Article
Forestry
Luizmar de Assis Barros, Michelle Venter, Che Elkin, Oscar Venter
Summary: This study found that attribute-based old-growth reserves have higher ecosystem services provisioning compared to age-based OGMAs. Additionally, tradeoffs with timber harvesting were reduced when old-growth attributes and water values were simultaneously prioritized.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Nalini M. Nadkarni
Summary: Epiphytes and their associated biota play a crucial role in biodiversity and ecosystem functions. However, they are highly vulnerable to disturbances, both natural and human-induced, which often lead to negative effects on their abundance, diversity, community composition, and connectivity. It is essential to implement effective strategies to mitigate these negative impacts and communicate the research findings to policymakers and land managers.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Peter Meyer, Maria Aljes, Heike Culmsee, Eike Feldmann, Jonas Glatthorn, Christoph Leuschner, Heike Schneider
Summary: Quantifying the degree of old-growthness of forests is important for assessing their conservation value and guiding management decisions. This study developed an indicator, the Old-Growth Indicator (OGI), to quantify the old-growthness of forest structure in Central Europe and found that it provides a comprehensive and reproducible measure of forest maturity, allowing for differentiated evaluations. The OGI values ranged from 0.71 to 0.74 for primeval forests, 0.13 to 0.42 for ND stands, 0.07 to 0.30 for OP, and 0.03 to 0.26 for YP stands.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Jacob S. Fraser, Lauren S. Pile Knapp, Brad Graham, Michael A. Jenkins, John Kabrick, Michael Saunders, Martin Spetich, Steve Shifley
Summary: Managing old-growth forests and promoting old-growth complexity in aging forests for carbon emissions mitigation has become an important component of diversified land management strategies. Understanding carbon storage potential in old-growth forests across the Central Hardwoods Region (CHR) is crucial for evaluating climate-adaptive management strategies. The study found that old-growth forests on more productive sites in the eastern portion of the CHR stored more aboveground carbon than less productive sites to the west. Over a twenty-year period, old-growth forests in the region accumulated 7% more total aboveground carbon, with varying impacts on different carbon pools.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Susan Charnley, Gregory E. Frey, Jasper Makala
Summary: This study examines the factors contributing to success in community forestry in southeastern Tanzania. It finds that both community forestry and small-scale forest-based enterprises must have certain success factors in order to be successful. These factors include the presence of large community forests with a high natural endowment of commercial timber species, a favorable national policy environment, good governance and support at the community and district government levels, secure tenure, tangible benefits, and long-term technical and financial support from a local organization. Forest certification also plays a role in reinforcing these success factors.
ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Aabid Hussain Mir, Kiranmay Sarma, Krishna Upadhaya
Summary: In the state of Meghalaya, northeast India, more than 80% of forest lands are owned and managed by local communities. However, these forests are facing severe threats due to human disturbances. A recent study conducted in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya assessed the plant diversity and identified community forests for priority conservation. The study found a total of 1,300 plant species, with 400 species being rare, endemic, or threatened. Reserve forests had the highest species richness, followed by sacred forests and village forests. The majority of the forests showed high species richness, irreplaceability level, and vulnerability level. An area of 7,661.56 hectares of community forests fell under the high priority category, calling for immediate conservation actions. The study provides a conservation priority map to guide protection strategies for community forests.
Article
Forestry
Kevin C. Hannah, Julia E. Put, Julia Shonfield
Summary: Wildfire is a significant factor in shaping the boreal forests of North America, and the Northern Hawk Owl is one of the least studied species in relation to it. Through a survey of 18 recent fires in Alberta, Canada, it was found that the owl is strongly associated with older deciduous-dominated forest areas. The owl responded differently based on the time since the fire, showing an immediate response to low severity fires and a delayed response to high severity fires.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Frantisek Malis, Karol Ujhazy, Lucia Hederova, Mariana Ujhazyova, Linda Csolleova, David A. Coomes, Florian Zellweger
Summary: Microclimate is a key driver of forest dynamics and the response of forest organisms to global warming. Managed forests have more variable microclimatic conditions than old-growth forests, and it takes approximately 54 years for microclimate to recover after clearing. Adopting a harvesting approach inspired by the temporal dynamics of old-growth forests can help maintain microclimate buffering and integrate biodiversity conservation targets into forest management programs under climate change.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Vincent Robin, Stefan Dreibrodt, Brigitte Talon
Summary: The study assessed the origin, long-term ecological trajectory, and mechanisms explaining the survival of a Mediterranean old-growth forest, the Sainte-Baume forest. Soil charcoal analysis revealed that the survival of the forest is attributed to a combination of biotic and abiotic factors.
Review
Plant Sciences
Parag Kadam, Puneet Dwivedi
Summary: Urban areas in the United States have been growing since the 1990s, and there is further projected growth. Recognizing sustainable urban forestry practices is crucial for enhancing the resilience and sustainability of cities. Current urban recognition systems lack robust verification procedures and detailed standardization compared to traditional forest certification systems, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive certification system in urban forestry.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Valenti Rull, Teresa Vegas-Vilarrubia
Summary: This paper presents a high-resolution paleoecological study of Pyrenean forests, showing their long-term resilience in the face of historical anthropogenic clearing. Three major deforestation/recovery cycles were identified, with the forests exhibiting high overall, mosaic, and community resilience.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sylvain Mollier, Georges Kunstler, Jean-Luc Dupouey, Laurent Berges
Summary: This study investigated the importance of ancient forests for the conservation of threatened species in mountain and subalpine protected areas in France. The results showed that historical forest had a positive effect on certain taxonomic groups, such as Spermatophyta, Bryophyta, Coleoptera, and edge forest Pteridophyta, while negatively affecting edgeforest lepidopterans. These findings highlight the importance of protecting ancient forests for preserving threatened forest species.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Nobuhiro Akashi
Summary: Planted forests managed to supply timber are usually clearcut, but retention forestry approach can be applied to mitigate the negative impacts of clearcutting. Planted forests are disturbed by harvesting and postharvest silvicultural management activities. The retention harvesting and postharvest silvicultural management may lead to changes in understory plant communities.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Maxence Martin, Nicole J. Fenton, Hubert Morin
Summary: This study investigated the dynamics of TreM and deadwood abundance and diversity in boreal old-growth forests, revealing different characteristics in forests at different stages, emphasizing the importance of considering old-growth forests as dynamic rather than static ecosystems.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Laurent Berges, Jean-Luc Dupouey
Summary: Forest area in European countries has significantly increased since the 19th century, with at least half of today's forests growing on previously cultivated lands. However, this net forest expansion masks a slow erosion of ancient forests. Meanwhile, forest resource harvesting has shifted towards increased growing stocks in the past two centuries.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Catalina Munteanu, Cornelius Senf, Mihai D. Nita, Francesco Maria Sabatini, Julian Oeser, Rupert Seidl, Tobias Kuemmerle
Summary: HCVFs are crucial for biodiversity and ecosystem services, but are under threat. A novel approach using historical satellite images and remote sensing data successfully identified 738,000 ha of HCVF in the Romanian Carpathians, where more than half of the area is susceptible to current anthropogenic pressures and lacks formal protection.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Amanda R. Carlson, David P. Helmers, Todd J. Hawbaker, Miranda H. Mockrin, Volker C. Radeloff
Summary: The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is a critical area for land management issues. This study created new WUI maps using building location data, offering higher spatial precision compared to existing maps based on census housing data.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kathleen A. Carroll, Laura S. Farwell, Anna M. Pidgeon, Elena Razenkova, David Gudex-Cross, David P. Helmers, Katarzyna E. Lewinska, Paul R. Elsen, Volker C. Radeloff
Summary: Human activities cause rapid biodiversity loss and biotic homogenization. To effectively manage conservation actions, it is crucial to have large-scale biodiversity and species distribution spatial data with fine resolution. Predictive models of bird species richness were generated based on nine traits, and the 2.5-km resolution maps were found to be almost as accurate and provide more detailed spatial information compared to the 5-km resolution maps.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
David Gudex-Cross, Likai Zhu, Spencer R. Keyser, Benjamin Zuckerberg, Jonathan N. Pauli, Volker C. Radeloff
Summary: The study demonstrates that the length of frozen ground winter is the strongest predictor of species richness, with a decline in species richness beyond 3 months of winter. Winter conditions explained much of the deviance in amphibian, mammal, and resident bird species richness in areas with ≥ 3 months of winter conditions. Migratory bird species richness peaks at around 5.5 months of winter, coinciding with low richness of resident birds.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christopher L. Crawford, He Yin, Volker C. Radeloff, David S. Wilcove
Summary: Since 1950, a large amount of cropland has been abandoned globally due to various factors. The abandonment of cropland could have been a great opportunity for carbon sequestration and habitat restoration; however, the reality shows that the abandonment is usually short-lived, lasting only an average of 14.22 years. Most abandoned croplands will be recultivated within 30 years, which prevents the accumulation of substantial amounts of carbon and biodiversity. Without measures to reduce recultivation or provide incentives for regeneration, the opportunity to reduce biodiversity loss and climate change will be missed.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Mihai Daniel Nita, Stelian Alexandru Borz
Summary: Enhancing accuracy, mobility, safety, ergonomics, data transfer, and traceability functions in log measurement applications is crucial for modern businesses in the wood supply chain. This study used a freeware application to collect point cloud data and tested two shape reconstruction algorithms to estimate volumes under a mobile scanning approach. The results suggest that the mobile scanning approach is useful for logs in the size range of 0.25 to 0.40 m3.
COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS IN AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Spencer R. Keyser, Daniel Fink, David Gudex-Cross, Volker C. Radeloff, Jonathan N. Pauli, Benjamin Zuckerberg
Summary: Snow cover dynamics have significant impacts on the distribution and abundance patterns of overwintering bird species. This study utilized observations from eBird to investigate the effects of snow cover dynamics on 150 bird species across the United States. The results demonstrate the importance of snow cover dynamics as environmental predictors in species distribution models.
Article
Forestry
Neda K. Kasraee, Todd J. Hawbaker, Volker C. Radeloff
Summary: This study evaluates the use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for identifying buildings and mapping the wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas. The CNNs show moderate accuracy in detecting individual buildings post-fire, but are inaccurate for damage assessments or building counts in the WUI, especially when buildings are occluded by trees.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDLAND FIRE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eduarda M. O. Silveira, Volker C. Radeloff, Sebastian Martinuzzi, Guillermo J. Martinez Pastur, Julieta Bono, Natalia Politi, Leonidas Lizarraga, Luis O. Rivera, Lucia Ciuffoli, Yamina M. Rosas, Ashley M. Olah, Gregorio Gavier-Pizarro, Anna M. Pidgeon
Summary: Detailed mapping of forest structure attributes is crucial for sustainable forest management, conservation, and forest ecosystem science at the landscape level. This study explores the integration of field inventory plots with SAR and optical remote sensing data to map forest structure attributes across a large area of native forests in Argentina. The models developed using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data, combined with geographic coordinates, accurately predicted forest structure attributes with relatively low root mean square errors.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Afag Rizayeva, Mihai D. Nita, Volker C. Radeloff
Summary: Historical land use has a strong impact on current landscapes and ecosystems, so maps of historical land cover are important references. In this study, we developed a methodology to automatically map land cover using high-resolution satellite imagery from the 1960s. Our results demonstrate the potential of using Corona spy satellite imagery for accurate land cover classification.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qiongyu Huang, Brooke L. Bateman, Nicole L. Michel, Anna M. Pidgeon, Volker C. Radeloff, Patricia Heglund, Andrew J. Allstadt, A. Justin Nowakowski, Jesse Wong, John R. Sauer
Summary: As climate change affects species distributions, understanding the relationship between climate suitability shifts and species distributions is crucial. This study examined the observed and modeled shifts of 250 bird species in the United States from 1969 to 2011, finding large differences between the two. However, temperate migrants and habitat generalist species showed higher observed shifting velocities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Hadi Beygi Heidarlou, Abbas Banj Shafiei, Vahid Nasiri, Mihai Daniel Nita, Stelian Alexandru Borz, David Lopez-Carr
Summary: Forest nationalization policies in developing countries often result in a reduction in local forest ownership rights and exploitation by stakeholders. This research examines the impact of Iran's Forest Nationalization Law (FNL) on the Zagros Forest over a 68-year period using historical photos and satellite images. The study shows a 0.27% deforestation trend after the FNL, with a decrease in forested areas. The FNL led to significant changes in legal and forest management systems, but failed to fully protect and develop the Zagros Forest ecosystems.
Article
Forestry
Colleen M. Sutheimer, Jed Meunier, Igor Drobyshev, Michael C. Stambaugh, Sara C. Hotchkiss, Eric Rebitzke, Volker C. Radeloff
Summary: By analyzing an extensive fire-scar network in the upper Great Lakes Region, this study evaluated the historical fire regimes over the past 350 years. The findings revealed the significant influence of climate factors on fire frequency and seasonality in the region, and highlighted the importance of recurrent fires in shaping and maintaining forest resilience.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDLAND FIRE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Gabriela Baban, Mihai Daniel Nita
Summary: The study aims to test the integration of forest canopy height satellite measurements with a Random Forest algorithm to obtain continuous sets of data. The performance of two LiDAR missions was compared to field measurements taken with a mobile LiDAR scanner. The compatibility of the sensors as an input for an RF model was also tested. The results showed significant correlation between MLS height and GEDI height, but not for ICEsat-2 height measurements.
Article
Ecology
Todd J. Hawbaker, Paul D. Henne, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Amanda R. Carlson, Miranda H. Mockrin, Volker C. Radeloff
Summary: Since the 1990s, wildfires and housing development have increased significantly, leading to unique challenges for wildfire management. This study used a random forests model to predict burn probabilities and assess the risk to homes in the Southern Rocky Mountains ecoregion. The results showed that the observed burned area and exposure to homes have sharply increased, primarily due to warmer and drier weather conditions as well as housing growth. The modeling approach provides critical information to guide decision-making in mitigating wildfire risks.
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)