Forest Carbon Management: a Review of Silvicultural Practices and Management Strategies Across Boreal, Temperate and Tropical Forests

Purpose of Review Carbon sequestration and storage in forest ecosystems is often promoted as a solution for reducing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Yet, our understanding is lacking regarding how forest management strategies affect the net removal of greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change mitigation. Here, we present a review of carbon sequestration and stock dynamics, following three strategies that are widely used in boreal, temperate and tropical forests: extensive forest management, intensive forest management and old-growth forest conservation. Recent Findings Several studies show that specific forest management strategies can improve carbon sequestration capacity and soil carbon storage. Within these studies, the old-growth forest conservation strategy results in greater carbon storage in soils than do extensive and intensive forest management. Intensive forest management enhances forest carbon sequestration capacity through afforestation using fast-growing species, mechanical soil preparation from low to moderate intensity and N fertilization. Extensive forest management is an intermediate compromise regarding carbon sequestration and soil carbon storage, between conservation and intensive forest management strategies. With respect to silvicultural treatments, partial cutting is a practice that increases forest carbon sequestration rates and maintains higher carbon storage in soils compared to clear-cuts. Each silvicultural practice that is discussed in this review showed a similar effect on forest carbon in all biomes, although the magnitude of these effects differs mainly in terms of heterotrophic respiration. Summary To achieve sustainable management and fulfill industrial demand and profitability, specific gaps must be dealt with to improve our scientific knowledge regarding forest carbon sequestration in a climate change context, mainly through the integration of the three aforementioned strategies in a functional zoning approach at the landscape scale. We present a review with promising strategies for guiding sustainable forest management in such a global context.

The forest environmental frontier in Russia: Between sustainable forest management discourses and ‘wood mining’ practice

With 20% of the world’s forests, Russia has global potential in bioeconomy development, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. However, unsustainable forest management based on ‘wood mining’ reduces this potential. Based on document analysis, participant observations and interviews, this article shows how non-state actors—environmental NGOs and forest companies—address forest resource depletion and primary forest loss in Russia. We analyse two key interrelated forest discourses driven by non-state actors in Russia: (1) intensive forest management in secondary forests as a pathway towards sustained yield and primary forest conservation; (2) intact forest landscapes as a priority in primary forest conservation. We illustrate how these discourses have been integrated into policy debates, institutions and practices and discuss their relation to relevant global discourses. The article concludes that despite successful cases in conserving intact forest landscapes, there is still a frontier between sustainable forest management discourses and forestry practice in Russia.

The Strong Position of Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) in Fertile Variants of Beech and Oak-Hornbeam Forests in the Light of Studies Conducted in the Sudetes

Silver fir is one of the longest living and tallest trees in Europe, it has major commercial importance and may be found in various communities predominantly connected with lower mountainous locations in Central Europe. One of the northernmost ranges in the region is the Sudetes. Currently, the once numerous fir is greatly dispersed, with just several specimens to be found together at one site on average. This drastic reduction in the number of specimens is mainly attributable to intensive forest management, based on the artificial cultivation of fir, conducted in the 19th and 20th centuries, and high industrial air pollution (mainly in the 20th c.). Because practically no firs have been cultivated for the last 200 years, the remaining sites of the species that are remnants of its bigger populations should be regarded as natural. This paper compares fir locations with areas of potential natural vegetation. The obtained results indicate that firs may grow in various types of habitats, with the preferred one being fertile beech woods and richer variants of oak-hornbeam forests. In our opinion, the presented findings are of great importance for the knowledge of the ecology of the species in question and for providing appropriate forest management.

Foraging Site Selection of the Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Leiopicus medius Linnaeus) in Primeval Oak-Lime-Hornbeam Forest of the Białowieża National Park: Comparison of Breeding and Non-Breeding Seasons

The distribution of the Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Leiopicus medius) is restricted to mature deciduous forests with large trees, mainly oaks (Quercus spp.). Intensive forest management resulted in the loss of many suitable habitats, thus resulting in a decline in the population of this species. This study aimed to identify the parameters of foraging sites in the breeding season (April to June) and in the non-breeding season (other months). The research was conducted in the primeval oak-lime-hornbeam forest of the Białowieża National Park, where foraging woodpeckers were observed and detailed parameters of foraging sites were recorded. During the breeding season woodpeckers foraged primarily on European hornbeams (Carpinus betulus L.), but in non-breeding season the use of this tree species decreased by a factor of two, whereas the use of Norway spruces (Picea abies Linnaeus) increased more than twice. The most preferred tree species as a foraging site in both seasons was pedunculate oak (Quercus robur Linnaeus). In the non-breeding season, woodpeckers foraged at sites located higher, and the foraging session was longer compared with the breeding season. In both seasons, woodpeckers preferred dead and large trees and prey gleaning from the tree surface was their dominant foraging technique. Our results confirmed the key role of oaks and large trees, but also revealed the importance of European hornbeams and Norway spruces as foraging sites for the Middle Spotted Woodpecker.

Quantifying the effects of multiple land management practices, land cover change, and wildfire on the California landscape carbon budget with an empirical model

The effectiveness of land-based climate mitigation strategies is generally estimated on a case-by-case basis without considering interactions with other strategies or influencing factors. Here we evaluate a new, comprehensive approach that incorporates interactions among multiple management strategies, land use/cover change, wildfire, and climate, although the potential effects of climate change are not evaluated in this study. The California natural and working lands carbon and greenhouse gas model (CALAND) indicates that summing individual practice estimates of greenhouse gas impacts may underestimate emission reduction benefits in comparison with an integrated estimate. Annual per-area estimates of the potential impact of specific management practices on landscape emissions can vary based on the estimation period, which can be problematic for extrapolating such estimates over space and time. Furthermore, the actual area of implementation is a primary factor in determining potential impacts of management on landscape emissions. Nonetheless, less intensive forest management, avoided conversion to urban land, and urban forest expansion generally create the largest annual per-area reductions, while meadow restoration and forest fuel reduction and harvest practices generally create the largest increases with respect to no management. CALAND also shows that data uncertainty is too high to determine whether California land is a source or a sink of carbon emissions, but that estimating effects of management with respect to a baseline provides valid results. Important sources of this uncertainty are initial carbon density, net ecosystem carbon accumulation rates, and land use/cover change data. The appropriate choice of baseline is critical for generating valid results.

Impacts of forest management on soil properties: a fundamental research topic for Mexico

Introduction: The increase in the intensity of wood harvesting has a negative influence on ecosystem functions of soils in temperate and boreal forests. Objective: To understand the impacts of intensive and extensive forest management methods on the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils, and consequences on nutrient availability and stabilization processes in temperate and boreal forests. Results and discussion: Intensive forest management methods can generate greater imbalance in the processes of availability and stabilization of nutrients, compared to selective methods. The impact is reflected in the deterioration of soil structure and the decrease of nutrient reserves and microbial communities. These damages affect fertility and functionality of soil, decreasing long-term productivity. Affectations depend on the intensity of biomass extracted, environmental conditions and site preparation. This makes evident the need to monitor forest management and its impact on soil ecology in temperate forests, which maintains long-term productivity and ensures the availability of wood volumes. Conclusion: In Mexico, the impact of forest management has been scarcely analyzed and it is indispensable to understand the functional changes in the processes that determine soil fertility and forest productivity.

Reforestation by Seedlings and Saplings: Challenges and Solutions

Despite the urgent need to accelerate the development of intensive forest management and reforestation technologies in Russia, the problem of creating progressive technologies and techniques to increase the efficiency of reforestation by seedlings and saplings of forest crops has not been completely resolved, which are serious challenges for accelerated and high-quality reforestation. Of particular concern is the lack of patented equipment competitive in the domestic and foreign markets for reforestation by seedlings and saplings of forest crops that can accelerate the creation of highly productive forests. To answer these challenges, it is proposed as a tool for the synthesis of patentable solutions that increase the efficiency of forest regeneration by seedlings and saplings of forest crops, to use the knowledge base formed on the basis of patent information search and the author’s methodology of functional, structural and technological analysis. A classification of the main areas of patenting in this area is proposed. The most characteristic patented objects of technologies and equipment that can be used as analogues and prototypes for the synthesis and patenting of new intellectual property for planting seedlings/saplings, as well as business entities patenting in this area, are identified. The effects (goals) for the achievement of which the technical solutions incorporated in the patents are directed are revealed. Using the generated knowledge base and the FSTA methodology, a synthesis of new patentable technical solutions has been carried out. Its features and some results are given on the example of several basic objects of machines and manual devices for planting seedlings/saplings. It is proved that the application of the proposed methodology to the selected object for improving the processes of planting seedlings/saplings is effective, which is confirmed by the development and patenting of fundamentally new technical solutions for equipping forest regeneration with seedlings and saplings of forest crops.

Key Elements of the White-Backed Woodpecker’s (Dendrocopos leucotos lilfordi) Habitat in Its European South-Western Limits

In the last decade, the population of the white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos lilfordi) (WBW) in Navarre has been reduced mainly due to the loss of suitable habitat for this species from intensive forest management, leading almost to its extinction. This study aimed to identify the key structural elements of breeding habitats of the WBW and analyze their effect on the composition of the saproxylic fungi community within the habitats. In the Special Area of Conservation, namely Quinto Real in Navarre, 20 circular plots (500 m2) and 10 transects (150–300 m) were located inside and outside WBW territories. Within each sample plot, forest structure, deadwood, microhabitats, regeneration, and saproxylic fungi community were studied. The results showed that the key elements in the WBW territories were high trees, high diversity of deadwood (with a high presence of big and late-decay deadwood), high snag volume, and high microhabitat diversity. Although the past management is also evident in the variability of some of those characteristics, this species is well adapted to different structural and compositional conditions of the territory. The saproxylic fungi community was richer among the WBW territories, and in those areas, the presence of Fomes fomentarius was high, compared to non-WBW territories where it was not present. In conclusion, to maintain and protect the studied population, it is necessary to implement sustainable management that guarantees the conservation of the key elements for the WBW territories (structural heterogeneity and high deadwood diversity) in order to increase the suitability of the habitat for WBWs.