Partial and clearcut harvesting of dry Douglas-fir forests: Implications for small mammal communities

Dry Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests offer a wide range of timber and non-timber values, which may benefit from a balanced timber harvest by variable retention systems with conservation of biodiversity. A major component of biodiversity are forest floor small mammal communities whose abundance and diversity serve as ecological indicators of significant change in forest structure and function from harvesting activities. This study was designed to test the hypotheses that abundance, reproduction, and survival of (i) the southern red-backed vole (Myodes gapperi, formerly Clethrionomys gapperi), will decline; (ii) the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), will be similar; and (iii) the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and northwestern chipmunk (Tamias amoenus), will increase, with decreasing levels of tree retention. Small mammal populations were live-trapped from 1994 to 1997 in replicated sites of uncut forest, 20% and 50% volume removal by single tree selection, 20%, 35%, and 50% patch cuts based on openings of 0.1–1.6 ha, and small 1.6 ha clearcuts in Douglas-fir forest near Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. M. gapperi dominated the small mammal community, starting with an abundance of 74–98 animals/ha with mean values ranging from 33 to 51 animals/ha. In the two post-harvest years, abundance, reproduction, and survival of M. gapperi populations were consistently similar among uncut forest and the various levels of tree retention. Thereafter, M. gapperi was seldom found on the small clearcuts. M. pennsylvanicus, T. amoenus, and P. maniculatus occurred predominantly in clearcut sites. As with other types of forest disturbance, responses to our treatments were species-specific. The most striking result was the high abundance and productivity of M. gapperi populations in a dry forest ecosystem, a novel result for this bio-indicator species of closed-canopy forest conditions. At least with respect to small mammals, the retention systems studied seem to enable timber extraction and maintenance of mature forest habitat in these dry fir ecosystems.     

Modelling potential distribution of a pine bark beetle in Mexican temperate forests using forecast data and spatial analysis tools

Accurate and reliable predictions of pest species distributions in forest ecosystems are urgently needed by forest managers to develop management plans and monitor new areas of potential establishment.Presence-only species distribution models are commonly used in these evaluations.The maximum entropy algorithm(MaxEnt)has gained popularity for modelling species distribution.Here,MaxEnt was used to model the spatial distribution of the Mexican pine bark beetle(Dendroctonus mexicanus)in a daily fashion by using forecast data from the Weather Research and Forecasting model.This study aimed to exploit freely available geographic and environmental data and software and thus provide a pathway to overcome the lack of costly data and technical guidance that are a challenge to implementing national monitoring and management strategies in developing countries.Our results showed overall agreement values between 60 and 87%.The results of this research can be used for D.mexicanus monitoring and management and may aid as a model to monitor similar species.     

Forest Management Approaches for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: a Comparison Between Germany and Japan

ABSTRACT

Forest management affects carbon sequestration (mitigation) and resilience of forest ecosystems (adaptation) under climate change. Therefore, the efforts to integrate these two approaches have been made by the political arrangements to seek the synergy effects and deal with trade-offs. To study the state of the art linkages and forest policies to realize both adaptation and mitigation, we systematically review the literature highlighting the topic (136 publications) and outline two different approaches from Germany and Japan as countries with substantial forest resources and high influences on international forest policies and wood trade. We identify three linkages: (1) an ecosystem (based) approach assuming that a resilient ecosystem (adaptation), has high potential as a carbon sink (mitigation), (2) a sustainable forest management (SFM) aiming for enhancing forests’ resilience and carbon sink potential simultaneously, and (3) a cross-sectoral approach generating synergies among multiple sectors of agriculture, forestry, urban design, and nature conservation. We find that a significant objective is still SFM for sustaining the forest area andwood production, where SFM examples in Germany and Japan exemplify contributions to carbon sinks and ongoing disaster risk management, respectively. Overall, the current differentiated objectives of SFM do not underpin the twofold approach and their synergy effects.     

Capacity building to advance the United Nations sustainable development goals: An overview of tools and approaches related to sustainable land management

The United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) provide an ambitious and comprehensive framework for addressing the development needs on a global, regional, and national scale. In order for the SDG targets to be obtainable, diverse stakeholders need the technical, institutional, and organizational capacity to implement the wide variety of initiatives covered under these goals. Inspired by a 2016 workshop, this article synthesizes capacity-building themes and strategies for the following approaches to sustainable development, specifically related to forestry, restoration, agriculture, and other forms of land management. Using three case studies from the authors’ experience, we present approaches to building local capacity for sustainable land management (SLM) in the tropics. These projects have taken different steps in order to build technical and leadership capacity as well as develop management or financial skills, and offer insight into various approaches that may be used in order to improve the effectiveness and long-term impact of SLM efforts. By presenting a range of tools and approaches to capacity building, the authors hope that this synthesis can serve as a valuable guide for the development of diverse capacity-building initiatives required to meet the SDGs.     

Silviculture as a disturbance regime: the effects of clear-cutting,planting and thinning on polypore communities in mixed forests

The structure of modern forest landscapes is profoundly affected by human-caused disturbances, particularly forest management; however, the effects and prospects of individual silvicultural techniques are insufficiently understood. This study distinguishes the effects of clear-cutting, planting and thinning on species richness and community composition of polypore fungi. In 2008–2009, 181 forest compartments (ranging from naturally regenerated deciduous stands to planted Picea abies stands and 0–137 years post clear-cutting) were explored in a hemiboreal landscape subjected to even-aged management. Altogether 104 polypore species were recorded. For species richness, time since clear-cutting was the most influential factor at both stand and landscape scales, followed by thinning. Clear-cuts had distinct polypore communities (including several red-listed species) whose species richness declined in time. Following 20 years post clear-cutting, species richness started to increase along different community–composition pathways determined by regeneration type. The communities developed after planting were moderately species rich at stand scale but homogeneous over larger areas. Thus, at landscape scale, mature unmanaged naturally regenerated stands hosted most species; thinning reduced species richness by approximately 15%, and among thinned stands, planted areas had a further 9–22% fewer species than naturally regenerated areas. In such variably managed landscape, silviculture appeared to create particularly distinct communities in young stands on nutrient-rich soils, which naturally provide polypores with a rich supply of small deciduous snags absent from stands artificially planted with P. abies and intensively thinned.     

Nepalese non-timber forest products: An analysis of the equitability of profit distribution across a supply chain to India

The collection and sale of non-timber forest products is a major source of livelihood in some regions of Nepal. The research reported in this paper compares the resource rent or contribution margin of collectors, village traders, Nepali wholesalers and Indian traders for two highly traded non-timber forest products of Nepal, namely asparagus and lichen. The causes of inequitable margins are investigated, and measures for increasing equity within the supply chain are identified. The research revealed that the margin of asparagus collectors was higher than for the lichen collectors, as lichen was subjected to the high transaction costs of illegal exports. Furthermore, collectors who stayed overnight in the forest during the collection period (overnight-stayers) to reduce travelling time had a higher margin than those who went home every day after collection (non-overnight-stayers). In four distinct trading chains analysed, Nepali wholesalers and Indian traders captured most of the resource rent. The difference in collection costs between overnight-stayers and non-overnight-stayers does not affect the margin of other stakeholders in the value chain. It was hypothesised that the inequity is exacerbated by a low level of understanding of marketing among collectors, and this is confirmed by survey results. It is argued that the margin of collectors could be increased by providing training, technical support, market and price information, and other forms of institutional support.     

Agroecology as a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Smallholders of Tehri-Garhwal in the Indian Himalayan Region

Climate change is expected to increase temperatures and rainfall in the Himalayan region and place stress on local livelihoods by affecting agro-biodiversity, crop yield, cropping patterns and the species composition of forests. This paper reports findings of a survey of farmers into the role of agroforestry or ‘agroecological intensification’ for reducing climate change vulnerability. The survey was conducted in the Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, a Himalayan State of India. Existing traditional agroforestry was found to provide ecosystem services to farmers at various scales ranging from the global to household level, contributing to the livelihoods and resilience of the farmers to climate change. The strategies of farmers for adaptating to climate change include adoption of agroforestry due to its diversified agricultural and forest products and services. The analysis suggests that policies should consider agroforestry as a tool for improving the livelihood and resilience to climate change of farmers.     

An analysis of the public discourse about urban sprawl in the United States: Monitoring concern about a major threat to forests

Urban sprawl has been identified as a serious threat to forests and other natural areas in the United States, and public concern about the impacts of sprawling development patterns has grown in recent years. The prominence of public concern about sprawl is germane to planners, managers, and policymakers involved in efforts to protect interface forests from urban encroachment because the level of concern will influence the acceptance of policies and programs aimed at protecting forests. A new indicator of public concern about urban sprawl is presented, based on computer content analysis of public discussion contained in the news media from 1995–2001. More than 36,000 news stories about sprawl were analyzed for expressions of concern. Overall concern about sprawl grew rapidly during the latter half of the 1990s. The environmental impacts of sprawl were the most salient concern overall, and concern about loss of open space and traffic problems has increased since 1995 as a share of all sprawl concerns. The method described in this paper provides a new approach for planners and policymakers to monitor change in public attitudes about a wide range of social issues over time.     

Climate and recent fire history affect fuel loads in Eucalyptus forests: Implications for fire management in a changing climate

Predicted changes to global climates are expected to affect natural fire regimes. Many studies suggest that the impact of these effects could be minimised by reducing fuel loads through prescribed burning. Fuel loads are dynamic and are affected by a range of factors including fire and climate. In this study, we use a 22-year dataset to examine the relative influence of climate and fire history on rates of litterfall and decomposition, and hence fuel loads, in a coastal Eucalypt forest in south-eastern Australia. Litterfall and decomposition were both affected by temperature, recent rainfall and fire history variables. Over the study period prescribed burning immediately reduced fuel loads, with fuel loads reaching pre-burn levels within 3 years of a fire. Modelling fuel loads under predicted climate change scenarios for 2070 suggests that while fuel loads are reduced, the levels are not significantly lower than those recorded in the study. Based on these predictions it is unlikely that the role or value of prescribed burning in these forests will change under the scenarios tested in this study.     

Vulnerability of Community-Based Forest Management to Climate Variability and Extremes: Emerging Insights on the Contribution of REDD+

Climate change spurs havoc on social-ecological system. People and places vulnerable to climate change have been the focus of many discussions. However, in the forestry sector, limited studies have been conducted that link human vulnerability to recent initiatives, such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation or REDD+, especially in highly vulnerable countries. Using case studies from the Philippines, this paper focuses on the vulnerability of two community-based forest management (CBFM) organizations, with and without REDD+ readiness intervention, to show the impacts of climate variability and extremes. Two balance-weighted approaches, the livelihood vulnerability index and the IPCC-framework, were used in the vulnerability assessments. Results revealed high vulnerability of both CBFM organizations, although Malitbog Upland Developers for Sustainable Association (MUDSA) livelihood vulnerability is largely aggravated by its exposure to disaster, climate variability and extremes, accessibility to health facilities and water supply. The long history of CBFM implementation in both organizations have minimal contribution in enhancing the adaptive capacity of members to cope with and adapt to climate change impacts. REDD+ (readiness), does not insure reduced vulnerability to climate change, unless sustainable livelihood is achieved. As the State controls forest resources, the rights of CBFM-organizations to commercially benefit from these resources are limited, a disincentive to the development of new and viable development programs in CBFM areas, such as REDD+. This also constrains the achievement of climate resiliency.     

Development and evaluation of local communities incentive programs for improving the traditional forest management: A case study of Northern Zagros forests,Iran

We examined the local community incentive programs to improve traditional forest management in three forested villages in Baneh city, Kurdistan province in the northern Zagros forests of western Iran. Zagros forests cover 6.07 million ha and support rich plant and animal diversity. Changes in local community social and economic sys-tems and the inefficiency of traditional forest management led to a criti-cal situation in the stability of forest regeneration in recent decades. Due to a shortage of productive and arable lands and resulting unemployment and poverty, people overexploited the Zagros forests. Outside interven-tion in traditional forest management creates conflicts between local peoples and forest management organizations. To achieve sustainable forest management, including forest resources conservation and im-provement of natural resource based livelihoods of communities, it is desirable to implement Forestry Incentive Programs （FIP） based on the important functions of forests. Detailed information on the so-cio-economics of communities, the effect of forests on local livelihoods, and lists of products extracted from the forest were obtained from a sur-vey of local communities though questionnaire, interview and observa-tion. We studied 276 households in three villages and completed 76 ques-tionnaires by householders in the quantitative analysis. Sampling was performed by simple random sampling （SRS）. The needs of rural com-munities, such as livestock husbandry, mainly arise from the characteris-tics and environmental features of villages. We identified the driving forces, pressures, status, impacts and responses （DPSIR） to design incen-tive programs, by DPSIR analysis and interaction analysis. Evaluation of local community benefits from forests showed that in order to improve forest management, 319 dollars per year would be needed by each family as an incentive in 2010 to prevent lopping and firewood collecting, the main causes of forest degradation.     

Assessment of ecosystem services as an opportunity for the conservation and management of native forests in Chile

This paper quantifies two important native forest ecosystem services in southern Chile: water supply and recreational fishing opportunities. We analyzed streamflow in relation to forest cover in six watersheds located in the Valdivian Coastal Range (39°50′–40°05′S), the effect of forest management on streamflow in two watersheds in the Valdivian Andes (600–650 m of elevation; 39°37′S), and fish abundance as a function of forest cover in 17 watersheds located in the Coastal Range and the Central Depression (39°50′–42°30′S). We found that the annual direct runoff coefficient (quickflow/precipitation) and total streamflow/precipitation in the dry summer season were positively correlated with native forest cover in the watershed (R² = 0.67 and 0.76; ^*P = 0.045 and 0.027, respectively) during four years of observations. Conversely, a negative correlation was found between summer runoff coefficients (total streamflow/precipitation) and cover of Eucalyptus spp. and Pinusradiata plantations (R² = 0.84; ^*P = 0.010). We estimated a mean increase of 14.1% in total summer streamflow for every 10% increase in native forest cover in the watershed. The analysis of streamflow changes between two paired watersheds dominated by native secondary Nothofagus stands, one thinned with 35% of basal area removal and a control, showed that the former had a 40% increase during summer (four years of observations). The best correlation between fish abundance and forest cover was found between trout abundance (%) and secondary native forest area in 1000 m × 60 m stream buffers (R² = 0.65, ^***P < 0.0001). We estimated a 14.6% increase in trout abundance for every 10% increase of native forest cover in these buffers. Similar approaches to quantify forest ecosystem services could be used elsewhere and provide useful information for policy and decision-making regarding forest conservation and management.     

Effect of forest shape on habitat selection of birds in a plantation-dominant landscape across seasons: comparison between continuous and strip forests

Conversion of natural forests to other land use results not only in a decrease of forest area but also in the degradation of remnant forests as a habitat for forest animals. Although such degradation due to an increase of forest edges has been studied most intensively, other factors such as forest shape may also contribute to the degradation. In this study, we compared bird abundance and species richness between irregular-shaped and relatively continuous forests in the breeding and migratory seasons. Since the forests were surrounded by tree plantations rather than open lands, the edge effect may have been weak at the study site. Our results suggested that the irregular forest shape negatively affected forest bird abundance and species richness in the breeding season, but not in the migratory season. The response of birds varied with bird traits: migrants avoided the irregular-shaped forest, but residents did not. Among the residents, small ones preferred or tolerate the irregular-shaped forest whereas large ones avoided it. This study indicates that careful consideration of various factors such as seasonality and bird traits is needed to understand the consequences of land use changes on forest birds.     

Maximally selected two-sample statistics as a new tool for the identification and assessment of habitat factors with an application to breeding-bird communities in oak forests

Near-natural forest management is one of the major principles of modern forestry in central Europe. A measure commonly used for the assessment of logging is the occurrence and density of character species typical for the local biotope. Near-natural forest structures can be designed only when sufficient knowledge about the relationship between species and habitat factors is available. We suggest the use of simple cutpoint regression models for the derivation of statistically valid rules of thumb. The methodology is applied to bird and structure data of ancient and present oak coppices with standards to demonstrate its practical application. The cutpoints are derived from estimates of break points by means of maximally selected two-sample statistics, and their validity is judged by multiple test procedures. Detailed results are presented for character species and their relationships to the environment. We show that, for example, the tree pipit (Anthus trivialis) is missing in stands with more than 40% canopy overstorey, whereas this species can be regularly observed in more open stands. For the tree pipit, the analysis is illustrated by means of a free software package.     

Developing Carbon Sequestration Forestry for Mitigating Climate Change: Practice and Management of Carbon Sequestration Forestry in China

By elaborating the functions and effects of forestry in mitigating climate change, introducing the concepts and significance of forest carbon sink, forestry carbon sequestration, and carbon sequestration forestry, and summarizing the practices of carbon sequestration forestry in China, the paper came up with the outline for strengthening the management of carbon sequestration forestry, i.e. implementing the Climate Change Forestry Action Plan, reinforcing the accounting and monitoring of national forest car...     

A Study of Afforestation Subsidy for Multi-purpose Forestry Development under Global Climate Change:Overseas Experiments and Implication

Global climate change poses new opportunities and challenges for forestry development, and therefore developing multiple-purpose forestry is an important measure to strengthen forestry response to climate change. At present, plantation in China ranks the world first in area, but with relatively low productivity. Constantly expanding forest area and improving forest management for enhancing multiple functions and purposes of plantations are the key measures to upgrade plantation capacity to mitigate and adap...     

Agroforestry: a profitable land use. An overview of the 12th North American Agroforestry Conference

This special issue features papers contributed by presenters at the 12th North American Agroforestry Conference held June 4–9, 2011 in Athens, Georgia, USA. The conference brought together agroforestry researchers, educators, practitioners, and students to highlight agroforestry research, implementation, policy, education, and entrepreneurial opportunities across North America. Eight papers cover topics ranging from adoption of silvopastoral systems across eco-regions and countries; economics of pine straw production; and timber and alley crop production in the Southeastern U.S.; reduction of sublimation of snow with shelterbelts in Canada, carbon offset incentives for agroforestry practices; consumer and market dynamics for chestnut and elderberry specialty crops; and web-based graduate degree and certificate programs in agroforestry.     

森林·蒸散·气候·沙漠--试论中国森林变迁对沙漠演替的影响

以森林历史、生态学、气候学、沙漠学研究成果为基础 ,综合研究森林、蒸散、气候、沙漠之间的关系。结果表明 :森林、蒸散、气候、沙漠四者之间有着紧密的内在关系。因人为活动造成的中国森林的大面积减少 ,首先引起陆相蒸散量的降低 ,进而使中国北部气候逐渐趋于干旱化 ,最终表现为沙漠的扩张。 4 0 0 0年间 ,我国森林覆盖率由 6 0 %减至 12 .5 % ,作为主要原因使全国总年蒸散量减少 14 6mm ,全国平均降水量减少约 2 0 0mm ,沙漠化面积由占国土的 10 %扩大到 17.6 %。森林与沙漠是构成陆地生态系统的两极 ,是此消彼长的关系 ,连通两者联系的中介是水。中国从根本上防治沙漠化的途径是在“东南半壁”宜林地区大面积培育以提高蒸散为目的的“云根林”     

An alternative management regime of selection cutting for sustaining stand structure of mixed forests of northern Japan: a simulation study

In uneven-aged conifer–broadleaved mixed forests in Hokkaido, northern Japan, single-tree selection cutting has been a common management practice since the early twentieth century. This practice is expected to produce timber without major changes in stand structure or tree species composition. The demographic response of forests to this practice has often been unexpected, and degradation of stand properties has been widely observed. We propose here a sustainable management regime of selection cutting, based on an individual-based forest dynamics simulation model, SORTIE-ND. Our simulations, based on demographic data from 15 long-term monitoring stands, suggest that selection cutting using a lower cutting intensity together with a longer rotation period and reduced removal of small trees and conifer species is more appropriate than traditional systems in terms of maintaining stand structure and tree species composition, as well as being profitable financially. Supplemental regeneration practices, which can counter accidental mortality incurred during harvesting operations, would also be necessary to ensure tree recruitment.