scholarly journals Do Review Papers on Bird–Vegetation Relationships Provide Actionable Information to Forest Managers in the Eastern United States?

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 990
Author(s):  
Casey A. Lott ◽  
Michael E. Akresh ◽  
Bridgett E. Costanzo ◽  
Anthony W. D’Amato ◽  
Shengwu Duan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Desired Future Conditions ◽  
Forest Managers

Forest management planning requires the specification of measurable objectives as desired future conditions at spatial extents ranging from stands to landscapes and temporal extents ranging from a single growing season to several centuries. Effective implementation of forest management requires understanding current conditions and constraints well enough to apply the appropriate silvicultural strategies to produce desired future conditions, often for multiple objectives, at varying spatial and temporal extents. We administered an online survey to forest managers in the eastern US to better understand how wildlife scientists could best provide information to help meet wildlife-related habitat objectives. We then examined more than 1000 review papers on bird–vegetation relationships in the eastern US compiled during a systematic review of the primary literature to see how well this evidence-base meets the information needs of forest managers. We identified two main areas where wildlife scientists could increase the relevance and applicability of their research. First, forest managers want descriptions of wildlife species–vegetation relationships using the operational metrics of forest management (forest type, tree species composition, basal area, tree density, stocking rates, etc.) summarized at the operational spatial units of forest management (stands, compartments, and forests). Second, forest managers want information about how to provide wildlife habitats for many different species with varied habitat needs across temporal extents related to the ecological processes of succession after harvest or natural disturbance (1–2 decades) or even longer periods of stand development. We provide examples of review papers that meet these information needs of forest managers and topic-specific bibliographies of additional review papers that may contain actionable information for foresters who wish to meet wildlife management objectives. We suggest that wildlife scientists become more familiar with the extensive grey literature on forest bird–vegetation relationships and forest management that is available in natural resource management agency reports. We also suggest that wildlife scientists could reconsider everything from the questions they ask, the metrics they report on, and the way they allocate samples in time and space, to provide more relevant and actionable information to forest managers.

scholarly journals Simulating the Effects of Intensifying Silviculture on Desired Species Yields across a Broad Environmental Gradient

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 755
Author(s):  
Eric B. Searle ◽  
F. Wayne Bell ◽  
Guy R. Larocque ◽  
Mathieu Fortin ◽  
Jennifer Dacosta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Mechanistic Model ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Mechanistic Models ◽  
Paradigm Shifts ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Forest Modelling

In the past two decades, forest management has undergone major paradigm shifts that are challenging the current forest modelling architecture. New silvicultural systems, guidelines for natural disturbance emulation, a desire to enhance structural complexity, major advances in successional theory, and climate change have all highlighted the limitations of current empirical models in covering this range of conditions. Mechanistic models, which focus on modelling underlying ecological processes rather than specific forest conditions, have the potential to meet these new paradigm shifts in a consistent framework, thereby streamlining the planning process. Here we use the NEBIE (a silvicultural intervention scale that classifies management intensities as natural, extensive, basic, intensive, and elite) plot network, from across Ontario, Canada, to examine the applicability of a mechanistic model, ZELIG-CFS (a version of the ZELIG tree growth model developed by the Canadian Forest Service), to simulate yields and species compositions. As silvicultural intensity increased, overall yield generally increased. Species compositions met the desired outcomes when specific silvicultural treatments were implemented and otherwise generally moved from more shade-intolerant to more shade-tolerant species through time. Our results indicated that a mechanistic model can simulate complex stands across a range of forest types and silvicultural systems while accounting for climate change. Finally, we highlight the need to improve the modelling of regeneration processes in ZELIG-CFS to better represent regeneration dynamics in plantations. While fine-tuning is needed, mechanistic models present an option to incorporate adaptive complexity into modelling forest management outcomes.

Is the END (emulation of natural disturbance) a new beginning? A critical analysis of the use of fire regimes as the basis of forest ecosystem management with examples from the Canadian western Cordillera

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Stockdale ◽  
Mike Flannigan ◽  
Ellen Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Forest Structure ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Disturbance Regime ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Management Actions

As our view of disturbances such as wildfire has shifted from prevention to recognizing their ecological necessity, so too forest management has evolved from timber-focused even-aged management to more holistic paradigms like ecosystem-based management. Emulation of natural disturbance (END) is a variant of ecosystem management that recognizes the importance of disturbance for maintaining ecological integrity. For END to be a successful model for forest management we need to describe disturbance regimes and implement management actions that emulate them, in turn achieving our objectives for forest structure and function. We review the different components of fire regimes (cause, frequency, extent, timing, and magnitude), we describe low-, mixed-, and high-severity fire regimes, and we discuss key issues related to describing these regimes. When characterizing fire regimes, different methods and spatial and temporal extents result in wide variation of estimates for different fire regime components. Comparing studies is difficult as few measure the same components; some methods are based on the assumption of a high-severity fire regime and are not suited to detecting mixed- or low-severity regimes, which are critical to END management, as this would affect retention in harvested areas. We outline some difficulties with using fire regimes as coarse filters for forest management, including (i) not fully understanding the interactions between fire and other disturbance agents, (ii) assuming that fire is strictly an exogenous disturbance agent that exerts top-down control of forest structure while ignoring numerous endogenous and bottom-up feedbacks on fire effects, and (iii) assuming by only replicating natural disturbance patterns we preserve ecological processes and vital ecosystem components. Even with a good understanding of a fire regime, we would still be challenged with choosing the temporal and spatial scope for the disturbance regime we are trying to emulate. We cannot yet define forest conditions that will arise from variations in disturbance regime; this then limits our ability to implement management actions that will achieve those conditions. We end by highlighting some important knowledge gaps about fire regimes and how the END model could be strengthened to achieve a more sustainable form of forest management.

scholarly journals Natural Disturbance-Based Forest Management: Moving Beyond Retention and Continuous-Cover Forestry

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timo Kuuluvainen ◽  
Per Angelstam ◽  
Lee Frelich ◽  
Kalev Jõgiste ◽  
Matti Koivula ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Multiple Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ecological Condition ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Continuous Cover Forestry

Global forest area is declining rapidly, along with degradation of the ecological condition of remaining forests. Hence it is necessary to adopt forest management approaches that can achieve a balance between (1) human management designs based on homogenization of forest structure to efficiently deliver economic values and (2) naturally emerging self-organized ecosystem dynamics that foster heterogeneity, biodiversity, resilience and adaptive capacity. Natural disturbance-based management is suggested to provide such an approach. It is grounded on the premise that disturbance is a key process maintaining diversity of ecosystem structures, species and functions, and adaptive and evolutionary potential, which functionally link to sustainability of ecosystem services supporting human well-being. We review the development, ecological and evolutionary foundations and applications of natural disturbance-based forest management. With emphasis on boreal forests, we compare this approach with two mainstream approaches to sustainable forest management, retention and continuous-cover forestry. Compared with these approaches, natural disturbance-based management provides a more comprehensive framework, which is compatible with current understanding of multiple-scale ecological processes and structures, which underlie biodiversity, resilience and adaptive potential of forest ecosystems. We conclude that natural disturbance-based management provides a comprehensive ecosystem-based framework for managing forests for human needs of commodity production and immaterial values, while maintaining forest health in the rapidly changing global environment.

Evaluation of the CONSUME and FOFEM fuel consumption models in pine and mixed hardwood forests of the eastern United States

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 784-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Prichard ◽  
Eva C. Karau ◽  
Roger D. Ottmar ◽  
Maureen C. Kennedy ◽  
James B. Cronan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fuel Consumption ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Validation Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Predicted Values ◽  
Fine Fuels

Reliable predictions of fuel consumption are critical in the eastern United States (US), where prescribed burning is frequently applied to forests and air quality is of increasing concern. CONSUME and the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM), predictive models developed to estimate fuel consumption and emissions from wildland fires, have not been systematically evaluated for application in the eastern US using the same validation data set. In this study, we compiled a fuel consumption data set from 54 operational prescribed fires (43 pine and 11 mixed hardwood sites) to assess each model’s uncertainties and application limits. Regions of indifference between measured and predicted values by fuel category and forest type represent the potential error that modelers could incur in estimating fuel consumption by category. Overall, FOFEM predictions have narrower regions of indifference than CONSUME and suggest better correspondence between measured and predicted consumption. However, both models offer reliable predictions of live fuel (shrubs and herbaceous vegetation) and 1 h fine fuels. Results suggest that CONSUME and FOFEM can be improved in their predictive capability for woody fuel, litter, and duff consumption for eastern US forests. Because of their high biomass and potential smoke management problems, refining estimates of litter and duff consumption is of particular importance.

Analysis of the Information Needs of Volunteers: the Results of Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-111
Author(s):  
Elena Y. Mazarakii
Keyword(s):  
Russian Federation ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Information Support ◽  
Volunteer Organization ◽  
Comprehensive Information ◽  
Volunteer Organizations ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
The Government

Volunteering is actively developing in the Russian Federation and around the world. Society that takes part in volunteer projects has a high level of civic identity, morality and forms humanistic values among young people. Volunteer movement is a tool to reduce the level of antisocial and extremist behaviour.Approximately 15% of the population of the Russian Federation is involved in volunteering activities at the present time. Thanks to the volunteer organizations created in educational institutions, the government creates positive image of a volunteer. At the same time, there is a problem of public distrust in this type of activity due to the lack of awareness of volunteer organizations and their projects. Organizers of the volunteer movement face the problem of lack of information about volunteering that entails the difficulties in setting goals and objectives of the volunteer organization. It is necessary to identify the information needs of volunteers, as well as to create an information field where they can meet these needs.There is no resource with comprehensive information about volunteering activity in Russia. Information needs of participants in such type of projects cannot be fully met. The main source of information is the portal “Volunteers of Russia”. It allows you to get e-book of a volunteer, register a volunteer organization, create an event and apply for participation in an existing project. However, the system has a number of factors that make it difficult to keep accurate records of volunteer activities; it is more designed to attract attention to projects.In 2018—2019, the study was conducted using the online survey (questionnaire). The survey involved volunteers (451 respondents) and their leaders (43 respondents) of the St. Petersburg Volunteer Movement “Our Future is in Our Hands”. The purpose of the study was to identify the information needs of volunteers and their managers. The survey results led to the conclusions: the availability of information resources on volunteering is not too high; the most interesting information is related to the experience of implementing volunteer activities, project development and management, the development of supra-professional skills. Volunteers prefer to use electronic documents.It is necessary to develop special programs and organize training courses on the formation of information culture of volunteers, to create a wider range of information resources for volunteers. One of the possibilities is to create a unified public resource that reflects different aspects of volunteering activities. It is important to form a comprehensive information support for volunteers.

scholarly journals Impacts of Alternative Harvesting and Natural Disturbance Scenarios on Forest Biomass in the Superior National Forest, USA

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Russell ◽  
Stephanie Patton ◽  
David Wilson ◽  
Grant Domke ◽  
Katie Frerker
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Volume Control ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Natural Disturbances ◽  
Project Area

The amount of biomass stored in forest ecosystems is a result of past natural disturbances, forest management activities, and current structure and composition such as age class distributions. Although natural disturbances are projected to increase in their frequency and severity on a global scale in the future, forest management and timber harvesting decisions continue to be made at local scales, e.g., the ownership or stand level. This study simulated potential changes in natural disturbance regimes and their interaction with timber harvest goals across the Superior National Forest (SNF) in northeastern Minnesota, USA. Forest biomass stocks and stock changes were simulated for 120 years under three natural disturbance and four harvest scenarios. A volume control approach was used to estimate biomass availability across the SNF and a smaller project area within the SNF (Jeanette Project Area; JPA). Results indicate that under current harvest rates and assuming disturbances were twice that of normal levels resulted in reductions of 2.62 to 10.38% of forest biomass across the four primary forest types in the SNF and JPA, respectively. Under this scenario, total biomass stocks remained consistent after 50 years at current and 50% disturbance rates, but biomass continued to decrease under a 200%-disturbance scenario through 120 years. In comparison, scenarios that assumed both harvest and disturbance were twice that of normal levels and resulted in reductions ranging from 14.18 to 29.85% of forest biomass. These results suggest that both natural disturbances and timber harvesting should be considered to understand their impacts to future forest structure and composition. The implications from simulations like these can provide managers with strategic approaches to determine the economic and ecological outcomes associated with timber harvesting and disturbances.

scholarly journals UTILIZATION OF FOREST BY WOLASI SUB-DISRICT COMMUNITY, SOUTH SULAWESI

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Hasanah ◽  
H Hastuti
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Common Property ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Environmental Law ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Forest Area ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Forest Dependency ◽  
Trade Offs

This study aims to determine the utilization of forests conducted by communities in forest area of Wolasi sub-district. This research was conducted in Wolasi forest sub-district of Southeast Sulawesi Province. The research methods used were survey and interview with 86 and 87 respondents with purposive sampling by plotting two different villages characteristics to represent forest utilization form in different area (villages in lowland landforms) and Aoma village (village has the shape of hilly terrain). The result of this study examining the forests utilization of inhabitants in  Wolasi sub-district, which is represented by two topographic characteristics. Reseacher selected two similar conditions that engage the forest as a source of daily needs and workface that is considered as a resource, producing timber and non-timber products. Ranowila inhabitants occupations are dominated with farmers, while in Leleka village, despite being farmers, some inhabitants are craftsmen of non-timber forest products such as bamboo and rattan as well as furniture entrepreneur. This fact is influenced by residential areas that close to the forest and can be observed through the neighbourhood area which is close to the temporary forest area in Leleka Village. Temporary forest is located in an area which always extends land, since the topography circumstance encourages numerous people prefer to live closely towards their managed land. The forest is beneficial  both in the term of land utilization or  forest products,due to the distance there is limited knowledge,as well as limited work, it enhances low expenditure obtained. Keywords: Utilization, Forest, Community in District Wolasi References Adhikari, B., Di Falco, S., & Lovett, J. C. (2004). Household characteristics and forest dependency: evidence from common property forest management in Nepal. Ecological economics, 48(2), 245-257. Nurbaya & Efransjah (2018). The State of Indonesia’s Forests 2018. Jakarta: Ministry of Environment and Forestry Republic of Indonesia. Aryadi, M. (2012). Hutan rakyat: fenomenologi adaptasi budaya masyarakat. UPT Penerbitan, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang. Banowati, E., & Sriyanto.(2013). Geografi Pertanian. Yogyakarta:Ombak. Cannon, C. H., Summers, M., Harting, J. R., & Kessler, P. J. (2007). Developing conservation priorities based on forest type, condition, and threats in a poorly known ecoregion: Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biotropica, 39(6), 747-759. Dudley, N., Schlaepfer, R., Jackson, W., Jeanrenaud, J. P., & Stolton, S. (2012). Forest quality: assessing forests at a landscape scale. Routledge. Gibson, L., Lee, T. M., Koh, L. P., Brook, B. W., Gardner, T. A., Barlow, J., ... & Sodhi, N. S. (2011). Primary forests are irreplaceable for sustaining tropical biodiversity. Nature, 478(7369), 378. Parrotta, J.A.(2015). The Historical, Environmental and Socio-economic Context of Forests and Tree-based Systems for Food Security and Nutrition. 1(3), 72-136. Pongtuluran, Y. (2015). Manajemen sumber daya alam dan lingkungan. Penerbit Andi. Silaen, A.P. (2008).Preservation of Forest and Environmental Functions Environmental Law Perspectives. 16 (3), 218-594. Suradi, S. (2012). Pertumbuhan Ekonomi dan Kesejahteraan Sosial. Sosio Informa, 17(3).  Wagner, S., Nocentini, S., Huth, F., & Hoogstra-Klein, M. (2014). Forest management approaches for coping with the uncertainty of climate change: trade-offs in service provisioning and adaptability. Ecology and Society, 19(1).   Wirakusumah, S. (2003). Mendambakan Kelestarian Sumber Daya Hutan Bagi Sebesar-Besarnya Kemakmuran Rakyat. Penerbit Universitas Indonesia. Jakarta. Cetakan Pertama.   Copyright (c) 2019 Geosfera Indonesia Journal and Department of Geography Education, University of Jember This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share A like 4.0 International License

scholarly journals Complexity of Forest Management: Exploring Perceptions of Dutch Forest Managers

Forests ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 3237-3255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jilske de Bruin ◽  
Marjanke Hoogstra-Klein ◽  
Godefridus Mohren ◽  
Bas Arts
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Managers

Transition from paediatric to adult healthcare for young people with cystic fibrosis: Parents’ information needs

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 646-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imelda Coyne ◽  
Helen Malone ◽  
Emma Chubb ◽  
Alison E While
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
Adult Health

Parents of young people with cystic fibrosis (YPWCF) play an important role during the transition from paediatric to adult health services. There is limited evidence on parental information needs and the extent to which they are met. An online survey was conducted targeting a finite population of 190 parents of YPWCF in Ireland. Fifty-nine parents responded (31% response rate). Parents reported the need for more general preparation and timing of the transfer, more information regarding the differences between adult and child health services and how their child will self-manage his/her illness in the future. Most parents received information on the timing of transfer and new healthcare providers but reported being insufficiently informed about their legal status relating to medical confidentiality for their adult child and community resources available for their child after transition to adult health services. The findings highlight the importance of information and preparation for caregivers as well as young people to promote successful transition to adult healthcare. Providing parents with clear information and anticipatory guidance are simple changes in practice that may lead to improvements in transition experiences.

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