scholarly journals What are the effects of even-aged and uneven-aged forest management on boreal forest biodiversity in Fennoscandia and European Russia? A systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sini Savilaakso ◽  
Anna Johansson ◽  
Matti Häkkilä ◽  
Anne Uusitalo ◽  
Terhi Sandgren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
European Russia ◽  
Open Habitat ◽  
Successional Stages ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Abstract Background Forest harvesting changes forest habitat and impacts forest dependent species. Uneven-aged management is often considered better for biodiversity than even-aged management, but there is an ongoing discourse over the benefits and disadvantages of different silvicultural systems. This systematic review contributes to the public discussion and provides evidence for policy making by synthesising current evidence on impacts of even-aged and uneven-aged forest management on biodiversity in boreal forests of Fennoscandia and European Russia. In this review even-aged and uneven-aged forest management are compared directly to each other as well as to natural forest to provide a broad basis for public discussion. Methods Both peer-reviewed and grey literature were searched in bibliographical databases, organizational webpages and internet search engines in English, Finnish, Swedish and Russian. Articles were screened for relevance by their title/abstract and again by full text. The inclusion of studies was assessed against pre-defined criteria published in an a priori protocol. A narrative synthesis and meta-analysis were conducted to describe the evidence base and to compare species richness and abundance between differently managed forests. The influence of habitat specialism, taxon, years since harvesting, deadwood availability and harvesting intensity on species richness and abundance were also tested. Review findings Searching identified 43,621 articles of which 137 articles with 854 studies had independent data and were included in the narrative synthesis. Of those, 547 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The most studied taxa were arthropods, vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, and lichens. Results showed that forests with less disturbance (uneven-aged and mature even-aged) host more forest dependent species than young even-aged forests (< 80 years old) although the difference was only marginally significant for mature even-aged forests (> 80 years old). Uneven-aged forest had similar number of species and individuals than natural forest whereas even-aged forest had less species than natural forest. Open habitat species and their individuals were more numerous in young even-aged forests and forests undergone retention harvest. Effect sizes found were mostly large indicating strong and uniform impact of forest management based on species’ habitat preferences. In addition to habitat specialism, years since harvest explained some of the differences found in species richness and abundance due to increase of open habitat species in the early successional stages and forest dependent species in late successional stages. Taxon had limited explanatory power. Conclusions Habitat preferences determine species’ response to different harvesting methods and the magnitude of effect is large. Less disturbance from harvesting is better for forest dependent species whereas opposite is true for open habitat species. Uneven-aged and mature even-aged forests (> 80 years old) are important to maintain biodiversity in boreal forests. However, the results also highlight that natural forests are needed to ensure the future of forest dependent species in Fennoscandia and European Russia. Given that a broader set of biodiversity aspects are to be protected, best overall biodiversity impacts for a variety of species at landscape level can be achieved by ensuring that there is a mosaic of different forests within landscapes.

Differences in bird species richness and abundance among three successional stages of aspen-dominated boreal forests

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 1417-1431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Schieck ◽  
Marie Nietfeid ◽  
J. Brad Stelfox
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Tree Cavities ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Successional Stages ◽  
Young Forests ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Birds and vegetation were surveyed in young, mature, and old aspen-dominated boreal forests in Alberta. Height and size of live trees, density of large dead trees, and volume of downed woody material increased during succession, whereas density of live trees decreased. Canopy heterogeneity had a bimodal relationship with succession: old forests had the highest, mature forests the lowest, and young forests an intermediate canopy heterogeneity. Old forests had greater bird species richness than young forests, which in turn had greater richness than mature forests. Twenty-seven, 3, and 10 bird species had their highest abundances in old, mature, and young forests, respectively. Seven bird species that nest and forage in canopy gaps and three bird species that nest and forage in large trees and snags were more abundant in young and old forests than in mature forests. Contrary to our predictions, patterns of richness and abundance for bird species that nest and forage in the canopy or in tree cavities were similar to those for bird species that nest or forage in the lower strata. Bird species preferring coniferous forests tended to be more abundant in old than in young or mature aspen-dominated forests, possibly because old aspen forests had more conifers than younger aspen forests.

scholarly journals Perennial rhizomatous grasses: Can they really increase species richness and abundance in arable land?—A meta‐analysis

GCB Bioenergy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 968-978
Author(s):  
Jan Lask ◽  
Elena Magenau ◽  
Andrea Ferrarini ◽  
Andreas Kiesel ◽  
Moritz Wagner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Perennial Rhizomatous Grasses

scholarly journals Vegetation management on private forestland can increase avian species richness and abundance

The Condor ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse M Wood ◽  
Amy K Tegeler ◽  
Beth E Ross
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Avian Species ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Private Lands ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Abstract Conservation efforts on private lands are important for biodiversity conservation. On private lands in South Carolina, in the southeastern United States, forestry management practices (prescribed burning, thinning, herbicide application) are used to improve upland pine habitat for wildlife and timber harvest and are incentivized through U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Bill cost-share programs. Because many forest-dependent avian species have habitat requirements created primarily through forest management, data are needed on the effectiveness of these management activities. We studied privately owned loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands in the South Carolina Piedmont region. Our objective was to understand how management practices influence avian species richness and abundance at local (forest stand) and landscape levels in relatively small stands (average ~28 ha). We surveyed 49 forest stands during 2 bird breeding seasons with traditional point counts and vegetation surveys. We evaluated the effects of management on pine stand characteristics, avian species richness, and abundance of state-designated bird species of concern. Repeated burning and thinning shifted stand conditions to open pine woodlands with reduced basal area and herbaceous understories. Stands with lower basal area supported greater avian species richness. Some species increased in abundance in response to active management (e.g., Brown-headed Nuthatch [Sitta pusilla] and Indigo Bunting [Passerina cyanea]), but relationships varied. Some species responded positively to increases in forest quantity at a landscape scale (1–5 km; e.g., Northern Bobwhite [Colinus virginianus]). We found species-rich avian communities and species of conservation concern on working timber lands, indicating that incentivized forest management on private lands can provide valuable habitat for wildlife.

scholarly journals A meta‐analysis of recreation effects on vertebrate species richness and abundance

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney L. Larson ◽  
Sarah E. Reed ◽  
Adina M. Merenlender ◽  
Kevin R. Crooks
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

scholarly journals A meta-analysis of fauna and flora species richness and abundance in plantations and pasture lands

2010 ◽  
Vol 143 (3) ◽  
pp. 545-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Felton ◽  
Emma Knight ◽  
Jeff Wood ◽  
Charlie Zammit ◽  
David Lindenmayer
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

scholarly journals Beaver creates early successional hotspots for water beetles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petri Nummi ◽  
Wenfei Liao ◽  
Juliette van der Schoor ◽  
John Loehr
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Water Beetles ◽  
Live Prey ◽  
Beaver Ponds ◽  
Water Beetle ◽  
Successional Stages ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Beaver Dams

AbstractBeavers (Castor spp.) are ecosystem engineers that induce local disturbance and ecological succession, which turns terrestrial into aquatic ecosystems and creates habitat heterogeneity in a landscape. Beavers have been proposed as a tool for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration. So far, most research has compared biodiversity in beaver wetlands and non-beaver wetlands, but few studies have explored how beaver-created succession affects specific taxa. In this study, we investigated how water beetles responded to different successional stages of wetlands in a beaver-disturbed landscape at Evo in southern Finland. We sampled water beetles with 1-L activity traps in 20 ponds, including: 5 new beaver ponds, 5 old beaver ponds, 5 former beaver ponds, and 5 never engineered ponds. We found that beaver wetlands had higher species richness and abundance than non-beaver wetlands, and that new beaver wetlands could support higher species richness (321%) and abundance (671%) of water beetles compared to old beaver wetlands. We think that higher water beetle diversity in new beaver ponds has resulted from habitat amelioration (available lentic water, shallow shores, aquatic vegetation, and low fish abundance) and food source enhancement (an increase of both dead and live prey) created by beaver dams and floods. We conclude that using beavers as a tool, or imitating their way of flooding, can be beneficial in wetland restoration if beaver population densities are monitored to ensure the availability of newly colonizable sites.

scholarly journals Selective thinning to enhance soil biodiversity in artificial black pine stands - what happens to mushroom fruiting?

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-90
Author(s):  
Elena Salerni ◽  
Debora Barbato ◽  
Cecilia Cazau ◽  
Lorenzo Gardin ◽  
Gianni Henson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Annual Variation ◽  
Pinus Nigra ◽  
Dissimilarity Matrix ◽  
Soil Biodiversity ◽  
Life Project ◽  
Principal Coordinates ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

As a man-induced disturbance of forest ecosystems, thinning may affect biodiversity and other related ecological functions including fungal dynamics. In this context, a multidisciplinary EU-Life project was established in 2014 to evaluate the application of selective thinning in two Pinus nigra plantations areas of the Apennines (Monte Amiata and Pratomagno, Tuscany, Italy). Selective thinning had the aim to improve stands stability and growth rates, taking also into account the various components of soil biodiversity (flora, fungi, mesofauna, nematodes, microarthropods and bacteria). Here we present mushroom fruiting patterns previous to treatment in 2014 and the effect following the application of forest management (selective thinning and traditional thinning from below) in 2018. Boxplots were used to graphically represent intra and inter annual variations in species richness and abundance, while Principal Coordinates Analyses and multi-response permutation procedures based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrix were applied to evaluate turnover in species composition before the management and after 4 years. A significant reduction of fungal richness and abundance after 4 years thinning impact was lacking in both study areas, testifying a certain degree of resistance and/or resilience of mushroom fruiting to forest management-related anthropogenic disturbance. Considering each study site separately, Monte Amiata and Pratomagno did not show one uniform trend but differed significantly in their response to management: while in Pratomagno relevant inter-annual differences were present only in a few cases, an underlining significant variation both for species richness and abundance was registered in Monte Amiata for all treatment types among years (inter-annual variation) but not within each year (intra-annual variation). Only in Pratomagno turnover in species composition in selective thinning differed somewhat from the traditional treatment in 2018, showing that a process is underlying but still potentially masked by other variables. Due to the nature of macrofungi, a longer study period (more than 4 years post treatment impact) as well as the application of a more intense forest management, could be necessary to highlight and disentangle any possible trends in fungal fruiting in artificial stands

scholarly journals Impact of Forest Management on Species Richness: Global Meta-Analysis and Economic Trade-Offs

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Chaudhary ◽  
Zuzana Burivalova ◽  
Lian Pin Koh ◽  
Stefanie Hellweg
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Trade Offs

scholarly journals Landscape-moderated biodiversity effects of agri-environmental management: a meta-analysis

2010 ◽  
Vol 278 (1713) ◽  
pp. 1894-1902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Péter Batáry ◽  
András Báldi ◽  
David Kleijn ◽  
Teja Tscharntke
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Landscape Context ◽  
General Utility ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Surrounding Landscape ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Complex Landscapes

Agri-environmental management (AEM) is heralded as being key to biodiversity conservation on farmland, yet results of these schemes have been mixed, making their general utility questionable. We test with meta-analysis whether the benefits of AEM for species richness and abundance of plants and animals are determined by the surrounding landscape context. Across all studies (109 observations for species richness and 114 observations for abundance), AEM significantly increased species richness and their abundance. More specifically, we test the hypothesis that AEM benefits species richness and abundance (i.e. increases the difference between fields with and without AEM) more in simple than in complex landscapes. In croplands, species richness but not abundance was significantly enhanced in simple but not in complex landscapes. In grasslands, AEM effectively enhanced species richness and abundance regardless of landscape context. Pollinators were significantly enhanced by AEM in simple but not in complex landscapes in both croplands and grasslands. Our results highlight that the one-size-fits-all approach of many agri-environmental programmes is not an efficient way of spending the limited funds available for biodiversity conservation on farmland. Therefore, we conclude that AEM should be adapted to landscape structure and the species groups at which they are targeted.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document