Abstract
Over 800 million hectares of land worldwide are affected by salinity. Predicted scenarios of global climate change include a rise in sea level, which may severely affect coastal forest areas. Black alder (Alnus glutinosa) is a tree species known to tolerate heavily waterlogged soils, but its salt resistance is still unclear. The aim of our study was to assess A. glutinosa growth under soil salinity as a possible tree for wet, salt-affected sites in a changing coastal environment due to climate change. We hypothesised that: a) growth parameters are directly related to soil conditions; and b) salinity and waterlogging can limit black alder growth. For our research, we evaluated 9-11-year-old black alder plantations in Poland, one in a saline area and two reference sites on non-saline soils (one with higher moisture content). The growth of trees at each site was characterised by calculating the growth success, mean diameter at breast height, the mean height and the standard deviations from the means. We also calculated the distribution of diameters in each population, regression models for growth as the relationship between diameter and height, and coefficients of variance. The means between sites were compared by one-way ANOVA with Scheffe’s post-hoc comparisons. To characterise soil conditions we took soil samples for each site and compared their properties by the same statistical tests. Under saline conditions, black alder growth was limited in terms of height, diameter at breast height and growth success. Salinity also affected the trees’ variability, growth form and growth pattern. However, these effects were comparable to those observed in the non-saline waterlogged site. The models of growth described by regression demonstrated similar reduction of growth dynamics in these two sites. Moreover, the coefficients of variation in diameter and height of trees in these sites were similar and higher than in non-stressed site. In addition, at the saline and waterlogged sites black alder trees had relatively large number of root suckers, whereas in non-stressed site this was not the case. On the plantations in stressed environments there had been losses in the A. glutinosa stand, which had been spontaneously settled by other species of trees and shrubs, which increased species richness. Therefore, regarding climate change, in our opinion black alder can be considered as an option for planting in brackish coastal areas, where nature conservation and watershed management are at least as important as wood production.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity limited black alder height, diameter and growth success.
- Taxon
- black alder
.jpg?width=60)
Alnus glutinosae0 - Outcome
- height, diameter at breast height and growth successe0
- Direction
- limitede0
- Setting
- saline conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Under saline conditions, black alder growth was limited in terms of height, diameter at breast height and growth success.”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity affected tree variability, growth form and growth pattern.
- Taxon
- Alnus glutinosaAlnus glutinosat0
- Treatment
- Salinitye0
- Outcome
- trees’ variability, growth form and growth patterne0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Salinity also affected the trees’ variability, growth form and growth pattern.”
t0“Alnus glutinosa L. Gaertn.”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity effects were comparable with effects at the waterlogged site.
- Taxon
- Alnus glutinosaAlnus glutinosat0
- Outcome
- these effects were comparablee0
- Comparator
- non-saline waterlogged sitee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“these effects were comparable to those observed in the non-saline waterlogged site.”
t0“Alnus glutinosa L. Gaertn.”
Claim · model-written summary
Growth models showed similarly reduced growth dynamics at saline and waterlogged sites.
- Taxon
- Alnus glutinosaAlnus glutinosat0
- Outcome
- growth dynamicse0
- Direction
- reductione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The models of growth described by regression demonstrated similar reduction of growth dynamics in these two sites.”
t0“Alnus glutinosa L. Gaertn.”
Claim · model-written summary
Diameter and height variation was similar at saline and waterlogged sites and higher than at the unstressed site.
- Taxon
- Alnus glutinosaAlnus glutinosat0
- Outcome
- coefficients of variation in diameter and heighte0
- Direction
- highere0
- Setting
- non-stressed sitee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the coefficients of variation in diameter and height of trees in these sites were similar and higher than in non-stressed site.”
t0“Alnus glutinosa L. Gaertn.”
Claim · model-written summary
Root suckers were relatively numerous at saline and waterlogged sites but not at the unstressed site.
- Taxon
- black alderAlnus glutinosae0
- Outcome
- root suckerse0
- Direction
- relatively large numbere0
- Comparator
- non-stressed sitee0
- Setting
- saline and waterlogged sitese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“at the saline and waterlogged sites black alder trees had relatively large number of root suckers, whereas in non-stressed site this was not the case.”
Claim · model-written summary
Stressed plantations lost alder trees and were colonized by other trees and shrubs, increasing species richness.
- Taxon
- A. glutinosaAlnus glutinosae0
- Outcome
- losses in the A. glutinosa stande0
- Direction
- lossese0
- Setting
- plantations in stressed environmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“On the plantations in stressed environments there had been losses in the A. glutinosa stand, which had been spontaneously settled by other species of trees and shrubs, which increased species richness.”
Claim · model-written summary
Other trees and shrubs spontaneously settled stressed alder stands and increased species richness.
- Taxon
- Alnus glutinosaAlnus glutinosat0
- Outcome
- species richnesse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“spontaneously settled by other species of trees and shrubs, which increased species richness.”
t0“Alnus glutinosa L. Gaertn.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors consider black alder an option for brackish coastal planting when conservation and watershed management matter.
- Taxon
- black alderAlnus glutinosae0
- Outcome
- planting in brackish coastal arease0
- Qualifier
- where nature conservation and watershed management are at least as important as wood productione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“black alder can be considered as an option for planting in brackish coastal areas, where nature conservation and watershed management are at least as important as wood production.”