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Deep Ecology, Biodiversity and Assisted Natural Regeneration of European Hemiboreal Forests. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14100892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Climate change and the associated disturbances have disrupted the relative stability of tree species composition in hemiboreal forests. The natural ecology of forest communities, including species occurrence and composition, forest structure, and food webs, have been affected. Yet, the hemiboreal forest zone of Lithuania is the least studied in the country for climate change risks and possible management adaption techniques. This problem is further complicated by the fact that Lithuania uses a traditional centralised forest management system. Therefore, this work proposes assisted natural regeneration (ANR) of tree species as a more viable means of building hemiboreal forest resilience to cope with future climate change risks. The ANR model implies that forest management is localised in local communities, to provide opportunities for the local people to participate in forest management based on local knowledge, thereby facilitating the transition from cultural diversity to biodiversity. Further, ANR is grounded on an ethical framework—deep ecology—to provide ethical justification for the proposal to transit forest management in Lithuania from the traditional centralised segregated system to a community-driven practice. The work combines the theories of ANR, deep ecology, and hemiboreal forest knowledge systems to provide complementary information that builds on gaps in the existing literature. This study is unique in that no previous work has linked ANR and deep ecology in the context of Lithuania’s forest ecosystems.
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Rogers PC. Pando's pulse: Vital signs signal need for course correction at world‐renowned aspen forest. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Paul C. Rogers
- Western Aspen Alliance, Department of Environment and Society, and Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah USA
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Angelstam P, Manton M, Stjernquist I, Gunnarsson T, Ottvall R, Rosenberg M, Thorup O, Wedholm P, Elts J, Gruberts D. Barriers and bridges for sustaining functional habitat networks: A macroecological system analysis of wet grassland landscapes. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8801. [PMID: 35414903 PMCID: PMC8986984 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aims at supporting the maintenance of representative functional habitat networks as green infrastructure for biodiversity conservation through transdisciplinary macroecological analyses of wet grassland landscapes and their stewardship systems. We chose ten north European wet grassland case study landscapes from Iceland and the Netherlands in the west to Lithuania and Belarus in the east. We combine expert experiences for 20–30 years, comparative studies made 2011–2017, and longitudinal analyses spanning >70 years. Wader, or shorebird, (Charadrii) assemblages were chosen as a focal species group. We used evidence‐based knowledge and practical experience generated in three steps. (1) Experts from 8 wet grassland landscapes in northern Europe's west and east mapped factors linked to patterns and processes, and management and governance, in social‐ecological systems that affect states and trends of wet grasslands as green infrastructures for wader birds. (2) To understand wader conservation problems and their dynamic in wet grassland landscapes, and to identify key issues for successful conservation, we applied group modeling using causal loop diagram mapping. (3) Validation was made using the historic development in two additional wet grassland landscapes. Wader conservation was dependent on ten dynamically interacting ecological and social system factors as leverage points for management. Re‐wetting and grazing were common drivers for the ecological and social system, and long‐term economic support for securing farmers’ interest in wader bird conservation. Financial public incentives at higher levels of governance of wetland management are needed to stimulate private income loops. Systems analysis based on contrasting landscape case studies in space and over time can support (1) understanding of complex interactions in social‐ecological systems, (2) collaborative learning in individual wet grassland landscapes, and (3) formulation of priorities for conservation, management, and restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Angelstam
- School for Forest Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Skinnskatteberg Sweden
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Koppang Norway
| | - Michael Manton
- Faculty of Forest Science and Ecology Vytautas Magnus University Akademija Lithuania
| | - Ingrid Stjernquist
- Environmental and Resource Dynamics Group Department of Physical Geography Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jaanus Elts
- Birdlife Estonia Tartu Estonia
- Department of Zoology Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu Tartu Estonia
| | - Davis Gruberts
- Department of Chemistry and Geography University of Daugavpils Daugavpils Latvia
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Exploitative Competition between Mountain Hare and Moose-Qualitative Effects on Hare Winter Forage? Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11092638. [PMID: 34573604 PMCID: PMC8469073 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Mountain hares in Scandinavia are classified as Near Threatened in the Norwegian and Swedish Redlists assessing the risk of species extinction. This is due to a possible population decline witnessed during the last decades in Scandinavia. Competition between large herbivores such as moose, red deer, roe deer on one hand and hares on the other, is one of several hypotheses that has been put forward to explain this decline. In a cafeteria trial (providing several types of forage to determine food preference) we investigate the effects of previous moose winter foraging on the food selection (i.e., amount consumed, bites per minute and bitediameter) of downy birch and goat willow by captive hares. We find that hares do not differentiate among levels of previous moose foraging on downy birch but have larger bite diameters of goat willow earlier eaten on by moose, compared to plants not fed on by moose. Thus, effects of moose on hare winter food quality seem to be limited. We highlight the need for studies focusing on (1) effects of previous moose foraging using wild hares in a natural experimental design, and (2) effects of moose foraging on available hare food at a landscape scale during winter. Abstract Mountain hares (Lepus timidus) in Scandinavia are classified as Near Threatened in the Norwegian and Swedish Redlists. This is due to a possible population decline witnessed during the last decades in Scandinavia. Competition between large herbivores and mountain hares is one of several hypotheses that has been put forward to explain this decline. In a cafeteria trial we investigate the effects of previous moose (Alces alces) winter browsing on the food selection (i.e., biomass consumed, bites per minute and bitediameter) of downy birch (Betula pubescens) and goat willow (Salix caprea) by captive mountain hares. We find that mountain hares do not differentiate among previous browsing levels of downy birch, but have larger bite diameters of goat willow earlier browsed by moose, compared to non-browsed plants. Thus, effects of moose on mountain hare winter food quality seem to be limited. We highlight the need for studies focusing on (1) qualitative effects of moose browsing using wild mountain hares in a natural experimental design, and (2) quantitative effects of moose browsing on available mountain hare forage at a landscape scale during winter.
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Petrokas R, Baliuckas V, Manton M. Successional Categorization of European Hemi-boreal Forest Tree Species. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9101381. [PMID: 33081419 PMCID: PMC7603053 DOI: 10.3390/plants9101381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Developing forest harvesting regimes that mimic natural forest dynamics requires knowledge on typical species behaviors and how they respond to environmental conditions. Species regeneration and survival after disturbance depends on a species' life history traits. Therefore, forest succession determines the extent to which forest communities are able to cope with environmental change. The aim of this review was to (i) review the life history dynamics of hemi-boreal tree species in the context of ecological succession, and (ii) categorize each of these tree species into one of four successional development groups (gap colonizers, gap competitors, forest colonizers, or forest competitors). To do this we embraced the super-organism approach to plant communities using their life history dynamics and traits. Our review touches on the importance and vulnerability of these four types of successional groups, their absence and presence in the community, and how they can be used as a core component to evaluate if the development of the community is progressing towards the restoration of the climatic climax. Applying a theoretical framework to generate ideas, we suggest that forests should be managed to maintain environmental conditions that support the natural variety and sequence of tree species' life histories by promoting genetic invariance and to help secure ecosystem resilience for the future. This could be achieved by employing harvesting methods that emulate natural disturbances and regeneration programs that contribute to maintenance of the four successional groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raimundas Petrokas
- Department of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Kaunas distr LT-53101, Lithuania; (R.P.); (V.B.)
| | - Virgilijus Baliuckas
- Department of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Kaunas distr LT-53101, Lithuania; (R.P.); (V.B.)
| | - Michael Manton
- Institute of Forest Biology and Silviculture, Vytautas Magnus University, Studentu 11, Akademija, Kaunas LT-53361, Lithuania
- Correspondence:
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Felton A, Petersson L, Nilsson O, Witzell J, Cleary M, Felton AM, Björkman C, Sang ÅO, Jonsell M, Holmström E, Nilsson U, Rönnberg J, Kalén C, Lindbladh M. The tree species matters: Biodiversity and ecosystem service implications of replacing Scots pine production stands with Norway spruce. AMBIO 2020; 49:1035-1049. [PMID: 31552644 PMCID: PMC7067718 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01259-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The choice of tree species used in production forests matters for biodiversity and ecosystem services. In Sweden, damage to young production forests by large browsing herbivores is helping to drive a development where sites traditionally regenerated with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) are instead being regenerated with Norway spruce (Picea abies). We provide a condensed synthesis of the available evidence regarding the likely resultant implications for forest biodiversity and ecosystem services from this change in tree species. Apart from some benefits (e.g. reduced stand-level browsing damage), we identified a range of negative outcomes for biodiversity, production, esthetic and recreational values, as well as increased stand vulnerability to storm, frost, and drought damage, and potentially higher risks of pest and pathogen outbreak. Our results are directly relevant to forest owners and policy-makers seeking information regarding the uncertainties, risks, and trade-offs likely to result from changing the tree species in production forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Rörsjöv 1, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Lisa Petersson
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Rörsjöv 1, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Oscar Nilsson
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Rörsjöv 1, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Johanna Witzell
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Rörsjöv 1, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Sundsvägen 3, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Michelle Cleary
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Rörsjöv 1, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Sundsvägen 3, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Annika M. Felton
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Rörsjöv 1, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | | | - Åsa Ode Sang
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Box 66, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Mats Jonsell
- Department of Ecology, SLU, Box 7044, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emma Holmström
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Rörsjöv 1, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Urban Nilsson
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Rörsjöv 1, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Jonas Rönnberg
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Rörsjöv 1, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Christer Kalén
- National Forest Agency, Bryggargatan 19-21, 503 38 Borås, Sweden
| | - Matts Lindbladh
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Box 49, Rörsjöv 1, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
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Musche M, Adamescu M, Angelstam P, Bacher S, Bäck J, Buss HL, Duffy C, Flaim G, Gaillardet J, Giannakis GV, Haase P, Halada L, Kissling WD, Lundin L, Matteucci G, Meesenburg H, Monteith D, Nikolaidis NP, Pipan T, Pyšek P, Rowe EC, Roy DB, Sier A, Tappeiner U, Vilà M, White T, Zobel M, Klotz S. Research questions to facilitate the future development of European long-term ecosystem research infrastructures: A horizon scanning exercise. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 250:109479. [PMID: 31499467 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Distributed environmental research infrastructures are important to support assessments of the effects of global change on landscapes, ecosystems and society. These infrastructures need to provide continuity to address long-term change, yet be flexible enough to respond to rapid societal and technological developments that modify research priorities. We used a horizon scanning exercise to identify and prioritize emerging research questions for the future development of ecosystem and socio-ecological research infrastructures in Europe. Twenty research questions covered topics related to (i) ecosystem structures and processes, (ii) the impacts of anthropogenic drivers on ecosystems, (iii) ecosystem services and socio-ecological systems and (iv), methods and research infrastructures. Several key priorities for the development of research infrastructures emerged. Addressing complex environmental issues requires the adoption of a whole-system approach, achieved through integration of biotic, abiotic and socio-economic measurements. Interoperability among different research infrastructures needs to be improved by developing standard measurements, harmonizing methods, and establishing capacities and tools for data integration, processing, storage and analysis. Future research infrastructures should support a range of methodological approaches including observation, experiments and modelling. They should also have flexibility to respond to new requirements, for example by adjusting the spatio-temporal design of measurements. When new methods are introduced, compatibility with important long-term data series must be ensured. Finally, indicators, tools, and transdisciplinary approaches to identify, quantify and value ecosystem services across spatial scales and domains need to be advanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Musche
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120, Halle, Germany.
| | - Mihai Adamescu
- University of Bucharest, Research Center for Systems Ecology and Sustainability, Spl. Independentei 91 - 95, 050095, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Per Angelstam
- School for Forest Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 43, SE-739 21, Skinnskatteberg, Sweden
| | - Sven Bacher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Jaana Bäck
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, P.O.Box 27, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heather L Buss
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queen's Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Duffy
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 212 Sackett, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Giovanna Flaim
- Department of Sustainable Agro-ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM), Via E. Mach 1, 38010, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Jerome Gaillardet
- CNRS and Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, 1 rue Jussieu, 75238, Paris, cedex 05, France
| | - George V Giannakis
- School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, University Campus, 73100, Chania, Greece
| | - Peter Haase
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Clamecystr. 12, 63571, Gelnhausen, Germany; University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Biology, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Luboš Halada
- Institute of Landscape Ecology SAS, Branch Nitra, Akademicka 2, 949 10, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - W Daniel Kissling
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090, GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lars Lundin
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7050, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Giorgio Matteucci
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Agricultural and Forestry Systems in the Mediterranean (CNR-ISAFOM), Via Patacca, 85 I-80056, Ercolano, NA, Italy
| | - Henning Meesenburg
- Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Grätzelstr. 2, 37079, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Don Monteith
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Nikolaos P Nikolaidis
- School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, University Campus, 73100, Chania, Greece
| | - Tanja Pipan
- ZRC SAZU Karst Research Institute, Titov trg 2, SI-6230, Postojna, Slovenia; UNESCO Chair on Karst Education, University of Nova Gorica, Glavni trg 8, SI-5271, Vipava, Slovenia
| | - Petr Pyšek
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology, CZ-252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic; Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ed C Rowe
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bangor, LL57 4NW, UK
| | - David B Roy
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, OX10 8EF, UK
| | - Andrew Sier
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Ulrike Tappeiner
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestrasse 15, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria; Eurac research, Viale Druso 1, 39100, Bozen/Bolzano, Italy
| | - Montserrat Vilà
- Estación Biológica de Doñana-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, Isla de la Cartuja, 41005, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Tim White
- Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, 2217 EES Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16828, USA
| | - Martin Zobel
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Lai St.40, Tartu, 51005, Estonia
| | - Stefan Klotz
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120, Halle, Germany
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Pedersen S, Angelstam P, Ferguson MA, Wabakken P, Storaas T. Impacts of wolves on rural economies from recreational small game hunting. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1319-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Centralized management of large carnivore populations in rural and remote landscapes used by local people often leads to conflicts between the objectives of wildlife conservation and rural development. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of wolves indirectly reduces landowner revenues from traditional small game hunting, and that landowner revenues are more variable closer to wolf territories. The assumed mechanism is that hunters fear that their economically and culturally valuable hunting dogs may be killed by wolves, which results in reduced hunting, and thus reduced revenues for landowners where and when wolves occur. To determine the effect of wolf presence on revenues from sport hunting, we obtained data from 1990 to 2009 on income from small game management areas, in Hedmark and Oppland Counties in Norway, as well as locations of wolf territories. Small game management areas experienced increased sport hunting revenue with increasing distance to the closest wolf territory. Also, inter-annual variation in revenue decreased with increasing distance from wolf territories. Thus, wolf presence may reduce landowners’ revenues from small game hunting, and cause higher economic variability in rural communities. It is important to note that while the economic impacts of wolves may be compensated where governments have the will and the economic resources, the impacts on the lifestyles of rural people (e.g. hunter’s fear of losing prized dogs to wolves) will remain controversial.
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European Union’s Last Intact Forest Landscapes are at A Value Chain Crossroad between Multiple Use and Intensified Wood Production. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10070564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Research Highlights: The European Union’s last large intact forest landscapes along the Scandinavian Mountain range in Sweden offer unique opportunities for conservation of biodiversity, ecological integrity and resilience. However, these forests are at a crossroad between intensified wood production aimed at bio-economy, and rural development based on multi-functional forest landscapes for future-oriented forest value chains. Background and Objectives: We (1) estimate the area of near-natural forests potentially remaining for forest harvesting and wood production, or as green infrastructure for biodiversity conservation and human well-being in rural areas, (2) review how forest and conservation policies have so far succeeded to reduce the loss of mountain forests, and (3) discuss what economic, socio-cultural and ecological values that are at stake, as well as different governance and management solutions. Materials and Methods: First, we estimated the remaining amount of intact mountain forests using (1) the Swedish National Forest Inventory, (2) protected area statistics, (3) forest harvest permit applications and actually harvested forests, (4) remote sensing wall-to-wall data on forests not subject to clear-felling since the mid-1950s, (5) mapping of productive and non-productive forestland, and (6) estimates of mean annual final felling rate. Second, we review policy documents related to the emergence of land use regulation in north Sweden, including the mountain forest border, and illustrate this with an actual case that has had significant policy implementation importance. Results: There is a clear difference between the proportions of formally protected productive forestland above the mountain forest border (52.5%) and north Sweden in general (6.3%). A total of 300,000 ha of previously not clear-felled mountain forest outside protected areas remain, which can support novel value chains that are not achievable elsewhere. Conclusions: The mountain forests in Sweden provide unique conservation values in the European Union. Since the beginning of the 1990s, policy regulations have been successful in limiting forest harvesting. Currently, however, mountain forests are a battle ground regarding intensification of forest use, including logging of forests that have never been subject to clear-felling systems vs. nature conservation and wilderness as a base for rural development. The ability of mountain municipalities to encourage sustainable rural forest landscapes must be strengthened.
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Effects of Land Use Intensification on Avian Predator Assemblages: A Comparison of Landscapes with Different Histories in Northern Europe. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11050070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Land use and landcover change alter the ability of habitat networks to maintain viable species populations. While their effects on the quality, amount and patterns of landcover patches are commonly studied, how they affect ecological processes, such as predation on focal species remains neglected. This macroecological study tests the hypothesis that predator assemblages are affected by land use intensity linked to different socio-economic contexts. We measured the distribution and abundance of two avian predator groups (generalist corvid birds and specialist raptors), and proxy variables that mirror their food resources, at three spatial scales in northern Europe’s West and East. In total, we made 900 survey counts for avian predators and their resources in six landcover strata throughout five landscapes and analyzed their relationships. The abundance of omnivorous corvid birds was associated with the number of anthropogenic food resources. Thus, corvid birds were most common in the urban and agricultural landcovers, and where forest cover was low. Corvid bird abundance, and availability of their resources, increased with increasing land use intensity. Raptors were less abundant than corvid birds and most common in semi-natural grasslands. The number of raptor species increased with decreasing land use intensity. This study shows that the abundance and composition of avian predator species must be understood to maintain functional habitat networks.
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Rogers PC, McAvoy DJ. Mule deer impede Pando's recovery: Implications for aspen resilience from a single-genotype forest. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203619. [PMID: 30332420 PMCID: PMC6192553 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspen ecosystems (upland Populus-dominated forests) support diverse species assemblages in many parts of the northern hemisphere, yet are imperiled by common stressors. Extended drought, fire suppression, human development, and chronic herbivory serve to limit the sustainability of this keystone species. Here we assess conditions at a renowned quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) grove—purportedly the largest living organism on earth—with ramifications for aspen biogeography globally. The “Pando” clone is 43 ha and estimated to contain 47,000 genetically identical aspen ramets. This iconic forest is threatened in particular by herbivory, and current management activities aim to reverse the potential for type conversion, likely to a non-forest state. We set out to gauge agents affecting recent deterioration through a network of monitoring plots and by examining a chronosequence of historic aerial photos to better understand the timing of putative departure from a sustainable course. Sixty-five permanent forest monitoring plots were located in three management regimes existing within Pando: no fencing, fencing with active and passive treatments, fencing with passive-only treatment. At each sample plot we measured live and dead mature trees, stem recruitment and regeneration, forest and shrub cover, browse level, and feces counts as a surrogate for ungulate presence. Ordination results indicate that aspen regeneration was the strongest indicator of overall forest conditions at Pando, and that mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) presence strongly impacts successful regeneration. Additionally, fencing with active/passive treatments yielded the most robust regeneration levels; however, a fence penetrable by ungulates in the passive-only treatment most likely played a role in this outcome. The aerial photo sequence depicts various human intrusions over the past seven decades, but perhaps most telling, a decline in self-replacement beginning 30–40 years ago. Aspen communities in many locations in North American and Europe are impacted by unchecked herbivory. The Pando clone presents a unique opportunity for understanding browse mechanisms in a forest where tree genotype, closely aligned with growth and chemical defense, is uniform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C. Rogers
- Western Aspen Alliance, Wildland Resources Department, and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Darren J. McAvoy
- Forestry Extension and Wildland Resources Department, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
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Naumov V, Manton M, Elbakidze M, Rendenieks Z, Priednieks J, Uhlianets S, Yamelynets T, Zhivotov A, Angelstam P. How to reconcile wood production and biodiversity conservation? The Pan-European boreal forest history gradient as an "experiment". JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 218:1-13. [PMID: 29660541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.03.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
There are currently competing demands on Europe's forests and the finite resources and services that they can offer. Forestry intensification that aims at mitigating climate change and biodiversity conservation is one example. Whether or not these two objectives compete can be evaluated by comparative studies of forest landscapes with different histories. We test the hypothesis that indicators of wood production and biodiversity conservation are inversely related in a gradient of long to short forestry intensification histories. Forest management data containing stand age, volume and tree species were used to model the opportunity for wood production and biodiversity conservation in five north European forest regions representing a gradient in landscape history from very long in the West and short in the East. Wood production indicators captured the supply of coniferous wood and total biomass, as well as current accessibility by transport infrastructure. Biodiversity conservation indicators were based on modelling habitat network functionality for focal bird species dependent on different combinations of stand age and tree species composition representing naturally dynamic forests. In each region we randomly sampled 25 individual 100-km2 areas with contiguous forest cover. Regarding wood production, Sweden's Bergslagen region had the largest areas of coniferous wood, followed by Vitebsk in Belarus and Zemgale in Latvia. NW Russia's case study regions in Pskov and Komi had the lowest values, except for the biomass indicator. The addition of forest accessibility for transportation made the Belarusian and Swedish study region most suitable for wood and biomass production, followed by Latvia and two study regions in NW Russian. Regarding biodiversity conservation, the overall rank among regions was opposite. Mixed and deciduous habitats were functional in Russia, Belarus and Latvia. Old Scots pine and Norway spruce habitats were only functional in Komi. Thus, different regional forest histories provide different challenges in terms of satisfying both wood production and biodiversity conservation objectives in a forest management unit. These regional differences in northern Europe create opportunities for exchanging experiences among different regional contexts about how to achieve both objectives. We discuss this in the context of land-sharing versus land-sparing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Naumov
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, SE-73921 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden.
| | - Michael Manton
- Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Institute of Forest Biology and Silviculture, Studentų g.11, Akademija, LT-53361 Kauno r., Lithuania
| | - Marine Elbakidze
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, SE-73921 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden
| | - Zigmars Rendenieks
- University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, Jelgavas iela 1, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia
| | - Janis Priednieks
- University of Latvia, Faculty of Biology, Jelgavas iela 1, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia
| | - Siarhei Uhlianets
- V.F Kuprevich Institute of Experimental Botany, 27 Akademichnaya Street, Minsk 220072, Belarus
| | - Taras Yamelynets
- Ivan Franko National University, Faculty of Geography, 41 Doroshenko Street, 79000 Lviv, Ukraine
| | - Anton Zhivotov
- Pskovlesproekt Company, Shkolnaya Street 6, 18006 Pskov, Russian Federation
| | - Per Angelstam
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, SE-73921 Skinnskatteberg, Sweden
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14
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Angelstam P, Naumov V, Elbakidze M, Manton M, Priednieks J, Rendenieks Z. Wood production and biodiversity conservation are rival forestry objectives in Europe's Baltic Sea Region. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Per Angelstam
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Faculty of Forest Sciences; School for Forest Management; SE-73921 Skinnskatteberg Sweden
| | - Vladimir Naumov
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Faculty of Forest Sciences; School for Forest Management; SE-73921 Skinnskatteberg Sweden
| | - Marine Elbakidze
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Faculty of Forest Sciences; School for Forest Management; SE-73921 Skinnskatteberg Sweden
| | - Michael Manton
- Institute of Forest Biology and Silviculture; Aleksandras Stulginskis University; Studentų g. 11, Akademija LT-53361 Kaunas r. Lithuania
| | - Janis Priednieks
- Faculty of Biology; University of Latvia; Kronvalda blv 4 1010 Riga Latvia
| | - Zigmars Rendenieks
- Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences; University of Latvia; Alberta 10 1010 Riga Latvia
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