scholarly journals Economic and ecological trade-off analysis of forest ecosystems: options for boreal forests

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Si Chen ◽  
Chander Shahi ◽  
Han Y.H. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecological Functions ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Trade Offs

Intensive forest management practices for production forestry can potentially impact the sustainability of ecological functions and associated forest ecosystem services. Understanding the trade-offs between economic gains and ecological losses is critical for the sustainable management of forest resources. However, economic and ecological trade-offs are typically uncertain, vary at temporal and spatial scales, and are difficult to measure. Moreover, the methods used to quantify economic and ecological trade-offs might have conflicting priorities. We reviewed the most current published literature related to trade-off analysis between economic gains and sustainability of forest ecosystem functions and associated services, and we found that most economic and ecological trade-offs studies were conducted in tropical and temperate forests, with few having their focus on boreal forests. Analytical methods of these published studies included monetary valuation, biophysical models, optimization programming, production possibility frontier, and multi-objective optimization. This review has identified the knowledge gaps in the understanding and measurement of the economic and ecological trade-offs for the sustainable management of boreal forests. While it remains uncertain how economic activities might best maintain and support multiple ecological functions and associated services in the boreal forests, which are susceptible to climate change and disturbances, we propose the use of optimization methods employing multiple objectives. For any tool to provide sustainable and optimal forest management solutions, we propose that appropriate and robust data must be collected and analyzed.

scholarly journals Phytoplankton size diversity and ecosystem function relationships across oceanic regions

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1879) ◽  
pp. 20180621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esteban Acevedo-Trejos ◽  
Emilio Marañón ◽  
Agostino Merico
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Size Diversity ◽  
Phytoplankton Size

Trait diversity, a key component of biodiversity, mediates many essential ecosystem functions and services. However, the mechanisms behind such relationships at large spatial scales are not fully understood. Here we adopt the functional biogeography approach to investigate how the size composition of phytoplankton communities relates to primary production and export production along a broad latitudinal gradient. Using in situ phytoplankton size distribution data and a trait-based model, we find an increase in the average phytoplankton size, size diversity, primary production and export when moving from low to high latitudes. Our analysis indicates that the interplay between spatio-temporal heterogeneities in environmental conditions and a trade-off between the high affinity for nutrients of smaller cells and the ability to avoid predation by larger cells are the main mechanisms driving the observed patterns. Our results also suggest that variations in size diversity alone do not directly lead to changes in primary production and export. The trade-off thus introduces a feedback that influences the relationship between size diversity and ecosystem functions. These findings support the importance of environmentally mediated trade-offs as crucial mechanisms shaping biodiversity and ecosystem function relationships at large spatial scales.

Forest Management In Mongolia – A Review Of Challenges And Lessons Learned With Special Reference To Degradation And Deforestation

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Gradel ◽  
Gerelbaatar Sukhbaatar ◽  
Daniel Karthe ◽  
Hoduck Kang
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Driven System ◽  
The Status

The natural conditions, climate change and socio-economic challenges related to the transformation from a socialistic society towards a market-driven system make the implementation of sustainable land management practices in Mongolia especially complicated. Forests play an important role in land management. In addition to providing resources and ecosystem functions, Mongolian forests protect against land degradation.We conducted a literature review of the status of forest management in Mongolia and lessons learned, with special consideration to halting deforestation and degradation. We grouped our review into seven challenges relevant to developing regionally adapted forest management systems that both safeguard forest health and consider socio-economic needs. In our review, we found that current forest management in Mongolia is not always sustainable, and that some practices lack scientific grounding. An overwhelming number of sources noticed a decrease in forest area and quality during the last decades, although afforestation initiatives are reported to have increased. We found that they have had, with few exceptions, only limited success. During our review, however, we found a number of case studies that presented or proposed promising approaches to (re-)establishing and managing forests. These studies are further supported by a body of literature that examines how forest administration, and local participation can be modified to better support sustainable forestry. Based on our review, we conclude that it is necessary to integrate capacity development and forest research into holistic initiatives. A special focus should be given to the linkages between vegetation cover and the hydrological regime.

Effect of forest management on the formation and stability of phytolith and PhytOC in forest ecosystem

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Xu ◽  
Yongjun Shi ◽  
Wanjie Lv ◽  
Zhengwen Niu ◽  
Ning Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Moso Bamboo ◽  
Soil System ◽  
Silicon Fertilization ◽  
Global Carbon

<p>Forest ecosystem has a high carbon sequestration capacity and plays a crucial role in maintaining global carbon balance and climate change. Phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC), a promising long-term biogeochemical carbon sequestration mechanism, has attracted more attentions in the global carbon cycle and the regulation of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub>. Therefore, it is of practical significance to investigate the PhytOC accumulation in forest ecosystems. Previous studies have mostly focused on the estimation of the content and storage of PhytOC, while there were still few studies on how the management practices affect the PhytOC content. Here, this study focused on the effects of four management practices (compound fertilization, silicon fertilization, cut and control) on the increase of phytolith and PhytOC in Moso bamboo forests. We found that silicon fertilization had a greater potential to significantly promote the capacity of carbon sequestration in Moso bamboo forests. this finding positively corresponds recent studies that the application of silicon fertilizers (e.g., biochar) increase the Si uptake<strong><sup>1</sup></strong> to promote phytolith accumulation and its PhytOC sequestration in the plant-soil system<strong><sup>2</sup></strong>. Of course, the above-mentioned document<strong><sup>2</sup></strong> also had their own shortcomings, i.e., the experimental research time was not long, lacking long-term follow-up trial and the bamboo forest parts were also limited, so that the test results lack certain reliability. We have set up a long-term experiment plot to study the effects of silicon fertilizer on the formation and stability of phytolith and PhytOC in Moso bamboo forests. But anyway, different forest management practices, especially the application of high-efficiency silicon-rich fertilizers<strong><sup>1</sup></strong>, may be an effective way to increase the phytolith and PhytOC storage in forest ecosystems, and thereby improve the long-term CO<sub>2 </sub>sequestration capacity of forest ecosystems. Research in this study provides a good "forest plan" to achieve their national voluntary emission reduction commitments and achieves carbon neutrality goals for all over the world.</p><p>Refences:</p><p><sup>1</sup>Li et al., 2019. Plant and soil, 438(1-2), pp.187-203.</p><p><sup>2</sup>Huang et al., 2020, Science of The Total Environment, 715, p.136846.</p>

scholarly journals Modelling Non-timber Forest Products for Forest Management Planning in Europe

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-322
Author(s):  
Jari Miina ◽  
Mikko Kurttila ◽  
Rafael Calama ◽  
Sergio de-Miguel ◽  
Timo Pukkala
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Joint Production ◽  
Forest Owners ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Forest Management Planning ◽  
Forest Management Practices ◽  
Non Timber Forest Products

Abstract Purpose of Review The increased popularity and commercial use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) calls for the development of models for NTFPs to include their predicted yields in forest management planning and to evaluate the potential of multi-functional forest management. This study assesses and discusses the current state of the art and trends in NTFP yield modelling in Europe and the integration of the models in multi-functional forest management planning at different spatial scales. Recent Findings Climate-sensitive empirical yield models already exist not only for a variety of NTFPs that are economically important to forest owners (e.g. cork and pine nuts) but also for wild-gathered berries and mushrooms, the harvesting of which cannot be controlled by the forest landowner in all European countries. Several studies on multi-functional forest management planning consider the economic profitability of the joint production of timber and NTFP. Harvesting NTFPs can create significant additional incomes for forest owners, compared with timber production only. However, maximizing the economic returns from the joint production of timber and NTFPs often calls for changes in forest management practices. Summary Continued efforts in modelling and predicting the yields of NTFPs have enabled forest managers to further expand the analyses of multi-functional forest planning and management in Europe. Climate-sensitive models also allow analyses on the potential effects of climate change on NTFP yields. New models and forest management practices are still needed for tree fruits, birch sap, a wider variety of wild edible mushrooms, specialty mushrooms cultivated on live trees as well as medicinal and edible forest herbs harvested for commercial value in Europe.

The Forest Ecosystem Research Network of Sites (FERNS)

1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Mitchell ◽  
C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Ecosystem Processes ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Ecosystem Research ◽  
Research Investments

The Canadian Forest Service (CFS) has organized a National Forest Ecosystem Research Network of Sites (FERNS). These sites are focussed on the study of sustainable forest management practices and ecosystem processes at the stand level. Network objectives are to promote this research nationally and internationally, provide linkages among sites, preserve the long-term research investments already made on these sites and provide a forum for information exchange and data sharing. The 17 individual sites are representative of six ecozones across Canada and address the common issue of silvicultural solutions to problems of sustainable forest management. While the CFS coordinates and promotes FERNS, the network consists of local autonomous partners nationwide who benefit from the FERNS affiliation through increased publicity for their sites. Key words: long-term, silviculture, network, interdisciplinary, ecozone, ecosystem processes

Enhancing ecosystem services with no-till

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Lal
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
No Till ◽  
Trade Offs

AbstractEcosystem functions and services provided by soils depend on land use and management. The objective of this article is to review and synthesize relevant information on the impacts of no-till (NT) management of croplands on ecosystem functions and services. Sustainable management of soil through NT involves: (i) replacing what is removed, (ii) restoring what has been degraded, and (iii) minimizing on-site and off-site effects. Despite its merits, NT is adopted on merely ∼9% of the 1.5 billion ha of global arable land area. Soil's ecosystem services depend on the natural capital (soil organic matter and clay contents, soil depth and water retention capacity) and its management. Soil management in various agro-ecosystems to enhance food production has some trade-offs/disservices (i.e., decline in biodiversity, accelerated erosion and non-point source pollution), which must be minimized by further developing agricultural complexity to mimic natural ecosystems. However, adoption of NT accentuates many ecosystem services: carbon sequestration, biodiversity, elemental cycling, and resilience to natural and anthropogenic perturbations, all of which can affect food security. Links exist among diverse ecosystem services, such that managing one can adversely impact others. For example, increasing agronomic production can reduce biodiversity and deplete soil organic carbon (SOC), harvesting crop residues for cellulosic ethanol can reduce SOC, etc. Undervaluing ecosystem services can jeopardize finite soil resources and aggravate disservices. Adoption of recommended management practices can be promoted through payments for ecosystem services by a market-based approach so that risks of disservices and negative costs can be reduced either through direct economic incentives or as performance payments.

scholarly journals Impacts of forest management on soil properties: a fundamental research topic for Mexico

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla Valladares-Samperio ◽  
◽  
Leopoldo Galicia-Sarmiento ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Wood Harvesting ◽  
Intensive Forest Management ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: The increase in the intensity of wood harvesting has a negative influence on ecosystem functions of soils in temperate and boreal forests. Objective: To understand the impacts of intensive and extensive forest management methods on the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils, and consequences on nutrient availability and stabilization processes in temperate and boreal forests. Results and discussion: Intensive forest management methods can generate greater imbalance in the processes of availability and stabilization of nutrients, compared to selective methods. The impact is reflected in the deterioration of soil structure and the decrease of nutrient reserves and microbial communities. These damages affect fertility and functionality of soil, decreasing long-term productivity. Affectations depend on the intensity of biomass extracted, environmental conditions and site preparation. This makes evident the need to monitor forest management and its impact on soil ecology in temperate forests, which maintains long-term productivity and ensures the availability of wood volumes. Conclusion: In Mexico, the impact of forest management has been scarcely analyzed and it is indispensable to understand the functional changes in the processes that determine soil fertility and forest productivity.

scholarly journals Harvest volumes and carbon stocks in boreal forests of Ontario, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (02) ◽  
pp. 168-178
Author(s):  
Michael T. Ter-Mikaelian ◽  
Stephen J. Colombo ◽  
Jiaxin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon ◽  
Harvest Volume ◽  
Unmanaged Forest ◽  
Ecosystem Carbon Stocks

We used models to project forest carbon stocks for a series of harvesting scenarios for 29 boreal forest management units totalling 23.3 million ha in Ontario, Canada. Scenarios evaluated for 2020 to 2050 ranged from a no harvesting option to annual harvesting of 2% of the total merchantable volume present in 2020. For each scenario, we estimated the following carbon quantities: (a) forest ecosystem carbon stocks, (b) sum of carbon stocks in forest ecosystem and harvested wood products (HWP) minus emissions associated with HWP production and decomposition, and (c) net greenhouse gas (GHG) effects of harvesting estimated as (b) combined with emissions avoided by substituting HWP for non-wood materials. The average of each carbon quantity for 2020 to 2050 was linearly dependent on the annual harvest volume. The developed relationships were used to estimate harvest volumes for which the three carbon quantities would equal equilibrium forest ecosystem carbon stocks for a pre-suppression natural disturbance cycle. These estimates indicate the range of harvest volumes for which resulting carbon stocks would equal or exceed those in an unmanaged forest. Also discussed are possible criteria for determining annual harvest volume.

Forest Disturbance Mapping with Sentinel-2 Time Series in Austria

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Löw ◽  
Tatjana Koukal
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Forest Disturbance ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Forest Disturbances ◽  
Sentinel 2

<p>Worldwide, forests provide natural resources and ecosystem services. However, forest ecosystems are threatened by increasing forest disturbance dynamics, caused by direct human activities or by altering environmental conditions. It is decisive to reconstruct and trace the intra- to transannual dynamics of forest ecosystems. Therefore, the monitoring of large and small scale vegetation changes such as those caused by natural events (e.g., pest infestation, higher mortality due to altering site conditions) or forest management practices (e.g., thinning or selective timber extraction) becomes more and more crucial. National to local forest authorities and other stakeholders request detailed area-wide maps that delineate forest disturbance dynamics at various spatial scales.</p><p>We developed a time series analysis (TSA) framework that comprises data download, data management, image preprocessing and an advanced but flexible TSA. We use dense Sentinel-2 time series and a dynamic Savitzky–Golay-filtering approach to model robust but sensitive phenology courses. Deviations from the phenology models are used to derive detailed spatiotemporal information on forest disturbances. In a first case study, we apply the TSA to map forest disturbances directly or indirectly linked to recurring bark beetle infestation in Northern Austria.</p><p>In addition to spatiotemporal disturbance maps, we produce zonal statistics on different spatial scales that provide aggregated information on the extent of forest disturbances between 2018 and 2019. The outcomes are (a) area-wide consistent data of individual phenology models and deduced phenology metrics for Austrian forests and (b) operational forest disturbance maps, useful to investigate and monitor forest disturbances, for example to facilitate sustainable forest management.</p><p>At a forest stand level, we reconstruct the origin date of forest disturbances (FDD – Forest Disturbance Date). Theses FDD outputs show the spatiotemporal patterns and the development of damages and indicate that most dynamics are caused by recurring and spreading bark beetle infestation. The validation results based on field data confirm a high detection rate and show that the derived temporal information is reliable. In total, 23400 hectares, i.e., on average 2.8% of the forest area in the study area, are found to be affected by forest disturbance. The zonal statistic maps point out hotspots of significant forest disturbances, where adequate forest management measures are highly needed. Furthermore, this study highlights the TSA’s potential to also depict and monitor minor human impacts on forests, such as thinning, selective timber extraction or other moderate forest management practices.</p><p><strong>Keywords:  </strong><em>forest disturbance; forest monitoring; bark beetle infestation; forest management; time series analysis; phenology modelling; remote sensing; satellite imagery; Sentinel-2</em></p>

Investigating blue water response to green management in a Mediterranean headwater catchment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérôme Latron ◽  
Mariano Moreno de las Heras ◽  
Antonio Molina ◽  
Francesc Gallart ◽  
Teresa Cervera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Green Management ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Water Response

<p>Although forest provides multiple ecosystem services (e.g., soil conservation, carbon sequestration, regulation of water cycle), it often cannot provide all of them simultaneously because of the trade-offs between some of them. In particular, while afforestation and reforestation have been recommended as a means of sequestering carbon in forest biomass and soils to limit climate change impacts, these practices may significantly alter streamflow and groundwater recharge, particularly in Mediterranean headwater catchments. In this context, a better understanding of forest hydrology is necessary to anticipate the undesirable trade-offs of forest management that can affect water resources.</p><p>Within the MASCC and LIFE + CLIMARK projects, which respectively aim to establish possible land cover scenarios for the next decades and to implement forest management practices to strengthen the capacity of the forest to mitigate the effects of change climate, the Vallcebre research catchments (North Eastern Spain) were selected as a reference site to assess the effect of forest (green) management on water resources (blue water) in a Mediterranean environment. These research catchments offer available medium-term (15 years) hydrological series (precipitation, discharge and water table) prior to forest management and a detailed knowledge of their hydrological response, essential for this evaluation.</p><p>In October 2018, the forest cover of a small sub-catchment (0.0248 km<sup>2</sup>) which initially represented 54% of the basin was thinned (removing between 35% and 60% of the basal area depending on the locations) to assess the effect of multifunctional forest management on streamflow. In the same way, the forest covering the contribution areas (0.0138 and 0.0139km<sup>2</sup>) of two shallow piezometers was thinned according to the same procedure to evaluate possible changes on the dynamics of the piezometric levels.</p><p>This work aims to present the general framework of the study, the type of forest management carried out as well as a first analysis (at different temporal scales) of the water table and discharge dynamics observed during the first year after the forest management.</p>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document