Key message We applied the generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) to develop dynamic models of height growth for pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) in Serbia. According to the dominant heights, the studied region comprises some of Europe’s most productive sites for pedunculate oak. Therein, we have generated a map showing the current site index class of stands. Such a map could be used to enhance forest management and evaluate climate change impacts. Keywords Height growth, Pedunculate oak, Serbia, GADA, Age-related trend, Site productivity maps Publication Kazimirović, M., Staji ..read more

We are pleased to offer an optional open peer review to the community in forest and wood sciences to whom Annals of Forest Science is dedicated. Based on new digital technologies and public infrastructure registration, we set up a process that is consistent with the values and ethics of our community. This led us to make the choice to separate the review report from the actual article. The publication venues are the French national repository HAL for the review report (under a CC-BY license) and the BMC platform for the article (as usual for the article). How the open peer review process works ..read more

Key message Despite been grown under the same climate, oak species are able to correlate with looser, but still identifiable, leaf morphological syndromes, composed by morphological traits with an ecological role in their respective macroclimates. Keywords Quercus; Macroclimate; Functional traits; Factor Analysis of Mixed Data; Leaf syndrome Publication Martín-Sánchez, R., Sancho-Knapik, D., Alonso-Forn, D. et al. Oak leaf morphology may be more strongly shaped by climate than by phylogeny. Annals of Forest Science 81, 14 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-024-01232-z Share this article h ..read more

Key message In European mountain forests, the growth of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.), European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) seedlings is more strongly affected by ungulate browsing than by elevation. But, the constraint exerted by ungulates, in particular the probability for seedlings to be browsed, increases with elevation for most species. Keywords Ungulate browsing; Climate change; Elevational gradient; Plant–herbivore interactions; Mountain forests; Attractant-decoy hypothesis Publication Bernard, M., B ..read more

Key message The forest canopy gaps, formed by natural or anthropogenic factors, have been found to reduce soil carbon content and increase nutrient availability. The magnitudes of these effects have been observed to increase with gap age and size, and are largely influenced by changes in temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation. Keywords Canopy gaps; Soil organic matter; Nutrient cycling; Topsoil properties; Climate effects; Forest ecosystems Publication Tong, R., Ji, B., Wang, G.G. et al. Canopy gap impacts on soil organic carbon and nutrient dynamic: a meta-analysis. Annals of Forest ..read more

Key message Seven European beech provenances differing largely in growth performance were grown at two common garden sites in Germany and Slovakia. The intra-specific variability of most traits was explained more by phenotypic plasticity than inter-provenance variability, and efficiency-related traits showed a higher phenotypic plasticity than safety-related traits. Keywords Assisted migration; Carbon isotope; Embolism resistance; Hydraulic conductivity; Provenance trial; Wood anatomy Publication Kurjak, D., Petrík, P., Konôpková, A.S. et al. Inter-provenance variability and phenotypic plasti ..read more

Key message Wood_db-chemistry gathers information on oak, beech and Douglas fir extractives studied between 1950 and 2020. The data can be used by researchers, stakeholders in the forest-wood sector and the chemical industry to make the most of the extractives and their bioactive properties through knowledge of their diversity in the forest resource. Dataset access is at https://doi.org/10.57745/QZYPUA. Associated metadata are available at https://metadata-afs.nancy.inra.fr/geonetwork/srv/fre/catalog.search#/metadata/4f8c07d2-c0f6-4958-8f74-936054a9870a. Keywords Oak; Beech; Douglas fir; Extra ..read more

Key message Presence of Phytophthora ramorum (Werres, De Cock, and Man in ‘t Veld) in western France was studied after the detection of this invasive pathogen in 2017 in Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) and eradication of the affected stands. P. ramorum was seldom detected in the area of the outbreak in the year following eradication. However, we confirm that P. ramorum can multiply to epidemic level on chestnuts (Castanea sativa Mill.) in the absence of larch (Larix spp.). This represents the major risk in France. Keywords Castanea sativa; Larix kaempferi; Epidemiology; Invasive forest pathogen Publi ..read more

Key message Evolving societal demands and accelerated ecological dynamics due to global change are rapidly altering forest ecosystems and their services. This has prompted the need for advancing forest inventorying and monitoring initatives to expand their scope, improve data collection, foster scientific understanding, and better inform policy responses. Here, we discuss the collaborative processes followed to develop an Advanced Inventorying and Monitoring (AIM) system for Swiss forests. Further, we provide the key messages that emerged from this process which can be of interest to those inv ..read more

Key message Naturally regenerating populations of common beech, pedunculate and sessile oaks develop strong spatial genetic structures at adult and seedling stages. Significant genetic relationship occurs between individuals growing up to 60 m apart. This indicates the minimum distance separating trees from which seeds used for reforestation should be harvested to avoid the adverse effects of excessive relatedness among offspring. Keywords Fagus sylvatica; Microsatellites; Nature reserve; Offspring and adult cohorts; Quercus petraea; Quercus robur; Seed and pollen dispersal; Spatial genetic st ..read more