Selective logging in a chronosequence of Atlantic Forest: drivers and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services

Abstract

Selective logging impacts biodiversity and ecosystem services in forest ecosystems, but we know little about its main drivers in the Atlantic Forest. We investigated selective logging along a chronosequence (mature, late secondary and early secondary forests) in a State Park in Pernambuco, Brazil, and hypothesised that it is driven by variables of supply (forest age, density, richness and biomass of living trees) and access (nearest edge and declivity). Selective logging was described by richness, density and biomass of logged trees. We predicted the relationship of logging to be positive with supply and negative with the distance of access. Logged trees comprised 267 stumps, 55 species and 5.11 Mg.ha-1 in one year, corresponding to 2.8%, 20.8% and 0.37% of living trees density, richness and biomass. Selective logging was the highest in richness in mature forest, influenced by access and forest age. Access influenced higher species removal in the early-secondary forest, despite its lower richness, while the lowest logging values were recorded in the late-secondary forest, regardless of its higher supply than early-secondary forest. Logging occurs in more accessible areas, where tree species exploitation will depend on the available supply. In this scenario, integrated actions for biodiversity and ecosystem services conservation should account for socioeconomic demands, vigilance and control.