Forestry Practitioners Research Articles

Challenges and opportunities for Hawai‘i’s Exceptional Tree Program based on the lived experiences of urban forestry practitioners

Exceptional trees have been recognized and valued for centuries based on the unique traits they represent. Programs exist worldwide to protect these keystone specimens, with many facing challenges that reduce their efficacy as a conservation strategy. This study examines the weaknesses and desired improvements of Hawai‘i’s Exceptional Tree Program based on the lived experiences of exceptional tree practitioners throughout the state. A reflexive thematic analysis method was used to produce four themes which highlight current issues associated with Hawai‘i’s Exceptional Tree Program and lays the foundation for future research to examine solutions to these problems to better recognize, manage, and protect these majestic trees of urban and peri-urban forests.

How to get closer to actual forest stand height using GEDI? A case study in central European Scots pine stands

ABSTRACT Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Satellite Laser Scanning mission plays a key role in forest monitoring, conducting global measurements of forest height and structure. However, the use of various stand height metrics and definitions applied to describe forest height complicates study comparisons and the selection of most suitable GEDI metric for stand height determination. Our study was focused on finding the optimal GEDI relative height (rhG) metric to describe the height of Scots pine stands. We compared GEDI rhG parameters with several metrics commonly used as reference forest stand height (a series of Airborne Laser Scanning point cloud percentiles and relative height metrics of simulated waveforms; rhSW). Results showed that GEDI rhG metrics in the 0.95–0.99 rank range can accurately describe forest stand height (ALS reference: RMSE ≤ 2.79 m; %RMSE ≤12.57%; rhSW reference: RMSE ≤ 2.80 m; %RMSE ≤12.21%). Moreover, our analyses suggested that different rhG metrics can be used to describe forest stand height depending on its height and canopy cover to increase measurements accuracy. We recommended a set of GEDI rhG metrics for adequate height measurements of Scots pine stands that can be used by forestry practitioners.

Biostimulant application practices in Australian urban forestry

ABSTRACT To enhance urban greening outcomes, nursery and urban forest practitioners can use biostimulants to improve plant performance. However, to date, little is known about their actual effectiveness in enhancing urban greening outcomes. This study aimed to gain insight into the use of biostimulants in urban forestry in Australia. To do this, the authors distributed a questionnaire to urban forestry practitioners within Australia that asked how and why they use biostimulants, as well as their attitude towards them. The majority of respondents (82%) reported that they use biostimulants, with the most cited reason for their use (75%) being to improve establishment after transplanting. Seaweed extract biostimulants were the most frequently used biostimulant type (35%), with foliar spray being the most popular application method (29%). Overall, most of the respondents were at least somewhat satisfied with their experience in using biostimulants (73%), with the vast majority believing that they improved plant quality/performance (96%). This questionnaire has not only demonstrated how common biostimulant use is in urban forestry in Australia but also how positively its use is regarded by practitioners.

Examining Species Diversity and Urban Forest Resilience in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA) Metropolitan Area

Abstract Potential impacts from climate change and other disturbances expedite the need to address vulnerabilities of urban forests. Low species diversity is a contributor to high urban forest vulnerability, and this study examined 40 public and private tree inventories in the metropolitan area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Applying an established vulnerability framework, this study helps to identify the current and future resilience of the urban forest in the face of climate change and other urban forest threats. A Milwaukee metropolitan area tree inventory was compiled and includes 439,974 trees. This inventory then was assessed under 2 climate change models through the end of the century (2070 to 2099). It also was assessed for species diversity under multiple diameter classes, and the Shannon Diversity Index was used to determine correlations between tree size and diversity. The resulting data analysis revealed a poorly diversified urban tree canopy in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. However, when looking at tree size and diversity, diversity increased as tree diameters decreased. Additional analysis revealed that under a low climate change scenario (RCP 4.5), only 9.5% of the overall inventory was within the moderate, moderate-high, or high vulnerability categories through the end of the century. Under a high climate change scenario (RCP 8.5), 55.52% of the inventory fell within those same vulnerability categories. Diameter class did not have a significant impact on vulnerability under either climate change scenario. This data can help inform urban forestry practitioners during species selection for planting trees in their communities.

Bilateral cooperation - Fostering the ability of native European beech and sessile oak forests in the border region against the impacts of climate change

Adequate adaptions and actions to combat anthropogenic climate change (CC) are significant challenges of the 21st century. In Europe, according to the European Environmental Agency, warming of around 2°C is expected under the moderate climate scenario (RCP 4.5) by the end of the century, but the pessimistic RCP 8.5 scenario project an increase of up to 6°C. In addition to the rise in temperature, changes in precipitation and increased frequency of extreme weather events are predicted. New environmental conditions affect tree species and habitats differently; thus, forest biodiversity and local tree species compositions probably will be altered in many regions in the future. The effects may be manifold: some tree species may persist, locally adapt and migrate, while others may disappear from given regions and be replaced by native or non-native species. The native forests of the Austrian-Hungarian border region are particularly affected by the climate change. To mitigate the consequences of anthropogenic climate change to preserve forest biodiversity for future generations and to enable their use, deliberate and planned human interventions and actions are essential. These require transnational or even global efforts since nature and climate do not recognise man-made borders. The REIN-Forest project (Interreg V-A Austria-Hungary Programme - ATHU150), a bilateral project between Austria and Hungary, aimed to establish harmonised protection measures for the conservation of native forests in Northern, Central and Southern Burgenland, Vienna, Vienna Umland-South, Lower Austria South, Graz and Eastern Styria, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Vas and Zala counties (the so-called programme area). In the scope of this project, international cooperation between three project partners: the Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW, Austria), the Forest Research Institute – University of Sopron (SOE ERTI, Hungary) and the Vas County Government Office (VVÖH, Hungary) was established. Previous results and outputs of the SUSTREE project (Interreg Central Europe CE614), such as: a) Transnational delineation model of conservation and forest seed transfer zones in climate change, b) Report of intraspecific response function and derivation of climate transfer limits, SusSelect data, recommendations and c) Application of the species distribution models for the delineation of seed transfer zones/models in Central Europe, were put into practice during the project, focusing on two native deciduous forest tree species of the Austrian-Hungarian border region: European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.). During the REIN-Forest project, the following joint documents were prepared and several activities were implemented: 1. Model-based document on the current state and future perspectives of European beech and sessile oak forests; 2. Bilateral strategy for the transfer of forest reproductive material (FRM) and its use in the Austrian-Hungarian border region; 3. Establishment of altogether six demonstration sites (three in each country) with local and climate-adapted FRM of European beech and sessile oak for long-term monitoring; 4. Management and monitoring plan of the demonstration sites; 5. Joint bilingual communication strategy, which included informative programmes and meetings with professionals, locals and schools and also education material for further use. REIN-Forest focused on using scientific results and outputs in the field of applied forestry and awareness-raising. Besides strategies, recommendations and reports that would facilitate forest managers' decisions for the future in the border region, events and workshops were offered for forestry practitioners, school pupils and the public and a short film and educational materials were published.

Comparison of four alternative survey methods in assessing dead wood at the stand level

ABSTRACT Many forestry practitioners need information on the amount of dead wood for various purposes, often at the level of individual stands. Our aim was to compare four simple dead-wood inventory methods of which systematic circular plot inventory is a well-known method, while relascope plot inventory (using the ordinary horizontal angle relascope also for downed trees), diameter class counting and total inventory are new methods. Seven surveyors tested the methods in four stands in southern Finland. All the methods produced rather accurate volume estimates. Mean percent error was the smallest (−5.7%) in total inventory and the largest (−12.4%) in diameter class counting. Precision differed significantly between the methods. Variation among individual measurements, expressed as percentage SD, was 15.9% in total inventory, 24.8% in diameter counting, 36.6% in relascope inventory and 43.0% in circular plot inventory. Diameter counting was by far the fastest method. Relascope inventory and circular plot inventory took about twice as much time, and total inventory over three times as much time as diameter counting. In conclusion, diameter class counting is a cost-effective dead-wood assessment method, if the purpose is to get an estimate of the total volume of dead wood within a forest stand with a reasonable precision.

Protection of Coastal Shelter Forests Using UAVs: Individual Tree and Tree-Height Detection in Casuarina equisetifolia L. Forests

Casuarina equisetifolia L. plays a significant role in sandy, coastal regions for sand stabilization and windbreaks. However, C. equisetifolia forests are susceptible to plant diseases and insect pests, resulting in mortality due to pure stands and a harsh natural environment. Mapping the distribution of C. equisetifolia and detecting its height can inform forest-management decisions. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery, coupled with the classical detection method, can provide accurate information on tree-level forest parameters. Considering that the accuracy of a forest-parameter estimation is impacted by various flight altitudes and extraction parameters, the purpose of this study is to determine the appropriate flight altitude and extraction parameters for mapping C. equisetifolia using UAV imagery and the local maxima algorithm in order to monitor C. equisetifolia more accurately. A total of 11 different flight altitudes and 36 combinations of circular smoothing window size (CSWS) and fixed circular window size (FCWS) were tested, and 796 trees with corresponding positions in the UAV image and ground–tree heights were used as reference. The results show that the combination of a 0.1 m CSWS and a 0.8 m FCWS for individual tree detection (ITD) and tree-height detection achieved excellent accuracy (with an F1 score of 91.44% for ITD and an estimation accuracy (EA) of 79.49% for tree-height detection). A lower flight altitude did not indicate a higher accuracy for individual tree and tree-height detection. The UAV image obtained within a flight altitude of 60 m–80 m can meet the accuracy requirements for the identification of C. equisetifolia tree-height estimation (F1 score > 85% for ITD; EA > 75% for tree-height estimation). This study provides a foundation for monitoring C. equisetifolia by using UAV imagery and applying the local maxima algorithm, which may help forestry practitioners detect C. equisetifolia trees and tree heights more accurately, providing more information on C. equisetifolia growth status.

Stakeholders’ Perceptions towards Land Restoration and Its Impacts on Ecosystem Services: A Case Study in the Chinese Loess Plateau

To combat land degradation and deterioration issues, the Grain to Green project (GGP) was implemented on the Chinese Loess Plateau in 1999 and substantially altered the land cover by converting slope farmland into forest and grassland. To effectively achieve sustainable land restoration management and avoid stakeholder conflicts, this study aimed to understand how local stakeholders perceived the current land restoration process and expectations for future land restoration policy, as well as how stakeholders assessed the GGP impacts on local ecosystem service changes. We investigated the perspectives of 150 stakeholders representing five stakeholder groups including farmers, governmental officers, citizens, tourism operators and forestry practitioners using questionnaires administered in 2021 in the Yan’an area of the Chinese Loess Plateau. The survey results indicated a 72% support rate of stakeholders for the current GGP, with government officers reporting the highest value and tourism practitioners reporting the lowest. The support rate for future land restoration decreased to 51%. While majority of the stakeholders considered that the GGP had stimulated regulation and cultural ecosystem services, they also perceived negative impacts on grain production, livestock production, water yield and water quantity. Factors influencing farmers’ decision-making on recultivating the restored forest in the future were found to be economically driven. We recommend policy makers to improve the compensation standards and duration for farmers and increase the diversity of restoration tree species, and the involvement of participatory processes is suggested for future land restoration policy-making.

Comparing tree attributes derived from quantitative structure models based on drone and mobile laser scanning point clouds across varying canopy cover conditions

Complex canopy cover conditions often challenge the accurate measurement of many individual tree attributes that are pivotal to the sustainable management of forest resources. Advances in drone laser scanning (DLS) and mobile laser scanning (MLS) have enabled the acquisition of high-density point clouds with the potential to better resolve detailed tree structures. Yet, the quality of DLS and MLS data can be limited by occlusions and environmental complexities. To quantify the impacts of canopy cover on the tree attribute estimation, this study investigated the utility of DLS and MLS data both individually and combined. Considering the scanning characteristics, we examined direct fusion and a new strategy using a relative weighting scheme based on the probability density of vertical point distribution. We compared the accuracy of seven tree attributes derived from quantitative structure models (QSMs) based on (1) DLS, (2) MLS, (3) fused, and (4) weighted point clouds under low, moderate, and high canopy cover levels. We found that the weighted data improved the modelling efficiency of QSMs by ∼ 20% on average, compared to fused and MLS data. Across canopy cover levels, the fused and weighted data achieved comparable results and outperformed DLS/MLS data in estimating tree attributes. Specifically, diameter at breast height and crown base height were accurately extracted from the fused, weighted, and MLS data under low canopy cover with the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) > 0.80. As canopy cover increased, they were best estimated using the fused data (CCC > 0.90, RRMSE < 22%). Height was accurate regardless of canopy cover, which was independent of data collection platforms (CCC > 0.80, RRMSE < 16%). The crown diameter was also well estimated by fused, weighted, and MLS data across canopy cover levels (CCC > 0.82, RRMSE < 19%). The total, stem, and branch volumes could be best modelled by the fused data with increasing canopy cover. Overall, the fusion of DLS and MLS point clouds allowed the retrieval of comprehensive tree-level information. However, forestry practitioners still need to evaluate the trade-offs in selecting the most appropriate platform for laser scanning data based on their needs. Future studies should also enhance the modelling of trees with complex branching structures to strengthen the extraction of diverse attributes.

Continuous Cover Forestry Practitioners in a Clear-cutting-oriented System: Assessing the Potential to Foster the Practice

Recently, changes in society have brought about the rediscovery of continuous cover forestry (CCF) as a forest management approach that helps to create multifunctional forests. However, the practice of CCF is only used in a relatively small area in the world, and its development potential is unclear. We studied the potential of forest owners practising CCF to act as niche experimenters to provide clear-cutting-oriented Estonian forestry with experience for the development of CCF for specific needs. We adopt a multi-level perspective of socio-technical transitions, which proposes that forest owners’ silvicultural choices develop and are stabilised in a complex, change-resistant and cross-sectoral framework that is formed by actors’ networks, material artefacts and rules. The spread of the alternative silvicultural approach depends on the susceptibility of this framework, but also on owners’ ability to form experimental niches: protected “incubation rooms” of change. To explore that potential, we visited eighteen forests and interviewed their owners to study their experiences in the enhancement of CCF. Our qualitative analysis demonstrates that the wider adoption of CCF is hindered due to several lock-in mechanisms in Estonian forestry but supported by related sectors. Some owners can apply CCF even within the present forestry framework due to their particular social embedding. However, it is unlikely that forest owners will start using CCF unless the forestry framework changes. We propose an analytical tool to enforce experimental CCF niche formation among the forest owners, as the necessity to apply CCF in the nearest future may increase.

Comparison of Classical Methods and Mask R-CNN for Automatic Tree Detection and Mapping Using UAV Imagery

Detecting and mapping individual trees accurately and automatically from remote sensing images is of great significance for precision forest management. Many algorithms, including classical methods and deep learning techniques, have been developed and applied for tree crown detection from remote sensing images. However, few studies have evaluated the accuracy of different individual tree detection (ITD) algorithms and their data and processing requirements. This study explored the accuracy of ITD using local maxima (LM) algorithm, marker-controlled watershed segmentation (MCWS), and Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Networks (Mask R-CNN) in a young plantation forest with different test images. Manually delineated tree crowns from UAV imagery were used for accuracy assessment of the three methods, followed by an evaluation of the data processing and application requirements for three methods to detect individual trees. Overall, Mask R-CNN can best use the information in multi-band input images for detecting individual trees. The results showed that the Mask R-CNN model with the multi-band combination produced higher accuracy than the model with a single-band image, and the RGB band combination achieved the highest accuracy for ITD (F1 score = 94.68%). Moreover, the Mask R-CNN models with multi-band images are capable of providing higher accuracies for ITD than the LM and MCWS algorithms. The LM algorithm and MCWS algorithm also achieved promising accuracies for ITD when the canopy height model (CHM) was used as the test image (F1 score = 87.86% for LM algorithm, F1 score = 85.92% for MCWS algorithm). The LM and MCWS algorithms are easy to use and lower computer computational requirements, but they are unable to identify tree species and are limited by algorithm parameters, which need to be adjusted for each classification. It is highlighted that the application of deep learning with its end-to-end-learning approach is very efficient and capable of deriving the information from multi-layer images, but an additional training set is needed for model training, robust computer resources are required, and a large number of accurate training samples are necessary. This study provides valuable information for forestry practitioners to select an optimal approach for detecting individual trees.

Forest inventory and analysis data in action: Examples from eastern national forests

While many forestry practitioners and ecologists have a general understanding of the USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and the type of data collected, most non-expert users of FIA reports and basic data are unlikely to be familiar with the breadth of information available and the many potential uses of the data. We present four case studies from National Forests in the eastern United States, to highlight a variety of applications of FIA data, though similar case studies could also be identified on private lands. These include informing a model to help managers decide where to invest in oak management, quantifying habitat characteristics as part of the Endangered Species Act listing process, developing focal species for forest monitoring, and assessing the health of the black cherry population. In three of the cases, collaboration between scientists and managers was the key to unlocking the power of the FIA database to address management questions without the expense of collecting additional field data. These case studies illustrate the utility of FIA data to meet managers’ information needs and the importance of the linkages between research and management and serve as examples of potential applications of data collected by regional or nationwide forest inventory programs.

Preface

INAFOR – International Conference of Indonesia Forestry Researchers - is a big event initiated by Research, Development and Innovation Agency, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, to facilitate the meeting of researchers and forestry experts from Indonesia and other countries, to share experiences and present the latest research results in the field of forestry and environment. INAFOR was held firstly in 2011 in Bogor and since that year it has been being carried out every two years up to the present time.The 6th INAFOR 2021 carries the theme “Greener future: environment, disaster resilience, and climate change” which is the key to a greener future. There are five main topics in this INAFOR 2021, one of them is the 6th INAFOR 2021 Stream 4 with the topic ”Engaging social-economic of environment and forestry, better social welfare”. The implementation of this topic is organized by the Center for Research and Development on Social, Economy, Policy, and Climate Change which currently changes the name to the Center of Standardization of Disaster and Climate Change Instruments.The objectives of the 6th INAFOR 2021 Stream 4 are: a) bringing together forestry and environmental scientists from all over Indonesia, to be internationally recognized, b) providing a forum for exchanging information, ideas, experiences, in several states of forestry and environment research, development, and innovation fields for both national and international scientists, c) building strong network among researchers, forestry and environment research institutes in Indonesia, d) delivering science, technology and innovation as the basis for standard, instrument, and innovative solutions for public, private, people and other stakeholders at national and international levels, e) sharing and formulating new ideas for the advancement of forest and environmental management in Indonesia and supporting global agenda, and f) sharing and collaborating the current trends and knowledge of innovative forest and environment management, as a basis to develop a standardized instruments, and policy for forest and environment sustainability.The 6th INAFOR 2021 Stream 4 was organized by the Center of Standardization of Disaster and Climate Change Instruments, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia on September 8, 2021, virtually through a Zoom platform due to the pandemic of COVID-19. The conference presents five well-known keynote speakers and experts in their fields (Dr. Adam Tyson, Dr. Tetra Yanuariadi, Dr. Amy Duchelle, Dr. Daniel Mendham, and Prof. Dr. Subarudi) and one prominent moderator (Dr. IB Putera Parthama) at the plenary session, and at the presentation session, as many as 43 presenters with diverse expertise present their latest works. The presentations were grouped into three sub-themes: community empowerment, social and institutional construction, and forest economics. The conference was attended by 321 participants from Indonesia and overseas such as Australia and Japan, involving forestry and environment researchers/scientists, academicians, lecturers, foresters, forestry practitioners from private and government, non-government agencies, and other research and development institutions related to forestry and the environment.LIST of COMMITTEES are available in this pdf.

Climate data for the European forestry sector: From end-user needs to opportunities for climate resilience

The aim of this study is to assess the potential of Earth Observation and climate data for the forestry sector focusing on the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). Although forestry researchers recognize the importance of Earth Observation and climate data, forestry practitioners currently work mainly with land cover information, largely neglecting climate data. Understanding its potential for the forestry sector becomes thus important, as to align the vast offer of climate services in Europe to different forestry users and stakeholders’ necessities. Interviews, surveys, and dedicated workshops were used to collect a series of forestry end-users’ needs and requirements regarding climate data. End-user’s requirements were categorized through a SWOT analysis, which allowed to identify perceived internal strengths and weaknesses, external opportunities and threats to the increased use of the C3S. Results indicate that improved climate services for the forestry sector based on C3S data would benefit from enhanced training on the use of climate data, improved provision of services integrating climate with non-climate data, the provision of new variables and indicators, and the integration of machine learning techniques for developing data and information in support of the deployment of climate services. These findings are relevant to close the gap between demand and supply of climate services for the forestry sector and provide a basis for further exploring the value of climate data in serving a wide array of forestry stakeholders. Going forward, increased knowledge on user requirements from both forest practitioners and policy-makers can be beneficial to develop accessible tailored services.

Round Wood Waste and Losses

The term »loss« should be distinguished from the term »waste« commonly used by forestry practitioners to indicate the difference between gross volume (planned production based on official tariffs) and net volume (produced timber volume) of trees. Volume loss in round wood refers to the difference between the actual volume of round wood and the volume determined based on the prescribed method of measurement and calculation. As a result of prescribed scaling methods and calculations, volume losses appear due to 1) used volume equations, 2) prescribed method of measurement (i.e. measurements of length and mid-length diameter) and 3) deduction of double bark thickness. In Croatia, round wood is cross-cut and transported with bark, while logs are measured and sold without bark. In this way, the bark is an unnecessary ballast in production, but has many possible applications such as energy source, in the production of wooden boards in construction, in nurseries and horticulture, etc. The research was conducted on 225 butt-logs of sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) ranging in diameter classes from 27.5 cm to 67.5 cm from even-aged forests in the central part of Croatia. Deduction of double bark thickness caused a higher average loss in the volume when using Huber’s equation at 14% and when using Riecke-Newton’s equation at 13.5%. In both volume estimation methods, the loss due to double bark thickness was slightly reduced exponentially as the diameter of but-logs increased. The determined dependence of the bark thickness on diameter of butt-logs over bark indicates the need for correction of the bark deduction tables that are in operational use in Croatian forestry and are provided by trading practices, and since they are not the result of scientific research, they lead to unfair payment between sellers and buyers of round wood. Comparison analysis of the simulation of butt-logs indicated that the introduction of Riecke-Newton’s equation for estimating the volume of commercially important assortments in Croatian forestry is justified. The use of Riecke-Newton’s equation in these terms leads on average to a 6.6% higher volume of butt-logs than the use of Huber’s equation for estimating the volume of assortments.

Vulnerability of Common Urban Forest Species to Projected Climate Change and Practitioners Perceptions and Responses.

While urban forests are often identified as part of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, less attention has been given to vulnerabilities urban trees may have to a changing climate and practitioners' response to those vulnerabilities. Yet, current planting and management decisions will impact how urban forests fare under future climatic conditions. We explore a case study of Mississauga (Ontario, Canada) to examine (1) if common urban forest species are vulnerable to two scenarios of projected climate change, (2) the experiences and responses of urban forestry practitioners to climate change, and (3) whether urban forestry practitioners' experience and practice are aligned with the vulnerability assessment. Vulnerabilities of 27 common species were examined based on 2071-2100 regional climate projections. Interviews were then conducted with practitioners working in the public and private sectors. The results suggest that the majority of examined species will be vulnerable to multiple conditions associated with projected climate. Practitioners all perceive recent changes in climate and extreme weather patterns, but do not prioritize future climate conditions in their species selection decisions. Moreover, they expressed uncertainty about how to make species selection decisions in light of climate change. Given the predicted vulnerabilities, alternative species need to be considered or more management resources (e.g., for watering) will be required to maintain the current composition. However, the lack of focus on future conditions by practitioners raises concerns, while also highlighting the need for more information about appropriate management strategies.

Nature conservation management in voluntary set-aside forests in Sweden: practices, incentives and barriers

ABSTRACTIn Sweden, there is a lack of knowledge about nature conservation management (NCM) practices in voluntary set-aside forests. Estimates indicate that, for unknown reasons, only a small proportion of the NCM needed is carried out. The aims of this study are to (1) describe current practices for NCM of voluntary set-aside areas in Sweden and (2) identify factors affecting whether NCM of these areas is carried out. Twenty-seven semi-structured interviews were held with professional forestry practitioners and the responses analysed applying thematic analysis. NCM in Sweden generally has two main aims: (1) creation of dead wood and (2) promotion of domestic broadleaf tree species. Simplified, these aims are attained through removal of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.). The decision to implement NCM is influenced by few incentives and many barriers. Incentives include certification scheme obligations and commitment from dedicated individuals, while barriers include weak internal company incentives, the experienced or anticipated risk of high costs, and experienced or anticipated criticism from internal company experts or public actors. Based on the results, a set of managerial implications was drawn up, aimed at increasing the extent of NCM.

Using Forest Inventory and Analysis Data to Support National Forest Management: Regional Case Studies

Abstract Although many forestry practitioners have a general understanding of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program and the type of data collected, most non-expert users of FIA reports and basic data are unlikely to be familiar with the breadth of information available and the many potential uses of the data. We present case studies from three USDA Forest Service regions to highlight a variety of applications of FIA data, from informing the forest plan revision process to supplying managers with timely information on important forest attributes at the stand and landscape scales. These examples illustrate the utility of FIA data in meeting managers’ information needs, the importance of the linkages between research and management throughout the agency, and the role that the FIA program can play in fostering those collaborations.

Using big data to improve ecotype matching for Magnolias in urban forestry

Trees play major roles in many aspects of urban life, supporting ecosystems, regulating temperature and soil hydrology, and even affecting human health. At the scale of the urban forest, the qualities of these individual trees become powerful tools for mitigating the effects of, and adapting to climate change and for this reason attempts to select the right tree for the right place has been a long-term research field. To date, most urban forestry practitioners rely upon specialist horticultural texts (the heuristic literature) to inform species selection whilst the majority of research is grounded in trait-based investigations into plant physiology (the experimental literature). However, both of these literature types have shortcomings: the experimental literature only addresses a small proportion of the plants that practitioners might be interested in whilst the data in the heuristic (obtained through practice) literature tends to be either too general or inconsistent. To overcome these problems we used big datasets of species distribution and climate (which we term the observational literature) in a case study genus to examine the climatic niches that species occupy in their natural range. We found that contrary to reports in the heuristic literature, Magnolia species vary significantly in their climatic adaptations, occupying specific niches that are constrained by trade-offs between water availability and energy. The results show that not only is ecotype matching between naturally-distributed populations and urban environments possible but that it may be more powerful and faster than traditional research. We anticipate that our findings could be used to rapidly screen the world’s woody flora and rapidly communicate evidence to nurseries and plant specifiers. Furthermore this research improves the potential for urban forests to contribute to global environmental challenges such as species migration and ex-situ conservation.

Geospatial Methods for Tree Canopy Assessment: A Case Study of an Urbanized College Campus

Urban tree canopy (UTC) assessment is essential for understanding the structure and function of urban forests and for devising management strategies. Geospatial techniques are routinely used for UTC assessment, yet their capabilities and limitations may not be apparent to urban forestry practitioners. This paper provides an overview of two primary methods of geospatial UTC assessment: photo interpretation (PI) and computerized image classification (IC). These methods were evaluated through a case study of an urbanized college campus in the eastern United States. The web-based application i-Tree Canopy is a PI method that uses statistical point sampling to estimate land cover. To examine the effect of point sample size on accuracy and certainty of the land cover estimates, we performed independently replicated assessments of our study area at various point sample sizes. We compared these findings with two IC methods: a proprietary analysis using high-spatial-resolution imagery and a low-spatial-resolution analysis using the web-based application i-Tree Landscape. With i-Tree Canopy, the estimate of UTC in our study area stabilized at a mean of 14.7% when point sample size reached 100 points, but it required more than 500 points to reach a tolerable standard error of less than 1.7%. By comparison, high-resolution imagery (considered the most robust form of assessment) estimated UTC in the study area at 16.1%, and i-Tree Landscape substantially underestimated UTC at 11.3%. Possible sources of variation in these estimates, along with practical considerations for choosing an appropriate UTC assessment method, are discussed.