Ecosystem Project Research Articles

Temporal and spatial variability in stable isotope values on seabird islands: What, where and when to sample

Invasive mammal eradications are widely used for managing island ecosystems. However, tracking the outcomes of such large-scale, whole ecosystem projects is challenging and costly, and monitoring all components of an ecosystem is near impossible. Instead, indicators of ecosystem change may provide more practical and integrated measures of ecosystem response to eradications. As high-order marine predators, seabirds subsidise island ecosystems with nutrients isotopically enriched in nitrogen. Invasive mammals have caused a global decline of seabirds on islands, reducing this nutrient subsidisation. Following eradications, nitrogen stable isotope analysis may provide a useful and resource-efficient indicator of ecosystem functional change on eradicated islands. However, isotope ratios are affected by a myriad of factors, with potential sources of variation being introduced by spatial and temporal variation in sampling, and within and between different taxa and ecosystem components. To correctly attribute isotopic change to post-eradication ecosystem function change, these confounding variables need to be understood. To address this need, we analysed stable isotopes of nitrogen in soil, plant, spider, and seabird guano samples collected at different distances from seabird colonies and at different stages of the short-tailed shearwater breeding cycle on six island sites around south-eastern Tasmania, Australia. Across these cool, temperate islands we detected no temporal variability in δ15N throughout the breeding season. However, there was notable spatial variability in δ15N values. The effects of seabird-derived nutrient subsidisation were highly localised with high δ15N values found inside seabird colonies and then rapidly decreasing from the colony boundary. Higher δ15N values also occurred in areas of higher burrow density within a colony. Variability in δ15N values also existed both within and between ecosystem components. Our results highlight the importance of context dependency when using ecological indicators and have important implications for the design, implementation and interpretation of studies employing stable isotopes as indicators for ecosystem change. We provide recommendations for designing future stable isotope studies on seabird islands.

Stems matter: Xylem physiological limits are an accessible and critical improvement to models of plant gas exchange in deep time

The evolution of woody stems approximately 400 mya (middle Paleozoic) facilitated the expansion of plants and has likely affected carbon and water budgets across much of the terrestrial surface since that time. Stems are a carbon cost/sink and limit water transport from soil to leaves as it must pass through specialized xylem tissue. While leaf fossils have provided a wealth of quantitative data, including estimates of plant water fluxes utilizing biophysically based models, fossil-informed models integrating stem and leaf physiology are lacking. Integrated stem-leaf physiology may distinguish successors to ecological catastrophes like the end of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA). The documented collapse of LPIA tropical forests provides an opportunity to assess the importance of woody stems as a key to understanding differences in survivorship among common plant taxa from the Carboniferous to the Permian. Here, we present an analysis of the limits to leaf water supply and plant function for Paleozoic forest plant types due to (1) cavitation-induced embolism and xylem blockage and (2) insufficient sapwood water transport capacity.—collectively defined here as sapwood dysfunction. We first present a modified ecosystem process model (Paleo-BGC+) that includes sapwood dysfunction. Paleo-BGC + is parameterized using measurements obtainable from fossil xylem and therefore applicable to both modern and ancient ecosystems. We then assess the effect of sapwood dysfunction on ecosystem processes based on previously published fossil leaf measurements and a new fossil xylem dataset for plant types present in the Late Paleozoic. Using daily meteorology from a GCM of the late Carboniferous (GENESIS v3) under a Glacial (low-CO2) and an Inter-glacial (high-CO2) scenario, we found that simulated sapwood dysfunction slowed plant water use and reduced carbon storage. This inhibition occurred particularly in plants with high maximum stomatal conductance and high stem vulnerability to embolism. Coincidentally, plants with these traits were predominantly reduced or missing from the fossil record from the Carboniferous to the Permian. Integrating stem and leaf physiology may improve the fidelity of model representations of soil-to-atmosphere water transport through plants, simulations of long-term climate phenomena like the LPIA, and ecosystem projections under future climate change.

Systems Engineering Competency Expectations, Gaps, and Program Analysis

AbstractSystems Engineering (SE) education is challenged to address the needs posed by rapidly changing technology epitomized by Industry 4.0 and the digital transformation. In particular, there are relatively slow and inaccurate feedback mechanisms between the needs of employers, students and universities at the level of educational program content development. The objective of this work is to use the SE competency framework developed by the Systems Engineering Education Ecosystem (SEEE) project to review the competency needs of the University of California, San Diego's (UCSD) systems engineering sponsoring organizations, analyze the curricula of the current Architecture‐Based Systems Engineering (AESE) master's program for its evolution, and guide the development of future SE program specializations. This paper presents the results of a methodology to improve the feedback between systems engineering employers and universities in academic program curricula development through survey and academic program analysis.

Escaping the fire trap: Does frequent, landscape-scale burning inhibit tree recruitment in a temperate broadleaf ecosystem?

Frequent prescribed burning is commonly used to restore and maintain open forest ecosystems in temperate broadleaf regions of the eastern United States. Repeated surface fires reduce the abundance of small woody stems through top-kill or mortality, with implications for age structure and ecosystem development. In this study, we quantified tree recruitment patterns over two decades across two landscape-scale studies in Missouri: the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (a control, with no burning) and the Chilton Creek Management Area (burned on 2–3 year fire return interval). Through time, frequent burning reduced the rate of ingrowth (i.e., new trees entering the overstory size class, defined as ≥11.4 cm diameter at breast height (DBH)), and the effect of burning on the ingrowth rate was consistent across site types (summits, exposed backslopes, protected backslopes, or upland waterways). Two decades of frequent burning reduced the abundance of scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) in the ingrowth population. In the unburned control, the proportional abundance of mesic species such as red maple (Acer rubrum) and blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) increased during the study period; frequent fire controlled the population of red maple but resulted in a similar increase in blackgum abundance in the ingrowth population of the burned area. Our results indicate that frequent burning affects the tree recruitment process in multiple ways: 1) reducing the source population for recruitment by reducing midstory abundance; 2) increasing probability of mortality or top-kill during the recruitment period. Fire-free periods may be necessary to allow eventual replacement of canopy trees in temperate broadleaf open forest ecosystems.

MAMMALS IN AN OIL PALM DOMINATED LANDSCAPE

The Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Project has been running since 2011 in the state of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Over the past ten years we have conducted 19 studies that have generated data that can be used to compare the ecology of non-flying mammals in forest areas with those in oil palm plantations. This paper summarises information on the diversity, abundance and behaviour of these mammals in oil palm dominated landscapes. The studies have robustly demonstrated a dramatic decline in diversity of mammals in oil palm plantations compared to logged forests, with approximately 50 per cent of species completely disappearing. A small subset of species otherwise found in tropical forests can survive in, and apparently adapt to, this new habitat to some extent. It is also shown that there is very little movement of native rodents from forests into plantations. Our results highlight the importance of remnant forest patches, even heavily logged patches and riparian buffers in the agricultural landscape, and demonstrate the importance of maintaining the structural complexity of these forest remnants to enhance their conservation value for native mammals. In view of the findings, several management recommendations are made derived from the practical applications of our research.

A protocol for a longitudinal, observational cohort study of infection and exposure to zoonotic and vector-borne diseases across a land-use gradient in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo: a socio-ecological systems approach

Introduction. Landscape changes disrupt environmental, social and biological systems, altering pathogen spillover and transmission risks. This study aims to quantify the impact of specific land management practices on spillover and transmission rates of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases within Malaysian Borneo. This protocol describes a cohort study with integrated ecological sampling to assess how deforestation and agricultural practices impact pathogen flow from wildlife and vector populations to human infection and detection by health facilities. This will focus on malaria, dengue and emerging arboviruses (Chikungunya and Zika), vector-borne diseases with varying contributions of simian reservoirs within this setting. Methods. A prospective longitudinal observational cohort study will be established in communities residing or working within the vicinity of the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Project, a landscape gradient within Malaysian Borneo encompassing different plantation and forest types. The primary outcome of this study will be transmission intensity of selected zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, as quantified by changes in pathogen-specific antibody levels. Exposure will be measured using paired population-based serological surveys conducted at the beginning and end of the two-year cohort study. Secondary outcomes will include the distribution and infection rates of Aedes and Anopheles mosquito vectors, human risk behaviours and clinical cases reported to health facilities. Longitudinal data on human behaviour, contact with wildlife and GPS tracking of mobility patterns will be collected throughout the study period. This will be integrated with entomological surveillance to monitor densities and pathogen infection rates of Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes relative to land cover. Within surrounding health clinics, continuous health facility surveillance will be used to monitor reported infections and febrile illnesses. Models will be developed to assess spillover and transmission rates relative to specific land management practices and evaluate abilities of surveillance systems to capture these risks.

A protocol for a longitudinal, observational cohort study of infection and exposure to zoonotic and vector-borne diseases across a land-use gradient in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo: a socio-ecological systems approach.

Introduction. Landscape changes disrupt environmental, social and biological systems, altering pathogen spillover and transmission risks. This study aims to quantify the impact of specific land management practices on spillover and transmission rates of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases within Malaysian Borneo. This protocol describes a cohort study with integrated ecological sampling to assess how deforestation and agricultural practices impact pathogen flow from wildlife and vector populations to human infection and detection by health facilities. This will focus on malaria, dengue and emerging arboviruses (Chikungunya and Zika), vector-borne diseases with varying contributions of simian reservoirs within this setting. Methods. A prospective longitudinal observational cohort study will be established in communities residing or working within the vicinity of the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Project, a landscape gradient within Malaysian Borneo encompassing different plantation and forest types. The primary outcome of this study will be transmission intensity of selected zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, as quantified by changes in pathogen-specific antibody levels. Exposure will be measured using paired population-based serological surveys conducted at the beginning and end of the two-year cohort study. Secondary outcomes will include the distribution and infection rates of Aedes and Anopheles mosquito vectors, human risk behaviours and clinical cases reported to health facilities. Longitudinal data on human behaviour, contact with wildlife and GPS tracking of mobility patterns will be collected throughout the study period. This will be integrated with entomological surveillance to monitor densities and pathogen infection rates of Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes relative to land cover. Within surrounding health clinics, continuous health facility surveillance will be used to monitor reported infections and febrile illnesses. Models will be developed to assess spillover and transmission rates relative to specific land management practices and evaluate abilities of surveillance systems to capture these risks.

Soil development mediates precipitation control on plant productivity and diversity in alpine grasslands

The relationship between plant productivity and diversity is central to understanding changes in ecosystem functions. However, this relationship remains controversial due to vegetation types and environmental differences. For example, understanding how soil development involving mineral weathering and pedogenic development processes shapes plant productivity and diversity remains limited, especially in alpine grasslands. Here, we evaluated how plant species richness (SR) and aboveground biomass (AGB) are related to one another, and their drivers, by conducting investigations in 169 alpine grassland sites along a 3000 km-transect in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We found that AGB and SR both exhibited a positive and concave–down relationship. The mean annual precipitation explained 23% of the variance in Vegetation characteristics, followed by altitude (14%), soil N content (13%), soil cation exchange capacity (11%), K content (7%), P content (6%), weathering index of Parker (5%). Precipitation was correlated with AGB and SR, but temperature was not. Drought conditions led to slow soil development with high soil pH, and a lack of soil fertility and water jointly limited plant productivity. Our results demonstrate that conservation of diversity within vulnerable ecosystems is critical to maintaining the proper functioning of grassland systems, especially in areas where drought and low soil development are a problem. Soil weathering degree should be considered in efforts seeking to improve projections of alpine grassland ecosystem functioning under future climate change.

Visionscapes: combining heritage and urban gardening to enhance areas requiring regeneration

ABSTRACT With the occurrence of urban densification, understanding the necessity of encouraging and promoting climate- and environment-friendly urban areas has gained ground with urban planners. Ensuring adequate and easily accessible green public spaces is essential for creating healthy environments. In this current study, we look closely at how heritage combined with urban gardening can function as a means to enhance areas that require regeneration. We ask how, in culturally mixed neighbourhoods, urban gardening can link visions of social and physical well-being with urban regeneration. This study is a comparative case study of two regeneration projects: 1) the Darwin Ecosystem Project, which promotes alternative eco-friendly lifestyles and innovative start-ups through the adaptive reuse of former military barracks in Bordeaux, France; and 2) Dr. Dedichen’s Greenhouse, situated in a heritage environment of a former psychiatric hospital in the eastern part of Oslo, Norway. Conflicting economic, political and cultural views are likely to affect the heritage discourse in marginalised urban areas. When describing heritage in the two neighbourhoods, we used the ‘ruinisation’ approach to ensure an inclusive understanding of heritage. We describe how old buildings, fragments of larger structures adjacent to the remains of recent history, can be integrated into urban planning initiatives as part of larger, active place-remaking processes. Residents, artists and various citizen’s groups, alongside planning authorities, are cooperating to transform neighbourhoods into healthy, climate- and environment-friendly places to live and work. Therefore, heritage combined with urban agriculture is a means to enhance areas that require regeneration.

Triple helix collaborative innovation and value co-creation in an Industry 4.0 context

Digitalisation and Industry 4.0 promote a fundamental technological disruption that requires industry, research and government institutions to revisit their roles within the innovation ecosystems. Actors in this environment need to understand value co-creation during interaction and collaboration. The purpose of this study is to investigate the triple helix collaborative capabilities in an Industry 4.0 ecosystem context. The case under study is a Finnish national publicly funded research project involving five global manufacturers, three research institutions, and several small-and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). The results demonstrate that practices related to adaptivity, experience sharing, SME co-innovation and scale up can enable the ecosystem to be managed in a dynamic way. Yet, this type of operation requires the adoption of the ecosystem approach with mutual trust, intensive collaboration and the identification of common aims among the project participants. The presented co-innovation model can be used to design innovation ecosystem projects in the future.

Can carabid biomasses be estimated from pitfall traps?

Biomass estimations are currently needed to explain the insect decline of the past 30 years. As pitfall trapping is the most frequently performed method in carabid studies, it is necessary to question whether this method is appropriate for biomass studies. The results of pitfall trapping have often been accepted without considering the limits of the method. They were assumed to correspond to species density, although many studies in the past found that pitfall trapping could not be used to describe density or biomass. Ecosystem analysis is mainly based on area-related data, while pitfall trap data reflect a combination of density and activity that, moreover, varies depending on species composition and ecosystem structure. The present study is based on investigations performed in two large ecosystem projects in Schleswig-Holstein. The data were obtained from determination of density and from pitfall trapping, and the results of the two methods were compared. According to the present study, results from measures of density and from pitfall trapping were weakly related only for intermediate-large species. For small species no significant relationships were found. In general, small species were under-estimated and large species were over-estimated when the pitfall trap method was used. In particular, there were major differences in the composition of the carabid assemblages between the two methods. Results of pitfall trap studies mostly showed a dominance of large species, while in reality small species usually dominate in ecosystems. Concerning biomass estimation this fact is mainly responsible for the different results of the two methods. In the present study no relationship was found between biomass derived from the density measuring method and pitfall traps. In contrast, biomass derived from pitfall trapping mainly represented the biomass of the largest dominant species, which, however, has only a small effect on the area-related biomass.

Integrative taxonomy of West African Magelona (Annelida: Magelonidae): species with thoracic pigmentation

Abstract Benthic samples collected during several cruises from shelf areas along the West African coast from Morocco to Angola, have highlighted a huge diversity of magelonid species (over 20 species), many of which are undescribed. The majority of samples were taken as part of two large-scale projects in the region: the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem project (CCLME) and the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem project (GCLME). Six magelonid species bearing posterior thoracic pigmentation have been highlighted, Magelona alleni and five species new to science: Magelona fasciata sp. nov., Magelona guineensis sp. nov., Magelona mackiei sp. nov., Magelona nanseni sp. nov. and Magelona picta sp. nov. West African magelonids and comparative material from the UK and Norway have been investigated using COI, 16S and 28S markers. An integrated taxonomic approach is used to delineate species of Magelona carrying posterior thoracic pigmentation. These species from West African waters constitute a well-supported monophyletic group, with the species M. alleni being sister to the new species herein described. Our 41 COI DNA-barcode-sequences had between species distances from 9.3 to 26.8% and were allocated to ten different BINs in Boldsystems.org.

Toward territorialised dairy inclusive businesses: insights from an Egyptian case study: making dairy businesses inclusive

ABSTRACT Building inclusive businesses with small-scale producers in the agro-food sector presents challenges, most notably in terms of governance and sustainability. These issues were explored through a Danone Egypt Ecosystem Project that sought to promote a replicable business model of milk collection centers to secure a dairy plant’s sourcing while contributing to the socio-economic development of smallholders. Quality management was used to link a value chain approach and a localised agri-food system approach. The study showed that an inclusive business relying on non-inclusive coordination had limited efficiency. Decreasing power asymmetries and distances between partners seems central to ensuring sustainability.

Water Co-Governance for Sustainable Ecosystems: Reflections and Recommendations from Pilot Processes in the UK

As part of the Water Co-Governance for Sustainable Ecosystems (WaterCoG) project, this research evaluated two river catchment pilots in the United Kingdom (UK) via a series of semi-structured interviews in order to better understand how collaborative governance (co-governance) approaches contribute to water governance. The findings demonstrate that the participatory process used by catchment partnerships (comprising stakeholders working together within a catchment area) to co-produce knowledge has enabled them to jointly identify improvements that are more meaningful than previous actions to those involved or affected by the situation in their catchment. However, there are concerns about the balance of social, economic and environmental interests in decision making, as well as perceived misunderstandings about the situation in the catchment as a whole. All interviewees (comprising stakeholders from across different scales and levels of water governance) recognized benefits from working together. They also observed that progress to deliver measures is impeded by polices and institutions that are not conducive to partnership working. The interviewees recognized and valued the significant capacity and capability of catchment partnership host organization(s) to facilitate and enable the development of the catchment partnership. However, they also raised important questions about the host’s ability to represent the needs and interests of all catchment partnership members. The recommendations emerging from this research suggest ways to improve water co-governance, including considering the feasibility and desirability of the catchment partnership host; reconceptualizing catchment management plans as a process rather than an outcome; conducting and regularly reviewing a stakeholder analysis of catchment partnership members; working more closely together with other types of partnerships and committees; engaging in and providing opportunities for developing skills in systems thinking, social learning and collaborative actions; working with the UK Government to develop place-based policies and plans; and engaging in dialogue with the UK Government and other bodies to review access to funding and other types of resources.

Rise of the rare biosphere

Ocean ecosystems are changing, and the climate envelope paradigm predicts a steady shift, approximately poleward, of species ranges. The Gulf of Maine presents a test case of this paradigm, as temperatures have warmed extremely rapidly. Some species have shifted northeastward, matching predictions. Others—namely harmful algal species like Pseudo-nitzschia australis and Karenia mikimotoi—do not appear to have followed climate trajectories, arriving as surprises in the Gulf of Maine. Rare-biosphere dynamics offer one possible ecological lens for understanding and predicting this type of surprise. Rare species in the plankton, possibly more so than southerly ones, may provide management challenges in the future. Improved monitoring and broader coordination of monitoring of the rare biosphere could help develop early warning systems for harmful and toxic algae. A better theoretical understanding of rare biosphere dynamics is also needed. A challenge for the next cohort of ecosystem projections is to predict the newly emerging harmful species of the type that catch us by surprise.

Analysis of the current situation in the field of electronic services in Syrian banks and prospects for their development

The study is aimed at determining the level of electronic services provided in Syrian banks and identifying the level of their compliance with the trends of modern technological developments. The authors make the comparison of the Syrian banks with the best practices of using information technologies to provide their services by world banks that use the concept of electronic service.The study showed, that despite the banking sector in Syria is striving to be modern and improve along with technological developments, there is a significant reduction in the use of electronic banking. Syrian banks are required to adhere to a sufficient number of material and technical requirements to implement the concept of a real electronic service. Among the priority tasks the authors highlight the expansion of the use of electronic money in the country, the network of ATM machines, bank cards. However, in order to reach the level of global banks, it is important to move to a digital omnichannel development strategy.As an example of the implementation of ecosystem projects, the paper considers some of leading Russian companies that build their ecosystem around customers based on the principle of “Lifestyle Banking”. Based on Russian practice, the article presents a number of recommendations that will improve the electronic banking of Syria. This will allow the country not only to restore the banking system, but also give the opportunity to keep up with global technological advances, as well as compete with international banks.

Innovations strategy for moving from created regional clusters to co-creation in life sciences for health care and well-being ecosystems.

Over the last decades, the demographic changes have all altered the population structure and influenced the social, economic, and political characteristics of countries over the world. Therefore, the creation of novel ecosystems, new clusters and systems which involved technology and industry, business, education, science, and innovation are increased rapidly. However, in order to solve the future global challenges, the created various types of clusters, public and private sector systems should cooperate and work together as a unit. Therefore, one of the proposed solutions is unified regional ecosystems' building. The Interreg European Life Science Ecosystems (ELISE) project addresses the societal challenge which is common to the European regions: to promote better health for all. This covers the need to improve health and well-being outcomes, to promote market growth, job creation, and EU competitiveness. Based on the project, three different regions of the European countries-Poland, Italy, and Germany-are selected in order to perform the analysis of drivers directly influencing the move from the existing clusters to unified regional ecosystem. The performed analysis showed that the government of a country and regional public authorities have the direct influence and play the central role in shaping unified regional ecosystems. The common economic, social, and political situation in a country is dependent on the government and it is influenced by the regional public authorities. Therefore, the collaboration and conversation among such institutions is the important factor defining how quickly different countries will create unified ecosystems and will solve the future problems.

Release synchronization in software ecosystems

Software ecosystems bring value by integrating software projects related to a given domain, such as Linux distributions integrating upstream open-source projects or the Android ecosystem for mobile Apps. Since each project within an ecosystem may potentially have its release cycle and roadmap, this creates an enormous burden for users who must expend the effort to identify and install compatible project releases from the ecosystem manually. Thus, many ecosystems, such as the Linux distributions, take it upon them to release a polished, well-integrated product to the end-user. However, the body of knowledge lacks empirical evidence about the coordination and synchronization efforts needed at the ecosystem level to ensure such federated releases. This paper empirically studies the strategies used to synchronize releases of ecosystem projects in the context of the OpenStack ecosystem, in which a central release team manages the six-month release cycle of the overall OpenStack ecosystem product. We use qualitative analysis on the release team’s IRC-meeting logs that comprise two OpenStack releases (one-year long). Thus, we identified, cataloged, and documented ten major release synchronization activities, which we further validated through interviews with eight active OpenStack senior practitioners (members of either the release team or project teams). Our results suggest that even though an ecosystem’s power lies in the interaction of inter-dependent projects, release synchronization remains a challenge for both the release team and the project teams. Moreover, we found evidence (and reasons) of multiple release strategies co-existing within a complex ecosystem.

Harmful diatoms and dinoflagellates in the Indian Ocean: a study from Southern coast of Sri Lanka

Harmful diatoms and dinoflagellates in the Indian Ocean: a study from Southern coast of Sri Lanka

Forest management effects on downed dead wood at stand and landscape scales in a temperate forest of the central United States

Downed dead wood (DDW) is a critical component of forest ecosystems, with DDW dynamics largely affected by rates of input from standing trees to the forest floor and loss through decomposition or removal. Forest management decisions affect DDW dynamics based on the type of silvicultural harvest applied at the stand level and the administration of those treatments across the landscape. The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) is a landscape-scale experiment that tests the effects of three forest management treatments, even-aged management (EAM), uneven-aged management (UAM), and no harvest management (NHM), on forest ecosystems in the Ozark Highlands region of Missouri. In this study, we evaluate the effects of stand-level silvicultural treatments (clearcutting and intermediate thinning in EAM; single-tree selection and group selection in UAM) and landscape-level forest management treatments (EAM, UAM, and NHM) on the volume of DDW and distribution across decay classes over a 21-year period. At the stand level, clearcutting resulted in the greatest short-term increase in DDW volume among the silvicultural treatments. Following harvest, the DDW was primarily within the undecayed classes during the first few years after harvest but shifted to the greater decay classes during the second decade after harvest. At the landscape level, the forest management treatments did not differ in total DDW volume through time, although EAM and UAM had greater amounts of undecayed DDW than NHM shortly after harvest. Across all treatments, the volume of DDW increased through time, likely due to effects of the forest management but also due to background tree mortality related to oak decline during the study period. Overall, our results show differences in effects of stand-level silvicultural treatments on DDW dynamics and highlight the need to consider both stand-level and landscape-level effects of forest management systems in decision making.