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In Northern Europe, the Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) is a relatively poorly studied species inhabiting forested landscapes where it has historically experienced population declines. Those declines have been attributed to the spread of intensive forest management; yet, the populations have stabilized or increased in recent decades. To distinguish the main forestry impacts on its breeding numbers and distribution, a multiple-visit territory-mapping study was carried out over 15 km2 of production forest landscape in Estonia. At the landscape scale, the breeding distribution was concentrated to conifer forests on bog peat where the densities were five times higher than in other conifer forests and (at least) ten times higher than in non-conifer forests. This reveals a broad distribution pattern where high-density (core) habitats only host a small fraction of the total population; their relative contribution to the recruitment remains unknown. At the breeding territory scale (within 150 m from a nest), Mistle Thrushes avoided recent clear-cuts and preferred larger areas of old stands more than expected from the distribution of suitable stands for nesting. This indicated that, in a short term, clear-cutting reduces nesting habitats of this species disproportionately more than expected from the cut area alone; this is in accordance with the documented 20th century declines of the species in Fennoscandia. The relationship with forestry drainage is more complicated, however, due to delayed effects and covariation with the main breeding habitat. The basic ecology of the species in conifer forest-wetland landscapes, which are subjected to management pressures, warrants future studies and might provide general insights into the dynamics and functioning of these ecosystems.

Understanding the extent of collaboration among stakeholders is key to supporting mangrove management. Despite the existence of robust policies, collaboration among stakeholders of mangrove co-management remains largely unexplored in Sri Lanka. This was partly due to the civil war, natural disasters, and other socio-economic changes over the past 30 years. Our study aimed to identify the collaboration between stakeholders of mangrove management and their perceptions regarding mangrove co-management in Sri Lanka using social network analysis and content analysis. Surveys were conducted in all five coastal provinces of Sri Lanka. Stakeholders included in the study were from government departments, non-governmental organizations, and private institutes. Our results showed that there were differences between coastal provinces in the mangrove management networks, specifically in the number of stakeholders involved and their degree of collaboration. Some important stakeholders (for example the Land Use and Policy Planning Department) were excluded from the social networks in certain provinces (Eastern and Western provinces). There were various issues hampering effective mangrove management such as inefficient communication, inconsistencies between policies, and insufficient financial capacity of government stakeholders responsible for policy implementation. According to the stakeholders in our study, providing mangrove management initiatives with long-term collaboration, post-care, continuous monitoring, and funding may help to overcome these challenges. Additionally, we suggest the establishment of a common platform to coordinate stakeholders. We further encourage increasing the participation of academics, researchers, and students from national universities in the mangrove co-management of Sri Lanka. Insights from this island-wide survey can be adapted to mangrove and other natural resource management trajectories in other countries as well.

In Brazil, all transport and storage of native forest products and by-products must be registered within the DOF (Document of Forestry Origin) system. This computerized platform exists to support control agencies in reducing the sale of forest products obtained illegally. However, this tool still shows only modest results in fulfilling its objectives, since gaps in the system allow illegal wood to be acquired and enter the system as legal wood. The objective of this study was to test whether the volumetric yield coefficient (CRV) of a sawmill on an industrial scale corresponds to the 35% established by Brazilian legislation. The focus was directed at a loophole that allows the accumulation of virtual credits in the DOF system by turning logs into lumber. For this purpose, we estimated the sawmill’s CRV and mean percentage yield of 19 commercial species used by a timber company in the Brazilian Amazon with a sample size of 90 logs. The estimated CRV was 24.6 ± 2.4, showing 9.9% uncertainty. The mean CRV differed highly significantly (p < 0.001) from that proposed by the DOF, with a 10.35% difference. Based on these results, the difference between the observed yield and that proposed by the legislation can generate the accumulation of virtual log credits. With this accumulation, managers encounter difficulties in acquiring new logging permits and, consequently, do not meet the actual demand for logs to the sawmill’s capacity. RESUMO No Brasil, todo transporte e armazenamento de produtos e subprodutos florestais nativos deve ser registrado no sistema DOF (Documento de Origem Florestal). Essa plataforma informatizada existe para apoiar agências de controle na redução da venda de produtos florestais obtidos ilegalmente. No entanto, essa ferramenta ainda apresenta resultados modestos no cumprimento de seus objetivos, uma vez que lacunas no sistema permitem que madeira ilegal adquira caráter legal. O objetivo desse estudo foi testar se o coeficiente de rendimento volumétrico (CRV) de uma serraria em escala empresarial corresponde aos 35% estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira. O foco foi direcionado para uma brecha que permite o acúmulo de créditos virtuais no sistema DOF, por meio da transformação de toras em material serrado. Para tanto, estimamos o CRV da serraria e os rendimentos percentuais médios de 19 espécies comercializadas por uma empresa de base florestal na Amazônia brasileira, com um esforço amostral de 90 toras. O CRV estimado foi de 24,6 ± 2,4, mostrando incerteza de 9,9%. O CRV médio diferiu altamente significativamente (p < 0,001) do proposto pelo DOF, com uma diferença de 10,35%. Com base nesses resultados, a diferença entre o rendimento observado e o proposto pela legislação pode gerar um acúmulo de créditos em toras virtuais. Com esse acúmulo, os gestores enfrentam dificuldades para adquirir novas licenças de exploração e, consequentemente, não atendem à real demanda por toras da capacidade instalada de sua serraria.

Standing deadwood is an important structural component of forest ecosystems. Its occurrence and dynamics influence both carbon fluxes and the availability of habitats for many species. However, deadwood is greatly reduced in managed, and even in many currently unmanaged temperate forests in Europe. To date, few studies have examined how environmental factors, forest management and changing climate affect the availability of standing deadwood and its dynamics. Data from five periods of the Austrian National Forest Inventory (1981-2009) were used to (I) analyse standing deadwood volume in relation to living volume stock, elevation, eco-region, forest type, ownership and management intensity, (II) investigate the influence of forest ownership and management intensity on snag persistence and (III) define drivers of standing deadwood volume loss for seven tree genera (Abies, Alnus, Fagus, Larix, Picea, Pinus and Quercus) using tree-related, site-related and climate-related variables, and predict volume loss under two climate change scenarios. Standing deadwood volume was mainly determined by living volume stock and elevation, resulting in different distributions between eco-regions. While forest type and management intensity influenced standing deadwood volume only slightly, the latter exhibited a significant effect on persistence. Snag persistence was shorter in intensively managed forests than in extensively managed forests and shorter in private than in public forests. Standing deadwood volume loss was driven by a combination of diameter at breast height, elevation, as well as temperature, precipitation and relative humidity. Volume loss under climate change predictions revealed constant rates for moderate climate change (RCP2.6) by the end of the 21st century. Under severe climate change conditions (RCP8.5), volume loss increased for most tree genera, with Quercus, Alnus and Picea showing different predictions depending on the model used as the baseline scenario. We observed trends towards faster volume loss at higher temperatures and lower elevations and slower volume loss at high precipitation levels. The tree genera most susceptible to climate change were Pinus and Fagus, while Abies was least susceptible. Synthesis and applications. We recommend to protect standing dead trees from regular harvesting to ensure the full decomposition process. The consequences for decomposition-dependent species must be taken into account to evaluate the influences of management and climate change on standing deadwood dynamics., Journal of Applied Ecology, 60 (4), ISSN:0021-8901, ISSN:1365-2664

Ethnobiological knowledge is an important part of people's capacity to manage, conserve, and improve the governance of mangrove ecosystems. This paper assesses the ethnobiological importance of mangroves to coastal communities adjacent to seven mangrove forests in Southern and North-western Sri Lanka. 197 households were interviewed, and respondents identified various mangrove ecosystem goods and services. Fruit juice produced from Sonneratia spp. and salads made with Acrostichum aureum L. young leaves constitutes valuable edible products in both regions. Rhizophora mucronata Lamk. and Lumnitzera racemosa Willd., were employed as alternative sources of fuel. Other uses of mangroves include wood for construction, chemical, and medicinal products. However, the usage extent was significantly higher in the Southern province (87.6%) compared to the North-western province (51%). Five indices were developed to understand the ethnobiological knowledge of respondents (Mangrove Use Index, Perception Index, Regulation Awareness Index, and Knowledge Index, Mangrove Dynamics Index). Except for the Mangrove Use Index, the rest of the indices were significantly different between the provinces. Communities with higher mangrove knowledge showed lesser usage. Respondents had negative attitudes towards the regulations that limit/did not allow the community to enter mangrove forests. Community participation, ethnobiological importance, and perspectives regarding how the community wants to manage mangrove forests should be taken into account to avoid conflicts in the future. Considering local perceptions and translating them into mangrove management regulations can be effective in guiding sustainable mangrove management in Sri Lanka as well as in other countries in the world.

Enormous biotic stresses, such as uncontrolled grazing, logging, use of plants for timber and fuelwood, deforestation for cultivation, and road constructions have drastically deteriorated forests in the Kashmir Himalaya. On the basis of the intensity of biotic stress, three differently forest sites, protected, unprotected and roadside forest, were studied. Random vegetation sampling was done to record herbaceous diversity in the Tangmarg Forest Division of Kashmir valley in 2019. Six diversity indices were negatively correlated with increasing levels of anthropogenic disturbance. The values further elucidated by the Renyi diversity profiles, indicated that the protected forest sites had significantly higher diversity as compared to the road side forest sites. Scaling based on an increased order of total number of species in the forest richness and diversity – on top were protected forest sites, followed by unprotected forest sites, while road side forest sites were on the lower end of this spectrum. The Principal component analysis (PCA) showed two distinct groups based on the composition and IVI of the plant species. The results of this study identify diverse biotic stresses and could help in framing the policies for forest management.

Wildfire is a natural part of many ecosystems in the Four Corners region (Southern Utah, Northern Arizona, Southwest Colorado, and Northwest New Mexico). However, after decades of fire suppression, the intensity and size of wildfires is increasing. This fact sheet is intended to help those in dry, monsoonal regions understand what happens to land after a wildfire and explains the processes of soil erosion. It outlines factors that influence how wildfire can affect soils and plants and provides suggestions for reducing soil erosion when necessary. The information presented is relevant to both private landowners and public lands managers whose landscapes have been affected by wildfire.

Density-dependent mortality occurs in the evolution of even-aged populations when these approach crown closure age. This density-dependent mortality is regulated by the so-called “3/2 power law of self-thinning” that assumes a constant slope for the line relating the log of stand density with the log of the average tree size, the self-thinning line or maximum size–density relationship, MSDR. A good estimate of the self-thinning line is therefore an essential component to any forest growth model. Two concepts for the MSDR have emerged: (1) a static upper limit for the species; and (2) a dynamic self-thinning line influenced by several factors (e.g., management techniques, site quality and/or genetics). The objective of this study was to estimate a new static self-thinning line based on the quadratic mean diameter at breast height (Reineke’s self-thinning line) for the generalized use in maritime pine growth models in Portugal. Data from 41 observations obtained in nine long-term permanent experimental trials of maritime pine species were carefully selected from a data set of 186 plots as being under self-thinning. Two methods were used: OLS and mixed linear models. An exploratory analysis on the impact of each environmental variable on the slope and intercept of the self-thinning line led to the selection of a subset of environmental variables later used in an all possible regressions algorithm to find the subsets leading to the lowest values of Akaike information criterion (AIC). The OLS procedure showed that the differences between the plots could be explained by site index, by climate variables (e.g., evaporation or climatic indices) and the use of more than one covariable slightly improved the fit. Nevertheless, the best MSDR line fitted with mixed linear models (ln N = 12.97158 − 1.83926 ln dg) having the plot random effect in the intercept, largely outperformed the best OLS model and is therefore recommended for generalized use in forest growth models.

Mechanized logging equipment causes considerable soil disturbance, but little information is available regarding thresholds for impacts on soil nematodes—critical members of soil foodwebs which perform important ecological functions. We examined responses of nematode communities and soil physical characteristics to the increasing number of passes (one, three, or nine) by a tracked feller buncher during thinning of a xeric mixed conifer forest in New Mexico, USA. Within and between the harvester tracks, we measured soil surface penetration resistance and shear strength, quantified bulk density at four depth increments up to a maximum depth of 27 cm, and characterized nematode assemblages in the upper 10 cm. Eight months after treatment, nematode communities were less impacted than soil physical properties by harvester passes. Total nematode abundance was unaffected by any level of feller buncher disturbance, and sensitive K-selected nematode groups were reduced only at nine passes. Conversely, soil compaction occurred with a single pass and extended deep into the soil profile to at least 23–27 cm. The first pass also decreased surface penetration resistance and shear strength, indicating disruption of soil surface structural integrity. Additional passes did not further increase bulk density or decrease surface structural integrity. Our results indicate that low levels of logging machinery traffic may have negligible effects on nematode communities, but nevertheless emphasize the importance of minimizing areas subjected to disturbance because of impacts on soil physical properties.

The first commercial thinning usually entails a high cost in harvest operations and a low resulting income. From a practical forestry perspective, a schematic spatial selection might be more efficient than a selective approach. Therefore, this study aimed to compare basal area, total and standing volumes, and periodic annual increment (PAI), as well as stand structure, between different thinning designs (selective and schematic thinning) and strategies (thinning once or more than once) over a long-term monitoring period of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) plantations in Sweden. We also evaluated the relevancy of distance-dependent competition indices (CIs) in individual tree growth models by comparing growth model predictions with the use of distance-dependent and distance-independent CIs. Despite higher heterogeneity in schematically thinned stands, there were no significant differences in standing and total volumes (m3·ha−1) among treatments in the short or long term. Although the inclusion of a distance-dependent CI improved the model slightly, distance-independent models predicted diameter growth just as effectively. Schematic thinning could be a viable option for a first commercial thinning or one-time thinning if, at least, one more thinning is included in the management plan, or if the motivating interest is mainly volume.

Laurel (Cordia alliodora Ruiz & Pav. Oken) is a Neotropical native tree that is easily regenerated in the secondary forest within the Amazon region. Amazonian smallholders use this tree regeneration to obtain a homogeneous forest cover when developing local agroforestry systems, which do not depend on nursery seedling production for tree planting. The objective of the present investigation was to develop growth and yield models for Laurel within the local agroforestry systems. A total of 226 sampling plots were measured between 2010–2011 and 2014–2015. Chapman- Richard, Hosslfeld II, and the generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) form of the Chapman-Richard’s function was used for modeling height-age and diameter-age relationships. Eight volume models were tested to describe total stem volume. The GADA method was suited to describe the Laurel height and diameter-age growth. The cutting cycle for agroforestry systems with a density of 300 trees ha−1 at the best site index (SI) (22 m) produced 13.9 m3 ha−1 year−1 and a total wood yield of 195.1 m3 ha−1 at age 14. In the worst SI (14 m), the average annual yield was 3.5 m3 ha−1, with a total yield of 83.3 m3 ha−1 at age 24 years. The Spurr potential model was the best fit to describe the volume of the Laurel according to the Akaike information criteria. The Laurel biological (optimal) rotation age suggests that the minimum cutting diameter should be lowered from 30 cm of DBH in the research zone. Management of the natural regeneration of secondary forests by smallholders is a local agroforestry practice that should be given greater attention, especially within protected forest areas.

Resumen (Introducción): Parte del éxito de los programas de conservación se centra en la sostenibilidad económica que estos brindan a las personas propietarias de los bosques, dentro de una matriz de paisaje productivo cada vez más agresiva. Sin embargo, en la actualidad, la relación monetaria entre los usos del suelo y sus respectivas actividades productivas carece de datos empíricos que la expliquen. (Objetivo): Este estudio diseñó un modelo para evaluar el costo de oportunidad del manejo forestal en bosque natural, tomando como referencia las actividades productivas primarias que se desarrollan en sus colindancias. (Metodología): Se utilizó un set de datos de 24 sitios con plan de manejo forestal en bosque natural, aprobado por las autoridades forestales del Área de Conservación Arenal Huetar Norte, Costa Rica. Así mismo, se empleó información geográfica y productiva de los usos del suelo alternativos. (Resultados): Con dichos datos se generó un mapa de costo de oportunidad, que muestra una segregación marcada de los bosques en 2 zonas principales: a) zona de alto costo de oportunidad, ubicada al sur del área de estudio, con un rango de $1 000 a ≥ $4 000 ha-1 año-1 y b) zona de medio y zona de bajo costo de oportunidad, al centro-norte del sitio de interés, con un rango de ≤ $0 a $1 000 ha-1 año-1. (Conclusiones): Se concluye que, en la actualidad, las áreas idóneas para aprovechamiento maderable están restringidas a lugares alejados del mercado y caracterizadas por su bajo costo de oportunidad. Abstract (Introduction): Part of the success of conservation programs is focused on the economic sustainability that they provide to the people who own the forests, within an increasingly aggressive productive landscape matrix. However, currently the economic relationship between land uses and their respective productive activities lacks empirical data to explain it. (Objective): This study designed a model to evaluate the opportunity cost of forest management in natural forests, taking as a reference the primary productive activities that take place in its surroundings. (Methodology): A data set of 24 sites with a forest management plan in natural forest, approved by the forest authorities of the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area, Costa Rica, was used. Likewise, geographic and productive information on alternative land uses was applied. (Results): With these data, an opportunity cost map was generated, which shows a marked segregation of the forests into 2 main zones: a) high opportunity cost zone, located to the south of the study area, with a range of $1 000 to ≥ $4 000 ha-1 yr-1; and b) medium zone and zone of low cost of opportunity, to the center-north of the site of interest, with a range of ≤ $0 to $1 000 ha-1 year-1. (Conclusions): It is concluded that, at present, the ideal areas for timber harvesting are restricted to places far from the market and characterized by their low opportunity cost.

Water-regulating ecosystem services (ESs) are a key factor in water supply for the population and the economy. In recent years, these ESs have been intensively included in regional and global assessments. However, the degree of knowledge of various water-regulating ESs and the availability of models for their estimation and mapping vary greatly. For example, most regional assessments currently do not take into account the ESs of moisture and precipitation recycling by forests which can lead to erroneous decisions on land use and forest management. To what extent is it possible to make adequate decisions on the basis of a partial assessment of the ESs? In this article, we discuss this problem using the example of boreal forests in the catchment of the Lake Kenozero in the north of the European part of Russia. Using the InVEST model, two ESs were quantified and mapped: water yield regulation due to evapotranspiration and water quality assurance due to prevention of soil erosion. The reduction in water yield due to evapotranspiration was estimated at 125 mm/year, and the prevention of soil erosion was estimated at 9.56 t/ha/year. Forest felling in the study area from 2007 to 2021 led to an increase in runoff and soil erosion by 6 mm/year and 0.03 t/ha/year, respectively. The hypothetical total instantaneous forest loss could lead to an increase in runoff and soil erosion by 71 mm/year and 2.44 t/ha/year, respectively. A tradeoff between these ESs was predictably identified as deforestation led to an increase in water yield and a deterioration in water quality due to soil erosion. The significance of a number of other water-regulating ESs for making regional decisions was expertly assessed. In particular, the importance of the ESs of precipitation recycling of sludge under climate change was discussed. Expanding the range of ESs under consideration increases the likelihood of choosing a protection strategy instead of a harvesting one in forest management.

Producción Científica, Adapting forests to climate change is a critical issue for forest management. It requires an understanding of climate effects on forest systems and the ability to forecast how these effects may change over time. We used Spanish Second National Forest Inventory data and the SIMANFOR platform to simulate the evolution of CO2 stock (CO2 Mg · ha−1) and accumulation rates (CO2 Mg · ha−1 · year−1) for the 2000–2100 period in pure and mixed stands managed under different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) in Spain. We hypothesized that (1) the more optimistic climate scenarios (SSP1 > > SSP5) would have higher CO2 stock and accumulation rates; (2) mixed stands would have higher CO2 stock and accumulation rates than pure stands; and (3) the behavior of both variables would vary based on forest composition (conifer–conifer vs. conifer–broadleaf). We focused on Pinus sylvestris L., and its main mixtures with Pinus nigra, Pinus pinaster, Fagus sylvatica and Quercus pyrenaica. The SSP scenarios had correlating CO2 stock values in which SSP1 > SSP2 > SSP3 > SSP5, ranging from the most optimistic (SSP1) to the most pessimistic (SSP5). Though pure stands had higher CO2 stock at the beginning, differences with regard to mixed stands were drastically reduced at the end of the simulation period. We also found an increase in the aboveground CO2 proportion compared to belowground in conifer–broadleaf mixtures, while the opposite trend occurred in conifer–conifer mixtures. Overall CO2 accumulation rates decreased significantly from the beginning to the end of the simulation period, but our results indicated that this decline would be less drastic in mixed stands than in pure ones. At the end of the simulation period, CO2 accumulation rates were higher in mixed stands than in pure stands for all mixtures, fractions (aboveground and belowground) and SSPs. Knowing the evolution of mixed forests in different climate scenarios is relevant for developing useful silvicultural guidelines in the Mediterranean region and optimizing forestry adaptation strategies. Better understanding can also inform the design of management measures for transitioning from pure stands to more resource efficient, resistant and resilient mixed stands, in efforts to reduce forest vulnerability in the face of climate change. This work highlights the importance and benefits of mixed stands in terms of CO2 accumulation, stand productivity and species diversity., Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (proyecto de investigación de Doctorado Industrial - [Beca DI-15–07722]), Programa Torres Quevedo (Beca PTQ-12–05409)., Publicación en abierto financiada por el Consorcio de Bibliotecas Universitarias de Castilla y León (BUCLE), con cargo al Programa Operativo 2014ES16RFOP009 FEDER 2014-2020 DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN, Actuación:20007-CL - Apoyo Consorcio BUCLE

The considerable intensification of human activity in the second and first centuries BC in Central Europe was related to the sudden appearance of a network of large fortified towns, which are known as oppida. Bibracte was one of the most important oppida in France, but knowledge about the evolution of its hinterland is still incomplete. This article addresses the evolution of the landscape surrounding this oppidum. Our research was based on a study of sedimentary profiles sampled around the archaeological site and examined by physical, geochemical and palaeoecological analyses. Sediment sequences indicate that the earliest human-induced erosion associated with geomorphological change occurred in the 4th–1st century BC. Geochemical results indicate ancient mining and metallurgy in the catchment during the same time. Palaeoecological proxies from the same period point to a mosaic of an open cultural landscape with locally suppressed forest vegetation and prevailing pastoralism. Anthropogenic impact resurged in the 11th–13th centuries AD and was associated with livestock grazing and rye (Secale cereale) cultivation. Thereafter, the reconstructed human impact from the 15th century AD onwards was probably related to forest management focused on timber floating as well as to the cultivation of chestnut (Castanea sativa) and hemp (Cannabis sativa).

The Białowieża Forest is a contested transboundary forest massif in Poland and Belarus. Reflecting on transitions from value chains built on sustained yield forestry to ecotourism, we pioneer documentation of how country-specific legacies shape preferences toward increased forest protection at the expense of wood production. For both countries, we used a quantitative ordered logit model based on questionnaires to Polish and Belarusian ecotourism business owners to, for the first time, empirically study drivers of their preferences toward different Białowieża Forest values, and we used qualitative data to identify attitudes toward the expansion of protected areas in the Białowieża Forest. Whilst Belarusian ecotourism business owners supported increased area protection, the opposite was true for their Polish counterparts. The proportion of foreign guests co-varied with support toward increased area protection. Conversely, local origin, size of hospitality business, and role of foresters as customers decreased interest in area protection. The qualitative data revealed that narratives against extended area protection were spread in Poland but not in Belarus. The conflict over the conservation of the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest involves actors and stakeholders with competing interests. A solution is that this remnant massif of the once widespread European temperate lowland forest becomes subject to a regional planning and zoning perspective. Encouraging multiple value chains and evidence-based collaborative learning are key components.

The contribution of the forest sector to climate change mitigation needs to rely on optimal strategies that include forest management, wood supply, wood product disposal, and replacement of GHG-intensive materials and energy sources. Our study aimed to assess the impact of alternative forest management practices applied at the stand scale on the capacity of the forest sector to reduce its radiative forcing, using the boreal forests of eastern Canada as a case study. We simulated management of a balsam fir–white birch stand over a sixty-year period and determined the sectorial carbon and radiative forcing budget for a reference scenario (no harvest) and for nineteen clearcut and partial cut alternatives. The results suggest that logging may not significantly reduce carbon emissions compared to a preservation practice and does not yield any climate benefits in terms of radiative forcing. In a context for which the substitution effect of wood products on markets is expected to be limited, the mitigation potential of a scenario is mostly driven by the capacity of the forest ecosystem carbon sink to compensate for the substantial CO2 and CH4 emissions from wood product decay in landfills. The improved assessment of carbon emission temporality, incorporation of ecosystem carbon dynamics, and improved consideration of substitution and the decay of wood products are essential in the development of any forest management strategy. Neglecting these elements can lead to misconceptions and prevent informed mitigation decisions.

Short-rotation woody plantations (SRWPs) play a major role in climate change mitigation and adaptation plans, because of their high yields of woody biomass and fast carbon storage. However, their benefits, trade-offs and growing-success are heavily location-dependent. Therefore, spatial data on the distribution of SRWPs are indispensable for assessing current distribution, trade-offs with other uses and potential contributions to climate mitigation. As current global datasets lack reliable information on SRWPs and full global mapping is difficult, we provide a consistent and systematic approach to estimate the spatial distribution of SRWPs in (sub-)tropical biomes under current and future climate. We combined three advanced methods (maximum entropy, random forest and multinomial regression) to evaluate spatially explicit probabilities of SRWPs. As inputs served a large empirical dataset on SRWP observations and 17 predictor variables, covering biophysical and socio-economic conditions. SRWP probabilities varied strongly between regions, and might not be feasible in major parts of (sub-)tropical biomes, challenging the feasibility of global mitigation plans that over-rely on tree plantations. Due to future climatic changes, SRWP probabilities decreased in many areas, particularly pronounced in higher emission scenarios. This indicates a negative feedback with higher emissions resulting in less mitigation potential. Less suitable land for SRWPs in the future could also result in fewer wood resources from these plantations, enhancing pressure on natural forests and hampering sustainability initiatives that use wood-based alternatives. Our results can help adding a more nuanced treatment of mitigation options and forest management in research on biodiversity and land use change.

Collaborative forest management (CFM) is assumed to provide benefits for improving the condition of the forest ecology and the community’s economy. However, its effectiveness is often debated, particularly regarding the involvement of poor and landless farmers in program implementation. In this relation, this study examines a CFM program implementation in Bandung District, West Java, the so-called Pengelolaan Hutan Bersama Masyarakat (PHBM). The study combined qualitative and quantitative approaches in collecting data. GIS analysis and vegetation identification supported this study. The study shows that the PHBM program implementation in the study area provided benefits for improving forest ecological conditions and the livelihood of the farmers. This study also suggests that poor or landless farmers could secure their rights and access to the forest; they became coffee farmers. Despite this, to ensure the sustainability of the program, especially the involvement of the poor and landless farmers, support from the government is very much needed.

A relatively new planning tool in Italy is the Local Forest Plan, which stands at a broader level in the land planning scale compared to the Forest Management Plan but at a finer scale considering a Regional or even National Forest Plan. This intermediate scale was considered the most appropriate for working out a planning process based on a multi-criteria assessment of forest functions. The proper functioning of forest ecosystems can provide services conceived as benefits people can obtain through ecological processes that sustain and satisfy essential needs of human life. Four particular forest functions providing services were identified: protective, productive, naturalistic and touristic, respectively. A set of functional criteria, as well as attributes within criteria, were recognized to perform an “Analytic Hierarchy Process” (AHP). A specific application of this methodological approach was selected as a case study. This multi-criteria decision-making process involved the participation of five selected experts in a preliminary phase, followed by the participation of thirty representative stakeholders who contributed to the forest planning process and the subsequent selection of actions to be taken. Data related to forest types and management, physical and morphological features of the forested terrain and infrastructure such as forest roads, touristic trails and hiking pathways, together with natural protected areas or wildlife preservation areas, were explicitly located in space by using a “geographical information service” (GIS) software. The combined application of AHP and GIS can be considered as a significant methodological innovation presented in the case study, together with the implementation of a participative process aimed at the management of forest resources and the creation of possible new professional and entrepreneurial forest activities for the benefit of the entire residential community.

Forest management practices modify the composition and three-dimensional structure of boreal forests. Such changes affect light regimes, microclimate and habitat availability in forests, thus contributing to the regulation of ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Compared to traditional even-aged forestry, prevalent in Fenno-scandia since the mid-20th century, uneven-aged forestry has emerged as an alternative approach that may lead to more diverse and resilient forests, as well as a more sustainable provision of ecosystem services. However, the biophysical impacts of uneven-aged strategies have not yet been robustly quantified. Here, we present a detailed assessment of the structural characteristics of even-aged and uneven-aged boreal forest stands in southern Finland, aiming to clarify how these different management approaches regulate three-dimensional forest structure. Using terrestrial laser scanning, we derived and compared several structural traits closely linked to forest functioning. We found that, although different management types result in similar patterns in total plant material, they differ significantly on how plant material is allocated within vertical strata. Moreover, we demonstrated that commonly used structural diversity metrics cannot not capture the morphological intricacies arising from the three-dimensional dispersion of plant material inside the forest stand. Our results highlight the dynamic nature of even-aged forests, where the structural characteristics change with the rotation, whereas uneven-aged forest structures are more stable over time. Precise quantification of forest structure will help to understand which attributes impact the environmental functions and conditions that modify ecosystem services, and how these are altered with forest management.

Report S003518N_WP1D4 is the deliverable report of the fourth deliverable of work package 1 of the BioWood project. This deliverable report describes the methodology used to derive different land use and management scenarios and how they were incorporated into Sim4Tree.&nbsp

Pine wilt disease (PWD) caused by the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) is a serious threat to coniferous forests worldwide. However, little is known about how soil microbial diversity responds to PWD and associated management practices. We investigated the community composition and diversity of bacteria and fungi in bulk and rhizosphere soil of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) forests following 0, 1, and 5 year PWD, with the dead pine in a certain plot being either managed (logged and removed from the plot) or unmanaged (maintained as standing dead wood). Both bacterial and fungal alpha diversity decrease after 5 year PWD and logging, with response degree being different between site locations. Alpha diversity of rhizosphere fungi, rather than bacteria, significantly decreases with the disease and logging. We observe an increase in the relative amount of bacterial functional groups involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism after PWD infection and logging practice. With the disease infection, the relative abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi decreases, while the relative abundance of saprotrophic fungi increases. Compared with logging treatment, unmanaged practice had a weaker effect on soil microbial communities. Our findings provide new insights into the short-term responses of soil microbial diversity to management practices after PWD infection.

Purpose of Review Boreal forests provide a wide range of ecosystem services that are important to society. The boreal biome is experiencing the highest rates of warming on the planet and increasing demand for forest products. Here, we review how changes in climate and its associated extreme events (e.g., windstorms) are putting at risk the capacity of these forests to continue providing ecosystem services. We further analyze the role of forest management to increase forest resilience to the combined effects of climate change and extreme events. Recent Findings Enhancing forest resilience recently gained a lot of interest from theoretical perspective. Yet, it remains unclear how to translate the theoretical knowledge into practice and how to operationalize boreal forest management to maintain forest ecosystem services and functions under changing global conditions. We identify and summarize the main management approaches (natural disturbance emulation, landscape functional zoning, functional complex network, and climate-smart forestry) that can promote forest resilience. Summary We review the concept of resilience in forest sciences, how extreme events may put boreal forests at risk, and how management can alleviate or promote such risks. We found that the combined effects of increased temperatures and extreme events are having negative impacts on forests. Then, we discuss how the main management approaches could enhance forest resilience and multifunctionality (simultaneous provision of high levels of multiple ecosystem services and species habitats). Finally, we identify the complementary strengths of individual approaches and report challenges on how to implement them in practice.

11 Pág., Background: More than a decade of fire suppression has changed the structure of fire-adapted shrubland ecosystems in Spain's National Parks, which are now at extreme risk of uncontrolled wildfires. Prescribed burning can mitigate the risk of wildfires by reducing the fuel load but prescribed burning may also alter the soil properties and reduce microbial and fungal activity, causing changes in the availability of nutrients deep in the soil layer. Although fungal communities are a vital part of post-fire restoration, some fire effects remain unclear. To examine the short-term effects of prescribed burning on soil fungal communities in Doñana Biological Reserve (SW Spain), we collected soil samples pre-burn and 1 day, 6 and 12 months post-burn from burned plots to perform physicochemical and metabarcode DNA analyses. Results: Prescribed burning had no significant effect on the total fungal operational taxonomic unit richness and abundance. However, changes in soil pH, nitrogen and potassium content post-burn affected fungal community composition. Small non-significant changes in pH and phosphorous affected the composition of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Conclusions: The ectomycorrhizal fungal community appears to be resilient to the effects of low-to moderate-intensity fires and saprotrophic taxa may benefit from this kind of fire. This finding revealed that prescribed burning is a potentially valuable management tool for reducing fire hazards in shrublands that has little effect on the total richness and abundance of fungal communities., This research was funded by: Spanish R&D projects MYCOINFOR (Mycosilviculture Applied to Forest Fire Prevention in Mediterranean Systems; PID2019-105188RB-I00); VIS4FIRE (Comprehensive vulnerability of forest systems to fire: implications for forest management tools; RTA2017-00042-C05-01); and Interreg-POCTEP CILIFO (Iberian Centre for Research and Forest Firefighting; 0753-CILIFO-5-E). This study was also financed by European Social Fund “NextGenerationEU” through a grant “Margarita Salas” awarded to Juncal Espinosa into the project GFIRE.

Plantation forests, cultivated through artificial seeding and planting methods, are of great significance to human society. However, most experimental sites for these forests are located in remote areas. Therefore, in-depth studies on remote forest management and off-site experiments can better meet the experimental and management needs of researchers. Based on an experimental plantation forest of Triploid Populus Tomentosa, this paper proposes a digital twin architecture for a virtual poplar plantation forest system. The framework includes the modeling of virtual plantation and data analysis. Regarding this system architecture, this paper theoretically analyzes the three main entities of the physical world, digital world, and researchers contained in it, as well as their interaction mechanisms. For virtual plantation modeling, a tree modeling method based on LiDAR point cloud data was adopted. The transitional particle flow method was proposed to combine with AdTree method for tree construction, followed by integration with other models and optimization. For plantation data analysis, a database based on forest monitoring data was established. Tree growth equations were derived by fitting the tree diameter at breast height data, which were then used to predict and simulate trends in diameter-related data that are difficult to measure. The experimental result shows that a preliminary digital twin-oriented poplar plantation system can be constructed based on the proposed framework. The system consists of 2160 trees and simulations of 10 types of monitored or predicted data, which provides a new practical basis for the application of digital twin technology in the forestry field. The optimized tree model consumes over 67% less memory, while the R2 of the tree growth equation with more than 100 data items could reach more than 87%, which greatly improves the performance and accuracy of the system. Thus, utilizing forestry information networking and digitization to support plantation forest experimentation and management contributes to advancing the digital transformation of forestry and the realization of a smart management model for forests.

An appropriate management and valuation of Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) forests are essential in order to ensure their multiple functions and uses. Many coppice forests of Pyrenean oak have been converted into high forests mostly due to changing demands. This work presents a 20-year study conducted with Pyrenean oak coppices, providing results from an experimental trial where silvicultural improvement interventions for coppice conversion were applied. In addition to control, selective thinning and 3-strip thinning with 2 × 2 m, 3 × 3 m, and 3 × 6 m (the latter also included selective thinning) were examined. The study analyzed tree growth, vertical stratification dynamics, and epicormic branching. It was found that the silvicultural interventions promoted tree development differently according to social crown class. The results have shown a significantly different response in tree diameter growth and live crown length, while height growth has been less accentuated. The study also examined the temporal effect of the interventions on diameter growth. Changes in tree crown position and structural characteristics varied among the cutting interventions. Regarding epicormic branching, the results have revealed that the number of shoots does not differ significantly among the treatments but shows differences in length. Management issues regarding Pyrenean oak coppice conversion have also been addressed.

Pinus halepensis Mill. covers most lowland forests on limestone soils and semiarid to sub-humid climates in the Mediterranean basin. It is considered a key species in climate change due to its pioneer nature, versatility, and flexibility. Moreover, its industrial potential is an additional incentive to promote forest management to increase its quality and productivity while contributing to other environmental and social objectives. However, there is a considerable gap in science-based knowledge on the effects of different silvicultural treatments on Pinus halepensis stands. Thus, this research compares the impact of four different treatments (light thinnings, strong thinnings, transformation to uneven-aged, and diameter-driven uneven-aged) on even-aged mid-rotation stands of Pinus halepensis in terms of growth, vulnerability, and resilience to extreme weather events, regeneration, and shrub cover. The effects of four treatments are evaluated in 12 research plots of 0.49 ha each (three per treatment) and contrasted with the other three non-managed control plots. Light and strong thinning treatments show better growth—at least in the short term—and stock results than those reported in the reference yield tables. Transformation to uneven-aged treatment shows advantages in maintaining periodic growth, regeneration, and stability. In addition, it offers an alternative for steep slope stands, smallholders, and extended narrow-aged estates to speed up the desirable balanced age class distribution. Diameter-driven uneven-aged treatment implies greater vulnerability to extreme weather events during the first years and considerable stock reduction while offering faster and taller tree regeneration. A dual regeneration pattern of Ulex parviflorus Pourr is observed in addition to post-fire regeneration in the case of sudden and well-distributed tree cover reduction around 40% of the canopy due to the transformation into the uneven-aged stand. An observation period longer than a decade of the research plots will confirm these first conclusions.

With climate change, restoration of natural tree species in areas planted artificially with Norway spruce (Picea abies (L). Karst.) is among the main issues in Central European forest management. However, information on particular forest conversion strategies and on understanding their economic consequences are incomplete. To contribute, we develop a deterministic finite-time dynamic optimization model to understand the driving forces in the economically optimal conversion of spruce-dominated forests planted outside of natural conditions in South Moravia, Czech Republic. In addition to the commonly researched European beech (Fagus sylvatica (L.)), we also consider oak (Quercus (sp.)), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris (L.) Karst.), and larch (Larix decidua) as alternatives to spruce and evaluate them from an economic point of view. The model recommends a steady reduction of the spruce fraction, replacing it preferably with oak, beech, and larch. The model validation shows that such a forest plan appears both ecologically advisable and economically optimal. info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Aims to valuate Africa's forestry and forest products, namely Wood Forest Products (WFPs) and Non-wood Forest Products (NWFPs) in the sixteen (16) West African countries.The study identified a systematic assessment of the most common forest products (wood and non-wood forest products) considering the available data on the national forest reserves of the selected countries in West Africa. The study also revealed the need for biodiversity conservation of the available forest reserves to help mitigate the impact of global warming targeting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 13- Climate Action. This is focused on integrating climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning signs into the national policies, improving forest planning and management education, awareness-raising, and institutional capacity within the sub-region. Resumo / Resumen Objetiva avaliar os produtos florestais da África, nomeadamente Produtos Florestais Madeireiros (PAMs) e Produtos Florestais Não-madeireiros (PNMs) nos dezesseis (16) países da África Ocidental. O estudo identificou uma avaliação sistemática dos produtos florestais mais comuns (produtos florestais madeireiros e não madeireiros) considerando os dados disponíveis sobre as reservas florestais nacionais dos países selecionados da África Ocidental. O estudo também revelou a necessidade de conservação da biodiversidade das reservas florestais disponíveis para ajudar a mitigar o impacto do aquecimento global visando o Objetivo de Desenvolvimento Sustentável 13 das Nações Unidas - Ação Climática. Isso está focado na integração da mitigação das mudanças climáticas, adaptação, redução de impacto e sinais de alerta precoce nas políticas nacionais, melhorando o planejamento florestal e a educação em gestão, conscientização e capacidade institucional na sub-região. Tiene como objetivo valorar la silvicultura y los productos forestales de África, a saber, los productos forestales madereros (PMA) y los productos forestales no madereros (PFNM) en los dieciséis (16) países de África occidental. El estudio identificó una evaluación sistemática de los productos forestales más comunes (productos forestales madereros y no madereros) teniendo en cuenta los datos disponibles sobre las reservas forestales nacionales de los países seleccionados de África occidental. El estudio también reveló la necesidad de la conservación de la biodiversidad de las reservas forestales disponibles para ayudar a mitigar el impacto del calentamiento global como objetivo del Objetivo de Desarrollo Sostenible 13 de las Naciones Unidas: Acción climática. Esto se enfoca en integrar la mitigación del cambio climático, la adaptación, la reducción del impacto y las señales de alerta temprana en las políticas nacionales, mejorando la educación en planificación y manejo forestal, la concientización y la capacidad institucional dentro de la subregión.

The use of remote sensing for forest health monitoring has increased in popularity over the years, with improved quality in spatial and spectral resolutions. However, satellite revisit times are ge...

During recent decades, tree mortality and dieback have been reported in forest ecosystems across global biomes. Although numerous forest species, including those of the genus Quercus, have been affected by hotter and drier conditions in the Mediterranean Basin during the last decades, there is scarce information regarding the interactive role of past management and climate across large areas of south-western Europe. Here, we examined the influence of several climatic factors (mean annual temperature, annual precipitation) over the last 3 decades, latitude, land management and site conditions on the cork oak (Quercus suber L.) population dynamics given their high ecological and economic relevance. We sampled 20 plots across contrasting environmental conditions in SW Iberian Peninsula with different land property (public vs. private) to characterize cork oak tree size, stand density, mortality ratio and regeneration. We observed widespread effects of latitude (8.9% at northern vs. 15.6% at southern plots) and land property (6.9% in private properties vs. 13.9% in public ones) on tree mortality. Tree density and basal area differed with latitude, with higher values (307.2 trees ha-1 and 38.4 m2 ha-1, respectively) at northern populations. In addition, the more intense cork-focused productive management resulted in higher tree sizes in private (mean DBH = 47.3 cm) than in public (mean DBH = 37.8 cm) plots. Tree regeneration was higher in northern forests (94.9 ± 25.2 vs. 26.0 ± 6.1 saplings ha-1 for the southern location), being this difference more pronounced in public plots. These findings highlight the importance of sustainable forest management in public and private forests for further reduction of mortality processes, as well as for enhancing the regeneration aimed to the conservation of cork oak under forecasted drier conditions of these economically invaluable Mediterranean forests.

Deforestation has become a global issue, primary forests have been converted to plantations, agricultural land, and built-up area. Although many environmental regulations have been enacted since the emergence of the sustainable development concept, in reality, they are not effective when compared to forest management by indigenous peoples. This article intends to reveal the role of traditional beliefs and local wisdom in forest conservation. We selected five indigenous communities as representatives of beliefs and forest conservation efforts in Indonesia ie. Nagari Sungai Buluh, Mollo, Kampung Naga, Manggarai, and Dayak Kanayatn. This research uses qualitative data that is analyzed by descriptive approach, it can explain in detail the forest management by indigenous peoples. Traditional belief systems and conservation have proven to maintain the forests, also ensure the availability of natural resources and ecosystem services for humans in the surrounding. The indigenous peoples consider the forest to be a clean and sacred place, it can only be accessed or used at certain times. The forest zoning by indigenous peoples guarantees its sustainability and is evidence of the application of ecocentrism, humans are part of nature and are obliged to protect the resources that have been mandated by God.

Stratifying a forest results in more precise and cheaper inventories. This study aimed to select the stratifying variable that estimates more precise and stable inventory over the years for a eucalyptus plantation in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The continuous forest inventory was performed annually from 2.7 to 6.8 years, and based on the field measurements, arithmetic mean diameter (d), height (h), dominant height (Hdom), basal area (G), volume (V), and mean annual increment in volume (MAI) were calculated. Semivariograms were generated and the exponential, spherical and Gaussian models were fit for each stratifying variable for each measurement date. The models were assessed by the reduced mean error and its deviation, being the exponential model selected. Maps showing the spatial distribution of all variables were generated for each measurement age, using ordinary kriging. Next, the study area was divided in four strata based on each stratifying variable for each measurement age. The stability of each stratifying variables for each measurement age were assessed by: 1) coincident strata area; 2) stability of total strata area; 3) plot permanency on each stratum; and 4) inventory error using stratified random sampling procedures. All variables in all ages presented spatial dependence structure. G and Hdom were the stratifying variables that generated the most and the least coincident strata area over the years, respectively. G and height (h and Hdom) were the stratifying variables yielding the least and most plot stratum changes, respectively. The same trend was observed for the total strata area stability. Stratifying based on MAI and V yielded the smaller inventory error, and h and Hdom yielded the largest. G was selected as the best stratifying variable because it yielded small inventory errors and was the most stable variable in terms of coincident strata area, total strata area and plot stratum changes over the years. RESUMO A estratificação de uma floresta resulta em inventários mais precisos e mais baratos. Este estudo teve como objetivo selecionar a variável estratificadora que estima inventários mais precisos e estáveis ao longo dos anos para um plantio de eucalipto no estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Foi realizado inventário florestal contínuo na área anualmente dos anos 2,7 a 6,8, sendo posteriormente calculados o diâmetro médio aritmético (d), altura (h), altura dominante (Hdom), área basal (G), volume (V) e incremento médio anual em volume (MAI). Foram gerados semivariogramas e os modelos exponencial, esférico e Gaussiano foram ajustados para cada variável estratificadora em cada época de medição. Os modelos foram avaliados pelo erro médio reduzido e seu desvio, sendo o modelo exponencial selecionado. Mapas mostrando a distribuição espacial de todas as variáveis foram construídos para cada idade de medição, utilizando krigagem ordinária. Em seguida, a área de estudo foi dividida em quatro estratos com base em cada variável estratificadora para cada idade de medição. A estabilidade de cada variável estratificadora para cada idade de medição foi avaliada por: 1) área coincidente dos estratos; 2) estabilidade da área total dos estratos; 3) permanência da parcela em cada estrato; e 4) erro de inventário utilizando formulação de amostragem casual estratificada. Todas as variáveis em todas as idades apresentaram estrutura de dependência espacial. G e Hdom foram as variáveis estratificadoras que geraram mais e menos área coincidente entre estratos ao longo dos anos, respectivamente. G e altura (h e Hdom) foram as variáveis estratificadoras que apresentaram menor e maior número de parcelas com mudança de estrato, respectivamente. A mesma tendência foi observada para a estabilidade da área total dos estratos. As estratificações baseadas em MAI e V renderam os menores erros de inventário, enquanto as estratificações baseadas em h e Hdom renderam os maiores erros. G foi selecionada como a melhor variável estratificadora, pois apresentou pequenos erros de inventário e foi a variável mais estável em termos da área coincidente dos estratos, estabilidade da área total dos estratos e permanência das parcelas no mesmo estrato.

Major socio-economic changes over the last few decades have reduced Indigenous peoples’ engagement in cultural practices, such as harvesting of forest resources. Nevertheless, some species remain important for culture, subsistence and livelihood, such as the chiuri tree (Diploknema butyracea (Roxb.) H. J. Lam) to the Chepang people of Central Nepal. Using the cultural keystone species framework, we conducted interviews within Chepang communities to assess the biocultural importance of the chiuri tree. It is central to the Chepang culture, and no other species could provide the same benefits. It also provides food and habitat for a number of wildlife species, including bats, which are themselves culturally important. Strictly observed tree ownership rules, as well as a cultural ban on tree cutting and branch lopping, have so far contributed to chiuri conservation. However, these rules are increasingly less adhered to. Other threats to chiuri sustainability are excessive flower foraging by bees (reducing pollen production) and bat hunting (reducing pollen transport). Further studies are needed to quantify these threats and to adjust forest and wildlife management practices so that the cultural landscape continues to provide multiple benefits to the Chepang people. Our study of the chiuri case attests to the usefulness of the cultural keystone species framework in landscape assessment for management and conservation.

Structural features of the overstorey in managed and unmanaged forests can significantly influence plant community composition. Native Acacia species are common in temperate eucalypt forests in southeastern Australia. In these forests, intense disturbances, such as logging and wildfire, lead to high densities of regenerating trees, shrubs, and herbs. The tree layer is dominated by Acacia and Eucalyptus, that compete intensely for resources in the first decades after stand establishment. The relative abundance and size of Acacia and Eucalyptus varies widely due to stochastic factors such as dispersal, microsite variability, and weather and climatic conditions. This variability may influence the structure and composition of the herbaceous and shrub species. In the temperate forests of southeastern Australia, understorey plant diversity is assumed to be influenced by Acacia species density, rather than Eucalyptus density. To quantify the influence of Acacia and Eucalyptus density on plant community composition, we used remote sensing and machine learning methods to map canopy composition and then compare it to understorey composition. We combined unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV or drone) imagery, supervised image classifications, and ground survey data of plant composition from post-logging regrowth forests in the Central Highlands of southeastern Australia. We found that aggregation and patch metrics of Eucalyptus and Acacia were strongly associated with understorey plant beta diversity. Increasing aggregation of Acacia and the number of Acacia patches had a significant negative effect on plant beta diversity, while the number of Eucalyptus patches had a positive influence. Our research demonstrates how accessible UAV remote sensing can be used to quantify variability in plant biodiversity in regrowth forests. This can help forest managers map patterns of plant diversity at the stand-scale and beyond to guide management activities across forested landscapes.

7 Pág., Aim of study: We introduce the software ModERFoRest (Modelling Environmental Requirements for Forest Restoration), which is a tool to estimate the environmental requirements and environmental performance of the main forest tree species growing in Spain. Area of study: Two of their modules have been developed to be applied mainly in Spain, but the main section can be used elsewhere as long as the user provides with presence data and environmental information. Materials and methods: ModERFoRest has been programmed in C++, also using the Armadillo library for algebraic computation. The application can be downloaded from the INIA website (https://www.inia.es/serviciosyrecursos/recursosinformaticos/modernforest/Paginas/ModERFoRest.aspx) where there are also more accessible resources (currently only in Spanish language). Main results: ModERFoRest provides three basic utilities, firstly, to select the optimal species to be used for forest restoration, at local or regional scale, among the 22 most important taxa or formations in Spain, based on ecological criteria and physiographic, climatic and edaphic information. Secondly, to explore the potential distribution areas of the species using the ecological niche models and algorithms developed throughout different projects on the autecology of the species over the last 55 years. Finally, the application provides the option of comparing different areas of the species ecologically, in order to obtain the most suitable reproductive material for the forest site under study. Research highlights: Users can also run not only recent but also future climate scenarios in order to simulate the distribution of ecological species and use the results in reforestation programmes and planning., agencies/institutions Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment RTA2010-00095-C02-00 Project / Grant “Digitisation and application of forest species autecology studies” The authors would thank Otilio Sánchez-Palomares for his suggestions and contributions to software improvement.

To mitigate climate change, several European countries have launched policies to promote the development of a renewable resource-based bioeconomy. These bioeconomy strategies plan to use renewable biological resources, which will increase timber and biomass demands and will potentially conflict with multiple other ecosystem services provided by forests. In addition, these forest ecosystem services (FES) are also influenced by other, different, policy strategies, causing a potential mismatch in proposed management solutions for achieving the different policy goals. We evaluated how Norwegian forests can meet the projected wood and biomass demands from the international market for achieving mitigation targets and at the same time meet nationally determined targets for other FES. Using data from the Norwegian national forest inventory (NFI) we simulated the development of Norwegian forests under different management regimes and defined different forest policy scenarios, according to the most relevant forest policies in Norway: national forest policy (NFS), biodiversity policy (BIOS), and bioeconomy policy (BIES). Finally, through multi-objective optimization, we identified the combination of management regimes matching best with each policy scenario. The results for all scenarios indicated that Norway will be able to satisfy wood demands of up to 17 million m3 in 2093. However, the policy objectives for FES under each scenario caused substantial differences in terms of the management regimes selected. We observed that BIES and NFS resulted in very similar forest management programs in Norway, with a dominance of extensive management regimes. In BIOS there was an increase of set aside areas and continuous cover forestry, which made it more compatible with biodiversity indicators. We also found multiple synergies and trade-offs between the FES, likely influenced by the definition of the policy targets at the national scale. peerReviewed

Cordulegaster heros is included in the EN category on the IUCN Red List for the territory of the Czech Republic, where it inhabits an area of approximately 100 km2. All of the localities are located in the forest complex in Chřiby hills, and all of the forests fall into the category of management forests. Most of the forest stands have a high and very high degree of naturalness; they are natural forest stands. The predominant management units are Nutrient sites in middle elevations (78.2% of the area) and Oligotrophic sites in middle elevations (2.1% of the area), with stand types of Fagus sylvatica representing 92.5% of the area, and forest stand types of Quercus sp. representing 5.7% of the area. The wider alluvia in forest streams are classified as being in management unit alder and ash sites on waterlogged and floodplain soils (1.1%), with the forest stand type of Alnus glutinosa. The forest stands are restored by regeneration under shelterwood (97.8% of the area). The waterlogged alluvia, if a separate management unit is established for them, are restored by a regeneration by strip method. Realistically, seven factors were recorded in C. heros habitats, but they mostly have only point effects. Within forestry management, the factors of logging directly in the habitats and the subsequent transport of harvested timber in the habitat were recorded. The most intrusive effects were found on tractor logging roads, where fine soil washes into the stream and causes prolonged turbidity. Of the water management structures in the study area, logging roads with bridges and culverts are constructed, stream banks are reinforced with longitudinal walls at points, and stone steps in the channels are constructed only sporadically. The current forest management system can be described as a nature-friendly system, and therefore, it fully ensures the conditions for the survival of the C. heros population in the Czech Republic.

Acadian forests of New Brunswick, Canada, are highly variable both in terms of species composition and quality. This is particularly accurate for hardwoods, for which value recovery is closely influenced by wood quality and a proper understanding of tree attributes. Therefore, based on several databases created between 2012 and 2021, the objectives of this study were to (1) characterize the stand-level distribution of species, size, form, and risk according to site factors and (2) determine the influence of different tree, stand, and site factors on the recovery of merchantable, sawlog, and veneer volumes. In total, 287,984 trees stemming from 9233 plots were analyzed for objective 1. For a subset of trees (743), tree, stand, and site attributes were also related to the product output of harvesting operations through a comprehensive inventory of standing trees and their associated products. Analyses were performed with linear and multinomial logistic regressions as well as factor analysis of mixed data (FAMD). Key results indicated that tree attributes and product recovery were significantly influenced by (1) environmental factors (soil, temperature, and precipitation), summarized by ecoregion in this study and (2) tree size and form. These findings suggest that the inclusion of site factors in supply planning could improve product recovery during forest operations.

Forests perform many important ecological functions and provide numerous environmental services to humanity. Currently forests are under ever increasing pressures from humans through deforestation, changes in land use, and anthropogenic climate change. Managed forests play an important role in supplying forest products to the global population, necessitating the need to predict how forests will respond to climate change and how this will influence future wood product supplies. In this dissertation I used loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), the most extensively cultivated tree species in the United States, as a study system to simulate how climate change and forest management could alter the dynamics of managed forests in the future. Using the land component (the Community Land Model) of the widely used Community Earth System Model (CESM), I developed and validated a set of tools necessary to simulate the loblolly pine plantation system using the vegetation demography model embedded in CESM (FATES). This included developing a representation of loblolly pine using data from the literature, which was better able to capture forest growth and development observed in field studies than FATES's existing conifer tree representation. I added the ability to simulate several aspects of forest management not previously supported in FATES by creating the Vegetation Management Module, which I showed was able to realistically reproduce the common management practice of stand thinning. I used these new tools to perform simulations of how loblolly pine will grow across the Southeastern United States until the end of the 21st century, under the high and low climate change scenarios developed by the scientific community in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). Our experiments show that loblolly pine productivity may as much as double by the end of the century, with total wood harvest over that period increasing by almost half. I also showed that different management activities had significant effects on loblolly plantation yields, with mid-rotation stand thinning having an effect under both climate scenarios on par with increases due to the extreme climate change scenario SSP5 RCP8.5. I showed that these changes in wood yields could decrease the forest area in the Southeast required to meet the wood product demands over the rest of the century. These changes in plantation productivity could interact with socioeconomic factors to drive changes in land use and carbon storage in the Southeastern U.S. This work increases our understanding of how managed forests in the U.S.\ will be affected by climate change and how our management choices modulate that response. The techniques and tools developed here open up new areas of research into the role of forest management in the climate system. Doctor of Philosophy Forests benefit humans by regulating Earth's climate and by providing natural resources such as wood. In the Southeastern United States forestry is an important industry. Tree farms of southern pine trees produce a large percentage of the region's wood. Predicting how forests will grow in the future is important for planning and making investments. However, the burning of fossil fuels has increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and is changing Earth's climate. This is affecting how fast trees grow and how much wood can be harvested from forests. The methods that foresters have traditionally used to predict how trees will grow in the future do not account for climate change, and thus may not be as accurate in the future. An alternative is to use the computer models that scientists have developed to predict both how global climate will change in the future and how forests are influenced by climate. These computer programs can be used to predict how natural forests will grow in the future, but aren't set up to predict managed forests well. I made changes to one of these programs to make it possible to simulate the managed loblolly pine forests of the Southeastern United States. First, I tested these changes to make sure that simulated forests grew like real forests do today. Then I simulated how pine forests in Southeastern United States could grow over the next century with climate change. I found that pine forests will grow faster and allow more wood to be harvested as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases. If climate changes are extreme, loblolly forests could produce 70\% more wood than today by the end of the 21st century. I also showed that the manner in which forests were managed in simulations changes the amount of wood they produced, with some management practices increasing wood harvested by 50\% over the rest of the century. Because climate change could increase the amount of wood that can be produced from a fixed area of forest, I investigated how this might change the area of forest plantation in the Southeastern United States. Based on projections of demand for wood for the rest of the century I calculated how much loblolly pine forest would be needed to produce this wood over the next century. I found that increases in forest productivity due to climate change and forest management could decrease the forest area required to grow the wood we need. This could change how we use forests in the Southeastern United States, which in turn could have impacts on the climate.

The dimensions and morphological characteristics of a tree canopy are indicators of photosynthetic capacity and are influenced by competition. Morphometric indices (MI) and correlations between dasometric variables can be used in forest management. The objectives of this study were to calculate and correlate some MI, and to model the proportional crown relationship (pc %) as a function of the normal diameter (dn), using mixed effects models (MEM) in forest plantations of Pinus pseudostrobus and P. montezumae. 11 indices and morphometric values were estimated using information regarding dn, crown projection diameter, clean stem height and total height (A). In addition, a MEM was produced using the classification variables of altitude, exposure and slope, in order to estimate the pc %. The slenderness index (A/dn) and the crown area ratio were 0.65 m cm-1 and 31.19 m2 for P. pseudostrobus, and 0.55 m cm-1 and 21.85 m2 in P. montezumae, while the dimension of the crown diameter was 25 and 31 times the dn for these two species. The best conditions for development of P. pseudotrobus occurred between the elevation intervals of 2,750 - 2,950 m a.s.l., while for P. montezumae the west and southwest exposures showed higher values. MI and MEM adjustment offer a valuable tool to calculate essential parameters of forest management and establishment of forest plantations for these two species., Las dimensiones y características morfológicas de la copa de los árboles son indicadores de la capacidad fotosintética y estas varían por efecto de la competencia en el rodal o plantación. Además, los índices morfométricos (IM) y las asociaciones entre las variables dasométricas pueden ser empleadas dentro de la gestión forestal. Por lo anterior, los objetivos de este estudio fueron calcular y correlacionar algunos IM, y modelar la relación proporcional de copa (pc %) en función del diámetro normal (dn), con modelos de efectos mixtos (MEM) en plantaciones forestales de Pinus pseudostrobus y P. montezumae, en Michoacán, México. Se estimaron 11 índices y valores morfométricos con datos del dn, diámetro de la proyección de la copa, altura de fuste limpio y altura total (A). También, se ajustó un MEM con las variables clasificatorias de altitud, exposición y pendiente, para estimar la pc %. El índice de esbeltez (A/dn) y el área de proporción de copa fueron de 0,65 m cm-1 y 31,19 m2 para P. pseudostrobus, y de 0,55 m cm-1 y 21,85 m2 en P. montezumae, mientras que, la dimensión del diámetro de copa fue 25 y 31 veces el dn para estas dos especies. Las mejores condiciones de desarrollo para P. pseudostrobus se presentaron entre los intervalos de elevación de 2.750 - 2.950 m s.n.m., mientras que para P. montezumae las exposiciones oeste y suroeste mostraron valores superiores. Los IM y el ajuste por MEM permiten tener una alternativa para calcular parámetros esenciales en la gestión forestal y establecimiento de las plantaciones forestales en estas dos especies.

Forest resources are fundamental in supporting the livelihoods of the people and the sustainability of biodiversity. However, these resources are overexploited in order to meet the increasing demand for food, shelter, and energy. Participatory forest management is a tool used to support the sustainable utilization of forest resources. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the factors that determined the participatory forest management practices in the study area. The Alemsaga forest was chosen as a case study since it is in danger in its current state due to illegal cuttings and unrestricted grazing. The study employed a mixed research design where quantitative and qualitative approaches of data collection and analysis were implemented. Household heads from three rural kebeles were used as a target population, and the questionnaire survey was administered to randomly selected sample households. A binary logistic regression was employed to identify the major determinants of PFMP in the study area. The result shows that family size, education status, perception, forest income, and training have significant positive relations with household participation in forest management, whereas, demand for firewood and grazing, age, and change in office administration have significant negative relations with participation on forest management. Therefore, a key aspect in the sustainable use of natural resources is realizing the key determinant factors that influence forest management programs. This work can be perceived as a contribution to enlightening policymakers and practitioners about PFM practices and core factors that hampered the forest management effort.

Выполнен обзор актуального состояния и ведения лесного хозяйства Турции. Представлены ключевые вопросы управления лесами этой страны. Рассмотрена современная структура управления лесами Турции, отмечены характерные особенности лесных ресурсов страны. Указаны амбициозные задачи, стоящие перед лесным хозяйством страны в отношении лесовосстановления. Рассмотрены показатели в области охраны лесов от пожаров, защиты лесов и т.д. Проанализирована климатическая политика страны в лесной отрасли и принятые обязательства по достижению нулевого уровня выбросов парниковых газов к 2053 г., The article provides an overview of the current state and management of forestry in Turkey and attempts to cover all aspects of the key issues of forest management. The forest management structure based on the current forest legislation of Turkey is presented. The characteristic features of the country’s forest resources are highlighted and described, noting the differences between the term “forest” and the FAO definition. The outlined ambitious goals for reforestation, changes in the degraded forests of the country are shown. The climate policy of the country in the forest sector is considered, the commitments of the country to achieve zero emissions greenhouse gases by 2053 are noted., Лесохозяйственная информация, Выпуск 1 2023, Page 68–83

Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) and American chestnut (C. dentata) have been explicitly linked to ancient, historical, and contemporary cultures while enhancing ecological services in forests in which they occur. Threats that currently face these chestnut species are unprecedented and additive, including global climate change, nonnative pest and pathogen species, land use changes, and lack of scientific knowledge and technologies. In this paper, we provide a synthesis of traditional and novel silvicultural systems for chestnut, focusing on these two important species. We frame the discussion within the context of the species’ cultural and ecological significances, scientific knowledge bases, and associated knowledge gaps. Sweet and American chestnuts require divergent strategies to sustain their conservation values due to differing cultural and ecological landscapes and biological stressors. Both species share the need to conduct active forest management to maintain or restore populations in native or naturalized habitats. Even-aged management is the preferred regeneration method for both species. Coppicing that is commonly implemented for sweet chestnut can provide a potential strategy for American chestnut once disease-resistant material becomes widely available. Blight caused by Cryphonectria parasitica may limit long rotation timber production of American chestnut, even for resistant material, making short-rotation systems a more attractive management option. Advanced artificial regeneration and breeding strategies have been developed for American chestnut but are largely underdeveloped for sweet chestnut. High forests of sweet chestnut can play an important role in new single or mixed species plantations, naturalized stands, or in naturally regenerated stands for production of medium-large dimension timber. American chestnut will likely be managed as a minor to moderate component of mixed species forests to achieve ecological restoration goals. A close-to-nature silvicultural approach has not been tested for either species and may be difficult to implement due to the threats from changing climate conditions and nonnative pathogens. Traditional and emerging markets of sweet chestnut, such as biomass or carbon markets, may help inform future opportunities around American chestnut for tribal and rural communities. Climate change and other threats call for synergistic partnerships and knowledge sharing to maintain or restore sweet and American chestnuts as part of the global ecosystem. This research was in part funded by: Chilean Ministry of Agriculture (Development and contributions for the use of forest and fruit species of high value for Chile, INFOR); ANID BASAL FB210015 (CENAMAD); the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service; the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC), CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020); and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2020). info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Spiritual values are part of major global forest-related policies and strategies for sustainable forest management. Despite ongoing research and current debates, the significance of spiritual values in sustainable forest management in the Global North remains under-theorised. As Forest Management Plans represent an important nexus between policies and practices, this study clarifies the significance of spiritual values in forest management plans. We applied a conceptual framework with nine ‘dimensions of spirituality’ to investigate ten plans from British Columbia (Canada) and ten plans from the Netherlands, deploying qualitative analysis through descriptive coding in Atlas.ti. We elicited and compared the spiritual dimensions represented in the underlying principles, objectives, and operational sections of forest management plans for both geographical locations. Their widespread occurrence suggests that spiritual values are considered essential elements of sustainable forest policy and management in the Global North, also in contexts with non-Indigenous populations. We grouped the articulations of the spiritual dimensions in Forest Management Plans into three themes: ‘Nature Experience’, ‘Spiritual Use’ and ‘History’. A comparison of the spiritual dimensions across these themes and geographical locations yields the following insights: 1) spiritual values of forests are not only articulated in the strategic sections of forest management plans, but also in operational sections; 2) in management planning, forest spirituality is not only strongly related to experience, but also to the (‘wise’) use of forests and to forest-related history; 3) Spiritual values are better operationalised in adaptive forms of management planning than in formal ‘technical’ planning structures. This offers new ways of understanding the role of spirituality in forests management plans and contributes new insights to current debates in forest science.