Forest management impacts on stream integrity at varying intensities and spatial scales: Do biological effects accumulate spatially?

Abstract Purpose of Review The increased popularity and commercial use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) calls for the development of models for NTFPs to include their predicted yields in forest management planning and to evaluate the potential of multi-functional forest management. This study assesses and discusses the current state of the art and trends in NTFP yield modelling in Europe and the integration of the models in multi-functional forest management planning at different spatial scales. Recent Findings Climate-sensitive empirical yield models already exist not only for a variety of NTFPs that are economically important to forest owners (e.g. cork and pine nuts) but also for wild-gathered berries and mushrooms, the harvesting of which cannot be controlled by the forest landowner in all European countries. Several studies on multi-functional forest management planning consider the economic profitability of the joint production of timber and NTFP. Harvesting NTFPs can create significant additional incomes for forest owners, compared with timber production only. However, maximizing the economic returns from the joint production of timber and NTFPs often calls for changes in forest management practices. Summary Continued efforts in modelling and predicting the yields of NTFPs have enabled forest managers to further expand the analyses of multi-functional forest planning and management in Europe. Climate-sensitive models also allow analyses on the potential effects of climate change on NTFP yields. New models and forest management practices are still needed for tree fruits, birch sap, a wider variety of wild edible mushrooms, specialty mushrooms cultivated on live trees as well as medicinal and edible forest herbs harvested for commercial value in Europe.

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Negative or positive effects of plantation and intensive forestry on biodiversity: A matter of scale and perspective

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc86354-3 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 86 (3) ◽

pp. 354-364 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Henrik Hartmann ◽

Gaëtan Daoust ◽

Brigitte Bigué

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Large Scale ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

High Yield ◽

Ecosystem Integrity ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Management Paradigms ◽

Carry Over ◽

Terrestrial Biodiversity

Terrestrial biodiversity is closely linked to forest ecosystems but anthropogenic reductions in forest cover and changes in forest structure and composition jeopardize their biodiversity. Several forest species are threatened because of reduced habitat quality and fragmentation or even habitat loss as a result of forest management activities. In response to this threat, integrated forest management (IFM) was developed in the early 1990s and has been applied over large spatial scales ever since. While IFM seeks to satisfy both human resource demands and ecosystem integrity, the whole forest matrix is affected and this may also have negative impacts on biodiversity. The concept of forest zoning (e.g., Triad) avoids these issues by physically separating land uses from each other. The zoning approach has been developed in the same period as IFM, but there are still very few examples of large-scale applications. This may be because its distinctiveness from IFM may not always seem clear and because forest zoning is not easily implemented. Here we explain these differences and show that IFM and the zoning approach are indeed different management paradigms. We advocate the use of high-yield plantations within the zoning paradigm as a means for biodiversity conservation and review the literature (with an emphasis on the northern hemisphere and on plantation forestry within a land-zoning approach) on impacts of forest management activities on biodiversity. Furthermore, we give advice on issues that require consideration when implementing forest zoning at both the stand and the landscape levels. We recommend several small changes in design and management of forest plantations as a means to significantly increase their biodiversity value. We conclude that while forest zoning seems an adequate strategy for the Canadian forestry sector, a shift in paradigm must carry over to policy-makers and legislation if this approach is to succeed. Key words: biodiversity, landbase zoning, forest management, intensive silviculture, plantation forests

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Analytical formulas representing track-structure simulations on DNA damage induced by protons and light ions at radiotherapy-relevant energies

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-72857-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Pavel Kundrát ◽

Werner Friedland ◽

Janine Becker ◽

Markus Eidemüller ◽

Andrea Ottolenghi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Damage ◽

Radiation Transport ◽

Biological Effects ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Track Structure ◽

Monte Carlo Code ◽

Strand Breaks ◽

Light Ions ◽

Analytical Formulas ◽

Mixed Radiation Field

Abstract Track structure based simulations valuably complement experimental research on biological effects of ionizing radiation. They provide information at the highest level of detail on initial DNA damage induced by diverse types of radiation. Simulations with the biophysical Monte Carlo code PARTRAC have been used for testing working hypotheses on radiation action mechanisms, for benchmarking other damage codes and as input for modelling subsequent biological processes. To facilitate such applications and in particular to enable extending the simulations to mixed radiation field conditions, we present analytical formulas that capture PARTRAC simulation results on DNA single- and double-strand breaks and their clusters induced in cells irradiated by ions ranging from hydrogen to neon at energies from 0.5 GeV/u down to their stopping. These functions offer a means by which radiation transport codes at the macroscopic scale could easily be extended to predict biological effects, exploiting a large database of results from micro-/nanoscale simulations, without having to deal with the coupling of spatial scales and running full track-structure calculations.

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Influence of forest management on headwater stream amphibians at multiple spatial scales

Fact Sheet ◽

10.3133/fs20043018 ◽

2004 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Margo Stoddard ◽

John P. Hayes ◽

Janet L. Erickson

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Headwater Stream ◽

Multiple Spatial Scales

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Forest Disturbance Mapping with Sentinel-2 Time Series in Austria

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-7795 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Markus Löw ◽

Tatjana Koukal

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Forest Management ◽

Time Series Analysis ◽

Bark Beetle ◽

Management Practices ◽

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Forest Disturbance ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Forest Disturbances ◽

Sentinel 2

Worldwide, forests provide natural resources and ecosystem services. However, forest ecosystems are threatened by increasing forest disturbance dynamics, caused by direct human activities or by altering environmental conditions. It is decisive to reconstruct and trace the intra- to transannual dynamics of forest ecosystems. Therefore, the monitoring of large and small scale vegetation changes such as those caused by natural events (e.g., pest infestation, higher mortality due to altering site conditions) or forest management practices (e.g., thinning or selective timber extraction) becomes more and more crucial. National to local forest authorities and other stakeholders request detailed area-wide maps that delineate forest disturbance dynamics at various spatial scales.We developed a time series analysis (TSA) framework that comprises data download, data management, image preprocessing and an advanced but flexible TSA. We use dense Sentinel-2 time series and a dynamic Savitzky&#8211;Golay-filtering approach to model robust but sensitive phenology courses. Deviations from the phenology models are used to derive detailed spatiotemporal information on forest disturbances. In a first case study, we apply the TSA to map forest disturbances directly or indirectly linked to recurring bark beetle infestation in Northern Austria.In addition to spatiotemporal disturbance maps, we produce zonal statistics on different spatial scales that provide aggregated information on the extent of forest disturbances between 2018 and 2019. The outcomes are (a) area-wide consistent data of individual phenology models and deduced phenology metrics for Austrian forests and (b) operational forest disturbance maps, useful to investigate and monitor forest disturbances, for example to facilitate sustainable forest management.At a forest stand level, we reconstruct the origin date of forest disturbances (FDD &#8211; Forest Disturbance Date). Theses FDD outputs show the spatiotemporal patterns and the development of damages and indicate that most dynamics are caused by recurring and spreading bark beetle infestation. The validation results based on field data confirm a high detection rate and show that the derived temporal information is reliable. In total, 23400 hectares, i.e., on average 2.8% of the forest area in the study area, are found to be affected by forest disturbance. The zonal statistic maps point out hotspots of significant forest disturbances, where adequate forest management measures are highly needed. Furthermore, this study highlights the TSA&#8217;s potential to also depict and monitor minor human impacts on forests, such as thinning, selective timber extraction or other moderate forest management practices.Keywords:&#160; forest disturbance; forest monitoring; bark beetle infestation; forest management; time series analysis; phenology modelling; remote sensing; satellite imagery; Sentinel-2

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Functional diversity response to hardwood forest management varies across taxa and spatial scales

Ecological Applications ◽

10.1002/eap.1532 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 1064-1081 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Bryan D. Murray ◽

Jeffrey D. Holland ◽

Keith S. Summerville ◽

John B. Dunning ◽

Michael R. Saunders ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Functional Diversity ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Hardwood Forest

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Economic and ecological trade-off analysis of forest ecosystems: options for boreal forests

Environmental Reviews ◽

10.1139/er-2015-0090 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 348-361 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Si Chen ◽

Chander Shahi ◽

Han Y.H. Chen

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Forest Ecosystem ◽

Boreal Forests ◽

Sustainable Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Ecological Functions ◽

Trade Off ◽

Trade Offs

Intensive forest management practices for production forestry can potentially impact the sustainability of ecological functions and associated forest ecosystem services. Understanding the trade-offs between economic gains and ecological losses is critical for the sustainable management of forest resources. However, economic and ecological trade-offs are typically uncertain, vary at temporal and spatial scales, and are difficult to measure. Moreover, the methods used to quantify economic and ecological trade-offs might have conflicting priorities. We reviewed the most current published literature related to trade-off analysis between economic gains and sustainability of forest ecosystem functions and associated services, and we found that most economic and ecological trade-offs studies were conducted in tropical and temperate forests, with few having their focus on boreal forests. Analytical methods of these published studies included monetary valuation, biophysical models, optimization programming, production possibility frontier, and multi-objective optimization. This review has identified the knowledge gaps in the understanding and measurement of the economic and ecological trade-offs for the sustainable management of boreal forests. While it remains uncertain how economic activities might best maintain and support multiple ecological functions and associated services in the boreal forests, which are susceptible to climate change and disturbances, we propose the use of optimization methods employing multiple objectives. For any tool to provide sustainable and optimal forest management solutions, we propose that appropriate and robust data must be collected and analyzed.

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In-stream habitat availability for river dolphins in response to flow: Use of ecological integrity to manage river flows

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0241099 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (7) ◽

pp. e0241099

Author(s):

Shambhu Paudel ◽

John L. Koprowski ◽

Usha Thakuri ◽

Ajay Karki

Keyword(s):

Extinction Risk ◽

Biological Effects ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Population Decline ◽

Dry Season ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Seasonal Effects ◽

Life History Strategies ◽

Flow Alteration ◽

Longitudinal Connectivity

Population decline and extinction risk of river dolphins are primarily associated with flow alteration. Previous studies predominantly highlighted maintenance of adequate flow for low water seasons when habitats contract and the risk of local extinction escalates. Although river dolphins are sensitive to reduction in river flow, no studies quantify the relationships between flow and ecology of river dolphins to mitigate the potential adverse impacts of flow alteration. We quantify the relationships between flow and the ecology of river cetaceans concerning Ganges River dolphins (GRD; Platanista gangetica gangetica) usable area availability (AWS) for the low water season at wider flows (50–575 m3/s) at finer spatial and temporal scales. This study reveals that distribution of area usable to GRD is highly regulated by the adequate flow and river attributes (velocity and depth) interactions that likely offer energetically efficient modes of locomotion to GRD, suggesting the hydro-physical environment as a major determinant of river dolphin distribution and abundance. Flow and AWS relationships indicate that the flow during the dry season negatively contributed to AWS, whereas that of pre-monsoon maximized the AWS, suggesting that modifying flow regimes does alter in-stream habitats at varying spatial scales and may influence life-history strategies. Substantial fragmentation in suitable pool availability and loss of longitudinal connectivity exhibited by dry season flow suggested a higher risk of adverse biological effects during the dry season, which may reduce population viability by reducing survivorship and reproduction failure. Owing to river dolphins’ dependence on the attribute of freshwater flow, they can be expected to be more affected by flow regulations as interactive effects. Considering the seasonal effects and changes in the availability of usable areas by flow alteration, adopting effective habitat retention plans by water-based development projects appears critical to avoid further ecological risks in aquatic species conservation. Identifying priority riverscapes for river cetaceans and prioritizing investment opportunities is an essential first step towards effective riverine cetacean conservation.

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