Survey of Ecological Characteristics of Boreal Tree Species in Fennoscandia and the USSR

Helmisaari, H. & Nikolov, N. (1989). Survey of Ecological Characteristics of Boreal Tree Species in Fennoscandia and the USSR. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-89-065

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Abstract

The paper presents results from a literature study on autecological characteristics of North European and Asian boreal and boreo-nemoral tree species. It also provides general ecological information about the main forest types in the boreal region of the USSR and Fennoscandia. The work has been mainly done during the Young Scientist's Summer Program of 1988 and is a part of the Biosphere Dynamics Project activities.

Species natural history data have been collected and assembled in such a way that they can be used in parameterization and modification of existing (or new-formulated) mixed-species forest stand simulators (e.g., gap models).

The ecological survey involves 27 tree species divided into two groups. The first one, called "dominant tree species", includes 13 major forest-forming species of the present-day boreal forests of the USSR and Fennoscandia, while the second one, "important species", contains species which either dominate forests at the boreal-border areas (i.e. boreo-nemoral forests) or have restricted distribution within the boreal zone. Each species is attempted to be characterized as completely as possible by the following categories: systematics (scientific name, author and synonymies), spatial distribution (description and maps of continuous range of natural growth), habitat requirements (climate, soil types, associated species, and forest types), life history (reproduction and growth), response to environmental factors (light, soil moisture, nutrients, frost, permafrost, fire, windstorm, flooding and poludification), races and hybrids, enemies and diseases.

The data from the autecological reviews are summarized as 24 input model parameters in the Appendix.

The paper should be considered as a first step in building a boreal tree species natural history database to be used with simulation models. It is also the first attempt to compile autecological data about North Asian tree species for modeling purposes.

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