Effects of landscape structure and forest reserve location on old-growth forest bird species in Northern Finland

Old-growth forest birds in Fennoscandia have sharply declined in numbers during the last decades apparently due to commercial forest harvesting and fragmentation of old-growth forests. Conservation measures have led to the establishment of a forest reserve network to assure the persistence of forest birds at a regional scale. However, little is known about the effects of landscape structure within and around the reserves on the distribution of old-growth forest birds. We used a hierarchical approach to address the questions of how landscape structure and composition within forest reserves, landscape composition of surrounding areas and reserve location affect the abundance of resident, old-growth forest birds in the Northern Finnish forest reserve network. The positive role of particular landscape features on bird distribution indicates that both the proportion of old-growth forests and the structure of boreal landscape mosaic has an important role in determining the distribution of these birds. The landscape composition surrounding the reserves proved to be only a weak predictor in species distribution models, which argues against the primary role of the surrounding matrix in determining species distribution within forest reserves. Reserves located near the Russian border showed a higher abundance of old-growth birds than more western ones. Once east-west gradients in overall landscape composition had been accounted for, however, reserves did not differ significantly in the number of species present. These results suggest that landscape gradients, rather than ecological processes such as the presence of source areas located along the border with Russia, are the main determinant of the distribution of old-growth forest birds in the Finnish reserve network. We propose that to enhance regional persistence of old-growth forest birds, conservation efforts should be primarily directed towards the protection and enhancement of forest habitat quality and natural heterogeneity of landscapes within targeted areas. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Land use history (1840–2005) and physiography as determinants of southern boreal forests

Land use history has altered natural disturbance dynamics, causing widespread modifications of the earth’s forests. The aim of this study is to reconstruct a regional, spatially-explicit, fire and logging history for a large southern boreal forest landscape (6,050 km²) of eastern Canada. We then examined the long-term influence of land use history, fires, and physiographical gradients on the area’s disturbances regimes, present-day age structure and tree species composition. Spatially-explicit fire (1820–2005) and logging (1900–2005) histories were reconstructed from forestry maps, terrestrial forest inventories and historical records (local newspapers, travel notes, regional historical reviews). Logistic regression was used to model the occurrence of major boreal tree species at the regional scale, in relation to their disturbance history and physiographical variables. The interplay of elevation and fire history was found to explain a large part of the present-day distribution of the four species studied. We conclude that human-induced fires following the colonization activities of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have increased fire frequency and the dominance of fire-adapted species at lower elevations. At higher elevations, the low historical fire frequency has fostered the dominance of fire-sensitive species. Twentieth-century forestry practices and escaped settlement fires have generated a forest landscape dominated by younger forest habitats than in presettlement times. The expected increase of wildfire activity in North America’s eastern boreal forest, in conjunction with continued forest management, could have significant consequences on the resilience of boreal forests.     

Impacts of selective logging on tree diversity across a rainforest landscape: the importance of spatial scale

Selective logging of tropical forests imposes spatial pattern on the landscape by creating a mosaic of patches affected by different intensities of disturbance. To understand the ecological impacts of selective logging it is therefore necessary to explore how patterns of tree species composition are affected by this patchy disturbance. This study examines the impacts of selective logging on species composition and spatial patterns of vegetation structure and tree diversity in Sabah, Borneo. We compare tree diversity between logged and unlogged forest at three scales: species richness within plots, species turnover among plots, and total species richness and composition of plots combined. Logging had no effect on tree diversity measured at the smallest scale. Logged forest had a greater rate of species turnover with distance, so at a large spatial scale it supported more tree species than the relatively homogeneous unlogged area. Tree species composition also differed significantly between the two types of forest, with more small dipterocarps and large pioneers in logged forest, and more large dipterocarps in unlogged forest. Our results emphasize the importance of sampling at a sufficiently large scale to represent patterns of biodiversity within tropical forest landscapes. Large areas of production forest in SE Asia are threatened with conversion to commercial crops; our findings show that selectively logged forest can retain considerable conservation value.     

Vegetation community and factors that affect the woody species composition of riparian forests growing in an urbanizing landscape along the Chao Phraya River,central Thailand

Improved knowledge of the environmental factors that affect woody composition is urgently required for species conservation in riparian zones of urbanizing landscapes. We investigated the environmental factors influencing tree abundance and regeneration in diverse forest types growing in the riparian area of an urbanizing landscape along the Chao Phraya River. We established 252 0.1-ha circular plots in remnant forest patches along 372 km of the river. Cluster analysis was applied to classify the forest types. The relationships between environmental variables and tree abundance were assessed with ordination analysis, and generalized linear models were used to assess seedling/sapling abundance. The cluster analysis revealed five forest types, including floodplain forest with three sub-forest types, swamp forest, and mangrove forest. The ordination indicated that tree abundance in the floodplain forest was positively affected by distance to the ocean and the proportion of forested area. Swamp forest was positively influenced by the proportion of urbanized area and mean rainfall. Mangrove forest was negatively related to distance to the river. Seedling/sapling abundance of the dominant species in the floodplain forests was positively affected by lowland plain topography and negatively affected by the proportion of urbanized area, whereas swamp and mangrove forest species were positively influenced by the proportion of urbanized area and estuarine topography. Mature tree density influenced seedling/sapling abundance of all forest types. Tree abundance and regeneration of the riparian landscape was prevented by the urbanized area, floodplain, estuarine topography, and mature tree densities in remnant forests. These results suggest that remnant forest patches of conserved riparian forests along the urbanized landscape of the Chao Phraya River must be protected and the factors determining their colonization must be considered to enhance restoration practices.     

Effects of historical and present fragmentation on plant species diversity in semi-natural grasslands in Swedish rural landscapes

Habitat loss and fragmentation of natural and semi-natural habitats are considered as major threats to plant species richness. Recently several studies have pinpointed the need to analyse past landscape patterns to understand effects of fragmentation, as the response to landscape change may be slow in many organisms, plants in particular. We compared species richness in continuously grazed and abandoned grasslands in different commonplace rural landscapes in Sweden, and analysed effects of isolation and area in three time-steps (100 and 50 years ago and today). Old cadastral maps and aerial photographs were used to analyse past and present landscape patterns in 25 sites. Two plant diversity measures were investigated; total species richness and species density. During the last 100 years grassland area and connectivity have been reduced by about 90%. Present-day habitat area was positively related to total species richness in both habitats. There was also a relationship to habitat area 50 years ago for continuously grazed grasslands. Only present management was related to species density: continuously grazed grasslands had the highest species density. There were no relationships between grassland connectivity, present or past, and any diversity measure. We conclude that landscape history is not directly important for present-day plant diversity patterns in ordinary landscapes, although past grassland management is a prerequisite for the grassland habitats that can be found there today. It is important that studies are conducted, not only in very diverse landscapes, but also in managed landscapes in order to assess the effects of fragmentation on species.     

Modeling impacts of fire severity on successional trajectories and future fire behavior in Alaskan boreal forests

Much of the boreal forest in western North America and Alaska experiences frequent, stand-replacing wildfires. Secondary succession after fire initiates most forest stands and variations in fire characteristics can have strong effects on pathways of succession. Variations in surface fire severity that influence whether regenerating forests are dominated by coniferous or deciduous species can feedback to influence future fire behaviour because of differences in forest flammability. We used a landscape model of fire and forest dynamics to explore the effects of different scenarios of surface fire severity on subsequent forest succession and potential fire activity in interior Alaska. Model simulations indicated that high levels of surface fire severity leading to a prolonged phase of deciduous forest dominance caused a reduction in landscape flammability and fewer large fire events. Under low surface fire severity, larger patches of contiguous conifer forest promoted fire spread and resulted in landscapes with shorter fire return intervals compared to scenarios of high surface severity. Nevertheless, these negative feedbacks between fire severity, deciduous forest cover, and landscape flammability were unable to fully compensate for greater fire activity under scenarios of severe climate warming. Model simulations suggest that the effects of climate warming on fire activity in Alaska’s boreal forests may be partially but not completely mitigated by changes in fire severity that alter landscape patterns of forest composition and subsequent fire behaviour.     

Spatial patterns of bird community similarity: bird responses to landscape composition and configuration in the Atlantic forest

Studies dealing with community similarity are necessary to understand large scale ecological processes causing biodiversity loss and to improve landscape and regional planning. Here, we study landscape variables influencing patterns of community similarity in fragmented and continuous forest landscapes in the Atlantic forest of South America, isolating the effects of forest loss, fragmentation and patterns of land use. Using a grid design, we surveyed birds in 41 square cells of 100 km² using the point count method. We used multivariate, regression analyses and lagged predictor autoregressive models to examine the relative influence of landscape variables on community similarity. Forest cover was the primary variable explaining patterns of bird community similarity. Similarity showed a sudden decline between 20 and 40% of forest cover. Patterns of land use had a second order effect; native bird communities were less affected by forest loss in landscapes dominated by tree plantations (the most suitable habitat for native species) than in landscapes dominated by annual crops or cattle pastures. The effects of fragmentation were inconclusive. The trade-off between local extinctions and the invasion of extra-regional species using recently created habitats is probably the mechanism generating the observed patterns of community similarity. Limiting forest loss to 30–40% of the landscape cover and improving the suitability of human-modified habitats will contribute to maintain the structure and composition of the native forest bird community in the Atlantic forest.     

Isolation from forest reduces pollination,seed predation and insect scavenging in Swiss farmland

Habitat loss and fragmentation lead to changes in species richness and composition which may affect ecosystem services. Yet, few studies distinguish between the effects of habitat loss and isolation, or how multiple ecosystem services may be affected simultaneously. We investigated the effects of variation in cover of woody and open semi-natural habitats and isolation from forest on the relative functioning of pollination, seed predation and insect scavenging in agricultural landscapes. We established 30 sites in grassland locations in the Swiss plateau around Berne. The sites varied independently in their isolation from forest edges, in the percentage of woody habitats and in the percentage of open semi-natural habitats in the surrounding landscape (500 m radius). We experimentally exposed primroses, sunflower seeds and cricket corpses during spring 2008. None of the three studied services was affected by variation in woody or open semi-natural habitat cover. However, the proportion of flowers setting seed was significantly reduced by isolation from forest. Further, seed predation and insect scavenging were significantly lower at isolated sites than at sites connected to woody habitat. This pattern was particularly pronounced for seeds and insect corpses that were enclosed by wire netting and thus inaccessible to vertebrates. Thus, all three studied services responded quite similarly to the landscape context. The observed small-scale determination of seed set, seed predation and insect scavenging contrasts with larger-scale determination of pollination and insect pest control found in other studies.     

Trade-offs between tree cover, carbon storage and floristic biodiversity in reforesting landscapes

This study explores the relationships between an increase in tree cover area (i.e., natural and planted-tree land covers) and changes in forest carbon storage and the potential of a landscape to provide habitat for native floristic biodiversity. Four areas experiencing an increase in tree cover were analyzed. We developed a metric estimating the potential to support native biodiversity based on tree cover type (plantation or natural forests) and the landscape pattern of natural and anthropogenic land covers. We used published estimates for forest and plantation carbon stocks for each region. Focus regions in northwestern Costa Rica, northern Vietnam, southern Chile and highland Ecuador all showed an increase in tree cover area of 390?%, 260?%, 123?% and 418?%, respectively. Landscapes experiencing increases in natural secondary forest also experienced an increase in carbon stored above and below ground, and in the potential to support native floristic biodiversity. Study landscapes in Chile and Ecuador experiencing an expansion of exotic plantations saw their carbon stock decrease along with their potential to support native floristic biodiversity. This study shows that an increase in forest area does not necessarily imply an increased provision of ecosystem services when landscapes are reforesting with monoculture plantations of exotic tree species. Changes in the support of native biodiversity and the carbon stored in pulp rotation plantations, along with other ecosystem services, should be fully considered before implementing reforestation projects.     

Vertebrate distributions relative to clear-cut edges in a boreal forest landscape

Clearcutting is the main method of harvesting boreal forests, to some extent mimicking natural disturbances by fire and wind-felling. Effects of clearcutting on vertebrate fauna in managed forests was examined by small mammal trapping in spring and autumn, winter censuses of mammal snow tracks and censuses of birds in spring and summer in one central and one edge (125 m) section of large clearcuts and mature forests, respectively. There was a separate clearcut fauna, at least on large clearcuts, that was well distinguished from the forest fauna. There was not any physiognomic ecotone but the forest fauna showed a marked edge effect with larger numbers of many species in the peripheral parts of the forest. In the forests examined, with a Western European bird fauna, there were no typical interior forest species, in contrast to northern taiga forests. The present forest species easily changed distributions seasonally and according to variations in snow conditions and food abundance. Such generalist species in the boreal forest will therefore vary considerably in local density according to landscape composition but will also show large-scale persistence. They may have been selected for as a result of man's restructuring of temperate and boreal landscapes, e.g. by forest management. Edge effects seem to arise for several reasons but will probably only apply to generalist species.     

Interactive effects of area and connectivity on the diversity of tachinid parasitoids in highly fragmented landscapes

Although many empirical and theoretical studies have elucidated the effects of habitat fragmentation on the third trophic level, little attention has been paid to the impacts of this driver on more generalist groups of non-hymenopteran parasitoids. Here, we used the highly-diverse group of tachinid flies as an alternative model to test the effects of landscape fragmentation on insect parasitoids. Our aims were: (i) to evaluate the relative importance of habitat area and connectivity losses and their potential interaction on tachinid diversity, (ii) to test whether the effects of habitat fragmentation changes seasonally, and (iii) to further assess the effect of habitat diversity on tachinid diversity and whether different parasitoid-host associations modify the species richness response to fragmentation. In 2012 a pan-trap sampling was conducted in 18 semi-natural grasslands embedded in intensive agricultural landscapes along statistically orthogonal gradients of habitat area, connectivity and habitat diversity. We found an interaction between habitat area and connectivity indicating that tachinid abundance and species richness were more negatively affected by habitat loss in landscapes with low rather than with relatively large habitat connectivity. Although tachinid communities exhibited large within-year species turnover, we found that the effects of landscape fragmentation did not change seasonally. We found that habitat diversity and host association did not affect tachinid species diversity. Our results have important implications for biodiversity conservation as any attempts to mitigate the negative effects of habitat loss need to take the general level of habitat connectivity in the landscape into account.     

Climate change impacts on forest landscapes along the Canadian southern boreal forest transition zone

Context

Forest landscapes at the southern boreal forest transition zone are likely to undergo great alterations due to projected changes in regional climate.

Objectives

We projected changes in forest landscapes resulting from four climate scenarios (baseline, RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5), by simulating changes in tree growth and disturbances at the southern edge of Canada’s boreal zone.

Methods

Projections were performed for four regions located on an east–west gradient using a forest landscape model (LANDIS-II) parameterized using a forest patch model (PICUS).

Results

Climate-induced changes in the competitiveness of dominant tree species due to changes in potential growth, and substantial intensification of the fire regime, appear likely to combine in driving major changes in boreal forest landscapes. Resulting cumulative impacts on forest ecosystems would be manifold but key changes would include (i) a strong decrease in the biomass of the dominant boreal species, especially mid- to late-successional conifers; (ii) increases in abundance of some temperate species able to colonize disturbed areas in a warmer climate; (iii) increases in the proportions of pioneer and fire-adapted species in these landscapes and (iv) an overall decrease in productivity and total biomass. The greatest changes would occur under the RCP 8.5 radiative forcing scenario, but some impacts can be expected even with RCP 2.6.

Conclusions

Western boreal forests, i.e., those bordering the prairies, are the most vulnerable because of a lack of species adapted to warmer climates and major increases in areas burned. Conservation and forest management planning within the southern boreal transition zone should consider both disturbance- and climate-induced changes in forest communities.

     

Spatio-temporal variation in the demographic attributes of a generalist mesopredator

Human land-use practices have dramatically altered the composition and configuration of native habitats throughout many ecosystems. Within heterogeneous landscapes generalist predators often thrive, causing cascading effects on local biological communities, yet there are few data to suggest how attributes of fragmentation influence local population dynamics of these species. We monitored 25 raccoon (Procyon lotor) populations from 2004 to 2009 in a fragmented agricultural landscape to evaluate the influence of local and landscape habitat attributes on spatial and temporal variation in demography. Our results indicate that agricultural ecosystems support increased densities of raccoons relative to many other rural landscapes, but that spatial and temporal variation in demography exists that is driven by non-agricultural habitat attributes rather than the availability of crops. At the landscape scale, both density and population stability were positively associated with the size and contiguity of forest patches, while at the local scale density was positively correlated with plant diversity and the density of tree cavities. In addition, populations occupying forest patches with greater levels of plant diversity and stable water resources exhibited less temporal variability than populations with limited plant species complexity or water availability. The proportion of populations comprised of females was most strongly influenced by the availability of tree cavities and soft mast. Despite the abundance of mesopredators in heterogeneous landscapes, our results indicate that all patches do not contribute equally to the regional abundance and persistence of these species. Thus, a clear understanding of how landscape attributes contribute to variation in demography is critical to the optimization of management strategies.     

The protean relationship between boreal forest landscape structure and red squirrel distribution at multiple spatial scales

This paper investigates two fundamental questions in landscape ecology: what influence does landscape context, or the composition of the matrix, have on an animals’ response to landscape structure, and how does this relationship extrapolate between landscapes? We investigate how the distribution of North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in the boreal mixedwood forest is influenced by anthropogenically (forest harvest) and naturally (forest fire) derived landscape structure. We studied the presence and absence of red squirrels over two years in three landscape types: one managed for timber harvest, one recently burned by wildfire, and a third unburned unmanaged landscape. Landscape composition and configuration, measured at several spatial scales, predicted red squirrel’s distribution in all three landscapes, but the significant landscape variables changed across spatial scales, across time, and across landscapes. These findings emphasize the variability in landscape structure/animal distribution relationships, and enforce the need to link pattern-finding studies, such as this one, with searches for the mechanisms behind the observed pattern.     

Effects of surrounding urbanization on non-native flora in small forest patches

The purpose of our study was to compare the number, proportion, and species composition of introduced plant species in forest patches situated within predominantly forested, agricultural, and urban landscapes. A previous study suggested that agricultural landscape context does not have a large effect on the proportion of introduced species in forest patches. Therefore, our main goal was to test the hypothesis that forest patches in an urban landscape context contain larger numbers and proportions of non-native plant species. We surveyed the vegetation in 44 small remnant forest fragments (3–7.5 ha) in the Ottawa region; 15 were situated within forested landscapes, 18 within agricultural landscapes, and 11 within urban landscapes. Forest fragments in urban landscapes had about 40% more introduced plant species and a 50% greater proportion of introduced plant species than fragments found in the other two types of landscape. There was no significant difference in the number or proportion of introduced species in forest fragments within forested vs. agricultural landscapes. However, the species composition of introduced species differed among the forest patches in the three landscape types. Our results support the hypothesis that urban and suburban areas are important foci for spread of introduced plant species.     

Open areas in a landscape enhance pollen-mediated gene flow of a tree species: evidence from northern Switzerland

Habitat fragmentation often has negative consequences for genetic diversity, and thereby for the viability of populations. However, these negative consequences might be counteracted by gene flow as the latter provides functional connectivity between apparently isolated habitat fragments. Gene flow is itself influenced by landscape structure and composition, and it is therefore important to understand the relationship between gene flow and landscape structure and composition. We used linear LAD regression models to investigate the relationship between contemporary gene flow by pollen in the rare, insect-pollinated forest tree Sorbus domestica and several landscape features. None of the landscape components—which included closed forest, deep valleys, open land and settlements—proved to be an impermeable barrier to gene flow by pollen. We found evidence that settlements, large open areas, and a pronounced topography increased long-distance gene flow in the landscape as compared to a random model including all possible gene flow trajectories. These results are encouraging from a conservation view, as gene flow in species pollinated by generalist insects seems to provide functional connectivity and may help to maintain genetic diversity in rare plant species in fragmented landscapes.     

Simulating private land ownership fragmentation in the Missouri Ozarks, USA

Increasing land ownership fragmentation in the United States is causing concerns with respect to its ecological implications for forested landscapes. This is especially relevant given that human influence is one of the most significant driving forces affecting the forest landscape. A method for generating realistic land ownership maps is needed to evaluate the effects of ownership fragmentation on forest landscapes in combination with other natural processes captured in forest process models. Ownership patterns from human activities usually generate landscape boundary shapes different from those arising from natural processes. Spatial characteristics among ownership types – e.g., private, public ownership – may also differ. To address these issues, we developed the Fragmented Land Ownership Spatial Simulator (FLOSS) to generate ownership patterns that reflect the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) shapes and various patch size distributions among different types of ownership (e.g., private, public). To evaluate FLOSS performance, we compared the simulated patterns with various ownership fragmentation levels to the actual ownership patterns in the Missouri Ozarks by using selected landscape indices. FLOSS generated landscapes with spatial characteristics similar to actual landscapes, suggesting that it can simulate different levels of ownership fragmentation. This will allow FLOSS to serve as a feasible tool for evaluating forest management applications by spatially allocating various management scenarios in a realistic way. The potentials and limitations of FLOSS application are discussed.     

Do small-grain processes matter for landscape scale questions? Sensitivity of a forest landscape model to the formulation of tree growth rate

Process-based forest landscape models are valuable tools for testing basic ecological theory and for projecting how forest landscapes may respond to climate change and other environmental shifts. However, the ability of these models to accurately predict environmentally-induced shifts in species distributions as well as changes in forest composition and structure is often contingent on the phenomenological representation of individual-level processes accurately scaling-up to landscape-level community dynamics. We use a spatially explicit landscape forest model (LandClim) to examine how three alternative formulations of individual tree growth (logistic, Gompertz, and von Bertalanffy) influence model results. Interactions between growth models and landscape characteristics (landscape heterogeneity and disturbance intensity) were tested to determine in what type of landscape simulation results were most sensitive to growth model structure. We found that simulation results were robust to growth function formulation when the results were assessed at a large spatial extent (landscape) and when coarse response variables, such as total forest biomass, were examined. However, results diverged when more detailed response variables, such as species composition within elevation bands, were considered. These differences were particularly prevalent in regions that included environmental transition zones where forest composition is strongly driven by growth-dependent competition. We found that neither landscape heterogeneity nor the intensity of landscape disturbances accentuated simulation sensitivity to growth model formulation. Our results indicate that at the landscape extent, simulation results are robust, but the reliability of model results at a finer resolution depends critically on accurate tree growth functions.     

The landscape matrix modifies the effect of habitat fragmentation in grassland butterflies

The landscape matrix is suggested to influence the effect of habitat fragmentation on species richness, but the generality of this prediction has not been tested. Here, we used data from 10 independent studies on butterfly species richness, where the matrix surrounding grassland patches was dominated by either forest or arable land to test if matrix land use influenced the response of species richness to patch area and connectivity. To account for the possibility that some of the observed species use the matrix as their main or complementary habitat, we analysed the effects on total species richness and on the richness of grassland specialist and non-specialist (generalists and specialists on other habitat types) butterflies separately. Specialists and non-specialists were defined separately for each dataset. Total species richness and the richness of grassland specialist butterflies were positively related to patch area and forest cover in the matrix, and negatively to patch isolation. The strength of the species-area relationship was modified by matrix land use and had a slope that decreased with increasing forest cover in the matrix. Potential mechanisms for the weaker effect of grassland fragmentation in forest-dominated landscapes are (1) that the forest matrix is more heterogeneous and contains more resources, (2) that small grassland patches in a matrix dominated by arable land suffer more from negative edge effects or (3) that the arable matrix constitutes a stronger barrier to dispersal between populations. Regardless of the mechanisms, our results show that there are general effects of matrix land use across landscapes and regions, and that landscape management that increases matrix quality can be a complement to habitat restoration and re-creation in fragmented landscapes.