Background: The cultivation of short-rotation tree species on non-forest land is increasing due to the growing demand for woody biomass for the future bioeconomy and to mitigate climate change impacts. However, forest plantations are often seen as a trade-off between climate benefits and low biodiversity. The diversity and composition of soil fungal biota in plantations of hybrid aspen, one of the most planted tree species for short-rotation forestry in Northern Europe, are poorly studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFast-growing Populus spp. are well-acknowledged to restore contaminated soils from heavy metals in industrial areas. Thus far, there is no knowledge about the phytoremediation capacity of Populus spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcosystem responses to climate change are mainly predicted based on short-term studies. However, the first response can be a temporary overreaction, different from the later response of the more acclimated ecosystem. The current paper is a follow-up study of our previous article, where the effect of elevated atmospheric humidity on forest ecosystem carbon (C) balance was studied in a young silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) forest after two years of humidification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAt northern latitudes a rise in atmospheric humidity and precipitation is predicted as a consequence of global climate change. We studied several growth and functional traits of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L.×P.
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