Logged Forests Research Articles

Monitoring lianas from space: Using Sentinel-2 imagery to observe liana removal in logged tropical forests

Liana removal – the cutting of over-abundant woody climbing plants (lianas) – has the potential to substantially increase tree growth and biomass accumulation across millions of hectares of degraded tropical forest. Satellite imagery could provide data capable of observing the effect of liana removal on the forest canopy, enabling the large-scale monitoring and validation of liana removal, which remains a key hurdle to its widespread implementation. Using a 320-ha liana removal experiment in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, we tested whether a time series of Sentinel-2 images could observe the canopy signature of liana removal. Calculating a range of metrics derived from the Normalized Burn Ratio – a vegetation index based on spectral reflectance that differentiates leaf from non-leaf – we quantified satellite-derived canopy disturbance and fragmentation across a range of liana removal intensities and examined how canopy disturbance changed in the 12-months following removal treatments. We find that liana removal significantly increases canopy disturbance and fragmentation metrics one month after removal, with partial removal having a smaller effect than complete removal. The impact of liana removal on the canopy metrics declined over time, with measures of canopy disturbance and fragmentation largely indistinguishable from control forest within 12-months of treatment. Our findings evidence that freely available satellite imagery can be used to efficiently monitor large-scale liana removal applied at a range of intensities and suggest that partial liana removal could significantly reduce canopy disturbance of this restoration method.

Metabolites, ions, and the mechanisms behind seasonal cold hardening of Pyrochroa coccinea (Pyrochroidae) larvae

The larvae of the black headed cardinal beetle Pyrochroa coccinea, overwinters under the bark of dead logs in northern European dioecious forests, and are thus exposed to temperatures below the melting point of their bodily fluids. Here we explore the mechanisms behind their seasonal cold hardening by characterising field samples collected monthly throughout the year. Both the lower lethal temperature and supercooling point dropped as much as 10℃ in the second half of November, reaching values around –15℃ by the beginning of December. This change was accompanied by a 320 mosmol/kg increase in hemolymph osmolality, which is a doubling compared to the summer levels. We used NMR metabolomics to identify and measure the absolute concentrations of the responsible cryoprotective C-H containing metabolites in the hemolymph. The largest increase was found to be in either glucose or trehalose, with an average total increase of 120 mM. Proline, alanine, and choline concentrations were found to increase by around 10 mM each. Contrarily, phosphocholine and phosphoethanolamine were halved, resulting in a total decrease of around 50 mM. These measurements were complemented with ion exchange chromatography measurements. This allowed us to account for all the osmotic pressure in the summer hemolymph, and the measured concentration changes explained as much as 40 % of the observed osmolality increase upon cold hardening. Preliminary results indicate that the remainder may be explained by non-colligative protein contributions.

Orman ağaçlarında görülen büyüme anormalileri ve faydalanma imkânları: (Bursa Orman Bölge Müdürlüğü örneği)

Odun üretimi ve ormanların bakımı, sürdürülebilirlik ve silvikültürel ihtiyaçlar dikkate alınarak, yapılmaktadır. Kaliteli tomruk üretimi için ise idare süresi sonuna kadar bu amaca yönelik müdahaleler yapılmaktadır. Bu amaç dışında kalan anormal oluşumlar ve büyüme şekilleri bakımlar esnasında elimine edilmekte ve doğal şekilleriyle sanayiye ulaşamamaktadır. Oysa mobilya sanayisinde ekonomik değeri oldukça yüksek birçok mobilya ve dekoratif eşya, anormal büyümeler gösteren ağaçlardan elde edilebilmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, ormanlarımızdaki bazı ağaç türlerinde meydana gelen anormal oluşumları belirlemek, bu tür ağaç malzeme işleyen sektörü inceleyerek ekonomiye sağlayacağı katkıyı ortaya koymak ve farkındalık oluşturmaktır. Bu amaçla Bursa ve İnegöl Orman İşletme Müdürlükleri ve Uludağ Milli Parkında yapılan çalışmada büyüme anormalileri gösteren ağaçlar türler bazında örneklenmiştir. Bursa ve İnegöl Orman İşletme Müdürlüklerinde (OİM) satışa sunulan emval türleri incelenmiştir. Ayrıca bu tür masif ağaç işleyen işletmelerle yapılan anket çalışmaları ile sektörün durumu değerlendirilmiştir. Masif ağacın işlenmesi sonucu meydana gelen tasarım ürünler araştırılarak maliyet ve satış ortalamaları mukayese edilmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda büyüme anormalilerinin ağaç türlerine göre farklılaştığı ve en fazla anormalliğin çınarda, en az karaçamda olduğu görülmüştür. Bu oluşumların sektörce değerlendirildiğinde katma değeri çok yüksek ürünlere dönüştürülebileceği belirlenmiştir.

Changes in the Number of Vascular Plant Species during Reforestation of Clearcut Forests

The article aims to describe the patterns of changes in the number of vascular plant species in communities at different stages of forest regeneration after clearcutting using the space-for-time substitution method. Large-scale logging in boreal forests leads to a simplification of the territory’s forest cover (the formation of even-aged stands), which in turn leads to a decrease in the diversity of forest communities and species diversity. These tendencies have been confirmed for many groups of organisms, especially those associated with old trees and dead wood; however, this is not so clear for vascular plants. We investigated plant communities at different stages of regeneration. We used the so-called space-for-time substitution (chronosequence) method of building dynamic series for four forest ecotopes, where industrial clearcuts are most actively carried out. We showed that the fertility of forest ecotopes determines the species pool—the richer the conditions, the more species that can potentially inhabit the community. At the same time, the structure of the tree stand significantly affects the composition and number of species in the community. The lowest species richness was in old-growth forests characterized by the dominance of one species in the tree stand and one or two vascular plant species in the ground cover. With insignificant fluctuations in the average number of species between stages of forest regeneration after logging, some communities at clearcuts in bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and spruce (Picea abies (L.) H.Karst.) forests have high species diversity due to the occupation of the site by species of open habitats. These clearcuts are located not far from settlements and close to roads.

Trade-offs between forest carbon sinks and multidimensional forest values: from assessment to management strategies

Forests are one of the subjects that can effectively mitigate climate change and are important for achieving carbon sequestration. In order to determine the maximum carbon sequestration of forests and the optimal management mode, this paper selected several indicators related to forest carbon sequestration and determined the main influencing indicators and mechanisms through regression significance analysis, and concluded that the selection of forest age and harvesting intensity have an important influence on the carbon sequestration effect and sustainability of forests. Based on the above analysis, we constructed a model of logging intensity and forest carbon sequestration, and brought in the forest data of each province to arrive at the optimal logging intensity of 23%-30%. Second, in order to determine the optimal comprehensive benefits of forests, this paper extends the model to consider forest values in more dimensions and determine the corresponding indicators, and uses the entropy weight method to determine their contribution rates to construct a comprehensive forest evaluation model. Using this model, this study measures and analyzes the Changbai Mountain forest area and Hainan forest area, and then derives the corresponding forest management strategies to maximize their comprehensive benefits.

Effect of Logging on the Structure, Diversity, and Tree Species Composition of the Forests of Papua New Guinea

The forests of Papua New Guinea (PNG) play a fundamental role in sustaining the livelihood of local communities and provide significant income to the country derived from the export of timber. After land conversion for agriculture, logging has been identified as the second most common disturbance factor. Conservation activities must be based on a better understanding of the impact of logging. This study analyzes the differences in terms of structure, diversity, and tree species composition between forest types and disturbance regimes in PNG forests. Data were collected from 117 circular plots surveyed according to the protocol of the National Forest Inventory. Sites were situated in unlogged and logged lowland (99 plots) and montane forests (18 plots). The survey recorded 4,558 tree specimens belonging to 258 families, 323 genera, and 789 species. Although data showed the need for a further sampling effort, some general patterns emerged. Montane forest is clearly distinct in terms of structure, diversity, and species composition. Unlogged and logged lowland forests differed only in terms of structure and species composition, but not according to diversity indexes. Thus, logging activities are having an impact mainly on lowland and most accessible areas. Our study established a baseline related to the tree species component of PNG forests. Together with other taxonomic groups, it will be used to monitor the implementation of initiatives aimed at promoting the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), which can offer significant economic, environmental, and social benefits.

Destructive selective logging in tropical forests causes soil carbon loss through forest degradation and soil redox change

Soil organic C (SOC) stock in tropical forests can be reduced significantly after logging, not only due to lowered above ground biomass (AGB) and consequentially reduced organic matter (OM) input, but also consumption on sequestrated soil C protected by OM-mineral association. In this study, we studied the loss of mineral-associated OM after logging in the main rooting zone (e.g., 0–30 cm), and examined a hypothetical twofold underlying mechanism of SOC reduction: first, decrease in AGB limiting OM input; second, decrease in soil redox potential (Eh) leading to the reductive dissolution of short-range-ordered iron (SRO Fe) minerals that destabilize some mineral-associated OM. Thirty-five plots at different degradation levels were investigated for both above- and belowground properties. AGB and tree community composition were employed as indicators of forest degradation gradient; multiple physicochemical properties in top-30 cm soils were measured every 10 cm depth. We analysed the relationship between AGB and soil C with the mediator SRO Fe, and investigated the role of soil Eh in linking the changes in AGB and SRO Fe. Our results revealed simultaneous decreases in AGB, SRO Fe and soil C in top-30 cm soils, and SRO Fe mediated 43 % of the hypothetical causal effect of AGB on soil C in deeper (20–30 cm) soil. Soil Eh decreased with decreasing AGB in a logistic pattern, dropping to a reductive regime (Eh7 ≤ 0.05 V) when more than half of the AGB was removed from the pristine level. Mean SRO Fe stock in the reductive soils was significantly lower than that in the oxic soils (Eh7 > 0.05 V), and the loss of SRO Fe correspond to the decomposition of OM in 10–30 cm soils. We suggest that the reductive shift in soil is caused by the weakened evapotranspiration as destructive selective logging inflicts canopy openness and succession failure. This study presents the possibility that forest degradation may reduce the size of protected soil C pool resulting from the loss of soil SRO Fe minerals.

LoggingLab: An R package to simulate reduced-impact selective logging in tropical forests using forest inventory data

Even where Reduced-Impact Logging (RIL) practices are applied, selective logging causes substantial damage to tropical forests. To further reduce selective logging damage, the practices that cause the most damage need to be identified and alternatives tested. To this end, we developed the R package LoggingLab, a spatially-explicit and individual tree-based selective logging simulator and demonstrated its functions using data from French Guiana. LoggingLab explicitly simulates damage during each stage of the selective logging process taking into account topography and hydrography, which are main constraints on logging. Most LoggingLab parameters can be easily adjusted to a wide range of local contexts. LoggingLab can also be coupled with forest dynamics models to simulate the long- term effects of different selective logging scenarios.

Bird communities in a selectively logged tropical montane forest are dominated by small, low-elevation species

Tropical montane forests are critical centres of terrestrial biodiversity and endemism, and face a range of threats, including selective logging and climate change. However, few studies have explored the joint influence of these threats, particularly in tropical mountains, despite how crucial it is to understand the cumulative impact of forest loss and climate change on biodiversity. We used mist-netting and bird ringing data from a long-term (10-year) community and population monitoring program to examine how the composition of the mid-elevation Eastern Himalayan understorey bird community changed in the mid-elevation primary and logged forest. Because logged forest is warmer than primary forest, we hypothesised that the bird community would shift towards lower elevation species, with a faster transition in logged forest. Further, because logged forest has lower arthropod abundance, we hypothesised that the primary forest community would have larger species than the logged forest community. Our study shows that the bird community in the logged forest shifted towards lower-elevation species than in the primary forest (although this was not statistically significant). Moreover, we found that smaller species were better able to colonise warmer logged forest, whereas larger species reached higher densities in primary forest. These trends are likely to be driven by climate change causing upslope range shifts and logged forest selecting for species that are likely to tolerate the consequently altered abiotic (higher temperatures) and biotic (lower resources) environment. These findings have significant implications for understanding the impacts of forest loss and climate change on biodiversity, particularly in tropical montane forests.

Effects of site conditions on regeneration of African mahogany (Khaya anthotheca) in a semi‐deciduous East African tropical rainforest

Restoration of high‐value timber trees in logged tropical forests is indispensable as a conservation strategy and for the enhancement of ecosystem services. Khaya anthotheca is a mahogany tree species of major restoration importance in Uganda. However, the factors affecting the natural regeneration success of this species are poorly understood. We determined the effect of selected site conditions on the abundance of K. anthotheca regeneration in the Budongo Forest Reserve. Two hundred and four 1,000 m2 inventory plots, each nested with four 4 m2 subplots, were systematically established in logged and unlogged sites within the study area. All trees greater than or equal to 10 cm DBH and natural regeneration (<10 cm DBH) were identified and recorded in the plots and subplots, respectively. We characterized plots by the density of conspecifics, light availability, ground cover of undergrowth, litter depth, soil pH, and basal area. Regression models were used to evaluate the variables that influenced regeneration abundance and occurrence. The density of adult conspecifics and soil pH were important. Regeneration abundance and occurrence increased with increasing density of adult conspecifics and decreased with increasing soil pH. Our results highlight that in addition to seed availability, soil pH was important for successful regeneration. This is one of the first K. anthotheca‐specific studies to evaluate more than a few environmental factors influencing the density of its naturally established seedlings in tropical African forests. The abundance and distribution of adult conspecifics in the canopy and soil pH should be considered in K. anthotheca restoration plans.

The nature of a ‘forest transition’ in Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Central Vietnam – A study of land cover changes over five decades

Informed from historical case studies of land cover change and development in northern countries, forest transition (FT) theories have a tendency to precast specific conclusions. Considering the case of a so-called FT in Thừa Thiên Huế Province in tropical Central Vietnam, we investigated 1.) whether such a ‘FT’ indeed reflects a resurgence of genuine forest, 2.) whether the land cover changes can be explained through conventional ‘pathways’ of FT, and 3.) in which ways the changes may or may not portend ‘sustainable development’. Using satellite imagery and topographic maps, we produced maps for twenty land cover types for the years 1966, 1973, 1979, 1988, 1998, 2008, 2016 and 2019 and analysed land cover change over time. We contextualize these results with reference to the historical and scientific literature on Vietnam, and find that 1.) the forestlands represent a historically rich bio-cultural landscape; 2.) considerable forest destruction resulted from the Second Indochina War rather than classical degradation pathways; 3.) in the post-war period altered forestland spaces and re-emerging land uses interacted with state-led re-territorialization and socialist plans for land resource development, influencing shifts in forest cover; 4.) during 1979–1988 state-led intensive timber logging in remaining rainforests (causing widespread forest degradation) somewhat paradoxically (in terms of conventional FT models and theories) coincided already with a slight increase in lower-biomass tree cover; 5.) after 1988 logging in natural forests was officially prohibited (logging bans), and forestry shifted to a reliance on wood produced in acacia-based plantations (largely on lands officially allocated to households); and 6.) this shift went along with a significant state-led restructuring and development of land use policies and the promotion of forest-relevant economic industries. ‘Restoration’ of tree cover mainly consisted of the expansion of exotic tree plantations, but – at least intermittently – this may also have mitigated impacts on natural forests. We conclude with some reflections on the FT-outcome, its ‘sustainability’, and future trajectories and possibilities of land cover changes in TTHP.

Shifting cultivation and logging change soil organic carbon functional groups in tropical lowland rainforests on Hainan Island in China

Recent evidence has demonstrated that tropical forest secondary succession has significant influences on soil organic C (SOC) storage. However, the changes in the SOC functional groups with forest restoration are still uncertain. In this study, the stock and functional groups of SOC in tropical forest recovery after two types of disturbance were measured, and the key influencing factors were analyzed. The SOC stocks were significantly higher in the young-secondary forests after shifting cultivation and in the clear cut forests than in the old-growth forests. However, the shifting cultivation and logging practices significantly increased the ratio of carbohydrate C to N-alkyl/methoxyl C (CC/MC), indicating that the decomposition degree of SOC in the old-growth forests was higher. The proportion of aromatic C in soil was higher in the young-secondary forests after shifting cultivation than in the old-growth forests. The proportion of aromatic C in litter and fine roots, the α-diversity of soil fungal and bacterial communities, and soil phosphorus were positively correlated with soil aromatic C between the shifting cultivation secondary and old-growth forests. The proportion of O-alkyl C in soil was higher in the logged forests than in the old-growth forests. The proportion of O-alkyl C in litter was positively correlated with O-alkyl C in soil between the logged and old-growth forests. Our results suggest that the labile O-alkyl C functional group recovers more rapidly after logging practices, and restoration after shifting cultivation increases the labile carbohydrate C functional group and aromaticity in tropical lowland rainforests. However, SOC has greater chemical stability in terms of the decomposition degree in tropical old-growth forests.

From recreational to income-generating opportunities: assessment of public preferences for non-wood forest products in the Czech Republic.

With the alarming increase in dying trees and massive logging in the Czech forests due to bark beetle infestation, the collection of non-wood forest products, a beneficial recreational activity in the Czech Republic, is now being promoted as an alternative to wood provisioning services. This paper aims to present findings on the non-wood forest product preferences in the country as part of a baseline assessment for promoting the usage. This study relied on the 2019 national survey data of public preferences in collecting forest berries, mushrooms, honey, and medicinal herbs. K-means cluster analysis was employed to classify the respondents. A binary logistic regression with a conditional forward approach was employed to identify the potential predictors of the high preference for each non-wood forest product. Data from 1,050 online respondents were included, and two groups of respondents were clustered based on their preferences for the entire non-wood forest, i.e., higher and lower utilization. The regression analysis revealed that frequent forest visitors were the primary predictor of high utilization of all non-wood forest products (between 1.437 to 4.579 odd ratios), in addition to age, gender, and location of the forest property. By clustering the respondents based on the high and low preferences in utilizing non-wood forest products, the promotion of this service, from recreational to potential livelihood activities and economic benefits, can be better targeted, e.g., target customer, infrastructure development in the location with high preferences, scenarios based on the type of owners (municipal or private forest owners), which in accordance to the national forest policy and laws, and, at the same time, maintain the ecological stability.

Is Regulation Protection? Forest Logging Quota Impact on Forest Carbon Sinks in China

As the central part of terrestrial ecosystems, forests have an irreplaceable role in regulating climate, prompting various efforts to protect them. Logging regulation is the most commonly used forest conservation strategy. Although the logging permit scheme was written into the Forest Law in China, its effect on forest carbon sequestration has rarely been subject to careful empirical scrutiny. In this paper, we develop and estimate a spatial econometric model to disentangle its potential effects on forest carbon sinks based on a panel dataset of 29 provinces from 1989 to 2018 in China. Our calculations show that China’s forest carbon sinks are still growing and are connected geographically, with a tendency towards “high-high” and “low-low” aggregation. Increasing the logging quota produced a spatial spillover effect that might encourage the formation of forest carbon sinks in nearby areas. It considerably encouraged the expansion of forest carbon sinks. Additional mechanism testing is consistent with the claim that rising logging quotas have significantly boosted the proportion of timber forests in afforestation but had no effect on the movement of rural labor to urban areas. The development of forest carbon sinks is impacted in different ways by various logging quota types, with an increasing tendency for logging quotas to have a more significant contribution. Additionally, the non-collective forest region has a more significant spatial spillover effect of the logging quota on forest carbon sinks. The logging quota scheme should be improved by policymakers, beginning with eliminating tending quotas in the southern collective forest region. After that, the logging quota would gradually be eliminated nationwide, notably for commercial forests.

Use of logging roads by terrestrial mammals in a responsibly managed neotropical rainforest in Guyana

Selective logging is the most widespread use of tropical forests. Building logging roads facilitates access to previously remote rainforests, and so proper management is essential for ensuring biodiversity retention in logged landscapes. Terrestrial mammals often directly use logging roads (via movement corridors, hunting or foraging), making them vulnerable to poorly managed roads. Here we explore how the presence, arrangement and use of logging roads influence terrestrial mammal occupancy and detection within a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified logged forest in Guyana. We compared camera trap data from20 natural ‘game’ trails in an unlogged area, with camera trap data from 23 sites set near to or on logging roads within the Iwokrama forest. Our findings showed high occupancy within logged areas with no statistically significant difference to unlogged areas. Higher detections were noted along secondary and feeder roads compared to skid trails and the natural trails in control areas. Additionally, our data showed a negative correlation between occupancy and distance to village for a scatter hoarding rodent, most likely driven by subsistence hunting by local communities. Our results indicate that proper road management geared towards the monitoring and guarded access of logging roads, can have a positive effect on terrestrial mammal occurrence within responsibly managed rainforests.

Soil seed banks provide a storage effect in post-logging regrowth forests of southeastern Australia

Despite the importance of soil seed banks in diversity maintenance, our understanding of plant response to changes in resource availability is largely limited to above-ground vegetation. We investigated how forest structure and edaphic properties influenced the above-ground vegetation and soil seed banks following logging in montane regrowth forests dominated by Eucalyptus regnans in the Central Highlands of southeastern Australia. We surveyed above-ground vegetation, soil seed banks, forest structure and soil properties across 20 harvest units, aged 16 to 20 years. A total of 80 species were identified in above-ground vegetation with 72 species in the soil seed bank, with only 34% of species co-occurring in both species’ pools. Climate, soil, topography, and light availability shaped plant composition but the relative importance of these properties varied among individual species and pools of diversity (combined, above-ground, soil seed bank, life form). Annual heat moisture index (AHMI) was the most important factor that influenced plant community composition across all species pools with individual species positively associated with AHMI. Acacia, but not Eucalyptus stem density further moderated plant response via effects on both light availability and soil nitrogen at the stem exclusion phase of stand development. Structurally mediated controls on above-ground community composition flow through to the soil seed bank via above-ground diversity effects on below-ground composition. For the combined species pool, individual species were most frequently related to Acacia stem density that on average explained 20% of model variation. Soil nutrients accounted for most of the model variation for individual species in above-ground (26%), soil seed bank (20%) and non-woody (32%) pools of diversity, with AHMI accounting for most of the model variation for woody species (18%). The differential response of individual species and community composition to gradients in resource availability across different pools of species diversity and life forms clearly demonstrates a storage effect in wet temperate forests of southeastern Australia that promotes post-disturbance recruitment and persistence. Our work suggests logging interacts with broad environmental controls to shape species diversity. The key role of Acacia stem density as a biotic filter of plant diversity provides opportunity to shape future plant diversity through management interventions such as thinning in the early stages of stand development. With native forest harvesting of these forests set to end from 2024, our findings provide important information on future patterns of plant diversity as logged forests recover over time, opportunities for management interventions in shaping plant composition, and potential impacts of future wildfire.

The Impact of Illegal Logging on the State of the Rainforests of the Congo River Basin

In the modern world, one of the key problems on a planetary scale is the disappearance of tropical forests. In addition, the state of these forest ecosystems is of serious concern. The fight against the disappearance of tropical forests, especially due to illegal logging, is an integral part of the decisions taken to prevent negative climate impacts, and the most important task for the implementation of programs for the socio-economic development and protection of forests in Central Africa. The article describes the state of forests in the countries of the Congo River basin. The reasons for the degradation of forests and deforestation of the territory of this region are given, as well as the consequences of anthropogenic activities that have a huge direct and indirect impact on forest ecosystems. The lack of balance between economic, environmental and social components in the formation of national and subregional forest policy is reflected in legislation in this area. As a consequence, grounds for delinquency and illegal activities are created, and illegal logging continues in all countries of the Congo Basin. The authors analyzed the situation with illegal logging. It is shown that illegal logging not only has a devastating impact on forest ecosystems, but also deprives the state of income from the export of valuable timber and, thereby, destabilizes the situation in this subregion. The development of illegal activities is explained by the peculiarities of the forest management system, which has created a situation with relative impunity for offenders due to corruption and the imperfection of the regulatory framework. Solving the problem requires a deep reform of forest legislation and the development of a more effective system of economic measures to counter illegal logging of tropical forests in the countries of the Congo Basin.

Shadow Aspects of Russian-Chinese Relations: Ways of Prevention on the Territory of the Baikal Region

In the context of increased foreign policy and foreign economic aggression of foreign countries against Russia in connection with recent events, the preservation and development of economic relations between our country and friendly countries is of particular importance. Russia currently receives the most significant support within the framework of economic cooperation with the People's Republic of China. However, today there are significant challenges and threats to economic security in this area, both for the Russian state as a whole and for its subjects, including the Baikal region. The article considers three shadow aspects of Russian-Chinese relations in the Baikal region: illegal logging and export of forests to China; construction of tourist camps and private homes of Chinese citizens on agricultural lands and specially protected natural territories; shadow sale of natural minerals of the Baikal region to the People's Republic of China. The analysis of indicators confirming the presence of the shadow sector within the framework of Russian-Chinese economic cooperation in the Baikal region is carried out. The authors of the article propose ways to minimize the shadow component of Russian-Chinese relations in the field of forest management, land use and subsoil use in the studied subjects of the Russian Federation.

Tropical Forests Stand Recovery 30-year After Selectively Logged in Peninsular Malaysia

This article analysed the 25–30 years of growth of dipterocarps forests that were logged under the Selective Management System (SMS) at three sites in Peninsular Malaysia to understand how management regimes affected forest stem density and basal area. The management regimes were (1) unlogged, (2) moderately logged forests that logged all dipterocarps ≥ 65 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) and all non-dipterocarps ≥ 60 cm dbh, and (3) intensely logged forests that logged all dipterocarps ≥ 50 cm dbh and non-dipterocarps ≥ 45 cm dbh. The intensely logged regime is similar to the SMS practices in Peninsular Malaysia. This result showed that one-year post-logging, there was no difference in the total stem density and basal area between forests logged according to the two management regimes. Forest stem density decreased over time in all management regimes, significantly greater in unlogged forests (-15.1 stems/ha/yr, confidence interval (CI): -16.9 to -13.3). This decline in stem density reflected that mortality exceeded recruitment in all management regimes. Despite the consistent decline of forest stem density, the basal area increased over time, and the rate of increase in the intensely logged forest (0.22 m2 /ha/yr, CI: 0.19 to 0.25) was significantly greater than the other management regimes. Our study showed that 30 years post-logging, the effect of selective logging remained evident. Both logged forest stem density and the basal area did not recover to that of unlogged forests, indicating the importance of enrichment planting and extending the cutting cycles beyond 30 years for the sustainability of dipterocarps forests.

Remarks on Geomatics Measurement Methods Focused on Forestry Inventory.

This contribution focuses on a comparison of modern geomatics technologies for the derivation of growth parameters in forest management. The present text summarizes the results of our measurements over the last five years. As a case project, a mountain spruce forest with planned forest logging was selected. In this locality, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and terrestrial and drone close-range photogrammetry were experimentally used, as was the use of PLS mobile technology (personal laser scanning) and ALS (aerial laser scanning). Results from the data joining, usability, and economics of all technologies for forest management and ecology were discussed. ALS is expensive for small areas and the results were not suitable for a detailed parameter derivation. The RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft systems, known as "drones") method of data acquisition combines the benefits of close-range and aerial photogrammetry. If the approximate height and number of the trees are known, one can approximately calculate the extracted cubage of wood mass before forest logging. The use of conventional terrestrial close-range photogrammetry and TLS proved to be inappropriate and practically unusable in our case, and also in standard forestry practice after consultation with forestry workers. On the other hand, the use of PLS is very simple and allows you to quickly define ordered parameters and further calculate, for example, the cubic volume of wood stockpiles. The results from our research into forestry show that drones can be used to estimate quantities (wood cubature) and inspect the health status of spruce forests, However, PLS seems, nowadays, to be the best solution in forest management for deriving forest parameters. Our results are mainly oriented to practice and in no way diminish the general research in this area.