Effects Of Forestry Practices Research Articles

Results of a paired catchment analysis of forest thinning in Turkey in relation to forest management options

Adaptation to climate change has become a more serious concern as IPCC assessment reports estimate a rise of up to 2°C in average global temperatures by the end of the century. Several recently published studies have underlined the importance of forest management in mitigating the impacts of climate change and in supporting the adaptation capacity of the ecosystem. This study focuses on the role of water-related forest services in this adaptation process. The effects of forestry practices on streamflow can best be determined by paired watershed analysis. The impact of two cutting treatments on runoff was analyzed by a paired experimental watershed study in the Belgrade Forest and the results were evaluated in relation to similar experiments conducted around the world. Forest thinning treatments at 11% and 18% were carried out in a mature oak-beech forest ecosystem over different time periods. Although the thinning increased the runoff statistically, the amount of surplus water remained <5% of the annual water yield. Evidently, the hydrologic response of the watersheds was low due to the reduced intensity of the timber harvest. Finally, the results were combined with those of global studies on thinning, clearcutting and species conversion with the aim of formulating management options for adaptation.

Effects of forestry practices on the regeneration and biodiversity of woody plants in the northern forest ecosystems of Iran

Undoubtedly, the regeneration and sustainability of forests are the most important aspects of sustainable forest management. The present study was conducted in Patam district, located in Kheyroud forest, Iran, and the regular regeneration of various plant species was evaluated in the region. The study of the regeneration was randomly regularly carried out by using a grid of 150 × 200 m and the sample plot with the area of 1.0 R (radius 1.8 m), provided by centre for sample plot. The highest rate of regeneration (seedlings) was observed in Carpinus betulus (50%), Acer insigne (23%), Fagus orientalis (10%), afforestation (6.2%), Acer cappadocicum (6%), Parrotia persica (2.8%), and Diospyros lotus (2%), respectively. In addition, 74 and 26% of the seedlings had height less than and more than 50 cm, respectively. Therefore, the studied region has proper conditions for regeneration in terms of the soil and mother trees. However, the number of the seedlings with height more than 50 cm is not above the normal range. In the studied region, regeneration coverage level, herbaceous species coverage level, and coverage level without sample plots were calculated to be 52, 41, and 7%, respectively. Considering the low rate of natural regeneration compared to similar forests and the habitat of the studied forest, the main causes in this regard could be the lack of mother trees, animal grazing, and the density of the forest floor vegetation. Therefore, the elimination of animal grazing and plantation operations are necessary for the improvement of regeneration.

Effects of Forest Practices on Water Resources Recharge in the Boreal Climate

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of forestry practices on water resources in the middle-boreal zone of central Finland. The long-term research was performed at Kivesvaara experimental plots (64∘28′ N, 27∘33′ E) and Oijusluoma small catchments (65∘50′ N, 29∘0′ E), with a detailed snow observation at Paljakka (65∘26′ N, 26∘26′ E). Forestry practices included clear-cut, shelterwood and seed cutting with different techniques of soil preparation and reforestation. The clear-cut (particularly by the total biomass harvest including stump removal) has increased the water yield (a positive feedback). But, on the other hand, it has caused a drop in retention and lag-time, and an increase of peak-flows, as well as increasing mobility of nitrogen and phosphorus. Thus, the clear-cut of mature spruce stands (Picea abies) increased the groundwater recharge by 63 mm (i.e., 24%), and the total biomass harvest of one-half of the experimental catchment increased the water yield by 44 mm (i.e., 15%) during three years after the harvest. A significant increase in contents of nitrogen persisted in groundwaters more than 25 years after the clear-cut, and 10 years after the natural regeneration (shelterwood or seed cutting). During the monitored period of 28 years, the total output of nitrogen from subsequent forest plantations ranged from 12 to 21 tons per hectare (i.e., exceeding 5–9 times the output from control mature spruce stands). By natural regeneration, the ten-year mean load of nitrogen exceeded 2.5–5 times the load at control plots. After the total biomass harvest (a whole tree and stump removal), the mean annual outflow of nitrogen and phosphorus was 5.4 and 0.11 k g h a −1 (exceeding 2.5 and 1.8 times the pre-treatment stream-flow). These results confirmed the hypothesis of a significant impact of forest practices on water resource control in the boreal forest biome.

Aquatic effects of peat extraction and peatland forest drainage: a comparative sediment study of two adjacent lakes in Central Finland

The aquatic effects of forestry practices and peat extraction continue to cause serious concerns. The effect mechanisms of peat extraction on water quality and aquatic ecology of the receiving surface waters are well known, but the impacts are often difficult to differentiate from those of forest management. A pairwise temporal sediment study was conducted on two adjacent lakes in Central Finland to study whether the unique effects of peat extraction can be detected in an area of intensive forest drainage. Both lakes are affected by forestry, but the reference lake has no history of peat extraction in its watershed. The deepest parts of the lakes were cored through the lacustrine sediments, and the recent carbon and dry matter sedimentation rates were compared to their site-specific reference values. Recent changes in benthic macroinvertebrates (chironomids) and diatom algae were studied to assess the ecological effects of these practices in the lakes. No significant differences in recent increases in carbon accumulation were found between the peat extraction-impacted lake and the reference lake. The pairwise comparison allowed identification of a regional pattern of impacts that is closely related to the history of land use, particularly forestry, in the region. The approach also allowed identification of the transient signs of peat extraction in the chemical and chironomid records of the impacted lake. The recent changes in chironomids and diatoms suggest eutrophication and deterioration in benthic conditions likely caused by drainage ditch network maintenance activities in the catchments.

Habitat trees and salamanders: Conservation and management implications in temperate forests

Among vertebrates the concept of “habitat tree” in temperate forests, involving tree size and microhabitat occurrence, has been investigated mainly for birds and mammals. However, trees are also used by many amphibian species or sometimes by whole amphibian families that have evolved adaptations for living on trees. While there is a self-evident link between arboreal amphibians, which occur mainly in tropical forests, and trees, the relationship between trees and forest ground-dwelling amphibians is less widely studied and more difficult to understand. As a consequence, the effect of forestry practices on amphibian communities are commonly considered at the landscape scale, identifying habitat alteration and loss as major threats. We provide the first evidence that the combination of forestry practices and species conservation strategies may act at a smaller scale than those traditionally adopted: the single-tree scale. Our study focused on the Italian endemic spectacled salamander (Salamandrina perspicillata). In a hectare forest stand in central Italy we marked nearly 400 trees individually and for each we measured the DBH, the number of buttresses in the stump (BUT) and the number of cavities between soil and stump (HOL). Salamanders were sampled and individually marked at each tree in eleven sampling occasions, during 2013 and 2014. We discovered that the concept of “habitat tree” may also hold for salamanders, and that DBH and HOL are the best predictors of tree suitability for salamanders. Moreover, using the number of captures for the same individuals on the same tree, occurring in different years, we were able to distinguish between trees that act as permanent or temporary shelters for salamanders. Permanent shelters were not only used by the same individuals in different years, but also hosted a larger number of salamanders, and were characterized by a larger number of HOL. Our findings may be considered of importance for drawing up forest management plans and achieving conservation objectives. During forest harvest operations, for the purpose of salamander conservation we suggest retaining trees with a larger DBH (>30cm) and a high number of HOL. Finally, since BUT is highly correlated with HOL but is less sensitive to variations during time, we suggest this parameter be used as a proxy of HOL.

Влияние комплекса лесохозяйственных мероприятий на формирование и продуктивность осушаемого сосняка травяно-сфагнового

Влияние комплекса лесохозяйственных мероприятий на формирование и продуктивность осушаемого сосняка травяно-сфагнового

Importance of forestry practices relative to microhabitat and microclimate changes for juvenile pond-breeding amphibians

Balancing the goals of forest management and species conservation is a major challenge. Forestry practices could be refined with greater understanding of the importance of large-scale forestry practices versus smaller-scale microhabitat and microclimate variables in driving demographic vital rates for species of conservation concern. We examined the relative importance of forestry practices, microhabitat, and microclimate on juvenile anuran survival and growth. To do so, we examined three different species: wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus), American toads (Anaxyrus americanus), and southern leopard frogs (Lithobates sphenocephalus), in three different years using terrestrial enclosures. Terrestrial enclosures were placed in forestry treatment plots with unharvested forest, partial cut forest, early successional forest (ESF; i.e. 4–6year old clearcut) with downed wood removed, and ESF with downed wood retained in central Missouri, USA. We ranked models using an information-theoretic approach to determine whether forestry treatment, microhabitat (logs, canopy cover, leaf litter depth), or microclimate (temperature and soil moisture) best predicted juvenile survival and growth. We found that microhabitat and microclimate, but not forestry practices, were important for survival and growth. However, small sample sizes may have limited our ability to detect forestry treatment effects. Most associations with growth and survival involved microclimate variables. Effects of microhabitat showed positive associations of survival with canopy cover and downed wood and of growth with leaf litter depth. All effects varied by species/year and season, as is common for studies on the effects of forestry practices on amphibians, indicating that it would be useful to maintain a variety of different microhabitats and microclimates to support a diverse anuran community. Because juvenile survival is a population-regulating parameter for many amphibians, it may be prudent to focus on creating favorable microhabitats and microclimates within areas under active forest management. However, it would be useful to repeat this type of study in different eco-regions with different species to determine the generalizability of these results.

Epiphytic Mosses Growing on Abies nordmanniana subsp. bornmuelleriana Trees in Ilgaz Forests of Turkey

We studied the diversity of epiphytic mosses in the Uludag fir Abies nordmanniana (Stev.) Spach. subsp. bornmuellerina (Mattf.) Coode et Cullen consisting of pure and mixed type forests in Ilgaz Mountain National Park and Yenice Forests located in the south parts of the park. After evaluating the collected mosses from Uludag fir, we determined 38 epiphytic moss taxa and 26 genera belonging to 19 families. Dicranum and Orthotrichum genera were noticed as the richest corticolous moss species. According to the life-forms analysis, 8 different life forms were determined. Among them, tall turf (tT) was dominant. Weft (We) and Mat (Ma) were seen as the second life forms in the studied area. The samplings were made from tree base up to stand basal area. Generally, the effect of forestry practices was touched on composition, richness and cover of epiphytic bryophyte assemblages in managed and unmanaged forests. Negative effects of construction and tourist’ behaviors on the diversity of epiphytic bryophyte species in protected areas, such as national parks, were also mentioned.

Influences de la sylviculture sur le risque de dégâts biotiques et abiotiques dans les peuplements forestiers

• This article synthesizes and reviews the available information on the effects of forestry practices on the occurrence of biotic and abiotic hazards, as well as on stand susceptibility to these damaging agents, concentrating on mammal herbivores, pest insects, pathogenic fungi, wind and fire. • The management operations examined are site selection, site preparation, stand composition, regeneration method, cleaning and weed control, thinning and pruning, and harvesting. For each of these operations we have examined how they influence the occurrence of biotic and abiotic damaging agents, the susceptibility of European forests, and describe the ecological processes that may explain these influences. • Overall, we find that the silvicultural operations that have the largest influence on both biotic and abiotic risks to European forest stands are closely related to species composition and the structure of the overstorey. Four main processes that drive the causal relationships between stand management and susceptibility have been identified: effect on local microclimate, provision of fuel and resources to biotic and abiotic hazards, enhancement of biological control by natural enemies and changes in individual tree physiology and development. • The review demonstrates an opportunity to develop silvicultural methods that achieve forest management objectives at the same time as minimising biotic and abiotic risks. Mots-cles : sylviculture / peuplement / occurrence / sensibilite /

Review: Up-Coast: Forests and Industry on British Columbia's North Coast, 1870-2005 by Richard A. Rajala

Review: Up-Coast: Forests and Industry on British Columbia's North Coast, 1870-2005 By Richard A. Rajala Reviewed by Jan Kunnas European University Institute, Firenze, Italy Richard A. Rajala. Up-Coast: Forests and Industry on British Columbia's North Coast, 1870-2005. Victoria, Canada: Royal BC Museum, 2006. 294 pp. Hardbound. ISBN: 0-7726-5460-3. $US49.95. [Richard A. Rajala. Clearcutting the Pacific Rain Forest: Production, Science, and Regulation. Vancouver: UBC Press, June 1998. 286 pp. Paperback. ISBN 0-7748-0591-9. $US 24.95] In Clearcutting the Pacific Rain Forest, Richard A. Rajala explored the roots of the deforestation crisis in the Douglas fir regions of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon between 1880 and 1965. In Up- Coast, the geographical scope is restricted to British Columbia's central and north coast from the Seymor inlet in the south to the Cassiar District in the North, and the Queen Charlotte Islands. The time scope, however, is prolonged from 1870 to early 2005. My original intent was to review only the most recently published of the books, but due to their complementary character, it seemed worthwhile to combine them for the sake of the review. The back cover of the new work promises that: Up-Coast presents the first comprehensive history of British Columbia's central-and-north-coast forest industry. This would, of course, be impossible for such a long time span (135 years) within less than 300 pages. Wisely, Rajala concentrates on one aspect, in this case wood procurement for the needs of the forest industry, starting from the first commercial sawmill on the north coast in operation by 1874, and ending with the needs of giant pulp-and-paper firms. For example, water pollution gets only a few lines of attention while the effects of forestry practices on salmon spawning grounds gets a bit more. Even so, every page of the book is fully packed with information, as Rajala takes us through several boom-and-bust cycles in the forest industry. We learn how the World Wars and, especially, how the need for airplane spruces affected the forest; we take a trip along the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and a boat trip with the International Woodworkers of America's Loggers' Navy. The book also works as a social history of the district, including both First Nations and other forest- or forestry-dependent local communities. I, and other readers not familiar with North American logging practices, would certainly need to read more about different logging and transporting methods presented in the book. Fortunately many of these are presented in detail in Clearcutting the Pacific Rain Forest. Now I know what a steam-donkey is, or how a cable logging system works. (I still, however, do not know how an A-frame works.) Up-Coast has a clear lesson for all resource-rich but capital-poor countries or regions. Providing cheap resources for companies to attract investments does not automatically generate welfare for the people and communities in the region, at least not in the long run. One of the reasons is that new labor-saving technology constantly eats up the employment benefits of increased production and logging. Clearcutting the Pacific Rain Forest concentrates on technology advances in logging operations, and how they transformed logging into an industrial operation. We also learn how flawed research supporting large- scale clear cutting survived as the results were convenient for short time industrial interests. Neither of the books are easy reads due to their massive amounts of detailed information, but both are well worth the effort. My only real reason for complaint is the use of endnotes instead of footnotes, which creates a lot of flipping back and forth. Luckily, in the endnotes for Clearcutting, each page heading clearly showed to which pages in the main text the notes referred, a nice feature which unfortunately was missing from the newer work.

Effects of forestry practices on relict plant species on limestone cliffs in the northern Swiss Jura mountains

Limestone cliffs in the forests of the Swiss Jura mountains harbour a highly diverse plant community including glacial relict species. This unique cliff vegetation is increasingly threatened by overgrowing forest and recreational activities (sport climbing and picnicking). Management objectives of the surrounding forest focus on the conservation of the cliff vegetation. The most suitable forestry practice to achieve this goal is, however, still unknown. We examined the effects of two different forestry practices (clear-cutting and shelter tree cutting) on the species richness and abundance of vascular plants on the face, at the base and on the talus of three cliffs. As controls we considered areas with no management in the past 80 years (forest reserves) at the same cliffs. Plant species density (number of species/m 2) and vegetation cover were higher in shelter cut areas than in the forest reserves both on the talus and at the cliff base. Clear-cut areas had a higher vegetation cover than forest reserves on the talus. Shelter cut areas showed a larger proportion of plants with high light demand and a higher mean light score of plants than clear-cut areas and forest reserves. We conclude that selective cutting of trees (shelter tree cutting) is the best forestry practice for the conservation of a high biodiversity and a multitude of relict plant species on limestone cliffs in the Jura mountains. However, this forestry practice is time-consuming and thus expensive. To preserve the specialised cliff flora, sponsorship for this forestry practice is needed from governmental and non-governmental organisations.

Bird species dynamics in a managed southern boreal forest in Finland

Abstract Patterns of 10-year variation (1993–2002) in a bird species community were studied in a managed southern boreal forest in Finland using yearly repeated bird censuses. Specifically, effects of logging on cavity-nesting bird species of coniferous and mixed woods were examined. Logging was based on the recommendations of new forestry practices, which have been designed to maintain biodiversity in Finnish forests. Repeated measures ANOVA with polynomial contrasts was adopted when studying temporal variation of bird abundance. Short-distance and partial migrants showed significant year-to-year variation, whereas the temporal variation in resident birds and long-distance migrants did not vary significantly. Numbers of short-distance migrants declined during the study period, whereas partial migrants had significant non-linear (third-order) variation between years. The temporal variation of partial migrants was largely due to variation in spruce seed eaters, the siskin Carduelis spinus and the crossbill Loxia curvirostra , the numbers of which varied according to the spruce cone crop. New logging practices had a negative effect on the numbers of cavity-nesters of coniferous and mixed woods. However, winter temperatures correlated positively with the numbers of resident cavity-nesting tit guild species ( Parus montanus , P. cristatus , P. ater , Certhia familiaris ), so that mild winters may ameliorate the adverse effects of forestry practices on resident forest species.

Effects of forestry practices on vegetation structure and bird community of Kibale National Park, Uganda

I examined the lingering effects of past timber management practices on the vegetation structure and bird community of Kibale National Park, Uganda. I compared four forest treatments: unlogged native forest (UL), two that were selectively logged at low (LL) and high (HL) intensities in the 1960s, and a conifer plantation (PL). Forest-dependent birds were best represented at UL. LL was similar to UL in both vegetation structure and bird community composition, although some forest-dependent bird species were missing from the former. HL had significantly less canopy closure and lower tree density than other plots as a result of the combination of extensive secondary damage and natural disturbance patterns that prevented the reclosure of the forest canopy. Thirty-one percent of the forest-dependent bird species observed during the study were not detected at HL. At PL, bird species richness and bird abundance were about a third of those observed in other plots. There were significant correlations between heterogeneity of tree distribution (horizontal heterogeneity) and abundance and species richness of birds across plots. Abundance and species richness of all, forest-dependent, and forest generalist birds were highest in plots with intermediate measures of horizontal heterogeneity, which were mostly unlogged or lightly logged. If reduced-impact logging practices are not implemented during selective logging operations in tropical forests, consequent long-term changes in vegetation structure may result in significant declines in the populations of some forest-dependent species, as was observed in Kibale National Park.

Effects of Forestry Practices on Carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) – Implication for Nature Management

Effects of forestry management were studied in the Szatmár-Bereg Landscape Protection Area (NE-Hungary). Carabid assemblages of forest stands managed by different management techniques (stand put under acorn after clearing the herbaceous and shrub layer, the other prepared for seedlings by grubbing and deep loosening) have been compared with that of a non-managed control stand using pitfall traps. The number of carabid individuals and species has been found to be the highest in the non-managed stand, followed by that of the stand which was put under acorn after clearing the herbaceous and shrub layer. The fewest individuals and species were observed in the stand managed by grubbing and deep loosening. There was no significant difference between the species richness of the control stand and the stand managed by clearing the herbs and shrubs and put under acorn, while both values were found to be significantly higher than that of the stand managed by grubbing and loosening. The composition of the carabid assemblage of the non-managed stand and that of the stand cleared and put under acorn were similar to each other, while the carabid assemblage of the stand managed by grubbing and deep loosening was considerably different from the assemblages of the two above stands. The results suggest that the grubbing and deep loosening management practice completely changes the structure and composition of the carabid assemblage, thus it is not recommended to use in protected areas. Clearing the herbaceous and shrub layer followed by putting under acorn, does not substantially change the structure and composition of the carabid assemblage, so it can be used on protected areas for forestry management.

Effects of forestry practices on water quality and primary productivity in small forest brooks

(1991). Effects of forestry practices on water quality and primary productivity in small forest brooks. SIL Proceedings, 1922-2010: Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 1760-1766.

How Does Forestry Influence Atmospheric Carbon?

Several approaches to studying the effects of forestry practices on the flux of carbon between forest ecosystems and the atmosphere are examined. If the average live forest biomass carbon pool in mature uncut forests is greater than that in second-growth forests, harvesting causes a long-term loss of carbon to the atmosphere. However, in the short term, increased productivity of cut-over stands relative to comparable uncut stands implies a net carbon flux from the atmosphere to the biomass. Management also affects the return flux of carbon to the atmosphere from non-living pools: values for wood and paper products will differ from those for naturally decomposing materials. The greater the proportion of harvested biomass carbon retained in long-lived forest products, the smaller the increase in atmospheric carbon due to harvesting. Under sustainable management, carbon releases to the atmosphere can also be reduced by use of wood biomass fuels, which displace non-renewable fossil fuels. Models combining growth and decay rates with estimates of major carbon pools will provide the best analyses of forest management impacts on the carbon balance. Key words: carbon dioxide, harvesting, productivity, fire, decomposition, forest products, biomass energy.

Dung beetles of the Kibale Forest, Uganda; comparison between virgin and managed forests

It is commonly believed that the vast majority of insect species living in tropical forests do not survive in areas that have been clear-cut. Even species for which resources in clearings are suitable generally disappear. Tropical forest dung beetles exemplify this phenomenon (South America Howden & Nealis 1975, Africa Cambefort 1984, South-East Asia Hanski unpubl.), presumably because of the radical change in microclimate that occurs when forest is cleared (Howden & Nealis 1975). The effects of forestry practices less drastic than clear-cutting on insect faunas remain poorly known (Holloway 1987, Wolda 1987, Wolda et al. 1983). For dung beetles, there are no comparisons between the species assemblages of virgin and managed forests. Here we report such a comparison in the Kibale Forest region in Uganda. The Kibale Forest is a medium-altitude moist evergreen forest in western Uganda (00 27' N, 300 26' E, 1500 m altitude). The forest area is about 550 km2, and is isolated by about 50 km from other forest areas (Struhsaker 1975). The annual rainfall is about 1500 mm with two rainy seasons from late August to early December and from early March to early May. A long-term study of forestry practices in the Kibale Forest has yielded results on treefalls (Skorupa & Kasenene 1984), primates (Skorupa 1986, Struhsaker 1975), small rodents (Basuta & Kasenene 1987, Kasenene 1984) and on elephants, duikers and arthropods (Nummelin 1986, 1989). We trapped beetles with human dung-baited pitfalls in March-May and September-November in 1984-86, closely following the trapping procedure described in Hanski (1983). Traps were placed in two areas of virgin forest (K30 and Ngogo), at two sites of selectively felled forest (Kibale Forest Project study sites K14 and K15), and in two areas of non-native soft-wood plantations (about 20 years old,Pinus caribbaea Morolet and Cupressus lusitanica Mill.). The

The Effects of Forestry Practices on Wildlife in Australia: A Review

SUMMARY Two prerequisites for multiple-use management of Australian forests are an increased knowledge of the biology of the forest fauna and of the effects of various forestry practices on their populations. Road construction, stand improvement operations and selective logging, clear-felling for woodchips or establishment of indigenous or exotic plantations, and prescribed (control) burning all affect wildlife according to the degree that each species depends on the forest as habitat and the degree to which the forest is changed, particularly in plant species diversity and structure. Their general effect, however, is to initiate or reset a succession of different plant communities and associated wildlife populations in which the types and numbers of animals present depend upon the age and size of the forest and the diversity of vegetation (especially the type and density of understorey) present. Because each species varies in its dependence on the forest as habitat it is clearly impossible to satisfy all their requirements by a single management plan. The setting aside of a representative series of large reserves and National Parks, establishment of individual or groups of species as the objectives of management programmes in some areas and modification of existing forestry practices, however, should allow both commercial timber production and conservation of wildlife in Australian forests.

Eucalypt Forests as Refuge for Wildlife

SUMMARY The Tall Open and Open Eucalyptus forests of southeastern and southwestern Australia and of Tasmania sustain 57 species of indigenous mammals. Between 10 and 20 of the species are wholly dependent on these forests for their survival and have evolved adaptations to suit a stable environment. The rest are less dependent and use the forests mainly as shelter. Compared to southeastern Australia the mammal faunas of the other two regions are depauperate, and the missing species are generally those considered to be wholly dependent. It is suggested that their dependence on the forests prevented them crossing non-forested barriers during the Pleistocene. The effects of forestry practices on the mammal species is directly related to the degree of dependence of the species on forest and for some it is suggested that reserves larger than 6,000 ha are the only means to ensure their long-term survival.