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Hua F, Liu M, Wang Z. Integrating forest restoration into land-use planning at large spatial scales. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R452-R472. [PMID: 38714177 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Forest restoration is being scaled up globally, carrying major expectations of environmental and societal benefits. Current discussions on ensuring the effectiveness of forest restoration are predominantly focused on the land under restoration per se. But this focus neglects the critical issue that land use and its drivers at larger spatial scales have strong implications for forest restoration outcomes, through the influence of landscape context and, importantly, potential off-site impacts of forest restoration that must be accounted for in measuring its effectiveness. To ensure intended restoration outcomes, it is crucial to integrate forest restoration into land-use planning at spatial scales large enough to account for - and address - these larger-scale influences, including the protection of existing native ecosystems. In this review, we highlight this thus-far neglected issue in conceptualizing forest restoration for the delivery of multiple desirable benefits regarding biodiversity and ecosystem services. We first make the case for the need to integrate forest restoration into large-scale land-use planning, by reviewing current evidence on the landscape-level influences and off-site impacts pertaining to forest restoration. We then discuss how science can guide the integration of forest restoration into large-scale land-use planning, by laying out key features of methodological frameworks required, reviewing the extent to which existing frameworks carry these features, and identifying methodological innovations needed to bridge the potential shortfall. Finally, we critically review the status of existing methods and data to identify future research efforts needed to advance these methodological innovations and, more broadly, the effective integration of forest restoration design into large-scale land-use planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyuan Hua
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Mingxin Liu
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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2
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Villanova PH, Torres CMME, Jacovine LAG, Schettini BLS, Ribeiro SC, da Rocha SJSS, Rufino MPMX, de Freitas MF, Kerkoff LA. Impacts of a severe storm on carbon accumulation in coarse woody debris within a secondary Atlantic Forest fragment in Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:203. [PMID: 38277071 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12316-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The alarming increase in extreme weather events, such as severe storms with torrential rain and strong winds, is a direct result of climate change. These events have led to discernible shifts in forest structure and the carbon cycle, primarily driven by a surge in tree mortality. However, the impacts caused by these severe storms on the production and carbon increment from coarse woody debris (CWD) are still poorly understood, especially in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Thus, the goal proposed by the study was to quantify the CWD volume, necromass, and carbon stock before and after the occurrence of a severe storm and to determine the importance of spatial, structural, and qualitative variables of trees in the CWD carbon increment. The increase in carbon by the storm was 2.01 MgC ha-1, with a higher concentration in the CWD less decomposed and smaller diameter class. The forest fragment plots showed distinct increments (0.05-0.35 MgC), being influenced by spatial (elevation, declivity, and slope angle) structural (basal area) and qualitative factors (trunk quality and tree health), intrinsic to the forest. Thus, it is concluded that severe storms cause a large increase in carbon in CWD, making it essential to understand the susceptibility of forests to the action of intense rains and strong winds to model and monitor the future impacts of these extreme weather events on Atlantic Forest and other tropical forests in the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Henrique Villanova
- Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | | | | | | | - Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Lucas Abreu Kerkoff
- Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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3
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Lindenmayer D, McBurney L, Blanchard W. Drivers of collapse of fire‐killed trees. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Lachlan McBurney
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Wade Blanchard
- Fenner School of Environment & Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
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4
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Effects of Forest Fragmentation on the Volume of Wood Resources in Managed, Pine-Dominated Forests in Poland. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13040590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Forest fragmentation is a widespread phenomenon that directly or indirectly affects the processes that take place both in forest ecosystems and in their immediate surroundings. So far, many studies confirm its negative effects, especially on biodiversity. On the other hand, there are few studies that address the effects of forest fragmentation on the amount of accumulated biomass or carbon, as well as on the characteristics of wood resources in managed forests. Therefore, issues related to timber production, which are important from the point of view of multifunctional forest management, are omitted. The aim of our research was to add to the knowledge in this area. In particular, we focused on assessing the impact of forest fragmentation on wood resources based on an analysis of edge effects in forest patches (units formed by combining forest fragments characterized by structural connectivity). Vector data describing the topography of forest fragments in Poland and the results of the National Forest Inventory (NFI) from 2015–2019 were used as material for solving this problem. The results of our research showed that the effects of fragmentation on managed pine stands depend on the age of the stand and the fertility of the habitat. In young stands growing on barren or strongly barren habitats, growing stock volume turned out to be significantly higher in the edge zone. In older stands, especially on moderately fertile habitats, significantly higher resources were found in the interior zone of forest patches. Habitat quality also had a significant effect on the amount of carbon accumulated. In strongly barren habitats, higher carbon mass was found in edge zones, while in moderately fertile habitats, stands had higher carbon volume in the interior zone. Our results illustrate that forest fragmentation is a very complex process that can increase or reduce wood resources, depending on the age of the stand and the quality of the habitat. From the standpoint of measurable benefits, it was concluded that protection from the negative effects of fragmentation should focus primarily on older stands and more fertile habitats.
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5
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Impact of a tropical forest blowdown on aboveground carbon balance. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11279. [PMID: 34050217 PMCID: PMC8163810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90576-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Field measurements demonstrate a carbon sink in the Amazon and Congo basins, but the cause of this sink is uncertain. One possibility is that forest landscapes are experiencing transient recovery from previous disturbance. Attributing the carbon sink to transient recovery or other processes is challenging because we do not understand the sensitivity of conventional remote sensing methods to changes in aboveground carbon density (ACD) caused by disturbance events. Here we use ultra-high-density drone lidar to quantify the impact of a blowdown disturbance on ACD in a lowland rain forest in Costa Rica. We show that the blowdown decreased ACD by at least 17.6%, increased the number of canopy gaps, and altered the gap size-frequency distribution. Analyses of a canopy-height transition matrix indicate departure from steady-state conditions. This event will initiate a transient sink requiring an estimated 24-49 years to recover pre-disturbance ACD. Our results suggest that blowdowns of this magnitude and extent can remain undetected by conventional satellite optical imagery but are likely to alter ACD decades after they occur.
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6
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Zaninovich SC, Gatti MG. Carbon stock densities of semi-deciduous Atlantic forest and pine plantations in Argentina. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 747:141085. [PMID: 32795787 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown the importance of subtropical forests as terrestrial carbon sinks and also their vulnerability to human disturbances and climate change. The Semi-deciduous Atlantic Forest presents large extensions replaced by productive uses, such as tree plantations, and forest remnants showing high levels of structural heterogeneity. No studies have performed carbon stock densities estimations in different pools in the region. We wonder how changes in forest structure and forest replacement by pine plantations affect ecosystem carbon stock densities in different pools and fluxes. We performed carbon estimates based on field data and compared closed (CF) and open (OF) canopy natural forest patches and Pinus taeda plantations at harvest age (PP). Structural changes in the natural forest had a profound effect on the ecosystem by halving the forest carbon stock while pulp-intended pine plantations reached the carbon stock of closed forest at harvest age. Main changes from CF to OF were a 55% decrease in the carbon of biomass and a 42% decrease in SOC. Instead, carbon stock density in biomass of PP was similar to CF but the carbon in fallen deadwood was 78% lower while in the litter layer was double; the SOC at 0-5 cm depth was 31% lower in PP than CF. Our study shows that structural changes in the natural forest halve the forest carbon stock while pulp-intended pine plantations can reach the closed forest carbon stock at harvest age. However, PP do not seem to be effective for carbon storage in the long term because of regular harvesting and clearing and their short-life products. Therefore, to effectively store the forest carbon, arresting deforestation, replacement and degradation of the original forest is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Clarisa Zaninovich
- Instituto de Biología Subtropical, Universidad Nacional de Misiones - CONICET, Bertoni 85, 3370 Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Av. Libertad 5400, Corrientes, Argentina.
| | - M Genoveva Gatti
- Instituto de Biología Subtropical, Universidad Nacional de Misiones - CONICET, Bertoni 85, 3370 Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Bertoni 124, 3380 Eldorado, Misiones, Argentina.
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7
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Hogan JA, Feagin RA, Starr G, Ross M, Lin TC, O’connell C, Huff TP, Stauffer BA, Robinson KL, Lara MC, Xue J, Reese BK, Geist SJ, Whitman ER, Douglas S, Congdon VM, Reustle JW, Smith RS, Lagomasino D, Strickland BA, Wilson SS, Proffitt CE, Hogan JD, Branoff BL, Armitage AR, Rush SA, Santos RO, Campos-Cerqueira M, Montagna PA, Erisman B, Walker L, Silver WL, Crowl TA, Wetz M, Hall N, Zou X, Pennings SC, Wang LJ, Chang CT, Leon M, Mcdowell WH, Kominoski JS, Patrick CJ. A Research Framework to Integrate Cross-Ecosystem Responses to Tropical Cyclones. Bioscience 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Tropical cyclones play an increasingly important role in shaping ecosystems. Understanding and generalizing their responses is challenging because of meteorological variability among storms and its interaction with ecosystems. We present a research framework designed to compare tropical cyclone effects within and across ecosystems that: a) uses a disaggregating approach that measures the responses of individual ecosystem components, b) links the response of ecosystem components at fine temporal scales to meteorology and antecedent conditions, and c) examines responses of ecosystem using a resistance–resilience perspective by quantifying the magnitude of change and recovery time. We demonstrate the utility of the framework using three examples of ecosystem response: gross primary productivity, stream biogeochemical export, and organismal abundances. Finally, we present the case for a network of sentinel sites with consistent monitoring to measure and compare ecosystem responses to cyclones across the United States, which could help improve coastal ecosystem resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Aaron Hogan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
| | - Rusty A Feagin
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gregory Starr
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
| | - Michael Ross
- Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Teng-Chiu Lin
- Department of Life Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Christine O’connell
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkley, Berkley, California
| | - Thomas P Huff
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Beth A Stauffer
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana
| | - Kelly L Robinson
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana
| | - Maria Chapela Lara
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Jianhong Xue
- Marine Science Institute, University of Texas, Austin, Port Aransas, Texas
| | - Brandi Kiel Reese
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas
| | - Simon J Geist
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas
| | - Elizabeth R Whitman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Sarah Douglas
- Marine Science Institute, University of Texas, Austin, Port Aransas, Texas
| | - Victoria M Congdon
- Marine Science Institute, University of Texas, Austin, Port Aransas, Texas
| | - Joseph W Reustle
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas
| | - Rachel S Smith
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - David Lagomasino
- Department of Coastal Studies, East Carolina University, Wanchese, North Carolina, Maryland
| | - Bradley A Strickland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Sara S Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - C Edward Proffitt
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas
| | - J Derek Hogan
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas
| | - Benjamin L Branoff
- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
| | - Anna R Armitage
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, Galveston, Galveston, Texas
| | - Scott A Rush
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
| | - Rolando O Santos
- Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | | | - Paul A Montagna
- Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas
| | - Brad Erisman
- Marine Science Institute, University of Texas, Austin, Port Aransas, Texas
| | - Lily Walker
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas
| | - Whendee L Silver
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkley, Berkley, California
| | - Todd A Crowl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Michael Wetz
- Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas
| | - Nathan Hall
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Morehead, North Carolina
| | - Xiaoming Zou
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Puerto Rico–Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Steven C Pennings
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Lih-Jih Wang
- School of Forest Resources, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Te Chang
- Department of Life Sciences Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Miguel Leon
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - William H Mcdowell
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - John S Kominoski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
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8
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Hall J, Muscarella R, Quebbeman A, Arellano G, Thompson J, Zimmerman JK, Uriarte M. Hurricane-Induced Rainfall is a Stronger Predictor of Tropical Forest Damage in Puerto Rico Than Maximum Wind Speeds. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4318. [PMID: 32152355 PMCID: PMC7062726 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61164-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Projected increases in cyclonic storm intensity under a warming climate will have profound effects on forests, potentially changing these ecosystems from carbon sinks to sources. Forecasting storm impacts on these ecosystems requires consideration of risk factors associated with storm meteorology, landscape structure, and forest attributes. Here we evaluate risk factors associated with damage severity caused by Hurricanes María and Irma across Puerto Rican forests. Using field and remote sensing data, total forest aboveground biomass (AGB) lost to the storms was estimated at 10.44 (±2.33) Tg, ca. 23% of island-wide pre-hurricane forest AGB. Storm-related rainfall was a stronger predictor of forest damage than maximum wind speeds. Soil water storage capacity was also an important risk factor, corroborating the influence of rainfall on forest damage. Expected increases of 20% in hurricane-associated rainfall in the North Atlantic highlight the need to consider how such shifts, together with high speed winds, will affect terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazlynn Hall
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Robert Muscarella
- Department of Plant Ecology and Evolution, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andrew Quebbeman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gabriel Arellano
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,ForestGEO, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Washington DC, USA
| | - Jill Thompson
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Jess K Zimmerman
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - María Uriarte
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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9
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Schwartz NB, Budsock AM, Uriarte M. Fragmentation, forest structure, and topography modulate impacts of drought in a tropical forest landscape. Ecology 2019; 100:e02677. [PMID: 30825323 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Climate models predict increases in drought conditions in many parts of the tropics. Yet the response of tropical forests to drought remains highly uncertain, especially with regards to the factors that generate spatial heterogeneity in drought response across landscapes. In this study, we used Landsat imagery to assess the impacts of a severe drought in 2015 across an ~80,000-ha landscape in Puerto Rico. Specifically, we asked whether drought effects varied systematically with topography and with forest age, height, and fragmentation. We quantified drought impacts using anomalies of two vegetation indices, the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and normalized difference water index (NDWI), and fit random forest models of these metrics including slope, aspect, forest age, canopy height, and two indices of fragmentation as predictors. Drought effects were more severe on drier topographic positions, that is, steeper slopes and southwest-facing aspects, and in second-growth forests. Shorter and more fragmented forests were also more strongly affected by drought. We also assessed which factors were associated with stronger recovery from drought. Factors associated with more negative drought anomalies were also associated with more positive postdrought anomalies, suggesting that increased light availability as a result of drought led to high rates of recovery in forests more severely affected by drought. In general, recovery from drought was rapid across the landscape, with postdrought anomalies at or above average across the study area. This suggests that forests in Puerto Rico might be resilient to a single-year drought, though vulnerability to drought varies depending on forest characteristics and landscape position.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi B Schwartz
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, 1984 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z2, Canada.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA.,Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - Andrew M Budsock
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - María Uriarte
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, New York, 10027, USA
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10
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Paolucci LN, Pereira RL, Rattis L, Silvério DV, Marques NCS, Macedo MN, Brando PM. Lowland tapirs facilitate seed dispersal in degraded Amazonian forests. Biotropica 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas N. Paolucci
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Setor de Ecologia e Conservação Departamento de Biologia Universidade Federal de Lavras Lavras Brazil
| | - Rogério L. Pereira
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso Nova Xavantina Brasil
| | - Ludmila Rattis
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Woods Hole Research Center Falmouth Massachusetts
| | - Divino V. Silvério
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso Nova Xavantina Brasil
| | - Nubia C. S. Marques
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Laboratório de Ecossistemas Departamento de Ecologia Universidade de Brasília Brasília Brazil
| | - Marcia N. Macedo
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Woods Hole Research Center Falmouth Massachusetts
| | - Paulo M. Brando
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia Brasília Brasil
- Woods Hole Research Center Falmouth Massachusetts
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11
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Hurricane Maria in the U.S. Caribbean: Disturbance Forces, Variation of Effects, and Implications for Future Storms. REMOTE SENSING 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/rs10091386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The impact of Hurricane Maria on the U.S. Caribbean was used to study the causes of remotely-sensed spatial variation in the effects of (1) vegetation index loss and (2) landslide occurrence. The vegetation index is a measure of canopy ‘greenness’, a combination of leaf chlorophyll, leaf area, canopy cover and structure. A generalized linear model was made for each kind of effect, using idealized maps of the hurricane forces, along with three landscape characteristics that were significantly associated. In each model, one of these characteristics was forest fragmentation, and another was a measure of disturbance-propensity. For the greenness loss model, the hurricane force was wind, the disturbance-propensity measure was initial greenness, and the third landscape characteristic was fraction forest cover. For the landslide occurrence model, the hurricane force was rain, the disturbance-propensity measure was amount of land slope, and the third landscape characteristic was soil clay content. The model of greenness loss had a pseudo R2 of 0.73 and showed the U.S. Caribbean lost 31% of its initial greenness from the hurricane, with 51% lost from the initial in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) from Hurricane Maria along with Hurricane Irma. More greenness disturbance was seen in areas with less wind sheltering, higher elevation and topographic sides. The model of landslide occurrence had a pseudo R2 of 0.53 and showed the U.S. Caribbean had 34% of its area and 52% of the LEF area with a landslide density of at least one in 1 km2 from Hurricane Maria. Four experiments with parameters from previous storms of wind speed, storm duration, rainfall, and forest structure over the same storm path and topographic landscape were run as examples of possible future scenarios. While intensity of the storm makes by far the largest scenario difference, forest fragmentation makes a sizable difference especially in vulnerable areas of high clay content or high wind susceptibility. This study showed the utility of simple hurricane force calculations connected with landscape characteristics and remote-sensing data to determine forest susceptibility to hurricane effects.
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12
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Effects of Narrow Linear Disturbances on Light and Wind Patterns in Fragmented Boreal Forests in Northeastern Alberta. FORESTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/f9080486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Forest fragmentation threatens forest biodiversity and ecosystem function. One of the concerns relates to increases in edge effects, which among other things affects the forest microclimate that influences the distribution and behavior of species. In Alberta, Canada, boreal anthropogenic disturbances from in situ oil exploration are increasing forest fragmentation, especially in the form of exploratory well pads and seismic lines (i.e., linear forest clearings created during the exploration phase of oil extraction). Dissection of these forests by seismic lines has the potential to change local patterns in wind and light, and thus may alter forest communities. Although alterations of these abiotic conditions are likely, the magnitude of these changes is unknown, particularly the effects of changes in the width and orientation of linear disturbances. Here we investigated changes in light and wind on seismic lines compared to that of adjacent undisturbed forests and nearby cleared openings. Specifically, we examined how seismic line characteristics (i.e., line direction, line width, and adjacent canopy height) altered local responses in these abiotic conditions. Generalized Linear Mixed Effect models predicted a 2-fold increase in average light intensity and maximum wind speeds, and a 4-fold increase in average wind speeds on seismic lines compared to adjacent forests. These changes did not approach the conditions in large openings, which compared to forests had a 3-fold increase in average light intensity, a 16-fold increase in average wind speeds, and a 4-fold increase in maximum wind speeds. Line width and orientation interacted with adjacent forest height altering the abiotic environment with wider lines having a 3-fold increase on maximum wind speed. We conclude that even localized, narrow (<10-m wide) forest disturbances associated with oil sands exploration alter forest microclimatic conditions. Recent changes in practices that reduce line width as well as promoting tree regeneration, will minimize the environmental effects of these anthropogenic disturbances.
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13
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Empirical relationships between tree fall and landscape-level amounts of logging and fire. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193132. [PMID: 29474487 PMCID: PMC5825053 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Large old trees are critically important keystone structures in forest ecosystems globally. Populations of these trees are also in rapid decline in many forest ecosystems, making it important to quantify the factors that influence their dynamics at different spatial scales. Large old trees often occur in forest landscapes also subject to fire and logging. However, the effects on the risk of collapse of large old trees of the amount of logging and fire in the surrounding landscape are not well understood. Using an 18-year study in the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria, we quantify relationships between the probability of collapse of large old hollow-bearing trees at a site and the amount of logging and the amount of fire in the surrounding landscape. We found the probability of collapse increased with an increasing amount of logged forest in the surrounding landscape. It also increased with a greater amount of burned area in the surrounding landscape, particularly for trees in highly advanced stages of decay. The most likely explanation for elevated tree fall with an increasing amount of logged or burned areas in the surrounding landscape is change in wind movement patterns associated with cutblocks or burned areas. Previous studies show that large old hollow-bearing trees are already at high risk of collapse in our study area. New analyses presented here indicate that additional logging operations in the surrounding landscape will further elevate that risk. Current logging prescriptions require the protection of large old hollow-bearing trees on cutblocks. We suggest that efforts to reduce the probability of collapse of large old hollow-bearing trees on unlogged sites will demand careful landscape planning to limit the amount of timber harvesting in the surrounding landscape.
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