In an attempt to reconcile wood extraction and forest biodiversity in managed boreal forests,ecosystem-based forest management(EBM)has become the de facto management approach.Retention forestry represents one prominen...In an attempt to reconcile wood extraction and forest biodiversity in managed boreal forests,ecosystem-based forest management(EBM)has become the de facto management approach.Retention forestry represents one prominent way that EBM is implemented in many parts of the world.Retention patches commonly left after harvesting serve as analogues of fire island remnants,which are patches of unburned forests in the burned forest matrix.Although the persistence of retention patches has been questioned,few studies have attempted to quantitatively compare forest attributes in both burned and harvested forests.As part of a larger program examining multiple aspects of ecosystem function in fire and harvest island remnants,we investigated the impact of disturbance type(fire/harvest)and forest edges on C stock in snags and coarse woody debris(CWD)found in island remnants in mixedwood boreal forests of Alberta,Canada.Total C stock(in snags and CWD)was similar between the two disturbance types and edge plots had similar total deadwood C stocks to interiors.The edges of island remnants had about two-fold more snag C stock than their interiors in both disturbance types,but C stock in CWD was unaffected by edge effects and disturbance type.Our results suggest that deadwood C dynamics in island remnants in fire and harvest disturbed boreal forests were similar,thus lending support for the continued implementation of retention forestry in Alberta.展开更多
Forest degradation induced by intensive forest management and temperature increase by climate change are resulting in biodiversity decline in boreal forests.Intensive forest management and high-end climate emission sc...Forest degradation induced by intensive forest management and temperature increase by climate change are resulting in biodiversity decline in boreal forests.Intensive forest management and high-end climate emission scenarios can further reduce the amount and diversity of deadwood,the limiting factor for habitats for saproxylic species in European boreal forests.The magnitude of their combined effects and how changes in forest management can affect deadwood diversity under a range of climate change scenarios are poorly understood.We used forest growth simulations to evaluate how forest management and climate change will individually and jointly affect habitats of red-listed saproxylic species in Finland.We simulated seven forest management regimes and three climate scenarios(reference,RCP4.5 and RCP8.5)over 100 years.Management regimes included set aside,continuous cover forestry,business-as-usual(BAU)and four modifications of BAU.Habitat suitability was assessed using a speciesspecific habitat suitability index,including 21 fungal and invertebrate species groups.“Winner”and“loser”species were identified based on the modelled impacts of forest management and climate change on their habitat suitability.We found that forest management had a major impact on habitat suitability of saproxylic species compared to climate change.Habitat suitability index varied by over 250%among management regimes,while overall change in habitat suitability index caused by climate change was on average only 2%.More species groups were identified as winners than losers from impacts of climate change(52%–95%were winners,depending on the climate change scenario and management regime).The largest increase in habitat suitability index was achieved under set aside(254%)and the climate scenario RCP8.5(>2%),while continuous cover forestry was the most suitable regime to increase habitat suitability of saproxylic species(up to+11%)across all climate change scenarios.Our results show that close-to-nature management regimes(e.g.,continuous cover forestry and set aside)can increase the habitat suitability of many saproxylic boreal species more than the basic business-as-usual regime.This suggests that biodiversity loss of many saproxylic species in boreal forests can be mitigated through improved forest management practices,even as climate change progresses.展开更多
Biodiversity loss is a significant problem at a global scale and may be amplified by climate change.In recent years,coniferous forests have had substantial die-back across Europe due to drought and subsequent bark-bee...Biodiversity loss is a significant problem at a global scale and may be amplified by climate change.In recent years,coniferous forests have had substantial die-back across Europe due to drought and subsequent bark-beetle outbreaks.As many studies on the consequences of disturbance and subsequent management have focused on natural stands,management implications for managed spruce stands are not well understood,even though such stands are widespread throughout Europe.In this study,beetle taxonomy,conservation value,and community com-position are compared among spruce plantations and four post-disturbance management approaches:standing dead-wood,lying deadwood,clear cuts,and long-term succession.Diversity and community composition differed significantly among management categories,while different beetle fami-lies responded similarly.Intact spruce stands harbored the lowest beetle diversity while the highest taxonomic diver-sity and conservation value was on clear cuts and stands with lying or standing deadwood.The proportion of forest specialists was highest in successional forests.In summary,different forest management categories harbored distinct beetle communities at the family-,species-,and ecological guild levels.Therefore,post-disturbance management should consider the landscape scale and include different management types.This enhances landscape heterogeneity and thus overall biodiversity but could also mitigate negative impacts of natural disturbances on ecosystem services.展开更多
In the last century,eucalypt plantations are increasing all over the world.Concretely,in the Basque Country(northern Iberian Peninsula),7%of pine plantations have been recently substituted by eucalypt plantations,wher...In the last century,eucalypt plantations are increasing all over the world.Concretely,in the Basque Country(northern Iberian Peninsula),7%of pine plantations have been recently substituted by eucalypt plantations,where little is known about their ecological impact on soil and plant diversity.However,the most relevant impact is due to forest management,as Eucalyptus globulus Labill.plantations have a short harvesting cycle,12–15 years rotations.In fact,the species is able to regenerate from stumps;therefore,those plantations are replanted after 3–4 rotations.This type of invasive and frequent management could lead to further adverse effects on the ecosystem.The aim of this study was to characterise and compare the eucalypt plantations newly established(New:never been harvested)with older ones(Old:several times harvested and grown from stumps),having been established for at least 35 years,and to identify the primary factors that could influence the richness and diversity of vascular plant species in those plantations.The results indicated that both plantations exhibited comparable characteristics with respect to deadwood(volume and decay stage)and tree size and density.However,the Old plantations exhibited higher forest heterogeneity,pH,and higher shrub and herb richness and diversity.Overall,generalist and invasive species were found in the New plantations,while in the Old plantations,typical species of the native forests were also observed.The factor that influenced plant diversity was the volume of deadwood.Regarding life forms,higher altitude and proximity to watercourses favoured tree diversity;and lower canopy cover,shrub diversity.In conclusion,the longer the plantation has been established,the greater the number of species that are able to survive and adapt.This is probably due to the fact that management disturbance is specific and not sufficient to remove the already established plants and the soil seed bank.展开更多
Many forest-dwelling species are dependent on deadwood. Sources of deadwood include competition- and senescence-related mortality of trees, and various damages. This study described a methodology for predicting the ef...Many forest-dwelling species are dependent on deadwood. Sources of deadwood include competition- and senescence-related mortality of trees, and various damages. This study described a methodology for predicting the effect of wind damage on the amount of deadwood and suitability of the forest for saproxylic species. The methodology was used in a forested boreal landscape of 360 ha to analyze the effects of wind damage on the habitat quality for 27 groups of saproxylic species differing in their requirements for the species, size and decay stage of deadwood objects. A reference plan maximized net present value (MaxNPV) while others either minimized or maximized height differences between adjacent stands. Maximization of height differences resulted in high amount of wind damage and deadwood while minimizing height differences minimized wind damage and the amount of damage-related deadwood. The fourth plan maximized the average habitat suitability index (HSI) of the 27 groups of saproxylic species. The plans were compiled with and without even-flow harvesting constraints for three 10-year periods. Maximization of height differences between adjacent stands resulted in higher HSI values than obtained in the MaxNPV plan or in the plan than minimized height differences between adjacent stands. The average HSI of shade-demanding species correlated negatively with the amount of harvested timber. No strong correlations were found for light-demanding and indifferent species.展开更多
Snags are an important component of beech forests that promote biodiversity.However,their occurrence is completely marginal in managed stands.Creating snags in these stands would greatly enhance biodiversity.We invest...Snags are an important component of beech forests that promote biodiversity.However,their occurrence is completely marginal in managed stands.Creating snags in these stands would greatly enhance biodiversity.We investigated whether snag dimensions were important for saproxylic beetle richness since they were easily transferable parameters to forest management and assessed the presence of other snag microhabitats affecting beetle communities.Data collection was performed using passive flight traps placed on thirty snags in a recent beech reserve.A total of 6706 adults belonging to 231 saproxylic species(53 Red List species,23%)were captured.The results showed that the most important snag parameters were the diameter(thickness)and canopy openness of the surrounding stands.The occurrence of Fomes fomentarius,the volume of snag and decay class 3 were marginally significant in terms of the preference of all saproxylic species.Alpha diversity was reduced by an advanced degree of decay and a surprisingly deep stem cavity.After dividing snag thickness into categories(<35 cm;35–70 cm and>70 cm DBH),we found that categories with snag diameter greater than 35 cm showed little differences in all saproxylic and Red List species richness and diversity indices and exhibited the highest similarity in beetle communities.Regarding recommendations to forest managers in terms of optimization and simplification of practical procedures,we suggest actively creating high stumps to act as snags greater than 35 cm in DBH diameter to promote biodiversity in beech management stands.展开更多
Background:The ecological indicators are useful tools to determine the effects of human disturbances on woodland biodiversity.Nevertheless,ecological indicators not always responded in the same way to disturbances,and...Background:The ecological indicators are useful tools to determine the effects of human disturbances on woodland biodiversity.Nevertheless,ecological indicators not always responded in the same way to disturbances,and the responses can differ among taxa.In arid and semiarid woodlands,the use of deadwood associated with cattle raising can affect biodiversity and Nature’s contributions to people.Methods:Our study aimed to assess changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of two assemblages,plants and mammals,in Prosopis woodlands under different land management types:grazed woodlands and a protected area.For plants,changes in structural diversity were also analyzed.Prosopis trees under different land management types were selected and their deadwood characteristics were registered.Through live traps and camera traps,we obtained data on the presence-absence of mammals per tree to estimate diversity indices.For plants,we measured the abundance of vegetation by species and by cover type through the Line-Intercept Method to estimated diversity.Finally,we built generalized linear models to assess the responses of diversity of each assemblage to covariables concerning deadwood and different land management types.Results:We found that all diversity indeces for plants were either negatively affected by the presence of deadwood on the ground,or favored by its extraction.For mammals,removal of deadwood increased taxonomic diversity,while functional diversity increased with deadwood on the trees.Both structural diversity of plants and functional diversity of mammals were greater in grazed woodlands.Conclusions:The sustainable use of woodland resources is essential for the activities of rural communities.Our study results indicated that land management of grazed woodlands promoted the structural diversity of plant assemblages and the functional diversity of mammals.The presence of deadwood negatively affected plant diversity but it increased mammal functional diversity.It is advisable to maintain trees that preserve their wooden structure within the managed areas to promote the functional diversity of mammals,while trees with extraction from standing wood will favor the functional diversity of the plant assemblage.Understanding the effects of human disturbances can contribute to management for the conservation of woodlands diversity and Nature’s contributions to people.展开更多
基金provided by NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Ecosystem-based Forest Management(IRCPJ 550067–19,West Fraser Mills Ltd.,Mercer Peace River Pulp Ltd.,Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries,Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd.,Canadian Forest Products Ltd.,Tolko Industries Ltd.,and the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta)provided financial support to R.Odell in the framework of Grants in Biodiversity program.
文摘In an attempt to reconcile wood extraction and forest biodiversity in managed boreal forests,ecosystem-based forest management(EBM)has become the de facto management approach.Retention forestry represents one prominent way that EBM is implemented in many parts of the world.Retention patches commonly left after harvesting serve as analogues of fire island remnants,which are patches of unburned forests in the burned forest matrix.Although the persistence of retention patches has been questioned,few studies have attempted to quantitatively compare forest attributes in both burned and harvested forests.As part of a larger program examining multiple aspects of ecosystem function in fire and harvest island remnants,we investigated the impact of disturbance type(fire/harvest)and forest edges on C stock in snags and coarse woody debris(CWD)found in island remnants in mixedwood boreal forests of Alberta,Canada.Total C stock(in snags and CWD)was similar between the two disturbance types and edge plots had similar total deadwood C stocks to interiors.The edges of island remnants had about two-fold more snag C stock than their interiors in both disturbance types,but C stock in CWD was unaffected by edge effects and disturbance type.Our results suggest that deadwood C dynamics in island remnants in fire and harvest disturbed boreal forests were similar,thus lending support for the continued implementation of retention forestry in Alberta.
基金Open access funding provided by Norwegian University of Life Sciences。
文摘Forest degradation induced by intensive forest management and temperature increase by climate change are resulting in biodiversity decline in boreal forests.Intensive forest management and high-end climate emission scenarios can further reduce the amount and diversity of deadwood,the limiting factor for habitats for saproxylic species in European boreal forests.The magnitude of their combined effects and how changes in forest management can affect deadwood diversity under a range of climate change scenarios are poorly understood.We used forest growth simulations to evaluate how forest management and climate change will individually and jointly affect habitats of red-listed saproxylic species in Finland.We simulated seven forest management regimes and three climate scenarios(reference,RCP4.5 and RCP8.5)over 100 years.Management regimes included set aside,continuous cover forestry,business-as-usual(BAU)and four modifications of BAU.Habitat suitability was assessed using a speciesspecific habitat suitability index,including 21 fungal and invertebrate species groups.“Winner”and“loser”species were identified based on the modelled impacts of forest management and climate change on their habitat suitability.We found that forest management had a major impact on habitat suitability of saproxylic species compared to climate change.Habitat suitability index varied by over 250%among management regimes,while overall change in habitat suitability index caused by climate change was on average only 2%.More species groups were identified as winners than losers from impacts of climate change(52%–95%were winners,depending on the climate change scenario and management regime).The largest increase in habitat suitability index was achieved under set aside(254%)and the climate scenario RCP8.5(>2%),while continuous cover forestry was the most suitable regime to increase habitat suitability of saproxylic species(up to+11%)across all climate change scenarios.Our results show that close-to-nature management regimes(e.g.,continuous cover forestry and set aside)can increase the habitat suitability of many saproxylic boreal species more than the basic business-as-usual regime.This suggests that biodiversity loss of many saproxylic species in boreal forests can be mitigated through improved forest management practices,even as climate change progresses.
基金supported by Forschungsanstalt fur Waldokologie und Forstwirtschaft (FAWF)of Landesforsten Rheinland-Pfalz (FF5.3-01-2021).
文摘Biodiversity loss is a significant problem at a global scale and may be amplified by climate change.In recent years,coniferous forests have had substantial die-back across Europe due to drought and subsequent bark-beetle outbreaks.As many studies on the consequences of disturbance and subsequent management have focused on natural stands,management implications for managed spruce stands are not well understood,even though such stands are widespread throughout Europe.In this study,beetle taxonomy,conservation value,and community com-position are compared among spruce plantations and four post-disturbance management approaches:standing dead-wood,lying deadwood,clear cuts,and long-term succession.Diversity and community composition differed significantly among management categories,while different beetle fami-lies responded similarly.Intact spruce stands harbored the lowest beetle diversity while the highest taxonomic diver-sity and conservation value was on clear cuts and stands with lying or standing deadwood.The proportion of forest specialists was highest in successional forests.In summary,different forest management categories harbored distinct beetle communities at the family-,species-,and ecological guild levels.Therefore,post-disturbance management should consider the landscape scale and include different management types.This enhances landscape heterogeneity and thus overall biodiversity but could also mitigate negative impacts of natural disturbances on ecosystem services.
基金We acknowledge the University of the Basque Country(UPV/EHU)for the given fellowship(PIF20/27)the Basque Government through the given grant(GIC21/201-IT1648-22)We also acknowledge the Basque Government for the doctoral fellowship(PRE_2022_2_0194)that has partially supported this research.
文摘In the last century,eucalypt plantations are increasing all over the world.Concretely,in the Basque Country(northern Iberian Peninsula),7%of pine plantations have been recently substituted by eucalypt plantations,where little is known about their ecological impact on soil and plant diversity.However,the most relevant impact is due to forest management,as Eucalyptus globulus Labill.plantations have a short harvesting cycle,12–15 years rotations.In fact,the species is able to regenerate from stumps;therefore,those plantations are replanted after 3–4 rotations.This type of invasive and frequent management could lead to further adverse effects on the ecosystem.The aim of this study was to characterise and compare the eucalypt plantations newly established(New:never been harvested)with older ones(Old:several times harvested and grown from stumps),having been established for at least 35 years,and to identify the primary factors that could influence the richness and diversity of vascular plant species in those plantations.The results indicated that both plantations exhibited comparable characteristics with respect to deadwood(volume and decay stage)and tree size and density.However,the Old plantations exhibited higher forest heterogeneity,pH,and higher shrub and herb richness and diversity.Overall,generalist and invasive species were found in the New plantations,while in the Old plantations,typical species of the native forests were also observed.The factor that influenced plant diversity was the volume of deadwood.Regarding life forms,higher altitude and proximity to watercourses favoured tree diversity;and lower canopy cover,shrub diversity.In conclusion,the longer the plantation has been established,the greater the number of species that are able to survive and adapt.This is probably due to the fact that management disturbance is specific and not sufficient to remove the already established plants and the soil seed bank.
基金funded by the UEF foundation(Project 930341)the University of Eastern Finlandsupported by the FORBIO project(Decision Number 293380)funded by the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland,led by Prof.Heli Peltola at University of Eastern Finland
文摘Many forest-dwelling species are dependent on deadwood. Sources of deadwood include competition- and senescence-related mortality of trees, and various damages. This study described a methodology for predicting the effect of wind damage on the amount of deadwood and suitability of the forest for saproxylic species. The methodology was used in a forested boreal landscape of 360 ha to analyze the effects of wind damage on the habitat quality for 27 groups of saproxylic species differing in their requirements for the species, size and decay stage of deadwood objects. A reference plan maximized net present value (MaxNPV) while others either minimized or maximized height differences between adjacent stands. Maximization of height differences resulted in high amount of wind damage and deadwood while minimizing height differences minimized wind damage and the amount of damage-related deadwood. The fourth plan maximized the average habitat suitability index (HSI) of the 27 groups of saproxylic species. The plans were compiled with and without even-flow harvesting constraints for three 10-year periods. Maximization of height differences between adjacent stands resulted in higher HSI values than obtained in the MaxNPV plan or in the plan than minimized height differences between adjacent stands. The average HSI of shade-demanding species correlated negatively with the amount of harvested timber. No strong correlations were found for light-demanding and indifferent species.
基金This research was supported by grant No.QK23020008,funded by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic.
文摘Snags are an important component of beech forests that promote biodiversity.However,their occurrence is completely marginal in managed stands.Creating snags in these stands would greatly enhance biodiversity.We investigated whether snag dimensions were important for saproxylic beetle richness since they were easily transferable parameters to forest management and assessed the presence of other snag microhabitats affecting beetle communities.Data collection was performed using passive flight traps placed on thirty snags in a recent beech reserve.A total of 6706 adults belonging to 231 saproxylic species(53 Red List species,23%)were captured.The results showed that the most important snag parameters were the diameter(thickness)and canopy openness of the surrounding stands.The occurrence of Fomes fomentarius,the volume of snag and decay class 3 were marginally significant in terms of the preference of all saproxylic species.Alpha diversity was reduced by an advanced degree of decay and a surprisingly deep stem cavity.After dividing snag thickness into categories(<35 cm;35–70 cm and>70 cm DBH),we found that categories with snag diameter greater than 35 cm showed little differences in all saproxylic and Red List species richness and diversity indices and exhibited the highest similarity in beetle communities.Regarding recommendations to forest managers in terms of optimization and simplification of practical procedures,we suggest actively creating high stumps to act as snags greater than 35 cm in DBH diameter to promote biodiversity in beech management stands.
基金supported by National Council for Scientific and Technical Research(CONICET,Proyecto de Unidad Ejecutora 0042 IADIZA)National Agency for Scientific and Technological Promotion of Argentina(PICT 2017-2154)+1 种基金Secretary of Science,Technology and Postgraduate-U.N.Cuyo(Program 2016 and 2018)a graduate fellowship from CONICET to CS.
文摘Background:The ecological indicators are useful tools to determine the effects of human disturbances on woodland biodiversity.Nevertheless,ecological indicators not always responded in the same way to disturbances,and the responses can differ among taxa.In arid and semiarid woodlands,the use of deadwood associated with cattle raising can affect biodiversity and Nature’s contributions to people.Methods:Our study aimed to assess changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of two assemblages,plants and mammals,in Prosopis woodlands under different land management types:grazed woodlands and a protected area.For plants,changes in structural diversity were also analyzed.Prosopis trees under different land management types were selected and their deadwood characteristics were registered.Through live traps and camera traps,we obtained data on the presence-absence of mammals per tree to estimate diversity indices.For plants,we measured the abundance of vegetation by species and by cover type through the Line-Intercept Method to estimated diversity.Finally,we built generalized linear models to assess the responses of diversity of each assemblage to covariables concerning deadwood and different land management types.Results:We found that all diversity indeces for plants were either negatively affected by the presence of deadwood on the ground,or favored by its extraction.For mammals,removal of deadwood increased taxonomic diversity,while functional diversity increased with deadwood on the trees.Both structural diversity of plants and functional diversity of mammals were greater in grazed woodlands.Conclusions:The sustainable use of woodland resources is essential for the activities of rural communities.Our study results indicated that land management of grazed woodlands promoted the structural diversity of plant assemblages and the functional diversity of mammals.The presence of deadwood negatively affected plant diversity but it increased mammal functional diversity.It is advisable to maintain trees that preserve their wooden structure within the managed areas to promote the functional diversity of mammals,while trees with extraction from standing wood will favor the functional diversity of the plant assemblage.Understanding the effects of human disturbances can contribute to management for the conservation of woodlands diversity and Nature’s contributions to people.
