Article
Forestry
Alek Rachwald, Jan S. Boratynski, Justyna Krawczyk, Marta Szurlej, Wojciech K. Nowakowski
Summary: The study found that bat activity was mainly influenced by canopy structure, number of dead trees, and age of tree stands. This had a greater impact on open space aerial foraging bat species, while less impact on other bat species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Juncal Espinosa, Dario Martin-Benito, Oscar Rodriguez de Rivera, Carmen Hernando, Mercedes Guijarro, Javier Madrigal
Summary: The study in the Cuenca Mountains in Spain investigated the short-term post-burn tree growth of Pinus nigra and Pinus pinaster, revealing that prescribed burning had minimal impact on tree growth. Stand type and individual tree characteristics were significant factors affecting tree growth. The inclusion of fire severity variables in tree growth models showed that maximum scorch height played a key role in variability of tree growth.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Robert Alec Giffen, Colleen M. Ryan, Ethan P. Belair, Michael A. Pounch, Seth Brown
Summary: This study demonstrates that improved forest management can increase carbon storage in the Acadian Forest of New England, and presents a financial model for funding this management approach through carbon markets, philanthropy, timber revenues, and private investments.
Article
Forestry
Matts Lindbladh, Johan Elmberg, Per -Ola Hedwall, Emma Holmstrom, Adam Felton
Summary: Retention forestry, specifically green tree retention, has long-term positive effects on avian diversity, even several decades after final felling in conifer dominated production stands. The presence of broadleaf green tree retention can benefit bird assemblages by increasing their abundance, species richness, and supporting important guilds such as broadleaf-associated birds and cavity nesters. However, factors like the number and species composition of retained trees, as well as their environmental context within the stand, may affect the effectiveness of green tree retention.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aymen Moghli, Victor M. Santana, Santiago Soliveres, M. Jaime Baeza
Summary: Thinning and plantation in overstocked pine stands can enhance ecosystem attributes such as disturbance regulation, biodiversity conservation, and food production. These effects are mainly driven by aboveground attributes and may not affect belowground attributes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Fei Fei, Xinli Chen, Qingwei Guan
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the short-term effects of forest gap size on soil enzyme activities in Platycladus orientalis plantations. The results showed that medium and small gaps had significantly higher soil peroxidase activity in April and October, respectively, at the outside position compared to no gaps. Additionally, large gaps had significantly higher soil dehydrogenase activity in April at the outside position compared to no gaps. Moreover, large and small gaps had significantly higher soil urease activity in July and October, respectively, at the outside position compared to no gaps.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Alexandros Eftaxias, Evangelia Anna Passa, Christos Michailidis, Christodoulos Daoutis, Apostolos Kantartzis, Vasileios Diamantis
Summary: This study conducted research on the biomass production potential in a Mediterranean Pinus forest in northern Greece, and found that utilizing residual forest biomass can generate biogas and harvesting these residues can reduce the occurrence of summer forest fires.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Muhammad Waheed, Shiekh Marifatul Haq, Kaniz Fatima, Fahim Arshad, Rainer W. W. Bussmann, Farhat Rass Masood, Abed Alataway, Ahmed Z. Dewidar, Khalid F. Almutairi, Hosam O. O. Elansary, Hazem S. S. Kassem, Mohamed Al-Yafrasi, Kowiyou Yessoufou
Summary: This study investigated the ecology of climbers and the influence of soil characteristics on diversity, richness, and indicator species distribution in the Changa Manga Forest Plantation, Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 29 climber species were identified, with herbaceous climbers being the dominant life form, showing peak flowering in August and September. Soil factors significantly influenced the diversity and distribution pattern of climbers. The research provides insights into climbing plant ecology in response to soil variables, impacting policy and practice in the Himalayan region and beyond.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Getulio Fonseca Domingues, Frederic Mendes Hughes, Andre Gustavo dos Santos, Antonio F. Carvalho, Arthur Telles Calegario, Felipe Zamborlini Saiter, Gustavo Eduardo Marcatti
Summary: The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is fragmented due to different land use practices, and there is increasing understanding of the impacts of fragmentation and restoration practices on ecosystem functionality. The study explores the use of genetic algorithms integrated with landscape metrics to optimize the site, shape, and size of forest patches for restoration in watersheds. The results indicate that the integration of landscape metrics and genetic algorithms can improve landscape metrics and promote the aggregation and connectivity of forest patches.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Anne-Sophie Caron, Essivi Gagnon Koudji, Ira Tanya Handa, Miguel Montoro Girona, Emma Despland
Summary: Insect outbreaks have significant effects on forest ecosystems, including changes in soil arthropod communities. This study aimed to understand the effects of forest tent caterpillar outbreaks on ant communities in temperate and boreal forests in Canada. The results showed that outbreak sites had decreased ant species richness and increased evenness in boreal forests, with significant changes in species composition. In the temperate forest, similar but weaker patterns were observed. These findings highlight the importance of disturbances like insect outbreaks in driving changes in ant communities.
Article
Forestry
Jeremy Borderieux, Yoan Paillet, Marine Dalmasso, Anders Marell, Thomas Perot, Patrick Vallet
Summary: Positive productivity-diversity relationships in mixed stands in forestry have been of ongoing interest, with this study focusing on how mixing species affects forest regeneration. The study found that Quercus petraea regeneration cover was enhanced when mixed with shade-intolerant conifers, suggesting potential benefits for forest management initiatives.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pablo Martin-Pinto, Ignacio Sanz-Benito, Maria Santos, Juan Andres Oria-de-Rueda, Jozsef Geml
Summary: Quercus pyrenaica-dominated forests are widespread in Mediterranean ecosystems, with coppice systems generating high biomass and high fire risk, while dehesas have low tree density and face regeneration issues. Soil fungal communities varied among different forest types and were influenced by land management practices, impacting the diversity of edible mushrooms.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Review
Forestry
Adam Ekholm, Lars Lundqvist, E. Petter Axelsson, Gustaf Egnell, Joakim Hjalten, Tomas Lundmark, Jorgen Sjogren
Summary: There is growing interest in implementing Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) to mitigate the negative effects of traditional rotation forestry on biodiversity, although the impacts of CCF on forest growth, yield, and biodiversity are not well understood. This qualitative review compared biodiversity and long-term yield between the selection system (a type of CCF) and traditional rotation forestry in Picea abies-dominated forests. The majority of simulation studies found higher long-term yield in rotation forestry, but the most productive system remains uncertain. Biodiversity comparisons showed differences between clearcuts and stands managed with the selection system, but more research is needed to determine the long-term effects on biodiversity.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ling-Chao Meng, Zeng Cui, Ze Huang, Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja, David Dunkerley, Gao-Lin Wu
Summary: Thinning has significant effects on forest production and soil water supply in semiarid areas, increasing soil water replenishment and reducing soil water deficit. It plays a crucial role in maintaining the sustainability of plantation forestlands.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ben Spracklen, Dominick V. Spracklen
Summary: The study successfully distinguished acacia plantations and natural forests using a combination of radar and optical imagery, identifying an effective parameter for distinguishing between them. Additionally, age classification of acacia plantations was conducted using imagery, with lower accuracy observed for older age classes.
Article
Remote Sensing
Aaron Meneghini, Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, William Livingston, Aaron Weiskittel
Summary: This study evaluated the potential of satellite remote sensing technology to detect White Pine Needle Damage (WPND) outbreaks and achieved good accuracies in WPND detection and severity classification using Sentinel-2 imagery and spectral vegetation indices. The results suggest that fine resolution remote sensing is feasible for detecting severe WPND, but further research is needed to determine the effects of spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution of remote sensing data on detecting WPND severity levels.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF REMOTE SENSING
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Libin T. Louis, Anil Raj Kizha, Adam Daigneault, Han-Sup Han, Aaron Weiskittel
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between cost and productivity of ground-based mechanical harvesting with key variables using a meta-analysis approach. The results reveal that average stem size, harvest unit size, and harvesting process are important variables influencing both cost and productivity. Furthermore, tree height and country significantly affect harvesting cost, while machine rate and utilization have a major impact on harvesting productivity. The study provides valuable insights for forestry stakeholders regarding the variance structure of harvesting cost and productivity.
CURRENT FORESTRY REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Development Studies
Alyssa Soucy, Sandra De Urioste-Stone, Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, Aaron Weiskittel
Summary: The study examined climate change risk perceptions among 211 forest stakeholders in Maine, USA, explaining 70% of the variance in risk perception. Political orientation, belief in climate change, social norms, affect, and experience with weather-related impacts were all significant predictors of perceived risk. The results demonstrate the importance of social-psychological factors in shaping climate change risk perceptions and have implications for communication and outreach strategies.
SOCIETY & NATURAL RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Pete Bettinger, Krista Merry, Songlin Fei, Aaron Weiskittel, Zhao Ma
Summary: Key components of a digital forestry program, including digital tools, databases, and decision-support systems, are crucial in modern forest management. A survey of registered foresters from five US states revealed that private landowners are less likely to use digital technologies compared to those working for forestry organizations. Both private landowners and forestry organizations desire geographic information systems and smartphone applications as important technologies.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY
(2023)
Article
Remote Sensing
Rajeev Bhattarai, Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, Aaron Weiskittel
Summary: This study developed a method to produce large-scale spruce budworm (SBW) stand impact types and susceptibility maps using satellite remote sensing and site variables. Two machine-learning algorithms were used to map SBW host species, and the best model achieved a high overall accuracy. By combining host species data with age data, a susceptibility map based on stand impact types was produced.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF REMOTE SENSING
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Mike R. Saunders, David P. Mann, Shannon Stanis, Jan K. Wiedenbeck, Daniel C. Dey, Thomas M. Schuler
Summary: Despite the adaptability of oak species to surface fire, many land managers in eastern North America are reluctant to use prescribed fire due to its perceived negative impacts on timber value. We retrospectively quantified fire-associated wounds in oak-dominated stands, finding that although 29.1% of trees had fire-associated wounds, only 7.0% exhibited a reduction in grade.
Article
Forestry
Bishnu Hari Wagle, Aaron R. Weiskittel, John-Pascal Berrill, Anil R. Kizha, Anthony W. D'Amato, David Marshall
Summary: This study examined the long-term effects of pre-commercial and commercial thinning on the growth of balsam fir and red spruce in spruce-fir forests. The results showed that thinning treatments significantly increased the growth of balsam fir in stands without pre-commercial thinning, while the growth of red spruce was more moderate. In stands with pre-commercial thinning, both species showed similar growth responses. Thinning treatments effectively reduced mean height diameter ratios and improved growth efficiency.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
David Ray, Robert Seymour, Shawn Fraver, John-Pascal Berrill, Laura Kenefic, Nicole Rogers, Aaron Weiskittel
Summary: Stand density management is crucial for achieving diverse silvicultural objectives. Decision-support tools in this domain range from expert opinion to sophisticated computer models. Graphical frameworks like density management diagrams and stocking guides are well established and balance quantitative rigor with user accessibility. Advances in statistical modeling and data availability are overcoming limitations in developing reliable charts, encouraging more widespread use. The adoption of relative density based on stand density index is proposed as a logical metric for linking different formats.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mark E. Swanson, Margaret I. Magee, Andrew S. Nelson, Rudy Engstrom, Henry D. Adams
Summary: This study conducted in the Palouse region of Washington State found that downed woody debris (DWD) provides shade that moderates the challenging conditions for tree seedlings. The shade effect is especially pronounced on flat ridge-tops and south-facing slopes.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Cen Chen, John Kershaw Jr, Aaron Weiskittel, Elizabeth McGarrigle
Summary: In this study, a new multistage modeling approach for individual tree mortality predictions was developed and compared with a conventional approach. The results showed that the multistage approach outperformed the conventional approach, with better depiction of observed mortality and smaller differences in predicted and observed numbers of dead trees.
Article
Forestry
Christian Kuehne, Aaron R. Weiskittel, Aksel Granhus
Summary: The study analyzed periodic measurements from Norway spruce stands and found that alternative methods without complex response functions can reliably predict individual tree growth after thinning, indicating that such functions may not be necessary in certain conditions or species.
Article
Remote Sensing
Rajeev Bhattarai, Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, Aaron Weiskittel, Saeid Homayouni, Tawanda W. Gara, Ryan P. Hanavan
Summary: This study used multiple remote sensing data to model the leaf area index and basal area per ha of red spruce and balsam fir. The results showed that the Random Forest algorithm performed better in modeling. The red-edge spectral vegetation indices played a significant role in the estimation of both leaf area index and basal area per ha. These models are important for evaluating the dynamics of the eastern spruce budworm, as red spruce and balsam fir are its primary host species.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATION AND GEOINFORMATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joshua J. Puhlick, Aaron R. Weiskittel, Ivan J. Fernandez, Kevin A. Solarik, Darren J. H. Sleep
Summary: This study compares the carbon stocks and accumulation of forest management treatments, highlighting the importance of using multiple harvesting strategies to achieve carbon objectives and considering forest reserves and targeted silvicultural treatments for promoting forest resilience to climate change.
Article
Forestry
Joni Waldy, John A. Kershaw, Aaron Weiskittel, Mark J. Ducey
Summary: This study compared different methods for predicting parameters of the Weibull distribution for characterising diameter distributions of Eucalyptus hybrid clone plantations. The moment-based method was found to have the lowest error and statistic values, and was more suitable for plots with long tails and large variance.
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF FORESTRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Alyssa Soucy, Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, Sandra De Urioste-Stone, Aaron Weiskittel, Matthew J. Duveneck, Bridie McGreavy
Summary: The vulnerability assessment of the forest industry in Maine to climate change reveals that each county in the state has its unique combination of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indicators, with overall vulnerability highest in the rural northern and western parts.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Sadadi Ojoatre, Jos Barlow, Suzanne R. Jacobs, Mariana C. Rufino
Summary: This study evaluates the changes in a forest complex in Kenya and finds that within 20 years of disturbance, there is rapid recovery of aboveground biomass and carbon accumulation, and the species diversity remains high in these previously disturbed fragments.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Astor Torano Caicoya, Peter Biber, Miren del Rio, Ricardo Ruiz-Peinado, Catia Arcangeli, Robert Matthews, Hans Pretzsch
Summary: This study analyzed the effects of site and climate on the self-thinning line in Scots pine forests in Europe. The results showed that species tolerance, temperature, and precipitation influenced the slope of the self-thinning line. In terms of the intercept, latitude and radiation had compensating effects. Time did not show significant trends in the self-thinning line. The study highlights the need to adapt management strategies and models based on self-thinning to different latitudes. Climate change has not yet significantly impacted the self-thinning trajectory, but a continuous rise in temperature and high precipitation may accelerate the self-thinning process and result in increased biomass accumulation.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Haonan Zhang, Jianing Xu, Weiqi Meng, Zhonglin Li, Yanyan Ni, Weijie Li, Hao Chen, Xingshuo Zhang, Huanhuan Yuan, Zhi Wang
Summary: Secondary forests play a crucial role in ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity recovery. This study investigated the mechanisms underlying secondary succession in a restored secondary forest and found that deciduous tree species transition from diversity accumulators to repellents as they progress through different life history stages, while evergreen tree species can act as accumulators or remain neutral. The study also revealed the effects of density dependence on the mortality and regeneration of different tree species, and highlighted the importance of early-arriving tree species in facilitating the establishment and diversity of late-arriving counterparts.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Yierxiati Abulaiti, Zijian Huang, Guojiao Xie, Xiaojuan Zou, Qin Luo, Minhuang Wang, Qiong Yang, Ping Hu, Shixiao Yu
Summary: In this study, the resistance to pest infestation of native and exotic mangrove species was compared based on their traits and spectral reflectance. The results showed that exotic species exhibited higher resistance to pest infestation compared to native species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Thomas Feiss, Vincent Robin, Delphine Aran, Joseph Levillain, Thierry Paul, Jean-Luc Dupouey
Summary: Fagus sylvatica L. is a competitive tree in European temperate deciduous forests, but often sporadic or absent in present-day stands where Quercus spp. are dominant. Through soil charcoal analysis in the Lorraine Plateau in France, the presence of Fagus and Quercus in mature Quercus stands was confirmed. Radiocarbon dating results indicated that historical forest management caused the replacement of Fagus by Quercus, starting from the Bronze Age.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Paula Halbig, Anne-Sophie Stelzer, Peter Baier, Josef Pennerstorfer, Horst Delb, Axel Schopf
Summary: The incidence of oak processionary moth in Central Europe has been increasing, posing severe threats to oak trees, humans, and animals. To address this issue, researchers have developed an online early warning system that provides phenological forecasts and decision support for the protection of oak trees and human health.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Jean-Baptiste Ndamiyehe Ncutirakiza, Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury, Philippe Lejeune, Xavier Bry, Catherine Trottier, Frederic Mortier, Adeline Fayolle, Francois Muhashy Habiyaremye, Leopold Ndjele Mianda-Bungi, Gauthier Ligot
Summary: This study examines the influence of canopy structure on tropical tree growth using data collected through unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and field measurements. The results show that combining UAV and field data can improve the prediction of tree diameter increment. Diameter at breast height and crown area are complementary predictors, and crown-based competition indices significantly enhance prediction models. The calibrated model at one site can accurately predict growth at another site.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Abebe Damtew, Emiru Birhane, Christian Messier, Alain Paquette, Bart Muys
Summary: Restoring degraded dryland requires a diverse mixture of trees and shrubs. Shading and species diversity can improve seedling survival and vitality. Shaded conditions led to higher seedling survival, vitality, and chlorophyll content, while increasing species richness improved seedling vitality in non-shaded conditions.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Francois Hebert, Isabelle Delisle, Marc Tremblay, Pascal Tremblay, Jean- Francois Boucher, Yan Boucher, Daniel Lord
Summary: Regeneration failures in the closed-crown boreal forest, resulting in the creation of open lichen woodlands, can be restored through clear-cutting, scarification, and natural seeding. Clear-cutting combined with scarification promotes seedling establishment, and scarification creates suitable microsites for germination. Seedling growth in lichen woodlands is higher when logging and scarification are combined, but lower compared to feather moss stands. Afforestation through natural seeding following scarification could be a cost-effective option for restoring lichen woodlands.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Bianca Wulansari Kassun, A. Maarit I. Kallio, Erik Tr Omborg, Meley Mekonen Rannestad
Summary: Mapping and analyzing forest ecosystem services in dry and mountain forests can provide valuable knowledge for sustainable forest management strategies.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Michael Premer, Eric Turnblom, Aaron Weiskittel
Summary: Managed forests serve as a natural climate change solution by sequestering carbon and storing it in harvested wood products, while also providing ecosystem services and wildlife habitat. This study focused on the stem sinuosity of juvenile coastal Douglas-fir and found that genetic improvement, silviculture practices, and local growing conditions can impact stem sinuosity. Factors such as tree spacing, vegetation control, and climate variables also affect the severity of stem sinuosity.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Bronwyn Lira Dyson, Rhea Herpel, Peter Karasch, Jorg Mueller, Dominik Thom, Claus Baessler
Summary: The study aimed to assess the effects of different forest management strategies, dead wood types, and microclimates on Fomes fomentarius. The results showed that the occupancy of Fomes fomentarius was lower in control stands, while the percent cover occupied on snags under a closed canopy was higher. Increasing the number of snags and maintaining dense forest canopies could enhance the presence of Fomes fomentarius as well as provide important microhabitats for various arthropods.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Di Liu, Chaofan Zhou, Xiao He, Xiangdong Lei, Huiru Zhang, Xianzhao Liu
Summary: Canopy structure plays a significant role in the distribution and growth of saplings. Traditional canopy metrics are inadequate in irregular stands. The innovative framework of canopy triangular units provides a comprehensive understanding of the canopy's three-dimensional attributes. Through this framework, we can analyze the differences in various triangular unit types and the spatial dispersion of saplings.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Amalia Valeria Ibanez Moro, Fabian Borghetti, Leonardo Galetto, Juan M. Cellini, Sandra J. Bravo
Summary: This study evaluated the size and persistence of soil seed banks (SSB) of six native woody species in dry subtropical forests of the western Argentine Chaco region. The results showed that SSB size was influenced by different sites and sampling years, and forest disturbances had varying effects on SSB.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Forestry
Stephanie Landry, Marc-Andre Villard, Gaetan Pelletier, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent
Summary: In many regions of the world, excessive browsing by ungulates has reached unsustainable levels, threatening biodiversity and forest regeneration. Moose, as ecological engineers, have severe impacts on forest structure and composition through overbrowsing. The distribution of forage and cover patches affects moose browsing pressure, and this relationship has been explored in conifer-dominated stands but not in hardwood-dominated landscapes.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2024)
