Evaluation of Forest Edge Structure and Stability in Peri-Urban Forests

David Hladnik,Janez Pirnat,Andrej Kobler

doi:10.3390/f11030338

Abstract

In the presented research, we studied the forest edge structure of urban and peri-urban forests on the outskirts of Ljubljana (Slovenia) consisting of a number of patches covering the collective surface of 1884 ha. They differ from each other according to the degree of fragmentation and by the share of the interior forest area. On the basis of LiDAR data, we conducted an analysis of the edges of the persistent forest patches and estimated them with regard to the land use they bordered on. The horizontal estimation of forest edges and the changes of forest edges, in the last decades, were estimated using digital orthophoto images of cyclic aerial surveys of Slovenia, from 1975 to 2018. The data, provided by LiDAR, were used to obtain an accurate estimate of forest edges and the metrics of their vertical canopy structure. On the basis of the canopy height model (CHM), we determined the height classes, the heights of the tallest trees, and indices of canopy height diversity (CHD) as variables subjected to a k-means cluster analysis. To determine the forest edge and trees stability, their heights and diameters at breast height (DBH) were measured and their canopy length and h/d (height/diameter) dimension ratios were estimated. In the study area of the Golovec forest patch, more than half of the forest edge segments (56%) border on residential buildings. After the construction of buildings, 54% of the newly formed forest edges developed a high and steep structure. Unfavorable h/d dimension ratio was estimated for 16% of trees, more among the coniferous than among the deciduous trees. Similar characteristics of newly formed forest edges bordering on built-up areas were determined in other sub-urban forest patches, despite the smaller share of such forest edges (19% and 10%, respectively). Tools and methods presented in the research enable the implementation of concrete silvicultural practices in a realistic time period and extend to ensure that adequate forestry measures are taken to minimize possible disturbances.

Highlights

In the past, European landscapes changed most significantly under the influence of agriculture, whereas since the end of the 20th century, they have been increasingly affected by urbanization [1,2,3].Urban and sub-urban forests are exposed to the pressure of urban expansion, whereas, at the same time, they represent an important source of health and well-being of urban inhabitants owing to their many beneficial effects [4,5]
Among the sub-urban forests of Ljubljana, the following site types are the most prevalent [24]: submontane Fagus sylvatica forests on silicate bedrock, acidophilous Pinus sylvestris forests, forests of Quercus robur and Carpinus betulus, forests of Carpinus betulus with Quercus petraea on silicate bedrock, and2020, forests of Alnus glutinosa
In forest inventories, ten-year periods are often chosen as time intervals for the assessment of forest changes and the efficiency of forest management

Summary

Introduction

Urban and sub-urban forests are exposed to the pressure of urban expansion, whereas, at the same time, they represent an important source of health and well-being of urban inhabitants owing to their many beneficial effects [4,5]. Urban and sub-urban forests fulfil many different functions, but contradictions can sometimes arise, especially between the so-called provisioning services and regulating services [6]. The forest functions themselves can change, both in the extent and in the intensity of use, for which two reasons have been established. The first is the changing human need for ecosystem services [7], while the second is new findings and tools that enable a more accurate spatial and contextual definition of ecosystem services [8].

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion