogeneous snow stratigraphy consisting of distinct vertical and continuous slope-parallel soft and hard snow layers including weak layers had formed, a condition which is generally more prone to avalanche release. Our findings therefore emphasize advantages of leaving dead trees in place, especially in protection forests where bark beetle populations have reached epidemic levels. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
英文关键词	Avalanche formation; Bark beetle; Protection forest; SMP; Snow micro penetrometer; Snow stratigraphy
语种	英语
scopus关键词	Climate change; Snow; Stratigraphy; Unloading; Avalanche formation; Bark beetle; Micro penetrometer; Protection forests; Snow stratigraphy; Forestry; algorithm; avalanche; beetle; climate change; disturbance; forest canopy; montane forest; penetrometer; snowpack; spatial variation; stratigraphy; vertical profile; Bark; Forestry; Formation; Layers; Picea Engelmannii; Snow; Unloading; Variability; Central Europe; North America; United States; Utah; Dendroctonus rufipennis; Picea engelmannii; Scolytinae
来源期刊	Forest Ecology and Management
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://gcip.llas.ac.cn/handle/2XKMVOVA/156105
作者单位	Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, 5230 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-5230, United States; Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université de Toulouse, Météo-France, CNRS, CNRM, Centre d'Etudes de la Neige, 1441 rue de la piscine, Saint Martin d'Hères, F-38400, France; WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Flüelastrasse 11, Davos Dorf, CH-7260, Switzerland
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Teich M.,Giunta A.D.,Hagenmuller P.,等. Effects of bark beetle attacks on forest snowpack and avalanche formation – Implications for protection forest management[J],2019,438.
APA	Teich M.,Giunta A.D.,Hagenmuller P.,Bebi P.,Schneebeli M.,&Jenkins M.J..(2019).Effects of bark beetle attacks on forest snowpack and avalanche formation – Implications for protection forest management.Forest Ecology and Management,438.
MLA	Teich M.,et al."Effects of bark beetle attacks on forest snowpack and avalanche formation – Implications for protection forest management".Forest Ecology and Management 438(2019).