State Of Forest Ecosystems Research Articles

Water exchange of the forest ecosystems epigeic bryophytes depending on changes of the structural and functional organization of their turfs and the influence of local growth environmental conditions

Background. Moss cover plays a decisive role in increasing soil moisture in forest ecosystems. Bryophytes with high water content can significantly reduce water evaporation from the soil surface and retain it for an extended time. Under the influence of environmental conditions, mosses change the shape and organization of moss turfs thus regulating the efficiency of moisture absorption and retaining. Therefore, it is essential to establish the differences in the water exchange strategy of epigeic dominant moss species depending on the environmental conditions in reserved and anthropogenically disturbed forest ecosystems. Materials and Methods. The research was carried out using the dominant epigeic, typical forest moss species Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Hedw.) T. J. Kop. and P. ellipticum (Brid.) T. J. Kop. from experimental plots of forest ecosystems, which differed in water and temperature regimes and light intensity. We determined the peculiarities of the influence of adaptations of moss turf morphological structure, individual plant’s physiological functional traits, and their metabolic osmoprotective changes based on the leading indicators of their water exchange (coefficients of water retention, water recovery, and drought resistance). Results. It was established that humidity and light intensity in forest ecosystems changed the shape and organization of moss turfs, i.e., the height of individual shoots in the turf and the density and size of leaves. The predominance of the generative or vegetative type of moss reproduction led to significant changes in the morphology of shoots, physiological functional traits of plants, and the density of the turf structure, which was regulated due to the increase in airstream turbulence and wind penetration, absorption and evaporation of water. The hydration of moss tissues was maintained due to the rise in the total carbohydrate content as well as the soluble fraction content primarily in the vegetative shoots. Conclusions. Mosses adapted to variable microclimatic conditions of forest ecosystems due to endohydricity and water retention mechanisms in external capillary spaces, i.e., changes in height, shape, and density of turfs, shoot morphology, various ratios of fertile to sterile plants, and their physiological functional traits. The internal regulation of water potential of cells was ensured by an increased concentration of osmoprotectors (carbohydrates, primarily their soluble fraction).

The Afternoon/Morning Ratio of Tower-Based Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence Can Be Used to Monitor Drought in a Chinese Cork Oak Plantation

Monitoring drought stress is crucial for estimating productivity and assessing the health status of forest ecosystems under global climate change. Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) is mechanistically coupled to photosynthesis and has advantages over greenness-based vegetation indices in detecting drought. In recent years, SIF has commonly been used in monitoring drought stress in crop ecosystems. However, the response of tower-based SIF to drought stress in forest ecosystems remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the potential of tower-based SIF to monitor drought, which was quantified using the plant water stress index (PWSI) in a Chinese cork oak plantation. The results show the negative effect of drought on SIF, and afternoon depression of SIF emission under drought stress was observed. Canopy SIF (F) exhibited a nonlinear relationship with PWSI, while the quantum yield of SIF (ΦF) exhibited a significant linear relationship with PWSI at 687 nm and 760 nm (ΦF687: R2 = 0.90; ΦF760: R2 = 0.85). Incident radiation (PAR) and canopy structure affected the response of SIF to drought stress, with PAR as the main factor causing the nonlinear relationship between F and PWSI. Afternoon depression was described as the afternoon/morning ratio (AMR). AMRF and AMRΦF exhibited a negative linear response to PWSI. AMRF was less affected than F by PAR and canopy structures, and AMRΦF was more physiologically representative than ΦF. Moreover, AMRΦF was sensitive to VPD and REW, and it might be a good indicator of drought. Red SIF was more sensitive to drought than far-red SIF, as the R2 of PWSI with AMRΦF687 (R2 = 0.89) was higher than that with AMRΦF687 (R2 = 0.84). These results highlight the potential of tower-based SIF, especially red SIF, for drought monitoring in a plantation, and consideration of the physiological diurnal variation in SIF under drought stress is crucial for improving the accuracy of drought stress monitoring.

Human factors and health status of the highland forest ecosystems in North Shewa Zone, Central Ethiopia

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate anthropogenic factors and ecological health status of the forest ecosystems in the north Shewa zone (NSZ), Ethiopia. Tree cutting, grazing, cultivation, and fires were the major anthropogenic factors that led to deforestation and loss of biodiversity. The ecological analysis showed that the sites of Mehal-Wonz, Mehal-Tsebel, and Abogedam forests were very heavily disturbed, while Debdebo and Zego forests were heavily and moderately disturbed, respectively, implying the severe degradation of most forests in NSZ. Therefore, to restore the degraded forest areas of the zone, in-situ and ex-situ community-based conservation strategies were recommended.

Can models adequately reflect how long-term nitrogen enrichment alters the forest soil carbon cycle?

Abstract. Changes in the nitrogen (N) status of forest ecosystems can directly and indirectly influence their carbon (C) sequestration potential by altering soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, soil enzyme activity, and plant–soil interactions. However, model representations of linked C–N cycles and SOM decay are not well validated against experimental data. Here, we use extensive data from the Fernow Experimental Forest long-term whole-watershed N fertilization study to compare the response to N perturbations of two soil models that represent decomposition dynamics differently (first-order decay versus microbially explicit reverse Michaelis–Menten kinetics). These two soil models were coupled to a common vegetation model which provided identical input data. Key responses to N additions measured at the study site included a shift in plant allocation to favor woody biomass over belowground carbon inputs, reductions in soil respiration, accumulation of particulate organic matter (POM), and an increase in soil C:N ratios. The vegetation model did not capture the often-observed shift in plant C allocation with N additions, which resulted in poor predictions of the soil responses. We modified the parameterization of the plant C allocation scheme to favor wood production over fine-root production with N additions, which significantly improved the vegetation and soil respiration responses. Additionally, to elicit an increase in the soil C stocks and C:N ratios with N additions, as observed, we modified the decay rates of the POM in the soil models. With these modifications, both models captured negative soil respiration and positive soil C stock responses in line with observations, but only the microbially explicit model captured an increase in soil C:N. Our results highlight the need for further model development to accurately represent plant–soil interactions, such as rhizosphere priming, and their responses to environmental change.

Monitoring of the health status of Castanea sativa in the Belasitsa mountain, southwest Bulgaria

In the period 2017-2023, a survey for the assessment of the phytosanitary condition of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) was conducted in a permanent sample plot (PSP) Belasitsa, which is part of the European large-scale network for monitoring the health status of forest ecosystems under the International Co-operative Program ‘Forests’. The PSP is set in a natural chestnut stand in Belasitsa mountain at an altitude of 643 m. Data collected from the first years of the monitoring determined a slight deterioration in the health status of the chestnut trees caused by an infection with the fungal pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica. An improvement in trees’ vitality and lack of active necrosis were observed in 2022-2023. On the wounds, initiation of callus along the wounded edges was reported. Currently, the introduction of new and dangerous invasive insect pests Dryocosmus kuriphilus, Corythucha arcuata, etc., has not been detected. Attacks of both pests could further deteriorate the health status of the sweet chestnut in Belasitsa.

Peculiarities of the morpho-physiological reactions of mosses depending on the water-temperature regime of their local growth

The morphological structure of and the activity of the catalase of mosses Ptychostomum imbricatulum and Brachythecium rutabulum depending on microclimatic conditions of their local growth were studied. The morphological variability of moss turfs in different ecological conditions of forest ecosystems was established, in particular, the influence of the level of moisture in local growth on the morphometric parameters of mosses (the density of the turf, the height of the shoots and their foliage and the size of the leaves) was revealed. It is shown that the morphological structure of the turfs of the mosses Ptychostomum imbricatulum and Brachythecium rutabulum is important for moisture conservation and depends on the microclimatic conditions of local growth and the life form of the species. It is shown that the increase in the content of hydrogen peroxide as a signaling mediator is a component of the antioxidant protection system. It was established that the highest content of hydrogen peroxide was in shoots of P. imbricatulum from the territory of pine plantations, where the microclimatic conditions are the least favorable. The obtained results indicate the existence of interdependence between the formation of reactive oxygen species and the activity of catalase as one of the key enzymes of antioxidant protection, which indicates the signaling role of reactive oxygen species in moss cells under stress conditions. The dependence of catalase activity in moss cells on the level of hydration of their turfs was established. The activation of catalase in adverse water and temperature conditions in the shoots of the studied species indicates the participation of the enzyme in the adaptation of plants to stress and is due to the strengthening of free radical oxidation processes, in particular, an increase in the content of hydrogen peroxide.

The bioindicator role of phytonematode groups in the assessment of the state of transformation of secondary forest ecosystems

The methodology for assessing the state of terrestrial ecosystems using diagnostic properties of soil microfauna remains underestimated in contemporary Ukrainian science. We have analyzed a significant amount of foreign and domestic literature to demonstrate the importance of this aspect in the overview article concerning the monitoring of natural ecosystems. Based on our own research results, we have shown the outcomes that can be achieved by utilizing the bioindicative properties of a specific group of organisms, such as phytonematodes. The fundamental principles and methodologies that should be applied, including using the functional characteristics of phytonematode complexes, have also been described. For evaluating the state of ecosystems, the most valuable information pertains to organisms that are widely distributed over a significant territory, have high population density, play a significant role in ecosystem functioning, and can rapidly respond to environmental changes. Organisms fitting these criteria can be considered bioindicators. This group of organisms is sensitive to natural or anthropogenic environmental transformations and can respond to them by altering their population density, distribution, or specific characteristics. Therefore, the use of soil animals from specific taxonomic groups as bioindicators has a long-standing tradition. Groups of soil invertebrates are integral structural components of natural ecosystems, together providing them with stable development and resilience. Assessment of the functional role of soil fauna in the ecosystem involves establishing the structural-functional organization of different groups of soil invertebrates, which differ both morphologically and functionally in the ecosystem and their impact on soil-forming processes. The use of soil nematodes as bioindicators is promising for evaluating the sanitary condition of forest ecosystems based on the indicator of energy utilization by trophic groups of nematodes, as well as for bioindication of soil quality based on the relative ratio of persisters and colonizers. The zoological method of soil diagnostics was established as a separate scientific direction thanks to the works of M.S. Gilyarov. This method is based on the presence of certain species of invertebrates in the soil and the analysis of the structure of their communities. Later, it found practical application in the research of forest ecosystems. Therefore, nematodes are an effective model group for the indirect assessment of the zoocenosis’ state.

Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Variations in the Lancang-Mekong Region by Remote Sensing from 2010 to 2020.

Five countries in the Lancang-Mekong region, including Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, are facing the threat of deforestation, despite having a high level of forest coverage. Quantitatively assessing the forest ecosystem status and its variations based on remote sensing products for vegetation parameters is a crucial prerequisite for the ongoing phase of our future project. In this study, we analyzed forest health in the year 2020 using four vegetation indicators: forest coverage index (FCI), leaf area index (LAI), fraction of green vegetation cover (FVC), and gross primary productivity (GPP). Additionally, we introduced an ecosystem quality index (EQI) to assess the quality of forest health. To understand the long-term trends in the vegetation indicators and EQI, we also performed a linear regression analysis from 2010 to 2020. The results revealed that Laos ranked as the top-performing country for forest ecosystem status in the Lancang-Mekong region in 2020. However, the long-term trend analysis results showed that Cambodia experienced the most significant decline across all indicators, while Vietnam and Thailand demonstrated varying degrees of improvement. This study provides a quality assessment of forest health and its variations in the Lancang-Mekong region, which is crucial for implementing effective conservation strategies.

Altitudinal Patterns of Foliar Nutrients in Dominant Tree Species: Are Central Himalayan Forests Nutrient Stressed?

In forest ecosystems nutrient availability is one of the most important drivers of tree growth and ecosystem function. We studied changes in soil and foliar nutrients (N, P & K) and leaf N and P stoichiometry in eight dominant canopy and sub-canopy forest tree species of Central Himalayan forests occurring between 300 and 2200 m asl. Nutrient (N, P & K) concentration in leaves at bud break, mature and senescent stage varied significantly across the tree species. The nutrient resorption efficiency (NRE) varied significantly across the species and found ranging for N from 48.7 - 76.8%. Both the nitrogen resorption efficiency (NRE) and phosphorus resorption efficiency (PRE) increased linearly with altitude (R2= 0.647 for NRE significant at p< 0.05; and R2 for PRE= 0.525; NS) pointing out that trees growing in temperate climate conserve nutrients more efficiently to withstand the slow mineralization due to cold climate. With the increasing altitude leaf life-span increases significantly (R2= 0.0025; p< 0.0074). ANOVA indicates that the foliar N and P and altitude were unrelated. The low N: P ratio, a measure of nutrient status of forest ecosystems at senescent leaf stage, found ranging from 9.97 in Q. floribunda to 18.8 in P. roxburghii points out that forests of the study region are nutrient stressed, partly due to low P mineralization in temperate climate, leaching of nutrients due to heavy monsoon rain, and poorly developed underlying geology. Thus, the Central Himalayan forests are characterized by high NRE and low growth rate with increasing altitude. Winter season warming might help improve the nutrient availability in the forest floor and nutrient uptake to enhance nutrient cycling and biomass productivity in these forests.

Assessment and cultural ecosystem service mapping in mountain protected areas – “Pirin” National park

The assessment and mapping of ecosystems and their services is considered an important action that effectively contributes to proper understanding of how ecosystems support human well-being, and furthermore – to promote the sustainable use of natural resources. The diversity of cultural landscapes, especially in mountain areas, is a significant prerequisite for a variety of cultural ecosystem services that are valuable for the society. This evaluation is the basis for environmental management practices and policymaking. The study presents an approach for assessment and mapping of cultural ecosystem service (CES) “Cultural heritage” that is recognised as important and is provided by mountain protected areas (PAs) in “Pirin” National Park. The data from the Management Plan of “Pirin” NP were used for characterization and biophysical assessment of the condition of forest ecosystems and their potential to provide CESs. The analysis of the results revealed that the conservation regime allowed the territories to preserve a high degree of naturalness and a very good ecological condition as 94.80% of forest ecosystems are assessed with score 4 –“good” condition and 0.44% are with “very good” condition – score 5. The majority of forest ecosystems with “very good” ecological condition are Pinus peuce forests, located mainly on the territory of the reserves “Bayuvi Dupki- Dzhindzhiritsa” and “Yulen”, proving the importance of the protective regime of the territories. Forest ecosystems with average and high capacity to provide ES "Cultural heritage" prevailed, which is consistent with well-preserved and unique nature, the diversity of landscapes, and species richness. Considerable areas were assessed with score 5 – very high capacity, mostly on the territory of the reserves “Bayuvi Dupki- Dzhindzhiritsa” and “Yulen”, and at the foothill of the huts.

Spatial spillover effects of forest ecological security on ecological well-being performance in China

Improving ecological well-being performance (EWP) is important for the construction of ecological civilization and sustainable development. The forest ecosystem provides multidimensional ecological well-being for humans, and forest ecological security (FES) has an important impact on the ability of human beings to obtain well-being from the ecosystem, providing multiple guarantees for EWP enhancement. Based on the panel data from 2004 to 2018, we estimate the EWP and FES index of 30 Chinese provinces using stochastic frontier model and TOPSIS, respectively. The spatial econometric model is also used to analyze the impact and spatial spillover effects of FES on EWP. The results show that (1) the level of overall EWP in China from 2004 to 2018 is high, but still not fully effective in converting natural resource inputs into well-being levels, showing a trend of fluctuating decline. Meanwhile, the spatial variation is obvious, where provinces with low EWP are mainly concentrated in the less developed western regions. (2) The FES index overall performance stands at the lower level, but maintaining a stable growth trend. Similarly, there are spatial variations in the distribution of FES, and declined in the order of East, Central, Northeast, and West China, which is basically consistent with the socioeconomic development status. (3) EWP and FES are both significantly correlated in spatial dependence, and the improvement of FES not only promotes EWP in the local, but also positively affects the neighbors through spatial spillover effects, with the indirect effects in the decomposition effects being much larger than the direct effects. In the context of resource scarcity and environmental constraints, the findings of this paper provide empirical evidence for policy formulation to enhance EWP, and the security status of forest ecosystems is a key consideration.

Accounting for forest condition in Europe based on an international statistical standard

Covering 35% of Europe’s land area, forest ecosystems play a crucial role in safeguarding biodiversity and mitigating climate change. Yet, forest degradation continues to undermine key ecosystem services that forests deliver to society. Here we provide a spatially explicit assessment of the condition of forest ecosystems in Europe following a United Nations global statistical standard on ecosystem accounting, adopted in March 2021. We measure forest condition on a scale from 0 to 1, where 0 represents a degraded ecosystem and 1 represents a reference condition based on primary or protected forests. We show that the condition across 44 forest types averaged 0.566 in 2000 and increased to 0.585 in 2018. Forest productivity and connectivity are comparable to levels observed in undisturbed or least disturbed forests. One third of the forest area was subject to declining condition, signalled by a reduction in soil organic carbon, tree cover density and species richness of threatened birds. Our findings suggest that forest ecosystems will need further restoration, improvements in management and an extended period of recovery to approach natural conditions.

Effect of Changes in Throughfall on Soil Respiration in Global Forest Ecosystems: A Meta-Analysis

To date, there has been limited knowledge about how soil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from forest ecosystems at a global scale respond to the altered precipitation, and the key influencing mechanisms involved. Thirty-seven studies conducted under throughfall manipulation conditions in forest ecosystems around the globe were selected in this meta-analysis, with a total of 103 paired observations. Experimental categories such as climate types, forest types, soil texture, and the area size of changes in throughfall manipulation were included to qualify the responses of annual soil CO2 emissions to the altered throughfall. The responses of the annual soil CO2 emissions to the altered throughfall would be more sensitive in temperate forests than those in tropical and subtropical forests, probably due to the relatively long residence time of soil carbon (C) and the seasonal freeze–thaw events in temperate forests, as well as the relatively high concentration of non-structural carbohydrates in the belowground part of temperate terrestrial plants. A relatively large positive response of the soil CO2 emissions to the increased throughfall was observed in Mediterranean forests due to small precipitation during the growing season and mostly coarse-textured soils. Besides climate types, the sizes of the effect of the altered throughfall on the soil CO2 emissions (lnRCO2) varied with forest types and soil texture categories. Based on the regression analysis of the lnRCO2 values against the changes in throughfall, the annual soil CO2 emissions in forest ecosystems at a global scale would be increased by 6.9%, provided that the change in annual precipitation was increased by 10%. The results of structural equation modeling analysis indicate that fine root biomass and soil microbial biomass, along with the changes in annual precipitation, would substantially affect the altered throughfall-induced annual soil CO2 emissions in global forest ecosystems. The findings of this meta-analysis highlight that the measurement of soil respiration components, the priming effects of soil organic C decomposition, and C allocation between the aboveground and belowground parts of different tree species under the altered precipitation conditions, deserve more attention in the future.

Evaluating the potential of burn severity mapping and transferability of Copernicus EMS data using Sentinel-2 imagery and machine learning approaches

ABSTRACT The abiotic and biotic conditions in forest ecosystems can be significantly influenced by forest fires. However, difficulties in policy decisions for restoration inevitably occur in the absence of information on the damaged forests, such as location, area, and burn severity. In this study, eight spectral indices calculated from Sentinel 2 MSI imagery and machine learning algorithms (Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM)) were used for mapping burned areas and severity. Two study sites with similar meteorological environment (dry season) and species (coniferous vegetation) were tested, and dataset (EMSR448) from Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) was used as the reference truth. RF showed better performance for classifying pixels from classes with similar properties than SVM. Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI) showed high importance in assessing fire severity suggesting that it may be effective for identifying senescent plants. The results also confirmed that the CEMS dataset has transferability as a reference truth for fire damage classification in other regions. Implementation of this method enables fast and accurate mapping of the area and severity of destructive damage by forest fires, and also has applicability for other disasters.

Biology and seasonal population dynamics of the forest dung beetle Anoplotrupes stercorosus (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) in the Center of European Russia

The biology and population dynamics of Anoplotrupes stercorosus was studied in forest ecosystems of central European Russia (2007-2023). During the study period, 6738 individuals were collected from 256 habitats. In open biotopes, Anoplotrupes stercorosus was caught only occasionally or no specimens were found at all. The species is most abundant in mixed forests with a pronounced shrub layer and grass cover, complex pine forests and deciduous forests. Seasonal population dynamics varies in different habitats. It can be with one, two or three population peaks. The possibility of using Anoplotrupes stercorosus as a bioindicator of forest ecosystem condition was studied. The abundance of the species was found to be very low on burned areas.

METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION OF TREE SPECIES COMPOSITION OF FORESTS ON THE BASIS OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION DATABASE


 
 
 Monitoring of the forests with the help of remote sensing of the Earth systems is actual on the present stage of people development. Existing systems of research do not allow to use geographic information databases and don't include the spectrum of exploration that are presented in our work. The aim of this article is to develop the method of identification of tree species composition of forests on the basis of geographic information database in the integration with correlation analysis. It will give the possibility to find the most negative things that influence on the condition of forest ecosystems and neutralize them at the first stage of their influence. Satellite images that are received from the satellites Landsat 5 and 8 are used to make the database. Tree species composition of Mozhariv forest during 20 years is analyzed as an example in this article. Classification of tree species composition of forests using space images is made on the basis of Bayes classifier. There is a special geographic information database for further data processing and identification of tree species composition is developed. Forest is analyzed on the number of trees in each species during continuous time measures (in 2000, 2010 and 2020) in this article. Results of the work are presented with the help of graphics. Correlation analysis, which helps to make the analysis of tightness of connections between changes trees in number and different forest criteria, is made to identify tree species composition of forest. Developed method together with well-known methods of monitoring of forests help us to make effective application for analysis of tree species composition of forest changes and to make better existing information systems including different quality demands. Peculiarity of developed information system is in using of the data processing module as a part of geographic information system and implementing correlation analysis with identification of factors that influence each other. It helps to increase quality in management and monitoring of forest resources. Geographic information becomes available for users.
 
 

Applicability of the crop water stress index based on canopy–air temperature differences for monitoring water status in a cork oak plantation, northern China

The crop water stress index based on canopy–air temperature differences (CWSIdT) is an appropriate index for monitoring the water status of croplands but is rarely used to evaluate the water status of forest ecosystems. In this study, we selected a cork oak plantation in the lithoid mountain area of northern China as the research object and observed the canopy temperature (Tc), actual evapotranspiration (ETa), and meteorological factors of the plantation continuously and synchronously during the period of canopy closure (May–September) in 2020 and 2021. Taking the crop water stress index based on the ratio of ETa to potential evapotranspiration (CWSIet) as a standard, the applicability of CWSIdT for detecting water status in the plantation was evaluated. The results showed that, under well-watered conditions, the canopy–air temperature differences (dT) and the canopy surface transpiration rate were both controlled by the net radiation received by the canopy surface (Rnc), and the warming effect of Rnc masked the cooling effect of latent heat on dT, resulting in a failure establishment of the non-water-stressed baseline in the plantation. Therefore, the empirical CWSIdT (CWSIdTe) is not suitable for evaluating the water status in this plantation. However, the theoretical CWSIdT (CWSIdTt), based on the energy balance and Penman–Monteith equation, captured daily variations in the water status in our plantation and showed a significant linear correlation with the measured relative available water content in the root zone (R2 = 0.59, P < 0.01) and CWSIet (R2 = 0.75, P < 0.01). The CWSIdTt showed an upward trend during the day, and midday (13:00−14:00) was the optimal time to measure dT for detecting the daily water status of the plantation. The CWSIdTt provides an effective, sensitive, and non-contact method of assessing daily water status changes in the cork oak plantation.

Comparison of the approach to determination of the rotation period of forest stands in the Czech Republic and in the Slovak Republic

The exact determination of the rotation period is still a current and important essential issue of forestry. It attracts the attention of forest economists, managers and owners worldwide, not only of forest economists but also of forest managers. The rotation period is defined by physical, technical or financial parameters of forest management. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between the biological and the economic optimal rotation period. A fundamental challenge in forest management is the need for appropriate determination of the rotation period. The primary interest of our research was to compare the effective legislation for the determination of the rotation period in the Czech Republic and in the Slovak Republic. Scientific methods such as document analysis and questionnaire survey were applied. The results of the legislation analysis and other related documents were compared with the expert opinions of the relevant stakeholders. Those who affect the decision process related to the problem and those where are “affected” by the problem were involved in the study. Results show that respondents do not agree with the regulation of rotation period according to effective law. Moreover, they consider it as not usable as the conditions in forest ecosystems have changed recently, which is not considered in the legislation.

Complex networks, an innovative methodology for functional zoning in forest management

Forest management planning requires a permanent collection of data on the distribution, composition, and structure of the stands that conform a woodland. These data serve as the basis for suggesting the most appropriate management scheme according to the natural resource conditions and management objectives. It is common for the collected databases’ structure and dimension to hinder their analysis using traditional descriptive techniques. Therefore, alternative methodologies are required to facilitate both the exploration of data properties and their collective behavior. We used complex networks analysis to identify distribution patterns of topographic, biological, and productive conditions of a managed forest, suggesting its functional zoning. The forest was considered a graph consisting of nodes and edges; the stands served as nodes and interactions between them as edges. Degree, clustering coefficient, triangles, and modularity were used as segregation and connectivity metrics to evaluate forest properties and allocate stands to five predefined potential forest uses (zones). The clustering coefficient metric provided the better graph partition, allowing to obtain the best alternatives for zoning the forest in conservation areas, areas with potential for timber production, and carbon storage. Proposing forest functional zoning through complex network theory is a powerful methodological option to represent the spatial and nonspatial interactions among the relevant attributes defining a forest ecosystem condition.

Global forest management data for 2015 at a 100 m resolution

Spatially explicit information on forest management at a global scale is critical for understanding the status of forests, for planning sustainable forest management and restoration, and conservation activities. Here, we produce the first reference data set and a prototype of a globally consistent forest management map with high spatial detail on the most prevalent forest management classes such as intact forests, managed forests with natural regeneration, planted forests, plantation forest (rotation up to 15 years), oil palm plantations, and agroforestry. We developed the reference dataset of 226 K unique locations through a series of expert and crowdsourcing campaigns using Geo-Wiki (https://www.geo-wiki.org/). We then combined the reference samples with time series from PROBA-V satellite imagery to create a global wall-to-wall map of forest management at a 100 m resolution for the year 2015, with forest management class accuracies ranging from 58% to 80%. The reference data set and the map present the status of forest ecosystems and can be used for investigating the value of forests for species, ecosystems and their services.