A concept in adaptive ecosystem management—An engineering perspective

Uncertainty how ecosystems will behave and look like in the future has been increasing. Several concepts, such as sustainable, adaptive, or risk-based management, were proposed to cope with uncertain, incomplete knowledge, and with changing environmental conditions. However, there is a lack of agreement what those concepts mean and how they differ from traditional forest management approaches. The paper aims at (1) exploring general systems theory, control theory, and risk management theory for general principles that may be guiding the future development of ecosystem management, and that (2) developing a concept in adaptive ecosystem management that may act as a shared mental model for both scholars and practitioners.     

恢复生态学理论对退化生态系统恢复的重要性

本文综述了恢复生态学的概念、研究对象、研究内容，并应用恢复生态学理论对几类退化生态系统(湿地，喀斯特，采矿地，荒漠)的恢复和重建进行论述。表明退化生态系统的恢复是以恢复生态学理论为依据的，恢复生态学理论对退化生态系统的恢复和重建起到积极的指导作用。恢复生态学的理论基础是生态演替，退化生态系统恢复的实质是群落演替。在此理论指导下。首先排除干扰，再建立生产者、消费者、分解者和微环境系统对退化生态系统进行生态恢复。     

混农林业:一条发展林业的有效途径

本文将生态系统工程原理作为现代混农林业的理论基础,提出了规划设计现代混农林业生产体系的基本步骤和方法。作者分析了现代林业和传统林业的本质区别,认为把农、林和土地利用有机结合起来,因地制宜,建立生产力高、综合效益大、稳定持续的混农林业生产体系,是发展现代林业的一条有效途径。     

树木生态作用刍议

森林是人类经济社会生态安全的重要保障。树木是森林的主要组成部分,是森林生态效益的物质基础。树木的生态作用表现在,树木是森林生态系统中最主要的初级生产力;树木是森林生态系统中矿物质元素循环的有力保障;树木能有效提高降水有效性;树木是森林生态系统稳定的基石。在林业生态建设中,必须围绕树木看待问题,以树木在森林生态中的主体地位为出发点,才能避免重大失误。     

生态问题与森林生态系统管理

从当代生态问题的严峻形势出发,分析了生态问题的形成,与人类对生态过程的认识.进而从生态系统管理的基本概念出发,提出森林生态系统管理研究的重大意义,并从理论到实践上提出了研究森林生态系统的一些基本原则.     

城市生态系统健康评价研究进展

生态系统健康理念越来越被社会所认同,本文在查阅国内外有关生态系统健康文献的基础上,综述了城市生态系统健康的发展过程、概念、指标、评价方法,旨在对城市生态系统实施可持续性管理和合理利用,为生态社会、经济的整合与协调及城市森林生态系统健康评价等提供参考。       

Moving from descriptive to predictive ecology

The science of ecology is undergoing many important shifts in emphasis and perspective which have important implications for its role in designing sustainable farming systems. In particular, a shift has occurred from the equilibrium paradigm to one which recognises the dynamic, non-equilibrium nature of ecosystems. Allied to this is the recognition that ecosystems can occur in any one of a number of alternative stable states, depending on the disturbance and management history. An increased emphasis on spatial patchiness in ecosystems has also emerged as appropriate tools have emerged to analyse spatial mosaics. These features have led to a recognition that considerable uncertainty is associated with the outcome of any particular ecosystem modification; hence predictive capacity is also low. Recent considerations of the interrelation between biodiversity and ecosystem function have also explored the questions of how many species need to be in a system to fulfil certain functions and confer resilience. We identify a set of steps that are required for the development of an agricultural system based on mimicking natural ecosystems. Central to this is identifying (1) the functions which are currently suboptimal in the agricultural system, and (2) the species which have key functional roles in the natural system, and then reaching decisions as to the array of species needed to confer system function and resilience.     

商品竹林植物型复合经营理论与实践及其研究进展

为维护商品竹林立地生产力持久发挥和稳定,提高竹林生态系统稳定性和多功能效益,促进竹林高效可持续经营,在分析现行竹林经营中存在的主要问题基础上,按照生态系统综合管理原则,明确了实施竹林复合经营的必要性,介绍了商品竹林复合经营的概念与目标,阐述了竹林植物型复合经营的理论基础及其实践经验,提出了超高产复合经营植物材料选育、高效栽培模式与技术、生态系统稳定性和效益发挥评价等竹林植物型复合经营的重点研究领域与方向。     

Attitudes Toward Joint Forest Planning Among Private Landowners

Abstract

On fragmented forest lands, ecosystem or landscape management approaches must cut across multiple ownerships. Therefore, communication and joint planning between neighboring landowners may be necessary for successful implementation of ecosystem management. This study examines landowners' interest in, and attitude toward, ecosystem management. Specifically, we use a survey and logistic regression model to explain landowner interest in joint planning as a proxy for their interest in ecosystem management. Survey results show that almost 70% of the landowners are interested in joint planning. However, most landowners require certain conditions be met before they would participate. Variables pertaining to attitudes and beliefs about ecosystem management or property rights, and receiving incentives for cooperation across the landscape are more important than demographic, land management, or spatial characteristics in explaining landowners' interest in joint planning. Landowners who believe in managing forests for environmental, wildlife and water quality as well as timber are more likely to be interested. The primary concern of those interested in joint planning is the impact it may have on their timber and/or land values. Planners who develop ecosystem management approaches that involve landowner cooperation should make the environmental impacts and benefits clear, and ensure that it will not reduce land and timber values.     

森林工程审核的作用和基本思路

森林工程审核是森林工程实施的重要环节,其审核的作用是充分发挥森林经营组织在森林工程实施中的主导作用,有利于工程项目的优化和实施,为主管部门审批和工程管理提供支撑。森林工程审核的基本思路为：以森林工程对森林生态系统作用效应为切入点,获得森林工程生态系统作用效应的作用因素和作用时象,提出森林工程生态系统作用效应的目标指标体系,将“作用因素和作用对象”对照“目标指标体系”进行评价,提出森林工程生态系统作用效应最佳的优化方案。     

城市绿化中竹子的优势及耗散结构理论应用探讨

竹子在城市绿化中的应用,具有生长适应性、种类多样性、文化内涵、生态和社会效益等方面的明显优势;城市竹林生态系统是一种耗散结构,通过优化竹种、优化配置、加强管理、增加生物多样性等方面可提高系统的负熵流,提高城市竹林生态效率;同时,加强城市绿化竹种育种、生态机制等方面研究,为城市竹子绿化提供有效指导。     

森林工程与森林生态系统保护

森林工程体系的基本框架包括木材采伐工程、迹地更新造林工程、抚育采伐工程、低效林改造工程、林内路桥工程和装备系统工程。策划和实施森林工程时应遵循的两个基本原则,一是森林工程活动将森林生态系统保护置于首要位置,二是森林工程工艺系统要与作业区域的生态系统保持一致。由于森林生态系统群落结构及其生态过程决定森林生态系统功能,所以森林工程实施时,森林生态系统群落结构保护要着眼于群落结构的连续性和多样性,生物多样性保护要着眼于目的树种、珍稀濒危物种保护和生境保护,森林生态系统环境保护要着眼于水土流失、土壤和地质性灾害。     

Biodiversity and the lexicon zoo

Ecologists and natural resource managers struggle to define and relate biodiversity, biocomplexity, ecological integrity, ecosystem services, and related concepts; to describe effects of disturbance dynamics on biodiversity; and to understand how biodiversity relates to resilience, resistance, and stability of ecosystems and sustainability of resource conditions. Further diversifying this “lexicon zoo” are the ecological roles of rare species and refugia, and measures of surrogates and indicators of biodiversity parameters. To impart order on this lexicon zoo, a “concept map” framework is suggested for clearly defining biodiversity parameters and related terms, relating biodiversity to ecosystem services and sustainability, describing how disturbance affects biodiversity, and identifying biodiversity parameters for management and monitoring. Many relations among these concepts are poorly understood in managed forest environments and are presented here as testable tenets.     

Guiding Principles for Small-Scale Forestry in a Watershed of the Venezuelan Andes: Constraints and Opportunities

In the Venezuelan Andes, some small-scale forest plantations have become an important resource basis for forest management. In this paper, the forestry management progress in the Mucujún river watershed is analyzed. Constraints and opportunities for sustainable management within national policies, local regulations, environmental features and social benefits are also examined. Plantation assessment, and biophysical, legal and socioeconomics information, are used for guiding small-scale forestry practices in this watershed, with emphasis on the main principles of landscape management. These plantations have become an important part of the socio-ecological landscapes with potential for wood production—in the context of low intensity and low environmental impact environmental services and amenity—because of the two protected areas within the watershed. Current forest stand conditions, however, reflect that management requires improvement. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that improvement of local livelihoods may be achieved with a small-scale forestry approach, taking properly into account the basic criteria of social involvement and management of planted forests, while maintaining ecosystem services including biodiversity and water supply.     

Anthropogenic alterations of genetic diversity within tree populations: Implications for forest ecosystem resilience

Healthy forests provide many of the essential ecosystem services upon which all life depends. Genetic diversity is an essential component of long-term forest health because it provides a basis for adaptation and resilience to environmental stress and change. In addition to natural processes, numerous anthropogenic factors deplete forest genetic resources. Genetic losses could be particularly consequential now because robust resilience is needed to respond to a growing number, variety, and frequency of stress exposures. Silvicultural management that selectively removes trees (and their genes) from forests may be another force reshaping forest gene pools. Although data concerning the influence of silvicultural management on genetic resources in temperate forests is somewhat mixed, through the genetic assessment of long-term silvicultural treatments within an eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forest, and computer-based simulated harvests of a genetically mapped eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) stand, we found that the selective removal of trees can alter gene frequencies. Due to an association with phenotypic characteristics used to guide harvests, the frequencies of rare alleles appeared particularly vulnerable to manipulation. Depending on the selection criteria used, rare allele frequencies either remained steady, decreased, or increased relative to study controls. Although harvest-associated genetic losses are possible, our data suggests that management can also sustain or enhance genetic richness. Similar to studies within temperate ecosystems, recent research in tropical forests underscores the potential influence of harvesting on the genetics of tree populations. In addition to efforts to reduce controllable sources of ecosystem stress (e.g., high pollutant exposures), management options should be evaluated that may bolster forest ecosystem resilience by preserving levels of genetic diversity within forests.     

Soil community composition and ecosystem processes: Comparing agricultural ecosystems with natural ecosystems

Soil organisms play principal roles in several ecosystem functions, i.e. promoting plant productivity, enhancing water relations, regulating nutrient mineralisation, permitting decomposition, and acting as an environmental buffer. Agricultural soils would more closely resemble soils of natural ecosystems if management practices would reduce or eliminate cultivation, heavy machinery, and general biocides; incorporate perennial crops and organic material; and synchronise nutrient release and water availability with plant demand. In order to achieve these goals, research must be completed to develop methods for successful application of organic materials and associated micro-organisms, synchronisation of management practices with crop and soil biota phenology, and improve our knowledge of the mechanisms linking species to ecosystem processes. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

论城市生态管理

城市是一类以环境为体、经济为用、生态为纲、文化为常的社会、经济、自然复合生态体。城市生态管理是基于城市及其周围地区生态系统承载能力的走向可持续发展的一种自整合、自适应过程,旨在促进城乡及区域生态环境向绿化、净化、美化、活化的可持续的生态系统演变。       

The value of six key soil variables for incorporation into a South African forest site classification system

The intensive nature of management practices in the exotic monoculture plantations of South Africa requires reliable decision support systems. Recent socio-economic developments, the need for optimal forest productivity, as well as increasing awareness of broader ecosystem values and environmental risks, highlight the importance of a unified approach to forest site classification and evaluation. This paper highlights the value of specific soil characteristics and its application value for a range of silviculture and management aspects related to site-specific forestry. A limited set of six soil variables are proposed for ecological mapping of forest landscapes at high-resolution operational-level scales. The variables proposed are parent material, soil classification, effective soil depth, depth limiting material, topsoil organic matter and topsoil texture. Each variable is discussed in terms of its significance as well as relevance to plantation forestry in South Africa. Shortcomings in our knowledge base and research requirements are highlighted, and the format of incorporation into a national forest site classification system is proposed. This paper will contribute to unity of purpose and understanding of forest site classification and evaluation in South Africa, and will promote management frameworks and decision support systems with desired environmental, economic and social benefits.     

An Ecological Framework for Planning for Forest Health

Concerns for maintaining biodiversity have led to the adoption of ecosystem management as the paradigm for federal land management. This approach will identify desired future conditions as the goal for management, based on ecological objectives for a given landscape. Some management efforts attempt to identify desired future conditions based on existing successional stages as defined by a classification of overstory vegetation types. Such an approach ignores most of the underlying ecological parameters of the landscape, and is inadequate for identifying past disturbance regimes and future successional pathways. An assessment of desired future conditions based on an ecological classification system is essential to overcome these inadequacies. The strategy proposed in this paper uses an appropriate ecological land classification, based on either ecological land types or habitat types, included in a broader hierarchical classification system. It also uses a vegetation map of existing overstory vegetation. These two maps are overlaid to generate polygons of ecological units that can then be used to create an ecosystem diversity matrix. Each polygon (stand) can be evaluated as to its composition and structure relative to its possible placement within the ecosystem diversity matrix through comparisons with historical ranges of variability. The overall ecosystem diversity matrix can then be examined in terms of the distribution of successional stages within each habitat type or ecological land type. The goal should be to maintain at least adequate ecological representation of all successional stages within each habitat type that occurred historically, based on past disturbance regimes. Adequate ecological representation is defined as sufficient size and distribution of inherent ecosystems to maintain viable populations of all endemic species dependent on these ecosystems. This approach can maintain and enhance regional biodiversity, but also maintain flexibility in land management options.