Effects of lag time in forest restoration and management

Abstract

The increased speed of global change and associated high severity disturbances, in conjunction with the increasing suite of societal expectations on forests, suggest that the timeliness of interventions to encourage the adaptive capacity of ecosystems and to reduce negative impacts in regards to provision of ecosystem services is increasingly relevant. To address this issue, we expand the concept of lag time as used in ecological discussions into a forest management context. In this context, lag times have earlier starting and later ending points and can be separated into different components. These components include the delay till detection, decision making, and implementation, followed by ecological lag time and the time till ecosystem services are provided at acceptable levels. The first three components are influenced by the availability of information, the lack of which can extend lag times. Also, the lengths of components are not simply additive but they interact. For example, treatment preparation due to a quicker detection can lead to shorter decision and implementation lag times. We highlight the benefits of addressing the various components of lag time in forestry operations. Especially when considering adaptive capacity in times of global change, our analysis suggests that all aspects of the forestry sector are challenged to consider how to optimize lag times. Last, we propose that such issues need to be considered with any management action and are especially relevant in discussions whether the best strategy after disturbances or in the light of global change is to adopt a passive approach and let natural ecosystem processes play out on their own or whether active management is better suited to ensure a more rapid and fitting ecosystem response to facilitate the continued provision of ecosystem services.