scholarly journals Quantifying key metrics of ecosystem biodiversity in natural and managed sub-boreal forests of British Columbia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Colin Chisholm
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Ecological Sustainability ◽  
Linear Discriminant ◽  
Aerial Laser Scanning ◽  
Forest Practices

Forest management in the central interior of British Columbia has been active for over a century. Industrial forest practices in the region are based on the premise that harvest and subsequent stands regeneration is sustainable, but recent investigations raise questions about long-term ecological sustainability and impacts on biodiversity. I evaluate here, using a chronosequence of forest stands, the impacts of stand harvest on biodiversity status and recovery. Aerial laser scanning is used to enhance analysis and model impacts spatially. I provide a novel assessment of key biodiversity metrics of diversity, richness, abundance, and modeling using linear discriminant analysis and random forest frameworks. Results show that vegetation community composition and coarse woody debris (CWD), a key habitat for numerous taxa, are both impacted by harvest history. Predictive mapping of CWD provides insights and a further tool for decision makers to manage and ensure natural levels of CWD are maintained on the landscape.

scholarly journals Valutazione dell’impatto delle politiche del prezzo di riferimento sul mercato degli H2-antagonisti nella British Columbia, Canada

2001 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-108
Author(s):  
Lutchmie Narine ◽  
Mahil Senathirajah ◽  
Tina Smith ◽  
Albert I. Wertheimer
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pharmaceutical Expenditure ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Temporary Reduction ◽  
Cost Shifting ◽  
Reference Drug ◽  
Early Results ◽  
Quality Of Patient Care

In this study we assess the implementation and impact of reference-based pricing (RBP) in British Columbia (BC), Canada, and other OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) jurisdictions within an evaluative framework. This was accomplished by conducting a review of prior studies and an analysis of secondary utilization and cost data. Our review of previous work found the introduction of RBP in other OECD jurisdictions was followed by a temporary reduction in pharmaceutical expenditure growth but the rate of growth soon returned to those of previous years. Early results from the BC experience show similar declines in expenditures within reference drug categories, but it remains to be seen if this will continue in the long term. Although early results suggest RBP in BC may be achieving its goals, more work is needed before it can be declared a success. A more balanced evaluation will need to address nonmonetary issues such as impact on the quality of patient care or extent of cost shifting to other areas of the health system. The policy questions raised in this study indicate decision makers should be cautious when thinking of any wider application of referencebased pricing.

scholarly journals Sheltering Role of Well-Decayed Conifer Logs for Forest Floor Fungi in Long-Term Polluted Boreal Forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir S. Mikryukov ◽  
Olesya V. Dulya ◽  
Igor E. Bergman ◽  
Georgiy A. Lihodeevskiy ◽  
Anzhelika D. Loginova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Fungal Diversity ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Low Rank ◽  
Industrial Emissions

Coarse woody debris (CWD) provides food and shelter to a large proportion of forest biota and is considered vital for biodiversity during periods of harsh weather. However, its importance in long-term stressed ecosystems remains largely unknown. In this work, we explored the contribution of CWD to fungal diversity along the gradient of boreal forest degradation caused by 77 years of heavy industrial emissions. We analyzed the diversity and composition of fungi in 270 samples of well-decayed Picea abies and Abies sibirica logs, as well as forest litter both adjacent to and distant from the logs. Compared with forest litter, the wood had higher water content and possessed substantially lower concentrations of heavy metals, which suggests its potential favorability for biota in polluted areas. The pollution-induced loss of fungal diversity in forest litter reached 34% and was stronger in the microhabitats not influenced by CWD. Meanwhile, wood fungal communities lost less than 10% of their total richness and even increased in alpha diversity. These processes led to the diversity and compositional convergence of fungal communities from different microhabitats and substrates in polluted areas. Despite this, the importance of wood and CWD-influenced microhabitats for fungal diversity maintenance was low. Apart from wood-associated fungi, the taxa whose diversity increased in the wood of polluted areas were ectomycorrhizal fungi and eurytopic soil saprotrophs (Mucoromycota, Mortierellomycota, Eurotiomycetes, and Helotiales) that easily tolerate highly toxic litter. Within the majority of pollution-sensitive soil saprotrophic groups, only terricolous Tricholomataceae benefit from CWD as microrefugia. Upon considering the ecological variability within low-rank taxa, the importance of decayed logs as safe sites can be high for certain soil-inhabiting fungal groups in polluted areas.

The relationship between forest management and amphibian ecology: a review of the North American literature

1995 ◽  
Vol 3 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 230-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip G. deMaynadier ◽  
Malcolm L. Hunter Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Forest Practices ◽  
Logging Roads

Questions about the compatibility of forest harvesting practices and conservation of biological diversity are largely driven by concerns that habitat quality for many species may be degraded in intensively managed forest landscapes. We review the literature on relationships between common forest harvesting practices and the distribution and abundance of amphibians, a group that has attracted considerable attention in recent years because of their potential ecological importance in forest ecosystems and because of reports of widespread population declines. Clear-cut harvesting generally has negative short-term impacts on local amphibian populations, especially salamanders. An analysis of the results of 18 studies that examined the effects of clear-cutting on amphibians yielded a 3.5-fold median difference in abundance of amphibians on controls over clear-cuts. However, research on the influence of forest age suggests that the long-term effects of forest harvesting on amphibians are variable, and for many species these effects can be mitigated if regeneration practices leave adequate microhabitat structure intact. In contrast, long-term effects can be significant in forest plantations, which are often associated with intensive site preparations and stand management practices that modify levels of coarse woody debris and other microhabitats. Other forest practices reviewed for their effect on amphibians include prescribed fire, logging roads, and streamside harvesting. We discuss problems commonly encountered in the experimental design and measurement of forest amphibian populations, including a notable lack of pretreatment data, and outline several aspects of amphibian–forestry relationships in need of further research. Management recommendations relevant to conserving upland and riparian zone amphibian habitat during forest harvesting are offered.Key words: amphibians, clear-cutting, coarse woody debris, forest management, logging roads, plantations, prescribed fire, riparian, succession.

Coarse woody debris in sub-boreal spruce forests of west-central British Columbia

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
D F Clark ◽  
D D Kneeshaw ◽  
P J Burton ◽  
J A Antos
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
History Of

An evaluation of how coarse woody debris (CWD) changes in quantity and quality during stand development was conducted using a 426-year chronosequence of 71 stands in sub-boreal forests in British Columbia. Additional characteristics of CWD were determined in 14 of the stands. Most stands are fire initiated and input from the predisturbance stand is critical in controlling the amounts and characteristics of CWD within young stands. Log volume declines from over 100 m3/ha in young stands (0-50 years) to just over 60 m3/ha in stands from 51 to 200 years old, and then increases to greater than 140 m3/ha in the oldest (>= 400-year-old) stands. Mean snag basal area is highest (31.6 m2/ha) in young, postfire stands, decreases to a very low value (2.0 m2/ha) in stands 51-100 years old, and then reaches a second maximum (12.1 m2/ha) in stands that are 201-250 years old; it declines slightly in very old stands. The high snag basal area in stands 201-250 years old coincides with the successional transition from lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) to stands dominated by subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) and interior spruce (hybrids of Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and Picea engelmannii Parry). Stand age, characteristics of the predisturbance forest, and the disturbance history of stands subsequent to stand initiation all appear to be very important in determining variation in both the quality and quantity of CWD in these sub-boreal forests.

The effect of variable-retention riparian buffer zones on water temperatures in small headwater streams in sub-boreal forest ecosystems of British Columbia

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1371-1382 ◽  
Author(s):  
J S Macdonald ◽  
E A MacIsaac ◽  
H E Herunter
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Buffer Zones ◽  
Migration Timing ◽  
Variable Retention ◽  
Forest Practices ◽  
Diurnal Temperature Variation ◽  
Temperature Impacts

Stream temperature impacts resulting from forest harvesting in riparian areas have been documented in a number of locations in North America. As part of the Stuart–Takla Fisheries–Forestry Interaction Project, we have investigated the influence of three variable-retention riparian harvesting prescriptions on temperatures in first-order streams in the interior sub-boreal forests of northern British Columbia. Prescriptions were designed to represent a range of possible harvesting options outlined by the Forest Practices Code of B.C., or associated best management practice guidelines. Five years after the completion of harvesting treatments, temperatures remained four to six degrees warmer, and diurnal temperature variation remained higher than in the control streams regardless of treatment. Initially, the high-retention treatment acted to mitigate the temperature effects of the harvesting, but 3 successive years of windthrow was antecedent to reduced canopy density and equivalent temperature impacts. We speculate that late autumn reversals in the impacts of forest harvesting also occur. Temperature impacts in this study remained within the tolerance limits of local biota. However, even modest temperature changes could alter insect production, egg incubation, fish rearing, migration timing, and susceptibility to disease, and the effects of large changes to daily temperature range are not well understood.

scholarly journals Long-term effects of timber harvesting on coarse woody debris dynamics and marten habitat

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Ingrid Farnell
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Airborne Laser ◽  
Decay Class ◽  
Harvesting Intensity ◽  
The Impact

At a long-term experimental trial in northern British Columbia, Canada, I analysed the impact of varying amounts of timber retention: 0% (clearcut), 40%, 70%, 100% (unharvested) on CWD volume, decay class, and inputs from windthrow over 27 years. I used attributes (diameter, length, decay class, and height above the ground) known to be favourable to marten to create an index for assessing the impact of harvesting intensity on CWD habitat features. I then used airborne laser scanning (ALS) to predict CWD volume, habitat value, and piece attributes over the landscape. Stands with 70% retention had CWD attributes that resulted in CWD habitat features similar to unharvested stands. Clearcuts contained pieces that were smaller, more decayed, and closer to the ground, which contributed less valuable habitat, compared to stands with higher retention. Windthrown trees were the majority of CWD inputs and volume change was positively related to percent retention.

Deadwood abundance in Labrador high-boreal black spruce forests

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Hagemann ◽  
Martin T. Moroni ◽  
Franz Makeschin
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Reduction Rate ◽  
Coniferous Forests ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Standing Dead

Deadwood (woody debris (WD), standing dead trees (snags), stumps, and buried deadwood) abundance was estimated in Labrador humid high-boreal black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) forests regrown following natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Aboveground deadwood (DW) abundance in Labrador was similar to values observed in other boreal forests experiencing drier or warmer climates. Clear-cut harvest generated large amounts of WD, which had almost completely decomposed 34–36 years following harvesting, with a fitted volume reduction rate of –0.058 year–1. Total WD in all harvested stands was composed of predominantly <10 cm pieces, which should be included in DW inventories of disturbed coniferous boreal forests. Postfire WD likely peaked ∼20 years following disturbance, as a result of the collapse of snags, and was dominated by large amounts of medium-sized logs (10.0–19.9 cm). Buried DW stocks considerably exceeded total aboveground DW stocks in old-growth, middle-aged, and older harvested stands. Old-growth stands contained 179.3 m3·ha–1 of buried DW, a vast amount indicative of long-term accumulation requiring significantly depressed rates of WD decomposition following burial. DW stocks could be significantly underestimated if buried DW is excluded from DW inventories in cool and moist coniferous forests with long fire-return intervals.

scholarly journals Need for Pre-Harvest Clearing of Understory Vegetation Determined by Airborne Laser Scanning

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 294
Author(s):  
Blanca Sanz ◽  
Jukka Malinen ◽  
Jussi Heiskanen ◽  
Timo Tokola
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Airborne Laser Scanning ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Operational Environment ◽  
Linear Discriminant ◽  
Airborne Laser ◽  
Circular Field ◽  
Reducing Costs

The methodology presented here can assist in evaluating the need for pre-harvest clearing. In the long term, similar approaches may help with managing electronic standing sales and enhance the operational environment of roundwood e-marketplaces. In cut-to-length harvesting, pre-harvest clearing is needed when the understory vegetation hinders the visibility of the stems to be harvested. It can facilitate the work of the harvester operators and thereby enhance the productivity and quality of the harvesting operation. Information about where pre-harvest clearing is required is often not available, however, or else it has to be collected during time-consuming field visits. We report here on the development and evaluation of airborne laser scanning (ALS)-based models for estimating the need for pre-harvest clearing. The reference data consisted of 99 circular field sample plots that were photographed and in which stems with diameters at breast height from one to seven centimeters were measured. An online e-questionnaire survey responded to by 66 forest professionals classified the sample plots into five categories ranging from no need for pre-harvest clearing to compulsory pre-harvest clearing. A linear discriminant analysis was used to estimate the need for pre-harvest clearing with an accuracy of 63.6%, whereas a linear model-based method that predicted the understory stem density assessed the need with an accuracy of 64.6%. Use of this method could deliver information about the understory vegetation, offer guidelines for clearing the understory, and reduce the number of field visits before harvesting, thus reducing costs.

Research for a sustainable European sugar sector

2010 ◽  
pp. 487-495
Author(s):  
Martin Bruhns ◽  
Peter Glaviè ◽  
Arne Sloth Jensen ◽  
Michael Narodoslawsky ◽  
Giorgio Pezzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Industry ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Sustainable Chemistry ◽  
Technology Platforms ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Manufacturing Applications ◽  
European Technology

The paper is based on the results of international project entitled “Towards Sustainable Sugar Industry in Europe (TOSSIE)”. 33 research topics of major importance to the sugar sector are listed and briefly described, and compared with research priorities of the European Technology Platforms: “Food for Life”, “Sustainable Chemistry”, “Biofuels”, and “Plant for the Future”. Most topics are compatible with the research themes included in the COOPERATION part of the 7th Framework Program of the EU (2007-2013). However, some topics may require long-term R&D with the time horizon of up to 15 years. The list of topics is divided into four parts: Sugar manufacturing, Applications of biotechnology and biorefinery processing, Sugarbeet breeding and growing, Horizontal issues. Apart from possible use of the list by policy- and decision makers with an interest in sugarbeet sector, the description of each research topic can be used as a starting point in setting up a research project or other R&D activities.

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