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Pinus nigra has a scattered but widespread distribution across Mediterranean mountain regions, where it has often been planted to restore degraded sites, yet few studies have examined the dynamics of natural P. nigra stands. Old-growth P. nigra stands often occur on precipitous, rugged locations in the Southeastern Alps and Dinaric Mountain range, providing unique opportunities to study their natural dynamics and disturbance history. We quantified the structure and composition and used dendroecological methods to reconstruct disturbance history, including samples of fire-scarred trees, in two old-growth stands located in Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The study stands were dominated by P. nigra, but also included a number of other thermophilic tree species, as well as shade-tolerant species common in the surrounding mountain forests. Both sites had an irregular uneven-age structure with several pulses of recruitment, perhaps indicating the influence of past fire events, and P. nigra regeneration was relatively abundant (> 3000 stems ha−1). The most recent fires at each site burned in 1947 and 1969, and there was evidence of post-fire recruitment at the study sites. However, although tree cores sampled from fire-scarred trees suggest there were scattered, but infrequent fires over the past few centuries, we did not find evidence suggesting a regime of frequent recurring surface fires. The results suggest that rare surface fires may play a role in preventing successional replacement of P. nigra on productive sites, whereas steep, rocky sites likely support persistent populations in the absence of fire.

Our objective was to report the prospective results of mucosal sparing radiation therapy in human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.From March 2016 through May 2019, patients were enrolled in this institutional review board-approved prospective cohort study at a multisite institution. Inclusion criteria included p16+ American Joint Committee on Cancer seventh edition pathologic T1 or T2, N1 to N3, and M0 oropharyngeal cancers. Proton therapy (PT) was delivered to at-risk nodal regions, excluding the primary mucosal site. Secondary to insurance denial for PT, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was allowed. European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Head and Neck Module and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System surveys (quality of life [QOL]) and modified barium swallowing impairment profiles (MBSImP) were obtained at baseline before radiation therapy, then 3 and 12 months after radiation therapy. Kaplan-Meier estimates were calculated for time-to-event clinical outcomes, and repeated measures mixed models were used to explore changes in QOL over time. A comparison of QOL and swallowing outcomes with standard-of-care treatment was analyzed.There were 61 evaluable patients with a median follow-up of 38 months (range, 10-64); 44 (72%) were treated with PT and 17 (28%) were treated with IMRT. The 2-year local control, locoregional control, distant metastasis-free survival, and overall survival were 98%, 97%, 98%, and 100%, respectively. There were 6 grade ≥3 events related to treatment. Two IMRT patients required percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement during treatment secondary to significant nausea due to dysgeusia. Patients noted significant QOL improvement over time in the pain, swallowing, speech, social eating, social contact, mouth opening, and use of pain medication domains (all P.02). The MBSImP overall severity score as well as oral and pharyngeal impairment scores showed stability with no significant change over time. For the 44 patients treated with PT, the mean D95 to the primary target was 10.7 Gy (standard deviation = 12.5 Gy).Mucosal sparing radiation is well tolerated in select resected human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma with a low risk of recurrence at the mucosal primary site, a low rate of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement, and few radiation-related grade ≥3 adverse events.

12 páginas.- 4 figuras.- referencias.- Additional supporting information can be found online in the Supporting Information section at the end of this article.- Full Access in https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/geb.13652, Aim Our understanding of the mechanisms that maintain forest diversity under changing climate can benefit from knowledge about traits that are closely linked to fitness. We tested whether the link between traits and seed number and seed size is consistent with two hypotheses, termed the leaf economics spectrum and the plant size syndrome, or whether reproduction represents an independent dimension related to a seed size–seed number trade-off. Location Most of the data come from Europe, North and Central America and East Asia. A minority of the data come from South America, Africa and Australia. Time period 1960–2022. Major taxa studied Trees. Methods We gathered 12 million observations of the number of seeds produced in 784 tree species. We estimated the number of seeds produced by individual trees and scaled it up to the species level. Next, we used principal components analysis and generalized joint attribute modelling (GJAM) to map seed number and size on the tree traits spectrum. Results Incorporating seed size and number into trait analysis while controlling for environment and phylogeny with GJAM exposes relationships in trees that might otherwise remain hidden. Production of the large total biomass of seeds [product of seed number and seed size; hereafter, species seed productivity (SSP)] is associated with high leaf area, low foliar nitrogen, low specific leaf area (SLA) and dense wood. Production of high seed numbers is associated with small seeds produced by nutrient-demanding species with softwood, small leaves and high SLA. Trait covariation is consistent with opposing strategies: one fast-growing, early successional, with high dispersal, and the other slow-growing, stress-tolerant, that recruit in shaded conditions. Main conclusions Earth system models currently assume that reproductive allocation is indifferent among plant functional types. Easily measurable seed size is a strong predictor of the seed number and species seed productivity. The connection of SSP with the functional traits can form the first basis of improved fecundity prediction across global forests., The project has been funded by grants to J.S.C. from the National Science Foundation, most re-cently DEB-1754443, and by the Belmont Forum (1854976), NASA (AIST16-0052 and AIST18-0063) and the Programme d'Investissement d'Avenir under project FORBIC (18-MPGA-0004; Make Our Planet Great Again). Jerry Franklin's data remain acces-sible through NSF LTER DEB-1440409. Data from Hubbard Brook (New Hampshire) were funded through NSF-LTER. Puerto Rico data were funded by NSF grants, most recently DEB 0963447 and LTREB 11222325. Data from the Andes Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Group were funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and NSF 727 LTREB 1754647. M.B. was supported by grant no. 2019/35/D/NZ8/00050 from the (Polish) National Science Centre and by Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange Bekker programme PPN/BEK/2020/1/00009/U/00001. Research by the USDA Forest Service and the USGS was funded by these agencies. Any use of trade, firm or product names does not imply endorsement by the US Government. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply en -dorsement by the U.S. Government

Disentangling the relative influence of background versus disturbance related mortality on forest demography is crucial for understanding long‐term dynamics and predicting the influence of global change on forests. Quantifying the rates and drivers of tree demography requires direct observations of tree populations over multiple decades, yet such studies are rare in old‐growth forest, particularly in the temperate zone of Europe. We use multi‐decade (1980–2020) monitoring of permanent plots, including observations of mode of mortality and disturbance events, to quantify rates and drivers of tree demography across a network of old‐growth remnants in temperate mountain forests of Slovenia. Annual rates of mortality and recruitment varied markedly among sites and over time; census intervals that captured intermediate severity canopy disturbances caused subtle peaks in annual mortality (e.g., >2%/year), while rates of background mortality in non‐disturbed intervals averaged about 1%/year. Roughly half of the trees died from modes of mortality associated with disturbance (i.e., uprooting or snapped‐alive). Results of a Bayesian multilevel model indicate that beech (Fagus sylvatica) had a higher likelihood of disturbance related mortality compared to fir (Abies alba), which mainly died standing, and there was a notable increase in the odds of disturbance mortality with increasing diameter for all species. Annual recruitment rates were consistently low at sites (, We use multi‐decade monitoring of permanent plots to quantify rates and drivers of tree demography across a network of old‐growth remnants in temperate mountain forests. Annual rates of mortality and recruitment varied markedly among sites and over time, and roughly half of all trees died from disturbance related mortality. Our study highlights the important role of stand‐scale, intermediate severity disturbance for long‐term forest demography.

Aim: Old-growth, mesic temperate forests are often assumed to be structured by gap-phase processes, resulting in quasi-equilibrial long-term dynamics. This assumption influences management focused on simulation of natural disturbance dynamics and is embedded in most models of forest successional dynamics. We use multi-decade monitoring of permanent plots in old-growth forests to assess demographic assumptions directly with respect to tree mortality rates. Location: Sixteen sites in mesic, temperate old-growth forests in eastern North America and Europe with multi-decade monitoring. Time period: Variable across sites, spanning c. 20%78 years from 1936 to 2014. Major taxa studied: Tree species of late-successional, cool-temperate forests of Europe and eastern North America. Methods: We calculated and compared the annualized mortality rates (m), with confidence intervals, by species, size class and measurement interval, for tree species of sufficient abundance. Results: Retrospective analysis shows dynamic and diverse demographic properties across populations and sites. Stand-scale mortality rates of 0.7%2.5%/ year average higher than previous estimates for old-growth temperate forests. Variations among species, over time and among size classes, suggest that gap-phase models are inadequate to explain stand dynamics, implying instead that rare disturbance events of moderate severity have long-lasting effects in old-growth forests and that indirect anthropogenic influences affect old-growth, unlogged forests. Main conclusions: Multi-decade baseline data, essential for understanding community assembly and long-term dynamics in these %slow systems,% are rare and poorly integrated. Our analysis demonstrates the value of the few long-term, %legacy% data sets. Results suggest that differences in life history interact with complex disturbance histories, resulting in non-equilibrial dynamics in old-growth temperate tree communities, and that changes in disturbance patterns through anthropogenic climate change might, there%fore, be an important driver of ecosystem change.

The expected future intensification of forest disturbance as a consequence of ongoing anthropogenic climate change highlights the urgent need to more robustly quantify associated biotic responses. Saproxylic beetles are a diverse group of forest invertebrates representing a major component of biodiversity that is associated with the decomposition and cycling of wood nutrients and carbon in forest ecosystems. Disturbance-induced declines or shifts in their diversity indicate the loss of key ecological and/or morphological species traits that could change ecosystem functioning. Functional and phylogenetic diversity of biological communities is commonly used to link species communities to ecosystem functions. However, our knowledge on how disturbance intensity alters functional and phylogenetic diversity of saproxylic beetles is incomplete. Here, we analyzed the main drivers of saproxylic beetle abundance and diversity using a comprehensive dataset from montane primary forests in Europe. We investigated cascading relationships between 250 years of historical disturbance mechanisms, forest structural attributes and the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of present-day beetle communities. Our analyses revealed that historical disturbances have significant effects on current beetle communities. Contrary to our expectations, different aspects of beetle communities, that is, abundance, taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity, responded to different disturbance regime components. Past disturbance frequency was the most important component influencing saproxylic beetle communities and habitat via multiple temporal and spatial pathways. The quantity of deadwood and its diameter positively influenced saproxylic beetle abundance and functional diversity, whereas phylogenetic diversity was positively influenced by canopy openness. Analyzing historical disturbances, we observed that current beetle diversity is far from static, such that the importance of various drivers might change during further successional development. Only forest landscapes that are large enough to allow for the full range of temporal and spatial patterns of disturbances and post-disturbance development will enable long-term species coexistence and their associated ecosystem functions.

Forest composed of Picea abies L., Abies alba Mill. and Fagus sylvatica L. cover a large area in the European mountain regions and have a high ecological and socio-economic importance as they supply many ecosystems services. Because of climate change, these forests are exposed to warming, and this effect increases with elevation, which may impact their delivery of goods and services. Previous studies did not find significant changes in the overall productivity of these species over the last 30 years, but they observed changes in species competitiveness at the species and tree levels. In this study, we aimed to link previous results on tree, species and stand level growth in spruce-fir-beech mixed mountain forests by analysing species size distribution dynamics under different climate conditions and their effect on stand growth. We developed a matrix model based on data from 76 long-term experimental plots distributed throughout Europe. We used the change in stand basal area to explore whether temperature modifies species size dominances and proportions, whether the temperature effects on changes in species basal area depend on species size dominance, and whether the effect of species size dominance on changes in the stand basal area varies with temperature. Our results showed that annual mean temperature is an important climatic driver of species dynamics in spruce-fir-beech mixed mountain forests, such that stand basal area growth was favored by higher temperatures, particularly due to positive responses of silver fir which were greater than negative effects of temperature on European beech. The high temperatures also favored the size-dominance of silver fir, while European beech tended to have smaller diameters, independent of the temperature. We also found that the identity of the size-dominant species also influenced changes in stand basal area, with the highest or the lowest changes when Norway spruce and European beech were the size-dominant species, respectively. Silver fir was less influenced by the identity of the size-dominant species than by temperature. Therefore, although mixed mountain forests of spruce-fir-beech were found to be resilient systems in terms of stand productivity, we conclude that increasing temperatures may modify species dynamics and consequently silvicultural interventions will be needed to control species proportions and dominances.

12 Pág., The relationships that control seed production in trees are fundamental to understanding the evolution of forest species and their capacity to recover from increasing losses to drought, fire, and harvest. A synthesis of fecundity data from 714 species worldwide allowed us to examine hypotheses that are central to quantifying reproduction, a foundation for assessing fitness in forest trees. Four major findings emerged. First, seed production is not constrained by a strict trade-off between seed size and numbers. Instead, seed numbers vary over ten orders of magnitude, with species that invest in large seeds producing more seeds than expected from the 1:1 trade-off. Second, gymnosperms have lower seed production than angiosperms, potentially due to their extra investments in protective woody cones. Third, nutrient-demanding species, indicated by high foliar phosphorus concentrations, have low seed production. Finally, sensitivity of individual species to soil fertility varies widely, limiting the response of community seed production to fertility gradients. In combination, these findings can inform models of forest response that need to incorporate reproductive potential., The project has been funded continuously since 1992 by National Science Foundation grants to J.S.C, most recently DEB-1754443, and by the Belmont Forum (1854976), NASA (AIST16-0052, AIST18-0063), and the Programme d’Investissement d’Avenir under project FORBIC (18-MPGA-0004)(Make Our Planet Great Again). Puerto Rico data were funded by NSF grants to M.U., most recently, DEB 0963447 and LTREB 11222325. Data from the Andes Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Group were funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and NSF LTREB 1754647 to M.S. Additional funding to M.Z. came from the W.Szafer Institute of Botany of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Polish National Science Foundation (2019/33/B/NZ8/0134). M.B. was supported by the Polish National Science Centre grant no. 2019/35/D/NZ8/00050, and Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange Bekker programme PPN/BEK/2020/1/00009/U/00001. J.M.L. was supported by NSF grant DEB 1745496. Jerry Franklin’s data remain accessible through NSF LTER DEB-1440409. USDA Forest Service and USGS research was funded by those agencies.

12 páginas.- 5 figuras.- 67 referencias.- Additional supporting information may be found in the online version of the article at the publisher’s website .- The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1111/ele.14012 .- All data and code supporting our results are archived on the Zenodo Repository at the following link: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6381799, Lack of tree fecundity data across climatic gradients precludes the analysis of how seed supply contributes to global variation in forest regeneration and biotic interactions responsible for biodiversity. A global synthesis of raw seedproduction data shows a 250-fold increase in seed abundance from cold-dry to warm-wet climates, driven primarily by a 100-fold increase in seed production for a given tree size. The modest (threefold) increase in forest productivity across the same climate gradient cannot explain the magnitudes of these trends. The increase in seeds per tree can arise from adaptive evolution driven by intense species interactions or from the direct effects of a warm, moist climate on tree fecundity. Either way, the massive differences in seed supply ramify through food webs potentially explaining a disproportionate role for species interactions in the wet tropics., The project has been funded by grants to JSC from the National Science Foundation, most recently DEB-1754443, and by the Belmont Forum (1854976), NASA (AIST16-0052, AIST18-0063) and the Programme d’Investissement d’Avenir under project FORBIC (18-MPGA-0004) (Make Our Planet Great Again). Jerry Franklin’s data remain accessible through NSF LTER DEB-1440409. Puerto Rico data were funded by NSF grants, most recently, DEB 0963447 and LTREB 11222325. Data from the Andes Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Group were funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and NSF LTREB 1754647. MB was supported by grant no. 2019/35/D/NZ8/00050 from the (Polish) National Science Centre, and Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange Bekker programme PPN/BEK/2020/1/00009/U/00001. Research by the USDA Forest Service and the USGS was funded by these agencies. Any use of trade, firm or product names does not imply endorsement by the US Government.

International audience; Species turnover is ubiquitous. However, it remains unknown whether certain types of species are consistently gained or lost across different habitats. Here, we analysed the trajectories of 1827 plant species over time intervals of up to 78 years at 141 sites across mountain summits, forests, and lowland grasslands in Europe. We found, albeit with relatively small effect sizes, displacements of smaller- by larger-ranged species across habitats. Communities shifted in parallel towards more nutrient-demanding species, with species from nutrient-rich habitats having larger ranges. Because these species are typically strong competitors, declines of smaller-ranged species could reflect not only abiotic drivers of global change, but also biotic pressure from increased competition. The ubiquitous component of turnover based on species range size we found here may partially reconcile findings of no net loss in local diversity with global species loss, and link community-scale turnover to macroecological processes such as biotic homogenisation.

With accelerating environmental change, understanding forest disturbance impacts on trade-offs between biodiversity and carbon dynamics is of high socio-economic importance. Most studies, however, have assessed immediate or short-term effects of disturbance, while long-term impacts remain poorly understood. Using a tree-ring-based approach, we analysed the effect of 250 years of disturbances on present-day biodiversity indicators and carbon dynamics in primary forests. Disturbance legacies spanning centuries shaped contemporary forest co-benefits and trade-offs, with contrasting, local-scale effects. Disturbances enhanced carbon sequestration, reaching maximum rates within a comparatively narrow post-disturbance window (up to 50 years). Concurrently, disturbance diminished aboveground carbon storage, which gradually returned to peak levels over centuries. Temporal patterns in biodiversity potential were bimodal; the first maximum coincided with the short-term post-disturbance carbon sequestration peak, and the second occurred during periods of maximum carbon storage in complex old-growth forest. Despite fluctuating local-scale trade-offs, forest biodiversity and carbon storage remained stable across the broader study region, and our data support a positive relationship between carbon stocks and biodiversity potential. These findings underscore the interdependencies of forest processes, and highlight the necessity of large-scale conservation programmes to effectively promote both biodiversity and long-term carbon storage, particularly given the accelerating global biodiversity and climate crises.

International audience; Despite its importance for forest regeneration, food webs, and human economies, changes in tree fecundity with tree size and age remain largely unknown. The allometric increase with tree diameter assumed in ecological models would substantially overestimate seed contributions from large trees if fecundity eventually declines with size. Current estimates are dominated by overrepresentation of small trees in regression models. We combined global fecundity data, including a substantial representation of large trees. We compared size–fecundity relationships against traditional allometric scaling with diameter and two models based on crown architecture. All allometric models fail to describe the declining rate of increase in fecundity with diameter found for 80% of 597 species in our analysis. The strong evidence of declining fecundity, beyond what can be explained by crown architectural change, is consistent with physiological decline. A downward revision of projected fecundity of large trees can improve the next generation of forest dynamic models.

Introduction:The ability to treat more advanced laryngeal cancers by transoral approaches has expanded significantly in the past several decades. Transoral management of laryngeal cancers that require removal of the laryngeal framework is controversial. Resecting cartilage through endoscopic means carries inherent technical challenges and the question of oncologic safety.Methods:We describe a retrospective review of patients undergoing resection of the thyroid cartilage during transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) for laryngeal cancer over a 10-year period. Only patients with 5-year follow-up were included.Results:Fourteen patients were identified that underwent attempted endoscopic resection of the thyroid cartilage. Preoperative staging ranged from T1 to T4 laryngeal cancers. Most patients underwent resection of the thyroid cartilage either for close proximity of the tumor to cartilage or microscopic involvement of the inner perichondrium, although 6 patients had gross invasion of the cartilage. Twelve patients underwent successful endoscopic clearance. Two patients were converted to total laryngectomy either at the time of surgery or shortly after due to extent of disease that was deemed not amenable to endoscopic resection. Overall 5-year survival was 71%. Disease-free survival was 62% at 5 years. The majority of patients avoided gastrostomy and tracheostomy tube dependence. One patient underwent total laryngectomy following initial TLM for chronic aspiration.Conclusion:We conclude that TLM for laryngeal cancer performed with removal of thyroid cartilage is feasible. Both oncologic and functional outcomes are reasonable in a select group of patients. This paper describes that cartilage can be resected endoscopically in the appropriate setting and not necessarily that cartilage invasion should routinely be treated with TLM.

Disentangling the importance of developmental vs. environmental drivers of variation in forest biomass is key to predicting the future of forest carbon sequestration. At coarse scales, forest biomass is likely to vary along major climatic and physiographic gradients. Natural disturbance occurs along these broad biophysical gradients, and depending on their extent, severity and frequency, could either amplify or dampen spatial heterogeneity in forest biomass. Here we evaluate spatial variation in the basal area of late-successional Picea abies (L./Karst.) forests across the Carpathian Mountain Range of central Europe and compare the roles of coarse-scale biophysical gradients and natural disturbances in driving that variation across a hierarchy of scales (landscapes, stands, and plots). We inventoried forest composition and structure, and reconstructed disturbance histories using tree cores collected from 472 plots nested within 30 late-successional stands, spanning the Carpathian Mountains (approximately 4.5 degrees of latitude). We used linear mixed-effects models to compare the effect of disturbance regimes and site conditions on stand basal area at three hierarchical scales. We found that the basal area of late-successional Picea abies forests varied across a range of spatial scales, with climatic drivers being most important at coarse scales and natural disturbances acting as the primary driver of forest heterogeneity at fine scales. For instance, the stand-level basal area varied among landscapes, with the highest values (48–68 m2 ha−1) in the warmer southern Carpathian Mountains, and lower values (37–52 m2 ha−1 on average) in cooler areas of the eastern and western Carpathians. Finer-scale variation was driven by local disturbances (mainly bark beetle and windstorms) and the legacies of disturbances that occurred more than a century ago. Our findings suggest that warming could increase the basal area of northern sites, but potential increasing disturbances could disrupt these environmental responses.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Salivary duct carcinomas (SDC) make up < 2% of salivary duct tumors but are very aggressive with a low 5-year survival rate of 35%. This series reports long term outcomes of patients with SDC treated at a single institution. MATERIALS/METHODS Patients ≥18 years with histological confirmation of SDC treated with curative intent from 1961-2018 were included in this analysis. Patients were excluded if treatment was palliative intent (N = 14), and if staging (N = 4) or locoregional control (LRC) status (N = 7) was not recorded. 89 patients (74% male) met criteria for inclusion. Median age was 66 years (range: 32 - 89). AJCC 8 staging of patients were as follows: 13% (I), 6% (II), 12% (III), 62% (IVa), and 7% (IVb). 67% of patients were lymph node positive. Kaplan Meier analyses were used to estimate LRC and OS rates. Bivariate regression analyses using disease and treatment characteristics (i.e., perineural invasion (PNI), extracapsular extension (EE), vascular invasion (VI), CN VII sacrifice, extraparenchymal involvement (EI)) for prediction of LRC and OS were performed. RESULTS Median follow-up was 48.5 months (0.4-343 mo). Most patients were treated with combined modality therapy; 82% (n = 73) undergoing curative surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) with (26%, n = 23) or without (56%, n = 50) concurrent chemo while 4.5% (n = 4) were treated with definitive RT; 2.3% (n = 2) receiving concurrent chemo. 13.5% (n = 12) were treated with surgery alone. Crude post-treatment LRC after surgery alone, surgery followed by adjuvant RT, and definitive RT alone were 66.7, 78.1 and 0% (P = 0.002), respectively. The odds of achieving LRC were diminished with incidence of VI (odds ratio (OR) = 0.07, P = 0.02), EI (OR = 0.3, P = 0.03), and T3/T4 staging (OR = 0.3, P = 0.03). Chemotherapy did not influence LRC. The occurrence of distant metastases was associated with PNI (OR = 5, P = 0.003) and EI (OR = 2.6, P = 0.03). EI status was also associated with a shorter time to recurrence (26 vs 17.3 mo, P = 0.04). Median overall survival (OS) was 55.3 months (41.7-81.7 95% CI) with 82% surviving at 2 years, 47% at 5 years, and 28% at 10 years. Failure to achieve LRC (81.7 vs 36 mo, P < 0.001), distant metastases (108.5 vs 41.7 mo, P < 0.001), VI (86.2 vs 46.8 mo, P = 0.046), T3/T4 staging (125.8 vs 48.8 mo, P = 0.02), PNI (88.1 vs 48.8 mo, P = 0.03), and EI (108.5 vs 47.3 mo, P = 0.004) were found to significantly reduce median OS. CONCLUSION SDC is an aggressive tumor that requires a multimodality treatment approach. Patients analyzed here had a 5-year survival greater than what is typically reported for SDC (47 vs. 35%). Definitive radiotherapy was less likely to control gross disease and should be reserved for the adjuvant setting if surgery is an option. We identified incidence of extraparenchymal involvement, perineural and vascular invasion as negative prognostic indicators of disease control and survival.

Debris flows can transport large amounts of material and therefore present a significant threat to infrastructure and human life. In this research, we used tree-ring width analyses to quantify the response of trees to three debris flow events in NW Slovenia (Javoršček, Srpenica) and W Slovenia (Nikova) for which we know the time of origin. We attempted to date these and similar tree responses in the past and compared the patterns between different tree species. Altogether, we sampled 147 trees across a range of tree species (Fagus sylvatica, Pinus sylvestris, Fraxinus excelsior, Fraxinus ornus, Acer pseudoplatanus, Picea abies, Juglans regia, Acer campestre, Tilia cordata and Ostrya carpinifolia), including reference trees that were outside the debris flow fan. For 91 trees, we constructed tree-ring chronologies and used pointer-year analysis to identify years that had abnormal growth. For the remaining trees (mostly Ostrya carpinifolia, Tilia cordata and Acer pseudoplatanus), we either could not accurately distinguish tree rings or two samples from a single tree showed significantly different growth patterns. The growth patterns of Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies following debris flow events showed a weak response at the Javoršček site and no clear responses at the other two sites. Tree species responded similarly at the same locations. Due to the lack of a clear response pattern, we were not able to reconstruct past debris flows. Drobirski tokovi s sposobnostjo prenašanja večjih količin materiala so nevarni za infrastrukturo in življenje ljudi. Z analizo širine lesnih branik smo v raziskavi poskušali prepoznati odziv dreves na vpliv treh drobirskih tokov v SZ Sloveniji (Srpenica, Javoršček) in Z Sloveniji (Nikova) z znanim časom nastanka, na podlagi spremembe širine branike datirati podobne drobirske tokove v preteklosti in primerjati odzive različnih drevesnih vrst. Na treh lokacijah smo vzorčili skupno 147 dreves različnih drevesnih vrst (Fagus sylvatica, Pinus sylvestris, Fraxinus excelsior, Fraxinus ornus, Acer pseudoplatanus, Picea abies, Juglans regia, Acer campestre, Tilia cordata in Ostrya carpinifolia), vključno z referenčnimi drevesi, ki niso bila izpostavljena delovanju dejavnika. Pri 91 drevesih smo uspešno izdelali drevesne kronologije in z uporabo metode značilnih let ugotovili leta, ki so pri posameznih drevesnih vrstah ter na posameznih lokacijah glede na širno branike kazala zelo različne trende rasti. Pri drugih drevesih vrstah (večinoma Ostrya carpinifolia, Tilia cordata in Acer pseudoplatanus) nam ni uspelo razbrati vseh branik, oz. sta bili po dve zaporedji širin branik istega drevesa različni. V analizi rasti za prvo leto po dogodku smo šibak odziv na vpliv drobirskih tokov zaznali na lokaciji pod Javorščkom, ne pa tudi v Srpenici in Nikovi. Različne drevesne vrste so se na istih lokacijah odzvale podobno. Ker smo zaznali odziv le na eni lokaciji, nismo mogli rekonstruirati drobirskih tokov po posameznih lokacijah v preteklosti.

BACKGROUND Margins in transoral surgery for tonsil cancer can be limited by oropharyngeal wall thickness (OWT), but the normal range is not well established. METHODS In 240 noncancer subjects, OWT was measured bilaterally in the vicinity of the tonsils with MRI. Statistical analysis was performed to assess for interaction of age, sex, location, and obesity. RESULTS Mean(SD) OWT measured 3.4(0.6) mm posteriorly, 3.7(2.0) mm between the styloglossus and stylopharyngeus, and 5.3(0.8) mm laterally. OWT was greater in men, correlated with obesity, decreased posteriorly and laterally in the 60-80 versus 40-59 year age groups, and increased when styloglossus/stylopharyngeus were closer. OWT was

Bertrand et al . question our interpretation about warming effects on the thermophilization in forest plant communities and propose an alternative way to analyze climatic debt. We show that microclimate warming is a better predictor than macroclimate warming for studying forest plant community responses to warming. Their additional analyses do not affect or change our interpretations and conclusions.

An inventory of tree microhabitats was done in two unmanaged forests (Kobile and Ravna gora forest reserves) and one managed beech forest in SE Slovenia. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of forest management, natural disturbances, and tree characteristics on microhabitat patterns. Forest structure and microhabitats were recorded in systematically placed plots (500 m2 in size) across each area. In total, we inventoried 849 trees on 54 plots and 1833 tree microhabitats. The results showed that forest management had no significant influence on the abundance of microhabitats per tree, but there were differences regarding microhabitat type between managed and unmanaged sites. There were substantially more microhabitats related to standing dead and live habitat trees in unmanaged forest (e.g. woodpecker cavities, insect galleries and bore holes, branch holes, dead branches and fruiting bodies of fungi), whereas in managed forests there were more tree microhabitats related to management (e.g. exposed heartwood, coarse bark, and epiphytic plants). The results also indicate that disturbance, tree diameter, vitality, and species influence the density, diversity, and occurrence of tree microhabitats. V bukovih gozdovih na območju Gorjancev (JV Slovenija) je bil jeseni 2014 opravljen popis drevesnih mikrohabitatov (DM). Skupno 54 ploskev velikosti 500 m2 je bilo sistematično postavljenih na treh raziskovalnih območjih (v pragozdnem rezervatu Ravna gora in gozdnem rezervatu Kobile ter v bližnjem gospodarskem gozdu). Zabeležili smo 1833 drevesnih mikrohabitatov na 849 drevesih. Namen študije je bil ugotoviti, kako gospodarjenje, naravne motnje ter sestojne značilnosti vplivajo na pojav DM. Podatke smo analizirali s programoma Excel in SPSS z neparametričnimi metodami. Ugotovili smo, da način gospodarjenja ne vpliva značilno na številčnost DM na drevo, vpliva pa na vrsto DM. V obeh rezervatih je bilo zabeleženih več DM, povezanih z odmrlimi in starimi drevesi (dupla ptic, izletne odprtine in rovi podlubnikov ter žuželk, vejne votline, večje odmrle veje in trosnjaki gliv), v gospodarskem gozdu pa več DM, povezanih z gospodarjenjem (izpostavljena beljava, razbrazdana skorja in epifiti). Prav tako smo ugotovili, da na gostoto, raznolikost in pojav DM vplivajo tudi naravne motnje, premer in stanje drevesa ter drevesna vrsta.

Centro de Investigación Forestal (CIFOR), Spruce-fir-beech mixed forests cover a large area in European mountain regions, with high ecological and socio-economic importance. As elevation-zone systems they are highly affected by climate change, which is modifying species growth patterns and productivity shifts among species. The extent to which associated tree species can access resources and grow asynchronously may affect their resistance and persistence under climate change. Intra-specific synchrony in annual tree growth is a good indicator of species specific dependence on environmental conditions variability. However, little attention has been paid to explore the role of the inter-specific growth asynchrony in the adaptation of mixed forests to climate change. Here we used a database of 1790 tree-ring series collected from 28 experimental plots in spruce-fir-beech mixed forests across Europe to explore how spatio-temporal patterns of the intra- and inter-specific growth synchrony relate to climate variation during the past century. We further examined whether synchrony in growth response to inter-annual environmental fluctuations depended on site conditions. We found that the inter-specific growth synchrony was always lower than the intra-specific synchrony, for both high (inter-annual fluctuations) and low frequency (mid- to long-term) growth variation, suggesting between species niche complementarity at both temporal levels. Intra- and inter-specific synchronies in inter-annual growth fluctuations significantly changed along elevation, being greater at higher elevations. Moreover, the climate warming likely induced temporal changes in synchrony, but the effect varied along the elevation gradient. The synchrony strongly intensified at lower elevations likely due to climate warming and drying conditions. Our results suggest that intra- and inter-specific growth synchrony can be used as an indicator of temporal niche complementarity among species. We conclude that spruce-fir-beech mixtures should be preferred against mono-specific forests to buffer climate change impacts in mountain regions., This study was supported by the COST Action CLIMO (Climate-Smart Forestry in Mountain Regions – CA15226) financially supported by the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON 2020. This publication is also part of a project that has received funding from the European Union’s HORIZON 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 778322 (CARE4C)., 10 Pág.

Ice storms cause widespread damage to forests in many temperate regions, leaving behind many live trees with severe crown damage. Following a severe ice storm in 2014 that damaged forests across Slovenia, we examined how tree-level attributes influenced survival and crown rebuilding three growing seasons after the storm. Field sampling was carried out in four mature stands dominated by native broadleaf species. Of the 763 sampled trees, the annual mortality rate following the storm was 2.2%, and nearly all trees that died experienced >75% crown removal. Oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) and chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) had higher rates of mortality than beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.). Mixed models revealed that survival significantly increased with tree diameter and decreased with increasing crown damage. Although we observed sprouting across all the dominant species, maple, oak, and chestnut showed a more vigorous response than beech, and maple had the fastest sprout growth. Model results showed that sprout density and length increased with level of crown damage. The results indicate that these broadleaf forests are resilient to severe ice damage. Consequently, hasty salvage cutting of trees with canopy damage should be avoided, as many individuals with >75% crown damage are likely to survive and recover.

BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to describe a novel technique for reinforcement of salvage laryngectomy closure using a bipedicled musculofascial submental flap. METHODS A retrospective cohort study design identified patients who underwent salvage laryngectomy reinforcement with a bipedicled submental hammock flap between January 2008 and December 2016 were compared to salvage laryngectomy patients treated with primary closure of the neopharynx during the same time period. Pharyngocutaneous fistula rates were compared between groups. RESULTS Pharyngocutaneous fistula rate in the submental hammock group (2/31, 6.5%) was significantly lower compared to the primary closure group (14/45, 31%, P

International audience; Tree-related microhabitats (TreMs) are important features for the conservation of biodiversity in forest ecosystems. Although other structural indicators of forest biodiversity have been extensively studied in recent decades, TreMs have often been overlooked, either due to the absence of a consensual definition or a lack of knowledge. Despite the increased number of TreM studies in the last decade, the role of drivers of TreM profile in primary forests and across different geographical regions is still unknown. To evaluate the main drivers of TreM density and diversity, we conducted the first large-scale study of TreMs across European primary forests. We established 146 plots in eight primary forests dominated by European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in the Carpathian and Dinaric mountain ranges. Generalized linear mixed effect models were used to test the effect of local plot characteristics and spatial variability on the density and diversity (alpha, beta, and gamma) of TreMs. Total TreM density and diversity were significantly positively related with tree species richness and the proportion of snags. Root mean square tree diameters were significantly related to alpha and gamma diversity of TreMs. Both regions reached similarly high values of total TreM densities and total TreM densities and diversity were not significantly different between the two regions; however, we observed between the two regions significant differences in the densities of two TreM groups, conks of fungi and epiphytes. The density and diversity of TreMs were very high in beech-dominated mountain primary forests, but their occurrence and diversity was highly variable within the landscapes over relatively short spatial gradients (plot and stand levels). Understanding these profile provides a benchmark for further comparisons, such as with young forest reserves, or for improving forest management practices that promote biodiversity.

Amidst rapid global climate change and at a time when many adaptive policies and strategies have been implemented, reductionism in forest management decisions may have detrimental effects on forest biodiversity. Stancioiu et al. (2018) made an important contribution by assessing forest connectivity based on tree species populations in Romania. Their study concluded that current management policies and inherited guidelines from the past likely promoted the conservation of regional biodiversity. In this viewpoint paper, we present a different perspective on their conclusion. We show that current management policies are threatening biodiversity in Romania, and changes in forest management policies are urgently needed to halt the loss of habitats of protected species. Although recent management policies likely did lead to good tree species connectivity, habitats of protected species are becoming increasingly fragmented by logging. Adopting policies to protect forest habitats of protected species, limiting large-scale salvage logging within protected areas, and restricting road building to reduce forest fragmentation are crucial steps towards the long-term persistence of biodiversity hotspots in the Romanian Carpathians.

Natural disturbances strongly influence forest structural dynamics, and subsequently stand structural heterogeneity, biomass, and forest functioning. The impact of disturbance legacies on current forest structure can greatly influence how we interpret drivers of forest dynamics. However, without clear insight into forest history, many studies default to coarse assumptions about forest structure, for example, whether forests are even or unevenly aged. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of past disturbances on the current diameter distributions of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.)-dominated landscapes throughout the Carpathian Mountains. Our dendroecological dataset comprises tree cores from 339 plots (7,845 total tree cores), nested within 28 primary forest stands, known to vary greatly in the severity of historical disturbances. Our analyses revealed that historical disturbances had a strong and significant effect on the current diameter distribution shapes at the plot level. We demonstrated that mixed-severity disturbance regimes were more frequent and create a complex pattern of diameter distributions at the plot and stand scale. Here, we show that high severity disturbance was associated with unimodal diameter distributions, while low and moderate severity was associated with the reverse J-shaped distribution. This is a result of complex disturbance patterns, with structural biological legacies. Our results will have important management implication in the context of tree size heterogeneity, biomass storage, and productivity as influenced by natural disturbances. Lastly, these results demonstrate that structural changes may arise as consequences of changing disturbance regime associated with global change.

Purpose/Objective(s) We previously reported the results of a phase II clinical trial evaluating 30-36 Gy of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) for selected patients with HPV+ OPSCC. Herein we report the two-year results of a phase III trial comparing this 30-36 Gy regimen with standard of care (SOC) adjuvant RT. Materials/Methods All patients (pts) received transoral robotic surgery (TORS) and neck dissection for a margin negative resection. Pts with pT4 disease or who required >2 attempts to clear margins were excluded. Pts with intermediate risk factors received 30 Gy/1.5 Gy b.i.d. + docetaxel 15 mg/m2 days 1 and 8, while pts with extranodal extension (ENE) simultaneously received 36 Gy/1.8 Gy b.i.d. to ENE+ nodal levels. Pts were randomized (2:1) to DART or SOC (60 Gy ± weekly cisplatin 40 mg/m2). Stratification was by risk group (intermediate risk vs ENE+) and smoking status ( Results Accrual was from 10/16 – 8/20 (n = 194, DART: 130, SOC: 64, ENE+: 115 (59%), Non-smokers: 139 (72%), median age 59.4 yrs (37.9-81.6), male 89%. Median follow-up as of 7/21 was 25.3 mo. 1.6% DART and 27.4% SOC pts (p 4 LN). For ENE+/pN0-1 pts, (DART vs SOC) 2 yr PFS was 89.6% vs 95.8%; LRC 95.8% vs 100.0%; DMFS 96.4% vs 95.8%. For ENE+/pN2 (DART vs SOC) PFS was 42.9% vs 100%; LRC 77.0% vs 100%; DMFS 59.4% vs 100%. Conclusion DART demonstrated less toxicity, improved swallowing function and QOL when compared to SOC. DART also had excellent LRC, PFS, and OS rates, particularly in the ENE negative cohort. Caution is advised for de-escalating ENE+ pts with pN2 disease.

Purpose/Objective(s) We previously reported the two-year results of MC1273, a phase II trial evaluating 30-36 Gy of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) for selected patients (pts) with HPV+ OPSCC. Herein we report the long-term disease control and toxicity rates for this de-escalated regimen. Materials/Methods Details for the MC1273 regimen have previously been published. All pts received surgery & neck dissection for a margin negative resection. Eligibility criteria included pts with HPV+OPSCC, ≤10 pack-year smoking history, and negative margins. Cohort A (≥T3, ≥N2, lymphovascular invasion, or perineural invasion) received 30 Gy delivered in 1.5 Gy b.i.d. over 12 days along with weekly docetaxel (15 mg/m2, days 1 & 8). Pts with +ECE were enrolled in Cohort B and received the same treatment plus a simultaneous integrated boost to nodal levels with ECE to 36 Gy in 1.8 Gy b.i.d. The primary endpoint was local/regional control (LRC) at 2 years with each cohort powered to detect a 10% locoregional failure rate with 85% confidence. Secondary endpoints included 2-yr progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), toxicity, swallow function, and pt reported QOL. Follow-up was q3 mos for the first 2 years, q6 mo for year 3, and yearly until year 5. Based upon the 2-year MC1273 data, pts with pT4 disease were excluded from MC1675, the follow-up phase III trial randomizing pts to the 30-36 Gy regimen versus a standard 60 Gy regimen. Results Accrual was from September 2013 to June 2016 (n = 80, 1 ineligible, Cohort A: 37, Cohort B: 43, median (range) age 61 years (25 - 77), male n = 71 (89.9%). Median follow-up for alive pts as of 2/22/21 was 52 mos (30 – 67). Late grade 2 or higher toxicity rates at 2, 3, and 5 years were 6.7%, 6.8%, and 5.0%, respectively, with the most common being dry mouth (1.7%, 3.4%, and 0.0% at years 2, 3, and 5) and dysphagia (3.3%, 0.0%, and 5.0% at years 2, 3, and 5). Grade 3 rates were 0.0%, 0.0%, and 1.2% at years 2, 3, and 5, respectively, with one pt who developed a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the brachial plexus at the edge of the neck volume 51 mo after RT. The 2, 3, and 5 year disease metrics for the entire study population, Cohort A, and Cohort B can be found in the Table, along with an unplanned subset analysis for pts qualifying for MC1675 (n = 72). Conclusion MC1273 maintained excellent long-term disease control rates comparable to historical controls, particularly in the intermediate risk cohort and pts qualifying for MC1675. Toxicity rates remained low long-term.

Purpose/Objective(s) Adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC) are indolent malignancies with a predilection for perineural invasion (PNI), often requiring complex multimodal care. This study compares clinical and toxicity outcomes in patients treated with either intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or proton therapy (IMPT). Materials/Methods 48 ACC patients treated with definitive or adjuvant RT from 2013-2020 at a single institution were included in this IRB approved analysis. Acute and chronic toxicity (CTCAE 4) was prospectively recorded weekly through treatment and at each follow-up appointment. Multivariate, bivariate, and Kaplan Meier analyses were utilized. Results IMRT (N = 25) and IMPT (N = 23) groups were matched for gender (44 vs 52% F), age (56 vs 53 yr), primary site presentation (56 vs 57% major salivary glands), AJCC stage (8 vs 13% (I), 24 vs 22% (II), 32 vs 22% (III), and 36 vs 43% (IV)), and treatment intent (84 vs 78% adjuvant). Median follow-up was 43.7 mo (IMRT) and 23.8 mo (IMPT). IMPT use tended to favor primary site location including and superior to the palate (56% vs 24%) while IMRT use tended to favor locations below the palate (60% vs 22%). There was no difference in treatment modality selection for a lateral primary site location (22% IMPT vs 16% IMRT), most of which were parotid (N = 8/9). 44% of IMRT patients received RT to cervical lymph nodes in comparison to only 13% with IMPT (P = 0.03). Patients treated with IMPT tended to have a higher overall dose (median 6 vs 6.6 Gy; P = 0.01). Clinical outcomes at last follow-up were similar between the 2 cohorts: locoregional control (88% IMRT vs 91% PT); metastasis-free (72% IMRT vs 91% IMPT) and overall survival (96% IMRT vs 94% IMPT at 2 years). No difference was observed in acute or chronic grade 2 (G2; 88 vs 87% acute, 39 vs 33% chronic) or grade 3 (G3; 20 vs 22% acute, 17 vs 14% chronic) toxicity profiles. Acute toxicities included pain, mucositis, fatigue, and dermatitis, while chronic toxicities were xerostomia, dysphagia, pain, and dysgeusia. There were no reports of symptomatic neurological toxicities including neuropathy and encephalopathy. Reports of ≥2 acute G2 toxicity were associated with histological evidence of PNI (OR = 27, P = 0.001), while ≥2 chronic G2 toxicities were associated with clinical evidence of PNI and positive margins (OR = 10.1, P = 0.007; OR = 11, P = 0.03). Factors that were assessed and found not to be associated with toxicity profiles included stage, LN radiation, cranial nerve tracking, lymphovascular invasion, tumor volume and location. Conclusion Patients treated with both IMRT and IMPT appear to have acceptable clinical outcomes and toxicity profiles. IMPT selection in this series appeared to favor subsites near the base of skull and higher dose yet resulted in similar toxicity profiles as those patients treated with IMRT. Longer follow up is needed.

The federal state Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany) has initiated a unique monitoring program of organic seeds in the year 2010. The detection of pesticide residues in organic seeds sold by a retail chain were the reason for this program. The monitoring program aimed to monitor the load of pesticide residues in organic seeds, to detect faults in organic production, to disclose potential consumer fraud, to strengthen the consumer trust regarding the quality of organic seeds by establishing an effective control system and to pool data of pesticide residues in seeds. Between the year 2010 and 2014, 308 seed samples were analyzed (205 organic, 103 conventional). 114 samples (50 organic, 64 conventional) showed pesticide residues with a content of ≥ 0.010 mg/kg – mostly fungicides or insecticides. In some cases, the labelling “organic” of the concerned seed lot was prohibited due to our findings.

Mixed-severity disturbance regimes are prevalent in temperate forests worldwide, but key uncertainties remain regarding the variability of disturbance-mediated structural development pathways. This study investigates the influence of disturbance history on current structure in primary, unmanaged Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests throughout the Carpathian Mountains of central and eastern Europe, where windstorms and native bark beetle outbreaks are the dominant natural disturbances. We inventoried forest structure on 453 plots (0.1 ha) spanning a large geographical gradient (>1,000 km), coring 15–25 canopy trees per plot for disturbance history reconstruction (tree core total n = 11,309). Our specific objectives were to: (1) classify sub-hectare-scale disturbance history based on disturbance timing and severity; (2) classify current forest structure based on tree size distributions (live, dead, standing, downed); (3) characterize structural development pathways as revealed by the association between disturbance history and current forest structural complexity. We used hierarchical cluster analysis for the first two objectives and indicator analysis for the third. The disturbance-based cluster analysis yielded six groups associated with three levels of disturbance severity (low, moderate, and high canopy loss) and two levels of timing (old, recent) over the past 200 years. The structure-based cluster analysis yielded three groups along a gradient of increasing structural complexity. A large majority of plots exhibited relatively high (53%) or very high (26%) structural complexity, indicated by abundant large live trees, standing and downed dead trees, and spruce regeneration. Consistent with conventional models of structural development, some disturbance history groups were associated with specific structural complexity groups, particularly low-severity/recent (very high complexity) and high-severity/recent (moderate complexity) disturbances. In other cases, however, the distribution of plots among disturbance history and structural complexity groups indicated either divergent or convergent pathways. For example, multiple disturbance history groups were significantly associated with the high complexity group, demonstrating structural convergence. These results illustrate that complex forest structure – including features nominally associated with old-growth – can be associated as much with disturbance severity as it is with conventional notions of forest age. Because wind and bark beetles are natural disturbance processes that can induce relatively high levels of tree mortality while simultaneously contributing to structural complexity and heterogeneity, we suggest that forest management plans allow for the stochastic occurrence of disturbance and variable post-disturbance development trajectories. Such applications are especially appropriate in conservation areas where biodiversity and forest resilience are management objectives, particularly given projections of increasing disturbance activity under global change.

Integrative forest management attempts to simultaneously fulfill both wood production and biodiversity conservation in a given forest region, and presumably supplants the need for unmanaged forest reserves. This is the dominant management paradigm in the temperate zone of Europe, yet few studies have examined the validity of this approach. We used Slovenia as a test bed to examine how the long-term practice of integrative forest management has influenced two structural components of mature forest conditions, namely coarse woody debris (CWD) and large living trees, as well as the distribution of the White-backed Woodpecker, a species dependent on such conditions. Data were compiled from national inventory plots, coupled with separate surveys in 51 forest reserves. The mean volume of CWD and density of large beech trees across managed forests in Slovenia was 15 m3 ha− 1 and 6 ha− 1, respectively; these mean values were significantly higher (165 m3 ha− 1 and 55 ha− 1) in old-growth reserves. CWD was primarily comprised of small diameter pieces in managed forest, whereas large diameter pieces in multiple stages of decay represented most of the volume in reserves. These results, coupled with the limited distribution of the woodpecker across the country, suggest that integrative management practiced over a large scale may be insufficient for maintaining biodiversity dependent on mature forest conditions at current levels of wood extraction.

Forest disturbances are sensitive to climate. However, our understanding of disturbance dynamics in response to climatic changes remains incomplete, particularly regarding large-scale patterns, interaction effects and dampening feedbacks. Here we provide a global synthesis of climate change effects on important abiotic (fire, drought, wind, snow and ice) and biotic (insects and pathogens) disturbance agents. Warmer and drier conditions particularly facilitate fire, drought and insect disturbances, while warmer and wetter conditions increase disturbances from wind and pathogens. Widespread interactions between agents are likely to amplify disturbances, while indirect climate effects such as vegetation changes can dampen long-term disturbance sensitivities to climate. Future changes in disturbance are likely to be most pronounced in coniferous forests and the boreal biome. We conclude that both ecosystems and society should be prepared for an increasingly disturbed future of forests. © 2017 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved.

The orbit may be frequently involved by sinonasal or ventral skull base malignancy. This involvement bodes a poorer prognosis for survival. Multimodality therapy with surgery and radiation therapy is usually attempted to optimize local control and overall survival. Oncologic surgical resection with negative margins is critical to local control and survival. In the past, any involvement of the orbit was deemed to necessitate orbital sacrifice. However, contemporary studies show that in carefully selected cases, orbital preservation does not adversely impact survival. In addition, novel reconstructive techniques can help minimize complications and optimize functional and aesthetic outcomes.