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Ma F, Wang S, Sang W, Zhang S, Ma K. Spatial Distribution and Sustainable Development of Living Woody and Coarse Woody Debris in Warm-Temperate Deciduous Broadleaved Secondary Forests in China. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:638. [PMID: 38475484 DOI: 10.3390/plants13050638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The investigation into the spatial patterns of living woody (LWD) and coarse woody debris (CWD) in warm-temperate deciduous broadleaved secondary forests serves as a foundational exploration of the mechanisms governing coexistence and mortality in forest ecosystems. The complete spatial randomness null model (CSR) was employed to analyze spatial distribution patterns, with the independent component null model (IC) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) utilized to elucidate spatial correlations and topographic influences. All three models were applied to LWD and CWD across various size classes within a 20-hectare plot in the Dongling Mountains. The study's findings indicate that both LWD and CWD predominantly exhibited aggregated patterns, transitioning to a random distribution as the size class increased. Both increasing abundance and maximum diameter at breast height (DBH) also have a significant influence on the distribution of species. Notably, rare species exhibited higher aggregation compared to common and abundant species. The spatial correlation results between LWD and CWD across various size classes predominantly showed positive correlations and uncorrelated patterns within the sampled plots. CCA analysis further revealed that elevation, convexity, slope, and aspect significantly influenced the spatial patterns of LWD and CWD across different size classes. Within the sample site, trees display a tendency to grow and die in clusters. Biotic factors have a more significant influence on species distribution than abiotic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Shunzhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Weiguo Sang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, #27 Zhongguancun South Avenue, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shuang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Keming Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
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2
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Walden L, Fontaine JB, Ruthrof KX, Matusick G, Harper RJ. Drought then wildfire reveals a compound disturbance in a resprouting forest. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2775. [PMID: 36344448 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The frequency and intensity of forest disturbances, such as drought and fire, are increasing globally, with an increased likelihood of multiple disturbance events occurring in short succession. Disturbances layered over one another may influence the likelihood or intensity of subsequent events (a linked disturbance) or impact response and recovery trajectories (a compound disturbance), with substantial implications for ecological spatiotemporal vulnerability. This study evaluates evidence for disturbance interactions of drought followed by wildfire in a resprouting eucalypt-dominated forest (the Northern Jarrah Forest) in southwestern Australia. Sites were stratified by drought (high, low), from previous modeling and ground validation, and fire severity (high, moderate, unburnt), via remote sensing using the relative difference normalized burn ratio (RdNBR). Evidence of a linked disturbance was assessed via fine fuel consumption and fire severity. Compound disturbance effects were quantified at stand scale (canopy height, quadratic mean diameter, stem density) and stem scale (mortality). There was no evidence of prior drought influencing fine fuel consumption or fire severity and, hence, no evidence of a linked disturbance. However, compound disturbance effects were evident; stands previously affected by drought experienced smaller shifts in canopy height, quadratic mean diameter, and stem density than stands without prior drought impact. At the stem scale, size and fire severity were the strongest determinants of stem survival. Proportional resprouting height was greater in high drought sites than in low drought sites (p < 0.01), meaning, structurally, the low drought stands decreased in height more than the high drought stands. Thus, a legacy of the drought was evident after the wildfire. Although these resprouting eucalypt forests have been regarded as particularly resilient, this study illustrates how multiple disturbances can overwhelm the larger tree component and promote an abundance of smaller stems. We suggest that this is early evidence of a structural destabilization of these forests under a more fire-prone, hotter, and drier future climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis Walden
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
- Soil and Landscape Science, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Joseph B Fontaine
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Katinka X Ruthrof
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia
| | - George Matusick
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Richard J Harper
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
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3
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Ndalila MN, Williamson GJ, Bowman DMJS. Carbon dioxide and particulate emissions from the 2013 Tasmanian firestorm: implications for Australian carbon accounting. CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT 2022; 17:7. [PMID: 35616743 PMCID: PMC9134655 DOI: 10.1186/s13021-022-00207-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uncontrolled wildfires in Australian temperate Eucalyptus forests produce significant smoke emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulates. Emissions from fires in these ecosystems, however, have received less research attention than the fires in North American conifer forests or frequently burned Australian tropical savannas. Here, we use the 2013 Forcett-Dunalley fire that caused the first recorded pyrocumulonimbus event in Tasmania, to understand CO2 and particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions from a severe Eucalyptus forest fire. We investigate the spatial patterns of the two emissions using a fine scale mapping of vegetation and fire severity (50 m resolution), and utilising available emission factors suitable for Australian vegetation types. We compare the results with coarse-scale (28 km resolution) emissions estimates from Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED) to determine the reliability of the global model in emissions estimation. RESULTS The fine scale inventory yielded total CO2 emission of 1.125 ± 0.232 Tg and PM2.5 emission of 0.022 ± 0.006 Tg, representing a loss of 56 t CO2 ha-1 and 1 t PM2.5 ha-1. The CO2 emissions were comparable to GFED estimates, but GFED PM2.5 estimates were lower by a factor of three. This study highlights the reliability of GFED for CO2 but not PM2.5 for estimating emissions from Eucalyptus forest fires. Our fine scale and GFED estimates showed that the Forcett-Dunalley fire produced 30% of 2013 fire carbon emissions in Tasmania, and 26-36% of mean annual fire emissions for the State, representing a significant single source of emissions. CONCLUSIONS Our analyses highlight the need for improved PM2.5 emission factors specific to Australian vegetation, and better characterisation of fuel loads, particularly coarse fuel loads, to quantify wildfire particulate and greenhouse gas emissions more accurately. Current Australian carbon accountancy approach of excluding large wildfires from final GHG accounts likely exaggerates Tasmania's claim to carbon neutrality; we therefore recommend that planned and unplanned emissions are included in the final national and state greenhouse gas accounting to international conventions. Advancing these issues is important given the trajectory of more frequent large fires driven by anthropogenic climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercy N Ndalila
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia.
| | - Grant J Williamson
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - David M J S Bowman
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
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4
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Znidersic E, Watson DM. Acoustic restoration: Using soundscapes to benchmark and fast-track recovery of ecological communities. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1597-1603. [PMID: 35474408 PMCID: PMC9321842 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
We introduce a new approach—acoustic restoration—focusing on the applied utility of soundscapes for restoration, recognising the rich ecological and social values they encapsulate. Broadcasting soundscapes in disturbed areas can accelerate recolonisation of animals and the microbes and propagules they carry; long duration recordings are also ideal sources of data for benchmarking restoration initiatives and evocative engagement tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Znidersic
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David M Watson
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia
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Pringle MJ, Bray SG, Carter JO. Modelling the disappearance of coarse woody debris, following a land clearing event. CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT 2021; 16:36. [PMID: 34874511 PMCID: PMC8650528 DOI: 10.1186/s13021-021-00199-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Land clearing generates coarse woody debris (CWD), much of which ultimately becomes atmospheric CO2. Schemes for greenhouse gas accounting must consider the contribution from land clearing, but the timing of the contribution will have large uncertainty, due to a paucity of knowledge about the rate of CWD disappearance. To better understand above-ground CWD disappearance following a land clearing event-through the actions of microorganisms, invertebrates, wildfire, or deliberate burning-we combined statistical modelling with an archive of semi-quantitative observations (units of CWD %), made within Queensland, Australia. RESULTS Using a generalised additive mixed-effects model (median absolute error = 14.7%), we found that CWD disappearance was strongly influenced by the: (i) number of years elapsed since clearing; (ii) clearing method; (iii) bioregion (effectively a climate-by-tree species interaction); and (iv) the number of times burned. Years-since-clearing had a strongly non-linear effect on the rate of CWD disappearance. The data suggested that disappearance was reverse-sigmoidal, with little change in CWD apparent for the first three years after clearing. In typical conditions for Queensland, the model predicted that it will take 38 years for 95% of CWD to disappear, following a land clearing event; however, accounting for uncertainty in the data and model, this value could be as few as 5 years, or > 100 years. In contrast, due to an assumption about the propensity of land managers to burn CWD, the official method used to assess Australia's greenhouse gas emissions predicted that 95% of CWD will disappear in < 1 year. CONCLUSIONS In Queensland, the CWD generated by land clearing typically takes 38 years to disappear. This ultimately implies that a key assumption of Australia's official greenhouse gas reporting-i.e. that 98% of CWD is burned soon after a clearing event-does not adequately account for delayed CO2 emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Pringle
- Department of Environment and Science, GPO Box 2454, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia.
| | - Steven G Bray
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, GPO Box 267, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia
| | - John O Carter
- Department of Environment and Science, GPO Box 2454, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia
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6
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Neumann M, Turner J, Lewis T, McCaw L, Cook G, Adams MA. Dynamics of necromass in woody Australian ecosystems. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Neumann
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology Swinburne University of Technology Melbourne Victoria 3122 Australia
- Institute of Silviculture University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna 1190 Austria
| | - John Turner
- Forsci Pty Beecroft New South Wales 2119 Australia
| | - Tom Lewis
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Sippy Downs Queensland 4556 Australia
| | - Lachie McCaw
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Manjimup Western Australia 6258 Australia
| | - Gary Cook
- CSIRO Land and Water Darwin Northern Territory 0828 Australia
| | - Mark A. Adams
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology Swinburne University of Technology Melbourne Victoria 3122 Australia
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Neumann M, Lawes MJ. Quantifying carbon in tree bark: The importance of bark morphology and tree size. Methods Ecol Evol 2021; 12:646-654. [PMID: 33889377 PMCID: PMC8048897 DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Bark contributes approximately 20% to the total above-ground biomass of trees, yet bark is not properly accounted for when estimating carbon sequestered by trees. Current allometric functions estimate tree volume from diameter measured over the bark, and derive bark density and carbon content from estimates for wood. As the bark density of hardwood species is 40%-50% lower than the wood density, but nearly equivalent in conifers, bark carbon is overestimated for most species. The latter is further exacerbated by variation in bark volume with bark surface morphology.Fissured bark volume is overestimated by diameter over bark measurements by up to 40%. The vacant space in fissures can be accounted for by a bark fissure index (BFI). We calculate bark carbon for Australian species from a non-destructive and effective BFI using bark thickness measured in the field.Bark volume, and in turn bark carbon, scaled inversely with tree size (diameter) so that bark volume comprised 42% of small trees (10 cm diameter at breast height, DBH) but 23% of large trees (50 cm DBH). Our BFI method using a bark thickness gauge (BGM) yielded similar results than using the less time-efficient contour gauge method (CM) to estimate BFI (bias BGM-CM -1.3%, non-significant at p = 0.72). Both BGM and CM had an error of <4% compared to digitized BFI from destructive sampled stem disks. An average of 15 bark gauge measurements per tree estimated bark thickness (and inconsequence BFI) for both fissured and unfissured bark with <20% error relative to the exact value.Using the bark gauge method, BFI can be rapidly measured from large numbers of trees needed for estimating bark carbon at the community level and modelling carbon uptake, storage and cycling in woody biomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Neumann
- Department of Chemistry and BiotechnologyFaculty of Science, Engineering and TechnologySwinburne University of TechnologyHawthornVic.Australia
- Institute of SilvicultureUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Michael J. Lawes
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalScottsvilleSouth Africa
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8
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Implications of Selective Harvesting of Natural Forests for Forest Product Recovery and Forest Carbon Emissions: Cases from Tarai Nepal and Queensland Australia. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10080693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Selective logging is one of the main natural forest harvesting approaches worldwide and contributes nearly 15% of global timber needs. However, there are increasing concerns that ongoing selective logging practices have led to decreased forest product supply, increased forest degradation, and contributed to forest based carbon emissions. Taking cases of natural forest harvesting practices from the Tarai region of Nepal and Queensland Australia, this study assesses forest product recovery and associated carbon emissions along the timber production chain. Field measurements and product flow analysis of 127 commercially harvested trees up to the exit gate of sawmills and interaction with sawmill owners and forest managers reveal that: (1) Queensland selective logging has less volume recovery (52.8%) compared to Nepal (94.5%) leaving significant utilizable volume in the forest, (2) Stump volume represents 5.5% of total timber volume in Nepal and 3.9% in Queensland with an average stump height of 43.3 cm and 40.1 cm in Nepal and Queensland respectively, (3) Average sawn timber output from the harvested logs is 36.3% in Queensland against 61% in Nepal, (4) Nepal and Queensland leave 0.186 Mg C m−3 and 0.718 Mg C m−3 on the forest floor respectively, (5) Each harvested tree damages an average of five plant species in Nepal and four in Queensland predominantly seedlings in both sites, and (6) Overall logging related total emissions in Queensland are more than double (1.099 Mg C m−3) those in Nepal (0.488 Mg C m−3). We compared these results with past studies and speculated on possible reasons for and potential implications of these results for sustainable forest management and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
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9
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Galen LG, Jordan GJ, Baker SC. Relationships between coarse woody debris habitat quality and forest maturity attributes. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Laura G. Galen
- Plant Science, School of Natural Sciences University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
- ARC Centre for Forest Value University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
- Department of Botany University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand
| | - Gregory J. Jordan
- Plant Science, School of Natural Sciences University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - Susan C. Baker
- Plant Science, School of Natural Sciences University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
- ARC Centre for Forest Value University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
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10
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Eliott M, Lawson S, Hayes A, Debuse V, York A, Lewis T. The response of cerambycid beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to long-term fire frequency regimes in subtropical eucalypt forest. AUSTRAL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martyn Eliott
- School of Science; Faculty of Science, Health, Education & Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast; 90 Sippy Downs Dr Sippy Downs Queensland 4556 Australia
| | - Simon Lawson
- Forest Industries Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast; Sippy Downs Queensland Australia
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Forest Industries Research Centre; Ecosciences Precinct; Dutton Park Queensland Australia
| | - Andrew Hayes
- Forest Industries Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast; Sippy Downs Queensland Australia
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Forest Industries Research Centre; Ecosciences Precinct; Dutton Park Queensland Australia
| | - Valerie Debuse
- Forest Industries Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast; Sippy Downs Queensland Australia
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Forest Industries Research Centre; Ecosciences Precinct; Dutton Park Queensland Australia
| | - Alan York
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences; University of Melbourne; Creswick Victoria Australia
| | - Tom Lewis
- School of Science; Faculty of Science, Health, Education & Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast; 90 Sippy Downs Dr Sippy Downs Queensland 4556 Australia
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Forest Industries Research Centre; Ecosciences Precinct; Dutton Park Queensland Australia
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11
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Threlfall CG, Law BS, Peacock RJ. Benchmarks and predictors of coarse woody debris in native forests of eastern Australia. AUSTRAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Caragh G. Threlfall
- Forest Science Unit; NSW Department of Primary Industries; Locked Bag 5123 Parramatta 2124 New South Wales Australia
- School of Ecosystem & Forest Sciences; Faculty of Science; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Bradley S. Law
- Forest Science Unit; NSW Department of Primary Industries; Locked Bag 5123 Parramatta 2124 New South Wales Australia
| | - Ross J. Peacock
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney New South Wales Australia
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12
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Volkova L, Meyer CPM, Haverd V, Weston CJ. A data - Model fusion methodology for mapping bushfire fuels for smoke emissions forecasting in forested landscapes of south-eastern Australia. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 222:21-29. [PMID: 29800860 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.05.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The increasing regional and global impact of wildfires on the environment, and particularly on the human population, is becoming a focus of the research community. Both fire behaviour and smoke dispersion models are now underpinning strategic and tactical fire management by many government agencies and therefore model accuracy at regional and local scales is increasingly important. This demands accuracy of all the components of the model systems, biomass fuel loads being among the more significant. Validation of spatial fuels maps at a regional scale is uncommon; in part due to the limited availability of independent observations of fuel loads, and in part due to a focus on the impact of model outputs. In this study we evaluate two approaches for estimating fuel loads at a regional scale and test their accuracy against an extensive set of field observations for the State of Victoria, Australia. The first approach, which assumes that fuel accumulation is an attribute of the vegetation class, was developed for the fire behaviour model Phoenix Rapid-Fire, with apparent success; the second approach applies the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange (CABLE) process-based terrestrial biosphere model, implemented at high resolution across the Australian continent. We show that while neither model is accurate over the full range of fine and coarse fuel loads, CABLE biases can be corrected for the full regional domain with a single linear correction, however the classification based Phoenix requires a matrix of factors to correct its bias. We conclude that these examples illustrate that the benefits of simplicity and resolution inherent in classification-based models do not compensate for their lack of accuracy, and that lower resolution but inherently more accurate carbon-cycle models may be preferable for estimating fuel loads for input into smoke dispersion models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liubov Volkova
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Creswick, Victoria, 3363, Australia.
| | - C P Mick Meyer
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Creswick, Victoria, 3363, Australia; CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia
| | - Vanessa Haverd
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Christopher J Weston
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Creswick, Victoria, 3363, Australia
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13
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Gordon CE, Bendall ER, Stares MG, Collins L, Bradstock RA. Aboveground carbon sequestration in dry temperate forests varies with climate not fire regime. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:4280-4292. [PMID: 29855108 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The storage of carbon in plant tissues and debris has been proposed as a method to offset anthropogenic increases in atmospheric [CO2 ]. Temperate forests represent significant above-ground carbon (AGC) "sinks" because their relatively fast growth and slow decay rates optimise carbon assimilation. Fire is a common disturbance event in temperate forests globally that should strongly influence AGC because: discrete fires consume above-ground biomass releasing carbon to the atmosphere, and the long-term application of different fire-regimes select for specific plant communities that sequester carbon at different rates. We investigated the latter process by quantifying AGC storage at 104 sites in the Sydney Basin Bioregion, Australia, relative to differences in components of the fire regime: frequency, severity and interfire interval. To predict the potential impacts of future climate change on fire/AGC interactions, we stratified our field sites across gradients of mean annual temperature and precipitation and quantified within- and between-factor interactions between the fire and climate variables. In agreement with previous studies, large trees were the primary AGC sink, accounting for ~70% of carbon at sites. Generalised additive models showed that mean annual temperature was the strongest predictor of AGC storage, with a 54% near-linear decrease predicted across the 6.1°C temperature range experienced at sites. Mean annual precipitation, fire frequency, fire severity and interfire interval were consistently poor predictors of total above-ground storage, although there were some significant relationships with component stocks. Our results show resilience of AGC to frequent and severe wildfire and suggest temperature mediated decreases in forest carbon storage under future climate change predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Gordon
- Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Eli R Bendall
- Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Mitchell G Stares
- Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Luke Collins
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., Australia
- Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia
- Research Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic., Australia
| | - Ross A Bradstock
- Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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14
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Seasonal Dynamics of Litterfall in a Sub-Alpine Spruce-Fir Forest on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau: Allometric Scaling Relationships Based on One Year of Observations. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8090314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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15
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Ganey JL, Ganey JL, Vojta SC. Comparative Trends in Log Populations in Northern Arizona Mixed-Conifer and Ponderosa Pine Forests Following Severe Drought. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2017. [DOI: 10.3398/064.077.0302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph L. Ganey
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ
| | - Joseph L. Ganey
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ
| | - Scott C. Vojta
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Flagstaff, AZ
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16
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Look Down to See What’s Up: A Systematic Overview of Treefall Dynamics in Forests. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8040123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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17
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Reside AE, Beher J, Cosgrove AJ, Evans MC, Seabrook L, Silcock JL, Wenger AS, Maron M. Ecological consequences of land clearing and policy reform in Queensland. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/pc17001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Land clearing threatens biodiversity, impairs the functioning of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, and is a key contributor to human-induced climate change. The rates of land clearing in the State of Queensland, Australia, are at globally significant levels, and have been the subject of intense and polarised political debate. In 2016, a legislative bill that aimed to restore stronger controls over land clearing failed to pass in the Queensland Parliament, despite the clear scientific basis for policy reform. Here, we provide a short history of the recent policy debate over land clearing in Queensland, in the context of its global and national ecological significance. Land clearing affects regional climates, leading to hotter, drier climates that will impact on the Queensland economy and local communities. Loss of habitat from land clearing is a key threatening process for many endangered animals and plants. Runoff from land clearing results in sediment and nutrient enrichment, which threatens the health of the Great Barrier Reef. Australia has made national and international commitments to conserve biodiversity and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, but current land clearing policies are not consistent with these commitments. Stronger regulation is needed to reduce vegetation loss, such as target-based regulation, which sets a cap on land clearing and could effectively halt vegetation loss over the long term. Lasting policy reform is required, and we recommend an effective policy mix that restricts clearing, provides economic opportunities for vegetation retention, and informs the Australian community about the value of native vegetation.
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Vanguelova EI, Bonifacio E, De Vos B, Hoosbeek MR, Berger TW, Vesterdal L, Armolaitis K, Celi L, Dinca L, Kjønaas OJ, Pavlenda P, Pumpanen J, Püttsepp Ü, Reidy B, Simončič P, Tobin B, Zhiyanski M. Sources of errors and uncertainties in the assessment of forest soil carbon stocks at different scales-review and recommendations. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2016; 188:630. [PMID: 27770347 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-016-5608-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Spatially explicit knowledge of recent and past soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in forests will improve our understanding of the effect of human- and non-human-induced changes on forest C fluxes. For SOC accounting, a minimum detectable difference must be defined in order to adequately determine temporal changes and spatial differences in SOC. This requires sufficiently detailed data to predict SOC stocks at appropriate scales within the required accuracy so that only significant changes are accounted for. When designing sampling campaigns, taking into account factors influencing SOC spatial and temporal distribution (such as soil type, topography, climate and vegetation) are needed to optimise sampling depths and numbers of samples, thereby ensuring that samples accurately reflect the distribution of SOC at a site. Furthermore, the appropriate scales related to the research question need to be defined: profile, plot, forests, catchment, national or wider. Scaling up SOC stocks from point sample to landscape unit is challenging, and thus requires reliable baseline data. Knowledge of the associated uncertainties related to SOC measures at each particular scale and how to reduce them is crucial for assessing SOC stocks with the highest possible accuracy at each scale. This review identifies where potential sources of errors and uncertainties related to forest SOC stock estimation occur at five different scales-sample, profile, plot, landscape/regional and European. Recommendations are also provided on how to reduce forest SOC uncertainties and increase efficiency of SOC assessment at each scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- E I Vanguelova
- Centre for Ecosystems, Society and Biosecurity, Forest Research, Alice Holt Lodge, Farnham, GU10 4LH, UK.
| | - E Bonifacio
- DISAFA, Chimica Agraria e Pedologia, University of Torino, Via P. Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, TO, Italy
| | - B De Vos
- Environment & Climate Unit, Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Gaverstraat 4, 9500, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
| | - M R Hoosbeek
- Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - T W Berger
- Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Live Sciences (BOKU), Peter Jordan-Strasse 82, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - L Vesterdal
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, DK-1958, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - K Armolaitis
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepu 1, Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas distr, Lithuania
| | - L Celi
- DISAFA, Chimica Agraria e Pedologia, University of Torino, Via P. Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, TO, Italy
| | - L Dinca
- National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry "Marin Dracea", Brasov, Romania
| | - O J Kjønaas
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Pb 115, NO-1431, Ås, Norway
| | - P Pavlenda
- National Forest Centre - Forest Research Institute, T.G. Masaryka 22, 962 92, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - J Pumpanen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ü Püttsepp
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - B Reidy
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - P Simončič
- Forest Ecology Department, Slovenian Foresty Institute, Vecna pot 2, SI 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - B Tobin
- UCD Forestry, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - M Zhiyanski
- Forest Research Institute - BAS 132, "Kl. Ohridski" Blvd., 1756, Sofia, Bulgaria
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Szymañski C, Fontana G, Sanguinetti J. Natural and anthropogenic influences on coarse woody debris stocks in Nothofagus- Araucariaforests of northern Patagonia, Argentina. AUSTRAL ECOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Szymañski
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Mendoza Argentina
| | - Gisela Fontana
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Mendoza Argentina
| | - Javier Sanguinetti
- Parque Nacional Lanín; Administración de Parques Nacionales; Perito Moreno y Elordi 8371 San Martín de los Andes Argentina
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Macdonald BCT, Gillen J, Tuomi S, Newport J, Barton PS, Manning AD. Can Coarse Woody Debris Be Used for Carbon Storage in Open Grazed Woodlands? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2015; 44:1210-1215. [PMID: 26437102 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2014.10.0445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Carbon dioxide off-setting policy in the agricultural sector is focused on manipulating the terrestrial carbon cycle by reafforestation and increasing the retention of carbon within agricultural soils. We quantified the amount of carbon stored in the living and dead biomass and the surface soils of a previously grazed woodland ecosystem. We demonstrate that modification of coarse woody debris management could potentially store 8 to 15 t C ha. This large carbon pool raises the prospect that appropriate management of temperate woodlands to retain coarse woody debris and increase its volume into the future could achieve increased landscape carbon storage.
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Prior LD, Paul KI, Davidson NJ, Hovenden MJ, Nichols SC, Bowman DJMS. Evaluating carbon storage in restoration plantings in the Tasmanian Midlands, a highly modified agricultural landscape. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/rj15070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In recent years there have been incentives to reforest cleared farmland in southern Australia to establish carbon sinks, but the rates of carbon sequestration by such plantings are uncertain at local scales. We used a chronosequence of 21 restoration plantings aged from 6 to 34 years old to measure how above- and belowground carbon relates to the age of the planting. We also compared the amount of carbon in these plantings with that in nearby remnant forest and in adjacent cleared pasture. In terms of total carbon storage in biomass, coarse woody debris and soil, young restoration plantings contained on average much less biomass carbon than the remnant forest (72 versus 203 Mg C ha–1), suggesting that restoration plantings had not yet attained maximum biomass carbon. Mean biomass carbon accumulation during the first 34 years after planting was estimated as 4.2 ± 0.6 Mg C ha–1 year–1, with the 10th and 90th quantile regression estimates being 2.1 and 8.8 Mg C ha–1 year–1. There were no significant differences in soil organic carbon (0–30-cm depth) between the plantings, remnant forest and pasture, with all values in the range of 59–67 Mg ha–1. This is in line with other studies showing that soil carbon is slow to respond to changes in land use. Based on our measured rates of biomass carbon accumulation, it would require ~50 years to accumulate the average carbon content of remnant forests. However, it is more realistic to assume the rates will slow with time, and it could take over 100 years to attain a new equilibrium of biomass carbon stocks.
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Aponte C, Tolhurst KG, Bennett LT. Repeated prescribed fires decrease stocks and change attributes of coarse woody debris in a temperate eucalypt forest. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014; 24:976-989. [PMID: 25154091 DOI: 10.1890/13-1426.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have found negligible effects of single prescribed fires on coarse woody debris (CWD), but the cumulative effects of repeated low-intensity prescribed fires are unknown. This represents a knowledge gap for environmental management because repeated prescribed fires are a key tool for mitigating wildfire risk, and because CWD is recognized as critical to forest biodiversity and functioning. We examined the effects of repeated low-intensity prescribed fires on the attributes and stocks of (fallen) CWD in a mixed-species eucalypt forest of temperate Australia. Prescribed fire treatments were a factorial combination of two seasons (Autumn, Spring) and two frequencies (three yearly High, 10 yearly Low), were replicated over five study areas, and involved two to seven low-intensity fires over 27 years. Charring due to prescribed fires variously changed carbon and nitrogen concentrations and C to N ratios of CWD pieces depending on decay class, but did not affect mean wood density. CWD biomass and C and N stocks were significantly less in Fire than Control treatments. Decreases in total CWD C stocks of -8 Mg/ha in Fire treatments were not balanced by minor increases in pyrogenic (char) C (-0.3 Mg/ha). Effects of prescribed fire frequency and season included significantly less C and N stocks in rotten CWD in High than Low frequency treatments, and in the largest CWD pieces in Autumn than Spring treatments. Our study demonstrates that repeated low-intensity prescribed fires have the potential to significantly decrease CWD stocks, in pieces of all sizes and particularly decayed pieces, and to change CWD chemical attributes. CWD is at best a minor stock of pyrogenic C under such fire regimes. These findings suggest a potential trade-off in the management of temperate eucalypt forests between sustained reduction of wildfire risk, and the consequences of decreased CWD C stocks, and of changes in CWD as a habitat and biogeochemical substrate. Nonetheless, negative impacts on CWD of repeated low-intensity prescribed fires could be lessened by fire intervals of 10 rather than three years (to decrease losses of decayed CWD), and fires in moist rather than dry conditions (to conserve large CWD).
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Gonzalez-Polo M, Fernández-Souto A, Austin AT. Coarse Woody Debris Stimulates Soil Enzymatic Activity and Litter Decomposition in an Old-Growth Temperate Forest of Patagonia, Argentina. Ecosystems 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-013-9665-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Vázquez DP, Alvarez JA, Debandi G, Aranibar JN, Villagra PE. Ecological consequences of dead wood extraction in an arid ecosystem. Basic Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2011.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Crossland M, Brown G, Shine R. The enduring toxicity of road-killed cane toads (Rhinella marina). Biol Invasions 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-011-0031-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Gates GM, Mohammed C, Wardlaw T, Ratkowsky DA, Davidson NJ. The ecology and diversity of wood-inhabiting macrofungi in a native Eucalyptus obliqua forest of southern Tasmania, Australia. FUNGAL ECOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2010.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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KILLEY PAUL, MCELHINNY CHRIS, RAYNER IAN, WOOD JEFF. Modelling fallen branch volumes in a temperate eucalypt woodland: implications for large senescent trees and benchmark loads of coarse woody debris. AUSTRAL ECOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02107.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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EYRE TERESAJ, MARON MARTINE, MATHIESON MICHAELT, HASELER MURRAY. Impacts of grazing, selective logging and hyper-aggressors on diurnal bird fauna in intact forest landscapes of the Brigalow Belt, Queensland. AUSTRAL ECOL 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.01979.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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30
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Longer-term responses of a floodplain-dwelling marsupial to experimental manipulation of fallen timber loads. Basic Appl Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2007.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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31
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Kim RH, Son Y, Lim JH, Lee IK, Seo KW, Koo JW, Noh NJ, Ryu SR, Hong SK, Ihm BS. Coarse woody debris mass and nutrients in forest ecosystems of Korea. Ecol Res 2006. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-006-0034-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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