Towards a Logic for Assessing Biodiversity in Boreal Forest

Abstract

To maintain forest biodiversity, and if necessary to restore it, quantitative goals should be specified for all properties of a given landscape or region. Here an idea is presented on how biodiversity can be assessed in the boreal forest, which has a short history of transformation compared with other European forest types, and how quantitative nature conservation goals can be formulated in different geographical scales. Step 1 is to develop a book-keeping system for biodiversity. The starting point is the identification of the different disturbance regimes found in a natural boreal forest landscape. The links between site type and disturbance regime are critical because they shape the composition and structure of the forests, as well as many important processes, to which forest species have adapted. Step 2 is the development of practical methods to measure biodiversity in a landscape. The first task is to define the different ecological properties that can be found in a naturally dynamic boreal forest landscape as well as to identify species that are unique to each property. If it is possible to translate the species’ habitat requirements into criteria based on their environmental demands, these criteria can be used as opposed to the more costly inventories of certain indicator species in the field. It is important that any system and methods are validated in areas with original biodiversity. In step 3, when sufficient knowledge is available on how the amount of each property affects the viability of its indicator specie’s populations, strategic and operative goals can be formulated for each property representing the composition and structure, in different geographical scales, of naturally dynamic boreal landscapes. To implement this logic in practical management will alleviate the introduction of proactive management as well as monitoring of whether or not quantifiable criteria and indicator species change in the desired direction. The practical implementation is beyond the sphere of research but must be considered when developing methods to assess forest biodiversity.