Applying Knowledge of Natural Disturbance Regimes to Develop an Ecosystem Management Approach in Forestry

2016 ◽  
pp. 23-52
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Disturbance Regimes

scholarly journals Integrating Ecosystem Services and Human Demand for a New Ecosystem Management Approach: A Case Study from the Giant Panda World Heritage Site

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Fu ◽  
Pei Xu ◽  
Yukuan Wang ◽  
Yingman Guo
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Giant Panda ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
World Heritage ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Trade Offs

Ecological management based on the ecosystem approach promotes ecological protection and the sustainable use of natural resources. We developed a quantitative approach to identify the ecological function zones at the country-scale, through integrating supply and demand of ecosystem services. We selected the biologically diverse hotspot of Baoxing County, which forms a part of the Sichuan Giant Panda World Heritage Site, to explore the integration of ecosystem services supply and demand for ecosystem management. Specifically, we assessed the various support, provision, regulating, and cultural services as classified by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. We applied the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs) model to spatially map habitat quality, water retention, and carbon sinks, and used statistical data to evaluate food products, animal husbandry, and product supply services. We then quantified the demands for these services in terms of population, protected species, hydropower, water, and land use. The relationship between areas of supply and areas of demand was discussed for each township, and the spatial variability in the supply–demand relationship was also considered. As a result, we spatially divided the county into six ecological functional areas, and the linkages between each region were comprehensively discussed. This study thus provides a detailed methodology for the successful implementation of an ecosystem management framework on a county-scale based on the spatial partitioning of supply and demand.

scholarly journals An Ecosystem-Based Approach to Climate-Smart Agriculture with Some Considerations for Social Equity

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1564
Author(s):  
Kofi Akamani
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Social Equity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Smart Agriculture

Although the transition to industrial agriculture in the 20th century resulted in increased agricultural productivity and efficiency, the attainment of global food security continues to be elusive. Current and anticipated impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector are likely to exacerbate the incidence of food insecurity. In recent years, climate-smart agriculture has gained recognition as a mechanism that has the potential to contribute to the attainment of food security and also enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, several conceptual and implementation shortfalls have limited the widespread adoption of this innovative agricultural system at the landscape scale. This manuscript argues for the use of ecosystem management as an overarching framework for the conceptualization and implementation of climate-smart agriculture. The manuscript focuses on clarifying the foundational assumptions and management goals, as well as the knowledge and institutional requirements of climate-smart agriculture using the principles of ecosystem management. Potential challenges that may be faced by the application of an ecosystem management approach to climate-smart agriculture are also discussed. Furthermore, the manuscript calls for a heightened focus on social equity in the transition toward an ecosystem-based approach to climate-smart agriculture. The US farm bill is used as an illustrative case study along with other examples drawn mostly from sub-Saharan Africa.

Is the END (emulation of natural disturbance) a new beginning? A critical analysis of the use of fire regimes as the basis of forest ecosystem management with examples from the Canadian western Cordillera

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Stockdale ◽  
Mike Flannigan ◽  
Ellen Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Forest Structure ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Disturbance Regime ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Management Actions

As our view of disturbances such as wildfire has shifted from prevention to recognizing their ecological necessity, so too forest management has evolved from timber-focused even-aged management to more holistic paradigms like ecosystem-based management. Emulation of natural disturbance (END) is a variant of ecosystem management that recognizes the importance of disturbance for maintaining ecological integrity. For END to be a successful model for forest management we need to describe disturbance regimes and implement management actions that emulate them, in turn achieving our objectives for forest structure and function. We review the different components of fire regimes (cause, frequency, extent, timing, and magnitude), we describe low-, mixed-, and high-severity fire regimes, and we discuss key issues related to describing these regimes. When characterizing fire regimes, different methods and spatial and temporal extents result in wide variation of estimates for different fire regime components. Comparing studies is difficult as few measure the same components; some methods are based on the assumption of a high-severity fire regime and are not suited to detecting mixed- or low-severity regimes, which are critical to END management, as this would affect retention in harvested areas. We outline some difficulties with using fire regimes as coarse filters for forest management, including (i) not fully understanding the interactions between fire and other disturbance agents, (ii) assuming that fire is strictly an exogenous disturbance agent that exerts top-down control of forest structure while ignoring numerous endogenous and bottom-up feedbacks on fire effects, and (iii) assuming by only replicating natural disturbance patterns we preserve ecological processes and vital ecosystem components. Even with a good understanding of a fire regime, we would still be challenged with choosing the temporal and spatial scope for the disturbance regime we are trying to emulate. We cannot yet define forest conditions that will arise from variations in disturbance regime; this then limits our ability to implement management actions that will achieve those conditions. We end by highlighting some important knowledge gaps about fire regimes and how the END model could be strengthened to achieve a more sustainable form of forest management.

scholarly journals Vegetation Cover Change Detection and Assessment in Arid Environment Using Multi-temporal Remote Sensing images and Ecosystem Management Approach

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anwar Abdelrahman Aly ◽  
Abdulrasoul Mosa Al-Omran ◽  
Abdulazeam Shahwan Sallam ◽  
Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Wabel ◽  
Mohammad Shayaa Al-Shayaa
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Arid Environment ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Landsat Images ◽  
Ground Truth Data ◽  
Multi Temporal

Abstract. Vegetation cover (VC) changes detection is essential for a better understanding of the interactions and interrelationships between humans and their ecosystem. Remote sensing (RS) technology is one of the most beneficial tools to study spatial and temporal changes of VC. A case study has been conducted in the agro-ecosystem (AE) of Al-Kharj, in the centre of Saudi Arabia. Characteristics and dynamics of VC changes during a period of 26 years (1987–2013) were investigated. A multi-temporal set of images was processed using Landsat images; Landsat4 TM 1987, Landsat7 ETM+ 2000, and Landsat8 2013. The VC pattern and changes were linked to both natural and social processes to investigate the drivers responsible for the change. The analyses of the three satellite images concluded that the surface area of the VC increased by 107.4 % between 1987 and 2000, it was decreased by 27.5 % between years 2000 and 2013. The field study, review of secondary data and community problem diagnosis using the participatory rural appraisal (PRA) method suggested that the drivers for this change are the deterioration and salinization of both soil and water resources. Ground truth data indicated that the deteriorated soils in the eastern part of the Al-Kharj AE are frequently subjected to sand dune encroachment; while the south-western part is frequently subjected to soil and groundwater salinization. The groundwater in the western part of the ecosystem is highly saline, with a salinity ≥ 6 dS m−1. The ecosystem management approach applied in this study can be used to alike AE worldwide.

scholarly journals Forest ecosystem management in North America: From theory to practice

2013 ◽  
Vol 89 (04) ◽  
pp. 525-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Patry ◽  
Daniel Kneeshaw ◽  
Stephen Wyatt ◽  
Frank Grenon ◽  
Christian Messier
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Forest Dynamics ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Conceptual Foundation ◽  
Forest Ecosystem Management

Forest ecosystem management (EM) in North America has evolved from a theoretical concept to operational practice over the last two decades, but its implementation varies greatly among regions. This paper attempts to evaluate (1) if and how emulation of natural disturbances (END) is being used as a conceptual bases for implementing EM, and more particularly, what strategies are used to define the natural forest of reference, and (2) what temporal and spatial scale strategies are being considered for seven important retention elements (downed woody debris, snags, green trees, corridors, riparian buffers, large patches and old forest)? To conduct this evaluation, five guides from four geographically well-distributed regions in North America are compared. Although END is the central conceptual foundation underlying four of the five guides, a natural forest of reference is not always clearly identified and none of the guides consider future impacts due to global change. The major weakness common to all five guides is the lack of consideration of long-term forest dynamics, particularly the lack of clear strategies for retention elements at a temporal scale longer than a single rotation. Generally, the spatial scales chosen for retention elements are not well-justified ecologically and targets for each retention element are not identified at different spatial scales. We stress that strong efforts have been made to develop forest management that incorporates some elements of natural variability and which considers societal needs, but further improvements are required. We conclude by presenting some suggestions to improve the approach. For example, creating more realistic guidelines in integrating current and future forest dynamics with pre-settlement information and planning rotation lengths that are inspired by the dominant natural disturbance.

scholarly journals Natural disturbance regimes as templates for the response of bird species assemblages to contemporary forest management

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Drapeau ◽  
Marc-André Villard ◽  
Alain Leduc ◽  
Susan J. Hannon
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Disturbance Regimes
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