Recent Management Activities Research Articles

Contrasting responses of forest phenological guilds to complex floodplain change

Abstract Understanding the seasonal dynamics of the forest herb layer and the factors that influence it is essential for predicting how the forest ecosystem, including mutualistic interactions, will respond to global change. However, to date, no research has investigated how understorey phenological guilds respond to major environmental threats and forest interventions. We showed the marked changes in the phenological structure of floodplain forest plant communities over half a century at a multi‐regional scale in Central Europe. Unlike previous studies focusing on individual species' responses to climate change, we examined shifts in species richness, frequency and abundance between phenological guilds within the plant community. We examined the effects of temporal variation in climate, hydrology, soil conditions and canopy structure, and assessed the effects of non‐intervention and intervention management on phenological guild responses. Our results show a significant loss of local species richness and a decline in species frequency in the forest understorey vegetation, associated with species exhibiting summer phenology. In contrast, an increase in abundance and richness of spring flowering species was observed, attributed to high nutrient loads and reduced flooding, respectively. The abundance of spring species increased only in stands where canopy cover increased over time, probably due to the suppression of summer flowering species, allowing spring flowering species to spread on open, bare ground. The community experienced a shift in maximum flowering plant richness from June to May. Despite management interventions such as clearcutting and tree planting, our data show similar temporal trajectories in intervention and non‐intervention forests, indicating that changes in phenological structure are largely independent of recent management activities. Synthesis. We propose that a complex interplay of environmental factors, rather than climate change alone, is shaping shifts towards earlier phenological guilds in floodplain forests. This study highlights the importance of considering a comprehensive view of phenological guild dynamics and the impact of environmental factors on forest plant community structure in the face of global change.

Current Status and Challenges for Forest Commons (Iriai Forest) Management in Japan: A Focus on Forest Producers’ Cooperatives and Authorized Neighborhood Associations

Iriai forests are an example of communal forest management in Japan. Local institutions have never been static in governing iriai forests and the external environments of iriai forests have changed significantly over time. This study examines the management challenges of forest producers’ cooperatives (FPCs) and authorized neighborhood associations (ANAs) as the two most important contemporary forms of iriai forest management. Data from nine FPCs and three ANAs in the Fukuoka and Saga prefectures of Kyushu Island are used. Surveyed topics included basic information about FPCs and ANAs, recent management activities, financial conditions, and member perceptions of forest management. Some FPCs suffered from disadvantageous forestry circumstances, including low timber prices, decreased number of members, and tax burdens; at the same time, some FPCs greatly profited from non-forestry income or assets, e.g., by leasing or selling forestland. In most cases, basic forest management operations had been conducted by both FPCs and ANAs, and members had maintained attachment to and responsibility for iriai forests and a sense of public contribution. Policy recommendations include making legal settings and administrative supports more compatible with contemporary realities, providing greater financial support for management activities, and pursuing multi-level governance to open the commons to wider society.

Corydalis flavula and Nemophila aphylla in Georgia: Ecological observations1

Following removal of thickets of the invasive nonnative Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour.), two rare winter annuals, Corydalis flavula (Raf.) DC and Nemophila aphylla (L.) Brummitt, appeared at sites where they were previously unknown. Moreover, these sites in Clarke County were more than 100 km from the few previously known localities of the species in Georgia. Soil samples revealed that these sites were strongly divergent from typical secondary forests of the Piedmont with respect to pH, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium (all significantly higher). It is possible, but unlikely, that these species were recently transported to these sites. It seems more likely that recent management activities stimulated seeds to emerge from a dormant seed bank.

Forest Fragmentation Modulates Effects of Tree Species Richness and Composition on Ecosystem Multifunctionality

In this synthesis paper, we aimed at analyzing the influence of habitat fragmentation, tree species richness, and tree composition on multiple forest ecosystem functions. The data were gathered in 53 plots situated in mature forest with no recent management activities and composed of every potential combination of common beech (Fagus sylvatica), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), and red oak (Quercus rubra). We found a wide range of response to fragmentation, tree richness, and tree composition between the measured functions. Aggregating these functional responses revealed that tree diversity effects were stronger in smaller and more isolated fragments than in larger and well-connected ones. Photo credit: Irene M. van Schrojenstein Lantman. These photographs illustrate the article “Forest fragmentation modulates effects of tree species richness and composition on ecosystem multifunctionality” by Lionel R. Hertzog, Roschong Boonyarittichaikij, Daan Dekeukeleire, Stefanie R. E. de Groote, Irene M. van Schrojenstein Lantman, Bram K. Sercu, Hannah Keely Smith, Eduardo de la Peña, Martijn L. Vandegehuchte, Dries Bonte, An Martel, Kris Verheyen, Luc Lens, and Lander Baeten published in Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2653

Impacts of different land management histories on forest change.

Many western North American forest types have experienced considerable changes in ecosystem structure, composition, and function as a result of both fire exclusion and timber harvesting. These two influences co-occurred over a large portion of dry forests, making it difficult to know the strength of either one on its own or the potential for an interaction between the two. In this study, we used contemporary remeasurements of a systematic historical forest inventory to investigate forest change in the Sierra Nevada. The historical data opportunistically spanned a significant land management agency boundary, which protected part of the inventory area from timber harvesting. This allowed for a robust comparison of forest change between logged and unlogged areas. In addition, we assessed the effects of recent management activities aimed at forest restoration relative to the same areas historically, and to other areas without recent management. Based on analyses of 22,007 trees (historical, 9,573; contemporary, 12,434), live basal area and tree density significantly increased from 1911 to the early 2000s in both logged and unlogged areas. Both shrub cover and the proportion of live basal area occupied by pine species declined from 1911 to the early 2000s in both areas, but statistical significance was inconsistent. The most notable difference between logged and unlogged areas was in the density of large trees, which declined significantly in logged areas, but was unchanged in unlogged areas. Recent management activities had a varied impact on the forest structure and composition variables analyzed. In general, areas with no recent management activities experienced the greatest change from 1911 to the early 2000s. If approximating historical forest conditions is a land management goal the documented changes in forest structure and composition from 1911 to the early 2000s indicate that active restoration, including fire use and mechanical thinning, is needed in many areas.

Subtle human impacts on neutral genetic diversity and spatial patterns of genetic variation in European beech (Fagus sylvatica)

We aim to understand the role of past and ongoing anthropogenic impacts on genetic variation patterns at different spatial scales for the dominant tree species European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in Germany, a densely populated country with a long history of multiple human impacts on forests. Different types of human impact have likely influenced genetic variation patterns in beech: e.g. forest degradation and loss of forest cover over long time periods, intensive management and climate change. Former studies found generally high genetic diversity in European beech and indicated, based on limited sample sizes and few markers, no negative effects of management on genetic diversity. We investigated 30 beech stands with different management history located in three widely separated regions in Germany at six genomic and three gene-based microsatellite markers. High genetic diversity was found, but diversity levels were significantly different among regions. Genetic differentiation among stands and regions was generally low, but significant for most comparisons. The region in southern Germany was strongly differentiated from the other regions presumably due to different postglacial recolonization histories. Recent management activities had no significant impact on genetic diversity parameters but reduced small-scale spatial genetic structures (SGS) within stands. Long generation times, large effective population sizes, efficient gene flow and predominance of natural regeneration contributed to the maintenance of high genetic diversity throughout the Central European distribution of beech. Genetic diversity patterns of beech are remarkably unaffected by human impact although forested landscapes were strongly shaped by man for centuries.

The Role of an Urban Tallgrass Prairie Remnant in Conservation: A Case Study in Central Iowa (USA)

Although more than 85% of Iowa (USA) was covered by tallgrass prairie at the time of settlement by Europeans in the early 19th century, less than 0.1% remains. The Richard W. Pohl State Preserve at Ames (IA) High School, surrounded on three sides by structures, roads, and other development, protects 4 ha of tallgrass prairie. The preserve, commonly referred to as Ames High Prairie (AHP), was grazed but never plowed under private ownership until its acquisition by the Ames School District in 1959. Although considered for development as a parking lot or football field in the 1960s, the residents of Ames voted in 1970 to award The Nature Conservancy (TNC) a 49-year lease to the property (until 2019). This preserve, almost completely open in the 1930s, has been subject to numerous threats, including encroachment by woody plants, entry of non-native and invasive plant species associated with human activity, and erosion associated with storm water runoff, sewer line repair, foot and bike traffic, and major flood events. Recent management activities at AHP, conducted by volunteer land stewards, high school and college students, TNC summer interns, and private contractors, has consisted of controlled burns, cutting and herbicide treatment of encroaching woody plants, manual removal and herbicide treatment of invasive herbaceous plants, and sowing of seeds (collected on site) into reopened areas. Three vascular plant inventories of the 8.9 ha preserve (1966, 1995, current study) have documented the occurrence of 465 taxa (329 native) at AHP, including 5 Iowa special concern species. This flora includes 147 native prairie plant taxa, which ranks 8th in comparison with the 26 other (and mostly larger) prairies protected as state preserves in Iowa. As a vegetation remnant, AHP protects tallgrass prairie taxa and their gene pools, maintains an example of historically abundant (but now scarce) tallgrass prairie vegetation, and provides citizens an opportunity to experience prairie.

Long-Term Population Dynamics of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in a Pine Plantation in Northern Florida

Abstract A study was conducted in 2009 to gather information on long-term gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) population dynamics, burrow distribution, and habitat use at Plum Creek/Lochloosa, a pine (Pinus elliottii; Pinus palustris) plantation in northern Florida. Mark–recapture surveys were conducted on this study site during the 1980s, and a follow-up survey was done in 1992. The ca. 66-ha study area is a mosaic of moderately well-drained and poorly drained soils, and it has had a history of clear-cutting and replanting. Recent management activities included a tree thinning in 2008 and a controlled burn in winter 2009. We located gopher tortoise burrows during late April and early May 2009, and captured tortoises in pitfall or wire traps during May–July. Fifty-two tortoises were captured on the study site and 4 others in an adjacent pine plantation across a paved rural road. Seventeen of the tortoises (33%) had been previously marked, including a male marked as a mature adult in 1982. Most (88%) mar...

Perceptions of Foresters of Wind Damage in Mississippi Forests

Abstract A survey of registered foresters in Mississippi was conducted to gauge their perception of various factors that influence stand damage resulting from hurricanes. A review of the literature suggests that tree diameter, height, age, and species are influential factors on a stand's susceptibility to wind damage. In addition, stand density, recent management activities, soil conditions, recent weather conditions, and the proximity to open areas are also noted in the literature as influential factors on these site-specific studies. Although scientific opinion on the importance of these factors varies, the perceptions of foresters familiar with strong wind events provide critical feedback that is often consistent with research results. The perceptions of foresters are valuable because they are derived from direct or indirect field experience, and they can be helpful in designing more effective research studies, in developing organizational policies, and in broadening our understanding of what makes a forest more resistant to hurricane-related damage. The results of our survey were generally consistent with the available literature, but some differences were found between the registered foresters' perceptions of hurricane damage and factors suggested by site-specific studies previously reported in the literature.

Response of Northern Harriers and Short-Eared Owls to Grassland Management in Illinois

We studied habitat selection by northern harriers (Circus cyaneus) and short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) on 2 intensively managed grassland sanctuary complexes in southeastern Illinois to determine the influence of grassland management on nest placement. Northern barriers showed a tendency (P < 0.001) to locate their nests in fields not disturbed by recent management activities (within the last 12 months). Overall, northern harrier nest placement was not influenced by whether fields were dominated by native or nonnative grasses (P = 0.307), Short-eared owls were irruptive breeders on these grasslands, and habitat selection could only be assessed in 1 year (1990). In 1990, all short-eared owl nests were located in fields disturbed by grassland management activities within the last 12 months. Although northern harriers are believed to be area-sensitive in the Midwest, grassland area did not influence nest-site selection for northern harriers on our sanctuaries (P = 0.622). Northern harriers and short-eared owls have generally contrasting habitat preferences. To provide appropriate habitats for both species, a mix of both managed and idle grasslands must be provided.

Avian Assemblages in Seral Stages of a Vermont Forest

We determined associations of breeding birds with seral stages following clearcutting in a northern hardwood forest. We surveyed birds and measured habitat variables on 90 study plots. Principle components (PC) and cluster analysis were used to 24 species of birds into 4 seral associations. The 4 avian assemblages were associated with young clearcuts; pole and mature stands with dense understories; mature deciduous stands; and mature, mixed deciduous-coniferous stands. Habitat attributes responsible for the classification were related to canopy height and volume, understory density, tree diameter, number of snags, and basal area of deciduous and coniferous trees. Managers can encourage the presence of all species assemblages by maintaining a mixture of forest age classes. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 52(4):771-777 Habitat use by birds is influenced by vegetation structure (Noon et al. 1980, Rice et al. 1984, Cody 1985). Silvicultural practices can modify structural characteristics of forests and affect distributions of breeding birds (Webb et al. 1977, Titterington et al. 1979, Crawford et al. 1981). Detailed habitat models for individual bird species (Straw et al. 1986) are desirable for featured-species management, but information on habitat associations of groups of birds may be more useful for general resource planning and environmental monitoring (Landres 1983, Verner 1983). Several authors have identified groups of birds based on similarities in habitat use. Neimi and Pfanmuller (1979) identified groups (species associations) that were distributed in a similar manner across a range of communities. Titterington (1977) and Crawford et al. (1981) also identified groups of birds based on habitat affinities; Titterington (1977) referred to these groups as seral associations. Similar assemblages have also been called management guilds, defined by Verner (1983) as a group of species that respond in similar ways to changes in their environment. Verner's (1983) definition is more narrow than Titterington's (1977) however, because guilds represent only a subset of bird species found in a given habitat (Verner 1984). Published information on habitat use by breeding birds in managed hardwood forests of New England is limited. Titterington et al. (1979) described species assemblages found in early seral stages of spruce-fir forests in Maine, and more recently Chadwick et al. (1986) described the effects of fuelwood cutting on bird communities in southern New England. DeGraaf and Rudis (1986) assigned bird species in New England to forest cover types and age classes, but these classifications were based mostly on general habitat descriptions found in the literature. Few of these habitat associations have been verified by field data. We describe avian assemblages, based on use of habitats created by silvicultural practices. Our study plots represented an array of seral stages common in hardwood forests of New England. We efine species assemblages through quantitative descripitions of habitat characteristics and refer to these groups of birds as seral associations. Seral associations may also be viewed as management indicators because most of the study plots were affected by recent management activities. B. Roberts assisted with fieldwork. Our study was supported by the Windham Foundation, Grafton, Vermont and Cooperative Forest Research Funds administered through the School of Natural Resources at the University of Ver-