Developing a set of key performance indicators for monitoring sustainability of forest functions in the Hyrcanian forests

This study identifies key performance indicators for monitoring the sustainability of forest functions in the northern forests of Iran. This process was conducted in two phases through the Delphi method, and Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM). The Delphi method classified indicators according to two properties, importance and measurability. These were used to identify four classes: (a) important and measurable, (b) important and less measurable, (c) less important and measurable, (d) less important and less measurable. Indicators placed in groups (a) and (b) were then used to develop a set of key performance indicators using FCM. The FCM enabled the evaluation of the overall cumulative impacts of all indicators within the network, individually and collectively, through their interactions with other indicators. The selected methods and possible application of the key performance indicators could be used to determine how to achieve the sustainable management of a forest area.

Soil Fungal Community Structure in Boreal Pine Forests: From Southern to Subarctic Areas of Finland

The boreal forest environment plays an important role in the global C cycle due to its high carbon storage capacity. However, relatively little is known about the forest fungal community at a regional scale in boreal forests. In the present study, we have re-analyzed the data from our previous studies and highlighted the core fungal community composition and potential functional groups in three forests dominated by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Finland, and identified the fungal generalists that appear across geographic locations despite differences in local conditions. The three forests represent subarctic, northern and southern boreal forest, and are all in an un-managed state without human interference or management. The subarctic and northern areas are subject to reindeer grazing. The results showed that the three locations formed distinct fungal community structures (P < 0.05). Compared to the two northern locations, the southern boreal forest harbored a greater abundance of Zygomycota, Lactarius, Mortierella Umbelopsis, and Tylospora, in which aspect there were no differences between the two northern forests. Cortinarius, Piloderma, and Suillus were the core fungal genera in the boreal Scots pine forest. Functionally, the southern boreal forest harbored a greater abundance of saprotroph, endophytes and fungal parasite-lichen, whereas a greater abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi was observed in the northern boreal forests. Moreover, the pathotroph and wood saprotrophs were commonly present in these three regions. The three locations formed two distinct fungal community functional structures, by which the southern forest was clearly separated from the two northern forests, suggesting a distance–decay relationship via geographic location. This study provides useful information for better understanding the common fungal communities and functions in boreal forests in different geographical locations.

Partnerships to Take on Climate Change: Adaptation Forestry and Conifer Strongholds Projects in the Northwoods, Minnesota, USA

Northeastern Minnesota forests are vulnerable to declines in boreal tree species at their southern range limits. Temperate tree species may have a competitive advantage in this region as the climate warms. Enhancing the adaptive capacity of northern forests requires a multifaceted approach, one that involves cooperative relations given the region’s complex ownership patterns. In this context, a nongovernment conservation organization and public land-management agencies are partnering to test climate-informed forest management approaches, including: (1) Resilience, targeting northern conifer planting at “climate-resilient sites” with suitable microclimates to sustain boreal species over time; (2) Transition, catalyzing the shift to a temperate forest matrix using within-range plantings of native, climate-adapted tree species. Deployed together, Resilience and Transition strategies can help the Northwoods shift towards future forest conditions. Results from this work will help land managers make informed decisions about forest management and enhance landscape resilience in a changing climate.

Music and Northern Forest Cultures

This article argues that it is critical to recognize the importance of northern forests in Finno-Ugric musical contexts (Finnish and Karelian) by focusing on the question of cultural survival, which is connected with thinking about global challenges, including climate change and environmental pressure. The discussion highlights cultural survival by outlining the significance of the forest, the politics of language transmission with reference to the Kalevala (the Finnish national epic), Sibelius’s nature-based aesthetic (especially in Tapiola, 1926), and the evocation of the forest in contemporary folk and popular music. Overall, the main aims are to consider the resilience of northern forest cultures in the nexus of music, language, and ecology, and to emphasize that resilience cannot be taken for granted under environmental pressure.

Mapping the Commons in Istanbul

In the study, bids for Üçüncü Köprü (The Third Bridge), Üçüncü Havalimanı (The Third Airport), and link roads in Northern Forests will be examined to map urban commons in Istanbul. Two coordinates will be followed for mapping urban commons. First coordinate is the conceptual one which regulates the differences of fundamental conceptions relating to urban commons. At this level, use value will be analyzed in terms of public benefit which is in regard to basic features of urban commons. In second coordinate, urban spaces including exchange value and privately owned such as bridges, roads, airports and highways will be analyzed in terms of infrastructure finance. The aim of the study is discussing the “tragedy of commons” within the context of investments to be made for the urban commons and bringing into question the future of urban commons upon the basis of Istanbul example.