Sustainable Management Of Forest Ecosystems Research Articles

Impatto bibliometrico delle riviste italiane "peer-reviewed" nel settore forestale

Citation analysis is a commonly used bibliometric method for assessing the scientific activity carried out by researchers and institutions in a specific research field. In this note, the peer-reviewed forestry journals in Italy - Annals of Silvicultural Research, Dendronatura, Forest@, iForest, L’Italia Forestale e Montana, Sherwood - are evaluated and compared using a bibliometric analysis based on quantitative indicators. Annals of Silvicultural Research, edited online by CREA Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, publishes in English original scientific articles, reviews, international project reports and notes on all aspects of silviculture. iForest and Forest@ are two peer-reviewed online journals published by the Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, the first one in English, while the second one in Italian; iForest and Forest@ encompass a broad range of research aspects concerning forest science; of special interest are studies addressing the biological and ecological bases for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. L’Italia Forestale e Montana/Italian Journal of Forest and Mountain Environments is a scientific online journal published by the Italian Academy of Forest Sciences that contains scientific articles and reviews, technical notes, letters, opinions, news and book reviews in all the fields of forest sciences and forest policies and economics. Sherwood and Dendronatura, edited respectively by a private publishing company and the Association of Foresters of the Trentino province, are two technical journals mostly devoted to the decision makers, forest owners, professional foresters and forest officials and technicians of public administrations. The bibliometric impact of such forestry journals has been analyzed using the Google Scholar and the Scopus databases for the period 2014-2018

Evaluating natural resource planning for longleaf pine ecosystems in the Southeast United States

Natural resource plans play a critical role in guiding the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. However, little is known about the quality of management plans. In this study, we evaluated and compared the quality of 35 management plans from federal, state, and nongovernment groups managing longleaf pine ecosystems in the Southeast United States. We developed a plan evaluation tool consisted of five components: (1) Problem and Objective Statement, (2) Fact Base, (3) Actions and Implementation, (4) Integration with Other Plans, and (5) Stakeholder Participation, to examine to what extent plans incorporated planning best practices. We tested a hypothetical model for understanding the relationship among plan components, and our results suggested stakeholder participation predicted clear problem statements, better integration with other plans, and better actions and implementation protocols. The Fact Base component scored highest across most plans while the Actions and Implementation component scored lowest. Newer plans scored modestly higher than older plans, suggesting agencies may be learning to develop better plans over time and indicating older plans should be prioritized for revision. Plans from federal and state agencies scored higher than plans from nongovernmental organizations. Our findings suggest planners should consider incorporating more stakeholder participation, which was positively related to better actions and implementation and improved problem and objective statements.

Characterization of Phosphorus in Subtropical Coastal Sand Dune Forest Soils

Continuous research into the availability of phosphorus (P) in forest soil is critical for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. In this study, we used sequential chemical extraction and 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-NMR) to evaluate the form and distribution of inorganic P (Pi) and organic P (Po) in Casuarina forest soils of a subtropical coastal sand dune in Houlong, Taiwan. The soil samples were collected from humic (+2–0 cm) and mineral layers (mineral-I: 0–10, mineral-II: 10–20 cm) at two topographic locations (upland and lowland) with different elevations. Sequential chemical extraction revealed that the NaOH-Po fraction, as moderately recalcitrant P, was the dominant form in humic and mineral-I layers in both upland and lowland soils, whereas the cHCl-Pi fraction was the dominant form in the mineral-II layer. The resistant P content, including NaOH-Pi, HCl-Pi, cHCl-Pi, and cHCl-Po fractions, was higher in the upland than in the lowland. However, the labile P content, NaHCO3-Po, showed the opposite pattern. The content of resistant Pi (NaOH-Pi, HCl-Pi, and cHCl-Pi) increased significantly with depth, but that of labile Pi (resin-Pi and NaHCO3-Pi) and recalcitrant Po (NaHCO3-Po, NaOH-Po, and cHCl-Po) decreased significantly with depth at both locations. 31P-NMR spectroscopy revealed inorganic orthophosphate and monoesters-P as the major forms in this area. The proportions of Pi and Po evaluated by sequential chemical extraction and 31P-NMR spectroscopy were basically consistent. The results indicate that the soils were in weathered conditions. Furthermore, the P distribution and forms in this coastal sand dune landscape significantly differed between the upland and lowland because of the variation in elevation and eolian aggradation effects.

Forest disturbance and arthropods: Small‐scale canopy gaps drive invertebrate community structure and composition

AbstractIn forest ecosystems, disturbances that cause tree mortality create canopy gaps, increase growth of understory vegetation, and alter the abiotic environment. These impacts may have interacting effects on populations of ground‐dwelling invertebrates that regulate ecological processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. A manipulative experiment was designed to decouple effects of simultaneous disturbances to the forest canopy and ground‐level vegetation to understand their individual and combined impacts on ground‐dwelling invertebrate communities. We quantified invertebrate abundance, richness, diversity, and community composition via pitfall traps in response to a factorial combination of two disturbance treatments: canopy gap formation via girdling and understory vegetation removal. Formation of gaps was the primary driver of changes in invertebrate community structure, increasing activity‐abundance and taxonomic richness, while understory removal had smaller effects. Families of Collembola and Diplopoda, as well as some families of Coleoptera, increased in combined canopy and understory disturbance treatments, whereas Curculionidae and Nitidulidae were more abundant in undisturbed forest. Gaps increased light availability, height and cover of understory vegetation, and soil moisture levels, and decreased depth and cover of leaf litter compared to undisturbed forest. Decoupling of canopy and understory vegetation disturbances revealed gap formation as an important short‐term driver of ground‐dwelling invertebrate community structure and composition. Our findings increase understanding of how ground‐dwelling invertebrate communities respond to disturbance and inform sustainable management of forest ecosystems to foster biodiversity and resilience.

Extraction of Sample Plot Parameters from 3D Point Cloud Reconstruction Based on Combined RTK and CCD Continuous Photography

Enriching forest resource inventory is important to ensure the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Obtaining forest inventory data from the field has always been difficult, laborious, time consuming, and expensive. Advances in integrating photogrammetry and computer vision have helped researchers develop some numeric algorithms and methods that can turn 2D (images) into 3D (point clouds) and are highly applicable to forestry. This paper aimed to develop a new, highly accurate methodology that extracts sample plot parameters based on continuous terrestrial photogrammetry. For this purpose, we designed and implemented a terrestrial observation instrument combining real-time kinematic (RTK) and charge-coupled device (CCD) continuous photography. Then, according to the set observation plan, three independent experimental plots were continuously photographed and the 3D point cloud of the plot was generated. From this 3D point cloud, the tree position coordinates, tree DBHs, tree heights, and other plot characteristics of the forest were extracted. The plot characteristics obtained from the 3D point cloud were compared with the measurement data obtained from the field to check the accuracy of our methodology. We obtained the position coordinates of the trees with the positioning accuracy (RMSE) of 0.162 m to 0.201 m. The relative root mean square error (rRMSE) of the trunk diameter measurements was 3.07% to 4.51%, which met the accuracy requirements of traditional forestry surveys. The hypsometrical measurements were due to the occlusion of the forest canopy and the estimated rRMSE was 11.26% to 11.91%, which is still good reference data. Furthermore, these image-based point cloud data also have portable observation instruments, low data collection costs, high field measurement efficiency, automatic data processing, and they can directly extract tree geographic location information, which may be interesting and important for certain applications such as the protection of registered famous trees. For forest inventory, continuous terrestrial photogrammetry with its unique advantages is a solution that deserves future attention in the field of tree detection and ecological construction.

A review of the development of the multiple use forest management planning concept

The multiple use forest management planning (MUFMP) approach was developed to implement the principle of sustainable forest management; in simplest terms, the balance of ecological, economic and socio-cultural values in forestry. This paper has two main objectives. First, it provides a critical review of the scientific papers addressing the fundamental characteristics of multiple use planning, including forest characterization, spatial planning, ecosystem services, forest policies and regulations, and decision-making tools. The second objective is to discuss and evaluate various approaches focusing on MUFMP's inherent strengths and weaknesses, as well as the future challenges in realizing the MUFMP concept. Critical analysis of the limitations of contemporary approaches are made to address the need for managing forest ecosystems for multiple values. The MUFMP approach is still dominated by a primary goal of timber production, as such, it requires more empirical data if it is to be used for holistic planning, more ecosystem services need to be characterized and stochastic elements are missing to address risks and uncertainties. Most Decision Support Systems (DSS) are tailored to local conditions and do not adequately address the trade-offs amongst multiple objectives. Other limitations include a challenge in characterizing and controlling spatial configuration of patches, inadequacy of dynamic models estimating the productivity of forests for various ecosystem services, and the limited institutional capacity for effective enforcement of legal frameworks. Finally, the review indicates a paradigm shift from plain problem solving with a solo timber production, to the development and structuring of a comprehensive approach, and most recently to the sustainable management of forest ecosystems for multiple goods and services with the effective use of DSS and participation.

The Use of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Method in Choosing the Best Tree Type for Industrial Plantations: The Case of Kastamonu Province

Industrial plantation Investments are very important for the closure of existing industrial wood product supply and for the conservation of natural forests and sustainable forest ecosystem management. Within this scope, the tree species selection was made to provide the most benefit from industrial plantation investments in the study. In the analysis, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, which is one of the multi criteria decision making processes, is used. Economic, climatic, edaphic and physiological criteria and sub-criteria were evaluated in line with the opinions of public institutions, local residents and private sector representatives. In the evaluation made among the Maritime pine, cultivated populus “i214”, Turkish pine, eucalyptus, ash, duglas fir, alder and radiata pine. ash was determined as the first priority specie for industrial plantations. It is followed by radiata pine and maritime pine.

Exploiting the capabilities of the Sentinel-2 multi spectral instrument for predicting growing stock volume in forest ecosystems

The spatial prediction of growing stock volume is one of the most frequent application of remote sensing for supporting the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. For such a purpose data from active or passive sensors are used as predictor variables in combination with measures taken in the field in sampling plots. The Sentinel-2 (S2) satellites are equipped with a Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI) capable of acquiring 13 bands in the visible and infrared domains with a spatial resolution varying between 10 and 60m. The present study aimed at evaluating the performance of the S2-MSI imagery for estimating the growing stock volume of forest ecosystems. To do so we used 240 plots measured in two study areas in Italy. The imputation was carried out with eight k-Nearest Neighbours (k-NN) methods available in the open source YaImpute R package. In order to evaluate the S2-MSI performance we repeated the experimental protocol also with two other sets of images acquired by two well-known satellites equipped with multi spectral instruments: Landsat 8 OLI and RapidEye scanner. We found that S2 worked better than Landsat in 37.5% of the cases and in 62.5% of the cases better than RapidEye. In one study area the best performance was obtained with Landsat OLI (RMSD=6.84%) and in the other with S2 (RMSD=22.94%), both with the k-NN system based on a distance matrix calculated with the Random Forest algorithm. The results confirmed that S2 images are suitable for predicting growing stock volume obtaining good performances (average RMSD for both the test areas of less than 19%).

Evaluating MODIS-vegetation continuous field products to assess tree cover change and forest fragmentation in India – A multi-scale satellite remote sensing approach

Monitoring the changes in forest-cover and understanding the dynamics of the forest is becoming increasingly important for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. This paper uses temporal MODIS Vegetation Continuous Field (MODIS-VCF) to monitor the tree cover change in the Indian region over a period of 6years (2000–2005). Pixel-based linear regression model is developed to identify rate of deforestation and fragmentation at landscape level. The regression parameters viz., slope, offset and variance are used to identify threshold between forest and non-forest classes. The classification algorithm resulted into change area, no change area, positive change and negative changes. MODIS-VCF raw product of 2005 was validated using the field data and showed a coefficient of determination (R2=0.85) between percent tree cover and individual plot wise canopy cover information. The results were overlaid with UNEP protected area boundary. On a long-term basis, the forest cover change was monitored using medium spatial resolution (Landsat and IRS) satellite data to identify the rate of deforestation and fragmentation at landscape level. The developed approach is efficient and effective for regional monitoring of forest cover change. It could be automated for regular usage and monitoring.

Topographic Correction of Landsat TM-5 and Landsat OLI-8 Imagery to Improve the Performance of Forest Classification in the Mountainous Terrain of Northeast Thailand

The accurate mapping and monitoring of forests is essential for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Advancements in the Landsat satellite series have been very useful for various forest mapping applications. However, the topographic shadows of irregular mountains are major obstacles to accurate forest classification. In this paper, we test five topographic correction methods: improved cosine correction, Minnaert, C-correction, Statistical Empirical Correction (SEC) and Variable Empirical Coefficient Algorithm (VECA), with multisource digital elevation models (DEM) to reduce the topographic relief effect in mountainous terrain produced by the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM)-5 and Operational Land Imager (OLI)-8 sensors. The effectiveness of the topographic correction methods are assessed by visual interpretation and the reduction in standard deviation (SD), by means of the coefficient of variation (CV). Results show that the SEC performs best with the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) 30 m × 30 m DEM. The random forest (RF) classifier is used for forest classification, and the overall accuracy of forest classification is evaluated to compare the performances of the topographic corrections. Our results show that the C-correction, SEC and VECA corrected imagery were able to improve the forest classification accuracy of Landsat TM-5 from 78.41% to 81.50%, 82.38%, and 81.50%, respectively, and OLI-8 from 81.06% to 81.50%, 82.38%, and 81.94%, respectively. The highest accuracy of forest type classification is obtained with the newly available high-resolution SRTM DEM and SEC method.

Exploring causal linkages between sustainable forest ecosystem management and technological progress in Canadian logging industries

Logging poses socioeconomic, ecological, and environmental dilemmas. On the one hand, it plays a significant role in sustaining the forest sector’s contributions to the national economy. On the other hand, however, logging operations are major causes of ecological and environmental damages. It was hypothesized that if timely investments in various silvicultural operations were made to restore ecological integrity disturbed by logging operation, if the guiding principles of sustainable forest ecosystem management were strictly upheld, and if public and private investments in research and development were made, with a view to realize technological progress in the forest sector, then logging operations would be technically and economically efficient, firms in each regional industry would have comparative cost advantages in the marketplace, and the adverse effects of logging operations on ecological integrity would be socially, economically, and environmentally tolerable, all reflected through total factor productivity (TFP) growth. Two complementary methodologies were applied to test this hypothesis. First, the guiding principles of sustainable forest ecosystem management were synthesized to establish the conditions and the principles that logging firms must uphold to be stewards of ecological integrity. Second, TFP growth was measured and analyzed, using a nonparametric model. Sluggish but upward trends in TFP growth appeared to validate the hypothesis. Implications of the study for policy making and the benefits that society derives from TFP growth are highlighted.

Using multi-source data to map and model the predisposition of forests to wind disturbance

Natural disturbances such as wind are known to cause threats to ecosystem services as well as sustainable forest ecosystem management. The objective of this research was to better understand and quantify drivers of predisposition to wind disturbance, and to model and map the probability of wind-induced forest disturbances (PDIS) in order to support forest management planning. To accomplish this, we used open-access airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data as well as multi-source National Forest Inventory (NFI) data to model PDIS in southern Finland. A strong winter storm occurred in the study area in December 2011. High spatial resolution aerial images, acquired after the disturbance event, were used as reference data. Potential drivers associated with PDIS were examined using a multivariate logistic regression model. The model based on LiDAR provided good agreement with detected areas susceptible to wind disturbance (73%); however, when LiDAR was combined with multi-source NFI data, the results were more promising: prediction accuracy increased to 81%. The strongest predictors in the model were mean canopy height, mean elevation, and stem volume of the main tree species (Norway spruce and Scots pine). Our results indicate that open-access LiDAR data can be used to model and map the probability of predisposition to wind disturbance, providing spatially detailed, valuable information for planning and mitigation purposes.

Effect of Slope Position on Soil Properties and Types Along an Elevation Gradient of Arasbaran Forest, Iran

Sustainable development by forest managing need to identify forest ecosystem elements. Forest soil is the most important element of forest ecosystem that has key roles in forest managing. Therefore, studying of soil properties and evolution under different environmental conditions is necessary for sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Spatial variation of soil properties is significantly influenced by some environmental factors that slope position is one of them. The aim of this study was evaluating effects of slope position on forest soil change which was carried out in Arasbaran forest, North-West of Iran. Nine soil profiles were dug, described and sampled in three different parts of an altitudinal transect with same environmental conditions and different slope positions. Then soil samples were analysed physicaly and chemicaly and so classified based on Soil Taxonomy 2014. Also according to obtained results One-way analysis of variance was used to test relations of soil properties and slope positions. This results revealed significant effect of slope positions on thickness of the soil profile and solum, clay, organic carbon and total nitrogen percentages and cation exchange capacity at 5% level of confidence which lead to change of type, depth and sequence of soil horizons along altitudinal transect. Finally, it has found that slope position not only has important role in soil properties changes and soil evolution but also it can't be refused the various role and influence of same forest stand in different slope positions. Therefore various soils such as Inceptisols, Alfisols and Molisols were observed under different slope positions. Then it can be achieved that, because of special forest vegetation, soil evolution along altitudinal transect of forest ecosystems are differing from other ecosystems. Thus, for forest soil management program it is necessary to consider both of topography and vegetation effect over the area, even if one of them is constant.

Current plantation practices have negligible genetic effects on planted dipterocarps in the tropical rainforest

AbstractDipterocarp trees are ecologically and commercially important in Southeast Asian tropical rainforests. For sustainable management of forest ecosystems and conservation of biodiversity, it is essential to establish plantation methods ensuring that genetic variation of the planted trees is equivalent to that in natural forests. The genetic diversity and differentiation of Shorea leprosula and Shorea parvifolia on plantations managed by a private-sector forestry company in Indonesia and those in natural populations were compared using microsatellite markers. Genetic diversity in the planted populations was as high as that in the natural populations. No clear genetic differences between each planted population and the natural forest populations were found. The genetic variation present in planted S. leprosula and S. parvifolia populations did not appear to deteriorate in the planting system implemented in Indonesia, known as Tebang Pilih Tanam Jalur (TPTJ). These results indicate that the current plantation method practiced in the region is suitable for maintaining the original genetic composition and achieving sustainable use of tropical rainforests.

Mechanisms and predictors of ecological change in managed forests: A selection of papers from the second international conference on biodiversity in forest ecosystems and landscapes

Maintaining biodiversity is a key goal of global forest policy which promotes ecosystem health and resilience in the face of changing land use and climate. Sustainable management of forest ecosystems is essential to the social and economic services that forests provide, is an important component of the environmental policies of national governments, and is a specific focus of the Conventional on Biological Diversity. Sustainable forest management supports the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity, and relies on evidence based research to underpin associated policies and practices. Studies that take a focussed approach are particularly helpful in this regard where they identify mechanisms of ecological change in forest habitats, and predictors appropriate to determining the impact of management practices. Observational research can suggest likely mechanisms for ecological change, which can be tested and confirmed through experimental research. Predictors based on long-term research, on the mechanisms underlying ecological relationships, or on modelling approaches can be used to infer information about existing forests and to forecast future trends. This special issue presents a selection of papers which were first presented at the second international IUFRO conference on biodiversity in forest ecosystems and landscapes at University College Cork, Ireland in August 2012. The aim of this conference series is to ‘share knowledge, discuss new trends, reflect on future directions in biodiversity management for sustainable forestry, and provide a stronger scientific basis for biodiversity management in forest landscapes in the light of climate change’. The selected papers exemplify the use of observational and experimental approaches to identify mechanisms of ecological change in forests, and the use of indicators to predict current and future patterns of biodiversity. Trends in forest biodiversity were examined and discussed, drawing on what we know about forests to reconstruct ancient forested landscapes and to identify strategies for the management of forests into the future.

Forecasting forest development through modeling based on the legacy of forest structure over the past 43 years

Aim of study: Sustainable management of forest ecosystems requires comprehensive coverage of data to reflect both the historical legacy and the future development of forests. This study focuses on analyzing the spatio-temporal dynamics of forests over the past 43 years to help better forecast the future development of forest under various management strategies.Area of study: The area is situated in Karaisalı district of Adana city in the southeastern corner of Turkey.Material and methods: The historical pattern from 1969 to 2012 was assessed with digital forest cover type maps, produced with high resolution aerial photo interpretation using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The forest development over the next 120 years was forecasted using ecosystem-based multiple use forest management model (ETÇAP) to understand the cause-effect relationships under various management strategies.Main results: The result showed that over the past 43 years while total forest areas decreased about 1194 ha (4%), the productive forest areas increased about 5397 ha (18%) with a decrease of degraded forest (5824 ha, 20%) and increase of maquis areas (2212 ha, 7%).The forecast of forest development under traditional management strategy resulted in an unsustainable forest due to broken initial age class structure, yet generated more total harvest (11%) due to 88% relaxing of even timber flow constraint. While more volume could be harvested under traditional management conditions, the sustainability of future forest is significantly jeopardized.Research highlights: This result trongly implies that it is essential adopting modeling techniques to understand forest dynamics and forecast the future development comprehensively.Keywords: Forest management; simulation; optimization; forest dynamics; land use change.

Report on "Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management in Rapidly Changing World"

Report on "Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management in Rapidly Changing World"

Report on "Joint International Symposium by Japan, Korea and Taiwan 2012 : Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management in Rapidly Changing World"

Report on "Joint International Symposium by Japan, Korea and Taiwan 2012 : Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management in Rapidly Changing World"

Research about the Role of Owners Associations in the Sustainable Development of Forests in the North West Region of Romania

Sustainable management of forest ecosystems should ensure the synergy of the economic,environmental and social functions. The research is designed as an explorative study using thedocumentation technique by collecting bibliographic information in order to achieve a synthesis of thesocial, economic and technical studies available until now, to emphasize the role of ownersassociations in the sustainable development of forests in Romania The area of research wasrepresented by the North West Development Region of Romania.

Can we get an operational indicator of forest carbon sequestration?: A case study from two forest regions in Spain

Indicators for sustainable forest management are considered to be key tools for the implementation of regional, national and international forest policies. The Montreal process identified the “maintenance of forest contribution to global carbon cycles” as an essential component in sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Carbon sink evaluations provide reference information to policy-makers, stakeholders, resource managers and concerned citizens about the sustainable use of our forests for present and future generations. Two forest areas in northern and central Spain (‘Páramos y Valles’ and Central Mountain Range) were chosen as pilot areas to test the use of the National Forest Inventory to calculate carbon biomass forest sink at operational level. Data from the Second and Third National Forest Inventory (2NFI and 3NFI, respectively), together with biomass equations were used. Total carbon biomass sink was calculated as a balance between carbon dioxide inputs and outputs in forest biomass. Tree growth between 2NFI and 3NFI, new plots and ingrowth (recruitment and upgrowth) biomass were considered as inputs, while forest harvesting and natural mortality were considered as outputs. In ‘Páramos y Valles’, 2.46 Mg CO 2 ha −1 year −1 was fixed in the tree biomass of forest ecosystems from 2NFI to 3NFI, whereas in the Central Mountain Range the fixation was 0.72 Mg CO 2 ha −1 year −1 in the period between inventories. The balance of CO 2 in the two areas was positive in 3NFI, with more than four million Mg of CO 2 accumulated in ‘Páramos y Valles’ and more than 72 million Mg of CO 2 fixed in the Central Mountain Range. Forest ecosystems are carbon sinks in the tree biomass in the two areas considered.