European forest ecosystems: building the future on the legacy of the past

Forest ecosystem research — priorities for Europe

It is well known that biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) guarantee the well-being of human society. Most studies have focused on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function, and less is known about the individual and combined effects of above- and below-ground biodiversity on ecosystem multifunctionality under grazing disturbance. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between plant and soil microbial (bacterial and fungal) diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality under grazing disturbance by using multiple methods to assess ecosystem multifunctionality. We conducted experiments in desert grasslands on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains and compared the relationship between ecosystem multifunctionality and biodiversity assessed by different methods under light grazing and heavy grazing. Our results showed that at the heavy grazing level, ecosystem multifunctionality calculated by the mean method and plant diversity, soil fungal diversity, soil bacterial diversity and soil fertility calculated by the single function method showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05), but grass productivity was significantly increased (p < 0.05). Among them, ecosystem multifunctionality, soil carbon storage function and soil fertility all showed significant positive correlations with plant diversity and soil microbial diversity (p < 0.05). We calculated that ecosystem multifunctionality also essentially showed positive correlation with plant diversity and soil microbial diversity using the multi-threshold method, and the effect curve was approximately a single-peaked curve, first increasing and then decreasing. Finally, we used plant diversity, soil fungal diversity and soil bacterial diversity under grazing disturbance as biotic factors and soil pH as an abiotic factor to construct structural equation models, and we found that grazing can have direct effects on ecosystem multifunctionality and indirect effects on ecosystem multifunctionality through above- and below-ground biodiversity. Our study emphasizes the importance of the combination of above- and below-ground biodiversity in maintaining the multifunctionality of desert grassland ecosystems on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains. A moderate reduction in grazing intensity can better conserve biodiversity and improve ecosystem multifunctionality, and it is a feasible strategy to maintain sustainable management of desert grasslands.

The Member States of the European Union have committed to the maintenance and protection of forest lands. More precisely, the Member States aim to ensure the sustainable development and management of the EU's forests. For 2013, Eurostat's statistics about primary and secondary wood products in the European forest land (65% thereof privately owned) estimate a roundwood production of 435 millionm3 in total. Harmonised information, i.e., spatially and temporarily differentiated, on forestry and wood harvesting activities in the European forests are missing however. This lack of information impedes the scientific assessment of the impacts that forest management practices have on the soil-related forest ecosystems (e.g., accelerated water soil erosion, delivery of inert sediments and pollutants within the drainage network, pauperization of aquatic ecosystems). It also prevents national and European institutions from taking measures aimed at an effective mitigation of the rapidly advancing land degradation. This study provides a first pan-European analysis that delineates the spatial patterns of forest cover changes in 36 countries. The first dynamic assessment of the soil loss potential in the EU-28 forests is reported. The recently published High-resolution Global Forest Cover Loss map (2000–2012) was reprocessed and validated. Results show that the map is a powerful tool to spatiotemporally indicate the forest sectors that are exposed to cover change risks. The accuracy assessment performed by using a confusion matrix based on 2300 reference forest disturbances distributed across Europe shows values of 55.1% (producer accuracy) for the algorithm-derived forest cover change areas with a Kappa Index of Agreement (KIA) of 0.672. New insights into the distribution of the forest disturbance in Europe and the resulting soil loss potential were obtained. The presented maps provide spatially explicit indicators to assess the human-induced impacts of land cover changes and soil losses on the European soil-related forest ecosystems. These insights are relevant (i) to support policy making and land management decisions to ensure a sustainable forest management strategy and (ii) to provide a solid basis for further spatiotemporal investigations of the forestry practices’ impacts on the European forest ecosystems.

Forests and trees have social, ecological and economic importance to humankind. It is high time to manage worlds’ forests sustainably to ensure supply of forest based goods and services and reduce the adverse impacts of climate change. This paper highlights the history and current status of forest management, challenges and opportunities, various approaches adopted in forest management and recent initiatives in sustainable and scientific forest management (SFM) in Nepal. About one-third of the total 6.61 million ha (45%) of Nepal’s forest has been handed over to over 30,000 forest user groups. Various failed attempts in forest management in the past were mainly due to lack of institutional capacity, political back-up, conflict, etc. “Forestry for Prosperity” - a new vision announced at the 10th National Conservation Day in 2012, re-introduced the concept of sustainable and scientific forest management and launched this in ten districts with designated program and budget in the same year. Accordingly, forest blocks are identified, inventoried, management plans drawn and implemented. Over 69, 000 ha forests in 11 districts are under silviculture management to date. Thus managed forests show profuse regeneration, improved supply of forest products, increased revenue, improved forest health and enhanced capacity of forestry professionals. Yet, lack of political and professional commitment, inadequate human and financial resources, and weak institutional and professional competency are specific challenges to SFM in Nepal. Creating enabling environment, institutional reorganization, enhancing forest management capacity, improved forestry governance, reducing non-forestry workload of government forestry staff, and preparation and use of standard silvicultural operational guidelines have been suggested to upscale SFM in Nepal. Banko JanakariA Journal of Forestry Information for Nepal Special Issue No. 4, 2018, Page : 15-20

Soil fertility in mixed crop-livestock farming systems of Punjab, Pakistan: The role of institutional factors and sustainable land management practices

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is the main plantation species in the subtropical region of China. However, the shift in ecosystem multifunctionality with stand development remains largely unexplored for these plantations. This study used a chronosequence to investigate the variations of ecosystem multifunctionality by employing individual functions and identified its driving factors in Chinese fir plantations. The findings provide strong evidence that the individual functions of carbon stocks, water regulation and wood production increased with stand ages, but the tradeoff of individual functions did not significantly increase ecosystem multifunctionality. Soil microbial parameters (the abundances of bacteria, fungi and actinomycete), soil properties (soil moisture, total carbon and total nitrogen), and plant parameters (the shrub layer cover and total understory cover) exhibited positive correlations with ecosystem multifunctionality. The structural equation model revealed that plants, soil properties and microbes pathways explained 83% of the total variance in ecosystem multifunctionality. Results showed that plants, soil microbes and properties directly and significantly affected ecosystem multifunctionality with path coefficients of 0.404, 0.487 and 0.334, respectively. Soil microbes were identified as the top direct predictor for ecosystem multifunctionality, while plant and soil properties had strong direct and positive effects on ecosystem multifunctionality. These results verified that soil microbes, plants and soil properties directly and positively regulated ecosystem multifunctionality. Our findings demonstrate that ecosystem multifunctionality should be considered as a comprehensive ecological indicator for ecosystem services and functions, and sustainable plantation management. This study highlights the importance of conserving soil microbes for maintaining multifunctionality in Chinese fir plantations.

Towards a multidimensional view of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a changing world

IntroductionIn order to effectively manage ecosystems, it is important to understand how the structure and function of the ecosystem are measured and interpreted, and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) is being used as an important indicator for providing sustainable ecosystem functions and managing qualitative stability. The objective of this study is to examine the biotic and abiotic mechanisms underlying the production and regulation of EMF within various forest stand types.MethodsTo this end, we assessed the influence of biotic (tree species, functional, and stand structural diversity of trees), abiotic (elevation, aridity index), and stand age (mean age of the five dominant trees per plot) factors on EMF. A total of 2,859 natural forest plots—comprising coniferous, broadleaved, and mixed stands—were analyzed based on data from the 7th National Forest Inventory of South Korea. To determine the major factors influencing EMF, we applied a multi-model inference approach along with piecewise structural equation modeling.ResultsOur results suggest that higher plant biodiversity was positively associated with EMF. In addition, older forests exhibit greater stand structural diversity, which in turn enhances the maintenance of EMF. The analysis of abiotic factors revealed that EMF increased with elevation. Furthermore, variables related to plant water stress consistently had negative direct and indirect effects across all forest stand types. Finally, the mechanisms controlling EMF differed among forest stand types.DiscussionThese findings suggest that promoting forest succession, maintaining biodiversity, and enhancing stand structural diversity are essential forest management strategies for improving EMF. Furthermore, since the controlling factors of EMF varied among forest stand types, forest-type specific management strategies are required. Lastly, this study provides valuable insights for guiding sustainable forest management that enhances both EMF and specific ecosystem functions, while supporting human well-being.

Reflecting on species diversity and regeneration dynamics of scientific forest management practices in Nepal

Aridity thresholds shape ecosystem functions worldwide. Despite the importance of soil microbiomes in engineering ecosystem processes, the specific strategies employed by soil microbiomes to support ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) across aridity gradients remain virtually unknown. Here, we investigated 474 soil samples across a continental-scale aridity gradient and identified an aridity threshold beyond which plot-level EMF declines sharply. Microbial habitat and decomposition functions were among the last to respond to aridity, with thresholds occurring under more arid conditions compared to plant productivity and soil fertility. Combining metagenomic sequencing with physiological assays to characterize microbial life history strategies of high yield (Y), resource acquisition (A), and stress tolerance (S), we introduce a microbial trait-based framework to mechanistically link community-level microbial life history strategies to EMF. Our results reveal that microbial Y-strategy is positively correlated with EMF across aridity gradients, A-strategy exhibits a negative association with EMF across aridity gradients, and S-strategy is negatively correlated with EMF in arid ecosystems. Collectively, this study offers empirical evidence and insights into how aridification interacts with soil microbiomes in shaping EMF, highlighting the pivotal role of microbial life history strategies in understanding the mechanisms behind EMF variation in an increasingly arid world.

Insights into the associations between soil quality and ecosystem multifunctionality driven by fertilization management: A case study from the North China Plain

ABSTRACTBiodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality are currently hot topics in ecological research. However, little is known about the role of multitrophic diversity in regulating various ecosystem functions, which limits our ability to predict the impact of biodiversity loss on human well‐being and ecosystem multifunctionality. In this study, multitrophic diversity was divided into three categories: plant, animal, and microbial communities (i.e., plant diversity, rodent diversity, and bacterial and fungal diversity). Also, 15 ecosystem functions were divided into four categories—water conservation, soil fertility, nutrient cycling and transformation, and community production—to evaluate the significance of biotic and abiotic variables in maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality. Results indicated that species diversity at multiple trophic levels had a greater positive impact on ecosystem multifunctionality than species diversity at a single trophic level. Notably, the specific nature of this relationship depended on the niche breadths of plants, indicating that plants played a key role in linking above and belowground trophic levels. Abiotic factors such as altitude and pH directly acted on ecosystem multifunctionality and could explain changes in ecosystem functions. Overall, our study offers valuable insights into the critical role of multitrophic species diversity in preserving ecosystem multifunctionality within alpine grassland communities, as well as strong support for the importance of biodiversity protection.

In modern agriculture, ensuring soil health and effective fertility management are paramount for sustainable crop production and environmental stewardship. This review article comprehensively explores a spectrum of strategies aimed at enhancing soil health and fertility management within the context of sustainable agriculture. Beginning with an overview of the pivotal role soil health plays in agricultural systems, the review meticulously examines the significance of adopting sound soil fertility management practices to sustain soil productivity while mitigating adverse environmental impacts. Traditional and innovative approaches to soil management are thoroughly discussed, encompassing a range of practices such as organic amendments, cover cropping, crop rotation, reduced tillage, and integrated nutrient management. These practices, deeply rooted in agricultural traditions, are shown to enhance soil structure, foster nutrient cycling, and promote beneficial soil microbial communities, thereby contributing to long-term soil health and productivity. Furthermore, the review elucidates emerging technologies and methodologies that hold promise for revolutionizing soil health and fertility management in sustainable farming systems. Precision agriculture techniques leveraging GPS, remote sensing, and data analytics are highlighted for their potential to optimize resource use and improve crop management practices. Biochar application, a burgeoning area of research, is explored for its ability to enhance soil fertility, sequester carbon, and improve soil water retention. Additionally, manipulation of the soil microbiome through innovative techniques presents exciting opportunities for enhancing soil health and resilience, the review underscores the importance of continued research, education, and policy support in promoting sustainable soil management practices. Recommendations for future research directions are provided, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaborations, long-term field studies, and farmer participatory research. Practical implications for farmers and policymakers are also delineated, emphasizing the imperative of adopting holistic approaches to soil management that integrate traditional wisdom with cutting-edge technologies. By embracing sustainable soil management practices, farmers and policymakers can safeguard soil health, enhance agricultural productivity, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our food systems and environment.

Intensive agriculture and several anthropogenic factor led gradually to decrease soil organic matter and microbial biomass, thereby to a consequent loss of quality and fertility of soil. The sustainability of agricultural practices represents an aspect that could be not anymore negligible if environment protection and defense are the target. In the present thesis chemical and biochemical properties and humic substances characterization of agricultural soils, under greenhouse, amended with a mixture of compost from municipal solid waste enriched with poplar scraps in two different ratio and doses, were studied through a multidisciplinary approach. All parameters studied in a previous one year-experiment were followed for two years more, after yearly supply of organic amendment. This repeated treatment determined a strong improvement in most chemical and biochemical parameters. By increasing organic carbon, humic fraction, especially in the plot with higher C/N ratio and amendment dose supplied, increased to indicate the enhance of organic matter and the slow mineralization of organic mixture due to wood scraps that kept the organic matter input stable over time. The activity of the main enzymes involved in the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients markedly increased after amendments and then, after a visible decrease, remained stable over time without reaching the initial values, before the first amendment. A second study was carried out to assess the fertility of a soil under organic farming in comparison to another under conventional management, both cultivated with processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Besides chemical and biological properties, investigated similarly to the previous study, soil microbiologic characterization and functional gene assess as Phytase from Bacillus sp. were performed. Organic farming favoured the enhance of soil fertility in term of organic carbon, total nitrogen, enzyme activities and in particular in microbial population. In fact soil biomass underwent an improvement of the presence and expression of functional gen Phy. The analyzed sustainable agricultural system improved the fertility of intensive arable soil and positively affected microbial biomass causing change and functional properties of microbial population.

Short-term responses of ecosystem multifunctionality to fire severity are modulated by fire-induced impacts on plant and soil microbial communities