Abstract
BackgroundSustainable forest management (SFM), which has been recently introduced to tropical natural production forests, is beneficial in maintaining timber resources, but information about the co-benefits for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration is currently lacking.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe estimated the diversity of medium to large-bodied forest-dwelling vertebrates using a heat-sensor camera trapping system and the amount of above-ground, fine-roots, and soil organic carbon by a combination of ground surveys and aerial-imagery interpretations. This research was undertaken both in SFM applied as well as conventionally logged production forests in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Our carbon estimation revealed that the application of SFM resulted in a net gain of 54 Mg C ha-1 on a landscape scale. Overall vertebrate diversity was greater in the SFM applied forest than in the conventionally logged forest. Specifically, several vertebrate species (6 out of recorded 36 species) showed higher frequency in the SFM applied forest than in the conventionally logged forest.Conclusions/SignificanceThe application of SFM to degraded natural production forests could result in greater diversity and abundance of vertebrate species as well as increasing carbon storage in the tropical rain forest ecosystems.
Highlights
Selective logging of marketable, large trees has been a major mode of commercial timber production in Southeast Asian tropical rain forests
We demonstrate the effects of Sustainable forest management (SFM) on carbon density in terms of the sum of above-ground, fine roots, and soil organic carbon and the diversity of forest-dwelling medium to large-bodied vertebrate species at a landscape-scale based on a comparison between the two reserves
Carbon density varied from 156636 Mg C ha21 in a low-stocked forest to 427611 Mg C ha21 in a high-stocked forest, corresponding to a highly degraded forest harvested by conventional logging and to a pristine forest, respectively
Summary
Large trees has been a major mode of commercial timber production in Southeast Asian tropical rain forests. Tropical rain forests, designated to permanently produce timber with the application of such selective logging, are called ‘‘production forests’’ and occupy a large chunk of the tropical landscapes [1]. Logging intensity by selective logging encompasses the amount of both harvested timber as well as collateral mechanical damages to residual stands. Comprehensive approaches to reduce harvesting intensity of selective logging (both in terms of harvested amount and collateral damages) determine the fate of the dynamics of production forests on a regional scale. Sustainable forest management (SFM), which has been recently introduced to tropical natural production forests, is beneficial in maintaining timber resources, but information about the co-benefits for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration is currently lacking
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