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Wildfires simplify ecosystems, modifying the ecological niches of the fauna living in the recently burned areas. Small mammals respond rapidly to changes in habitat structure and composition after fire, but the effects of fire can be ameliorated by some management strategies (e.g., salvage logging). Hence, it is necessary to explore whether alternative management strategies may be able to return the ecosystem to its initial state. We studied the small mammal community by live trapping on eight plots under different post-fire treatments in Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Park (Barcelona province, NE Spain). At the community level, an increase in overall relative abundance and species density was observed in the burned areas. Apodemus sylvaticus, the most abundant mammal in study area, used woody debris piles as a shelter against predators. Mus spretus was more abundant in post-fire sites with large open areas interspersed with woody debris piles. Crocidura russula steadily increased its presence in later successional stages when ground cover became more complex. Our results suggest that combining different management strategies may be appropriate to improve the habitat suitability and biodiversity of small mammals and other key open-land species throughout the burned area.

Climate change and a long legacy of fire suppression are leading to an increased prevalence of 'mega‐disturbances' such as drought and wildfire in terrestrial ecosystems. Evidence for the immediate effects of these novel disturbances on wildlife is accumulating, but little information exists on longer term impacts to species and ecosystems. We studied the occurrence dynamics of an iconic old‐forest species, the spotted owl (Strix occidentalis), on a long‐term study area in the Sierra Nevada, CA, USA from 1989 to 2020 to evaluate their multi‐scale population response following a 2014 megafire (the 'King' Fire) that affected a portion of our study area. We found that extensive severe fire within spotted owl sites resulted in both immediate site abandonment and prolonged lack of re‐colonization by owls six years post‐fire. Sites that experienced high pyrodiversity – a mosaic of burn severities – were more likely to persist after the fire, but this effect was only apparent at finer spatial scales. A potentially confounding factor, post‐fire salvage logging, did not explain variability in the probability of either owls persisting at sites or sites becoming re‐colonized; effects could be attributed only to severe fire extent and pyrodiversity. Our study demonstrates the prolonged effects of severe fire on the occupancy of this forest‐dependent species, suggesting that forest restoration that reduces megafires could benefit spotted owls. Our work emphasizes that long‐term monitoring can offer surprising learning opportunities and provide unparalleled value for understanding and addressing emerging environmental concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014 a catastrophic ice storm occurred in the forests of Börzsöny Mts., Hungary. In this study we analyzed the potential of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, complemented, and compared with optical imagery, in mapping this event. Great emphasis was put on reference data: three types of field-based reference datasets were used and the damaged patches were delineated manually based on the visual interpretation of pre- and post-event orthophotos. Four classifications with different set-ups were carried out by applying the eXtreme Gradient Boosting method. Combinations of radar backscatter coefficients, polarimetric descriptors, interferometric coherence, and optical data variables were tested. All classifications were suitable for identifying uprooted trees properly (1–11% underestimation), but none of them could detect crown loss accurately (55–58% overestimation), based on the validation of the most damaged area. Proper differentiation of healthy forests with various levels of canopy closure in the reference data seems crucial for accurate canopy loss estimation. In the case of methods using only Sentinel-1 imagery, interferometric coherence together with polarimetric descriptors provided the best results (OA: 65.7%). This setup can be useful for immediate uproot damage detection for planning salvage logging if a natural disturbance happens outside the vegetation period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2019/2020 Australian bushfires (or wildfires) burned the largest forested area in Australia's recorded history, with major socio‐economic and environmental consequences. Among the largest fires was the 280 000 ha Green Wattle Creek Fire, which burned large forested areas of the Warragamba catchment. This protected catchment provides critical ecosystem services for Lake Burragorang, one of Australia's largest urban supply reservoirs delivering ~85% of the water used in Greater Sydney. Water New South Wales (WaterNSW) is the utility responsible for managing water quality in Lake Burragorang. Its postfire risk assessment, done in collaboration with researchers in Australia, the UK, and United States, involved (i) identifying pyrogenic contaminants in ash and soil; (ii) quantifying ash loads and contaminant concentrations across the burned area; and (iii) estimating the probability and quantity of soil, ash, and associated contaminant entrainment for different rainfall scenarios. The work included refining the capabilities of the new WEPPcloud‐WATAR‐AU model (Water Erosion Prediction Project cloud‐Wildfire Ash Transport And Risk‐Australia) for predicting sediment, ash, and contaminant transport, aided by outcomes from previous collaborative postfire research in the catchment. Approximately two weeks after the Green Wattle Creek Fire was contained, an extreme rainfall event (~276 mm in 72 h) caused extensive ash and sediment delivery into the reservoir. The risk assessment informed on‐ground monitoring and operational mitigation measures (deployment of debris‐catching booms and adjustment of the water supply system configuration), ensuring the continuity of safe water supply to Sydney. WEPPcloud‐WATAR‐AU outputs can prioritize recovery interventions for managing water quality risks by quantifying contaminants on the hillslopes, anticipating water contamination risk, and identifying areas with high susceptibility to ash and sediment transport. This collaborative interaction among scientists and water managers, aimed also at refining model capabilities and outputs to meet managers' needs, exemplifies the successful outcomes that can be achieved at the interface of industry and science. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:1151–1161. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). KEY POINTS: The extreme wildfires of 2019/20 burned 35% of the slopes that surround Sydney's main drinking water reservoir, Lake Burragorang, raising concerns about the viability of maintaining the supply of water to the Sydney area due to the risk of contamination from post‐fire erosion of soil and ash.We applied the newly developed WEPPcloud‐WATAR tool (Water Erosion Prediction Project cloud model—Wildfire Ash Transport And Risk estimation tool) to this catchment to predict risks to water quality from contaminants contained in eroded soil and wildfire ash.This collaboration between scientists and managers served as a test bench and helped in improving model capabilities and in adapting its outputs to water managers' needs.The tool now predicts spatial distribution of ash and pollutants on the hillslopes, loads of ash, soil, and pollutants reaching water assets for single rain events; probabilities of water contamination in the medium term; and location of hotspots for soil, ash, and contaminant transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wildfires and forestry activities such as post-fire salvage logging are altering North American forests on a massive scale. Habitat change and fragmentation on forested landscapes may threaten forest specialists, such as Pacific marten (Martes caurina), that require closed, connected, and highly structured habitats. Although marten use burned landscapes, it is unclear how these animals respond to differing burn severities, or how well they tolerate additional landscape change from salvage logging. Methods: We used snow tracking and GPS collars to examine marten movements in three large burns in north-central Washington, USA (burned in 2006) and central British Columbia, Canada (burned in 2010 and 2017). We also assessed marten habitat use in relation to areas salvage-logged in the 2010 burn. We evaluated marten path characteristics in relation to post-fire habitat quality, including shifts in behaviour when crossing severely-disturbed habitats. Using GPS locations, we investigated marten home range characteristics and habitat selection in relation to forest cover, burn severity, and salvage logging. Results: Marten in the 2006 burn shifted from random to directed movement in areas burned at high severity; in BC, they chose highly straight paths when crossing salvage-blocks and meadows. Collared marten structured their home ranges around forest cover and burn severity, avoiding sparsely-covered habitats and selecting areas burned at low severity. Marten selected areas farther from roads in both Washington and BC, selected areas closer to water in the 2006 burn, and strongly avoided salvage-logged areas of the 2010 burn. Marten home ranges overlapped extensively, including two males tracked concurrently in the 2010 burn. Conclusions: Areas burned at low severity provide critical habitat for marten post-fire. Encouragingly, our results indicate that both male and female marten can maintain home ranges in large burns and use a wide range of post-fire conditions. However, salvage-logged areas are not suitable for marten and may represent significant barriers to foraging and dispersal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Forest fires and post‐fire practices influence sediment connectivity (SC). In this study, we use the 'aggregated index of connectivity' (AIC) to assess SC in five Mediterranean catchments (198–1090 ha) affected by a wildfire in 2012 in south‐eastern Spain. Two temporal scenarios were considered, immediately after the fire and before post‐fire management, and 2 years after the fire including all practices (hillslope barriers, check‐dams, afforestation, salvage logging and skid trails). One LiDAR (light detection and ranging)‐derived digital elevation model (DEM, 2 m × 2 m resolution) was generated, per scenario. The five catchment outlets were established as the computation target (AICOUT), and structural and functional SC were calculated. Index outputs were normalized to make the results of the non‐nested catchments comparable (AICN‐OUT). The output analysis includes the SC distribution along the catchments and at local scale (929 sub‐catchments, 677 in the burned area), the hillslope and channel measures' effect on SC, and a sedimentological analysis using observed area‐specific sediment yield (SSY) at 10 new (built after post‐fire practices) concrete check‐dams located in the catchments (SSY = 1.94 Mg ha−1 yr−1; σ = 1.22). The catchments with more circular shapes and steeper slopes were those with higher AICN‐OUT. The structural SC maps – removing the rainfall erosivity influence – allowed evaluating the actual role played by the post‐fire practices that reduced SC (x¯= − 1.19%; σ = 0.41); while functional SC was linked to the actual change of SC (x¯= + 5.32%; σ = 0.62). Hillslope treatments resulted in significant changes on AICN‐OUT at sub‐catchment scale with certain disconnectivity. A good and positive correlation was found between the SSY and the changes of AICN‐OUT. However, the coarse DEM resolution explained the lack of effect of the rock check‐dams – located on the secondary channels – on AICN‐OUT. AICN‐OUT proved to be a useful tool for decision making in post‐fire restoration, but an optimal input data is still necessary to refine calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The spatial and temporal dynamics of ornithocenoses is associated with a complex of natural and anthropogenic factors, named ecological gradients (terms introduced by R. H. Whittaker). The biodiversity of forest ornithocenoses is formed by disturbances and successions. Natural disturbances in managed forests are economically impractical, but important as factors for the protection of biodiversity and diversity of forest ornithocenoses. Standards for the protection of forest biodiversity are not clearly formulated, and ecological gradients important for birds are erased due to theoretically unfounded methods of forestry often using salvage logging. The research goal of the study is to compare the contribution of salvage logging and its preceding natural disturbances to the initiation and course of successions of forest ornithocenoses. Materials and methods. The key types of managed secondary hemiboreal Eastern European forests (scots pine and mixed forests) were studied. Birds were counted using the method of mapping nesting territories on model sites. Sites that represent successional shifts after typical natural disturbances (fires, bark beetles) and after rescue logging were selected. The method of nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) was used to identify succession gradients. Results. The patterns of pyrogenic and biogenic successions of ornithocenoses were tracked. Successional changes of bird communities after salvage logging are truncated and slowed down in comparison with natural destructivedemutation processes. The relationships of the avian diversity with the mosaic structure, vertical heterogeneity and the area of disturbance are revealed. The long-term devastating impacts of regular fires, salvage logging, and commercial felling disguised salvage logging on forest bird communities are found. Conclusions. Salvage logging in disturbed forests is an additional factor that reduces the diversity of ornithocenoses at all levels and slows down the succession processes. The forests ornithocenoses, naturally recovering after bark beetle invasions or forest fires, possess highly dynamic, unique and diverse character. Preserved natural structure of these forests differs them from salvage logging, populated predominantly by pioneer bird species.

Questions have been raised about the application of conventional post-windthrow forest practices such as salvage logging, site preparation, and afforestation in response to the increase in wind disturbance caused by climate change. In particular, it is necessary to identify effective forest management practices that consider the pressure from deer browsing in forests in cold, snowy regions because the population of ungulates is expected to increase. The impacts of legacy destruction, i.e., the destruction of advance regeneration, microsites, and soil structure, caused by conventional post-windthrow practices have rarely been assessed separately from the impacts of subsequent deer browsing on forest regeneration or evaluated based on sufficiently long monitoring periods to assess vegetation succession. This lack of studies is one reason that alternative forest management practices to salvaging and planting have not been proposed. We conducted a field experiment at a large-scale windthrow site with a deer population to (1) assess the impact of legacy destruction and deer browsing on vegetation biomass and species composition after 15 years and (2) identify the effects of legacy retention. The study design allowed us to distinguish between and measure the impact of legacy destruction and that of subsequent deer browsing during a 15-year period. The results revealed the following: (1) Salvage logging and site preparation suppressed the development of biomass of shrub and tree layers in forested areas where harvest residues were piled up and shifted the plant communities in these areas to herbaceous plant communities. (2) Subsequent deer browsing suppressed the development of the biomass of shrub and tree layers throughout the forested site and shifted herbaceous communities to ruderal communities dominated by alien species; and 3. Compared with salvaging and planting, legacy retention enabled the windthrow sites to more quickly develop into a stand with characteristics similar to that of a mature, natural forest. Forest management practices that consider the presence of deer are necessary. We propose a policy shift from planting trees after salvaging to leaving downed trees to regenerate natural forests, unless there is concern about insect damage to the remaining forestry land in the vicinity.

Background: In clinical practice, the same chemotherapeutic agents are occasionally reused (re-challenge) after failure of all available standard chemotherapy options for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, the benefits of re-challenge chemotherapy (Re-Cx) are unclear. This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy of Re-Cx, focusing on the tumor growth rate (TGR). Methods: The study included mCRC patients with measurable lesions who received Re-Cx from November 2011 to October 2018 at National Cancer Center Hospital. Re-Cx was defined as re-administration of agents which had been used in prior lines of chemotherapy and discontinued due to disease progression. We compared the TGR immediately after initiating Re-Cx regimens with that observed at the time of disease progression during prior chemotherapy (Prior-Cx) immediately before Re-Cx. Results: Of the 25 patients who received Re-Cx, five patients received two Re-Cx regimens. Therefore, a total of 30 cases of Re-Cx were analyzed in this study. The regimens of Re-Cx were oxaliplatin based (19 cases), irinotecan based (8 cases), and others (3 cases). Although the objective response rate to Re-Cx was 0%, the disease control rate was 60% (18 cases), and 40% (12 cases) showed some tumor shrinkage. We compared the effects of Re-Cx and Prior-Cx by the TGR and found that the TGR of Re-Cx was slower than that recorded in Prior-Cx in 26 of 30 cases (87%). In particular, the ratio of% TGR <0, which indicates tumor shrinkage, was obtained in 13 of 30 cases (43.3%). The median progression-free survival and overall survival after Re-Cx were 3.8 and 6.57 months, respectively. Conclusion: We found that Re-Cx may have some anti-tumor efficacy as salvage treatment for mCRC and these results also suggested the clinical benefits of Re-Cx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intense controversy surrounds the compounded disturbance of salvage logging, which superimposes an anthropogenic disturbance on already disturbed ecosystems and thereby provides a litmus test of forest regeneration and resilience.We conducted meta‐analysis to assess whether salvage logging affects tree regeneration, and whether potential effect moderators (disturbance type and severity, logging intensity, time elapsed between disturbance and logging or since logging, forest type and age, regeneration syndrome and aridity) modify this overall effect. Thirty‐seven publications yielded 305 effect sizes for tree density and 135 for height.We found no significant effect of salvage logging on tree density or height. Also, most effect moderators were not significant. The effect size of salvage logging on tree density increased over time after logging, potentially indicating resilience to initial salvage logging impacts. Tree density in old (>100 years) disturbed forests was less negatively affected by salvage logging than in young (<50 years) and intermediate‐aged forests. Study site and phylogenetic relatedness improved model fit, indicating modulation by local ecological factors and tree species characteristics.Synthesis. Salvage logging does not produce generalised detrimental effects on tree regeneration. Potential impacts and their mitigation should be assessed upon knowledge of local conditions and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (RR-AML) are important types of hematological malignancy for which no effective salvage chemotherapy has been approved. The main purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of adding Bortezomib to salvage chemotherapy protocol in RR-AML patients. In this prospective non-interventional study, 40 consecutive patients with RR-AML attending Taleghani Hospital who underwent salvage therapy, were enrolled and subdivided into salvage chemotherapy plus Bortezomib and salvage chemotherapy without Bortezomib and the therapeutic response, adverse effects, and survival among them were determined. The results in this study demonstrated that complete response was present in 30% and 25% in Bortezomib group and the other group, respectively and the partial response was seen in 35% and 50% and no response was present in 35% and 25%, respectively (P = 0.621). Furthermore, in each group, 15% had a side effect (P = 1.000). Mean survival was 8.2 and 7.1 in Bortezomib and the other group, respectively (P = 0.275). Based on the obtained results, it may be concluded that adding Bortezomib to salvage chemotherapy is feasible in RR-AML patients. For evaluation of efficacy further study is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate remote detection of various forest disturbances is a challenge in global environmental monitoring. Addressing this issue is crucial for forest health assessment, planning salvage logging operations, modeling stand dynamics, and estimating forest carbon stocks and uptake. Substantial progress on this problem has been achieved owing to the rapid development of remote sensing devices that provide very high‐resolution images. Concurrently, image processing algorithms have witnessed rapid development owing to the extensive use of artificial neural networks with complex architectures and deep learning approaches. This opens new opportunities and perspectives for applying deep learning methods to solving various problems in environmental sciences. In this study, we used deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) to recognize forest damage induced by windthrows and bark beetles. We used satellite imagery of very high resolution in visual spectra represented as pansharpened images (RGB channels). When predicting forest damage, we obtained accuracies higher than 90% on test data for recognition of both windthrow areas and damaged trees impacted by bark beetles. A comparative analysis indicated that the DCNN‐based approach outperforms traditional pixel‐based classification methods (AdaBoost, random forest, support vector machine, quadratic discrimination) by at least several percentage points. DCNNs can learn a specific pattern of the area of interest and thus yield fewer false positive decisions than pixel‐based algorithms. The ability of DCNNs to generalize makes them a good tool for delineating smooth and ill‐defined boundaries of damaged forest areas, such as windthrow patches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial connections between habitats are important to allow movement of organisms across heterogeneous landscapes with diverse disturbances and management. Similarly, species providing functional connections between subnetworks of species interactions (modules) are important for ecosystem services across these landscapes. These functional connectors have received less study.In post‐wildfire landscapes, we investigated the influence of salvage logging, a common management technique, on plant–pollinator network modularity. We measured the composition, strength and characteristics of forb and bee connector species across spatial and temporal scales.Salvage logging influenced the structure of plant–pollinator interaction networks. Network modularity was higher in salvage‐logged areas compared to unlogged areas, indicating that logging functionally fragmented these species interactions. There were compositional differences in connectors, especially of plants, between logged and unlogged areas. Plant species, but not bee species, had weaker connections across modules in salvage‐logged areas, suggesting that although some plant species were serving as connectors after salvage logging, they were performing worse in this role. While some suites of species formed spatial connections, others formed temporal connections (linking interactions across the growing season), indicating that disparate groups of species are likely needed to provide these critical functions across space and time.Synthesis and applications. Investigating species' roles as connectors can provide a more complete understanding of the implications of management and provide insight into how best to conserve or restore the structure and function of species interactions across landscape mosaics. Bees may be more capable of readily responding to changes in their plant partner's spatial or temporal distributions due to salvage logging. As a result, bees may be better poised to maintain stable connections across modules compared to plants, and management actions supporting highly mobile connector species (like bees) may help offset detrimental effects of salvage logging or other disturbances. This work also indicates that minimizing the spatial extent of salvage logging relative to the proximity of other habitat types will likely aid species in forming spatial connections. Applying this framework of species as network connectors may help maintain the spatial and temporal continuity of floral resources and pollination services, even when management reduces biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anticipated increase in extreme disturbance events due to climate change is likely to expose Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) dominated forests in northern Europe to new conditions. Empirical data on the resilience of such natural (unmanaged) forests to disturbance and the long-term patterns of regeneration in its aftermath are currently scarce. We performed a quantitative assessment of natural forest stands in north–western Latvia to identify and characterise the patterns of stand structure 44 years after a stand-replacing disturbance and investigated the effects of legacies on regeneration. The spatial distribution of tree species and their dimensions were assessed in 71 circular sample plots (500 m2 each) in natural forest areas, where Norway spruce dominated prior to the windthrow and salvage logging was not carried out. Spatial indices (species mingling index, size differentiation index, and aggregation index) were used to characterise stand structure and diversity. The different initial states (age and coverage of surviving trees) of stands affected eventual tree species dominance, size differentiation, degree of mingling and aggregation. Our results demonstrate a close relationship between disturbance legacies and spatial indices. The pre-storm understory and canopy survivors decreased species mingling, whereas survivors increased size differentiation. The size differentiation increased also with a higher degree of species mingling. Leaving differential post-storm legacies untouched promotes a higher structural and species diversity and therefore supports the management approach of preserving canopy survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the important role of animal-mediated interactions in the top-down restructuring of plant communities is well documented, less is known of their ensuing repercussions at higher trophic levels. We demonstrate how typically decoupled ecological interactions may become intertwined such that the impact of an insect pest on forest structure and composition alters predator-prey interactions among large mammals. Specifically, we show how irruptions in a common, cyclic insect pest of the boreal forest, the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana), modulated an indirect trophic interaction by initiating a flush in deciduous vegetation that benefited moose (Alces alces), in turn strengthening apparent competition between moose and threatened boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) via wolf (Canis lupus) predation. Critically, predation on caribou postoutbreak was exacerbated by human activity (salvage logging). We believe our observations of significant, largescale reverberating consumer-producer-consumer interactions are likely to be common in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Forest ecosystems experience a myriad of natural and anthropogenic disturbances that shape ecological communities. Seedling emergence is a critical, preliminary stage in the recovery of forests post disturbance and is triggered by a series of abiotic and biotic changes. However, the long-term influence of different disturbance histories on patterns of seedling emergence is poorly understood. 2. Here, we address this research gap by using an 11-year dataset gathered between 2009 and 2020 to quantify the influence of different histories of natural (wildfire) and anthropogenic (clearcut and postfire salvage logging) disturbances on emerging seedlings in early-successional Mountain Ash forests in southeastern Australia. We also describe patterns of seedling emergence across older successional forests varying in stand age (stands that regenerated in <1900s, 1939, 1970-90, and 2007-11). 3. Seedling emergence was highest in the first three years post disturbance. Stand age and disturbance history significantly influenced the composition and abundance of plant seedlings. Specifically, in salvage-logged forests, plant seedlings were the most different from similarly aged forests with other disturbance histories. For instance, relative to clearcut and unlogged, burnt forests of the same age, salvage logging had the lowest overall richness, the lowest counts of Acacia seedlings, and an absence of common species including Acacia obliquinervia, Acacia frigescens, Cassinia arcuealta, Olearia argophylla, Pimelea axiflora, Polyscias sambucifolia, and Prosanthera melissifolia over the survey period. 4. Synthesis: Our findings provide important new insights into the influence of different disturbance histories on regenerating forests and can help predict plant community responses to future disturbances, which may influence forest recovery under altered disturbance regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this lecture, I discuss the role of academia in addressing "fast policymaking" on sustainability. I suggest that the co-productive turn, whereby universities are increasingly expected to engage with a diverse set of actors, including citizens, can provide checks and balances to top-heavy bureaucracy, political elites, and market power in sustainability processes. However, if research relevance continues to be defined in neoliberal terms as meeting the needs of the economy and industry, this potential will not be realized. Drawing inspiration from the "slow research movement", the call for more reflexive co-production in sustainability science, decolonial scholarship, and alternative debates on research impact, I propose a critical reconfiguration of research relevance that would respond better to the multiple imperatives of research to be critical, rooted, explanatory and actionable. However, this reconfiguration would be contingent on active scholarly engagement with the politics that condition relevance. Drawing on my experiences from participating in a collective named New University Norway, I end the lecture by offering some thoughts about the 'new' university in coproducing sustainable solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European forests are facing an increasing disturbance intensity from different agents. Bark beetle outbreaks fuelled by climate change have increased the level of tree mortality severalfold, with the Czech Republic becoming Europe’s epicentre. Here we elaborated a short-term prognosis of outbreak development (approximated by salvage volumes) for administrative districts of the Czech Republic. We used salvage logging data for the period 2003–2020 and a forecasting model Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with an automatized parameter estimation. To make the results accessible, we developed a new web-map portal. We found that spruce with an age above 50 years, which is considered a suitable breeding material for bark beetles, can be depleted in 19 Czech districts in the period 2021–2023. The estimated volume of salvage trees due to bark beetle infestation was forecasted to range between 34 and 40 mil. m3 annually in the following three years, with a 90% prediction interval 22 to 52 mil. m³ . The presented forecasts represent a missing decision material for the state administration and a data-driven and reproducible alternative to various expert estimates. The developed web-map portal can improve the awareness about the risks to forests and forestry in the Czech Republic and accelerate knowledge transfer from research to management and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As elsewhere in Europe, disciplinary transformations of ethnology and folklore studies in Slovenia were embedded in the changing political and social map after the Second World War. In the postwar years, sporadic reflections on the discipline's academic and social position anticipated the search for a new disciplinary identity. The first attempts to reconceptualize "folk culture" as a building block of ethnological research and the use of the name "ethnology" instead of "ethnography/Volkskunde" in the 1950s also reflected the approaching of "small national ethnology" to "European ethnology." Only in the 1960s and 1970s, radical epistemological and methodological criticism anticipated the transformation of the disciplinary landscape. The article tracks paradigmatic shifts in the field of tension between empirically oriented and theoretically grounded research. The former regarded "theorizing" as superfluous or the opposite of "practice." It more or less reproduced the "salvage project" and the positivist model of cultural-historical and philologically oriented research. The new agenda proposed a dialectical genetic-structural orientation that advocated for a "critical scholarship." It insisted on the correspondence between the discipline's subject and the empirical reality that reflects the sociohistorical dynamics inherent to culture and everyday life. It introduced "way of life" (everyday life, everyday culture) as a core subject of research that expanded research topics, called for new methodological tools, revised affiliations to related disciplines, recognized discipline's applied aspects, and addressed the re-reading of disciplinary legacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is expected that climate change as well as abiotic and anthropogenic disturbances will strongly influence temperate forests. Besides changes in the main climate variables, various disturbance factors may significantly worsen conditions for mesic Slovenian forests (SE Europe) dominated by European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and European silver fir (Abies alba). In Slovenia, the climate has warmed in recent decades, with an average annual rate of increase of about 0.4°C per decade or even more than 0.5°C per decade in summer. In addition, disturbances have caused considerable damage to trees in the most extensive forest types in Slovenia, starting with a widespread ice storm in 2014, followed by bark beetle outbreaks, windthrows and salvage logging interventions. After 2014, salvage logging increased from about one third to two thirds of the total annual felling. Over the last two decades, we have observed a decline in Norway spruce growing stock, with the highest rate of decrease in areas below 500 m a.s.l., and an increasing trend for European beech. Overall, the three dominant species (beech, spruce, silver fir), which together account for more than 70% of the total growing stock, have shown a declining trend over the last 20 years. The patterns observed are broadly consistent with earlier predictions developed for different climate change scenarios and with those reported in many other European countries. Adaptive forest management, which implements close-to-nature silviculture, has been traditionally practised in the region under study and has the potential to play an important role in reducing the risks associated with the impacts of climate change and disturbances in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to test the hypothesis that large-scale forest fire followed by illegal logging inhibits the regeneration of boreal forests in Mongolia. For this purpose, we compared regeneration of the forest between five stands in a large-scale post-fire site, i.e., (1) undisturbed stand in the unburnt and remaining forest, (2) stand disturbed by illegal logging in the unburnt and remaining forest, (3) stand disturbed by forest fire, (4) stand disturbed by forest fire followed by illegal logging and located in proximity to the remaining forest, which acts as a seed source, and (5) stand disturbed by forest fire followed by illegal logging and located far from the remaining forest, which acts as a seed source. The stand disturbed by logging showed similar species composition of regenerated individuals as the undisturbed stand. In the stand disturbed by logging, Picea obovata and Pinus sibirica were abundant because of advance regeneration on the intact forest floor. In the stand disturbed by forest fire and that disturbed by forest fire followed by illegal logging, Larix sibirica and Betula platyphylla were abundant, and the regenerated individuals of these two species were new individuals after the disturbances. L. sibirica was abundant in the stand disturbed by forest fire because the mother trees survived the forest fire because of their thick bark. B. platyphylla was abundant in the stand disturbed by forest fire followed by illegal logging because the mother trees of L. sibirica were logged and the seeds of B. platyphylla are able to disperse further than that of L. sibirica. However, in the stand disturbed by forest fire followed by illegal logging that was located far from the remaining forest, the regeneration was much reduced because only few seeds, including that of B. platyphylla, were dispersed into this stand and sprouts of B. platyphylla were damaged by the logging operation. In addition, the regeneration of L. sibirica and B. platyphylla was likely to have been reduced for several years after the forest fire because of the loss of safe sites for their invasion by the changes of the forest floor conditions. Therefore, it is likely that large-scale forest fires that are followed by illegal logging inhibit the regeneration in many parts of the post-fire site and those parts will change into open forests of B. platyphylla or grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5-Deoxyadenosine (5dAdo) is a by-product of many radical SAM enzyme reactions in all domains of life, and an inhibitor of the radical SAM enzymes themselves. Hence, pathways to recycle or dispose of this toxic by-product must exist but remain largely unexplored. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge about canonical and atypical 5dAdo salvage pathways that have been characterized in the last years. We highlight studies that report on how, in certain organisms, the salvage of 5dAdo via specific pathways can confer a growth advantage by providing either intermediates for the synthesis of secondary metabolites or a carbon source for the synthesis of metabolites of the central carbon metabolism. Yet, an alternative recycling route exists in organisms that use 5dAdo as a substrate to synthesize and excrete 7-deoxysedoheptulose, an allelopathic inhibitor of one enzyme of the shikimate pathway, thereby competing for their own niche. Remarkably, most steps of 5dAdo salvage are the result of the activity of promiscuous enzymes. This strategy enables even organisms with a small genome to synthesize bioactive compounds which they can deploy under certain conditions to gain a competitive growth advantage. We conclude emphasizing that, unexpectedly, 5dAdo salvage pathways seem not to be ubiquitously present, raising questions about the fate of such a toxic by-product in those species. This observation also suggests that additional 5dAdo salvage pathways, possibly relying on the activity of promiscuous enzymes, may exist. The future challenge will be to bring to light these "cryptic" 5dAdo recycling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study, a comparative analysis of the ways of selling wood from Experimental Base Tomnatic in 2018-2019 was made. The sale of wood from the forest fund, public property, can be done both as standing timber and as rough wood at the road. The study analyses the ways of selling wood, to identify the most cost-effective way of selling wood, taking into account the characteristics of the stand (type of product, collection distance, volume). The analysis was performed for a volume of 49,684 m3, respectively 120 stands. Concerning the selling method, 65 stands (20,623 m3 ) were capitalized by selling standing timber, and 55 batches (29,061 m3 ) by selling rough wood on the road. The comparative analysis of the two ways of capitalization was performed through the price increase coefficients. In the case of salvage logging I, the increasing rate of the sale price compared to the APV price is lower in the case of selling wood as shaped wood on the road (23%) compared to the standing tree situation (28%). The increasing rate of the selling price compared to the price of APV, in the case of thinning logging and salvage logging II, is significantly higher in the case of selling wood as rough wood on the road (76%, respectively 93%) than to standing timber (16%, respectively 11%). In the case of selective logging, the comparison of the efficiency between the two ways of selling wood was not possible, because this type of wood was mainly sold as standing timber, but the increasing rate of price was 58%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During groundwater pumping from unconfined aquifers, evapotranspiration can be reduced as the water table drops, a process known as salvage. This phenomenon must be included in water balance assessments for accurate predictions of groundwater withdrawals. Although the salvage phenomenon has been well understood for a long time, i.e., since Theis' pioneering studies, the models that were later developed by Bredehoeft always relied on numerical techniques to treat the inherent non-linearity, most commonly using MODFLOW. Analytical methods have been previously used with success for practical evaluation of water balance components such as stream depletion rates. This work presents a novel analytical solution of the Bredehoeft problem. It is a breakthrough in analytical evaluation of transient salvage losses induced by groundwater withdrawals due to declines of water table. We evaluate stream depletion and loss of storage in addition to salvage, using the new model. Detailed analysis of the solution using COMSOL software indicates that the linear approximation used in the analytical solution is accurate for most practical cases. Diagrams for drawdown, water balance and evaluation of solution accuracy are presented, considering a broad range of problem parameters. Results can be used for analyses of watershed-scale water balances. • A novel analytical solution of salvage rate for pumping near a stream is derived. • Solution implements an approximation of linearized evapotranspiration term. • Solution is compared to numerical results using COMSOL. • Solution is found to be accurate for a wide range of physical parameters. • Results can be used for analyses of watershed-scale water balances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks of European spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus , often follow storms, and can result in losses of Norway spruce, Picea abies , that largely exceed those caused by storms alone. Management actions to reduce P. abies losses attributed to I. typographus mainly consist of salvage and sanitation logging of windthrown P. abies , which are sometimes limited by logistic capacities and constraints. Recent outbreaks across Europe have destroyed large areas of P. abies forests, and are expected to further intensify as a consequence of climate change, so that additional tools are needed for integrated bark beetle management. In a 4-yr study, we applied (–)-verbenone (SPLAT® Verb, ISCA Inc., Riverside, CA, U.S.), a common bark-beetle inhibitor, to natural and artificially generated windthrows of P. abies (5–6 trees) to examine its efficacy for reducing infestation by I. typographus in spring. In two of four years, SPLAT® Verb caused delay of infestation of ∼3 wks, which may provide a relevant gain of time for logging operations. Infestation probability and density were reduced by up to 78% and 76%, respectively. Treatment effectivity increased with dose per volume of windthrown P. abies and seemed to decrease with greater infestation pressure. Elevated concentrations of verbenone in the active airspace of forests could only be detected in close proximity (<50 cm) of SPLAT® Verb application points (dollops). We propose a decision pathway for management of windthrown P. abies that includes verbenone as an environmentally friendly tool within the integrated management of I. typographus in Central Europe. • SPLAT® Verb delayed colonization on P. abies windthrows by ∼3 wks. • SPLAT® Verb reduced Ips typographus colonization risk and density. • Delayed infestation may help to gain time for salvage/sanitation operations. • SPLAT® Verb may be an environmentally friendly tool for integrated pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural disturbances play an important role in shaping the dynamics of mountain forests, yet their effects on essential ecosystem services, such as protection against natural hazards, can be significant. With the challenges posed by climate change and increasing disturbances, as well as the complexities of salvage logging, there is a growing interest in understanding post-disturbance development in unsalvaged mountain forests, alongside the advancement of decision support systems aimed at ensuring sustained provision of ecosystem services. In this study, we combined a space-for-time substitution approach with long-term monitoring data to evaluate regeneration processes and development of deadwood decay following three distinct windthrow events in Central European mountain forests that were locally unsalvaged (specifically Vaia in 2018, Kyrill in 2007, and Vivian in 1990). Our unique dataset additionally provided insights into the long-term effects of disturbance legacies and tree regeneration on protection against natural hazards. Deadwood cover gradually decreased with time since disturbance, from an average of 50% two years after Vaia to 25% twelve years after Kyrill and 15% thirty years after Vivian. Similarly, deadwood height above ground significantly decreased over time, with median values dropping from 1 to 2 m immediately after the disturbance to 25–30 cm three decades later. The decay stage and diameter of deadwood significantly influenced tree regeneration, with larger diameters of logs and deadwood in more advanced decay stage (especially less solid/soft to very loose stage), facilitating seedling establishment, thus a second wave of tree regeneration. About a quarter of saplings grew on deadwood thirty years after disturbance. The analysis of post-windthrow stand development showed an increase in tree cover and height with time since disturbance, with distinct patterns observed across different windthrow events and sites. Three decades post-disturbance, the number of trees had notably increased, with tree cover reaching 50%. Although Norway spruce remained the dominant species, the forest composition had shifted towards a predominance of broadleaves, particularly evident at lower elevations and areas with moderate browsing pressure. Our findings underscore the critical role of post-disturbance forest recovery and deadwood dynamics in promoting uneven-aged mixed forest structures, thereby enhancing forest regeneration, structural diversity, and protection against natural hazards. Emphasizing the vital importance of retaining deadwood, our study suggests that its role as a valuable substrate for enhancing resilience and ecosystem services is likely to grow in the future. • Deadwood cover and height above ground decreased with time since windthrow. • Decay stage and diameter of deadwood significantly influenced tree regeneration. • At lower elevations, windthrow led to higher shares of broadleaves. • Deadwood supports tree establishment and heterogeneity of forest structure. • Avoiding salvage logging enhanced forest recovery and avalanche protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case study of a 51-year-old female with liver cirrhosis and recurrent alcohol-induced pancreatitis who underwent an endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage procedure for a large pancreatic pseudocyst. During the procedure, there was a complete misdeployment of a lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS), which required the placement of a second LAMS. The retrieval of the misdeployed LAMS was delayed, but after seven days, it was successfully removed endoscopically. Four weeks later, a CT scan showed resolution of the pseudocyst, and the LAMS was removed. The study concludes that delayed endoscopic salvage of a misdeployed LAMS during EUS-guided pancreatic pseudocyst drainage was safe and effective. [Extracted from the article]

Strong wind events frequently result in creating large areas of windthrow, which causes abrupt environmental changes. Bare soil surfaces within pits and root plates potentially expose soil to erosion. Absence of forest may alter the dynamics of water circulation. In this study we attempt to answer the question of whether extensive windthrows influence the magnitude of geomorphic processes in 6 small second- to third-order catchments with area ranging from 0.09 km2 to 0.8 km2. Three of the catchments were significantly affected by a windthrow which occurred in December 2013 in the Polish part of the Tatra Mountains, and the other three catchments were mostly forested and served as control catchments. We mapped the pits created by the windthrow and the linear scars created by salvage logging operations in search of any signs of erosion within them. We also mapped all post-windthrow landslides created in the windthrow-affected catchments. The impact of the windthrow on the fluvial system was investigated by measuring a set of channel characteristics and determining bedload transport intensity using painted tracers in all the windthrow-affected and control catchments. Both pits and linear scars created by harvesting tend to become overgrown by vegetation in the first several years after the windthrow. The only signs of erosion were observed in 10% of the pits located on convergent slopes. During the period from the windthrow event in 2013 until 2019, 5 very small (total area <100 m2) shallow landslides were created. The mean distance of bedload transport was similar (t-test, p=0.05) in most of the windthrow-affected and control catchments. The mapping of channels revealed many cases of root plates fallen into a channel and pits created near a channel. A significant amount of woody debris delivered into the channels influenced the activity of fluvial processes by creating alternating zones of erosion and accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Key message: Natural disturbances and management are key drivers for forest carbon balance. We modelled the impact of Vaia storm on forest sink at national scale in Italy. We demonstrate that after Vaia, carbon fluxes among pools and through harvested wood products from salvage logging limit the carbon losses. Our findings can improve the effectiveness of mitigation actions under disturbance scenarios. • Context: Climate change increasingly modifies frequency and magnitude of extreme events, such as windstorms, with subsequent strong impacts not only on forest health and stability but also on the forest carbon balance. • Aims: We aim to assess the combined impact of natural disturbances and forest management on the overall forest carbon accounting, including the mitigation potential from harvested wood products. • Methods: We modelled the impact of Vaia storm on the evolution of forest carbon balance at national scale until 2030. We considered the effect of Vaia storm in combination with current management practices and salvage logging. • Results: Our results suggest that the overall carbon sink decreased only by 4% due to Vaia, because of internal carbon transfers among forest pools (about 3.1 Mt C from living biomass to dead organic matter), and that the potential negative effects of salvage logging, removing about 1.2 Mt C from dead organic matter, can be counterbalanced by long-term carbon accumulation in harvested wood products. • Conclusion: Based on our findings, there is an increasing need to robustly consider, through novel approaches (e.g. comprehensive and integrated modelling framework), the effects of natural disturbances in current accounting frameworks, with the final purpose to improve the effectiveness of mitigation strategies in the forestry sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combustible material is the basic condition of forest fire occurrence and development and constitutes the main body of forest fire behavior. Quantitative evaluation of the effects of different fire degrees on the amount of dead fuel is of great significance for understanding the role of fire factors in the ecosystem. In June 2019, the study area was investigated in Genhe Forest District of Inner Mongolia, which was burned in 2009 and restored for 10 years. Nine 20 m × 20 m standard plots were set along the elevation gradient, and five small plots(1 m × 1 m) were set along the diagonal in each standard plot, a total of 45 plots were set. The environmental factors and stand factors were investigated and measured to calculate the dead fuel load in different degrees of fire. The multiple regression model of dead fuel load was established by stepwise regression method. The results showed that: the 10 a recovery period had a certain effect on the fuel load of the burned area. The 100 h time-delayed dead fuel load was higher in the heavy and mild burned areas, which were(1.26 ± 0.20) kg/m~2 and(1.50 ± 0.10) kg/m~2, respectively. Under the influence of post-fire logging, dead burned wood and litter reduced greatly in heavy burned area, and the 100 h time-delayed dead fuel load of the mild burned area was higher than the heavy burned area. The prediction model of dead fuel load was established, the estimation model of 1 h dead fuel load was(R~2=0.821); the estimation model of 100 h dead fuel load was(R~2=0.710). Among them, three influencing factors: burning degree(correlation coefficient-0.799), average tree height(correlation coefficient 0.689) and average diameter at breast height(correlation coefficient 0.474) had the highest correlation. The estimation model of 100 h time-delayed death fuel loads was fitted, and it was found that the accuracy of this model was ideal after testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: For local residual/recurrent and endoscopic resection (ER) interrupted colorectal tumors, endoscopic retreatment is often difficult due to severe submucosal fibrosis. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) can achieve en bloc resection, even for tumors with severe submucosal fibrosis, although it is a risk factor for incomplete resection and perforation. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of colorectal ESD for local residual/recurrent tumors including ER interrupted tumors from a large multicenter study. Methods: From January 2008 until December 2018, 3,937 colorectal tumors were resected by ESD at the Hiroshima GI Endoscopy Research Group. From this group, 81 local residual/recurrent tumors and 21 ER interrupted tumors were included. We analyzed ESD outcomes, particularly the difference between the early and late phases and re‐recurrence after ESD for local residual/recurrent tumors. Results: For local residual/recurrent tumors, en bloc and R0 resection rates were 95% (77/81) and 90% (73/81), respectively. The intraoperative perforation rate was 6% (5/81), and one patient required surgery. The delayed perforation rate was 2% (2/81), and one patient required surgery. For ER interrupted tumors, both the en bloc and R0 resection rates were 86% (18/21), with no major adverse events. For local residual/recurrent and ER interrupted tumors, the intraoperative perforation rate was significantly lower in the late phase compared with the early phase. Following curative resection for local residual/recurrent tumors, no local re‐recurrences occurred. Conclusions: Colorectal ESD is an effective treatment for local residual/recurrent and ER interrupted tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvage logging of nematode-infested pinewoods could increase in South Korea, because of the risk of pest spread in response to climate change. No previous studies have precisely determined how to extrapolate information regarding cable extraction productivity and cost in salvage logging operations to steep terrains in South Korea. Therefore, in this study, the performance of a semi-mechanized system was observed at two different harvesting sites located in areas affected by the pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus). The following were the specific aims of this study: (1) to evaluate HAM200 yarder productivity and cost in four different conditions (50 and 100 m yarding distances in uphill and downhill directions), and (2) to identify significant independent variables related to productivity. The HAM200 productivity values varied considerably and ranged from 1.95 to 2.52 m3/productive machine-hour (costs 43.29–55.81 US $/m3, respectively). Overall, productivity for trees damaged by uphill yarding was 20% higher compared to downhill yarding while productivity was not significantly different. Yarding direction, lateral distance, volume per cycle, and interaction of volume per cycle with lateral distance significantly affected the productivity. Further, our regression model, uphill yarding should be favorable from 35 to 100 m yarding distances. The findings of this study would enable better planning and decision-making regarding salvage logging, thereby allowing improved production of damaged trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrosedimentary connectivity is a key concept referring to the potential fluxes of water and sediment moving throughout a catchment. In forested catchments, these fluxes are prone to alterations caused by anthropogenic and natural disturbances. In this study, we modelled the interannual spatiotemporal evolution of hydrosedimentary connectivity influenced by forest cover change over the last four decades in the Mont‐Louis catchment, a medium snow‐dominated mountainous catchment in eastern Canada, which had 62% of its total surface affected by forest disturbances (mainly logging, but also wildfires and diseases) between 1979 and 2017. Using a geomorphometric index of connectivity (IC) and a historical forest cover database, we produced one IC map per year that considered anthropogenic and natural disturbances affecting the forest cover of the studied catchment. To account for vegetation recovery, forest disturbances were weighted with local hydrological recovery rates. Over the four decades, the mean IC of the Mont‐Louis catchment dramatically increased by 35% in response to different types of disturbances. The spatial evolution of IC over the whole catchment and at the sub‐catchment scale revealed that disturbance location has a strong influence on hydrosedimentary connectivity to the main channel. Our results also highlight the sharp contrast between IC computed from topography‐based impedance to those computed from vegetation‐based impedance. Forest disturbances appear to connect hillslopes with the hydrological network by producing pathways for sediment and water. Finally, the proposed reproducible framework could be useful for predicting the potential impact of harvesting and preventing damage to fish habitat and sensitive river reaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the underwater salvage operations work in shallow waters. The underwater environment is complex and varied. There are many risks and unpredictable conditions such as turbulence, eddies, wind, waves and deep water pressure. The motion and control cause serious interference, and the flexibility of automatic stabilization and multi-dimensional motion under external disturbances is increasingly becoming a key element in the design process of underwater robots. In this paper, the structure, driving and control design of an underwater dynamic search and underwater robot based on 6-DOF driving is proposed, and its dynamics and control system are analyzed. Different from the traditional underwater robot technology, the method proposed in this paper is more suitable for shallow water area and multi DOF driving control technology. The driving structure and electronic device of the robot are introduced. Several experiments were carried out in the controlled environment. The experimental results demonstrate the correctness and effectiveness of the design and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agave palmeri (Palmer's agave) is a long-lived, monocarpic, perennial succulent which provides a critical flower nectar food source for the threatened species, Leptonycteris curasoae (lesser long-nosed bat) among other animals. Agave palmeri flower only once after approximately 25 years. To support the demography needed to have some plants flowering every year, wild populations of A. palmeri must be conserved and mining, construction, and recreational impacts must be mitigated. Collecting, storing, and transplanting wild plants was tested as a potential method for restoring and maintaining A. palmeri populations. In January 2009, 387 wild plants were collected, roughly half the plants were potted in field soil, and the remainder were placed in pots without soil (bare-root) and covered with burlap cloth. During 6-months storage, 1% of plants potted in field soil died while 31% of bare-root plants died. In July 2009, a denuded and scarified field plot was planted with the surviving 277 A. palmeri individuals. Plants received one of three water treatments: a 90-day slow-release gel irrigation supplement, 8 L (2 gal) of water, or no water or gel. Three years after transplanting, survivorship was assessed. The watering treatments had no significant effect on survivorship. The number of green leaves at the time of collection was the most important factor in predicting if the plants lived, died, or survived to flower before dying. Mortality is concentrated in the smallest and largest plants. Transplanting appears to be a viable method of returning diverse size classes of A. palmeri to disturbed sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses some of the key themes on wildfires in forests and their effects on fauna that I explored in the 2020 Krebs lecture at the University of Canberra. The lecture examined my personal perspectives on such topics as (1) climate change and fire, (2) the role of hazard reduction burning in mitigating house loss from wildfires, (3) how logging can elevate the risks of high-severity wildfire, (4) the ways in which the structure and age of a forest at the time it is burnt has marked impacts on post-fire recovery, (5) the ecological damage caused by post-fire (salvage) logging, and (6) aspects of post-fire species recovery. Perspectives on these topics are informed largely by long-term work in the wet forests of Victoria and the coastal forests and woodlands in the Jervis Bay Territory and neighbouring southern New South Wales. Some key policy and land management responses to wildfires are outlined, including (1) the urgent need to tackle climate change, (2) better targeting of hazard reduction burning close to human infrastructure, (3) the removal of conventional logging and post-fire (salvage) logging from native forests, (4) the substantial expansion of the old growth forest estate, and (5) the establishment of dedicated long-term monitoring to gather the empirical data needed to quantify responses to wildfires. Australia has just experienced an unparalleled (2019–2020) fire season in terms of the extent of areas burned and losses of biodiversity. This article, based on the 2020 Krebs lecture, discusses some of the key themes on wildfires in forests and their effects on fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disturbances play a key role in driving forest ecosystem dynamics, but how disturbances shape wildlife habitat across space and time often remains unclear. A major reason for this is a lack of information about changes in habitat suitability across large areas and longer time periods. Here, we use a novel approach based on Landsat satellite image time series to map seasonal habitat suitability annually from 1986 to 2017. Our approach involves characterizing forest disturbance dynamics using Landsat‐based metrics, harmonizing these metrics through a temporal segmentation algorithm, and then using them together with GPS telemetry data in habitat models. We apply this framework to assess how natural forest disturbances and post‐disturbance salvage logging affect habitat suitability for two ungulates, roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus), over 32 yr in a Central European forest landscape. We found that red and roe deer differed in their response to forest disturbances. Habitat suitability for red deer consistently improved after disturbances, whereas the suitability of disturbed sites was more variable for roe deer depending on season (lower during winter than summer) and disturbance agent (lower in windthrow vs. bark‐beetle‐affected stands). Salvage logging altered the suitability of bark beetle‐affected stands for deer, having negative effects on red deer and mixed effects on roe deer, but generally did not have clear effects on habitat suitability in windthrows. Our results highlight long‐lasting legacy effects of forest disturbances on deer habitat. For example, bark beetle disturbances improved red deer habitat suitability for at least 25 yr. The duration of disturbance impacts generally increased with elevation. Methodologically, our approach proved effective for improving the robustness of habitat reconstructions from Landsat time series: integrating multiyear telemetry data into single, multi‐temporal habitat models improved model transferability in time. Likewise, temporally segmenting the Landsat‐based metrics increased the temporal consistency of our habitat suitability maps. As the frequency of natural forest disturbances is increasing across the globe, their impacts on wildlife habitat should be considered in wildlife and forest management. Our approach offers a widely applicable method for monitoring habitat suitability changes caused by landscape dynamics such as forest disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Altered climate, including weather extremes, can cause major shifts in vegetative recovery after disturbances. Predictive models that can identify the separate and combined temporal effects of disturbance and weather on plant communities and that are transferable among sites are needed to guide vulnerability assessments and management interventions. We asked how functional group abundance responded to time since fire and antecedent weather, if long‐term vegetation trajectories were better explained by initial post‐fire weather conditions or by general five‐year antecedent weather, and if weather effects helped predict post‐fire vegetation abundances at a new site. We parameterized models using a 30‐yr vegetation monitoring dataset from burned and unburned areas of the Orchard Training Area (OCTC) of southern Idaho, USA, and monthly PRISM data, and assessed model transferability on an independent dataset from the well‐sampled Soda wildfire area along the Idaho/Oregon border. Sagebrush density increased with lower mean air temperature of the coldest month and slightly increased with higher mean air temperature of the hottest month, and with higher maximum January–June precipitation. Perennial grass cover increased in relation to higher precipitation, measured annually in the first four years after fire and/or in September–November the year of fire. Annual grass increased in relation to higher March–May precipitation in the year after fire, but not with September–November precipitation in the year of fire. Initial post‐fire weather conditions explained 1% more variation in sagebrush density than recent antecedent 5‐yr weather did but did not explain additional variation in perennial or annual grass cover. Inclusion of weather variables increased transferability of models for predicting perennial and annual grass cover from the OCTC to the Soda wildfire regardless of the time period in which weather was considered. In contrast, inclusion of weather variables did not affect transferability of the forecasts of post‐fire sagebrush density from the OCTC to the Soda site. Although model transferability may be improved by including weather covariates when predicting post‐fire vegetation recovery, predictions may be surprisingly unaffected by the temporal windows in which coarse‐scale gridded weather data are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combustion of underground coal seams has important effects on the national economy and strategic energy security of countries, and damages the environment, ecology, vegetation, and water resources. Xinjiang, China, is one of the most serious areas of coalfield fires in the world, and it is difficult for any single remote sensing detection method to meet the practical requirements for accurate detection of fire areas. In order to detect coalfield areas in Xinjiang more accurately and reliably, a detection method that integrates thermal infrared and radar remote sensing anomaly is proposed: The mono-window algorithm is used to retrieve the Land Surface Temperature (LST) using images from the Land Remote-Sensing Satellite System (Landsat) 8, the Adaptive Edge Threshold Algorithm (AETA) is used to extract the data characterized by LST anomalies, and Small Baseline Subsets Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SBAS-InSAR) is used to obtain the land surface subsidence information from Sentinel-1A images. Through the overlay analysis of the above-mentioned LST and subsidence information, the extraction of possible coal fire areas in the Jiangjun Gobi area of Xinjiang is realized. As well as according to the characteristic that underground coal fires melt snow in winter, areas where coal fires are unlikely to occur are excluded using the natural, true-colour images of Landsat 8. Finally, the proposed method is verified using the characteristics of the time series cumulative subsidence of the land surface in areas where coal fires are likely to occur, and by examining the coupling between subsidence velocity and anomalies in LST data. The results show that the proposed method can overcome the shortcomings of single-factor remote sensing detection to a certain extent, and has the ability to detect fire areas more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased demand for timber, the reduction in the available timber resources, and more frequent and severe forest fires under a changing climate have increased the use of salvage logging in North American forests despite concerns regarding impacts on biodiversity and long-term forest productivity. We aimed to complement previous approaches that used bird species richness or individual abundance in salvage-logged habitats to assess the sustainability of this practice. We looked for commonalities in the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic components of bird assemblages among these three post-disturbance habitats across a broad geographic range. We compiled six North American datasets selected from primary and grey literature that documented species composition of avian assemblages in habitats after recent fire, post-fire salvage logging, and traditional logging. Our results revealed contrasting patterns of bird trait assemblage among burned, post-fire salvage, and traditionally logged habitats. In salvage-logged habitats, taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and functional and phylogenetic redundancy were significantly lower than in both burned and traditionally logged habitats. The frequency of insectivores was significantly lower after salvage logging than after both fire and traditional logging. These findings suggest that cumulative disturbances have a negative effect on early assembly of bird communities. The outcomes of this study encourage further assessments, at landscape level, of salvage logging intensity, burn size, and fire severity on bird functional structure to better plan for their conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: Le 26 septembre 2019, un incendie a détruit une partie des installations de stockage des sociétés Lubrizol et NL Logistique à Rouen (France, Normandie). Le présent article présente le dispositif de surveillance de la qualité de l'air et des odeurs déployé par Atmo Normandie au moment de l'incendie et les mois suivants, en l'adaptant à l'évolution de la situation. Les résultats de cette surveillance sont synthétiquement présentés et discutés. On September 26, 2019, a fire destroyed part of the storage facilities owned by the companies Lubrizol and NL Logistique in Rouen (Normandy, France). Atmo Normandie monitored air quality and odors at the time of the fire and in the months following it, adapting its methods as the situation evolved. This article presents and discusses the monitoring system and its findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]