Dendrology and

Species Silviculture
FES 08211221

Md. Shamim Reza Saimun

 Dendrology

• Two Greek word ‘dendron’ & ‘logia’ meaning - trees and discourse or
study
• The study of trees, especially the taxonomy of woody plants

A division of forestry or botany that deals with the taxonomy of trees and other
woody plants (trees, shrubs, and vines), including nomenclature, classification,
identification, and distribution

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 Why study Dendrology?
• To learn how trees are named (Nomenclature)
• To learn how trees are classified (Classification)
• To learn how to find the name of unknown trees (Identification)
• To learn how trees are distributed into climatic zones and forest types
(Distribution)
• To know the important forest trees (Important Forest Tree)

Dendrology is basically a tool or instrument to become familiar with and studying trees.

Always, foresters need to know the names of the important trees with which they work.

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 Classification based on growth habit
Tree
A woody plant that has a well-defined, erect, perennial trunk and a more or less definitely formed
crown and that generally attains a height of at least 12 to 15 feet (or 4 to 5 m) and a trunk dbh of 7
to 10 cm (1.3 m) at maturity.

Shrub
A perennial woody plant smaller than a tree, usually with several perennial stems branched from
the base.

Herb
A plant with an herbaceous or soft stem, annual or perennial, but not woody. (It can be annual or
perennial)

Vine
A woody or herbaceous plant with the stems not erect but depending on other plants or objects for
support.
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 Difference between Plant & Tree

Plant Tree

Plants belong to the kingdom Plantae Trees are a type of plants

Plants such as shrubs and grasses are Trees can be various sizes; generally, they
short and are closer to the ground are taller than other plants
Plants, apart from trees, have soft stems Trees generally have hard, woody stems

Most plants, apart from trees, do not live Some trees can live up to hundreds of
long years under favorable conditions

Source: pedia.com

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 Phenology
• Greek phainö- ‘to show/appear’; logos- ‘study’: “study of commencement”.
Seasonal timing of events in the life of an organism

While the term seasonality

• Phenology is the study of is used to describe changes
in the abiotic environment,
• the timing of periodic biological events (phenophases) the term phenology is
• the causes of these timings about the biotic and abiotic drivers reserved for describing the
• the connection among phases of the same or different species timing of biological activities.

• Most biological organisms follow certain life cycle events

• Plant phenology- the timing of plant life-cycle events, such as leaf

emergence, flowering, fruiting, seeding and leaf senescence
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 Phenophases
• An observable stage or phase in the annual life cycle of a plant or
animal that can be defined by a start and end point.
• Phenophases generally have a duration of a few days or weeks.
Examples
- the period over which newly
emerging leaves are visible
- the period over which open flowers
are present on a plant.

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 Phenophases
Generalized plant phenological sequence can be summarized as
follows:
• Leaf budburst
• First full leaf (first leaf is fully expanded)
• Entire plant leaf-out (all leaves on the plant are expanded)
• First flower
• Peak flowering (largest floral display)
• Last flower
• Fruit maturity and seed dispersal
• Leaf senescence (color change and abscission - the process of losing
leaves at the end of the growing season)

Keep in mind that not all plants exhibit each of these phases, and not all plants complete
phases in this order.
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History of Monitoring phenology

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Phenology factors When to start
• Intrinsic Trait Plants & animals take clues from local climate
• Climate (temperature, precipitation (long term weather patterns), this is impacted
etc.) by non-biological factors (temperature,
precipitation, sunlight etc.)
• Environmental Component (insolation,
limited resource, competition etc.)

Phenological Variation
• Phenological variation within and among individuals
• Phenological variation within and among population
• Phenological variation among coexisting species
• Phenological variation among communities (across landscapes, continents, hemispheres, and the globe)

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 Details- https://doi.org/10.3390/f12030297

Ecosystem
processes
and
conditions
that drive
phenological
events

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 Phenology & Ecosystem
• Phenological processes link strongly to ecosystem function and services. Any
changes to phenological events may have implications for biogeochemical
cycles, including carbon cycle, and for the population dynamics of species
connected at different trophic levels or in competitive and mutualistic
interactions.
• Plant phenology can further force temporal shifts in animal phenology,
with the potential for phenological mismatching if the species involved do
not respond similarly to environmental changes.
• Leaf emergence controls processes such as primary productivity, carbon
sequestration, nutrient cycling, water storage, and competition and
coexistence dynamics.

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 Phenology & Ecosystem
• Indirectly, leaf emergence can alter the presence of herbivorous
insects and consequently shift the presence of insectivorous birds and
mammals. Tropical plants that flush their leaves later in the season
can suffer significantly higher damage by insects compared to those
that flush early or in synchrony during the peak flushing phase.
• Flowering phenology can directly impact the diversity of both
pollinators and plants.
• Fruiting and seeding can force ecosystem processes such as fruit
hording and seed dispersal, which in turn affects the diversity and
distribution of taxa at higher trophic levels.

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 Importance of phenology in Forestry
• Forest Health Assessment: Anomalies in timing or patterns of events may
indicate issues such as pest infestations, diseases, or other environmental
stressors, allowing for timely intervention.
• Biodiversity Conservation: Helps in identifying relationships between plant and
animal species. Timing of one's phenological events can be important for the
survival of others. e.g.-
- insects emergence when new leaf out from their host plants.
• Ecosystem Management: Maintaining food chain. Crops need to flower around
the same time when insects finish developing adults. Flowering too early lack of
pollinating agents.
no fruits- no seed- no food
• Climate Change Studies: Early or delayed phenological events may be signals of
climate-related stress or adaptation.
• Wildlife Habitat Management: Many animals depend on the timing of plant
phenological events for food and shelter.
• Timber Production Planning: Understanding the phenology of commercially
important tree species is essential for sustainable timber production.
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 Phenology and climate change
• It is widely known that the Earth’s climate system is changing rapidly
• Phenological events are especially sensitive indicators of global environmental
change.
• Shifts in phenology induced through climatic change can have reverberating
effects across trophic levels.
• Leafing out several days earlier each spring may allow it to get a rapid head start in its annual growth,
especially if neighboring trees remain leafless, which would allow its leaves to receive a great deal of
sunlight. On the other hand, if it produces its leaves earlier than any of the other members of its
population, it may be particularly vulnerable to leaf-eating insects
• Changes to the life cycles of plants and animals in conjunction with climate
variation has been reported worldwide.
• During the past century, the phenology of 10 bee species from Northeastern North America has
advanced by a mean of 10.4 days because of climate change altering the phenological timings of
flowering plants
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 What is Species Silviculture?

• Silviculture derives from the word Silvics. Silvics is the study of the
life history and general characteristics of forest trees and crops, with
particular reference to environmental factors.
• The art and science of cultivating forests based on knowledge of
silvics.
• Cultivating forests- controlling the establishment, density,
composition, and growth of forests to produce desired outputs.
• Silviculture is the art and science of managing forests for desired
outcomes, such as wildlife habitat, aesthetics, and timber production.
• Species Silviculture is the management of individual species
applying silvicultural knowledge.

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 Phenology in silvicultural operations
• Seed Collection and Germination: Determining the optimal time for seed
collection. Understanding germination timing contributes to successful
tree establishment.
• Pest and Disease Management: Certain pests or diseases may have
specific phenological relationships with host plants, and understanding
these patterns allows for timely intervention and control measures
• Timing of Silvicultural Operations: Helps in planning and timing
silvicultural operations such as pruning, thinning, and harvesting.
• Optimizing Forest Health and Productivity: Integrating phenology into
silvicultural planning contributes to overall forest health and productivity.
• Climate Change Adaptation: Silviculturists can use the information
regarding changes in phenological patterns to adapt forest management
strategies, selecting species or adjusting practices to mitigate the effects of
climate change
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 Plant Periodicity

• Habit in a plant of adjusting its growth or the movements of its

phenological stages (leafing, blooming, and fruiting etc.) to regular
changes in climatic conditions (light, temperature etc.)
• Either annual or diurnal (every day)
• Plants have a regular time each year for leafing, blooming, and
fruiting. Climate changes can shift the timing of its leafing, blooming
and fruiting.

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 Predictivity
• Predictivity in the context of plant phenology refers to the ability to
forecast or anticipate the timing of key events in the life cycle of
plants, such as flowering, leaf emergence, or senescence.
• This is crucial in fields like forestry and ecology, where understanding
and predicting plant phenology can have implications for ecosystem
management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change studies
• If temperature increases 1°C, then blooming will advance 2 days. If
blooming advances, then fruiting time will also advance.

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 Stages of tree growth
from Conception (Seed) to birth (sprout)

to infancy (seedling)
to death
(snag/rotting log)

to juvenile (sapling)

to elderly (decline)
to adult (mature)
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