Evaluation of a mechanistic approach to mixedwood modelling

2008 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Seely ◽  
C. Hawkins ◽  
J A Blanco ◽  
C. Welham ◽  
J P Kimmins

Mixed conifer–broadleaf forests (mixedwoods), covering more than a third of the productive forest landbase in BC, are highly valuable both as sources of fibre and as areas rich in biodiversity. In recognition of the multiple benefits of this forest type, management paradigms have transitioned from a focus on promoting conifer plantations in mixedwood areas to the management of intimate mixtures. The exceptionally dynamic growth properties and species interactions in mixedwood forests present a challenge for projecting the growth and development of different types of mixedwoods and their response to different silviculture systems. Here we evaluate the ability of a mechanistic forest growth model (FORECAST) to project patterns of stand growth and dynamics in two mixedwood forest types subjected to different silvicultural treatments. Model output is compared against field measurements from long-term silviculture trials in the Sub Boreal Spruce (SBS)—18 years, and Interior Cedar Hemlock (ICH)—10 years, biogeoclimatic zones in British Columbia, Canada. FORECAST was able to reproduce patterns of growth response in both mixedwood forest types with reasonable accuracy. An analysis of the simulated relative impact of light and nutrient competition on growth dynamics and treatment response is provided. Results suggest that competition for both light and nutrients are important factors in the dynamics of these mixedwood forest types and that long-term response data and modelling are required to adequately assess the rotation-length effects of treatments on stand development. The analysis described herein provides a level of confidence for the use of the model as a decision-support tool in these ecosystem types, but more validation work should be conducted across a range of different mixedwood forest types and management interventions as long-term datasets become available. Key words: FORECAST, mixedwood management, model testing, process-based model, resource competition

1993 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-27
Author(s):  
K. Leroy Dolph ◽  
Gary E. Dixon

Abstract Erroneous predictions of forest growth and yield may result when computer simulation models use extrapolated data in repeated or long-term projections or if the models are used outside the range of data on which they were built. Bounding functions that limit the predicted diameter and height growth of individual trees to maximum observed values were developed to constrain these erroneous predictions in a forest growth and yield simulator. Similar techniques could be useful for dealing with extrapolated data in other types of simulation models. West. J. Appl. For. 8(1):24-27.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasily Zharko ◽  
Sergey Bartalev ◽  
Mikhail Bogodukhov

<p>Presented is a method for the estimation of a productivity class/site index of the forest regrowth after stand replacement natural and human induced disturbances. The method uses Global Forest Change project data on spatial distribution of forest loss sites (including the information about the date of the disturbance) with a 30 m resolution based on Landsat data. Joint analysis of this data resampled to 100 m spatial resolution together with a Russian Land Cover map for 2016 developed based on 100 m PROBA-V data is used to identify reforestation sites and to determine the forest type. Based on this information an appropriate forest growth model is chosen to simulate forest characteristics' dynamics for different site indexes. Finally information on forest characteristics from satellite data-based products is compared to the modeling results for the forest age, computed as a difference between the date of the disturbance and the date of the satellite data product. Reforestation site is assigned a productivity class that yields the best consistency between modeling results and existing satellite data products information.</p><p>Application of the presented method was tested over the European part of Russia using a 100 m global growing stock volume (GSV) map developed within Globbiomass project and lidar vegetation canopy height measurements from ICESat-2/ATLAS system (ATL08 data product). It was found that ICESat-2/ATLAS data is better suited for the proposed approach.</p><p>Presented method is aimed at the development of a reference dataset on forest parameters since obtained information on forest type, age and site index together can be used to estimate other crucial characteristics, including GSV, mean height, mean stem diameter, basal area, productivity, growth and mortality parameters, using the appropriate model. It is also worth mentioning that proposed approach allows estimation of characteristics of young forests which are rarely represented in the field survey-based reference datasets.</p><p>This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation [grant number 19-77-30015]. Data processing and analysis was carried out using resources of the Centre for collective use ‘IKI-Monitoring’ developed by the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.</p>


Author(s):  
Д.А. Данилов ◽  
А.В. Жигунов ◽  
Б.Н. Рябинин ◽  
А.А. Вайман

Используя потенциальное плодородие посагрогенных почв, можно выращивать целевые древесные насаждения и получать балансовую и товарную древесину в более короткие сроки, чем на землях лесного фонда. Проблематика данного вопроса мало исследована и в настоящее время необходимо оценить перспективность выращивания насаждений высокой продуктивности на постагрогенных. Целью проведённого исследования было сравнение лесных и постагрогенных почв по таким параметрам, как содержание углерода органического вещества и общего азота, для прогнозирования перспективности организации хозяйства с ускоренным выращиванием продуктивных древесных насаждений на залежных землях. На постагрогенных и лесопокрытых землях были подобраны площади со сходными условиями почвообразования под спелыми древостоями, относящихся к типам леса: черничник, кисличник и дубравнотравный и почвенными комплексами постагрогенных залежных земель. Проводилась оценка ряда физико-химических показателей почв по общепринятым в почвоведении методикам: определялся гранулометрический состав, плотность сложения и мощность генетических почвенных горизонтов. Плотность сложения всех горизонтов оценивалась по Качинскому; определение углерода проводилось сухим озолением, общего азота по Кьельдалю, рН солевой вытяжки потенциометрическим методом.Анализ запасов углерода органического вещества (Сорг) и азота (Nобщ) в генетических горизонтах почв черничного, кисличного и дубравнотравного типов леса показывает увеличение содержания органического вещества и общего азота от черничного к дубравнотравному типу леса. Происходит снижение содержания органического углерода от гумусового горизонта к оподзоленному: в дубравнотравных типах леса – в 2,8; кисличных – в 7,6; в черничных – в 8,5 раз. Возобновление на постагрогенных землях носит куртинный характер или происходит по микро понижениям бывших борозд. Содержание органического вещества в пахотном горизонте данных участков постагрогенных земель находится на уровне кисличного типа леса. Содержание общего азота в данных почвах высокое от 5 до 7,4 т/га – на уровне дубравнотравного типа леса. Отношение С:N, которое характеризует обогащенность гумуса азотом, для большинства гумусовых горизонтов почв составляет 8–10, что отвечает высокой и средней степени обеспеченности этим элементом. По содержанию Сорг и Nобщ в верхнем горизонте почвы образуют следующий убывающий ряд: травяно-дубравный тип леса > залежные земли > кисличный тип леса > черничный тип леса > пашня. Проведённый сравнительный анализ физического и агрохимического состояния постагрогенных и лесных почв показал, что несмотря на предшествующее антропогенное воздействие, агрозёмный горизонт сохраняет высокое содержание органического вещества и общего азота. Ухудшение свойств постагрогенных почв на исследуемых участках не происходит и трансформации в сторону природных лесных почв региона не наблюдается, несмотря на длительный период залежности (свыше 30 лет). Соотношение углерода и азота в постагрогенных почвах по почвенному профилю показывает более высокое плодородие, чем в лесных почвах, где показатель С:N оптимален только части горизонта А1. Оценивая пригодность обследованных участков залежных земель на предмет ускоренного выращивания различных древесных пород для получения биомассы, можно констатировать, что уровень содержания органического вещества и общего азота превышает или соответствует условиям произрастания по IA –I классу бонитета для региона исследования. Using potential fertility mosagrogen soil you can grow of target woody plants and to balance and marketable timber in a shorter time than in the lands of the forest Fund. The problem of this issue is little investigated and now it is necessary to assess the prospects of growing high productivity plantations on postagrogenic. The aim of the study was to compare forest and postagrogenic soils in such parameters as the carbon content of organic matter and total nitrogen, to predict the prospects for the organization of the economy with the accelerated cultivation of productive tree plantations on fallow lands. In postagrogenic and wooded land were selected in the area with similar conditions of soil formation under ripe forest stands belonging to the forest types: myrtillus, oxalis and quercus-herbosa and postagrogenic soil complexes of fallow lands. Conducted assessment of some physico-chemical parameters of soil common in soil science methods: determined particle size distribution, the density of the composition and power of the genetic soil horizons. The density of addition of all horizons was estimated by Kaczynski; determination of carbon was carried out by dry ashing, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, pH salt extraction by the potentiometric method. Analysis of carbon stocks of organic matter (С) and nitrogen (N) in the genetic horizons of soils of blueberry, acidic and oak-grass forest types shows an increase in the content of organic matter and total nitrogen from blueberry to oak-grass forest type. There is a decrease in the content of organic carbon from the humus horizon to the ashed one: in quercus-herbosa forest types – 2.8, acidic – 7.6, myrtillus – 8.5 times. The postagrogenic restoration to the land is curtains character or occurs at the micro depressions of the former furrows. The organic matter content in the arable horizon of postagrogenic parcel of land be at the level of parents type of the wood. The content of total nitrogen in these soils is high from 5 to 7.4 t/ha – at the level of oak-grass forest type. The ratio C: N, which characterizes the enrichment of humus nitrogen, for most humus horizons of soils is 8-10, which corresponds to a high and medium degree of security with this element. According to the content of weeds and Communities in the upper horizon of the soil form the following decreasing series: quercus-herbosa type forest > lands >forest oxalis type > myrtillus type forest > arable land. Comparative analysis of physical and agrochemical condition of postagrogenic and forest soils showed that, in spite of previous anthropogenic impact, agronomy horizon maintains a high organic matter content and total nitrogen. Deterioration of the properties of postagrogenic soils in the study areas does not occur and transformation in the direction of natural forest soils of the region is not observed, despite the long period of occurrence (over 30 years). The ratio of carbon and nitrogen in postagrogenic soils by soil profile shows a higher fertility than in forest soils, where the indicator C:N is optimal only part of the horizon A1. Assessing the suitability of the surveyed areas of fallow lands for the accelerated cultivation of different species of wood to produce biomass, it can be stated that the level of organic matter and total nitrogen exceeds or corresponds to the conditions of growth in Ia –I class of bonitet for the region of the study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis S Nogueira ◽  
Beatriz S Marimon ◽  
Ben Hur Marimon-Junior ◽  
Edmar A Oliveira ◽  
Paulo Morandi ◽  
...  

SummaryOver recent decades, biomass gains in remaining old-growth Amazonia forests have declined due to environmental change. Amazonia’s huge size and complexity makes understanding these changes, drivers, and consequences very challenging. Here, using a network of permanent monitoring plots at the Amazon–Cerrado transition, we quantify recent biomass carbon changes and explore their environmental drivers. Our study area covers 30 plots of upland and riparian forests sampled at least twice between 1996 and 2016 and subject to various levels of fire and drought. Using these plots, we aimed to: (1) estimate the long-term biomass change rate; (2) determine the extent to which forest changes are influenced by forest type; and (3) assess the threat to forests from ongoing environmental change. Overall, there was no net change in biomass, but there was clear variation among different forest types. Burning occurred at least once in 8 of the 12 riparian forests, while only 1 of the 18 upland forests burned, resulting in losses of carbon in burned riparian forests. Net biomass gains prevailed among other riparian and upland forests throughout Amazonia. Our results reveal an unanticipated vulnerability of riparian forests to fire, likely aggravated by drought, and threatening ecosystem conservation at the Amazon southern margins.


1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1157-1172 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.J. Nabuurs ◽  
G.M.J. Mohren

Ten selected forest types were examined (1) to assess the carbon sequestering potential of those forest types that are most likely to be successful in sequestering atmospheric carbon, (2) to show the relevance of varying carbon sequestering criteria, and (3) to present a method as a possible standard for carbon sequestering assessments. The carbon sequestering potential of the forest, forest soils, and forest products was quantified with the dynamic model CO2FIX. Two main criteria for evaluation of the carbon sequestering capacity were used: (1) the long-term average stock of carbon in the forest biomass and wood products and (2) the average net annual carbon storage flux during the first rotation. It was found that selectively logged evergreen rain forests may contain the largest long-term average stock of carbon in the biomass and products, with 207 Mg C•ha−1. The highest net annual carbon fixation in the first rotation was achieved with Pinusradiata D. Don in Brazil, with a storage rate of 5.3 Mg C•ha−1•year−1 on fertile sites. These values can be regarded as maximum boundaries for carbon sequestration. Evaluation of carbon sequestration in forests should always be carried out with a set of varying carbon sequestering criteria. Such an evaluation should also take into account socioeconomic and ecological criteria. It remains a political issue which criterion prevails over the other. A study to improve the model by linking it to forest type area tables is in preparation. It will then be possible to present projections of carbon sequestration for a region or country.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 18-24
Author(s):  
N. O. Vlasenko

Natural forests have their own ancient history, for this reason, their composition and structure reflect their existing conditions. In the artificial forests, only growth class and plantations general conditions can be in part the indicator of this residence. O. L. Belgard investigated natural biogeocoenosis and artificial cultural geocoenosis and worked up the detailed forest typology. The peculiarity of O. L. Belgard typology is biogeocoenological approach to the understanding and forest investigating based on G. M. Vysotskiy, G. F. Morozov, V. M. Suchkov ideas.  O. L. Belgard accepted the conception of forest biogeocoenosis the components of which are phytocoenosis, zoocoenosis, microbiota, climatope and adaphotope. Rozsoshentsy forestry consists of 87 planning compartments with a total area of 3130.0 hectares, is a part of National Enterprise “Poltava forestry” and is situated on its southern part on the territory of Poltava administrative district and Poltava city. There are no publications in the science literature that could systematically reflect the results of investigations taken place in Rozsoshentsy forest area.  Different scientists in different times investigated particular types of vegetations; the general characteristic of forests was specified in some works. The aim of our work is the forest typology investigation, ecological and biological, typological, soil and geobotanical peculiarities of natural and artificial forests of Rozsoshentsy forest area. For the fist time the investigation of natural and artificial forests of Rozsoshentsy forest area of Poltava-city green belt has been started according to the method of O. L. Belgard forest typology. Groups that were investigated inside the forestry are related to hydrotopes of bottomland forests with long-term flooding, bottomland forests with short-term flooding, noninundated with arena and ravine forests.  The forest type is defined by accessories to specific trophotope and hydrotope and connected with floodplain factor of certain place of existence. The main place in definition of ecotope peculiarities takes vegetations that fully reflect the dimensionality of conditions. There are some plant associations inside the forest type that give an idea about coenosis from the floristic point of view.  One or several associations can correspond to each forest type with direct species structure of tree, bushy and herbaceous layers. Artificial forests typological characteristic based on three taxonomic rank units: forest growth conditions type, ecological structure type and forest stand type. It was found out that the main forest types in structure of investigated forest area are oak, pine, sticky alder and aspen, poplar and birch forests. It means that main forest forming types are six types of wood.  Rozsoshentsy forest area of Poltava-city green belt dendroflora has 33 tree and bushy types, 24 genuses, 14 families, 2 rooms. The most popular forest types on the investigated territory according to the forest typology are new oak and pine trees – 31.9 % , new pine forests – 9.1 %, new and dry maple and linden forests – 27.2 % and 6.3 % correspondently. Forest accounts for 5.3 % of forested areas with excessive wet ground. The investigation that was carried out gave us an opportunity to find out four natural forest vegetation types: (new linden and hornbeam forest with wide grasses), Dn4 (alder forest with moist tall grasses), Dc3 (wet aspen forest with aise-weed), De3 (wet white poplar forest); and two types of artificial forest vegetations: De3 (wet white poplar forest) and AB1 (birch forest with dryish miscellaneous). Different variations of soils have been investigated. It was found out that in investigated natural phytocoenosis the type of forest growth conditions is clay loam with different variations: new (СГ2), wet (СГ3),  moist (СГ4); and wet sandy loam (СП3); in artificial cultural phytocoenosis the sandy loam is wet and dryish. The prevailing soil types on the territory of Rozsoshentsy forestry are dark grey podzolized forest loam, typical chernozem and podzolized hard loamy chernoozem, but in floodplain of the river Vorskla  is a peat-bog soils. The content of humus is 7–8 %. The depth of ground water deposits connected with deposits of brown-red underclay (impermeable horizon) and ranges according to the relief elements and soil degree of erosion from 15 to 34 m. Carbonates are absent in soil of Rozsoshentsy forest area. Water extract analysis tells about the lack of salinity, dry particles ranges between 0.05–0.2 %, PH is mostly alkaline. Detailed ecological and biological characteristics and establishing peculiarities of Rozsoshentsy forest area adaphotope will give an opportunity to reconstruct the existing Poltava-city green belt plantations and organize the stationary investigations with the aim of their employment and saving. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12497
Author(s):  
Shiekh Marifatul Haq ◽  
Umer Yaqoob ◽  
Eduardo Soares Calixto ◽  
Manoj Kumar ◽  
Inayat Ur Rahman ◽  
...  

The Himalayan Mountains are geodynamical important, featuring a wide climatic range with a rich diversity of flora, fauna, human communities, culture, and social set-up. In recent decades, due to constant anthropogenic pressure and considerable changes witnessed in the climate of the region, species of this region are threatened. Here, we assessed the impact of nomadic settlement and associated disturbances on plant species composition, diversity parameters, ecosystem properties, and fire incidence in high-altitude forests of Western Himalaya, India. Based on the distance between nomadic settlement location and forest, we classified forest as near nomadic settlement (NNS) or away nomadic settlement (ANS) forest types. We found a significant variation in plant species composition between forest types. Three species, namely, Sibbaldia cuneata, Poa annua, and Abies pindrow, contribute 25% of the cumulative variation in plant species composition. Studying live plants, we found a significant difference only for density, in which ANS had a higher average density than NNS. Considering dead plants, we found a significant difference in all nine plant-related parameters evaluated between sites. NNS had a higher value of all parameters evaluated, except for height, which was higher in ANS sites. ANS forest type show 1.3 times more average carbon stock (160.39 ± 59.03 MgCha−1; mean ± SD) than NNS forest type (120.40 ± 51.74 MgCha−1). We found a significant difference in plant diversity evaluated between forest types. ANS had higher values of Margalef and Fisher diversity but lower values of evenness. We found that NSS had significantly higher values of fire incidences, whereas ANS has a higher normalized differential vegetation index and enhanced vegetation index. Overall, our study showed that species composition, diversity, and fire incidence are strongly impacted due to nomadic settlements. These findings are paramount for designing appropriate livelihood options for indigenous communities and management policies of the long-term forest harvest to achieve global goals and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration targets (2021–2030) to protect the sustainable development of forest mountainous regions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 167 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruedi Taverna ◽  
Michael Gautschi ◽  
Peter Hofer

The sustainably available wood use potential in Swiss forests Based on the most recent simulations created using the Massimo forest growth model, the sustainably available wood use potential in Swiss forests was calculated for five management scenarios for the next three decades as well as for two additional time periods in the future (to monitor the long-term effects). The term “sustainably available wood use potential” covers those wood quantities that could be put on the market, taking into account socio-ecological and economic restrictions on use. The sustainably available wood use potential is provided for production regions, priority functions as well as the assortment and qualities of timber. The previously used factors of the applied “onion” model were checked and modified, if necessary, in order to take new findings and current cost developments into consideration. The calculations for all scenarios come up with a sustainably available wood use potential that is much lower than in earlier investigations. Depending on the scenario and decade, sustainably available wood use potential accounts for less than 50% of the total use potential. The biggest decrease in total use potential was due to economic framework conditions. Turning to Switzerland as a whole, towards the end of the investigation period (2106) those scenarios including a sharp increase in use in the first three decades result in a sustainably available wood use potential that is clearly lower than the reference value used at the beginning of the simulation. In the basic scenario (constant stock) and in the scenario in which the form of management used to date (increasing stock) was simulated, the sustainably available wood use potential at national level remained more or less the same throughout the simulation period, ranging from 5 to 6 million m3 per year.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2131
Author(s):  
Jamon Van Den Hoek ◽  
Alexander C. Smith ◽  
Kaspar Hurni ◽  
Sumeet Saksena ◽  
Jefferson Fox

Accurate remote sensing of mountainous forest cover change is important for myriad social and ecological reasons, but is challenged by topographic and illumination conditions that can affect detection of forests. Several topographic illumination correction (TIC) approaches have been developed to mitigate these effects, but existing research has focused mostly on whether TIC improves forest cover classification accuracy and has usually found only marginal gains. However, the beneficial effects of TIC may go well beyond accuracy since TIC promises to improve detection of low illuminated forest cover and thereby normalize measurements of the amount, geographic distribution, and rate of forest cover change regardless of illumination. To assess the effects of TIC on the extent and geographic distribution of forest cover change, in addition to classification accuracy, we mapped forest cover across mountainous Nepal using a 25-year (1992–2016) gap-filled Landsat time series in two ways—with and without TIC (i.e., nonTIC)—and classified annual forest cover using a Random Forest classifier. We found that TIC modestly increased classifier accuracy and produced more conservative estimates of net forest cover change across Nepal (−5.2% from 1992–2016) TIC. TIC also resulted in a more even distribution of forest cover gain across Nepal with 3–5% more net gain and 4–6% more regenerated forest in the least illuminated regions. These results show that TIC helped to normalize forest cover change across varying illumination conditions with particular benefits for detecting mountainous forest cover gain. We encourage the use of TIC for satellite remote sensing detection of long-term mountainous forest cover change.


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