ЕКОЗБАЛАНСОВАНЕ ГОСПОДАРЮВАННЯ У СМУЗІ ДУБОВИХ І БУКОВИХ ЛІСІВ ЗАКАРПАТТЯ

Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015: What, why and how?

Climate change is altering disturbance regimes and recovery rates of forests globally. The future of these forests will depend on how climate change interacts with management activities. Forest managers are in critical need of strategies to manage the effects of climate change. We co‐designed forest management scenarios with forest managers and stakeholders in the Klamath ecoregion of Oregon and California, a seasonally dry forest in the Western US subject to fire disturbances. The resultant scenarios span a broad range of forest and fire management strategies. Using a mechanistic forest landscape model, we simulated the scenarios as they interacted with forest growth, succession, wildfire disturbances and climate change. We analysed the simulations to (a) understand how scenarios affected the fire regime and (b) estimate how each scenario altered potential forest composition. Within the simulation timeframe (85 years), the scenarios had a large influence on fire regimes, with fire rotation periods ranging from 60 years in a minimal management scenario to 180 years with an industrial forestry style management scenario. Regardless of management strategy, mega‐fires (>100,000 ha) are expected to increase in frequency, driven by stronger climate forcing and extreme fire weather. High elevation conifers declined across all climate and management scenarios, reflecting an imbalance between forest types, climate and disturbance. At lower elevations (<1,800 m), most scenarios maintained forest cover levels; however, the minimal intervention scenario triggered 5 × 105 ha of mixed conifer loss by the end of the century in favour of shrublands, whereas the maximal intervention scenario added an equivalent amount of mixed conifer. Policy implications. Forest management scenarios that expand beyond current policies—including privatization and aggressive climate adaptation—can strongly influence forest trajectories despite a climate‐enhanced fire regime. Forest management can alter forest trajectories by increasing the pace and scale of actions taken, such as fuel reduction treatments, or by limiting other actions, such as fire suppression.

A Macrozone is a socioecological region with shared geographic and demographic characteristics. Within the Chilean Austral Macrozone (43° to 56° SL), the native temperate forests serve as a crucial resource, offering multiple ecosystem services to local communities. These forests significantly support animal husbandry practices involving cattle, horses and sheep. However, introducing these exotic species affects natural regeneration and compromises their long-term sustainability. This study proposes a new classification of the temperate forests in the Chilean Austral Macrozone based on structure parameters and determine their relationships with animal husbandry and natural regeneration. Data were obtained from Chile's National Forest Inventory (NFI) (2001–2010), including 195 inventory plots (500 m2) with 21 tree species. We redefined the forest categories described in NFI according to the proportional basal area of each tree species at each plot. We used two levels of analysis: forest composition (Level 1), which includes general categories such as mono-specific (dominated by a single tree species), bi-specific (dominated by two tree species), and multi-specific forests (dominated by multiple tree species), and forest type (Level 2), which includes specific species (e.g., Nothofagus pumilio) or species groups (e.g., N. pumilio - N. dombeyi) with economic relevance. We evaluated the data using univariate and multivariate analyses. We found 18 forest types in the Austral Macrozone, in contrast to the three traditionally recognized forest types used in the NFI (e.g., lenga, evergreen, coihue de Magallanes). Livestock was observed in all forest types, where Nothofagus forests showed that regeneration in N. antarctica and N. pumilio were higher with livestock than without livestock breeding (Hedges' g > 0.51). The natural regeneration of the studied forests was influenced by animal husbandry, environmental variables (bioclimatic and topographic factors), and forest structure. Our data suggested the importance of using more forest types than the three classics to generate tools or recommendations that are more focused on the particularities of each one. The classification must be based on forest parameters obtained during NFI. The proposed forest type classification reflects the complexity and richness of the forests in a better way, which could improve forest management and the development of public policies related to climate change and sustainability. Finally, although livestock pressure was observed in all forest types, the impact over some areas (e.g., N. antarctica) needs special attention in the forest management and conservation planning for the Chilean Austral Macrozone.

A framework for identifying carbon hotspots and forest management drivers

Forest management in the Czech Republic (CR) was not shaped in the environment of natural forests but in the territory that was influenced by unregulated felling and animal grazing for a long time. Hence the fear for sustainable and balanced benefits from forests endangered by long-term uncontrolled exploitation was legitimate. Almost after three centuries of application of the sustainability principle, forests are considered not only as a source of renewable wood raw material but also as a tool of the environment formation. Mountain forests are an important landscape component of this country. They are an object of specific importance from the aspect of natural environment conservation, stabilization of natural processes and general landscape homeostasis. In addition, they fulfil a number of production and non-production functions. Cardinal elements of sustainable forest management in the CR conditions are as follows: management of the forest as an ecosystem, i.e. transition from exclusive care of forest tree species and their stands to care of the whole forest ecosystems; restructuring (conversion, reconstruction) of damaged and declining forests; optimum (species, genetic, spatial, age) structure of forest ecosystems differentiated according to site conditions and management targets; differentiated transition from general management to group or individual methods; utilization and support of spontaneous processes such as natural regeneration, competition and other principles of self-regulation. The above cardinal elements of sustainable forest management are applicable to forests of the CR in general, but their importance considerably increases in mountain forests where many species survive on the margin of subsistence. Moreover, mountain forests of CR have been heavily destroyed by anthropogenic factors, especially air-pollution ecological stresses, during the last three or four decades.

This paper discusses an ongoing effort to develop new geospatial information products for aiding coastal forest restoration and conservation efforts in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi. This project employs Landsat, Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data in conjunction with airborne elevation data to compute coastal forest cover type maps and change detection products. Improved forest mapping products are needed to aid coastal forest restoration and management efforts of State and Federal agencies in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) region. In particular, such products may aid coastal forest land acquisition and conservation easement procurements. This region's forests are often disturbed and subjected to multiple biotic and abiotic threats, including subsidence, salt water intrusion, hurricanes, sea-level rise, insect-induced defoliation and mortality, altered hydrology, wildfire, and conversion to non-forest land use. In some cases, such forest disturbance has led to forest loss or loss of regeneration capacity. In response, a case study was conducted to assess and demonstrate the potential of satellite remote sensing products for improving forest type maps and for assessing forest change over the last 25 years. Change detection products are needed for assessing risks for specific priority coastal forest types, such as live oak and baldcypress-dominated forest. Preliminary results indicate Landsat time series data are capable of generating the needed forest type and change detection products. Useful classifications were obtained using 2 strategies: 1) general forest classification based on use of 3 seasons of Landsat data from the same year; and 2) classification of specific forest types of concern using a single date of Landsat data in which a given targeted type is spectrally distinct compared to adjacent forested cover. When available, ASTER data was useful as a complement to Landsat data. Elevation data helped to define areas in which targeted forest types occur, such as live oak forests on natural levees. MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index time series data aided visual assessments of coastal forest damage and recovery from hurricanes. Landsat change detection products enabled change to be identified at the stand level and at 10-year intervals with the earliest date preceding available change detection products from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and from the U.S. Geological Survey. Additional work is being done in collaboration with State and Federal agency partners in a follow-on NASA ROSES project to refine and validate these new, promising products. The products from the ROSES project will be available for aiding NGOM coastal forest restoration and conservation.

Introduction: The unsustainable utilization of forest resources in Nigeria has led to deforestation, biodiversity loss. And climate change impacts, posing sustainability and socio-economic implications, and propose strategic interventions for sustainable forest management. Utilizing theoretical frameworks in ecological economics and sustainable development, the research explores the complex dynamics between forest resources exploitation and environmental degradation. The findings highlight the need for a multi-stakeholder approach, incorporating policy reforms, community-based resources management, and the promotion of alternative livelihoods to ensure sustainable forest utilization. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on forest resource management in developing economies and offers actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders. Purpose: The primary aim of this study is to address the challenges of unsustainable forest resource utilization in Nigeria by identifying root causes, evaluating impacts, and proposing sustainable strategies to mitigate environmental and socio-economic consequences. Method: The study employs a mixed-methods approach by adopting the doctrinal method on the sources of the law, the interpretation and analysing of relevant statutes, conventions and regulations by way of a critique of existing legal material on the subject of forest resources utilization and development. And assessment of existing forest management policies and their effectiveness in addressing sustainability goals. Implications of Research; The study underscores the importance of adopting holistic, inclusive, and adaptive strategies to address forest resource challenges in Nigeria. Key policy implications include: Strengthening enforcement mechanisms forest conservation laws. Promoting community-based forest management practices. Facilitating alternative livelihoods to reduce dependency on forest exploitation. Encouraging afforestation and reforestation programs to restore degraded ecosystems. Originality/Value: This research provides a novel perspective by integrating ecological economics and sustainability frameworks to analyze forest management challenges in Nigeria. It offers practical and actionable solutions tailored to the unique socio-economic and ecological context of the country. By engaging diverse stakeholders, it ensures that the proposed strategies are inclusive and realistic, enhancing their potential for successful implementation. Conclusion: Unsustainable forest resource utilization in Nigeria poses a significant threat to environmental socio-economic sustainability. This study highlights the critical need for holistic, multi-stakeholders approaches to address the drivers of deforestation and promote sustainable practices. By leveraging community participation, policy reforms, and capacity building, Nigeria can achieve a balance between forest conservation and socio-economic development, ensuring a sustainable future for its forest and communities.

Managing the forest-water nexus for climate change adaptation

Potential climate change impacts on water resources have been extensively assessed in Norway due to substantial changes in climate in the recent decades. However, the combined and isolated effects of forest and forest management have been rarely considered in the climate impact studies in Norway although about 38% of the land area is covered by forest. This study aims to improve hydrological impact projections in forest dominant catchments by considering the effects of forest growth and management and to attribute hydrological changes to climate and forest changes. The eco-hydrological model SWIM (Soil and Water Integrated Model) was applied to simulate hydrological processes and extremes for two micro-scale, two meso-scale and two macro-scale catchments, accounting for the effects of spatial scale. The climate projections were generated by three EURO-CORDEX (Coordinated Downscaling Experiment for the European domain) regional climate models (RCMs) for two RCPs (Representative Concentration Pathways, RCP2.6 and RCP4.5) and were bias corrected using the quantile-mapping method. Forest development over time was simulated as a function of climate determining growth and SSP-dependent harvest levels determining wood outtake. The simulations were initialized with the forest status of the year 2020 and different forest types are distinguished according to structural characteristics represented by three key parameters: leaf area index, mean tree height and surface albedo. Preliminary simulation results show that there are minor changes (within ±5%) in hydrological processes under the combinations of the climate and forest scenarios for these catchments. Climate change is the major driver of hydrological change at the catchment scale whereas forest development mainly influences the spatial distribution of the hydrological fluxes. The results further indicate that forest growth under a warming climate helps to reduce the risk of the floods and drought slightly by reducing surface runoff in wet periods and increasing base flow in dry periods, respectively.

Seedling and sapling spatial patterns are important in community regeneration, and understanding the natural regeneration mechanisms of tree species in relation to spatial patterns will help improve forest management and community restoration efficiency. Based on data from three fixed plots established in birch forests (BF), coniferous and broadleaved mixed forests (CBMF) and coniferous mixed forests (CMF) in the central Greater Khingan Mountains in Heilongjiang Province, China, in 2017, we used the univariate and bivariate O-ring functions of the point pattern analysis method to evaluate the spatial patterns and associations of the main tree species in these three forest types at different development stages and identified the community successional stages according to the interspecific associations between dominant tree species and other tree species. The results showed that Betula platyphylla and Larix gmelinii in BF exhibited identical spatial distribution patterns and had a tendency to transition from an aggregated to a random distribution from saplings to adult trees, whereas every tree type in CBMF generally showed a random distribution. Adult trees of the main tree species in CMF, i.e., L. gmelinii and Picea koraiensis, mainly showed a random distribution, but P. koraiensis at other size classes generally showed an aggregated distribution. The intraspecific associations of the main tree species in BF and CMF at different development stages were constrained by the spatial scale within a given scope, while those in CBMF at different development stages were not significantly constrained by spatial scale. The results also show that the density of the three forest types was affected by the distance between the individuals of the various tree classes and adult trees, with different levels of influence. We analyzed the interspecific associations between dominant tree species and other tree species and then assessed community succession progress and found that the BF and CMF exhibited medium-term community succession, while the CBMF was in the primary stage. Our results further show that the spatial distribution patterns of the tree species in the small-diameter classes were jointly affected by adjacent habitats and diffusional limitations and that scale dependence existed in the intraspecific and interspecific associations. The analysis of the natural regeneration of spatial distribution and interspecific associations represents an efficient way to explore the stability of forest communities and dynamic changes in interspecific relationships during succession. The study results thus provide a theoretical basis for developing rational forest management measures.

Long-term trends in forest bird populations reflect management changes in Central European forests

Soil animals affect major ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling and soil formation, and thereby play a central role in aboveground - belowground interactions. Soil animal food webs are complex trophic networks comprising a diversity of species and resources. Due to the fact that soil animals are exceptionally diverse and feeding interactions in the soil habitat are obscured from direct observation, the structure and functioning of soil animal food webs are little understood. The present thesis focuses on the composition and trophic ecology of the soil animal food web of Central European forests and the mechanisms responsible for changes with forest management. In the first study (Chapter 2) we analyzed effects of forest type and management on species composition and functional structure of soil animal communities in a replicated design including three different study regions. The results show that the turnover of species between forest sites is primarily driven by regional abiotic factors, such as soil pH, but additionally relates to forest type and management. Soil animal communities of coniferous forests differ most from those of unmanaged beech forests. The analysis of habitat conditions suggests that this is due to increasing disturbance of the microbial decomposer community and decreasing rates of litter decomposition with forest management intensity. However, little changes in functional structure and diversity of soil animal communities with forest type indicate that the architecture of soil animal food webs is buffered against disturbances by forest land use. The second study (Chapter 3) investigated dietary changes of soil animals with forest type and management by analyzing natural variations in stable isotope signatures. The results show that trophic niches of soil animal species are little affected by management of beech forests. However, the signatures suggest that soil animals shift towards utilizing more litter derived nutrients in coniferous forests, with the pattern being consistent across different species and trophic levels. Furthermore, the results indicate that the importance of litter resources for soil animals increases with the thickness of leaf litter layers but is little related to litter C-to-N ratios and concentrations of litter microorganisms. Presumably, thick leaf litter layers hamper the access of soil animals to root derived resources and thereby foster the utilization of leaf litter in coniferous forests. Overall, the results suggest that structural characteristics of organic layers outweigh litter quality as driving factor of soil animal food webs. The third study (Chapter 4) focuses on the trophic ecology of mesostigmatid mites (Mesostigmata) in old-growth beech forests. We investigated natural stable isotope signatures of 40 species common in Central European forests. The results show that the prey spectrum of Mesostigmata comprises mostly secondary decomposers with primary decomposers and intra-guild prey being of little importance. Distinct prey spectra of species suggest that trophic niche differentiation facilitates species richness of this diverse predator group. The signatures furthermore indicate that trophic niches are consistent across different sexes and ontogenetic stages. Presumably, Mesostigmata species heavily rely on bacterial and root feeding nematodes as prey and thereby occupy trophic niches inaccessible to larger sized predators. In contrast to larger predators, the trophic position of Mesostigmata is independent from body size, most likely due to the variable body size of their prey. By uncovering mechanisms responsible for changes in soil animal communities with forest type and details on the trophic ecology of an important predator group, results of this thesis represent major advances in understanding soil animal food webs.

Abstract. Quantifying the effects of forest changes on hydrology in large watersheds is important for designing forest or land management and adaptation strategies for watershed ecosystem sustainability. Minjiang River watershed, located in the upper reach of the Yangtze River basin, plays a strategic role in the environmental protection and economic and social well-being for both the watershed and the entire Yangtze River basin. The watershed lies in the transition zone from Sichuan Basin to Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with a size of 24 000 km2. Due to its strategic significance, severe historic deforestation and high sensitivity to climate change, the watershed has long been recognized as one of the highest priority watersheds in China for scientific research and resource management. The purpose of this review paper is to provide a state-of-the-art summary on what we have learned from several recently completed research programs (one of them known as "973 of the China National Major Fundamental Science" from 2002 to 2008). This summary paper focused on how land cover or forest change affected hydrology at both forest stand and watershed scales in this large watershed. Inclusion of two different spatial scales is useful, because the results from a small spatial scale (e.g. forest stand level) can help interpret the findings on a large spatial scale. Our review suggests that historic forest harvesting or land cover change has caused significant water yield increase due to reduction of forest canopy interception and evapotranspiration caused by removal of forest vegetation on both spatial scales. The impact magnitude caused by forest harvesting indicates that the hydrological effects of forest or land cover changes can be as important as those caused by climate change, while the opposite impact directions suggest their offsetting effects on water yield in the Minjiang River watershed. In addition, different types of forests have different magnitudes of evapotranspiration (ET), with the lowest in old-growth natural coniferous forests (Abies faxoniana Rehd. et Wils.) and the highest in coniferous plantations (e.g. Picea asperata Mast.) among major forest types in the study watershed. This suggests that selection of different types of forests can have an important role in ET and consequently water yield. Our synthesis indicates that future reforestation and climate change would likely produce the hydrological effects in the same direction and thus place double the pressure on water resource as both key drivers may lead to water yield reduction. The findings can support designing management strategies for protection of watershed ecological functions in the context of future land cover and climate changes.

The EU's climate goals depend primarily on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, carbon sequestration by forest ecosystems is an important component in achieving carbon neutrality, but their ability to do so is declining. Between 1990 and 2022, European forests removed about 434 Mt CO2eq yr-1 from the atmosphere, equivalent to about 10% of the EU's total emissions. However, the forest carbon sink has decreased by nearly a third, from an average of  -457Mt CO2eq yr-1  between 2010-2014  to -332 Mt CO2eq yr-1 between 2020-2022. To meet the EU's 2050 climate neutrality goal, the forest sector needs to offset 8% of emissions per year, but it is currently only achieving 6% per year. This is a 2% shortfall, equivalent to the emissions of Latvia and Estonia together.In recent years, significant developments have been made in forest monitoring and modeling and in the understanding of forest ecosystem dynamics. However, scientific and practical challenges still limit the information available for policy decisions. Here, we propose a roadmap for enhanced research and forest management actions for climate adaptation and mitigation from the stand to the continental scale. The aim is to identify forest monitoring and modeling advances needed to inform sustainable policy decisions on forest and land management. This roadmap includes:Short-term (< 3 years): Improving monitoring of forest disturbances types and intensity, tree mortality, and biodiversity using satellite data, ground observations, as well as improving the secure access to private forest data.Medium-term (< 5 years): Understanding how forest management, biodiversity, and climate change affect carbon sinks and forest resilience, in particular the response to climate extremes, and developing long-term projections of the European forest carbon sink (including under worse case scenarios).Long-term (beyond 5 years): Deepening understanding of how management practices affect deadwood and soil organic carbon to guide policies that integrate these factors into broader forest management and climate adaptation strategies.We highlight new research results that can contribute to the goals and support the EU's climate objectives, including achieving climate neutrality by 2050, by providing policymakers with robust and reliable information on forest resources and carbon sink.

Early natural tree regeneration after wildfire in a Central European Scots pine forest: Forest management, fire severity and distance matters