Long-term recovery of stream habitat structure and benthic invertebrate communities from in-stream restoration

Headwater streams channelized for water transport of timber in Finland are being restored to their pre-channelization state. The primary motivation is the enhancement of sport fisheries, but restoration probably has profound impacts also on other stream organisms. We assessed how such “single-goal” restorations affect benthic macroinvertebrate communities. We revisited the streams sampled by Laasonen et al. [Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 8 (1998)] in the early 1990s when the streams had been recently restored. In 1997, the recovery period of these streams ranged from 4 to 8 years. Habitat structure among the stream types represented a distinct recovery gradient, with streams restored 1 month before sampling and natural streams being the endpoints of a gradient in moss cover (highest in natural, lowest in recently restored streams). Channelized streams supported a characteristic set of indicator species, whereas shifts in species composition between restored and natural streams were more gradual. Macroinvertebrate communities in unmodified streams changed little between the two surveys, whereas communities in restored streams had undergone considerable changes. In-stream restoration is an unpredictable disturbance, to which stream biota cannot have any evolved responses. Therefore, the relatively rapid recovery of habitat structure and macroinvertebrate communities in restored streams is encouraging. However, long-term monitoring of benthic communities in both restored and natural streams is needed to assess whether restoring rivers by these techniques will enhance the recovery of benthic biodiversity in boreal streams.     

Effect of species composition on ecosystem services in European boreal forest

Forest management in several boreal countries is strongly focused on conifers because they are more productive,the technical quality of their stems is better,and their wood fibers are longer as compared to broadleaves.Favoring conifers in forest management leads to simple forest structures with low resilience and diversity.Such forests are risky in the face of climate change and fluctuating timber prices.Climate change increases the vitality of many forest pests and pathogens such as Heterobasidion spp.and Ips typographus L.which attack mainly spruce.Wind damages are also increasing because of a shorter period of frozen soil to provide a firm anchorage against storms.Wind-thrown trees serve as starting points for bark beetle outbreaks.Increasing the proportion of broadleaved species might alleviate some of these problems.This study predicts the long-term(150 years) consequences of current conifer-oriented forest management in two forest areas,and compared this management with silvicultural strategies that promote mixed forests and broadleaved species.The results show that,in the absence of damages,conifer-oriented forestry would lead to 5–10% higher timber yields and carbon sequestration.The somewhat lower carbon sequestration of broadleaved forests was counteracted by their higher albedo(reflectance).Mixed and broadleafforests were better providers of recreational amenities.Species diversity was much higher in mixed stand and broadleaf-oriented silviculture at stand and forest levels.The analysis indicates that conifer-oriented forest management produces rather small and uncertain economic benefits at a high cost in resilience and diversity.     

A genome-wide association study of type 2 diabetes in Finns detects multiple susceptibility variants

Identifying the genetic variants that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in humans has been a formidable challenge. Adopting a genome-wide association strategy, we genotyped 1161 Finnish T2D cases and 1174 Finnish normal glucose-tolerant (NGT) controls with >315,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and imputed genotypes for an additional >2 million autosomal SNPs. We carried out association analysis with these SNPs to identify genetic variants that predispose to T2D, compared our T2D association results with the results of two similar studies, and genotyped 80 SNPs in an additional 1215 Finnish T2D cases and 1258 Finnish NGT controls. We identify T2D-associated variants in an intergenic region of chromosome 11p12, contribute to the identification of T2D-associated variants near the genes IGF2BP2 and CDKAL1 and the region of CDKN2A and CDKN2B, and confirm that variants near TCF7L2, SLC30A8, HHEX, FTO, PPARG, and KCNJ11 are associated with T2D risk. This brings the number of T2D loci now confidently identified to at least 10.     

Two outbreaks of virulent systemic feline calicivirus infection in cats in Germany

Over the last years, several outbreaks of virulent systemic feline calicivirus (VS-FCV) infection have been described in the USA and several European countries. The paper describes two outbreaks of VS-FCV infection in cats in Germany. Data concerning clinical, laboratory, and histopathological features ofVS-FCV infection were collected from two outbreaks affecting 55 and 4 cats, respectively. Presence of feline calicivirus was confirmed by PCR followed by sequencing of the PCR-products. Clinical signs were variable, including severe upper respiratory tract infection, dyspnoea, oral and footpad ulceration, facial oedema, enteritis, pneumonia, bleeding disorder, high fever, and icterus. Both outbreaks were characterized by a high mortality rate.The present report describes the first documented outbreaks of VS-FCV infection in cats in Germany. Clinical and histopathological features are comparable to outbreaks described in the USA and Europe. However, phylogenetic analysis of the virus genome suggests that virus strains involved in these outbreaks were different from each other and from virulent strains isolated before, confirming the known genetic variability of FCV.     

Using multiscale spatial analysis to assess fire ignition density in Catalonia,Spain

Introduction   

This article explores the possibility of including multiple spatial scales into a mixed model for predicting the density of human-caused fire ignitions in Catalonia (North-East Spain).     

Radial growth patterns of dominant trees in two old-growth forests in eastern Fennoscandia

We investigated the characteristics and variability of radial growth patterns and the occurrence of growth releases in dominant trees in two old-growth forests in eastern Finland, one dominated by Picea abies and the other by Pinus sylvestris. The dominant trees exhibited high variation in radial growth patterns suggesting that the trees had experienced very different growing conditions and competitive situations during their lifespans. Based on visual evaluation, five types of radial growth patterns were distinguished: descending, even, unimodal (one peak in the growth rate), bimodal (two peaks in the growth rate with an intermediate depression) and fuzzy (no clear pattern). One or more growth releases were detected in 18% of the sampled Picea and in 21% of the Pinus trees. In both the Picea- and the Pinus-dominated sites, the temporal distribution of growth releases was relatively even, except for a moderate peak in 1855–1860. This suggests that small-scale disturbances have been the predominant disturbance mode in both sites during the last 150 years. We conclude that the detected variability in radial growth patterns likely reflects the overall small-scale heterogeneity of structure and developmental processes that are typical of old-growth forests.     

The Biodegradation and Disintegration of Paper Products in the Composting Environment

The compostability of several paper products was determined according to the standards and criteria of the European standardization committee (CEN). The lignin content of the materials seems to be the main reason for the low biodegradability level achieved in the controlled composting test, which is a biodegradability test based on microbial degradation and measurement of carbon dioxide evolution. Mechanically pulped paper, which contains more lignin and more closely resembles natural wood than chemically bleached paper, generated smaller amounts of carbon dioxide. All the chemically bleached papers generated more than 70% of their organic carbon content as CO₂, while the mechanically pulped unbleached papers in general generated less than 70%. Paper containing mechanical pulp degrades slower because lignin both interferes the biodegradation of cellulose and becomes incorporated in the humus. The test protocol also defines that, even if the biodegradability of paper products is not tested, their disintegration and effect on compost quality have to be determined. In the present study, we also evaluated a number of disintegration test methods in full-scale composting facilities. According to CEN, the disintegration can be studied either in composter bin-scale test equipment or in full-scale composting facilities. In this study, we only present the data from full-scale composting in which several test methods were used to evaluate the degradation of the samples. The disintegration of the paper products in full-scale composting facilities is highly dependent on the method used. The slowest degradation rate was achieved when the samples were composted in nylon bags.     

Uncertainty in timber assortment estimates predicted from forest inventory data

Uncertainty factors related to inventory methodologies and forest-planning simulation computings in the estimation of logging outturn assortment volumes and values were examined. The uncertainty factors investigated were (1) forest inventory errors, (2) errors in generated stem distribution, (3) effects of generated stem distribution errors on the simulation of thinnings and (iv) errors related to the prediction of stem form and simulation of bucking. Regarding inventory errors, standwise field inventory (SWFI) was compared with area-based airborne laser scanning (ALS) and aerial photography inventorying. Our research area, Evo, is located in southern Finland. In all, 31 logging sites (12 clear-cutting and 19 thinning sites) measured by logging machine in winter 2008 were used as field reference data. The results showed that the most significant source of error in the prediction of clear-cutting assortment outturns was inventory error. Errors related to stem-form prediction and simulated bucking as well as generation of stem distributions also cause uncertainty. The bias and root-mean-squared error (RMSE) of inventory errors varied between −11.4 and 21.6 m³/ha and 6.8 and 40.5 m³/ha, respectively, depending on the assortment and inventory methodology. The effect of forest inventory errors on the value of logging outturn in clear-cuttings was 29.1% (SWFI) and 24.7% (ALS). The respective RMSE values related to thinnings were 41.1 and 42%. The generation of stem distribution series using mean characteristics led to an RMSE of 1.3 to 2.7 m³/ha and a bias of −1.2 to 0.6 m³/ha in the volume of all assortments. Prediction of stem form and simulation of bucking led to a relative bias of −0.28 to 0.00 m³ in predicted sawtimber volume. Errors related to pulpwood volumes were −0.4 m³ to 0.21 m³.     

Towards interactive fish farming governance? a comparison of Finland and Sweden

The neighbouring countries, Finland and Sweden, compete in the same market with their aquaculture. Both countries have had, until recently, stringent environmental policies limiting production volumes. During recent years, however, Swedish fish farmers have been able to increase their production volume, and Finnish fish farmers have also redirected their investments to Sweden. Thus, the strict Finnish environmental permit policy has not benefited the Baltic Sea environment, but has moved the production volumes and employment opportunities to other locations in the Baltic Sea and its drainage basin. By comparing the Finnish and Swedish fish farming governance systems, we found that in Sweden, various types of formal and informal interaction and practice have enhanced the achievement of balanced decisions. This has only rarely been the case in Finland, which features a more authoritative decision-making culture. On the other hand, increased communication across the Finnish administrative sectors raises future prospects for more holistic fish farming governance, which balances economic, social and environmental goals.     

Integrated use of GIS,remote sensing and multi-criteria decision analysis to assess ecological land suitability in multi-functional forestry

The Zagros forests are a treasure of valuable oak forests, but they have been severely degraded from long-term misuse. Geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) have been increasingly used to improve the management of vulnerable ecosystems to prevent further degradation and increase the sustainability of land use. This study presents a methodology to assess land suitability using remote sensing (RS) to obtain wall-to-wall data for the calculations, GIS to analyze the data, and MCDA to rank alternative land uses. The criteria and subcriteria affecting the suitability of land for different uses were identified and weighted using an analytic hierarchy process. Variables used as subcriteria were assessed using satellite data and other sources of information such as existing maps and field surveys. Numerical values for the subcriteria were classified, and each class was given a priority rating according to expert judgments. Based on the ratings and weights of the subcriteria, a priority map was created for each land use using the weighted linear combination method. The priority maps for different land uses were overlaid to obtain a preliminary land use map, which often indicated several simultaneous land uses for the same location. The preliminary map was further edited by removing unrealistic, mutually exclusive land-use combinations. The study tested and demonstrated the potential of integrating RS, GIS and MCDA techniques for solving complicated land allocation problems in forested regions using a scientifically sound and practical approach for efficient and sustainable allocation of forestland for different uses.