Can forest management based on natural disturbances maintain ecological resilience?

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
pp. 2285-2299 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Ronnie Drever ◽  
Garry Peterson ◽  
Christian Messier ◽  
Yves Bergeron ◽  
Mike Flannigan
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Natural Disturbances ◽  
Resilience Theory ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales

Given the increasingly global stresses on forests, many ecologists argue that managers must maintain ecological resilience: the capacity of ecosystems to absorb disturbances without undergoing fundamental change. In this review we ask: Can the emerging paradigm of natural-disturbance-based management (NDBM) maintain ecological resilience in managed forests? Applying resilience theory requires careful articulation of the ecosystem state under consideration, the disturbances and stresses that affect the persistence of possible alternative states, and the spatial and temporal scales of management relevance. Implementing NDBM while maintaining resilience means recognizing that (i) biodiversity is important for long-term ecosystem persistence, (ii) natural disturbances play a critical role as a generator of structural and compositional heterogeneity at multiple scales, and (iii) traditional management tends to produce forests more homogeneous than those disturbed naturally and increases the likelihood of unexpected catastrophic change by constraining variation of key environmental processes. NDBM may maintain resilience if silvicultural strategies retain the structures and processes that perpetuate desired states while reducing those that enhance resilience of undesirable states. Such strategies require an understanding of harvesting impacts on slow ecosystem processes, such as seed-bank or nutrient dynamics, which in the long term can lead to ecological surprises by altering the forest's capacity to reorganize after disturbance.

scholarly journals Resilience: nitrogen limitation, mycorrhiza and long-term palaeoecological plant–nutrient dynamics

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 20190441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Bonsall ◽  
Cynthia A. Froyd ◽  
Elizabeth S. Jeffers
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Mathematical Framework ◽  
Plant Nutrient ◽  
Available Nitrogen ◽  
Plant Soil ◽  
Mycorrhizal Associations ◽  
Plant Plant

Ecosystem dynamics are driven by both biotic and abiotic processes, and perturbations can push ecosystems into novel dynamical regimes. Plant–plant, plant–soil and mycorrhizal associations all affect plant ecosystem dynamics; however, the direction and magnitude of these effects vary by context and their contribution to ecosystem resilience over long time periods remains unknown. Here, using a mathematical framework, we investigate the effects of plant feedbacks and mycorrhiza on plant–nutrient interactions. We show evidence for strong nutrient controlled feedbacks, moderation by mycorrhiza and influence on ecological resilience. We use this model to investigate the resilience of a longitudinal palaeoecological birch– δ 15 N interaction to plant–soil feedbacks and mycorrhizal associations. The birch– δ 15 N system demonstrated high levels of resilience. Mycorrhiza were predicted to increase resilience by supporting plant–nitrogen uptake and immobilizing excess nitrogen; in contrast, long-term enrichment in available nitrogen by plant–soil feedbacks is expected to decrease ecological resilience.

scholarly journals Quantifying the impacts of human activities on reported greenhouse gas emissions and removals in Canada’s managed forest: conceptual framework and implementation

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 1227-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.A. Kurz ◽  
S. Hayne ◽  
M. Fellows ◽  
J.D. MacDonald ◽  
J.M. Metsaranta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Natural Disturbances ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Inventories ◽  
Forest Lands

The land sector is expected to contribute to strategies aimed at mitigating global temperature increases and this necessitates an improved understanding of human actions on land sector emissions and removals. Current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines for the land sector of national greenhouse gas inventories are based on the assumption that all emissions and removals in managed lands are caused by humans. In Canada, however, natural disturbances in managed forests can result in large and highly variable emissions and subsequent removals that mask the impacts of management activities. Here we describe methods to isolate and quantify the impacts of management on trends in estimated anthropogenic emissions and removals in Canada’s managed forest by partitioning fluxes from two land components: fluxes from lands dominated by natural disturbance effects and fluxes from the remaining managed forests. The sum of the flux estimates of the two land components is equal to net emissions and removals in managed forest lands. Separating highly variable natural disturbance fluxes from the remaining fluxes in managed forest lands increases the understanding of how human activities impact flux trends. Comparing these anthropogenic emissions and removals with those from natural disturbances quantifies their relative contributions to global atmospheric CO2 concentrations.

Response of the herbaceous layer to natural disturbance in North American forests

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (9) ◽  
pp. 1273-1283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark R Roberts
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Anthropogenic Disturbances ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Natural Disturbances ◽  
Herbaceous Layer ◽  
Response Factors ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Long Term Studies

Most work on the disturbance ecology of North American forests has focused on the tree canopy and woody understory, with little consideration of the herbaceous layer. Understanding how this species-rich and ecologically important layer responds to natural disturbances is needed as a guide for conservation. As a framework for this review, selected natural disturbances common to North American forests are evaluated in terms of a three-axis model of disturbance severity: percentage of tree canopy removed, percentage of understory vegetation removed, and percentage of forest floor and soil removed or disrupted. Eight factors, which control herbaceous-layer response, are linked to the three axes; these factors vary in dominance, depending on disturbance type and severity. The relative importances of different species' regeneration mechanisms also vary along severity gradients. The disturbance-severity model, along with the linked response factors and regeneration mechanisms, provide a framework for evaluating impacts of both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Long-term studies of herbaceous-layer response to disturbance are needed, particularly mechanistic studies that focus on the relative importance of the eight factors controlling response. The conceptual model proposed herein needs to be tested across the full spectrum of severity levels. Finally, comparisons between natural and anthropogenic disturbances are needed.Key words: disturbance, forests, herbaceous layer, life-history characteristics, succession, understory.

scholarly journals The NEBIE plot network: Background and experimental design

2017 ◽  
Vol 93 (02) ◽  
pp. 87-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Wayne Bell ◽  
Margo Shaw ◽  
Jennifer Dacosta ◽  
Steven G. Newmaster
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Silvicultural Treatments ◽  
Forest Regions ◽  
Forest Planning And Management ◽  
Plot Network ◽  
Forest Values

The Intensive Management Science Partnership: NEBIE Plot Network is a stand-scale, multi-agency research project designed to compare the ecological effects of a range of silvicultural treatments in northern temperate and boreal forest regions of Ontario. The NEBIE plot network was established in 2001 with randomized complete block experiments installed at eight sites. The NEBIE acronym stands for Natural disturbance, and Extensive, Basic, Intensive, and Elite silviculture. Each NEBIE treatment was replicated at least three times at each site, using large experimental units (2-ha plots). The NEBIE plot network provides researchers with an opportunity to conduct long-term scientific studies at multiple scales and disciplines. The operational-scale treatment plots allow assessment of a variety of forest values in a context directly relevant to informing forest planning and management. In this paper, we document the experimental design and describe the sites and silviculture treatments. Information about sampling designs is provided, along with preliminary results, in a companion paper published in this edition of The Forestry Chronicle.

Planning a system of permanent sample plots for integrated long-term studies of community-based forest management

1970 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Meilby ◽  
L Puri ◽  
M Christensen ◽  
S Rayamajhi
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Research Note ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Permanent Sample Plots ◽  
Long Term Studies

To monitor the development of four community-managed forests, networks of permanent sample plots were established in 2005 at sites in Chitwan, Kaski and Mustang Districts, Nepal. This research note documents the procedures used when preparing for establishment of the plot networks, evaluates the applied stratification of the forest on the basis of data gathered in pilot surveys conducted in the early 2005, and provides a discussion on the implications of the choices made. Key words: Community-managed forests; permanent sample plots; stratification; allocation; estimates Banko Janakari Vol.16(2) 2006 pp.3-11

Configurations to Superior Environmental Innovation Strategy: A Both–And Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 108602662110316
Author(s):  
Tiziana Russo-Spena ◽  
Nadia Di Paola ◽  
Aidan O’Driscoll
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Innovation Strategy ◽  
Environmental Innovation ◽  
Data Set

An effective climate change action involves the critical role that companies must play in assuring the long-term human and social well-being of future generations. In our study, we offer a more holistic, inclusive, both–and approach to the challenge of environmental innovation (EI) that uses a novel methodology to identify relevant configurations for firms engaging in a superior EI strategy. A conceptual framework is proposed that identifies six sets of driving characteristics of EI and two sets of beneficial outcomes, all inherently tensional. Our analysis utilizes a complementary rather than an oppositional point of view. A data set of 65 companies in the ICT value chain is analyzed via fuzzy-set comparative analysis (fsQCA) and a post-QCA procedure. The results reveal that achieving a superior EI strategy is possible in several scenarios. Specifically, after close examination, two main configuration groups emerge, referred to as technological environmental innovators and organizational environmental innovators.

scholarly journals Overexpression of MdATG8i improves water use efficiency in transgenic apple by modulating photosynthesis, osmotic balance, and autophagic activity under moderate water deficit

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Jia ◽  
Ke Mao ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Xumei Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Photosynthetic Capacity ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Moderate Drought ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Autophagic Activity

AbstractWater deficit is one of the major limiting factors for apple (Malus domestica) production on the Loess Plateau, a major apple cultivation area in China. The identification of genes related to the regulation of water use efficiency (WUE) is a crucial aspect of crop breeding programs. As a conserved degradation and recycling mechanism in eukaryotes, autophagy has been reported to participate in various stress responses. However, the relationship between autophagy and WUE regulation has not been explored. We have shown that a crucial autophagy protein in apple, MdATG8i, plays a role in improving salt tolerance. Here, we explored its biological function in response to long-term moderate drought stress. The results showed that MdATG8i-overexpressing (MdATG8i-OE) apple plants exhibited higher WUE than wild-type (WT) plants under long-term moderate drought conditions. Plant WUE can be increased by improving photosynthetic efficiency. Osmoregulation plays a critical role in plant stress resistance and adaptation. Under long-term drought conditions, the photosynthetic capacity and accumulation of sugar and amino acids were higher in MdATG8i-OE plants than in WT plants. The increased photosynthetic capacity in the OE plants could be attributed to their ability to maintain optimal stomatal aperture, organized chloroplasts, and strong antioxidant activity. MdATG8i overexpression also promoted autophagic activity, which was likely related to the changes described above. In summary, our results demonstrate that MdATG8i-OE apple lines exhibited higher WUE than WT under long-term moderate drought conditions because they maintained robust photosynthesis, effective osmotic adjustment processes, and strong autophagic activity.

scholarly journals Long-term changes in the plant ecology of an African savanna landscape and the implications for ecosystem theory and conservation management

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Western ◽  
Victor N. Mose ◽  
David Maitumo ◽  
Caroline Mburu
Keyword(s):  
Human Impact ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Plant Ecology ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Ecosystem Theory ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Studies of the African savannas have used national parks to test ecological theories of natural ecosystems, including equilibrium, non-equilibrium, complex adaptive systems, and the role of top-down and bottom-up physical and biotic forces. Most such studies have excluded the impact of pastoralists in shaping grassland ecosystems and, over the last half century, the growing human impact on the world’s rangelands. The mounting human impact calls for selecting indicators and integrated monitoring methods able to track ecosystem changes and the role of natural and human agencies. Our study draws on five decades of monitoring the Amboseli landscape in southern Kenya to document the declining role of natural agencies in shaping plant ecology with rising human impact. Results We show that plant diversity and productivity have declined, biomass turnover has increased in response to a downsizing of mean plant size, and that ecological resilience has declined with the rising probability of extreme shortfalls in pasture production. The signature of rainfall and physical agencies in driving ecosystem properties has decreased sharply with growing human impact. We compare the Amboseli findings to the long-term studies of Kruger and Serengeti national parks to show that the human influence, whether by design or default, is increasingly shaping the ecology of savanna ecosystems. We look at the findings in the larger perspective of human impact on African grasslands and the world rangelands, in general, and discuss the implications for ecosystem theory and conservation policy and management. Conclusions The Amboseli study shows the value of using long-term integrated ecological monitoring to track the spatial and temporal changes in the species composition, structure, and function of rangeland ecosystems and the role of natural and human agencies in the process of change. The study echoes the widespread changes underway across African savannas and world’s rangelands, concluding that some level of ecosystem management is needed to prevent land degradation and the erosion of ecological function, services, and resilience. Despite the weak application of ecological theory to conservation management, a plant trait-based approach is shown to be useful in explaining the macroecological changes underway.

scholarly journals Wire-in-Wire TiO2/C Nanofibers Free-Standing Anodes for Li-Ion and K-Ion Batteries with Long Cycling Stability and High Capacity

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Die Su ◽  
Yi Pei ◽  
Li Liu ◽  
Zhixiao Liu ◽  
Junfang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Electronic Conductivity ◽  
Specific Capacity ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Cycling Stability ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
High Specific Capacity ◽  
Tetracarboxylic Dianhydride ◽  
Carbon Network

AbstractWearable and portable mobile phones play a critical role in the market, and one of the key technologies is the flexible electrode with high specific capacity and excellent mechanical flexibility. Herein, a wire-in-wire TiO2/C nanofibers (TiO2 ww/CN) film is synthesized via electrospinning with selenium as a structural inducer. The interconnected carbon network and unique wire-in-wire nanostructure cannot only improve electronic conductivity and induce effective charge transports, but also bring a superior mechanic flexibility. Ultimately, TiO2 ww/CN film shows outstanding electrochemical performance as free-standing electrodes in Li/K ion batteries. It shows a discharge capacity as high as 303 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1 after 6000 cycles in Li half-cells, and the unique structure is well-reserved after long-term cycling. Moreover, even TiO2 has a large diffusion barrier of K+, TiO2 ww/CN film demonstrates excellent performance (259 mAh g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 after 1000 cycles) in K half-cells owing to extraordinary pseudocapacitive contribution. The Li/K full cells consisted of TiO2 ww/CN film anode and LiFePO4/Perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride cathode possess outstanding cycling stability and demonstrate practical application from lighting at least 19 LEDs. It is, therefore, expected that this material will find broad applications in portable and wearable Li/K-ion batteries.

scholarly journals A Mixed-Methods Investigation into Barriers for Sharing Geospatial and Resilience Flood Data in the UK

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1235
Author(s):  
Luke Waterman ◽  
Mónica Rivas Casado ◽  
Emma Bergin ◽  
Gary McInally
Keyword(s):  
Data Sharing ◽  
Local Politics ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Third Sector Organisations ◽  
Data Points ◽  
The Uk

With increases in average temperature and rainfall predicted, more households are expected to be at risk of flooding in the UK by 2050. Data and technologies are increasingly playing a critical role across public-, private- and third-sector organisations. However, barriers and constraints exist across organisations and industries that limit the sharing of data. We examine the international context for data sharing and variations between data-rich and data-sparse countries. We find that local politics and organisational structures influence data sharing. We focus on the case study of the UK, and on geospatial and flood resilience data in particular. We use a series of semi-structured interviews to evaluate data sharing limitations, with particular reference to geospatial and flood resilience data. We identify barriers and constraints when sharing data between organisations. We find technological, security, privacy, cultural and commercial barriers across different use cases and data points. Finally, we provide three long-term recommendations to improve the overall accessibility to flood data and enhance outcomes for organisations and communities.

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