Application of the forest ecosystem model EFIMOD 2 to jack pine along the Boreal Forest Transect Case Study

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 171-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Shaw ◽  
Oleg Chertov ◽  
Alexander Komarov ◽  
Jagtar Bhatti ◽  
Marina Nadporozhskaya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Forest Soil ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Natural Disturbances ◽  
Individual Tree

Sustainability of forest ecosystems and climate change are two critical issues for boreal forest ecosystems in Canada that require an understanding of the links and balance between productivity, soil processes and their interaction with natural and anth ropogenic disturbances. Forest ecosystem models can be used to understand and predict boreal forest ecosystem dynamics. EFIMOD 2 is an individual tree model of the forest-soil ecosystem capable of modelling nitrogen feedback to productivity in response to changes in soil moisture and temperature. It has been successfully applied in Europe, but has not been calibrated for any forest ecosystem in Canada. The objective of this study was to parameterize and validate EFIMOD 2 for jack pine in Canada. Simulated and measured results agreed for changes in tree biomass carbon and soil carbon and nitrogen with increasing stand age and across a climatic gradient from the southern to northern limits of the boreal forest. Preliminary results from scenario testing indicate that EFIMOD 2 can be successfully applied to predict the impacts of forest management practices and climate change in the absence of natural disturbances on jack pine in the boreal forest of Canada. Model development is underway to represent the effects of natural disturbances. Key words: EFIMOD 2, forest soil, carbon, nitrogen, model, jack pine

Wald und Klimawandel in der inneralpinen Trockenregion Visp

2012 ◽  
Vol 163 (12) ◽  
pp. 481-492
Author(s):  
Andreas Rigling ◽  
Ché Elkin ◽  
Matthias Dobbertin ◽  
Britta Eilmann ◽  
Arnaud Giuggiola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Forest Ecosystem Services

Forest and climate change in the inner-Alpine dry region of Visp Over the past decades, observed increases in temperature have been particularly pronounced in mountain regions. If this trend should continue in the 21st Century, frequency and intensity of droughts will increase, and will pose major challenges for forest management. Under current conditions drought-related tree mortality is already an important factor of forest ecosystems in dry inner-Alpine valleys. Here we assess the sensitivity of forest ecosystems to climate change and evaluate alternative forest management strategies in the Visp region. We integrate data from forest monitoring plots, field experiments and dynamic forests models to evaluate how the forest ecosystem services timber production, protection against natural hazards, carbon storage and biodiver-sity will be impacted. Our results suggest that at dry low elevation sites the drought tolerance of native tree species will be exceeded so that in the longer term a transition to more drought-adapted species should be considered. At medium elevations, drought and insect disturbances as by bark beetles are projected to be important for forest development, while at high elevations forests are projected to expand and grow better. All of the ecosystem services that we considered are projected to be impacted by changing forest conditions, with the specific impacts often being elevation-dependent. In the medium term, forest management that aims to increase the resilience of forests to drought can help maintain forest ecosystem services temporarily. However, our results suggest that relatively rigid management interventions are required to achieve significant effects. By using a combination of environmental monitoring, field experiments and modeling, we are able to gain insight into how forest ecosystem, and the services they provide, will respond to future changes.

scholarly journals Assessment of Climate Change Awareness in the Kakamega-Nandi Forest Complex in the Western Region

2021 ◽  
pp. 33-48
Author(s):  
Wabusya Moses Wetiba ◽  
Mugatsia Tsingalia ◽  
Njira Njira Pili ◽  
Vincent Kakembo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Kakamega Forest ◽  
Ecosystem Complex

Aims: This study assessed the level of climate change awareness among the forest-adjacent communities in the Kakamega-Nandi forest ecosystem complex. Four locations were chosen for the study, Buyangu and Isecheno in the Kakamega forest, Kaptumo in Nandi South and Kipsamoite in Nandi North forest ecosystems. Study Design: A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from primary sources. Structured questionnaires were administered to the residents aged 25years and older within the study area. Place and Duration of Study: The Kakamega, north and south Nandi forest ecosystems in western Kenya between June -December 2019. Methodology: A total of 280 questionnaires were randomly administered to the forest-adjacent respondents with, Kakamega forest 163 respondents, South Nandi forest 60, while North Nandi had 57respondents. A total of 217 questionnaires were filled and returned and the information wherein used in data analysis. Focused Group Discussion and key informants were used to supplement data collects by the questionnaires. Results: Majority of the residents (54%) were less concerned about climate change. In addition, 85% of the respondents had very little knowledge on coping and adapting to the adverse impacts of climate change. Some 40 % and 45% of the respondents got information about climate through televisions and radios, respectively. Further analysis of the results revealed that climate change was responsible for fourteen key impacts. These included an increase in rainfall, prolonged drought, decrease in the quality and quantity of fresh water, decrease in food security, an increase in temperature, a decrease in agricultural resources, an increase in sickness and disease, a decrease in quality of life, flooding, decrease in forest cover, loss of homes, reduction in biodiversity, and rise in storm surge. A Chi test revealed a significant relationship between forest cover decline and changes in rainfall patterns (X2 = 111.86, df =12, p<0.001), increasing temperature (X2 = 80.492, df =12, p<0.001);, drought( (X2 = 204.84, df =16, p<0.001) and storm surges (X2 = 74.34, df =8, p<0.001)]. The respondents' level of education was significantly different from their level of climate change awareness (X2=44.88, df=4, p<0.001). Conclusion: Forest-adjacent communities in the Kakamega-Nandi forest ecosystem complex are vulnerable to climate change as a result of insufficient knowledge about climate change and its impacts. The Kakamega-Nandi forest ecosystem is already experiencing climate change effects such as erratic rainfall and increasing food insecurity.

Agriculture in the Boreal Forest: Understanding the Impact of Land Use Change on Soil Carbon for Developing Sustainable Community Food Systems 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Bysouth ◽  
Merritt Turetsky ◽  
Andrew Spring
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Soil Carbon Stocks ◽  
Carbon Losses

&lt;p&gt;Climate change is causing rapid warming at northern high latitudes and disproportionately affecting ecosystem services that northern communities rely upon. In Canada&amp;#8217;s Northwest Territories (NWT), climate change is impacting the access and availability of traditional foods that are critical for community health and well-being. With climate change potentially expanding the envelope of suitable agricultural land northward, many communities in the NWT are evaluating including agriculture in their food systems. However, the conversion of boreal forest to agriculture may degrade the carbon rich soils that characterize the region, resulting in large carbon losses to the atmosphere and the depletion of existing ecosystem services associated with the accumulation of soil organic matter. Here, we first summarize the results of 35 publications that address land use change from boreal forest to agriculture, with the goal of understanding the magnitude and drivers of carbon stock changes with time-since-land use change. Results from the literature synthesis show that conversion of boreal forest to agriculture can result in up to ~57% of existing soil carbon stocks being lost 30 years after land use change occurs. In addition, a three-way interaction with soil carbon, pH and time-since-land use change is observed where soils become more basic with increasing time-since-land use change, coinciding with declines in soil carbon stocks. This relationship is important when looking at the types of crops communities are interested in growing and the type of agriculture associated with cultivating these crops. Partnered communities have identified crops such as berry bushes, root vegetables, potatoes and corn as crops they are interested in growing. As berry bushes grow in acidic conditions and the other mentioned crops grow in more neutral conditions, site selection and management practices associated with growing these crops in appropriate pH environments will be important for managing soil carbon in new agricultural systems in the NWT. Secondly, we also present community scale soil data assessing variation in soil carbon stocks in relation to potential soil fertility metrics targeted to community identified crops of interest for two communities in the NWT.&amp;#160; We collected 192 soil cores from two communities to determine carbon stocks along gradients of potential agriculture suitability. Our field soil carbon measurements in collaboration with the partnered NWT communities show that land use conversions associated with agricultural development could translate to carbon losses ranging from 2.7-11.4 kg C/m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; depending on the type of soil, agricultural suitability class, and type of land use change associated with cultivation. These results highlight the importance of managing soil carbon in northern agricultural systems and can be used to emphasize the need for new community scale data relating to agricultural land use change in boreal soils. Through the collection of this data, we hope to provide northern communities with a more robust, community scale product that will allow them to make informed land use decisions relating to the cultivation of crops and the minimization of soil carbon losses while maintaining the culturally important traditional food system.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals The implications of microbial and substrate limitation for the fates of carbon in different organic soil horizon types of boreal forest ecosystems: a mechanistically based model analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4477-4491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. He ◽  
Q. Zhuang ◽  
J. W. Harden ◽  
A. D. McGuire ◽  
Z. Fan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Microbial Activity ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Pool Size ◽  
Biogeochemical Processes ◽  
Soil Horizons ◽  
Carbon Decomposition ◽  
Decomposition Models

Abstract. The large amount of soil carbon in boreal forest ecosystems has the potential to influence the climate system if released in large quantities in response to warming. Thus, there is a need to better understand and represent the environmental sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition. Most soil carbon decomposition models rely on empirical relationships omitting key biogeochemical mechanisms and their response to climate change is highly uncertain. In this study, we developed a multi-layer microbial explicit soil decomposition model framework for boreal forest ecosystems. A thorough sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify dominating biogeochemical processes and to highlight structural limitations. Our results indicate that substrate availability (limited by soil water diffusion and substrate quality) is likely to be a major constraint on soil decomposition in the fibrous horizon (40–60% of soil organic carbon (SOC) pool size variation), while energy limited microbial activity in the amorphous horizon exerts a predominant control on soil decomposition (>70% of SOC pool size variation). Elevated temperature alleviated the energy constraint of microbial activity most notably in amorphous soils, whereas moisture only exhibited a marginal effect on dissolved substrate supply and microbial activity. Our study highlights the different decomposition properties and underlying mechanisms of soil dynamics between fibrous and amorphous soil horizons. Soil decomposition models should consider explicitly representing different boreal soil horizons and soil–microbial interactions to better characterize biogeochemical processes in boreal forest ecosystems. A more comprehensive representation of critical biogeochemical mechanisms of soil moisture effects may be required to improve the performance of the soil model we analyzed in this study.

Influence of different tree-harvesting intensities on forest soil carbon stocks in boreal and northern temperate forest ecosystems

2015 ◽  
Vol 351 ◽  
pp. 9-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Clarke ◽  
Per Gundersen ◽  
Ulrika Jönsson-Belyazid ◽  
O. Janne Kjønaas ◽  
Tryggve Persson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Forest Soil ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Soil Carbon Stocks ◽  
Tree Harvesting

scholarly journals Evaluating CENTURY and Yasso soil carbon models for CO2emissions and organic carbon stocks of boreal forest soil with Bayesian multi‐model inference

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Ťupek ◽  
Samuli Launiainen ◽  
Mikko Peltoniemi ◽  
Risto Sievänen ◽  
Jari Perttunen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Forest Soil ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Model Inference

scholarly journals The ecological interaction of the mountain pine beetle and jack pine budworm in the boreal forest

2010 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 766-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay J. Colgan ◽  
Nadir Erbilgin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Dendroctonus Ponderosae ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
Choristoneura Pinus ◽  
Pine Beetle ◽  
Jack Pine Budworm ◽  
Choristoneura Pinus Pinus

As climate change facilitates the range and host expansion of insect species into new ecosystems, the development of newstrategies for managing and preventing biological invasion is receiving considerable interest. In recent years, the range ofthe mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) has expanded from lodgepole pine-dominated forests eastof the Rocky Mountains into lodgepole x jack pine hybrid forest of western Alberta, and may soon invade jack pine forestsof the boreal. Our understanding of factors contributing colonization of jack pine by mountain pine beetle is far fromcomplete and several factors may limit its spread in these forests, including tree resistance and competitors. Among these,the jack pine budworm (Choristoneura pinus pinus Freeman) is one of the most important insect enemies of jack pine andan outbreak defoliator that potentially weakens jack pine trees, which may make them more susceptible to MPB attacks.To develop effective management strategies in the face of the short-run impacts of climate change, we need an in-depthunderstanding of factors influencing establishment and survival of the beetle in jack pine forests.Key words: Choristoneura pinus pinus, Dendroctonus ponderosae, jack pine, range expansion, invasion biology, climatechange in the boreal forest, conifer-mediated interactions, tree induced defences, tripartite interactions

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