An Improved GM(1,1) Model of Marketization of Forest Ecological Compensation based on Health-Cultivation Industry

In the context of supply-side structual reform, the marketization of forest ecological compensation is an inevitable requirement under the market economy. The forest health-cultivation industry, which explores the new method to utilize the forestry resources, is a new direction of forestry firms and is the production of supply-side structural reform. From the perspective of forest health-cultivation industry, this essay explores the possibility of the marketization of forest ecological compensation based on forest health-cultivation industry, and predicts the willingness of people to pay for the ecological service by using the original number of tourists in forestry tourism and leisure industry tourism between 2010 and 2015 and adopting the improved GM (1,1) model. The result shows that people’s willingness is increasing. It is predicted that, by 2023, the number of tourists in forestry tourism and leisure industry tourism will reach 8.98 billion. The development of forest health-cultivation industry has introduced the market mechanism for forestry development, which makes up for the deficiency of the existing compensation mechanism characterized by low compensation standards and single channel of funding. The increase of people’s demand for ecological tourism and the boom of forest health-cultivation industry which provide a new opportunity for the marketization and diversification of forest ecological compensation mechanism.

Contrasting protist communities (Cercozoa: Rhizaria) in pristine and earthworm-invaded North American deciduous forests

Earthworms are considered ecosystem engineers due to their fundamental impact on soil structure, soil processes and on other soil biota. An invasion of non-native earthworm species has altered soils of North America since European settlement, a process currently expanding into still earthworm-free forest ecosystems due to continuous spread and increasing soil temperatures owing to climate change. Although earthworms are known to modify soil microbial diversity and activity, it is as yet unclear how eukaryote consumers in soil microbial food webs will be affected. Here, we investigated how earthworm invasion affects the diversity of Cercozoa, one of the most dominant protist taxa in soils. Although the composition of the native cercozoan community clearly shifted in response to earthworm invasion, the communities of the different forests showed distinct responses. We identified 39 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) exclusively indicating earthworm invasion, hinting at an earthworm-associated community of Cercozoa. In particular, Woronina pythii, a hyper-parasite of plant-parasitic Oomycota in American forests, increased strongly in the presence of invasive earthworms, indicating an influence of invasive earthworms on oomycete communities and potentially on forest health, which requires further research.

TINGKAT KESEHATAN HUTAN MANGROVE DALAM HUBUNGANNYA DENGAN PERUBAHAN IKLIM (Studi Kasus Mangrove Pesisir Timur Kabupaten Lampung Timur)

The condition of mangrove forests on the east coast of East Lampung Regency is currently experiencing degradation and has suffered a lot of damage due to various causes and problems it faces. This condition causes the role and benefits and functions of mangrove forests to decrease, especially in climate change. Therefore, to determine the condition of the mangrove forest, periodic monitoring and assessment of mangrove forest health is required. The purpose of this study was to determine the importance of mangrove forest health in climate change. To achieve this, the stages include: determining the number of plot clusters to be made, making cluster plots, measuring the health of mangrove forests based on ecological indicators of mangrove forest health, processing and analyzing mangrove forest health data using SIPUT (Assessment Information System) software. Forest Health), and categorization and health assessment of mangrove forests. The results of this study indicate that the condition of mangrove forests on the East coast of East Lampung Regency in general has a forest health condition in the medium category. So, knowing the health condition of mangrove forests will affect climate change. Forest health makes mangrove plants grow with good physiological processes so that they can absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere optimally. These conditions will make the environment better.

Diversity and Distribution of Forest Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Nepal: Implications for Sustainable Forest Management

The information available on the diversity of ant species and their distribution and interaction with forest health in Nepal remains limited. As part of a nationwide project on forest health, we conducted inventories to assess the diversity and distribution of forest ants and their role in forest management in Nepal. Ants were collected from 187 plots of 10 m × 10 m size along the north–south belt transects in eastern, central, and western Nepal. We used vegetation beating, sweeping, and hand collection methods in selected forest types. In each transect, we designed six plots in each major forest type (Sal, Schima–Castanopsis, and broadleaf mixed forests) and three plots each in deodar, Alnus, riverine, and Cryptomeria forests. We recorded 70 ant species from 36 genera and six subfamilies. This includes five genera and nine species new for the country, as well as eight tramp species, four of which are major ecological, agricultural, and/or household pests. Our study indicates that forest ant species richness is high in western Nepal and the Siwaliks, and it decreases as elevation increases. The high diversity of ant species in the forests of Nepal needs to be assessed with further exploration using multiple sampling methods covering all seasons and forest types. Ants can be useful indicators for ecosystem management and human impacts on forests. Reports of invasive ants in Nepalese forests indicate the relevance of urgent interventions through sustainable forest management initiatives to prevent future incursions.

Mountain Pine Beetle Impacts on Health through Lost Forest Air Pollutant Sinks

The mountain pine beetle (MPB) destroys millions of coniferous trees annually throughout Western US forests. Coniferous forests are important air pollutant sinks, removing pollutants from the air such as PM2.5 (particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter), O3 (ozone), SO2 (sulfur dioxide), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide), and CO (carbon monoxide). In this paper, US Forest Service data on MPB tree mortality in the Western US is combined with a forest air pollution model (i-Tree Eco) and standard health impact functions to assess the human mortality and morbidity impacts of MPB-induced tree mortality. Modeling results suggest considerable spatial and temporal heterogeneity of impacts across the Western US. On average, MPB is associated with 10.0–15.7 additional deaths, 6.5–40.4 additional emergency room (ER) visits, and 2.2–10.5 additional hospital admissions per year over 2005–2011 due to lost PM2.5 sinks. For every 100 trees killed by MPB, the average PM2.5 mortality health costs are $418 (2019$). Impacts on other criteria pollutants are also estimated. Several sensitivity checks are performed on model inputs. These results have important policy implications for MPB management and on our understanding of the complex couplings between forest pests, forest health, and human health.

Ipid bark beetle population assessment and threats to weaken pine stands in Central Russia

The data on the ipid bark beetle population growth in pine plantations of Central Russia in 2020 was recorded. The formation of favorable weather conditions for the development of this depredator in some regions was recorded, which greatly influenced the successful development of the insect population in plantations, in particular in the Pskov, Vladimir, Moscow, Bryansk, Lipetsk, and Ryazan regions. In some areas, a medium and low spread of the bark beetle was revealed. The influence of meteorological conditions on the flight activity of the insect and the probability of the mass reproduction foci formation under the 2020 weather conditions were analyzed. The results of the study formed the basis for the forecast preparation of the sanitary and forest health state. It is recommended to use the materials of the article to determine the optimal period for carrying out measures to protect pine plantations from the ipid bark beetle.

Sanitary and forest health monitoring of forested area in Kaliningrad region

The data on the sanitary and forest health of monitoring of the forested area in the Kaliningrad region are presented. The influence of the main factors on the sanitary and forest health of plantations for the period from 2017 to 2019 is considered, considering forest fires, unfavorable weather and soil-climatic conditions, the foci of pests and diseases, as well as anthropogenic and non-pathogenic factors. Their threat to forest plantations is analyzed. The main reasons for the forest plantations death in the Kaliningrad region are highlighted, they are negative weather and soil-climatic conditions (65 % of the total damaged area) as well as diseases. The study results of the forested areas with the established weakening and dying, the distribution of foci of pests and diseases are presented. The main insect pest, i.e. typographer bark beetle (Ips typographus), has been determined. The absence of insects as forest pests, listed in the Red Data Books of the Russian Federation and the Kaliningrad Region, and classified as quarantine pests, was recorded. The impact of negative factors causing the weakening (drying out) of forest plantations in the Kaliningrad region has been analyzed, it is recommended to conduct forest health monitoring, sanitary and recreational activities, perform reclamation work, strengthen control over the timing and quality of forest protection measures, and sanitary cuttings in particular, by the authority executive power of the subject and its subordinate institutions.

Cross-Cultural Leadership Enables Collaborative Approaches to Management of Kauri Dieback in Aotearoa New Zealand

In Aotearoa/New Zealand, the soilborne pathogen Phytophthora agathidicida threatens the survival of the iconic kauri, and the ecosystem it supports. In 2011, a surveillance project to identify areas of kauri dieback caused by Phytophthora agathidicida within the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park (WRRP) highlighted the potential impact of the pathogen. A repeat of the surveillance in 2015/16 identified that approximately a quarter of the kauri area within the Regional Park was infected or possibly infected, an increase from previous surveys. The surveillance program mapped 344 distinct kauri areas and showed that 33.4% of the total kauri areas were affected or potentially affected by kauri dieback and over half (58.3%) of the substantial kauri areas (above 5 ha in size) were showing symptoms of kauri dieback. Proximity analysis showed 71% of kauri dieback zones to be within 50 m of the track network. Spatial analysis showed significantly higher proportions of disease presence along the track network compared to randomly generated theoretical track networks. Results suggest that human interaction is assisting the transfer of Phytophthora agathidicida within the area. The surveillance helped trigger the declaration of a cultural ban (rāhui) on recreational access. Te Kawerau ā Maki, the iwi of the area, placed a rāhui over the kauri forest eco-system of the Waitākere Forest (Te Wao Nui o Tiriwa) in December 2017. The purpose of the rāhui was to help prevent the anthropogenic spread of kauri dieback, to provide time for investment to be made into a degraded forest infrastructure and for research to be undertaken, and to help protect and support forest health (a concept encapsulated by the term mauri). Managing the spread and impact of the pathogen remains an urgent priority for this foundation species in the face of increasing pressures for recreational access. Complimentary quantitative and qualitative research programs into track utilization and ecologically sensitive design, collection of whakapapa seed from healthy and dying trees, and remedial phosphite treatments are part of the cross-cultural and community-enabled biosecurity initiatives to Kia Toitu He Kauri “Keep Kauri Standing”.

Monitoring Fine-Scale Forest Health Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Multispectral Models

Forest disturbances—driven by pests, pathogens, and discrete events—have led to billions of dollars in lost ecosystem services and management costs. To understand the patterns and severity of these stressors across complex landscapes, there must be an increase in reliable data at scales compatible with management actions. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS or UAV) offer a capable platform for collecting local scale (e.g., individual tree) forestry data. In this study, we evaluate the capability of UAS multispectral imagery and freely available National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery for differentiating coniferous healthy, coniferous stressed, deciduous healthy, deciduous stressed, and degraded individual trees throughout a complex, mixed-species forests. These methods are first compared to assessments of crown vigor in the field, to evaluate the potential in supplementing this resource intensive practice. This investigation uses the random forest and support vector machine (SVM) machine learning algorithms to classify the imagery into the five forest health classes. Using the random forest classifier, the UAS imagery correctly classified five forest Health classes with an overall accuracy of 65.43%. Using similar methods, the high-resolution airborne NAIP imagery achieved an overall accuracy of 50.50% for the five health classes, a reduction of 14.93%. When these classes were generalized to healthy, stressed, and degraded trees, the accuracy improved to 71.19%, using UAS imagery, and 70.62%, using airborne imagery. Further analysis into the precise calibration of UAS multispectral imagery, a refinement of image segmentation methods, and the fusion of these data with more widely distributed remotely sensed imagery would further enhance the potential of these methods to more effectively and efficiently collect forest health information from the UAS instead of using field methods.

Phytochemicals as Biopesticides against the Pinewood Nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus: A Review on Essential Oils and Their Volatiles

The impacts of a rapidly changing environment together with the growth in global trade activities has promoted new plant pest pandemic events in forest ecosystems. The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, causes strong worldwide economic and ecological impacts. Direct control is performed through trunk injection of powerful nematicides, however many of these (hemi)synthetic compounds have raised ecological and human health concerns for affecting non-target species and accumulating in food products. As sustainable alternatives, essential oils (EOs) have shown very promising results. In this work, available literature on the direct activity of EOs against PWN is reviewed, as a contribution to advance the search for safer and greener biopesticides to be used in sustainable PWD pest management strategies. For the first time, important parameters concerning the bioassays performed, the PWNs bioassayed, and the EOs used are summarized and comparatively analyzed. Ultimately, an overview of the chemical composition of the most active EOs allowed to uncover preliminary guidelines for anti-PWN EO efficiency. The analysis of important information on the volatile phytochemicals composing nematicidal EOs provides a solid basis to engineer sustainable biopesticides capable of controlling the PWN under an integrated pest management framework and contributes to improved forest health.