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Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Çagatay Tavsanoglu
- Division of Ecology, Department of Biology, Hacettepe University, 06800 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Juli G Pausas
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CIDE-CSIC), 46113 Valencia, Spain
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Bowd EJ, McBurney L, Blair DP, Lindenmayer DB. Temporal patterns of forest seedling emergence across different disturbance histories. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9254-9292. [PMID: 34306621 PMCID: PMC8293764 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
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.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).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. 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elle J. Bowd
- Fenner School of Environment and SocietyCollege of ScienceThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Lachlan McBurney
- Fenner School of Environment and SocietyCollege of ScienceThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - David P. Blair
- Fenner School of Environment and SocietyCollege of ScienceThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - David B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and SocietyCollege of ScienceThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
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Suárez-Muñoz M, Mina M, Salazar PC, Navarro-Cerrillo RM, Quero JL, Bonet-García FJ. A Step-by-Step Guide to Initialize and Calibrate Landscape Models: A Case Study in the Mediterranean Mountains. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.653393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of spatially interactive forest landscape models has increased in recent years. These models are valuable tools to assess our knowledge about the functioning and provisioning of ecosystems as well as essential allies when predicting future changes. However, developing the necessary inputs and preparing them for research studies require substantial initial investments in terms of time. Although model initialization and calibration often take the largest amount of modelers’ efforts, such processes are rarely reported thoroughly in application studies. Our study documents the process of calibrating and setting up an ecophysiologically based forest landscape model (LANDIS-II with PnET-Succession) in a biogeographical region where such a model has never been applied to date (southwestern Mediterranean mountains in Europe). We describe the methodological process necessary to produce the required spatial inputs expressing initial vegetation and site conditions. We test model behaviour on single-cell simulations and calibrate species parameters using local biomass estimations and literature information. Finally, we test how different initialization data—with and without shrub communities—influence the simulation of forest dynamics by applying the calibrated model at landscape level. Combination of plot-level data with vegetation maps allowed us to generate a detailed map of initial tree and shrub communities. Single-cell simulations revealed that the model was able to reproduce realistic biomass estimates and competitive effects for different forest types included in the landscape, as well as plausible monthly growth patterns of species growing in Mediterranean mountains. Our results highlight the importance of considering shrub communities in forest landscape models, as they influence the temporal dynamics of tree species. Besides, our results show that, in the absence of natural disturbances, harvesting or climate change, landscape-level simulations projected a general increase of biomass of several species over the next decades but with distinct spatio-temporal patterns due to competitive effects and landscape heterogeneity. Providing a step-by-step workflow to initialize and calibrate a forest landscape model, our study encourages new users to use such tools in forestry and climate change applications. Thus, we advocate for documenting initialization processes in a transparent and reproducible manner in forest landscape modelling.
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Thorn S, Chao A, Georgiev KB, Müller J, Bässler C, Campbell JL, Castro J, Chen YH, Choi CY, Cobb TP, Donato DC, Durska E, Macdonald E, Feldhaar H, Fontaine JB, Fornwalt PJ, Hernández RMH, Hutto RL, Koivula M, Lee EJ, Lindenmayer D, Mikusiński G, Obrist MK, Perlík M, Rost J, Waldron K, Wermelinger B, Weiß I, Żmihorski M, Leverkus AB. Estimating retention benchmarks for salvage logging to protect biodiversity. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4762. [PMID: 32958767 PMCID: PMC7505835 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18612-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Forests are increasingly affected by natural disturbances. Subsequent salvage logging, a widespread management practice conducted predominantly to recover economic capital, produces further disturbance and impacts biodiversity worldwide. Hence, naturally disturbed forests are among the most threatened habitats in the world, with consequences for their associated biodiversity. However, there are no evidence-based benchmarks for the proportion of area of naturally disturbed forests to be excluded from salvage logging to conserve biodiversity. We apply a mixed rarefaction/extrapolation approach to a global multi-taxa dataset from disturbed forests, including birds, plants, insects and fungi, to close this gap. We find that 75 ± 7% (mean ± SD) of a naturally disturbed area of a forest needs to be left unlogged to maintain 90% richness of its unique species, whereas retaining 50% of a naturally disturbed forest unlogged maintains 73 ± 12% of its unique species richness. These values do not change with the time elapsed since disturbance but vary considerably among taxonomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Thorn
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstr. 5, 96181, Rauhenebrach, Germany.
| | - Anne Chao
- Institute of Statistics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin-Chu, 30043, Taiwan
| | - Kostadin B Georgiev
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstr. 5, 96181, Rauhenebrach, Germany
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Jörg Müller
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstr. 5, 96181, Rauhenebrach, Germany
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Claus Bässler
- Department of Biodiversity Conservation, Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, D-60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - John L Campbell
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, 321 Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Jorge Castro
- Department of Ecology, University of Granada, Campus Fuentenueva s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Yan-Han Chen
- Institute of Statistics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin-Chu, 30043, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Yong Choi
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Bioresources, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea
| | - Tyler P Cobb
- Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, AB, T5J 0G2, Canada
| | - Daniel C Donato
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Ewa Durska
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ellen Macdonald
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Department of Animal Ecology I, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Joseph B Fontaine
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia
| | - Paula J Fornwalt
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 240 West Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | | | - Richard L Hutto
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Matti Koivula
- Natural Resources Institute (LUKE), P. O. Box 2, FI-00791, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eun-Jae Lee
- Urban Planning Research Group, Daejeon Sejong Research Institute, Daejeon, 34863, Korea
| | - David Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Grzegorz Mikusiński
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU, SE-730 91, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
- School for Forest Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU, Box 43, SE-739 21, Skinnskatteberg, Sweden
| | - Martin K Obrist
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Michal Perlík
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 1760, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Josep Rost
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Girona. Facultat de Ciències, Carrer Maria Aurèlia Capmany, Campus de Montilivi, 17003, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Kaysandra Waldron
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 rue du P.E.P.S., P.O. Box 10380, Stn. Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC, G1V 4C7, Canada
| | - Beat Wermelinger
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Forest Health and Biotic Interactions-Forest Entomology, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | | | - Michał Żmihorski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230, Białowieża, Poland
| | - Alexandro B Leverkus
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstr. 5, 96181, Rauhenebrach, Germany
- Department of Ecology, University of Granada, Campus Fuentenueva s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain
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García-Carmona M, Arcenegui V, García-Orenes F, Mataix-Solera J. The role of mosses in soil stability, fertility and microbiology six years after a post-fire salvage logging management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 262:110287. [PMID: 32090888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110287] [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: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
After a wildfire, moss crust develops in early post-fire stages revealing important roles related to soil erosion prevention and increase of soil fertility. However, the post-fire management selected could determine the capacity of soil to recover and the active role of mosses in the ecosystem recovery. Salvage logging (SL) was performed in the wildfire that occurred in July 2012 in "Sierra de Mariola Natural Park" (E Spain), with detrimental consequences to soils in the short-term. The aim of the study is to assess if the presence of a biocrust dominated by mosses six years after the wildfire improved the soil quality and functions, and if the salvage logging management influenced the process. Our results showed that the SL management affected in a medium-term to the percentage of soil covered by mosses, reaching 78.4% in control soils compared to 56% in SL soils. Regarding the influence of mosses in soils, our results did not show greater differences in the physical parameters measured, hydraulic conductivity, water repellency and soil penetration resistance, possibly related to the lower developmental stages of the biocrust. However, it was observed that the presence of mosses played a significant role in both the soil fertility and the microbial activity. The improvement in soil fertility was registered mainly in the organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous contents, and for the microbial parameters, for which higher values for the microbial biomass carbon and basal soil respiration were reached in soils under mosses. In conclusion, we can suggest that mosses had an important role in the functional recovery of degraded ecosystems after wildfires, and therefore we encourage considering the presence of mosses in the post-fire managements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minerva García-Carmona
- GEA (Grupo de Edafología Ambiental), Department of Agrochemistry and Environment, University Miguel Hernández, Avda. de La Universidad s/n, Elche, 03202, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Victoria Arcenegui
- GEA (Grupo de Edafología Ambiental), Department of Agrochemistry and Environment, University Miguel Hernández, Avda. de La Universidad s/n, Elche, 03202, Alicante, Spain
| | - Fuensanta García-Orenes
- GEA (Grupo de Edafología Ambiental), Department of Agrochemistry and Environment, University Miguel Hernández, Avda. de La Universidad s/n, Elche, 03202, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jorge Mataix-Solera
- GEA (Grupo de Edafología Ambiental), Department of Agrochemistry and Environment, University Miguel Hernández, Avda. de La Universidad s/n, Elche, 03202, Alicante, Spain
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Ponderosa Pine Regeneration, Wildland Fuels Management, and Habitat Conservation: Identifying Trade-Offs Following Wildfire. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10030286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Increasing wildfires in western North American conifer forests have led to debates surrounding the application of post-fire management practices. There is a lack of consensus on whether (and to what extent) post-fire management assists or hinders managers in achieving goals, particularly in under-studied regions like eastern ponderosa pine forests. This makes it difficult for forest managers to balance among competing interests. We contrast structural and community characteristics across unburned ponderosa pine forest, severely burned ponderosa pine forest, and severely burned ponderosa pine forest treated with post-fire management with respect to three management objectives: ponderosa pine regeneration, wildland fuels control, and habitat conservation. Ponderosa pine saplings were more abundant in treated burned sites than untreated burned sites, suggesting increases in tree regeneration following tree planting; however, natural regeneration was evident in both unburned and untreated burned sites. Wildland fuels management greatly reduced snags and coarse woody debris in treated burned sites. Understory cover measurements revealed bare ground and fine woody debris were more strongly associated with untreated burned sites, and greater levels of forbs and grass were more strongly associated with treated burned sites. Wildlife habitat was greatly reduced following post-fire treatments. There were no tree cavities in treated burned sites, whereas untreated burned sites had an average of 27 ± 7.68 cavities per hectare. Correspondingly, we found almost double the avian species richness in untreated burned sites compared to treated burned sites (22 species versus 12 species). Unburned forests and untreated burned areas had the same species richness, but hosted unique avian communities. Our results indicate conflicting outcomes with respect to management objectives, most evident in the clear costs to habitat conservation following post-fire management application.
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Effect of Herbaceous Layer Interference on the Post-Fire Regeneration of a Serotinous Pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) across Two Seedling Ages. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10010074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Herbaceous vegetation is a major source of interference with the regeneration of woody species. This is particularly the case after forest fires, as a dense herbaceous layer usually regenerates naturally. Although the competitive effect of the herbaceous vegetation upon tree seedlings has been widely studied, there are still gaps in knowledge for management related to the effect of tree seedling age and size on the outcome of the interaction. In this study, we seek to determine the response of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) seedlings to herbaceous competition at two different seedling ages. For that, two treatments of herbaceous competition were implemented, namely unweeded (no action around pine seedlings) and weeded (herbaceous cover removed around pine seedlings). Treatments were conducted twice (2 and 4 years after the fire), and we monitored seedling survival and growth at the end of each growing season. The treatments were implemented across three adjacent landscape units that differed in the management of burned wood and that are representative of common post-fire scenarios: no intervention, salvage logging, and an intermediate degree of intervention. Weeding increased seedling survival from 44.7% to 67.8% when seedlings were 2 years old, but had no effect for four-year-old seedlings, which showed 99% survival. Seedling growth also increased in the weeding treatment, but only slightly. Moreover, growth (and survival for two-year-old seedlings) was strongly correlated with initial seedling size, particularly in the case of two-year-old seedlings. Initial pine seedling height was strongly and positively correlated with the height of the herbaceous layer, supporting the existence of microsite features that promote plant growth above competitive effects. The results support that management actions conducive to foster post-fire pine forest restoration in this Mediterranean ecosystem should reduce herbaceous competition at early stages after fire (second or third year) and focus on larger seedlings.
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Francos M, Pereira P, Alcañiz M, Úbeda X. Post-wildfire management effects on short-term evolution of soil properties (Catalonia, Spain, SW-Europe). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 633:285-292. [PMID: 29574372 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Post-fire management practices after wildfires have an important impact on soil properties. Nevertheless, little research has been carried out. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of different post-wildfire forest management practices in a 10-month period immediately after a severe wildfire on soil properties. Two months after a wildfire, three experimental areas were designed, each one with different post-fire management: Cut and Remove (CR) where burned trunks were cut after fire and removed manually from the area; No Treatment (NT) where no intervention was carried out; and, Cut and Leave (CL) where burned trunks were cut and left randomly on topsoil. In each treatment, we collected nine samples (0-5cm deep). In total, we sampled 27 samples in each sampling date, two and ten months after the wildfire. The properties analyzed were aggregate stability (AS), total nitrogen (TN), soil organic matter (SOM), inorganic carbon (IC), C/N ratio, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), extractable calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na) and potassium (K). Soil C/N ratio was significantly higher in CR and CL treatments 10months after fire comparing to 2months after. On the other hand, pH, extractable Ca, Mg and K were significantly higher in all the treatments 2months after fire than 10months after. Aggregate stability, TN and SOM were significantly higher in CR comparing to CL, 10months after the fire. IC was significantly higher in CL than in NT treatment, also, 10months after the fire. Electrical conductivity was significantly higher in CR and CL treatments 2months after fire comparing to 10months after. According to the results, CR and CL post-fire management did not differ importantly from the NT scenario, showing that manual wood management does not have detrimental impacts on soil properties compared to mechanical operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Francos
- GRAM (Grup de Recerca Ambiental Mediterrània), Department of Geography, University of Barcelona, Montalegre, 6, 08001, Barcelona.
| | - Paulo Pereira
- Environmental Management Centre, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Meritxell Alcañiz
- GRAM (Grup de Recerca Ambiental Mediterrània), Department of Geography, University of Barcelona, Montalegre, 6, 08001, Barcelona
| | - Xavier Úbeda
- GRAM (Grup de Recerca Ambiental Mediterrània), Department of Geography, University of Barcelona, Montalegre, 6, 08001, Barcelona
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Leverkus AB, Rey Benayas JM, Castro J. Shifting demographic conflicts across recruitment cohorts in a dynamic post-disturbance landscape. Ecology 2018; 97:2628-2639. [PMID: 27859134 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 06/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Seed dispersal effectiveness, which measures the number of adult plant individuals produced by seed dispersal, is the product of the number of seeds dispersed and the probability a seed produces an adult. Directed dispersal to certain habitat types may enhance some stages of recruitment but disfavor others, generating demographic conflicts in plant ontogeny. We asked whether temporal changes in habitat features may affect the distribution of seedlings recruited from dispersed acorns, and whether this could induce shifts in the life-stage conflicts experienced by successive cohorts of naturally recruited plants. As early successional habitats are characterized by rapid change, we used a burnt pine stand in southern Spain to monitor the recruitment and performance of a major tree species (Quercus ilex) across 7 yr in four types of post-fire habitats. These differed in structure and included patches of unburnt forest and three management alternatives of burnt trees: logging, partial cutting, and nonintervention. Young oaks that resprouted after the fire were mainly located near acorn sources, while new seedlings initially emerged mostly in habitats with standing snags due to habitat selection by European jays, Garrulus glandarius, for dispersal. The dead pines gradually collapsed and attracted less dispersal, so subsequent seedling cohorts mainly recruited within patches of unburnt pines. These live pines enhanced the survival of the oaks located beneath their canopy but greatly reduced their growth as compared to the other post-fire habitats, thus representing a demographic conflict that was absent elsewhere. As a consequence of the directional shift in the habitat where seedlings recruited, successive seedling cohorts experienced a gradual improvement in their likelihood of survival but a reduction in growth. The progressive intensification of this life-stage conflict hinged on the reduction of vertical structures in the habitat with standing burnt pines. Recruitment success thus involved temporal variation in the habitat where recruitment occurred, likely resulting from changes in the direction of seed dispersal, and spatial variation in habitat suitability for seedling establishment and growth. Temporal changes in habitat structure can indirectly change the environment in which recruitment occurs, and consequently seed dispersal effectiveness, by shifting the direction of seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandro B Leverkus
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071, Granada, Spain
| | - José María Rey Benayas
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, UD Ecología, Universidad de Alcalá, Edificio de Ciencias, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Jorge Castro
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071, Granada, Spain
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Post-Fire Salvage Logging Imposes a New Disturbance that Retards Succession: The Case of Bryophyte Communities in a Macaronesian Laurel Forest. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8070252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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11
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Thorn S, Bässler C, Brandl R, Burton PJ, Cahall R, Campbell JL, Castro J, Choi CY, Cobb T, Donato DC, Durska E, Fontaine JB, Gauthier S, Hebert C, Hothorn T, Hutto RL, Lee EJ, Leverkus AB, Lindenmayer DB, Obrist MK, Rost J, Seibold S, Seidl R, Thom D, Waldron K, Wermelinger B, Winter MB, Zmihorski M, Müller J. Impacts of salvage logging on biodiversity: a meta-analysis. J Appl Ecol 2017; 55:279-289. [PMID: 29276308 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Logging to "salvage" economic returns from forests affected by natural disturbances has become increasingly prevalent globally. Despite potential negative effects on biodiversity, salvage logging is often conducted, even in areas otherwise excluded from logging and reserved for nature conservation, inter alia because strategic priorities for post-disturbance management are widely lacking.A review of the existing literature revealed that most studies investigating the effects of salvage logging on biodiversity have been conducted less than 5 years following natural disturbances, and focused on non-saproxylic organisms.A meta-analysis across 24 species groups revealed that salvage logging significantly decreases numbers of species of eight taxonomic groups. Richness of dead wood dependent taxa (i.e. saproxylic organisms) decreased more strongly than richness of non-saproxylic taxa. In contrast, taxonomic groups typically associated with open habitats increased in the number of species after salvage logging.By analysing 134 original species abundance matrices, we demonstrate that salvage logging significantly alters community composition in 7 of 17 species groups, particularly affecting saproxylic assemblages.Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that salvage logging is not consistent with the management objectives of protected areas. Substantial changes, such as the retention of dead wood in naturally disturbed forests, are needed to support biodiversity. Future research should investigate the amount and spatio-temporal distribution of retained dead wood needed to maintain all components of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Thorn
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology (Zoology III), Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | | | - Roland Brandl
- Department of Ecology, Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Philip J Burton
- University of Northern British Columbia, Terrace, BC, Canada
| | - Rebecca Cahall
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - John L Campbell
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Jorge Castro
- Department of Ecology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Chang-Yong Choi
- Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Tyler Cobb
- Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Daniel C Donato
- School of Environmental & Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ewa Durska
- Department of Ecology and Biodiversity, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joseph B Fontaine
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Sylvie Gauthier
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Hebert
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Torsten Hothorn
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Richard L Hutto
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Eun-Jae Lee
- Urban Planning Research Group, Daejeon Sejong Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Alexandro B Leverkus
- Ecology Unit, Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - David B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Martin K Obrist
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Josep Rost
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Food Industries, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, Catalonia, Vic., Spain.,Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany.,Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Chair for Terrestrial Ecology, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Rupert Seidl
- Institute of Silviculture, Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dominik Thom
- Institute of Silviculture, Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kaysandra Waldron
- Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Beat Wermelinger
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Forest Dynamics - Forest Entomology, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | | | - Michal Zmihorski
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jörg Müller
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology (Zoology III), Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Rauhenebrach, Germany.,Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
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12
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Leverkus AB, Castro J. An ecosystem services approach to the ecological effects of salvage logging: valuation of seed dispersal. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:1057-1063. [PMID: 28342237 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Forest disturbances diminish ecosystem services and boost disservices. Because post-disturbance management intends to recover the greatest possible value, selling timber often prevails over other considerations. Ecological research has shown diverse effects of salvage logging, yet such research has focused on the biophysical component of post-disturbance ecosystems and lacks the link with human well-being. Here we bridge that gap under the ecosystem services framework by assessing the impact of post-fire management on a non-timber value. By employing the replacement cost method, we calculated the value of the post-fire natural regeneration of Holm oaks in southern Spain under three post-fire management options by considering the cost of planting instead. The value of this ecosystem service in non-intervention areas doubled that of salvage-logged stands due to the preference for standing dead trees by the main seed disperser. Still, most of the value resulted from the resprouting capacity of oaks. The value of this and other ecosystem services should be added to traditional cost/benefit analyses of post-disturbance management. We thus call for a more holistic approach to salvage logging research, one that explicitly links ecological processes with human well-being through ecosystem services, to better inform decision-makers on the outcomes of post-disturbance management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandro B Leverkus
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jorge Castro
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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13
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14
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Pons P, Rost J. The challenge of conserving biodiversity in harvested burned forests. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:226-228. [PMID: 27336916 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pere Pons
- Departament de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona. Facultat de Ciències, Campus de Montilivi, 17003, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Josep Rost
- Departament de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona. Facultat de Ciències, Campus de Montilivi, 17003, Girona, Catalonia, Spain
- Departament de Biociències, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya, Carrer de la Laura 13, 08500, Vic, Catalonia, Spain
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15
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Knapp EE, Ritchie MW. Response of understory vegetation to salvage logging following a high‐severity wildfire. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eric E. Knapp
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest ServicePacific Southwest Research Station 3644 Avtech Parkway Redding California 96002 USA
| | - Martin W. Ritchie
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest ServicePacific Southwest Research Station 3644 Avtech Parkway Redding California 96002 USA
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16
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Blair DP, McBurney LM, Blanchard W, Banks SC, Lindenmayer DB. Disturbance gradient shows logging affects plant functional groups more than fire. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:2280-2301. [PMID: 27755744 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Revised: 03/06/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the impacts of natural and human disturbances on forest biota is critical for improving forest management. Many studies have examined the separate impacts on fauna and flora of wildfire, conventional logging, and salvage logging, but empirical comparisons across a broad gradient of simultaneous disturbances are lacking. We quantified species richness and frequency of occurrence of vascular plants, and functional group responses, across a gradient of disturbances that occurred concurrently in 2009 in the mountain ash forests of southeastern Australia. Our study encompassed replicated sites in undisturbed forest (~70 yr post fire), forest burned at low severity, forest burned at high severity, unburned forest that was clearcut logged, and forest burned at high severity that was clearcut salvage logged post-fire. All sites were sampled 2 and 3 yr post fire. Mean species richness decreased across the disturbance gradient from 30.1 species/site on low-severity burned sites and 28.9 species/site on high-severity burned sites, to 25.1 species/site on clearcut sites and 21.7 species/site on salvage logged sites. Low-severity burned sites were significantly more species-rich than clearcut sites and salvage logged sites; high-severity burned sites supported greater species richness than salvage logged sites. Specific traits influenced species' sensitivity to disturbance. Resprouting species dominated undisturbed mountain ash forests, but declined significantly across the gradient. Fern and midstory trees decreased significantly in frequency of occurrence across the gradient. Ferns (excluding bracken) decreased from 34% of plants in undisturbed forest to 3% on salvage logged sites. High-severity burned sites supported a greater frequency of occurrence and species richness of midstory trees compared to clearcut and salvage logged sites. Salvage logging supported fewer midstory trees than any other disturbance category, and were distinctly different from clearcut sites. Plant life form groups, including midstory trees, shrubs, and ferns, were dominated by very few species on logged sites. The differences in biotic response across the gradient of natural and human disturbances have significant management implications, particularly the need to reduce mechanical disturbance overall and to leave specific areas with no mechanical disturbance across the cut area during logging operations, to ensure the persistence of resprouting taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Blair
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Lachlan M McBurney
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Wade Blanchard
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Sam C Banks
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - David B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia.
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17
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Leverkus AB, Castro J, Delgado-Capel MJ, Molinas-González C, Pulgar M, Marañón-Jiménez S, Delgado-Huertas A, Querejeta JI. Restoring for the present or restoring for the future: enhanced performance of two sympatric oaks (Quercus ilex
and Quercus pyrenaica
) above the current forest limit. Restor Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandro B. Leverkus
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Granada; E-18071, Granada Spain
| | - Jorge Castro
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Granada; E-18071, Granada Spain
| | - Manuel J. Delgado-Capel
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC-UGR; Unidad de Investigación de Biogeoquímica de Isótopos Estables; E-18100 Granada Spain
| | - Carlos Molinas-González
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias; Universidad de Granada; E-18071, Granada Spain
| | - Manuel Pulgar
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Vegetal y Ecología, Área de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales; Universidad de Jaén; E-23071 Jaén Spain
| | - Sara Marañón-Jiménez
- Department Hydrosystemmodellierung; Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung GmbH-UFZ; Permoserstraße 15 D-04318 Leipzig Germany
| | - Antonio Delgado-Huertas
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC-UGR; Unidad de Investigación de Biogeoquímica de Isótopos Estables; E-18100 Granada Spain
| | - José I. Querejeta
- Departamento de Conservación de Suelo y Agua, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS-CSIC); Campus Universitario de Espinardo; PO Box 164 E-30100 Murcia Spain
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