Negative or positive effects of plantation and intensive forestry on biodiversity: A matter of scale and perspective

2010 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 354-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Hartmann ◽  
Gaëtan Daoust ◽  
Brigitte Bigué
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Ecosystem Integrity ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Management Paradigms ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
Terrestrial Biodiversity

Terrestrial biodiversity is closely linked to forest ecosystems but anthropogenic reductions in forest cover and changes in forest structure and composition jeopardize their biodiversity. Several forest species are threatened because of reduced habitat quality and fragmentation or even habitat loss as a result of forest management activities. In response to this threat, integrated forest management (IFM) was developed in the early 1990s and has been applied over large spatial scales ever since. While IFM seeks to satisfy both human resource demands and ecosystem integrity, the whole forest matrix is affected and this may also have negative impacts on biodiversity. The concept of forest zoning (e.g., Triad) avoids these issues by physically separating land uses from each other. The zoning approach has been developed in the same period as IFM, but there are still very few examples of large-scale applications. This may be because its distinctiveness from IFM may not always seem clear and because forest zoning is not easily implemented. Here we explain these differences and show that IFM and the zoning approach are indeed different management paradigms. We advocate the use of high-yield plantations within the zoning paradigm as a means for biodiversity conservation and review the literature (with an emphasis on the northern hemisphere and on plantation forestry within a land-zoning approach) on impacts of forest management activities on biodiversity. Furthermore, we give advice on issues that require consideration when implementing forest zoning at both the stand and the landscape levels. We recommend several small changes in design and management of forest plantations as a means to significantly increase their biodiversity value. We conclude that while forest zoning seems an adequate strategy for the Canadian forestry sector, a shift in paradigm must carry over to policy-makers and legislation if this approach is to succeed. Key words: biodiversity, landbase zoning, forest management, intensive silviculture, plantation forests

Bird research in the ACWERN lab at the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick

2008 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 548-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antony W Diamond
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Spatial Effects ◽  
Winter Habitat ◽  
Forested Landscapes ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
Species Specific

Research on forest bird ecology in the ACWERN (Atlantic Cooperative Wildlife Ecology Research Network) lab at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, since 1995 has focused on assessing the relative contributions of habitat quality at large (“landscape”) and small (“local” or “stand”) spatial scales. To do so we had to develop methods for assessing key demographic components of fitness (productivity and survival) at large spatial scales. The large extent of forest cover in the Maritimes contrasts with regions where such work has traditionally been carried out, in which forest is clearly fragmented by agriculture or residential development. Our main findings are that spatial effects in highly forested landscapes can often be detected only by using species-specific habitat models, rather than broader categories such as “mature” or “softwood”, that Blackburnian Warblers (Dendroica fusca) are effective indicators of mixedwood forest but define it differently than forest managers do, and that cavity nesters (e.g., woodpeckers) may require different habitat components for nesting and feeding and so cannot be managed for solely on the basis of providing snags for nesting. Our focus has shifted recently to intensive studies on a species at risk, Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli), which in New Brunswick breeds in man-made regenerating softwood forest stands, and assessing its response both to precommercial thinning of the breeding habitat and to effects carrying over from the winter habitat in the Caribbean. Key words: landscape effects, thresholds, survival, productivity, fitness, carry-over, habitat, fragmentation

ForBioFunCtioN: Forest soil carbon and the effects of climate change and forest management

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl-Fredrik Johannesson ◽  
Klaus Steenberg Larsen ◽  
Brunon Malicki ◽  
Jenni Nordén
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Soil ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Clear Cutting

<p>Boreal forests are among the most carbon (C) rich forest types in the world and store up to 80% of its total C in the soil. Forest soil C development under climate change has received increased scientific attention yet large uncertainties remain, not least in terms of magnitude and direction of soil C responses. As with climate change, large uncertainties remain in terms of the effects of forest management on soil C sequestration and storage. Nonetheless, it is clear that forest management measures can have far reaching effects on ecosystem functioning and soil conditions. For example, clear cutting is a widely undertaken felling method in Scandinavia which profoundly affects the forest ecosystem and its functioning, including the soil. Nitrogen (N) fertilization is another common practice in Scandinavia which, despite uncertainties regarding effects on soil C dynamics, is being promoted as a climate change mitigation tool. A more novel practice of biochar addition to soils has been shown to have positive effects on soil conditions, including soil C storage, but studies on biochar in the context of forests are few.</p><p>In the face of climate change, the ForBioFunCtioN project is dedicated to investigating the response of boreal forest soil CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> fluxes to experimentally increased temperatures and increased precipitation – climatic changes in line with projections over Norway – within a forest management context. The experiment is set in a Norwegian spruce-dominated bilberry chronosequence, including a clear-cut site, a middle-aged thinned stand, a mature stand and an old unmanaged stand. Warming, simulated increased precipitation, N fertilizer and biochar additions will be applied on experimental plots in an additive manner that allows for disentangling the effects of individual parameters from interaction effects. Flux measurements will be undertaken at high temporal resolution using the state-of-the-art LI-7810 Trace Gas Analyzer (©LI-COR Biosciences). The presentation will show the experimental setup and first measurements from the large-scale experiment.</p>

scholarly journals Preliminary assessment of habitat characteristics of woodland caribou calving areas in the Claybelt region of Québec and Ontario, Canada

Rangifer ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Émilie Lantin ◽  
Pierre Drapeau ◽  
Marcel Paré ◽  
Yves Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Vegetation Characteristics ◽  
Forest Cover Types

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) require a diversity of forested habitats over large areas and may thus be particularly affected by the large-scale changes in the composition and age-class distribution of forest landscapes induced by the northern expansion of forest management. In this study we examine habitat characteristics associated to the use of calving areas by woodland caribou females and calves at different spatial scales. Thirty females were captured and collared with Argos satellite transmitters that allowed to locate 14 calving areas. Field surveys were conducted at each of these areas to measure the landscape composition of forest cover types and local vegetation characteristics that are used for both forage conditions and protection cover. At the scale of the calving area, univariate comparisons of the amount of forest cover types between sites with and without calves showed that the presence of calves was associated to mature black spruce forest with a high percent cover of terrestrial lichens. Within calving grounds, univariate comparisons showed that vegetation features like ericaceans and terrestrial lichens, that are important food resources for lactating females, were more abundant in calving areas where females were seen with a calf in mid-July than in areas where females were seen alone. The protection of the vegetation cover against predators was however similar between calving areas with or with¬out a calf. Logistic regression results also indicated that vegetation characteristics associated to forage conditions were positively associated to calf presence on calving grounds. Our results suggest that foraging conditions should be given more attention in analyses on habitat requirements of woodland caribou.

scholarly journals Climate and competition influence sockeye salmon population dynamics across the Northeast Pacific Ocean

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 943-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan Connors ◽  
Michael J. Malick ◽  
Gregory T. Ruggerone ◽  
Pete Rand ◽  
Milo Adkison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sockeye Salmon ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Pacific Salmon ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Pink Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Gorbuscha ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The North

Pacific salmon productivity is influenced by ocean conditions and interspecific interactions, yet their combined effects are poorly understood. Using data from 47 North American sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) populations, we present evidence that the magnitude and direction of climate and competition effects vary over large spatial scales. In the south, a warm ocean and abundant salmon competitors combined to strongly reduce sockeye productivity, whereas in the north, a warm ocean substantially increased productivity and offset the negative effects of competition at sea. From 2005 to 2015, the approximately 82 million adult pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) produced annually from hatcheries were estimated to have reduced the productivity of southern sockeye salmon by ∼15%, on average. In contrast, for sockeye at the northwestern end of their range, the same level of hatchery production was predicted to have reduced the positive effects of a warming ocean by ∼50% (from a ∼10% to a ∼5% increase in productivity, on average). These findings reveal spatially dependent effects of climate and competition on sockeye productivity and highlight the need for international discussions about large-scale hatchery production.

scholarly journals A large-scale forest fragmentation experiment: the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems Project

2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1582) ◽  
pp. 3292-3302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Ewers ◽  
Raphael K. Didham ◽  
Lenore Fahrig ◽  
Gonçalo Ferraz ◽  
Andy Hector ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Stability

Opportunities to conduct large-scale field experiments are rare, but provide a unique opportunity to reveal the complex processes that operate within natural ecosystems. Here, we review the design of existing, large-scale forest fragmentation experiments. Based on this review, we develop a design for the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Project, a new forest fragmentation experiment to be located in the lowland tropical forests of Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia). The SAFE Project represents an advance on existing experiments in that it: (i) allows discrimination of the effects of landscape-level forest cover from patch-level processes; (ii) is designed to facilitate the unification of a wide range of data types on ecological patterns and processes that operate over a wide range of spatial scales; (iii) has greater replication than existing experiments; (iv) incorporates an experimental manipulation of riparian corridors; and (v) embeds the experimentally fragmented landscape within a wider gradient of land-use intensity than do existing projects. The SAFE Project represents an opportunity for ecologists across disciplines to participate in a large initiative designed to generate a broad understanding of the ecological impacts of tropical forest modification.

scholarly journals Bee responses to landscape composition on coupled and decoupled multiscale approaches

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lazaro Carneiro ◽  
Milton Cezar Ribeiro ◽  
Willian Moura de Aguiar ◽  
Camila de Fátima Priante ◽  
Wilson Frantine-Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Landscape Heterogeneity ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Landscape Context ◽  
Multiscale Approach ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Scale Of Effect

Abstract ContextMultiscale approaches are essential for understanding ecological processes and detecting the scale of effect. However, nested multiscale approaches retain the effect of the landscape attributes from the smaller spatial scales into the larger ones. Thus, decoupling local vs. regional scales can reveal detailed ecological responses to landscape context, but this multiscale approach is poorly explored. ObjectivesWe evaluated the scale of effect of the forest cover (%) and landscape heterogeneity on Euglossini bees combining coupled and decoupled multiscale approaches. MethodsThe Euglossini males were sampled in forest patches from 15 landscapes within the Atlantic Forest, southeast Brazil. For simplicity, we defined that the coupled approaches represented the local scales and decoupled approaches the regional scales. We decoupled the scales by cutting out the smaller scales inserted into larger ones. We estimated the relationship of the bee community attributes with forest cover (%) and landscape heterogeneity in local and regional scales using Generalized Linear Models. ResultsWe found positive effects of landscape heterogeneity on species richness for regional scales. Forest cover and landscape heterogeneity in local scales showed positive effects on the euglossine abundances. The scale of effect for euglossine richness was higher than species abundances. ConclusionsCombining coupled and decoupled multiscale approaches showed adequate capture of the scale of effect of the landscape composition on bee communities. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to measure the influence of the landscape context on biodiversity. Maintaining landscapes with larger forest cover and spatial heterogeneity is essential to keep euglossine species requirements.

scholarly journals Suburban frog ponds: mapping local land cover yields different estimates of landscape composition than the National Land Cover Database

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Fine Grain ◽  
Land Cover Data ◽  
Ecological Patterns

Suburban neighborhoods are rapidly spreading globally. As such, there is an increasing need to study the environmental and ecological effects of suburbanization. At large spatial extents, from county-level to global, remote sensing-derived land cover data, such as the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD), have yielded insight into patterns of urbanization and concomitant large-scale ecological patterns in response. However, the components of suburban land cover (houses, yards, etc.) are dispersed throughout the landscape at a finer scale than the relatively coarse grain size (30m pixels) of NLCD may be able to detect. Our understanding of ecological processes in heterogeneous landscapes is reliant upon the accuracy and resolution of our measurements as well as the scale at which we measure the landscape. Analyses of ecological processes along suburban gradients are restricted by the currently available data. As ecologists are becoming increasingly interested in describing phenomena at spatial extents as small as individual households, we need higher-resolution landscape measurements. Here, I describe a simple method of translating the components of suburban landscapes into finer-grain, local land cover (LLC) data in GIS. Using both LLC and NLCD, I compare the suburban matrix surrounding ponds occupied by two different frog species. I illustrate large discrepancies in Forest, Yard, and Developed land cover estimates between LLC and NLCD, leading to markedly different interpretations of suburban landscape composition. NLCD, relative to LLC, estimates lower proportions of forest cover and higher proportions of anthropogenic land covers in general. These two land cover datasets provide surprisingly different descriptions of the suburban landscapes, potentially affecting our understanding of how organisms respond to an increasingly suburban world. LLC provides a free and detailed fine-grain depiction of the components of suburban neighborhoods and will allow ecologists to better explore heterogeneous suburban landscapes at multiple spatial scales.

scholarly journals Age-related environmental gradients influence invertebrate distribution in the Prince Charles Mountains, East Antarctica

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (12) ◽  
pp. 160296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Czechowski ◽  
Duanne White ◽  
Laurence Clarke ◽  
Alan McKay ◽  
Alan Cooper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Salinity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
East Antarctica ◽  
Soil Biodiversity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Invertebrate Biodiversity ◽  
Terrestrial Biodiversity

The potential impact of environmental change on terrestrial Antarctic ecosystems can be explored by inspecting biodiversity patterns across large-scale gradients. Unfortunately, morphology-based surveys of Antarctic invertebrates are time-consuming and limited by the cryptic nature of many taxa. We used biodiversity information derived from high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to elucidate the relationship between soil properties and invertebrate biodiversity in the Prince Charles Mountains, East Antarctica. Across 136 analysed soil samples collected from Mount Menzies, Mawson Escarpment and Lake Terrasovoje, we found invertebrate distribution in the Prince Charles Mountains significantly influenced by soil salinity and/or sulfur content. Phyla Tardigrada and Arachnida occurred predominantly in low-salinity substrates with abundant nutrients, whereas Bdelloidea (Rotifera) and Chromadorea (Nematoda) were more common in highly saline substrates. A significant correlation between invertebrate occurrence, soil salinity and time since deglaciation indicates that terrain age indirectly influences Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity, with more recently deglaciated areas supporting greater diversity. Our study demonstrates the value of HTS metabarcoding to investigate environmental constraints on inconspicuous soil biodiversity across large spatial scales.

Effects of natural resource development on the terrestrial biodiversity of Canadian boreal forests

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.A. Venier ◽  
I.D. Thompson ◽  
R. Fleming ◽  
J. Malcolm ◽  
I. Aubin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Resource Development ◽  
Natural Resource Development ◽  
Terrestrial Biodiversity ◽  
The Impact

Much of Canada’s terrestrial biodiversity is supported by boreal forests. Natural resource development in boreal forests poses risks to this biodiversity. This paper reviews the scientific literature to assess the effects of natural resource development on terrestrial biodiversity in Canadian boreal forests. We address four questions: (1) To what extent have Canadian boreal forests changed due to natural resource development? (2) How has biodiversity responded to these changes? (3) Will the biodiversity of second-growth forests converge with that of primary boreal forests? (4) Are we losing species from boreal forests? We focus on trees, understory plants, insects, fungi, selected mammals, and songbirds because these groups have been most studied. We review more than 600 studies and found that changes in community composition are prevalent in response to large-scale conversion of forest types, changes in stand structures and age distributions, and altered landscape structure resulting from forest management and habitat loss associated with other developments such as oil and gas, hydroelectric, and mining. The southern boreal forest has been more highly impacted than the north due to more extensive forest management and the cumulative effects of multiple forms of development. There is abundant evidence that most species are not in danger of being extirpated from the boreal forest due to these anthropogenic changes. A few species, including woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus) and grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), have, however, undergone long-term range contractions. Significant gaps in our ability to assess the effects of natural resource development on biodiversity in the boreal zone are the lack of long-term spatial and population data to monitor the impact of forest changes on ecosystems and species.

scholarly journals Suburban frog ponds: mapping local land cover yields different estimates of landscape composition than the National Land Cover Database

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Fine Grain ◽  
Land Cover Data ◽  
Ecological Patterns

Suburban neighborhoods are rapidly spreading globally. As such, there is an increasing need to study the environmental and ecological effects of suburbanization. At large spatial extents, from county-level to global, remote sensing-derived land cover data, such as the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD), have yielded insight into patterns of urbanization and concomitant large-scale ecological patterns in response. However, the components of suburban land cover (houses, yards, etc.) are dispersed throughout the landscape at a finer scale than the relatively coarse grain size (30m pixels) of NLCD may be able to detect. Our understanding of ecological processes in heterogeneous landscapes is reliant upon the accuracy and resolution of our measurements as well as the scale at which we measure the landscape. Analyses of ecological processes along suburban gradients are restricted by the currently available data. As ecologists are becoming increasingly interested in describing phenomena at spatial extents as small as individual households, we need higher-resolution landscape measurements. Here, I describe a simple method of translating the components of suburban landscapes into finer-grain, local land cover (LLC) data in GIS. Using both LLC and NLCD, I compare the suburban matrix surrounding ponds occupied by two different frog species. I illustrate large discrepancies in Forest, Yard, and Developed land cover estimates between LLC and NLCD, leading to markedly different interpretations of suburban landscape composition. NLCD, relative to LLC, estimates lower proportions of forest cover and higher proportions of anthropogenic land covers in general. These two land cover datasets provide surprisingly different descriptions of the suburban landscapes, potentially affecting our understanding of how organisms respond to an increasingly suburban world. LLC provides a free and detailed fine-grain depiction of the components of suburban neighborhoods and will allow ecologists to better explore heterogeneous suburban landscapes at multiple spatial scales.

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