Restoration Of Forest Ecosystems Research Articles

Agroforestry - The Most Resilient Farming System for the Hilly Northwest of Vietnam

Over 94% of the land of northwestern Vietnam is classified as sloping. Population growth has exerted pressure on local natural resources, with agricultural expansion on steep slopes resulting in forest degradation, landscape fragmentation and severe environmental consequences. Efforts to restore forest ecosystems have been made by the government, however, as the livelihoods of 80% of the population depend on agriculture, the reconversion of land to forest has proven to be an inappropriate solution. Agroforestry offers a potentially sustainable land-use solution, which could re-establish forests, restore ecosystem services, and stabilize local livelihoods. In this paper, we assess the potential of agroforestry development in the region based on the results of two interrelated surveys conducted in 21 representative villages in six districts of three northwestern provinces: 1) a farming system diagnosis implemented in 17 representative villages; and 2) an agroforestry adoption survey with 210 households practising agroforestry in 14 villages. The analysis was strengthened by four years’ experience in implementing an extensive agroforestry project in the region. The studies focussed on assessing key benefits and constraints of existing farming systems, including agroforestry practices, adopted by farmers and identifying the potential for agroforestry development in the region. The results showed that the dominant farming system in the north-western provinces was monoculture of staple crops on slopes, which provided relatively low economic returns. Soil erosion, land degradation, and water shortages resultant from intensive farming practices were the most significant environmental issues in the area. Tree-based farming systems were rare and mostly a result of spontaneous adoption by farmers. Given the mountainous landscape and the need for soil stabilization, agroforestry was seen by farmers as a viable approach. Improving the existing and adopting new, integrated agroforestry systems were identified as viable ways toward sustainable livelihoods in Northwestern Vietnam.

Individual and interactive effects of white-tailed deer and an exotic shrub on artificial and natural regeneration in mixed hardwood forests.

Underplanting tree seedlings in areas where natural regeneration is limited may offer a tool by which desired overstory composition can be maintained or restored in forests. However, invasive plant species and ungulate browsing may limit the effectiveness of underplanting, and in-turn, the successful restoration of forest ecosystems. Individually, the invasive shrub Lonicera maackii and browsing by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have been found to negatively affect the regeneration of native tree species in the Midwestern United States, but few studies have examined their interactive or cumulative effects. Using exclosures and shrub removal at five sites, we examined the effects of white-tailed deer and L. maackii both on underplanted seedlings of Castanea dentata and Quercus rubra and on the composition, species richness and diversity of naturally regenerated native tree seedlings. Individually, both deer and L. maackii had negative effects on the survival of underplanted seedlings, but we identified no interactive effects. The presence of L. maackii or deer alone resulted in similar declines in the survivorship of Q. rubra seedlings, but the presence of deer alone resulted in lower survival of C. dentata seedlings than the presence of L. maackii alone. Lonicera maackii reduced light levels, increased seedling moisture stress and decreased relative basal diameter growth for Q. rubra seedlings. Deer reduced the relative growth in height of underplanted C. dentata and Q. rubra seedlings and increased moisture stress of C. dentata seedlings. No effects of L. maackii or deer were found on soil or foliar nitrogen or the overall abundance, species richness and diversity of naturally regenerated seedlings. However, L. maackii and white-tailed deer did affect the abundance of individual tree species, shifting composition of the regeneration layer towards shade tolerant and unpalatable and/or browse tolerant species.

Reference and control plots – a useful tool for forestry?

AbstractIn the current age, the increased need for the restoration of forest ecosystems necessitates a better understanding of natural processes. Forest stands that are affected only by natural processes and disturbances can serve as references and controls for comparison with cut or otherwise managed forests. Such a comparison may help us determine, whether our sylvicultural practices actually pursue the goal of sustainable development. It is also important to use uniform terminology across the world to facilitate sharing of experiences and results. Creating reference and control stands in every ecoregion will provide a rich scientific basis for comparison with managed forests and allow us to design and apply restoration methods more effectively.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functional Enhancement by Forest Restoration: A Meta‐analysis in China

AbstractLarge‐scale forest loss and degradation have dire consequences for biodiversity maintenance and provision of vital ecosystem services. Despite recent increasing efforts for forest restoration and sustainable management, there have been no comparative studies of biological taxonomy and multiple ecosystem functions to assess the effectiveness of forest restoration programmes, and how they vary through space and time. Here, we provided a quantitative assessment of the recovery of biodiversity and ecosystem functions by forest restoration in China using a meta‐analysis of 172 studies. We found that biodiversity and ecosystem functions were substantially increased in restored forests comparing with the degraded states. However, these restoration effects varied considerably by degradation origin, restoration approach, restoration age, ecological domains, taxonomic group and ecosystem function that is measured. Results also revealed that forest restoration from degraded states could not lead to full recovery of biodiversity and ecosystem functions, highlighting the irreplaceability of primary forests. We advocate allowing for natural or passive recovery, especially where biophysical conditions are favourable for spontaneous succession, or too harsh for human‐aided restoration, and choosing a combination of passive and active restoration measures based on adaptive management strategies. Our meta‐analysis provided fundamental insights into bridging the gap between small‐scale experiments and broad‐scale management needs towards highly effective and sustainable forest ecosystem restoration. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Coexistence in the Mediterranean-Temperate transitional border: Multi-century dynamics of a mixed old-growth forest under global change

Old-growth forests, particularly those located at the interface between different bioregions, are unevaluable sources of long-term vegetation dynamics and historical stand response to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Although old-growth forests are scarce, the information gathered studying them may assist forest ecosystem restoration and management under forthcoming climate and land-use changes.We analysed how complementary dynamics of a mixed old-growth forest composed by temperate (Fagus sylvatica, Quercus petraea) and submediterranean (Quercus pyrenaica) tree species were driven in response to global changes in the last two centuries. The old-growth forest, named El Hayedo de Montejo, is located at the interface between the Mediterranean and temperate bioregions in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. The populations of temperate species growing in El Hayedo de Montejo (F. sylvatica and Q. petraea) are at the dry and warm edges of their natural distribution area in Europe, whereas the submediterranean species Q. pyrenaica is at the core of the distribution range. In order to analyse the long-term dynamics, we developed basal area increment and disturbance chronologies for each of the tree species under study. Furthermore, we assessed the climate influence on tree growth during the most recent decades.Our results reveal historical shifts in forest dominance (as reflected by growth) induced by changes in climate and forest management between temperate and sub-Mediterranean species. This was particularly noticeable for F. sylvatica and Q. pyrenaica the least and most drought-tolerant species, respectively. A reduction in growth of F. sylvatica unprecedented in the context of the last two hundred years was observed during the last decades concurrent with forest densification and marked changes in climate. Conversely, both oak species seem to be better suited to current environmental conditions as expressed by increasing growth rates.

The Change of Soil Animals by Forest Ecosystem Restoration Types

The Change of Soil Animals by Forest Ecosystem Restoration Types

Aligning Smoke Management with Ecological and Public Health Goals

Past and current forest management affects wildland fire smoke impacts on downwind human populations. However, mismatches between the scale of benefits and risks make it difficult to proactively manage wildland fires to promote both ecological and public health. Building on recent literature and advances in modeling smoke and health effects, we outline a framework to more directly quantify and compare smoke impacts based on emissions, dispersion, and the size and vulnerability of downwind populations across time and space. We apply the framework in a case study to demonstrate how different kinds of fires in California’s Central Sierra Nevada have resulted in very different smoke impacts. Our results indicate that the 257,314-acre Rim Fire of 2013 probably resulted in 7 million person-days of smoke impact across California and Nevada, which was greater than 5 times the impact per burned unit area than two earlier wildfires, Grouse and Harden of 2009, that were intentionally managed for resource objectives within the same airshed. The framework and results suggest strategies and tactics for undertaking larger-scale burns that can minimize smoke impacts, restore forest ecosystems, and reduce the potential for more hazardous wildfire and smoke events.

KERAGAMAN GENETIK DAN PERMUDAAN ALAM PUSPA (Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth.) DI TAMAN NASIONAL GUNUNG MERAPI PASCAERUPSI TAHUN 2010

Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth. (puspa) is a native vegetation of Gunung Merapi National Park (GMNP). This species has an important function for soil and water conservation in GMNP area, especially in the area with high slope. Puspa is also one of prioritised species planted in the forest ecosystem restoration project of GMNP after 2010 volcano eruption. Information on genetic diversity and natural regeneration potential of each puspa stand groups is then very essential for the success of forest ecosystem restoration in GMNP. Genetic diversity parameters of puspa is assessed by isozyme analysis, while its natural regeneration is evaluated by vegetation analysis. Selection of samples on stand groups of puspa for genetic diversity and natural regeneration analysis is based on levels of vegetation damage (low and moderate) and the planting plots of ecosystem restoration area. The results showed that the stands with low damage level located at Gunung Malang and Mriyan have higher genetic diversity than those with moderate damage level (Balerante and Tlogolele). Stand with the highest genetic diversity is Gunung Malang, with the mean observed heterozigosities (Ho) of 0.284 and minimum fixation index value (FIS) of 0.0508. Stand in the Ecosystem Restoration Demonstration Plot has the lowest level of genetic diversity (Ho = 0.1936; FIS = 0.1127). Regarding natural regeneration potential, the stand group of Gunung Malang is the highest.

Understanding the ecology of tree-seedling growth in dry tropical environment: a management perspective

The dry tropical forests are among the most vulnerable ecosystems of the world and, however, are relatively understudied. These forests provide various ecosystem services, and are progressively being converted into patches of dry scrubs, savanna and marginal cropland systems, due to various anthropogenic perturbations. Soils of these regions are relatively nutrient poor with a patchy nutrient and water distribution pattern. Therefore, the variability in these natural resources imposed by the present climate change scenario may affect the forest plant community of dry tropics via its impact on seedling growth and recruitment. Seedlings are considered as the most sensitive stage of plant lifecycle, and therefore, understanding of seedling regeneration may help in restoration of forest ecosystems. Seedling growth is majorly regulated by various naturally occurring resources (such as light, water, nutrient, etc.) and disturbances (such as defoliation, grass competition, fire, etc.). Therefore, efforts on the regeneration of these forest systems are highly necessitated. In the present study, we critically reviewed the studies on seedling survival and growth under different resource and disturbance regimes with a special focus to dry tropical environment. We found that water, light, nutrients, herbivory, and grass competition majorly regulates recruitments, growth, and establishment of the tree seedling in dry tropical environment. Most of the studies are limited to observe the effect of one or two factors over the seedling survival and growth. However, the resources and disturbances may have an interactive effect over seedling growth. Therefore, studies encompassing the interactions of various growth factors (resources and disturbances) under different climatic conditions are urgently needed for the successful regeneration of tree seedlings and for the restoration of plant community. Moreover, it will improve our ability to manage the tropical vegetation under changing climatic scenario.

Ecosystem Restoration Concessions in Indonesia: Conflicts and Discourses

ABSTRACTApproaches and instruments focused on market mechanisms and private enterprises, including private protected areas, are promoted as ways to resolve global environmental and developmental problems. In Indonesia, Ecosystem Restoration Concessions (ERCs) have been developed as a new market-oriented governmental instrument to counter current deforestation processes and to restore forest ecosystems. Conservation and development organizations, along with state authorities, view ERCs as a highly promising instrument in Indonesia and in other countries as well. Experiences with ERCs are still limited, however, and their viability is uncertain. The implementation of ERCs in Indonesia has been controversial and the impact of ERCs on forests and forest-dependent communities has been fiercely disputed. This article explores these conflicts and disputes with a focus on the Harapan ERC and weighs the relevance of ERCs for German development cooperation. The improvement of the accountability of such projects and the implementation of mediation facilities are emphasized as prerequisites to establishing such market-oriented instruments according to international standards of nature conservation, the rights of indigenous and local populations, and sustainable development. The author concludes that decisions about strategies and instruments applied in forest-related development cooperation must involve a reconsideration of the mindsets that currently determine conservation approaches and development cooperation.

The application of mineral fertilizers in order to restore forest ecosystems contaminated with radionuclide 137Cs

The results of three years research on the effectiveness of impact of one-time application of wood ash both contaminated and non-contaminated with 137Cs, and their combined introduction of potassium fertilizers to reduce radionuclide transfer from soil to shoots and leaves of some species of trees and wild berry plants in forest ecosystems of Ukrainian Polissia. It has been demonstrated that the introduction of a single application of wood ash both contaminated with 137Cs and non-contaminated combined with potassium fertilizers (50 : 50 on a percentage of potassium) at the rate of 100 kg of potassium to 1 ha reduces the transition of radionuclides from soil to studied plants on average for three years to 35 and 20% respectively. For some types of wild berry plants (young shoots and leaves of blueberries and cranberries) and trees (young shoots and leaves of mountain ash and oak) coefficients of 137Cs transfer during the third (2014) year after applying meliorants decreased by 40–70% compared with plants control split.

Reproduction in plants of grass and subshrub layer as a factor of the forest ecosystem stabilization

Reproduction in a broad sense is the process by which female parents generate some or other germs (diasporas) able to form new individuals that are genetically similar to the female parents. The two main types of reproduction are found in forest grasses and subshrubs: seed (or by spores in spore-bearing plants) and vegetative. The establishment of features of plan reproduction of grass and subshrub layer is an important scientific issue in the context of the preservation and restoration of forest ecosystems, because plants of grass and subshrub layer have a significant impact on the initial stages of natural regeneration of plants of the first layer. Some features of reproduction of plants of different layers of forest ecosystems – from grass to woody – have been studied on the basis of our own observations and literature data. The observations were carried out on the territory of Desnyansko-Starogutsky National Nature Park and the adjacent territories. Forest ecosystems of the north-east of Ukraine have been in active use for a long time. Currently, these forests, in part, have obtained conservation status, and the volume of logging has been sharply reduced. Therefore, the majority of forests are characterized by the progressive succession, during which the proportion of plant silvan species increases and, consequently, the number of motile vegetative plant species increases in the lower layers of forest. The eight plant species of grass and subshrub layer, such as Aegopodium podagraria L., Asarum europaeum L., Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull, Carex pilosa Scop., Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench., Stellaria holostea L. Vaccinium myrtillus L., Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., have been selected as models. It is established that the capacity for vegetative propagation and clone formation is an important feature of reproduction of most forest grasses. The key parameters of generative reproduction of clone forming plants of grass and subshrub layer and their dependence on the ecological and coenotic factors have been shown as well. To establish the level of reproduction the following morphometric parameters were determined: weight of generative organs (g), number of generative shoots (pieces), reproductive effort (%), share of generative individuals in the population (%). In case of generative reproduction, an important biological characteristic is the so-called reproductive effort, which characterizes the contribution of organic matters and energy in the reproductive process. It is typically shown as the percentage of phytomass of the reproductive structures of the total phytomass. In general, generativity of the investigated plants of grass and subshrub layer was determined by the ecological and cenotic conditions, and therefore varied from association to association. Forest grasses and subshrubs, in turn, are an important factor for regeneration of all types of woody species in forest ecosystems. Depending on the composition and abundance of plants of grass and subshrub layer, the number of seedlings and little undergrowth of all woody species of trees is reduced in varying degrees, and the indicators of their growth are getting worse. The impact of the live ground cover on undergrowth of woody species is ultimately determined by the specificity of the ecological and coenotic situation in the areas of regeneration and the specific ecological and phytocoenotic properties of undergrowth of certain woody species. The main environmental problems of recreational zones from the perspective of possibilities of natural regeneration of woody species are the effect of mechanical actions on the soil. Grass and subshrub layer as a sensitive indicator of the increase in anthropogenic load is the first to undergo such transformation in recreational forests. Under its influence its species composition varies and is depleted, distribution of certain species as well as their phytomass and projective cover decrease. Many forest species disappear from the cover, and weeds begin to grow. Protection of forests as holistic ecosystems is an important issue, being developed during the XX century, and not having lost its significance even today. The main directions of its solution are connected with the development of the ecological network of Ukraine and the proper use of all forest resources.

秦岭中幼林龄华北落叶松针叶与土壤的碳氮磷生态化学计量特征

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 秦岭中幼林龄华北落叶松针叶与土壤的碳氮磷生态化学计量特征 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201601080057 作者: 作者单位: 西北农林科技大学生命科学学院,西北农林科技大学生命科学学院,中国科学院水利部水土保持研究所,西北农林科技大学生命科学学院,西北农林科技大学生命科学学院,西北农林科技大学生命科学学院,中国科学院水利部水土保持研究所 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家重点基础研究发展计划“973计划”资助项目（2012CB416902） Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometric characteristics of soil and leaves from young and middle aged Larix principis-rupprechtii growing in a Qinling Mountain plantation Author: Affiliation: College of life Sciences,Northwest Agriculture and Forest University,Yangling,College of life Sciences,Northwest Agriculture and Forest University,Yangling,College Resources and Environment,Northwest Agriculture and Forest University,Yangling,College of life Sciences,Northwest Agriculture and Forest University,Yangling,College of life Sciences,Northwest Agriculture and Forest University,Yangling,College of life Sciences,Northwest Agriculture and Forest University,Yangling,Institute of Soil and Water Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Ministry of Water Resources,Yangling Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:为探究华北落叶松人工林物质循环规律与养分元素的分配格局，将华北落叶松针叶和土壤结合起来，以秦岭地区7年（7a）、12年（12a）、22年（22a）生华北落叶松人工林为研究对象，综合探究中幼林龄华北落叶松针叶和土壤的C、N、P含量及C∶N∶P化学计量特征。结果表明，不同林龄间土壤C和P含量的差异显著，7a和12a的C和P含量显著高于22a的，N含量差异不显著，随土层深度的增加，土壤C、N、P均呈下降趋势；22a土壤的C∶P和N∶P显著高于7a和12a，说明随着林龄增加，P限制了人工林正常的生长发育，C∶N在林龄之间的差异不显著；不同林龄针叶C差异不显著，N和P差异显著，N和P含量在中龄林中最高；22a针叶的C∶N和C∶P均表现为显著下降，3种林龄华北落叶松针叶的N∶P在6.8-9.3之间，说明幼、中林龄华北落叶松主要受N的限制；华北落叶松针叶和土壤的C、C∶N之间呈显著的正相关，P、C∶P之间呈显著的负相关，N、N∶P之间相关性不显著。中林龄华北落叶松人工林土壤P元素含量低，主要是通过养分的再吸收来满足植株的生长需求，而非通过吸收土壤养分。 Abstract:Ecological stoichiometry theory is an important tool that can be used to explore the law of substance cycling and the distribution patterns of nutrient elements. Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) play an important role in regulating plant growth and various physiological functions. In recent years, some studies have reported that Larix principis-rupprechtii, which was introduced into Shaanxi Province in 1958, grew well during its initial stage, but as its age increased, the growth potential fell and soil fertility decreased. There has been a global trend towards forest ecosystem restoration and reconstruction. Therefore, we chose to study the Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation in the Qinling Mountains that contained trees with three different stand ages. These were 7 years old (7a), 12 years old (12a), and 22 years old (22a). The contents and mass ratios of the C, N, and P elements in the soil and leaves were investigated. The results showed that an increase in soil depth led to a decrease in soil C, N, and P contents for each growth stage. The soil C and P contents were different for the three stand ages. The soil C and P contents of 7a and 12a were significantly higher than those for 22a. In contrast, there was no significant difference in soil N between the stand ages. The soil C:P and N:P mass ratios for 22a were significantly higher than those for 7a and 12a, which indicated that P limited the development of Larix principis-rupprechtii as the stand age increased. There were no significant differences between soil C:N mass ratios for different stand ages. There were large significant differences in leaf N and P among the stand ages, but leaf C showed a different trend. The leaf N and P contents were highest during middle age. The leaf C:N and C:P mass ratios represent plant C assimilation ability to a certain extent. Therefore, these indexes could reflect nutrient utilization efficiency and the growth rate of plants. In this study, the leaf C:N and C:P mass ratios for 22a significantly decreased compared to the other stand ages, which showed that the N and P utilization efficiencies decreased as the stand age rose. The leaf N:P ratio varied from 6.8 to 9.3 for the three stand ages, which indicated that N was the main factor limiting the growth of young and middle aged Larix principis-rupprechtii stands. The C content and C:N mass ratio in the soil were positively correlated with the C content and the C:N mass ratio in leaves. However, the relationship between the soil and leaf P and C:P mass ratio was negatively correlated. The soil N and N:P mass ratio showed no significant correlation with leaf N and the N:P mass ratio. It is known that there is a close relationship between soil and leaf C, N, P and mass ratios. The negative relationship between soil P and leaf P showed that with low soil P, the middle aged plantation mainly supported growth through the reabsorption of plant nutrients rather than through the absorption of soil nutrients. Based on a comprehensive analysis of a number of factors, we conclude that N and P fertilizer should be applied to Larix principis-rupprechtii plantations. This is especially important during the middle growth phase. These fertilizer applications will help meet the nutritional needs of Larix principis-rupprechtii plantations and improve plantation productivity. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Analyzing the differences between permanent forests and post-agricultural forests in the Bieszczady Mountains, Poland

The study aimed to show if the permanent forests are different from the forests that growed on former agricultural land in the Bieszczady Mountains, southeastern Poland. It is important to investigate how different tree species react in former agriculture land and which are more adaptable to the given environmental conditions, in order to choose the most appropriate tree species and to develop strategies for optimal restoration of forest ecosystems. The results show differences in forest structure and parameters between the two categories. The post-agricultural forest had a much wide variety of tree species and a higher Shannon-Weaver diversity index value (3.06 vs. 2.53). The density of live stems were insignificant higher in the post-agricultural forest, but the total live volume per hectare was higher in the permanent forest, with a difference between hardwood species, which had higher values in the post-agricultural forest, and softwood species which had a higher live volume in the permanent forest. However, the density and volume of snags were found to be much higher in the post-agricultural forest

Participatory Selection of Tree Species for Agroforestry on Sloping Land in North Korea

The action research project reported in this article used a participatory approach to select trees for sloping-land agroforestry as a key strategy for forest ecosystem restoration and local livelihood development. It was the first such project in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) to use a participatory approach, empowering local user groups to develop their preferences for agroforestry species. Local knowledge of the multiple functions of agroforestry species ensured that the tree selection criteria included the value of timber, fruit, fodder, oil, medicines, fuelwood, and erosion control. Involving 67 farmers from 3 counties, this participatory selection process resulted in Prunus armeniaca, Castanea crenata, and Ziziphus jujuba being selected as the top 3 species for the development of sloping-land agroforestry in North Hwanghae Province. These trees embody what the region’s farmers value most: erosion control, production of fruit, and economic value. The participatory approach in agroforestry could help to meet both local needs for food security and the national objective of environmental conservation and has great potential for wide adaptation in North Korea and beyond.

Is Direct Seeding a Biologically Viable Strategy for Restoring Forest Ecosystems? Evidences from a Meta‐analysis

AbstractEcological restoration has become an important technique for mitigating the human impacts on natural vegetation. Planting seedlings is the most common approach to regain lost forest cover. However, these activities require a large economic investment. Direct seeding is considered a cheaper and easier alternative technique, in which tree seeds are introduced directly on the site rather than transplanting seedlings from nurseries. To evaluate the effectiveness of direct seeding, we conducted a comprehensive search of the literature using ‘restoration’, ‘direct seeding’ and ‘sowing’ as keywords, and we performed a meta‐analysis using 30 papers and 89 species. We used two different measures of restoration success: seed germination probability and success probability (the chance that a seed germinates and survives until the end of the experiment). In general, restoration attempts using direct‐seeding techniques were relatively unsuccessful. On average, seed germination and success probability were 0·239 and 0·114, respectively, and were not affected by climate, species successional group or the application of pre‐germinative treatments. Germination and success probability increased with seed size, and the use of physical protections resulted in a nearly twofold increase in germination probability, but this effect faded by the end of the experiments. Because of the low rate of seedling success, we suggest the use of direct seeding as a complementary technique to reduce restoration costs, particularly for species with large seeds and known high germination rates, but our results do not support direct seeding as a substitute for seedling planting. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Climatic niche models and their consensus projections for future climates for four major forest tree species in the Asia–Pacific region

Modeling and mapping the climatic niches of forest tree species and projecting their potential shift in geographic distribution under future climates are essential steps in assessing the impact of climate change on forests and in developing adaptive forest management strategies. It is particularly important for selecting suitable tree species to match future climates for afforestation and restoration of forest ecosystems. Large scale afforestation and reforestation projects have occurred or planned in Asia–Pacific region; however, the direct impact of climate change has not been widely considered. This has been at least partially due to the lack of availability of robust inventory data on forest vegetation and lack of access to appropriate climate data. In this study, we used our recently developed model, ClimateAP, to generate a large number of climate variables for point locations and used an ensemble modeling approach with Random Forest to overcome some limitations that exist with vegetation data. Uncertainty in future climates was incorporated into the analysis through consensus based projections using 12 climate change scenarios. We modeled the climatic niches for four economically and ecologically important forest tree species in the region and projected their shift in geographical distribution under climate change. Unusual patterns in the shift of geographic distributions of climatic niches were found in two species in Southern China. The implications of the projections in forest management for adaptation to climate change are discussed.

Forest restoration following surface mining disturbance: challenges and solutions

Many forested landscapes around the world are severely altered during mining for their rich mineral and energy reserves. Herein we provide an overview of the challenges inherent in efforts to restore mined landscapes to functioning forest ecosystems and present a synthesis of recent progress using examples from North America, Europe and Australia. We end with recommendations for further elaboration of the Forestry Reclamation Approach emphasizing: (1) Landform reconstruction modelled on natural systems and creation of topographic heterogeneity at a variety of scales; (2) Use and placement of overburden, capping materials and organic amendments to facilitate soil development processes and create a suitable rooting medium for trees; (3) Alignment of landform, topography, overburden, soil and tree species to create a diversity of target ecosystem types; (4) Combining optimization of stock type and planting techniques with early planting of a diversity of tree species; (5) Encouraging natural regeneration as much as possible; (6) Utilizing direct placement of forest floor material combined with seeding of native species to rapidly re-establish native forest understory vegetation; (7) Selective on-going management to encourage development along the desired successional trajectory. Successful restoration of forest ecosystems after severe mining disturbance will be facilitated by a regulatory framework that acknowledges and accepts variation in objectives and outcomes.

Development of ecosystem structure and function on reforested surface-mined lands in the Central Appalachian Coal Basin of the United States

Surface mining in the Appalachian Coal Basin drastically disturbs the landscape. Post-mining reforestation efforts have reached reliable tree survivability and growth; however, it is unclear whether these reforestation efforts also restore the ecological functions associated with the native forest ecosystem. The objectives of this study were to quantify the rate at which certain key ecosystem functions return to the landscape, and to relate the development of those functions to structural attributes of the ecosystem. A chronosequence of four reclaimed and reforested stands (ages 5, 11, 21 and 30 years) and unmined reference stands representing pre-mining conditions, were identified on the Appalachian Plateau in southwestern Virginia. Total soil nitrogen (N) and component (mineral soil, forest floor, root, and aboveground biomass) ecosystem carbon (C) pools were quantified. Throughout the growing season, monthly samples for soil gas fluxes [i.e., carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4)], available inorganic-N [nitrate (NO3 −) and ammonium (NH4 +)], and total and active microbial biomass were measured. As expected, soil organic C (SOC) and total ecosystem C returned to the mined landscape, although at levels still less than half of the unmined reference after 30 years. Ecosystem C accumulation was significantly correlated with soil N (r = 0.80; p = 0.0003) as well as total and active microbial biomass (r = 0.92; p = <0.0001 and r = 0.86; p = <0.0001, respectively). Surprisingly, available inorganic-N and gas fluxes of CO2 and N2O showed no significant differences among any of the mined and unmined stands; however, the reforested mined soils showed a significantly diminished capacity for CH4 uptake, where upland soils typically represent the largest global biogenic sink of atmospheric CH4. Thus, although many ecosystem components (e.g., forest and microbial biomass) and functions (e.g., N cycling), rapidly returned to the reclaimed landscape, some critical ecosystem functions (e.g., methanotrophy) exhibited a fundamentally different rate of return, if present at all. Our results indicate that reforestation of native hardwoods on reclaimed surface mined lands is largely successful at restoring many ecosystem functions, but that certain functional attributes are decoupled from the observed redevelopment of ecosystem structure. Thus, reforestation and forest ecosystem restoration are not necessarily the same thing, and a better understanding of potential disconnects between the two concepts can be critical in guiding both the science and the practice into the future.

Forest ecosystem restoration: Initial response of spotted owls to partial harvesting

Conservation planning for spotted owls (Strix occidentalis) hinges upon retaining late-successional and old-growth forests. This strategy is to be supplemented over time by creating structural conditions found in such forests using innovative silviculture in less well-developed forests. Recent research indicates that spotted owls often hunt for prey or may nest in relatively young or mid-seral forest stands that were thinned or partially harvested in previous decades, but little information has been available to evaluate short-term direct responses (<5year) by spotted owls to such practices. We used selection ratios to compare the frequency of nocturnal use by radio-tagged northern spotted owls (S.o. caurina) and California spotted owls (S.o. occidentalis) ⩽2years before and ⩽2years after 150 forest stands were thinned or partially harvested within 1200m of nest sites of 19 owl home ranges in 5 study areas in western Oregon and northern California. We used logistic regression to investigate habitat and environmental factors that distinguished between 89 stands that were used and 115 stands that were not found used by radio-tagged owls for up to 2years after treatment via a broad range of partial-harvest or thinning prescriptions within 2400m of nest sites. Before harvest, radio-tagged owls generally used stands scheduled for harvest treatment in proportions significantly less than availability. After harvesting, selection ratios increased (n=4), remained the same (n=4), or decreased (n=2) among 10 owl pairs for which we acquired sufficient telemetry data both before and after harvesting. Across all owls and all post-harvest conditions, the overall selection ratio increased after harvesting, suggesting that many of the harvests were benign or may have resulted in improved habitat. The probability of use of thinned or partially-harvested stands increased with harvest-unit size, decreased with distance from nest sites, and varied with the intensity of harvest and among forest types as represented by study areas. We found only limited evidence for a positive effect of retained basal area of large trees (⩾66cm diameter at breast height [dbh]), probably because many treated stands contained no such large trees prior to harvest. We found a quadratic relationship with retained basal area of mid-story conifers (10–65cmdbh), such that harvested stands that contained 25–35m2/ha basal area of such mid-story trees were more likely to be used, holding other factors constant at their means. We also found evidence for a positive influence of proximity to riparian zones on probability of use of harvested stands. Although we did not obtain information on prey abundance or foraging efficiency, our study suggests that judicious applications of partial-harvest forestry, primarily commercial thinning, have the potential to improve foraging habitats for spotted owls.