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Research article2003Peer reviewed

Effects of moose (Alces alces) rebrowsing on damage development in young stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Bergqvist G, Bergstrom R, Edenius L

Abstract

The effects of moose rebrowsing on damage development in young Scots pine stands, ages 6-18 years, were examined using data from a large-scale survey in northern Sweden. Recent stem damage from moose browsing (browsing of the apical leader, breaking of the main stem, or stripping bark off the main stem) from the winter immediately preceding the survey was noted in 10% of the Scots pine main stems. The corresponding figure for previous stem damage was 17%. In total, 36% of all recorded recent stem damage occurred in previously damaged Scots pine stems, about twice as much as expected from random tree browsing. At low levels of previous stem damage the observed rebrowsing was about four times higher than that would be expected from random tree browsing. When more than 50% of all Scots pine main stems displayed previous stem damage, the observed rebrowsing rate was approximately the same as would be expected from random tree browsing. The observed rebrowsing and the rebrowsing expected from random tree browsing increased with increasing stand age. However, the rebrowsing expected from random tree browsing was considerably lower than the observed rebrowsing at all stand ages studied. Rebrowsing affects the calculation of undamaged Scots pine main stems after moose browsing. At 2% annual damage, the number of undamaged pine trees in a stand aged 18 years increased by 10% when rebrowsing was considered. At 10% annual damage no undamaged trees remained when rebrowsing was disregarded, but around 400 trees ha(-1) remained when rebrowsing was taken into consideration. Taking rebrowsing into consideration makes it possible to make more accurate calculations of the final effects of moose browsing on future stands. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Published in

Forest Ecology and Management
2003, Volume: 176, number: 1-3, pages: 397-403
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

      SLU Authors

    • Bergström, Roger

      • Department of Animal Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      • Edenius, Lars

        • Department of Animal Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
      Forest Science

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00288-8

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/473