Bian et al. (2026) Differential effects of thinning on soil moisture in planted and natural forests: A global meta-analysis

Identification

• Journal: Forest Ecology and Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-04-14
• Authors: He Bian, Jianming Xue, Bing Wang, Guoliang Wang, Guobin Liu, YanFen Yang
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123794

Research Groups

• State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, The Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
• Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
• University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
• New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand

Short Summary

A global meta-analysis quantified the effects of thinning on soil moisture, finding an overall increase of 7.83%, with natural forests showing a 1.32 times greater response than planted forests. The study highlights differential responses based on forest origin, thinning intensity, soil type, stand age, and climate.

Objective

• To quantify the differential effects of thinning on soil moisture in planted versus natural forests globally, and to identify the factors controlling these responses.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global (meta-analysis synthesizing studies from various regions).
• Temporal Scale: Synthesis of studies conducted over various temporal scales, with positive effects maintained over a "relatively long period."

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Meta-analysis.
• Data sources: Existing literature (global studies on forest thinning and soil moisture).

Main Results

• Thinning significantly increased soil moisture by 7.83% overall.
• The effect size of thinning on soil moisture in natural forests was 1.32 times that in planted forests.
• Soil moisture responses to thinning were jointly controlled by thinning regimes, soil properties, stand structural attributes, and climate.
• Moderate thinning in planted forests and light thinning in natural forests significantly increased soil moisture and maintained this positive effect over a relatively long period.
• Thinning enhanced soil moisture in loamy soils across both planted and natural forests, but had no significant positive effect in sandy soils.
• The effects of thinning on soil moisture were stand-age dependent; specifically, soil moisture responses in planted forests transitioned from positive in younger stands to negative in older stands.
• Relative to natural forests, the effect sizes in planted forests showed stronger sensitivity to climatic gradients (Mean Annual Temperature (MAT), Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP), and Aridity Index (AI)).

Contributions

• Provides a global quantitative synthesis of thinning effects on soil moisture, differentiating responses between planted and natural forests.
• Identifies key modulating factors (thinning regimes, soil properties, stand age, climate) that influence thinning effectiveness based on forest origin.
• Underscores the necessity for adopting site-specific and forest-origin-specific approaches in forest management to achieve healthy forest-water relationships.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Bian2026Differential,
  author = {Bian, He and Xue, Jianming and Wang, Bing and Wang, Guoliang and Liu, Guobin and Yang, YanFen},
  title = {Differential effects of thinning on soil moisture in planted and natural forests: A global meta-analysis},
  journal = {Forest Ecology and Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123794},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123794}
}