Above ground biomass changes in the mountain birch forests and mountain heaths of Finnmarksvidda,northern Norway,in the period 1957–2006

Birch forests cover large areas of the northern Fennoscandia and the mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii) often forming the altitudinal and Arctic forest and tree lines. Interpreting the factors leading to landscape changes in mountain birch forest involves disturbance from anthropogenic use and climate as important factors. Using vegetation maps based on aerial photographs and satellite images from 7 years in combination with statistical data and ground estimation data of biomass in the period 1957–2006, we were able to assess the transitions among mountain heaths and different types of forest, the displacement of the altitudinal forest line and hence the change in biomass. The tree biomass as well as the growing stock for birch in Finnmarksvidda doubled in the period 1957–2006. Only lichen biomass has been significantly reduced in the period 1957 to 2000, with a subsequent slight increase of lichen biomass in the period 2000 to 2006. The results presented in this paper show significant and positive relationships between measured tree biomass and the increase in reindeer population in the period 1957–2006 in the study area. The hypothesis concerning the removal of the “lichen barrier effect” by heavy reindeer grazing which leads to increased success for birch seeds to germinate and sprout is therefore considered to be valid. However, also, climate change effects like increased precipitation, moth attacks, freezing and thawing events during winter and long-transported air pollution (e.g. nitrogen) may also have reinforced the changes in biomass. Climatic variables from regional weather stations for the period 1955–2006 did not, however, reveal any consistent change except for that the increased snow depth had a negative impact on the reindeer population while increase in snow depth hindering the reindeer in grazing seemed to have a positive impact on the lichen biomass. The ongoing development of increased forest cover and hence elevated forest line will lead to reduction of open habitats, and hence decreased grazing accessibility for the reindeer. The effects on forestry and carbon sequestration are also discussed, and here one of the suggestions is to let the northern birch forests act as carbon sinks contributing to the reduction of total net emission of CO₂ in the Nordic countries. Land use like reindeer husbandry has shown to strongly affect relationships between ecological processes like tree-growth and climate. Moreover, reindeer husbandry is such a widespread human activity in the arctic and boreal region that it might affect the global carbon budget.     

A century of logging and forestry in a reindeer herding area in northern Sweden

Boreal forest ecosystems are generally highly sensitive to logging and other forestry activities. Thus, commercial forestry has had major effects on the forests and landscape structure in northern Sweden since the middle of the 19th Century, when it rapidly extended across the region. Lichens (which constitute up to 80% of reindeer forage in winter and early spring) have often been amongst the most severely affected ecosystem components. The overall aim of the present study was to analyze how forestry has influenced the potential supply of ground-growing lichens as winter forage for the reindeer in this region over the past ca. 100 years. For this purpose, we analysed changes in forest and stand structure in Scots pine-dominated (Pinus sylvestris L.) reindeer wintering areas in the southern part of the county Norrbotten (covering ca. 58,000 ha) using detailed historical forest inventories and management plans. We found that the amount of the forest types considered potentially good pasture (mainly middle-aged and old pine forests) decreased during the first part of the 20th Century. However, the quality of grazing grounds was improved by forestry during this time mainly because selective logging made the forests more open which benefits lichen growth. During the last part of the 20th century forestry impaired the quality of grazing grounds in several ways, e.g. by clear-cutting and intensified use of various silvicultural measures. We conclude that ca. 30–50% of the winter grazing grounds have been lost in the study area because of intensive forest management during the last century. The spatially precise historical information about the affects of forestry on lichen pasture provided in this study can be used to direct forest management which will facilitate and promote reindeer herding in the future.     

Conservation value of dispersed tree cover threatened by pasture management

Trees dispersed in pastures are a prominent feature of many Central American landscapes, particularly in cattle producing regions where farmers retain trees to serve as shade, fodder, timber and firewood. The presence of dispersed trees in pastures is often considered as important for the conservation of biodiversity by providing habitat and enhancing landscape connectivity. However, despite their critical productive and environmental roles, little is known about tree distribution within pastures or how farmers’ management decisions influence the trees themselves and their impact on farm productivity and biodiversity conservation. Here, we present a synthesis of (a) the abundance, composition, and size of dispersed trees in four important cattle producing regions of Costa Rica (Caňas and Río Frío) and Nicaragua (Rivas and Matiguás), based on inventory of 18,669 trees on 1492 ha of pasture, (b) the local knowledge, management and use of trees by cattle farmers, and (c) opportunities for ensuring sustainable management of dispersed trees in pasture-dominated landscapes. Dispersed trees were common in all four landscapes, with mean frequency ranging from 8.0 trees ha⁻¹ in Caňas to 33.4 trees ha⁻¹ in Matiguás. A total of 255 tree species were found in pastures across the four landscapes. The total number of tree species per landscape varied from 72 in Rivas to 101 in Caňas and Rio Frio, with mean species richness per farm ranging from 22.9 in Rio Frio to 45.9 in Matiguás. In all four landscapes, a handful of tree species dominated the pastures, with the ten most abundant species in each landscape accounting for >70% of all trees recorded. Most of these common tree species provide fruits or foliage eaten by cattle, or are important timber or firewood species, and are deliberately retained by farmers for these uses. In all four landscapes, farmers had a detailed knowledge of tree attributes affecting pasture and animal productivity, and influenced tree cover through pasture management activities and occasional tree cutting. Current farm management practices are gradually decreasing the diversity of trees in pastures, and in some cases also tree density, reducing their contribution to farm productivity and biodiversity conservation. To reverse this trend, incentives are required to encourage cattle farmers to retain and enhance tree cover in pastures, through the adoption of pasture management practices that favor the regeneration and persistence of a diverse range of tree species.     

The larch wood pasture: structure and dynamics of a cultural landscape

As a consequence of land abandonment and marginalization, open areas and traditionally managed wood pastures are disappearing from many alpine valleys. Landscape and stand scale dynamics were analyzed in two neighboring inner valleys of central Italian Alps (Valmalenco, SO) dominated by larch (Larix decidua Mill.) forests and experiencing different historical land use intensities. Land cover mapping obtained from object-oriented analysis of aerial photographs was used to quantify land cover changes between 1961 and 2003. Spatial statistics were used to quantify landscape patterns, and intensive sampling in permanent plots was employed to perform point pattern analysis at the stand scale. Expansion of forested area at the expense of wood pastures was the main land cover transition observed. Differences in land use intensities were responsible for different patterns at the landscape scale: (1) heavier grazing and human pressure created a more diverse and fragmented mosaic of meadows, open woodlands, forests and wood pastures, (2) lower human impact favored a more homogeneous and stable system. A decline in grazing pressure in the late 1970s favored the establishment of larch and spruce in a clustered pattern, typical of the subalpine belt. Subalpine wood pastures, likewise many other semi-natural environments, are in danger of disappearing and lose their productive and cultural characteristics, because they are developing into more closed and dense stands.     

Reindeer husbandry in a mountain Sami village in boreal Sweden: the social and economic effect of introducing GPS collars and adaptive forest management

Reindeer husbandry in northern Sweden, Norway, and Finland is an extensive agroforestry system, and the management of reindeer occurs alongside other land uses such as forestry, hunting, and tourism. The economic, social, and environmental impact of using GPS collars to track the reindeer was evaluated in the Sami village of Njaarke in boreal Sweden. A second objective was to evaluate how adapted forest management influenced reindeer husbandry. The results show that the use of GPS tracking enables the improved monitoring of the reindeer but the financial costs were greater than the financial benefits. The increased income did not cover the costs of depreciation and maintenance. Whilst the labour inputs associated with reindeer husbandry were high, 30–40% of the gross value added by village activities were related to hunting, tourism, and the renting of fishing rights. The use of adaptive forest management was assumed to increase the number of reindeer that could be reared through to slaughter and it was calculated to increase the gross value added by reindeer husbandry by more than 30%.     

Conservation of forest biodiversity and ecosystem properties in a pastoral landscape of the Ecuadorian Andes

High Andean cloud forests are home to a diversity of unique wildlife and are important providers of ecosystem services to people in the Andean regions. The extent of these cloud forests has been widely reduced through conversion to pasture for livestock, which threatens the forests’ ability to support biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. This paper explores whether impacts on woody plant biodiversity and four ecosystem properties (woody plant species richness, juvenile timber tree abundance, soil organic matter content and soil moisture) from converting forest to pasture can be mitigated if some woody forest vegetation is maintained within pastures. Woody vegetation in pastures was found to conserve those woody plant species that are more tolerant to exposure and grazing, but conservation of the high montane cloud forest community required areas of forest from which livestock were restricted. The sampled sites clustered according to woody plant species cover; these clusters represented a gradient from pasture with patches of shrubs to mature forest. Clusters differed in both woody plant species richness and number of juvenile timber trees whereas soil organic matter and soil moisture were observed to be similar among all clusters. This suggests that the different habitats may have some equivalent ecosystem properties. We conclude that the presence of woody vegetation in pastures may reduce some of the impacts of converting forest to pasture, but should not be considered a substitute for protecting large areas of forest, which are essential for maintaining woody plant species diversity in high Andean cloud forest.     

Influence of soil scarification on reindeer foraging and damage to planted Pinus sylvestris seedlings

Abstract

The effects of soil scarification on reindeer lichen cover and re-establishment, reindeer foraging and damage possibly caused by reindeer to planted Scots pine seedlings were studied during six growing periods in a field experiment established in a reindeer lichen site that was grazed by a herd of 500–600 reindeer each winter. Seedlings (at a density equivalent to 2000 ha^?1) were planted in mounds with mineral soil on top, in tracks with exposed mineral soil, in tracks with mixed organic material and mineral soil and in intact lichen mat (control) with no soil disturbance. The disturbed area varied from 0 to 28%. After six growing periods, the reindeer lichen cover and volume were 10–20% lower in the scarified plots than in the control plots. There was no clear evidence that the reindeer avoided foraging even in plots with the highest levels of soil disturbance. However, the behaviour of the reindeer during winter grazing seemed to be affected by both coverage of reindeer lichen (positively) and the proportion of exposed mineral soil (negatively). Damage possibly caused by reindeer trampling affected 8.2% of the living seedlings each year and approximately 50% of these seedlings were subsequently infected by fungal diseases (compared with 20% of viable undamaged seedlings). Scarification treatments that exposed mineral soil mildly resulted in higher survival and growth rates than the other treatments, especially the control.     

Large-scale ecological restoration of high-diversity tropical forests in SE Brazil

The complex interactions among endangered ecosystems, landowners’ interests, and different models of land tenure and use, constitute an important series of challenges for those seeking to maintain and restore biodiversity and augment the flow of ecosystem services. Over the past 10 years, we have developed a data-based approach to address these challenges and to achieve medium and large-scale ecological restoration of riparian areas on private lands in the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Given varying motivations for ecological restoration, the location of riparian areas within landholdings, environmental zoning of different riparian areas, and best-practice restoration methods were developed for each situation. A total of 32 ongoing projects, covering 527,982 ha, were evaluated in large sugarcane farms and small mixed farms, and six different restoration techniques have been developed to help upscale the effort. Small mixed farms had higher portions of land requiring protection as riparian areas (13.3%), and lower forest cover of riparian areas (18.3%), than large sugarcane farms (10.0% and 36.9%, respectively for riparian areas and forest cover values). In both types of farms, forest fragments required some degree of restoration. Historical anthropogenic degradation has compromised forest ecosystem structure and functioning, despite their high-diversity of native tree and shrub species. Notably, land use patterns in riparian areas differed markedly. Large sugarcane farms had higher portions of riparian areas occupied by highly mechanized agriculture, abandoned fields, and anthropogenic wet fields created by siltation in water courses. In contrast, in small mixed crop farms, low or non-mechanized agriculture and pasturelands were predominant. Despite these differences, plantations of native tree species covering the entire area was by far the main restoration method needed both by large sugarcane farms (76.0%) and small mixed farms (92.4%), in view of the low resilience of target sites, reduced forest cover, and high fragmentation, all of which limit the potential for autogenic restoration. We propose that plantations should be carried out with a high-diversity of native species in order to create biologically viable restored forests, and to assist long-term biodiversity persistence at the landscape scale. Finally, we propose strategies to integrate the political, socio-economic and methodological aspects needed to upscale restoration efforts in tropical forest regions throughout Latin America and elsewhere.     

Evaluating the benefit of avalanche protection forest with GIS-based risk analyses—A case study in Switzerland

The protection of people, buildings and infrastructure against natural hazards is one of the key functions of mountain forests. Since the protective function strongly depends on small-scale local conditions such as terrain and stand characteristics, spatially explicit evaluation methods are necessary to provide information required for an effective and cost-efficient forest management. Risk analyses are recognized as the best method for estimating the danger from various natural hazards. Currently, however, risk-based strategies are rarely addressed in the management of protection forest. We present and discuss a risk-based approach to evaluate the protective effect of mountain forests in a spatially explicit manner to demonstrate the advantages of future risk-based protection forest management. We illustrate the approach by performing a GIS-based risk analysis in the case study area ‘Bannwald of Andermatt’ (Switzerland) for a 300-year snow avalanche event. Classifying forest structures based on aerial photographs allowed developing different forest cover scenarios and modeling potential avalanche release areas within the forest. Potential avalanche release areas above the forest and the avalanche run-out distances under five different scenarios of forest cover were calculated by using a two-dimensional avalanche simulation model. We calculated the annual collective risk for each scenario and compared the change in risk to reveal the spatial distribution of the protective effect of the forest. Resulting risks differed strongly between forest cover change scenarios. An enlargement of an existing wind-disturbed area within lower parts of the slope resulted only in a slight increase of risk. In contrast, the effect of an unforested area in the upper parts of the observed forest more than doubled the risk. These results show how a risk-based approach can help to quantify and illustrate the impact of differences in forest cover on the protective effect of mountain forests. It is a promising approach to determine the economic value of protection forests and thus provide quantitative and qualitative information for cost-efficient forest maintenance planning. With regard to the achievements of research to date, the presented approach may serve as a valuable method to support decision-making in a future protection forest management.     

Effects of forest management on structural features important for biodiversity in mixed-age hardwood forests in Australia's subtropics

The contiguous forest landscapes of the Brigalow Belt Bioregion in Australia's subtropics, known as ‘the western hardwood forests’ are thought to be important for biodiversity conservation through the provision of continuous habitat features in an otherwise extensively cleared region. However, these forests have a long management history, as they are also important for timber production and stock grazing. Knowledge of the effect of these and other disturbances on the distribution and abundance of key structural or habitat features are limited and forest management activities thus continue uninformed. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the effects of prescribed and non-prescribed disturbances on the distribution and abundance of six key habitat features (live and dead trees with hollows, large mature live trees, shrub abundance, downed coarse woody debris and litter cover) at 120 sites located in spotted gum Corymbia citriodora dominant forests within the western hardwoods.     

The influence of forest cover on mule deer habitat selection, diet, and nutrition during winter in a deep-snow ecosystem

Recent research in western North America suggests that open forage areas are a greater limiting factor to mule deer abundance than closed conifer forests. However, much of this work was conducted in ecosystems prone to fire and low snow depths compared to the limits of mule deer range such as the Columbia Mountains, British Columbia, where snow is deep and fires are rare. We used snow track surveys as a measure of habitat use and fecal nitrogen as an index of dietary quality to compare the relative value to mule deer of open deciduous canopies to closed coniferous canopies in a wet ecosystem with deep snow and few fires. Deciduous canopies contain higher levels of understory forage compared to dense coniferous canopies, which are better at intercepting snow. We also evaluated food habits across landscapes with contrasting forest canopies. Results corroborated previous work in that foraging areas such as deciduous stands were strongly selected by deer, despite deeper snow relative to closed coniferous stands. Deer consumed fewer understory shrubs in coniferous-dominated stands, suggesting lower nutritional intake in these stands. Finally, deer appeared to derive a nutritional benefit in landscapes that had a higher proportion of open deciduous canopies, as indexed by fecal nitrogen. However, not all open canopy stands were of equal value to deer – deciduous-dominated stands were selected, whereas clearcuts were avoided. Similarly, not all closed coniferous stands were equally selected: cedar–hemlock stands were avoided whereas Douglas-fir stands were selected and indeed contained the highest proportion of deer tracks. We suggest that winter foraging areas have been underrepresented in management policy in British Columbia, but that snow-interception cover provided by coniferous stands still plays a role in winter deer ecology in deep-snow ecosystems.     

Effects of roads,topography, and land use on forest cover dynamics in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Roads and topography can determine patterns of land use and distribution of forest cover, particularly in tropical regions. We evaluated how road density, land use, and topography affected forest fragmentation, deforestation and forest regrowth in a Brazilian Atlantic Forest region near the city of São Paulo. We mapped roads and land use/land cover for three years (1962, 1981 and 2000) from historical aerial photographs, and summarized the distribution of roads, land use/land cover and topography within a grid of 94 non-overlapping 100 ha squares. We used generalized least squares regression models for data analysis. Our models showed that forest fragmentation and deforestation depended on topography, land use and road density, whereas forest regrowth depended primarily on land use. However, the relationships between these variables and forest dynamics changed in the two studied periods; land use and slope were the strongest predictors from 1962 to 1981, and past (1962) road density and land use were the strongest predictors for the following period (1981–2000). Roads had the strongest relationship with deforestation and forest fragmentation when the expansions of agriculture and buildings were limited to already deforested areas, and when there was a rapid expansion of development, under influence of São Paulo city. Furthermore, the past (1962) road network was more important than the recent road network (1981) when explaining forest dynamics between 1981 and 2000, suggesting a long-term effect of roads. Roads are permanent scars on the landscape and facilitate deforestation and forest fragmentation due to increased accessibility and land valorization, which control land-use and land-cover dynamics. Topography directly affected deforestation, agriculture and road expansion, mainly between 1962 and 1981. Forest are thus in peril where there are more roads, and long-term conservation strategies should consider ways to mitigate roads as permanent landscape features and drivers facilitators of deforestation and forest fragmentation.     

Snow avalanche disturbances in forest ecosystems—State of research and implications for management

Avalanche disturbances are important processes in many subalpine forest ecosystems but have received relatively little research attention in comparison to other major types of disturbances. This paper presents a review of interactions between forests and snow avalanches in mountain ecosystems and discusses how avalanche disturbance regimes and associated management may change in the future. Avalanche disturbance regimes are two-way interactions in which forest structure and composition affect avalanches and avalanches, in turn, affect structure and composition.     

Re-establishment rate of reindeer lichen species following conventional disc trenching and HuMinMix soil preparation in Pinus-lichen clear-cut stands: a survey study in northern Sweden

Abstract

The re-establishment rates of reindeer lichen following conventional soil preparation by disc trenching and gentle soil preparation using HuMinMix apparatus were calculated from data acquired in surveys of 17 Pinus–lichen clear-cut stands in northern Sweden conducted 1–15 years after the treatments. The maximum lichen cover and biomass recorded in areas scarified by disc trenching were 29% and 24% of the lichen cover and biomass measured in adjacent intact lichen mats in the surveyed stands after 15 years. By contrast, 9 years after scarification, the corresponding percentages measured in areas disturbed by the HuMinMix treatment were 91% and 100%, respectively. According to calculated linear regressions, the reindeer lichen cover could be completely re-established just one decade after HuMinMix treatment. Ground lichen diversity in the scarified areas was also inventoried. The significant increase in lichen diversity for HuMinMix, especially of early-successional species, could explain the more rapid re-establishment of late-successional lichens (e.g. Cladonia stellaris spp.), compared with disc trenching. Thus, the study demonstrates that both the degree of initial disturbance and the re-establishment rate of reindeer lichen must be considered when estimating the effects of scarification on lichen loss for reindeer grazing over time.     

Impacts of different forest management scenarios on forestry and reindeer husbandry

In northern Sweden, the forests are used simultaneously for both timber production and reindeer husbandry. During the winter months, lichen is the most important fodder for reindeer. Forest management operations are generally considered having a negative impact on reindeer husbandry as harvesting and dense stands remove or obscure the ground lichen cover. In this study, we simulate three different scenarios for forest management, differing in the intensity and types of harvest operations. The resulting 100-year scenarios are analyzed with respect to their estimated suitability for providing reindeer pasture areas. Suitability is determined by vegetation type, stand density and stand height. The results indicate that the current trend of a decrease in lichen area will continue if existing forestry practice prevails. Implementing continuous cover forestry as a management alternative and carrying out precommercial thinning could halt the decrease in reindeer pasture area and even lead to a future increase in pasture area, with losses of approximately 5% in the net present value of forestry.     

Forage production and small ruminant grazing responses in Mediterranean shrublands as influenced by the reduction of shrub cover

Reduction of shrub cover in Mediterranean shrublands is considered as a method of optimising forage and animal production. In this study, forage production in grazed and protected plots and grazing responses of small ruminants in cleared (25% shrub cover), slashed (34% shrub cover) and not treated (control, 55% shrub cover) kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L.) shrublands were compared during the spring seasons of 1992, 1993 and 1994. The alterations in shrub density were done in October 1991 and pastures remained ungrazed until spring of 1992. Clearing and slashing of shrub vegetation resulted in higher amounts of available herbaceous forage and useable browse. At the end of the growing season, averaged across years, herbaceous biomass was generally two to three times higher in the treated shrublands than in the control; also, browse biomass was slightly less (1,078 vs 1,533 kg/ha) but easily accessible because of the open structure and the lower height of the sprouting shrubs. There were generally no grazing response differences between the cleared and slashed pastures. However, grazing animals (sheep and goats) had a higher bite rate (bites/min; P 0.05) in the treated pastures than in the control. Levels of crude protein in the forage selected by animals were higher (P 0.05) in the treated pastures than in the control. Animals in the improved pastures maintained diets that were significantly more digestible (53.5%) than those in the control pasture (48.5%). Neutral detergent fibre and lignin contents of animal diets were similar in the improved pastures but lower (P 0.05) than those of the control. It is concluded that removing of woody vegetation in Mediterranean shrublands results in increased forage production (available herbage and useable browse) and improved forage quality and availability for small ruminants.     

森林覆盖变化遥感监测方法研究进展

森林是陆地上最大的生态系统,是地球表面一种重要的植被类型,它对维持全球生态平衡具有不可替代的作用。森林覆盖变化既包含森林与其它地物类型间的转化,又包括不同森林种类间转化的含义。及时准确获取森林覆盖变化信息,对于碳源估测、实现森林资源可持续经营管理等具有重要意义。本文通过对国内外利用遥感技术开展土地覆盖/利用、森林类型识别和制图方法的研究现状及发展趋势的综述,对森林覆盖变化遥感监测方法研究进展进行了概述,并分析了其研究发展趋势。     

Logging within protected areas: Spatial evaluation of the monarch butterfly biosphere reserve, Mexico

Depending on the particular sociopolitical situation of a country or region, as well as the degree of dependence that a population has on its vegetation resources, both forest management or designating protected areas may serve as effective policies to protect highly valuable forest areas in the long term. Biosphere Reserves, where forest management is allowed in buffer zones but completely restricted in core zones, are an important category in this regard. They are of special importance in developing countries where a high dependency on natural resources as source of subsistence is still prevalent. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of authorized logging versus strict protection in preserving the forest cover within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR), in its portion in Michoacán state, México. This protected area is crucial for the preservation of the migratory monarch butterfly, and has been negatively impacted by logging and other activities. Data on logging permits from 1993 to 2006 were extracted and spatially digitized from all the officially approved Forest Management Programs (FMP) of the MBBR’s communities. Based on the delimitation of authorized logging areas, an analysis of the processes of change in forest cover was made, by means of spatial and statistical comparisons among land tenure units (LTU) with and without FMP. Statistical analyses found no significant differences of loss rates of conserved canopy cover forest between LTU with and without FMP, nor with other change processes such as recovery and re-vegetation. However, deforestation due to land use changes was significantly greater in LTU lacking FMP, although this involved a relatively small area. Spatial analyses clearly showed where the forest disturbance is concentrated, and that it is mostly caused by illegal logging and by inadequate management (extraction of timber beyond the authorized period, and forest fragmentation led by individual use of communal land). The results show that the total disturbance observed from 1993 to 2006 (5239 ha) is explained in 61% by illegal logging, 33% by extemporaneous authorized extractions and only 6% by authorized logging during the scheduled period. Thus FMP are an effective option for maintaining the forest cover in the reserve. The procedure used in the present analysis can be an effective and accessible monitoring tool, which can be used by officials responsible for forest use to supervise the strict application of logging licenses, and to give support to decision making when renewing, redesigning or revoking logging licenses.     

Erosive phenomenon in heavy snow mountainous regions in Japan

This paper reviews the studies conducted in Japan on the erosion caused by snow cover movement and presents erosion control measures and future visions about forest management in heavy snow regions. Japan is one of the heaviest snowfall countries in the world, more than half of whose land is situated in heavy snow regions. In addition, a large part of this country has steep mountain sites. Because of these geographical features, erosion is frequently caused by snow cover movement on mountain slopes and a lot of research on this phenomenon has been conducted. Snow-induced erosion is generated at forest fire sites, deforestation sites, and plantations by stumps uprooting, pulled-out bushes, and topsoil movement induced by snow cover movement. Due to its occurrence mechanism, the depth of the erosion is very shallow, 60 cm or less. The erosion area ranges from less than 10 m² to several hectares. In general, the number of small erosions, less than 100 m², is very large. The geomorphic features that generate snow-induced erosion almost always correspond to those of avalanche slopes. As for geological characteristics, snow-induced erosion is found in the Neogene area or older. The environment surrounding the snow-induced erosion sites is very harsh, so development of reforestation technology is still in the trial-and-error stage. In order to prevent additional devastation in heavy snow regions, clarification of slope erosive phenomenon from the aspect of slope stability under the snow cover, and progress in the research for establishment of diverse management of forest are required. Recipient of the Japanese Forestry Society Award 1998.     

Changes of forest land use and ecosystem service values along Lao-Chinese border: A case study of Luang Namtha Province, Lao PDR

Forest cover and land use change directly impact biological diversity worldwide, contribute to climate change and affect the ability of biological systems to support human needs by altering ecosystem services. Given the forest land use characteristics and ecosystem types in Luang Namtha Province, Lao PDR, the forest cover and land cover category of Luang Namtha Province were divided into six classes, i.e., current forest (CF), potential forest (PF), other wooded areas (OW), permanent agricultural land (PA), other non-forest areas (NF) and water (W). In first instance, earlier geographic information data (GIS data) of forest cover and land use during 1992 and 2002 was obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Lao PDR. Two steps of forest land use change assessment were conducted by the MAF, i.e., plot sampling on satellite image maps (SIMs) to detect the changes of forest cover and land use during 1992 and 2002 for the entire Luang Namtha Province and field verification in order to identify causes of the changes. Secondly, dynamic information of the forest land cover changes during this ten-year period was calculated by means of map algebra in ArcGIS 9.2. Thirdly, based on the theory of ecosystem service functions and the service function values of different global ecosystems, the value of the six forest cover and land use categories in the province was obtained. Finally, ecological environmental effects, produced by the regional land cover changes over the study period, were calculated.