Forestry Management Practices Research Articles

Impact of various microplastics on the morphological characteristics and nutrition of the young generation of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Microplastics have the capacity to accumulate in soil due to their high resistance to degradation, consequently altering soil properties and influencing plant growth. This study focused on assessing the impact of various types and doses of microplastics on beech seedling growth. In our experiment, we used polypropylene and styrene granules with diameter of 4.0 mm in quantities of 2.5% and 7%. The hypothesis was that microplastics significantly affect seedlings' nutritional status and growth characteristics. The research analysed seedlings' nutrition, root morphological features, above-ground growth, and enzymatic activity in the substrate. Results confirmed the importance of microplastics in shaping the nutritional status of young beech trees. Microplastic type significantly impacted N/P and Ca/Mg stoichiometry, while microplastic quantity influenced Ca/Al and Ca+K+Mg/Al stoichiometry. Notably, only in the case of root diameter were significantly thicker roots noted in the control variant, whereas microplastics played a role in shaping the leaves' characteristics of the species studied. The leaf area was significantly larger in the control variant compared to the variant with polypropylene in the amount of 2.5% and styrene in the amount of 7%. Additionally, the study indicates a significant impact of microplastics on enzyme activity. In the case of CB and SP, the activity was twice as high in the control variant compared to the variants with microplastics. In the case of BG, the activity in the control variant was higher in relation to the variants used in the experiment. Research on the impact of microplastics on the growth of beech seedlings is crucial for enhancing our understanding of the effects of environmental pollution on forest ecosystems. Such studies are integral in shaping forestry management practices and fostering a broader public understanding of the ecological implications of plastic pollution.

Evaluation of Different Modeling Approaches for Estimating Total Bole Volume of Hispaniolan Pine (Pinus occidentalis Swartz) in Different Ecological Zones

Pinus occidentalis (Swartz) is the primary timber species in the Dominican Republic (DR). Despite its economic importance, studies conducted on this species are scarce, making it difficult to estimate current inventory levels. This study aims to enhance the accuracy of estimating the total bole volume of P. occidentalis in different ecological zones (EZs) within La Sierra, evaluating and comparing two established volume equations—combined variable (CV) and Schumacher and Hall (S&H) across nine modeling variants. An indicator variables analysis determined the necessity of distinct equations for two EZs. Fitting included both linear and nonlinear models. Our comprehensive statistical analysis included goodness-of-fit metrics to evaluate each model variant’s performance rigorously. The second modeling variant (SH02) for the SH equation was most effective in the Dry Ecological Zone, showing superior performance in both the fitting and validation phases. Similarly, the third modeling variant (SH03) for the SH equation emerged as the best fit for the Combined Intermediate and Humid Ecological Zones, achieving the lowest overall ranking sum among tested variants. SH02 and SH03 provide reliable and precise volume estimations, allowing for the optimization of forestry management practices for P. occidentalis trees. The SH models outperformed the CV model variants’ consistency in parameter estimation. This tailored approach ensures more accurate volume predictions, which is crucial for sustainable management and conservation efforts.

Soil organic carbon as an indicator of land use impacts in life cycle assessment

PurposeAnthropogenic activities are a major driver of soil and land degradation. Due to the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties and the global nature of most value chains, the modelling of the impacts of land use on soil quality for application in life cycle assessment (LCA) requires a regionalised assessment with global coverage. This paper proposes an approach to quantify the impacts of land use on soil quality, using changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks as a proxy, following the latest recommendation of the Life Cycle Initiative.MethodsAn operational set of SOC-based characterisation factors for land occupation and land transformation were derived using spatial datasets (1 km resolution) and aggregated at the national and global levels. The developed characterisation factors were tested by means of a case study analysis, investigating the impact on soil quality caused by land use activities necessary to provide three alternative energy supply systems for passenger car transport (biomethane, ethanol, and solar electricity). Results obtained by applying characterisation factors at local, regional, and national levels were compared, to investigate the role of the level of regionalisation on the resulting impacts.Results and discussionGlobal maps of characterisation factors are presented for the 56 land use types commonly used in LCA databases, together with national and global values. Urban and industrial land uses present the highest impacts on SOC stocks, followed by severely degraded pastures and intensively managed arable lands. Instead, values obtained for extensive pastures, flooded crops, and urban green areas often report an increase in SOC stocks. Results show that the ranking of impacts of the three energy systems considered in the case study analysis is not affected by the level of regionalisation of the analysis. In the case of biomethane energy supply, impacts assessed using national characterisation factors are more than double those obtained with local characterisation factors, with less significant differences in the other two cases.ConclusionsThe integration of soil quality aspects in life cycle impact assessment methods is a crucial challenge due to the key role of soil conservation in ensuring food security and environmental protection. This approach allows the quantification of land use impacts on SOC stocks, taken as a proxy of soil quality. Further research needs to improve the assessment of land use impacts in LCA are identified, such as the ability to reflect the effects of agricultural and forestry management practices.

Isolamento e caracterização molecular de Cordyceps sp. de Bemisia tabaci e patogênico para Glycaspis brimblecombei (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae)

The Brazilian forestry sector stands out for its technology, forestry management practices, social and environmental responsibility and, mainly, for its high productivity and exotic pests can reduce it. The red gum lerp psyllid Glycaspis brimblecombei (Moore, 1964) (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) is an important pest in Eucalyptus plantations. The parasitoid Psyllaephagus bliteus (Riek, 1962) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), predatory bugs and entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae are the natural enemies and used in the biological control of the red gum lerp psyllid. The use of entomopathogenic fungi against exotic pests is increasing in the forestry sector and the prospecting and identification of fungus isolates is important for integrated pest management. The objective of this work was the isolation and molecular identification of Cordyceps spp. And to evaluate the pathogenicity of isolates, obtained from Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) adults, against to the red gum lerp psyllid G. brimblecombei. The fungi were isolated from B. tabaci adults found in soybean and tomato crops and molecularly identified. The conidia obtained were suspended in solution with Tween 80 (0.1%) at a concentration of 1.0 × 108 conidia/mL and sprayed on ten G. brimblecombei nymphs per Eucalyptus leaf cut and placed on a hydroretentive gel inside per Petri dishes as a replication. The number of dead insects was quantified, daily, for seven days, and transferred to humid chambers. Cordyceps javanica (LCBPF 11) and C. fumosorosea (LCBPF 12 and LCBPF 63) were identified with a molecular analysis and all isolates were pathogenic to the insects and indicates that they could be used to manage G. brimblecombei and adds to reports that, normally, fungi cause greater mortality on insects of the same order as that from which they were isolated.

Optimal tree architecture for high‐yield yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium) management

AbstractTree architectural attributes demonstrate a significant association with fruit yield. Yellowhorn is the future bioenergy tree in China; however, the species suffers from high reproductive energy and exceedingly low reproductive output. To optimize yellowhorn management and pinpoint priority trees featuring optimal architecture, we employed machine learning modeling to develop high fruit yielding predictive models using five yield indicators (dependent variables: FrW, SeW, ShW, FrW, and SeN) and five tree characteristics (independent variables: CA, TH, DGL, HLC, and MBN) of yellowhorn. Results showed that trees characterized by a substantial canopy area (>1.70 m2) and a large diameter at ground level (>3.71 cm) have been found to yield a higher fruit production. However, increased tree height does not invariably correlate with an elevated yield. Effective selection of high‐yielding individuals can be accomplished by restricting tree height within the range of 192–232.4 cm. This approach emphasizes the importance of integrating considerations of tree architecture into forestry management practices. Such integration can bolster productivity, thereby contributing to both the sustainability and economic viability of yellowhorn forests.

3PG-MT-LSTM: A Hybrid Model under Biomass Compatibility Constraints for the Prediction of Long-Term Forest Growth to Support Sustainable Management

Climate change is posing new challenges to forestry management practices. Thinning reduces competitive pressure in the forest by repeatedly reducing the tree density of forest stands, thereby increasing the productivity of plantations. Considering the impact of thinning on vegetation and physiological and ecological traits, for this study, we used Norway spruce (Picea abies) data from three sites in the PROFOUND dataset to parameterize the 3-PG model in stages. The calibrated 3-PG model was used to simulate the stand diameter at breast height and the stem, root, and leaf biomass data on a monthly scale. The 3PG-MT-LSTM model uses 3-PG simulation data as the input variable. The model uses a long short-term memory neural network (LSTM) as a shared layer and introduces multi-task learning (MTL). Based on the compatibility rules, the interpretability of the model was further improved. The models were trained using single-site and multi-site data, respectively, and multiple indicators were used to evaluate the model accuracy and generalization ability. Our preliminary results show that, compared with the process model and LSTM algorithm without MTL and compatibility rules, the hybrid model has higher biomass simulation accuracy and shows a more realistic biomass response to environmental driving factors. To illustrate the potential applicability of the model, we applied light (10%), moderate (20%), and heavy thinning (30%) at intervals of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 years. Then, we used three climate scenarios—SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5—to simulate the growth of Norway spruce. The hybrid model can effectively capture the impact of climate change and artificial management on stand growth. In terms of climate, temperature and solar radiation are the most important factors affecting forest growth, and under warm conditions, the positive significance of forest management is more obvious. In terms of forest management practices, less frequent light-to-moderate thinning can contribute more to the increase in forest carbon sink potential; high-intensity thinning can support large-diameter timber production. In summary, moderate thinning should be carried out every 10 years in the young-aged forest stage. It is also advisable to perform light thinning procedures after the forest has progressed into a middle-aged forest stage. This allows for a better trade-off of the growth relationship between stand yield and diameter at breast height (DBH). The physical constraint-based hybrid modeling approach is a practical and effective tool. It can be used to measure long-term dynamic changes in forest production and then guide management activities such as thinning to achieve sustainable forest management.

Moso bamboo expansion into a broadleaved forest alters the dominant soil organic carbon source

AbstractBoth microbes and plants contribute to soil organic carbon (SOC) formation and retention, but their roles in controlling SOC dynamics in forest soils under Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) expansion remain unclear. Here, amino sugars and lignin monomers were measured to represent microbial necromass and plant‐derived components, respectively. The observed decline in both amino sugars and lignin monomers during Moso bamboo expansion indicates a reduction in microbial necromass and recalcitrant plant contributions to SOC composition. This could be attributed to a limitation of microbial substrates and proliferation caused by the reduced litter inputs resulting from the expansion. The proportion of microbial necromass contributing to the SOC pool increased, but that of lignin monomers decreased, as SOC content decreased with Moso bamboo expansion. This suggests that the decrease of SOC during bamboo expansion was mainly due to the reduction of lignin, while the increased contribution of microbial‐derived carbon to SOC may serve to improve SOC stability. Our study sheds light on the altered SOC source inputs resulting from Moso bamboo expansion and emphasizes the need for sustainable forestry management practices that differentiate between microbial‐ and plant‐derived carbon pools.

The characteristics of plant clusters influence on the cooling effect: A case study in a subtropical Island Park, China

Plant clusters planted in urban green spaces have a significant potential to improve the microclimate. To put this potential to the test, eleven plant clusters (20 m × 20 m) in size were selected as sample plots in Haitan Island, China. We measured the microclimate including air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed on sunny days from 8:00–17:00. The data were collected from July to September 2020. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between plant cluster characteristics and microclimate to enhance tourists comfort. The findings indicated that eleven sample plots had eighteen tree species with four distinct plant functional types. The air temperature difference between the interior and exterior of the plant clusters was substantial and the cooling effect dTair ranged from 2.65% to 5.19%, while the reduction of solar radiation dSR was between 58.08% and 98.33%. Crown area, wind speed, relative humidity, and solar radiation all affected air temperature, as determined by Piecewise SEM analysis. The cooling effect was mostly affected by crown area, canopy density, wind speed, and solar radiation showing that canopy structure affected air temperature by altering solar radiation penetration. Meanwhile, leaf transpiration generated water vapor, which increased relative humidity and cooled the air. Quantitative data on the crown area and canopy density were provided so that forestry management practices can improve people’s comfort while in the area.

Morphological Variation in Absorptive Roots in Downy Birch (Betula pubescens) and Norway Spruce (Picea abies) Forests Growing on Drained Peat Soils

Peatland drainage based on ditch systems is a widely used forestry management practice in the boreal and hemiboreal forests to improve tree growth. This study investigated the morphological variation in absorptive roots (first- and second-order roots) across the distance gradient from the ditch with four sampling plots (5, 15, 40, and 80 m) in six drained peatland forests dominated by Downy birch and Norway spruce. The dominating tree species had a significant effect on the variation in absorptive root morphological traits. The absorptive roots of birch were thinner with a higher specific root area and length (SRA and SRL), higher branching intensity (BI), and lower root tissue density (RTD) than spruce. The distance from the ditch affected the absorptive root morphological traits (especially SRA and RTD), but this effect was not dependent on tree species and was directionally consistent between birch and spruce. With increased distance from the ditch (from plot 5 to plot 80), the mean SRA increased by about 10% in birch and 5% in spruce; by contrast, the mean RTD decreased by about 10% in both tree species, indicating a potential shift in nutrient foraging. However, soil physical and chemical properties were not dependent on the distance from the ditch. We found a species-specific response in absorptive root morphological traits to soil properties such as peat depth, pH, and temperature. Our results should be considered when evaluating the importance of morphological changes in absorptive roots when trees acclimate to a changing climate.

Exploring Biophysical Linkages between Coastal Forestry Management Practices and Aquatic Bivalve Contaminant Exposure.

Terrestrial land use activities present cross-ecosystem threats to riverine and marine species and processes. Specifically, pesticide runoff can disrupt hormonal, reproductive, and developmental processes in aquatic organisms, yet non-point source pollution is difficult to trace and quantify. In Oregon, U.S.A., state and federal forestry pesticide regulations, designed to meet regulatory water quality requirements, differ in buffer size and pesticide applications. We deployed passive water samplers and collected riverine and estuarine bivalves Margaritifera falcata, Mya arenaria, and Crassostrea gigas from Oregon Coast watersheds to examine forestry-specific pesticide contamination. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling and regression to relate concentrations and types of pesticide contamination across watersheds to ownership and management metrics. In bivalve samples collected from eight coastal watersheds, we measured twelve unique pesticides (two herbicides; three fungicides; and seven insecticides). Pesticides were detected in 38% of bivalve samples; and frequency and maximum concentrations varied by season, species, and watershed with indaziflam (herbicide) the only current-use forestry pesticide detected. Using passive water samplers, we measured four current-use herbicides corresponding with planned herbicide applications; hexazinone and atrazine were most frequently detected. Details about types and levels of exposure provide insight into effectiveness of current forest management practices in controlling transport of forest-use pesticides.

Soil Biodiversity as Affected by Different Thinning Intensities in a Pinus laricio Stand of Calabrian Apennine, South Italy

Forest soil biodiversity, which drives natural ecosystem multifunctionality, can be altered by incorrect forestry management practices. Pinus laricio is the most representative and widespread conifer species in Calabria, South Italy, and appropriate management is needed to maintain Pinus laricio forest for its great economic and natural value. In Europe, thinning is considered the most effective silvicultural treatment to maintain/increase the ecological value of coniferous stands. In this study, moderate thinning (MT), intense thinning (HT), and clear cut (CC) treatments were used to manage Pinus laricio stands with the aim of identifying the thinning intensity that is less detrimental to soil biodiversity. The effects of the different thinning intensities were evaluated, in two contrasting seasons (summer and winter), on the abundance, and diversity of arthropods, fungi, and bacteria colonies as well as on selected soil properties (organic matter, humification index, bulk density, pH) related to soil habitability. Results evidenced that the abundance, species richness, and diversity of arthropods, as well as fungi, bacteria colonies, and soil properties, changed with the treatments and seasons. Under HT, the greatest biodiversity and the highest amounts of arthropods, fungi, and bacteria were found in both seasons. This study finds evidence for Connell’s intermediate disturbance hypothesis, highlighting that the greatest organic carbon content and humification index, as well as the lowest bulk density, found in HT reduced the likelihood of competitive exclusion between occurring species, thereby promoting high species richness and diversity. This study gives insights into ecological relationships between understory composition related to tree species abundance and soil community.

Nordic Bioeconomy Pathways: Future narratives for assessment of water-related ecosystem services in agricultural and forest management

Further development of the bioeconomy, the substitution of bioresources for fossil resources, will lead to an increased pressure on land and water resources in both agriculture and forestry. It is important to study whether resultant changes in land management may in turn lead to impairment of water services. This paper describes the Nordic Bioeconomy Pathways (NBPs), a set of regional sectoral storylines nested within the global Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) framework developed to provide the BIOWATER research program with land management scenarios for projecting future developments to explore possible conflicts between land management changes and the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The NBPs are a set of narrative storylines capturing a range of plausible future trajectories for the Nordic bioeconomy until 2050 and that are fit for use within hydrological catchment modelling, ecosystem service studies and stakeholder dialogue about possible changes in agricultural and forestry management practices.

Vegetation management on private forestland can increase avian species richness and abundance

AbstractConservation efforts on private lands are important for biodiversity conservation. On private lands in South Carolina, in the southeastern United States, forestry management practices (prescribed burning, thinning, herbicide application) are used to improve upland pine habitat for wildlife and timber harvest and are incentivized through U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Bill cost-share programs. Because many forest-dependent avian species have habitat requirements created primarily through forest management, data are needed on the effectiveness of these management activities. We studied privately owned loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands in the South Carolina Piedmont region. Our objective was to understand how management practices influence avian species richness and abundance at local (forest stand) and landscape levels in relatively small stands (average ~28 ha). We surveyed 49 forest stands during 2 bird breeding seasons with traditional point counts and vegetation surveys. We evaluated the effects of management on pine stand characteristics, avian species richness, and abundance of state-designated bird species of concern. Repeated burning and thinning shifted stand conditions to open pine woodlands with reduced basal area and herbaceous understories. Stands with lower basal area supported greater avian species richness. Some species increased in abundance in response to active management (e.g., Brown-headed Nuthatch [Sitta pusilla] and Indigo Bunting [Passerina cyanea]), but relationships varied. Some species responded positively to increases in forest quantity at a landscape scale (1–5 km; e.g., Northern Bobwhite [Colinus virginianus]). We found species-rich avian communities and species of conservation concern on working timber lands, indicating that incentivized forest management on private lands can provide valuable habitat for wildlife.

AUTOMATED CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL FORESTS WITH LANDSAT TIME SERIES USING SIMPLIFIED SPECTRAL PATTERNS

Abstract. Natural forests are a basic component of the earth ecology. It is essential for biodiversity, hydrological cycle regulation and environmental protection. Globally, natural forests are gradually degraded and reduced due to timber logging, conversion to cropland, production forest, commodity trees, and infrastructure development. Decreasing of natural forests results in loss of valuable habitats, land degradation, soil erosion and imbalance of water cycle in regional scale. Thus operational monitoring natural forest cover change, therefore, has been in interest of scientists for long time. Forest cover mapping methods are divided to two groups: field-based survey and remotely sensed image data based techniques. The field-based methods are conventional and they have been used widely in forestry management practice. Satellite-image-based methods were developed since beginning of earth observation. These methods, except visual image interpretation, can be grouped to supervised and unsupervised classification that rely on various algorithm as statistical, clustering or artificial intelligence. However, there is little report about method, which can extract natural forests from generic forest cover. Over the last couple of decades, natural forests have been over-exploited by various reasons. This practice led to urgent need of development of fast, reliable and automated method for mapping natural forests. In this study, a new method for mapping of natural forest by Landsat time series is presented. The new method is fully automated. It uses spectral patterns as principal classifier to recognize land cover classes. The proposed method was applied in study area consisted of Ratanakiri of Cambodia, Attapeu of Laos and Kon Tum of Vietnam. About 2000 Landsat images were used to generate land cover maps of the study area across years from 1989 to 2018.

Tree plantations replacing natural grasslands in high biodiversity areas: How do they affect the mammal assemblage?

Monoculture plantations of fast-growing trees are increasing worldwide and, in many cases, these replace highly diverse natural environments. The Mesopotamian Savannas and the Iberá marshes ecoregions of northeastern Argentina are a mosaic of habitat types in which extensive areas of natural grasslands have been replaced by the planting of non-native pines (Pinus spp.). Their impact on the natural communities is unknown. We evaluated the effect of these plantations, the landscape configuration and the forestry management practices on the assemblages of medium to large-size terrestrial mammals of this region at landscape and stand levels. Camera-trap stations were deployed in three environments: 89 in natural grasslands, 54 in native forest patches, and 91 in tree plantations. At a landscape level, we evaluated the effect of the type of environment and of the extent of different land covers on mammal richness per station using GLM, and on species composition using one-way PERMANOVA and redundancy analysis. At a stand level, we assessed the effect of understory vegetation, and of the age and density of tree plantation stands, on the similarity in mammal species composition between tree plantations and native environments, using non-metric multidimensional scaling analyses and GLM. Species richness and species composition differed between native forests and other environments, but not between grasslands and plantations. The variations in composition between the environments differed among the two ecoregions: the species composition in the plantations was different from the grassland assemblage only in the Iberá marshes, which suggests that the impact of tree plantations depends on the local pool of species. Mammal assemblages were also affected by the proportion of forests and wetlands and the environmental heterogeneity in the landscape. The similarity between the mammal assemblages of pine plantations and those of native forests increased with the age of the stand and at intermediate tree densities. In this grassland-dominated but heterogeneous landscape, it seems that most medium and large grassland mammals do not perceive tree plantations as a barrier, regardless of their management. Actions at a stand level, such as planting at intermediate tree densities and promoting longer rotation times, are desirable to encourage the forest mammal assemblage to use the plantations. Forests and wetlands are acting as keystone habitats for many species that are clearly associated with the presence of these environments in the landscape. Keeping large areas of natural grasslands and wetlands sprinkled with forests is essential for the conservation of the mammal assemblages of this region.

Floristic changes in the understory vegetation of a managed forest in Denmark over a period of 23 years – Possible drivers of change and implications for nature and biodiversity conservation

We studied changes in the understory vegetation in two Danish forests (212 permanent plots in a 330 ha area) over a period of 23 years from 1993 to 2016. Changes were analyzed in relation to a shift in forest management towards close-to-nature silviculture, local natural disturbance (caused by storms), nitrogen deposition, and climatic change.The composition of the forests has gradually changed over time and have more deciduous forest stands, fewer coniferous stands and fewer open areas in 2016 compared to 1993.A total of 260 plant species was recorded in 212 plots surveyed four times between 1993 and 2016. Each plot consisted of two nested quadrats of 1 and 25 m2, respectively. The number of species found per survey was steady in the first three surveys, but decreased from 2005 to 2016: 1993: 172; 1998: 169; 2005: 175; and 2016: 147.The abundance of individual species changed over the years: 32 species became significantly more abundant (winner species) and 24 species became significantly less abundant (loser species). Among the winners were ancient-forest species, forest species in general, broad-leaved tree species and stress-tolerant species. The loser species were mainly ruderals and light-demanding species.The mean number of species per plot increased during the study and, at the same time, plots became more homogenous indicating a narrower ecological space in terms of species composition. An analysis of Ellenberg Indicator values showed that mean L (light) and T (temperature) values per plot decreased during the study period while Ellenberg M (moisture) showed a small increase and Ellenberg R (reaction of soil) and N (nitrogen) showed no significant change during the study period.We conclude that changes in the understory vegetation were mainly caused by a general darkening of the forests. This is partly driven by a switch in forestry management practice from high forestry to close-to-nature silviculture, and partly by recovery after a severe storm in 1981. On average, the tree crowns became denser, and the cover of overstory increased. Consequently, the light availability for understory vegetation is significantly lower. No change in Ellenberg Indicator Values related to effects of climate warming or nitrogen deposition could be detected in this study.The benefits of close-to-nature forest management are discussed in relation to biodiversity protection, where it seems to promote at least plant species characteristic of old-growth forest stands. However, close-to-nature forest management does not necessarily create suitable conditions for other organism groups and is not a general quick-fix for biodiversity protection as such.

Long term effects of management practice intensification on soil microbial community structure and co-occurrence network in a non-timber plantation

Intensive forest plantation management practices, such as use of inorganic chemical fertilizer and herbicides improve productivity, however, their environmental impacts on plantation soil microbial communities and its interaction pattern remain unclear. In this study, we investigated associations between management practice intensities (nutrient-herbicide, nutrient-mowing and manure-mowing), environmental factors including plant coverage, pH, exchangeable calcium (Ca2+), aluminium ion (Al3+), total organic carbon (TOC), C to N ratio (C/N) and soil moisture (SM), and microbial community structure in Chinese hickory (Carya cathayenses) plantations cultivated on two soil types (calcareous and yellow soils). Our results demonstrated that long-term management practices with different intensities significantly changed certain soil environmental factors, and revealed a significant impact on both α and β-diversity of soil bacterial and fungal communities. Specifically, significant higher values of plant coverage, pH, Ca2+, TOC, C/N and SM and lower value of Al3+ were observed under manure-mowing management. Calcareous soil showed significantly higher pH, Ca2+ and TN contents and lower AP values than yellow soil across all three operating intensities. The bacterial community structure was different between the calcareous and yellow soil, but there was no difference for the fungi. Edaphic properties such as pH, Ca2+, TOC and TN were shown to play crucial roles in microbial community structuring, while vegetation-associated factors (vegetation coverage and Al3+) were correlated with fungal community structure. The complexity of microbe co-occurrence network decreased as management practice intensified. The keystone taxa including Bradyrhizobium, Reyranella and Phaselicystis in bacterial network and Rhizophydium and Microascales in fungal network were only observed under manure-mowing, with ecological functions mainly involved in organic carbon degradation and nitrogen fixation. Our results provide insight into the interactions between management practice intensities and soil microbial community characteristics and have implications for the optimization of sustainable forestry management practices and maintenance of microbial diversity and network complexity in over-managed forest plantations.

Monitoring Land Cover changes in the tropical high forests using multi-temporal remote sensing and spatial analysis techniques

The study applied multi-temporal optical remote sensing and spatial analytical techniques to assess the status of the eight (8) forest reserves in the tropical high forests of Ghana under the management of the Goaso Forest District. Landsat data of 1990 (Thematic mapper [TM]), 2013 (Enhanced Thematic Mapper [ETM+]) and 2017 Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI_TIRS) were classified into closed canopy forest, open canopy forest, bare land/built-up, farmland, and degraded land using the Maximum Likelihood algorithm. Post classification change detection techniques were then used to analyse the changes that had occurred over the study period. It was observed that about 37.63% of the closed canopy forests have been converted to the other covers types. The findings showed that the forest estates in the District, which was one of the richest in the High forests in terms of species diversity and richness, had been severely degraded. This could have dire implications on biodiversity, carbon sequestration and livelihood of fringe communities. Concurrent restoration of degraded forest cover and integration of remote sensing and spatial analysis techniques into routine forestry management practices at both District and National levels would provide an effective mechanism to curb the high rate of forests depletion in Ghana.

Linking construction timber carbon storage with land use and forestry management practices

Consequential life cycle assessment was applied to forestry systems to evaluate the environmental balance of expanding forestry onto marginal agricultural land to supply more timber for the built environment, accounting for land use effects and product substitution. Forestry expansion to supply timber buildings could mitigate UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2.4 Gg CO2 eq. per ha of forest over 100 years, though net mitigation could be halved if beef production were displaced to Brazil. Forest thinning increases wood yields and percentage conversion of harvested wood to construction sawnwood, resulting in 5% greater net GHG mitigation compared with unthinned systems. Optimising the environmental sustainability of construction timber value chains in a circular, bio-based economy will require holistic accounting of land use (change), forestry management and complex flows of wood.

Development practices and ordinances predict inter-city variation in Florida urban tree canopy coverage

Many cities around the world have set ambitious urban tree canopy cover goals, with the expectation that urban forests will provide ecosystem services as functional green infrastructure. Numerous studies have examined intra-city spatial patterns in urban tree canopy (UTC) and found that UTC relates to socioeconomic indicators and urban form. Additionally, a few studies have shown local regulations can be linked to increased tree cover. However, the relationship between UTC and governance across different cities has not been well-explored. To address this gap, we compared the management practices enacted by 43 municipalities in Florida (United States) to investigate their potential impact on tree canopy coverage. UTC was assessed through visual interpretation of aerial images. We used multiple linear regression to predict inter-city variation in UTC based on 1) municipal forestry management practices, including whether the municipality had an arborist, tree ordinances, a municipal tree inventory, and a canopy cover goal, and 2) community sociodemographic data. UTC ranged between 17.6% and 63.3% among the municipalities assessed, with an average UTC of 33.7%. Two factors significantly predicted canopy coverage. Housing density had a negative relationship with tree canopy (P-value = 0.0116). In contrast, municipalities with heritage tree protections had 6.7% more canopy coverage (P-value = 0.0476). Future research should continue to consider the potential impacts of governance structures on the spatiotemporal dynamics of inter- and intra-city UTC patterns.