Forest Plantations Research Articles

A Green Repository Matures at Kepong : the forest Research Institute of Malaysia

An overview of the history of establishment, characteristics and functions of the grounds of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia at Kepong is presented. The Institute was functionally established at its Kepong premises in 1926, when the first forest plantations there were begun, and the arboretum was established in 1929 through the efforts of F. W. Foxworthy and J. G. Watson. Today, the premises at Kepong occupy a total area of some 600 hectares, including the natural forest of Bukit Lagong, the plantation forests and the special livmg-plant collections. The planted forests are a prime example of tropical reforestation using hardwood dipterocarp species. These plantations and the arboreta have been built up through a close association with research related-to forestry, plant biology and taxonomy, and the grounds are an important facility for conservation, education and recreation. Taken in toto. the entire premises are effective in conservation through the building up of viable, breeding populations of many plant species, and are significant as a sanctuary for animal life.Unlike the Indian Botanic Garden, which by 1987 woidd have celebrated two hundred years since establishment, the Kepong premises of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia will see its bicentenary only in the year 2126. It seems a long way to go, and indeed it is. But botanic gardens and arboreta do not grow merely with age; they will only develop with continual maintenance, acquisition and renewal through time. It is, therefore, most pleasing to realize that the Indian Botanic Garden has been sustained for two centuries, and the Kepong premises is maturing after sity years, as scientific livmg-plant repositories.The living collections on the Kepong premises of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) have not normally been equated to a botanical garden in its typical sense because of the general emphasis on arboriculture and species of interest to tree-oriented forestry. Although they are as purposeful and functional as any botanical garden in the tropics, the grounds of the FRIM are unique in several aspects and are well-recognised by tropical plant scientists as one of the major repositories for living plants in the region.

Woody species diversity, structure and regeneration status of the church forests in West Gojjam Zone, Northwestern Ethiopia

Ethiopia's diverse ecology faces challenges from significant deforestation. Church forests are relatively protected although under pressure from agricultural expansion, grave house construction and climate related factors. The present study was aimed to assess the woody species composition, structure and regeneration status of church forests in the West Gojjam Zone. Twenty-six church forests were selected using stratified random sampling based on agroecology, elevation, forest size, and distance from population centers. A total of 175 main plots of 20 m × 20 m (400 m2) for trees, 875 subplots of 5 m × 5 m (25 m2) for saplings, and 875 subplots of 1 m × 1 m (1 m2) for seedlings were laid down. Diameter at breast height (DBH) was measured for woody plants with a DBH ≥2.5 cm and also height ≥ 2.5 m. Diversity and structural analysis of the woody species were carried out using appropriate tools. The regeneration status of the study forests was evaluated based on the number of seedlings, sapling and matured plants. A total of 111 woody species that belong to 95 genera and 51 families with 72 (64.86 %) trees, 23 (20.72 %) shrubs, 8 (7.2 %) shrubs/trees and 8 (7.2) lianas were identified. In the study sites, the woody plant species consist of 82.88 % indigenous, 15.32 % exotic, and 1.8 % endemic species. Fabaceae was the dominant family in West Gojjam zone church forests. The Shannon diversity ranged from 0.99 to 3.47, with an average of 2.55, and evenness varied from 0.5 to 0.96 (average 0.82). Species richness ranged from 7 to 45 with the average value of 23.81, and a total stem density of 5880 individuals per hectare. Additionally, 5923 saplings and 6136 seedlings per hectare were recorded. The most abundant species include Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Calpurnia aurea, and Juniperus procera. The average basal area was 29.268 m²/ha for the studied church forests, with Ficus vasta having the highest basal area. Juniperus procera and Rhus vulgaris exhibited the highest Importance Value index (IVI), while Premna schimperi, and Myrtus communis had the lowest IVI. The overall regeneration status of west Gojjam church forests was found to be good. Significant differences in woody species composition and diversity were observed between church forests. The study revealed the importance of church forests in the West Gojjam Zone for plant diversity conservation, revealing their resilience and potential for sustainable protection of forests despite the challenges like deforestation and climate change, and their potential for sustainable maintenance. As we have already seen, some of the church's forests were converted to agriculture as a source of income for the church. This practice is dangerous for the survival of the endemic plants in the church forests and leads to deforestation. Therefore, it is recommended to form an alternative source of income for the church.

Assessing the impact of unsustainable exploitation and climate change on soil properties alterations in the mountainous regions, Vietnam

This study aims to assess the impacts of land use change (LUC) on soil properties and soil organic carbon content (SOCC) in the mountainous regions of Nghe An province, Vietnam. Soil samples were surveyed from forest plant area (FPA), annual plant area (APA), crop plant area (CPA), and bare hill area (BHA) at depths ranging from 0-50 cm during the period 2021-2023. The findings indicated that the conversion from FPA to BHA resulted in a significant decline in SOCC. In comparison to the topsoil layer, reductions of approximately 18.6-22.1% for FPA, 26.5-36.0% for CPA and APA, and up to 37.5% for BHA were observed in the soil profiles. These results underscore the sensitivity of SOCC to LUC across the study area. Moreover, the study contributes to our understanding of the implications of LUC on soil health and offers valuable insights for effective land management and conservation strategies. The conversion of FPA into various types of land use (TLU) has a detrimental impact on soil properties, highlighting the urgent necessity for sustainable land use practices.

Observations on the Utilisation of Forest Plants by the Tribals of Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu

This paper provides the available information on the usage of forest plants by the tribals called "Seenthikodi valaiyars" of Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary. The ethnobotanical values of 92 plant speciejs are described under three heads a) edible plants, b) ethomedicine and c) miscellaneous plants. The need for the conservation of commercially harvested plants of ethnobotanical importance is also discussed.

A network meta-analysis on responses of forest soil carbon concentration to interventions

BackgroundForests play a crucial role in absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. 55% of the carbon in terrestrial ecosystems is stored in forests, with the majority of forest carbon stored in soil. To better understand soil organic carbon (SOC) of forests and to access interventions that affect their SOC concentration, we conducted a comparative analysis between natural and planted forests. Forest interventions refer to the actions taken by humans to manage, protect, or transform forests, and can be divided into two main categories: environmental intervention and anthropogenic intervention. This study focused on the effects of different interventions on SOC in natural and planted forests by reviewing a total of 75 randomized controlled trials in the global literature and extracting a total of 15 different interventions.ResultsThrough network meta-analysis, we found that natural forests have 22.3% higher SOC than planted forests, indicating their stronger carbon storage function. In natural forests, environmental interventions have a stronger impact. SOC is significantly influenced by forest age, fertilization, and elevation. In planted forests, however, anthropogenic interventions have a stronger impact. Pruning branches and fertilization are effective interventions for planted forests. Furthermore, forest degradation has a significantly negative impact on SOC in planted forests.ConclusionOverall, interventions to enhance soil carbon storage function differ between natural and planted forests. To address global climate change, protect biodiversity, and achieve sustainable development, it is imperative to globally protect forests and employ scientifically sound forest management practices. Regarding natural forests, the emphasis should be on comprehending the effects of environmental interventions on SOC. Conversely, concerning planted forests, the emphasis should be on comprehending the effects of anthropogenic interventions.

Plant diversity in the understory of Eucalyptus plantations on Hainan Island and its response to environmental factors

Research on understory plant diversity and its response to environmental factors helps in the sustainable development of plantation forests. We investigated the characteristics of understory plant diversity in Eucalyptus plantation forests located in Dongfang, Ding'an, Tunchang, and Lingao on Hainan Island by leveraging the plot survey method, and analyzing how the understory plant diversity in these Eucalyptus plantation forests responds to environmental factors. The results showed that a total of 124 plant species belonging to 62 families and 112 genera were recorded in the sampled plots of the Dongfang, Ding’an, Tunchang, and Lingao regional sites on Hainan Island, among which species of Fabaceae and Poaceae comprised the largest number of plants. The number of species and plant diversity indices of the shrub layer and herb layer in Eucalyptus plantation forests varied at different sites, The richest understory vegetation in Tunchang, located in the center of Hainan Island, and the highest α-diversity whether gauged by species or phylogenetically. The similarity of the understory plant community species was greatest between Ding’an and Tunchang, whereas the difference in composition was largest between Dongfang and the other three sites. Phylogenetically, the understory plant community at Ding’an had the most distant affinities among species, whereas that at Tunchang had the closest affinities among species. The results of the Mantel test and redundancy analysis revealed differing correlations between plant diversity in the shrub layer versus herb layer and various environmental factors. In particular, elevation and annual average temperature are the two main factors influencing plant diversity in the shrub layer, and soil available nitrogen and annual average sunshine duration are the two main factors influencing plant diversity in the herb layer. Variance decomposition showed that the combined effect of soil, climate, and topography factors is the main driver shaping plant diversity in the shrub layer of the understory in Eucalyptus plantation forests, while the combined effect of climate and soil factors is the main one determining plant diversity in their herb layer.

Exploring interspecific hybridization dynamics in artificial forests of Pinus brutia and P. halepensis: Implications for sustainable afforestation.

Interspecific hybridization increases genetic diversity, which is essential for coping with changing environments. Hybrid zones, occurring naturally in overlapping habitats of closely related species, can be artificially established during afforestation. The resulting interspecific hybridization may promote sustainability in artificial forests, particularly in regions facing degradation due to climate change. Currently, there is limited evidence of hybridization during regeneration of artificial forests. Here, we studied the frequency of Pinus brutia Ten. × P. halepensis Mill. hybridization in five planted forests in Israel in three stages of forest regeneration: seeds before dispersal, emerged seedlings and recruited seedlings at the end of the dry season. We found hybrids on P. brutia, but not on P. halepensis trees due to asynchronous cone production phenology. Using 94 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, we found hybrids at all stages, most of which were hybrids of advanced generations. The hybrid proportions increased from 4.7 ± 2.1 to 8.2 ± 1.4 and 21.6 ± 6.4 per cent, from seeds to emerged seedlings and to recruited seedlings stages, respectively. The increased hybrid ratio implies an advantage of hybrids over P. brutia during forest regeneration. To test this hypothesis, we measured seedling growth rate and morphological traits under controlled conditions and found that the hybrid seedlings exhibited selected traits of the two parental species, which likely contributed to the fitness and survival of the hybrids during the dry season. This study highlights the potential contribution of hybrids to sustainable-planted forests and contributes to the understanding of genetic changes that occur during the regeneration of artificial forests.

Response of Soil Chemical Properties under Tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) Field to Integrated Application of Lantana camara L. Weed Vermicompost and NPS Mineral Fertilizer

Recently, the beauty of the environment, native forest plants, and crops were encroached with invasive weeds, and thus scientific community was concerned with searching for optional management of these horrible weeds. Accordingly, vermicomposting of invasive weeds with the purpose of utilization management was evaluated as an alternative option and cost-effective management. Utilization management included keeping the environment safe from expanding invasive weeds by using these weeds as vermicomposting materials. Consequently, vermicompost was produced from L. camara invasive weed and this produced vermicompost was interactively used with chemical fertilizer to appraise its effect on soil chemical properties after the tef crop was harvested. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a factorial combination with three replications. Four levels of L. camara vermicompost amendment (0, 2, 4, and 6 t·ha−1) and four levels of NPS fertilizer (0, 100, 150, and 200 kg·ha−1) were used in the combination of the treatments. Disturbed composite soil sampling at a depth of 20 cm was carried out, one sample before planting and 48 samples after harvesting of the tef crop. The results showed that the combined addition of vermicompost and NPS fertilizers at the rate of 6 t·ha−1 and 200 kg·ha−1, respectively, significantly increased plant-available phosphorus (Av. P). Reversely, the pH of the soil remained unchanged when the soil was treated with the integration of vermicompost and NPS fertilizer or at their separate individual application. Most of the soil chemical properties, i.e. soil organic carbon (SOC), electrical conductivity (EC), Av. P, total nitrogen (TN), carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C : N), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were found to be improved when the soil was amended with the highest dose of sole L. camara vermicompost fertilizer. The two-year consecutive organic fertilizer fertilization rate increased SOC from 63.64% to 107.56%, EC from 8.70% to 22.22%, Av. P from 40.87% to 143.13%, TN from 50% to 100%, C : N ratio from 8.14% to 11.58%, and CEC from 42.11% to 63.67% versus untreated plot. Single-application NPS chemical fertilizer has only an encouraging effect on Av. P and CEC of soil. The principal driving factor for any change in soil chemical properties was the L. camara vermicompost amendment. Therefore, using L. camara weed as a vermicompost can enhance soil fertility. This study offers the opportunity to convert the large biomass of L. camara weed into vermicompost through vermicomposting.

Assessing Carbon Sequestration Potential in State-Owned Plantation Forests in China and Exploring Feasibility for Carbon Offset Projects

In the pursuit of carbon neutrality, state-owned forests are prime candidates for carbon offset projects due to their unique tenure and management characteristics. Employing methodologies endorsed by the International Panel on Climate Change and logistic growth curves, this study assesses the carbon stocks and sequestration potential of established state-owned plantation forests across 31 Chinese provinces from 2023 to 2060, encompassing seven forestry industry groups. This study projects that by 2060, these forests will amass a carbon stock of 558.25 MtC, with the highest stock in Northeast China (122.09 MtC) and the lowest in Northwest China (32.27 MtC), notably showing the highest growth rate at 91.15%. Over the forecast period, they are expected to accumulate a carbon sink of 637.07 MtCO2e, translating to an average annual carbon sink of 17.22 MtCO2e and an average annual carbon sink per unit of 1.41 tons of CO2 per hectare per year. Additionally, state-owned forests have the potential to offset approximately 0.15%–0.17% of annual carbon emissions, aligning with international climate goals. However, it is essential to note that the conversion of these carbon sinks into tradable carbon credits is subject to specific methodology requirements. Therefore, the future development of carbon offset projects in China’s state-owned forests should consider the advancement of carbon market mechanisms, including the Chinese Certified Emission Reduction and the introduction of a carbon inclusion mechanism and natural forest methodology, to fully realize their potential contributions to carbon neutrality. In summary, these findings offer valuable insights for shaping the future of carbon offset initiatives within China’s state-owned forests.

Influence of Picea Abies Logs on the Distribution of Vascular Plants in Old-Growth Spruce Forests

The deadwood contributes to an increase in soil heterogeneity due to the changing the microrelief (by the formation of windthrow-soil complexes), as well as changes in physical and chemical characteristics of decaying wood directly during xylolysis. We hypothesized that fallen logs as an element of microrelief influence the species composition and cover structure of vascular plants. We studied the influence of Picea abies (L.) Karst fallen logs of moderate and advanced decay stages on the horizontal distribution and heterogeneity of vascular plant cover in different microsite types (small boreal grass type, blueberry type, small boreal grass-blueberry type, herbs, and blueberry type) in old-growth middle taiga spruce forest in the Kivach State Nature Reserve (Republic of Karelia, Russia). The fallen deadwood acts as a factor of heterogeneity, causing reversible changes in the homogeneity of the original plant cover. The decaying logs influence the horizontal distribution of small herbs by changing the occurrence and density of shoots of Oxalis acetosella L., Maianthemum bifolium (L.) F.W. Schmidt, Vaccinium myrtillus L., and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., as well as the occurrence of Luzula pilosa (L.) Willd. and Calamagrostis arundinacea (L.) Roth. Its impact on the heterogeneity parameters can be traced up to 20 cm from the log. The differences in vascular plant cover between fallen logs and the surrounding forest floor depend on the soil conditions of the microsite. The heterogeneity of conditions created by the logs smoothed out with increasing decay class, resulting in decreasing differences in the heterogeneity parameters of vascular plant cover between deadwood and forest floor. The changes in the homogeneity of the initial vascular plant cover by deadwood and the gradual smoothing of heterogeneity between the logs and the forest floor in rich and poor conditions have different, mainly opposite, trends. Finally, the structure of the vegetation cover reaches a state that is typical of particular growth conditions beyond deadwood.

Rapid detection of Alternaria spp. by PCR in the newly created forest plantations on the drained bottom of the Aral Sea

Salinization and drought are the most important abiotic stress factors causing significant impact to the agriculture of Uzbekistan. To eliminate the negative consequences of the drying of the Aral Sea, large-scale works are currently being conducted on this territory to create protective forest plantations of halophytic trees and shrubs. An important issue in the protection of forest plantations is the isolation, identification and monitoring of phytopathogenic fungi associated with these forest plantations. The study's objective was to isolate Alternaria fungi from Haloxylon aphyllum (Minkw.) Iljin, Tamarix hispida Willd., T. ramossisima Ledeb. and to also apply a diagnostic marker using PCR assays to detect and identify Alternaria pathogens in these plants. As a result of the study, 10 strains of Alternaria fungi were isolated from plant samples of black saxaul – Haloxylon aphyllum, and two tamarisk species – Tamarix hispida, Tamarix ramossisima. The dominant species was: Alternaria tenuissima (Kunze) Wiltshire. β-tubulin gene was used as a molecular marker to distinguish and identify Alternaria spp in 34 leaf samples of Haloxylon aphyllum, Tamarix hispida and Tamarix ramossisima. The primer set used in the PCR assay was shown to be capable of detecting the presence of Alternaria in the leaves. Therefore, a β-tubulin-based diagnostic marker can be widely applied for monitoring of Alternaria infecting a wide-range of halophytic trees and shrubs in the protective forest plantations.

Study on Leaf Morphological and Stoichiometric Traits of Cunninghamia lanceolata Based on Different Provenances

The purpose of this study is to look into the differences in leaf functional traits between Cunninghamia lanceolata from different provenances, as well as to expose the response characteristics of leaf morphological and stoichiometric traits of Cunninghamia lanceolata from different provenances to diverse the environment of provenances. In this study, we chose 30 Cunninghamia lanceolata from different provenances as the research object and analyze the differences in leaf morphological and stoichiometric traits of Cunninghamia lanceolata from different provenances, the relationships among leaf functional traits, and the relationships between leaf functional traits and environmental factors of provenances. The results showed that the coefficient of variation of leaf morphological traits was 15.31% to 22.86%，and the coefficient of variation of stoichiometry provenances was 3.19% to 26.05%. The coefficient of variation of leaf carbon content was relatively small，indicating that carbon is the most stable element in the Cunninghamia lanceolata. And significant correlations are observed among different leaf functional traits. Using redundancy analysis to explore the relationship between leaf functional traits and environmental factors of provenances, it was found that the genetic effects of environmental factors explained 43.19% of the heterogeneity in leaf functional traits of Cunninghamia lanceolata. As a result, studying the variation of leaf functional traits of Cunninghamia lanceolata from different provenances, as well as how they correlate with environmental factors in provenances, is critical for understanding and predicting the responses and adaptations of Cunninghamia lanceolata from different provenances in the backdrop of global changes in the environment, and it additionally serves as a scientific basis for the sustainable development of Cunninghamia lanceolata and the selection of excellent Cunninghamia lanceolata provenances. Meanwhile, it makes scientific recommendations for China to do research on the sustainable development and productivity enhancement of cedar plantation forests.

Assessing Soil Prediction Distributions for Forest Management Using Digital Soil Mapping

Texture, soil organic matter (SOM), and soil depth (SoD) are crucial properties in forest management because they can supply spatial information on forest site productivity and guide fertilizer applications. However, soil properties possess an inherent uncertainty that must be mapped to enhance decision making in management applications. Most digital soil mapping predictions primarily concentrate on the mean of the distribution, often neglecting the estimation of local uncertainty in soil properties. Additionally, there is a noticeable scarcity of practical soil examples to demonstrate the prediction uncertainty for the benefit of forest managers. In this study, following a digital soil mapping (DSM) approach, a Quantile Regression Forest (QRF) model was developed to generate high-resolution maps and their uncertainty regarding the texture, SoD, and SOM, which were expressed as standard deviation (Sd) values. The results showed that the SOM (R2 = 0.61, RMSE = 2.03% and with an average Sd = 50%), SoD (R2 = 0.74 and RMSE = 19.4 cm), clay (R2 = 0.63, RMSE = 10.5% and average Sd = 29%), silt (R2 = 0.59, RMSE = 6.26% and average Sd = 33%), and sand content (R2 = 0.55, RMSE = 9.49% and average Sd = 35%) were accurately estimated for forest plantations in central south Chile. A practical demonstration of precision fertilizer application, utilizing the predictive distribution of SOM, effectively showcased how uncertainty in soil attributes can be leveraged to benefit forest managers. This approach holds potential for optimizing resource allocation and maximizing economic benefits.

Carbon storage through China’s planted forest expansion

China’s extensive planted forests play a crucial role in carbon storage, vital for climate change mitigation. However, the complex spatiotemporal dynamics of China’s planted forest area and its carbon storage remain uncaptured. Here we reveal such changes in China’s planted forests from 1990 to 2020 using satellite and field data. Results show a doubling of planted forest area, a trend that intensified post-2000. These changes lead to China’s planted forest carbon storage increasing from 675.6 ± 12.5 Tg C in 1990 to 1,873.1 ± 16.2 Tg C in 2020, with an average rate of ~ 40 Tg C yr−1. The area expansion of planted forests contributed ~ 53% (637.2 ± 5.4 Tg C) of the total above increased carbon storage in planted forests compared with planted forest growth. This proactive policy-driven expansion of planted forests has catalyzed a swift increase in carbon storage, aligning with China’s Carbon Neutrality Target for 2060.

Assessment of Phytomass and Carbon Stock in the Ecosystems of the Central Forest Steppe of the East European Plain: Integrated Approach of Terrestrial Environmental Monitoring and Remote Sensing with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

The rapid and accurate estimation of aboveground forest phytomass remains a challenging research task. In general, methods for estimating phytomass fall mainly into the category of field measurements performed by ground-based methods, but approaches based on remote sensing and ecological modelling have been increasingly applied. The aim is to develop the scientific and methodological framework for the remote sensing estimation of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of forest stands, using the combination of surveys and machine learning models to determine phytomass of forest stands and calculate the carbon balance. Even-aged stands of different tree species growing in the forest steppe zone of the East European Plain were chosen as test objects. We have applied the modernized methodological approaches to compare and integrate forest and tree stand characteristics obtained by ground-based and UAV-based comprehensive surveys; additionally, we developed computer vision models and methods for determining the same characteristics by remote sensing methods. The key advantage of the proposed methodology for remote monitoring and carbon balance control over existing analogues is the minimization of the amount of groundwork and, consequently, the reduction inlabor costs without loss of information quality. Reliable data on phytomass volumes will allow for operational control of the forest carbon storage, which is essential for decision-making processes. This is important for the environmental monitoring of forests and green spaces of various economic categories. The proposed methodology is necessary for the monitoring and control of ecological-climatic and anthropogenic-technogenic transformations in various landscapes. The development is useful for organizing the management of ecosystems, environmental protection, and managing the recreational and economic resources of landscapes with natural forests and forest plantations.

Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Melalui Penerapan Metode Ovitrap dan Budidaya Tanaman Pengusir Nyamuk Sebagai Upaya Penanganan Demam Berdarah Dengue (DBD) di Kelurahan Tanjung Mas Kota Semarang

This service activity aims to increase the knowledge and skills of community members in handling dengue hemorrhagic fever through the ovitrap method and cultivating mosquito-repellent plants. The method of implementing this service uses empowerment with socialization and practical activities. This service establishes a partnership with Dian Nuswantoro University (UDINUS) in the form of Assisted Village Partners, Semarang City Health Service, and Bandarharjo Community Health Center providing support in the form of mentoring and speakers, and the Forest Plant Certification and Seedling Center (BSPTH) providing support in the form of 100 eucalyptus plant seeds. The evaluation instrument for this activity uses a pre-test and post-test. This service data analysis technique uses descriptive analysis. The results of this service show that community members have the knowledge and skills to deal with dengue hemorrhagic fever through the ovitrap method and cultivating mosquito-repellent plants in Tanjung Mas Village. This is proven by residents participating in the process of making Ovitrap tools and planting mosquito-repellent plants. There was a change in community knowledge from before the counseling was carried out to after the counseling was carried out (the score before the counseling was 35, and the score after the counseling was 50).

Repeat GEDI footprints measure the effects of tropical forest disturbances

More of the Amazon rainforest is disturbed each year than completely deforested, but the impact of these disturbances on the carbon cycle remains poorly understood. Recent algorithmic advances using optical and radar remote sensing have improved detection of disturbances at fine spatiotemporal resolution, but quantifying changes in forest structure and biomass associated with these detected disturbances has proven challenging. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), a spaceborne lidar mission collecting data from 2019 to 2023, provides an opportunity to address this problem. GEDI captured billions of measurements of forest height, plant area, and understory structure within ∼25-m diameter footprints scattered across the tropics. Though the instrument had no guaranteed repeat cycle, it sometimes sampled nearby locations twice; some of these spatially near-coincident footprints happened to measure forest structure before and after a detected disturbance, providing information on how disturbance affected aboveground biomass. In this study, we developed an efficient general-purpose open-source pipeline for identifying spatially coincident footprints, which is a computationally complex task, and used the pipeline to find over 13,700 footprint pairs with intervening disturbance events across the Amazon biome. We also identified a set of ∼65,000 spatially near-coincident footprint pairs that lacked an intervening disturbance but came from regions with similar disturbance threat; these provided a control dataset to evaluate the effectiveness of estimating forest structure and biomass changes with nearby footprints. Analysis of this Amazon-wide dataset demonstrated that GEDI was able to measure statistically significant canopy height and biomass deficits following non-stand-replacing disturbances as small as 900 m2 (30 m × 30 m). GEDI's unique three-dimensional view of forest structure also reflected the effects of different intensities of fire disturbance, including 20% of burned areas where the upper canopy retained most of its height, but the understory suffered substantial foliage losses. Finally, we modeled the relationship between Landsat and Sentinel-1 disturbance detection parameters and GEDI-estimated percent biomass loss, showing that certain satellite-derived intensity metrics are correlated with increasing biomass loss and identifying temporal trends in biomass loss and recovery following disturbance. This work represents an important step towards the development of a pan-tropical, spatially explicit system for tracking carbon losses and structural changes arising from forest disturbance.

Population-specific climate sensitive top height curves and their applications to assisted migration

Growth and yield (G&Y) of forest plantations can be significantly impacted by maladaptation resulting from climate change, and assisted migration has been proposed to mitigate these impacts by restoring populations to their historic climates. However, genecology models currently used for guiding assisted migration do not account for impacts of climate change on cumulative growth and assume that responses of forest population to climate do not change with age. Using provenance trial data for interior lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta subsp. latifolia Douglas) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) in western Canada, we integrated Universal Response Functions, representing the relationship of population performance with their provenance and site climates, into top height curves in a G&Y model (Growth and Yield Projection System, GYPSY) to develop population-specific climate sensitive top height curves for both species. These new models can estimate the impact of climate change on top height of local populations and populations from a range of provenances to help guide assisted migration. Our findings reveal that climate change is expected to have varying effects on forest productivity across the landscape, with some areas projected to experience a slight increase in productivity by the 2050s, while the remainder are projected to face a significant decline in productivity for both species. Adoption of assisted migration, however, with the optimal populations selected was projected to maintain and even improve productivity at the provincial scale. The findings of this study provide a novel approach to incorporating assisted migration approaches into forest management to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.

The assessment of essential oil potential from waste logging of different eucalyptus clones in PT Toba Pulp Lestari Tbk's industrial plantation forests, Indonesia

PT. Toba Pulp Lestari Tbk's Industrial Plantation Forest is the largest forest company in North Sumatra Province, with a total area of 188055 ha. Eucalyptus leaves in this company have not been optimally utilized and processed, commonly left as waste. This study aims to calculate the potential of leaves and the potential production of essential oils from eucalyptus leaves which are waste from logging. The method used to calculate the potential of eucalyptus leaves from logging waste is to measure the weight of the leaves from the sample tree. The yield of essential oils produced from eucalyptus leaves is obtained through distillation techniques in the laboratory. The annual production potential of essential oils is calculated using annual logging area data for each clone. The study produced average data on eucalyptus leaf potential from logging waste for each clone and the entire logging area per year. Distillation was performed on all clones to produce eucalyptus oil's average yield and density. Conversion of yield with leaf potential and area of felling results in the amount of oil produced from felled logging waste leaf per year. The potential for eucalyptus production is very significant and related to efforts to increase the economy of non-timber forest products.

The impact of land use and cover changes on river flows in Wundanyi Catchment of Taita Hills, Kenya (1970–2030)

<p>Taita Hills are one of the most important biodiversity hotspots of Kenya but are experiencing a high rate of deforestation due to the to the conversion of its original forestland to agriculture and settlement during the last century. These landscape dynamics, coupled with rainfall fluctuations in these critical ecosystems, may significantly affect water resource distribution and food security in Taita Taveta County and its environs. This study aimed to establish the trends of land use/cover change (LUCC) in the Wundanyi catchment from 1970 to 2030 and predict their specific and combined effects on surface runoff and stream flow in the same period. The analysis was based on statistical trend analysis and dynamic landscape modeling using both historical and primary data from the Wundanyi catchment and Landsat TM and ETM+ imagery of Taita Hills for 1990, 2000, and 2010. Results show highly variable mean seasonal and annual values of discharge in Wundanyi catchment, probably attributed to environmental changes affecting Taita Hills in general and Wundanyi catchment in particular. Compared to 1990, major land use/cover changes in 2010 were featured by the expansion of built-up area (250%), plantation forest (23.7%), broadleaved forest (17.4%), and thicket (15.9%). It was also notable the decrease in woodland (−30.3%), cropland (−21.6%), and shrubland (−0.8%). Dynamic spatial trends by the year 2030 will be evidenced by increased thicket by 0.41% per annum (<em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 81.6%) and by decreased plantation forests (−0.13%; <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 91.3%), woodland (−0.10%; <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 77.6%), shrubland (−0.11%; <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 85.2%), broadleaved forests (−0.03%; <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 56.6%) and cropland (−0.09%; <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> of 84.4). These changes will shape the catchment landscape and influence its hydrology, unless the existing forest and agricultural policy interventions are enforced. Hence, crop diversification, agroforestry, and soil and water conservation structures are recommended to maintain effective control of LUCC on hydrological processes going on in the Wundanyi catchment.</p>