Article
Forestry
Ihor Soloviy, Roman Kuryltsiv, Jozef Hernik, Nadiia Kryshenyk, Taras Kuleshnyk
Summary: Modern agricultural landscapes provide multiple ecosystem services with social, economic, and environmental value, offering a wide range of benefits to society. The lack of scientifically based and practically tested methodologies for identifying, mapping, and evaluating these services hampers their integration into current land use planning systems. By designing integrated production systems and improving agricultural landscapes, society can increase the total value of ecosystem services.
Article
Forestry
Maarten de Groot, Jurij Diaci, Kaja Kandare, Nike Krajnc, Rok Pisek, Spela Scap, Darja Stare, Nikica Ogris
Summary: This study investigated the impact of forest owner characteristics on bark beetle management. Findings showed that the distance of the owner's residence and the size of the property had a significant influence on the amount and timing of sanitary felling. Gender and age were found to have a minor impact on bark beetle outbreaks under the conditions studied.
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. S. Duden, P. A. Verweij, A. P. C. Faaij, R. C. Abt, M. Junginger, F. van der Hilst
Summary: Whether the use of industrial wood pellets for bioenergy is contributing to or mitigating climate change remains a topic of debate. This study evaluates the impact of increased wood pellet demand on carbon stocks in the Southern US and finds that moderate increases in demand may result in carbon stock gains due to reduced natural forest loss and increased pine plantation area.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Marin Pompa-Garcia, Eduardo D. Vivar-Vivar, Ernesto A. Rubio-Camacho, Jesus Julio Camarero
Summary: Evapotranspiration demand has increased due to rising temperatures, impacting forest productivity and modifying carbon uptake by forests. This study investigates the relationships between climate and carbon capture in 15 conifer species in Mexico, analyzing dendroecological data. Precipitation and maximum temperature were the primary factors influencing changes in carbon capture, with minimum temperature and drought index playing secondary roles. Winter conditions had the greatest impact on carbon capture, particularly wet and cool conditions, but influences from fall and summer were also significant. Understanding seasonal climatic influences is important for carbon uptake and forest productivity in drought-prone regions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Md Rezaul Karim, Sharif A. Mukul, Rokaiya Binte Zahir, Shamim Reza Saimun, Mohammed A. S. Arfin-Khan
Summary: Tropical deciduous forests are experiencing a decline in biomass and productivity due to climate change and anthropogenic disturbances. Forest co-management has been adopted by many countries to mitigate these effects, but its impact on the resistance and resilience of forest ecosystems to extreme climatic events is limited. This study used remotely sensed satellite data to investigate the effects of co-management on resistance and resilience in two major protected areas in Bangladesh. The results showed that co-management slows down the rate of forest destruction, but has poor impacts on forest resistance and resilience to extreme climatic events such as drought and heavy rainfall.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Flannery Dolan, Jonathan Lamontagne, Katherine Calvin, Abigail Snyder, Kanishka B. Narayan, Alan V. Di Vittorio, Chris R. Vernon
Summary: Land scarcity is increasing over time, and its impacts on the economy and environment are complex and varied. This study uses a comprehensive model to simulate different scenarios of increased land demand from biofuels and decreased land supply from conservation. The findings show that while biofuel consumption and land conservation can reduce carbon emissions, they also lead to higher food prices, reduced crop production, and increased water withdrawals. The impacts vary across different regions, highlighting the importance of multisector modeling frameworks and acknowledging uncertainties when analyzing land scarcity impacts.
Article
Economics
Matevz Triplat, Satu Helenius, Ruben Laina, Nike Krajnc, Thomas Kronholm, Zdenka Zenko, Teppo Hujala
Summary: Forests as a renewable biomass source have a crucial role in achieving a climate-neutral economy. Small-diameter tree management can contribute by providing renewable biomass and encouraging tree growth for long-term bioproducts. However, the adoption of small-diameter tree utilization is limited due to the need for new technologies and work models that are economically profitable, environmentally sustainable, and socially appealing. Forest owner perceptions on small-diameter tree management, including home consumption, self-active work, and commercial forestry services, are understudied. A survey in four EU countries identified four segments of forest owners and factors influencing their motivation to mobilize biomass.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Loic Cecilio Rebola, Claudia Pandolfo Paz, Luis Valenzuela Gamarra, David F. R. P. Burslem
Summary: The study shows that secondary forests recovering on abandoned agricultural sites in tropical forests play a positive role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and protecting biodiversity. It was also found that the historic land use has a significant impact on soil nutrient concentrations and the recovery rate of biomass on abandoned sites.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Adam Daigneault, Alice Favero
Summary: The future of the global timber market, forest area and climate change mitigation potential will be strongly shaped by socio-economic and technological drivers. Results show wide variations in estimates for key forest sector outputs across different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), with higher timber prices incentivizing land to remain in forests and increasing roundwood harvests. Despite large variations, global forests are likely to remain a net carbon sink, with annual forest carbon sequestration ranging from 1.8 GtCO2e/yr to 6.9 GtCO2e/yr.
Article
Agronomy
Alan V. Di Vittorio, Kanishka B. Narayan, Pralit Patel, Katherine Calvin, Chris R. Vernon
Summary: Projection of land use and land-cover change is uncertain but important, affecting carbon emissions, climate change, and food and bioenergy production. New land availability data and sensitivity analysis were used to estimate the impacts of additional land protection. Decreasing land availability is relatively inefficient at preserving undeveloped land while having significant regional land-use impacts. Spatial distribution of unsuitable land dramatically shifts bioenergy production and highlights the importance of spatial heterogeneity in land change management.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY BIOENERGY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yazhen Wu, Andre Deppermann, Petr Havlik, Stefan Frank, Ming Ren, Hao Zhao, Lin Ma, Chen Fang, Qi Chen, Hancheng Dai
Summary: In the process of addressing climate change, China is projected to become a major bioenergy consumer. However, this may lead to global land-use changes, food security concerns, and greenhouse gas emissions. The Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM) was used to study the effects of different bioenergy import strategies in China. The results indicate that strict biomass import regulations could result in substantial forest conversions, while open trade environments may cause significant shifts in trade flows and land-use changes in other regions. Nonetheless, an economically optimized biomass import portfolio for China has the potential to mitigate sustainability trade-offs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Isabel Fernandez-Montes de Oca, Jose Alberto Gallardo-Cruz, Adrian Ghilardi, Edith Kauffer, Jonathan Vidal Solorzano, Victor Sanchez-Cordero
Summary: There is currently a lack of consensus on the definition of deforestation, thus highlighting the need for a unified framework. By analyzing and comparing international and national reports, significant differences were identified, leading to the proposal of a harmonized definition and methodology for decision-making studies related to deforestation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
C. Tattersall Smith, Christopher Preece, Inge Stupak, Russell D. Briggs, Bruna Barusco, Brian E. Roth, Ivan J. Fernandez
Summary: Global trends indicate increasing forest management intensity due to rising demand for forest products and decreasing forest area. However, a study in north-central Maine suggests that whole-tree harvesting for bio-economy feedstock production in spruce-fir forests is sustainable, with no significant negative impacts on tree and stand-level growth and nutrition observed. Further research is needed to confirm these findings over the entire rotation period.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Clarke A. Knight, Lysanna Anderson, M. Jane Bunting, Marie Champagne, Rosie M. Clayburn, Jeffrey N. Crawford, Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson, Eric E. Knapp, Frank K. Lake, Scott A. Mensing, David Wahl, James Wanket, Alex Watts-Tobin, Matthew D. Potts, John J. Battles
Summary: Forest ecosystems in California have been shaped by both natural and indigenous fire, with climate variation and indigenous burning playing important roles. A study in the Klamath Mountains showed that tribal burning practices and lightning were associated with long-term stability of forest biomass. However, indigenous depopulation and 20th-century fire suppression led to an increase in forest biomass, resulting in the current closed forest landscape. Large-scale interventions may be needed to restore historic forest biomass levels.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Linfei Yu, Guoyong Leng
Summary: This study estimated the global biophysical temperature effects of LULCC using CMIP6 climate models and found a historical global warming effect of LULCC at a rate of 0.0025 degrees C/century. Forested/non-forested secondary land, urban land, and cropland have contributed over 70% to LULCC's temperature effect, with land transitions and land management also playing significant roles in the climate impact.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Lukas Baumbach, Dan L. Warren, Rasoul Yousefpour, Marc Hanewinkel
Summary: Baumbach et al. investigate impacts of climate change on tree species within tropical forest ecosystems in Central America. Their models suggest large transitions from wet to generalist or dry species, reduced connectivity for wet forest species, and upslope shifts of montane species, causing risk of extirpation.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Andri Baltensweiler, Lorenz Walthert, Marc Hanewinkel, Stephan Zimmermann, Madlene Nussbaum
Summary: Spatial soil information in forests is important for ecosystem services assessment, and this study aimed to build high-resolution soil property maps for the entire forested area of Switzerland. Using data from 2071 soil profiles and six digital soil mapping models, the Quantile Regression Forest (QRF) model performed the best in most cases and was used for final map predictions. Uncertainty maps derived from the 90% prediction intervals provide valuable guidance for future soil mapping campaigns.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Maria Hedlund, Erik Persson
Summary: This paper discusses the responsibility of AI experts in guiding the development of AI in a desirable direction and answers the question of how responsible AI experts are for the effects of AI technology beyond immediate concerns. The study concludes that, to some extent, AI experts are responsible in a forward-looking sense for the consequences of AI technology that they could foresee, but there is a risk of increased influence at the expense of other actors.
Article
Forestry
Anja Noelte, Rasoul Yousefpour, Miguel Cifuentes-Jara, Daniel Piotto, Olman Murillo, Pedro Zuniga, Marc Hanewinkel
Summary: This study emphasizes the importance of native tree species and species mixtures in forest plantations for biodiversity conservation. It examines the growth performance of four neotropical native species in mixture with the dominant species, teak, and explores alternatives to teak plantations. The study finds that, except for one species, the native species show good growth in mixtures and have the potential for implementation.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Arne Pinnschmidt, Rasoul Yousefpour, Anja Nolte, Olman Murillo, Marc Hanewinkel
Summary: Tropical forest plantations are important for meeting global wood demand, and mixed-species plantations have ecological potential. However, research on the economic viability and management of these plantations is lacking. This study estimated the economic potential and optimized the management of commercial mixed-species plantations in Central America, finding that certain mixtures were highly profitable and could compete with monoculture plantations. The study also highlighted the additional ecosystem services provided by mixed-species plantations.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marco Patacca, Marcus Lindner, Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja, Thomas Cordonnier, Gal Fidej, Barry Gardiner, Ylva Hauf, Gediminas Jasinevicius, Sophie Labonne, Edgaras Linkevicius, Mats Mahnken, Slobodan Milanovic, Gert-Jan Nabuurs, Thomas A. Nagel, Laura Nikinmaa, Momchil Panyatov, Roman Bercak, Rupert Seidl, Masa Zorana Ostrogovic Sever, Jaroslaw Socha, Dominik Thom, Dijana Vuletic, Sergey Zudin, Mart-Jan Schelhaas
Summary: In recent decades, European forests have been increasingly affected by natural disturbances, which have significant impacts on timber resources and ecosystem services. However, there is a lack of long-term empirical data and a coherent monitoring system to better understand disturbance dynamics and develop adaptive management strategies.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laura Nikinmaa, Marcus Lindner, Elena Cantarello, Barry Gardiner, Jette Bredahl Jacobsen, Alistair S. Jump, Constanza Parra, Tobias Plieninger, Andreas Schuck, Rupert Seidl, Thomas Timberlake, Kristen Waring, Georg Winkel, Bart Muys
Summary: Against the backdrop of increasing climate-induced disturbances, there is an urgent need to enhance the resilience of forests and forest management. However, current methods for assessing resilience lack considerations for trade-offs. This study proposes a hierarchical framework that considers trade-offs between mechanisms, social-ecological system components, ecosystem services, and spatial and temporal scales to assess resilience.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Arne Pinnschmidt, Rasoul Yousefpour, Anja Noelte, Marc Hanewinkel
Summary: Tropical reforestation plays a crucial role in mitigating the climate crisis by storing carbon dioxide. Recent studies have suggested that mixed-species reforestation could be more economically and environmentally beneficial compared to monoculture plantations. Using a simulation-optimization approach, this study compared the economic and carbon sequestration performance of mixed-species stands and monocultures in Costa Rica. The results showed that mixed-species stands outperformed monocultures in terms of net present value and carbon sequestration potential, suggesting that tropical mixed-species plantations can be a competitive alternative to monocultures.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sandrine Breteau-Amores, Rasoul Yousefpour, Marc Hanewinkel, Mathieu Fortin
Summary: This article compares different forest adaptation strategies based on stand diversification from an economic perspective to reduce risks of dieback caused by extreme drought and windstorms. The efficiency of the strategies was tested individually and combined through a simulation study, evaluating financial loss and reduction of carbon sequestration capacity. Results showed that diversification increased timber production and economic value, but reduced carbon storage. The study highlights the importance of integrating multiple risks in forest management instead of investigating them individually.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Juan Carlos Zamora-Pereira, Marc Hanewinkel, Rasoul Yousefpour
Summary: Robust decision-making in forestry is important for reducing the risk of environmental damage and economic losses. This study proposes a methodology to identify robust drought adaptive strategies. The analysis found that an early active strategy would increase the net present value (NPV) while a highly-intense reactive strategy would have minimal losses. The study concludes that drought adaptation in forestry should occur sooner rather than later, considering constant revision.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anja Noelte, Rasoul Yousefpour, Miguel Cifuentes-Jara, Marc Hanewinkel
Summary: Tropical reforestation is a powerful tool for carbon sequestration, but climate change impacts on productivity are often overlooked. Using a forest growth model, the study analyzed future productivity and found that temperature increase can lead to significant declines in productivity across tropical lowland climate zones. High-emission scenarios could reduce reforestation effectiveness as a climate action tool.
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Ayse Meric Yazici, Erik Persson
Summary: In this paper, a novel solution to the extreme temperature challenge faced by nanosatellites is proposed, using biomimicry as inspiration from the behavior of the Pompeii worm. The Pompeii worm converts excess heat into cooling through a multilayered tube. The authors present a new model for overheating in nanosatellites, inspired by the strategy of the Pompeii worm.
SPACE: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Robin Bourke, Rasoul Yousefpour, Marc Hanewinkel
Summary: By calibrating and validating a forest growth model for seven species in Germany and coupling it with a wind damage simulator, the study estimated the impact of wind damage on the net present value of Norway spruce and European beech in mixture and monoculture. The results showed that spruce management saw the sharpest declines in net present value under risk, while a heavily thinned spruce monoculture still obtained the highest end net present value.
ANNALS OF FOREST SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Koen Kramer, Laura Bouriaud, Peter H. Feindt, Lan van Wassenaer, Nicole Glanemann, Marc Hanewinkel, Martijn van der Heide, Geerten M. Hengeveld, Marjanke Hoogstra, Verina Ingram, Anders Levermann, Marcus Lindner, Csaba Matyas, Frits Mohren, Bart Muys, Gert-Jan Nabuurs, Marc Palahi, Nico Polman, Christopher P. O. Reyer, Ernst-Detlef Schulze, Rupert Seidl, Wim de Vries, Saskia E. Werners, Georg Winkel, Rasoul Yousefpour
Summary: This article presents a roadmap for developing a stress test for forest ecosystem services tailored to the needs and demands of multiple stakeholders. The authors provide the Cascade and Resilience Rosetta, along with performance and resilience indicators, as tools to facilitate the development of this stress test. The application of this test will aid in the transition towards a bio-based economy where healthy and diverse forests provide sustainable and resilient ecosystem services.
Article
History & Philosophy Of Science
Erik Persson, Kerstin Eriksson, Asa Knaggard
Summary: The study found that distribution principles at the international level can be somewhat applicable to local climate adaptation, with the principles of ability, self-help, and limited responsibility for the worst off being particularly useful. However, challenges arise in the need for multiple agents to take on responsibility and emissions not serving as a suitable base for all principles. By utilizing the ability principle, the first problem can be addressed, while focusing on risk of harm instead of emissions could help overcome the second challenge.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
G. Grasa, I. Martinez, R. Murillo
Summary: Gasification kinetics of six chars from residual origin were studied under relatively low temperature, low CO2, and high H2O partial pressures. The Random Pore Model (RPM) showed the best fit to experimental results, but the selection of the reaction model depended on the ash composition, specifically the presence of alkali and alkaline earth metals. Chars with ash content higher than 30% wt. were modeled with the RPM model, while chars with the highest K/Si ratio required modified versions of the RPM to accurately predict reaction rates. Textural properties played a key role in determining reaction parameters, such as the pre-exponential factor and activation energy, for chars with similar ash content and composition.
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2024)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
V. Godvin Sharmila, Surya Prakash Shanmugavel, J. Rajesh Banu
Summary: Proper treatment and disposal of biomass waste is crucial to prevent environmental deposition and its negative impacts. Biofuel has emerged as a potential alternative to fossil fuels, reducing carbon emissions and meeting global energy demands. This review examines different biomass waste conversion techniques and explores the production of biofuels with zero carbon emissions. Research on anaerobic treatment, metabolic engineering, and artificial intelligence has been conducted to enhance biofuel production efficiency.
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2024)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Selvakumar Periyasamy, Adane Asefa Adego, P. Senthil Kumar, G. G. Desta, T. Zelalem, V. Karthik, J. Beula Isabel, Mani Jayakumar, Venkatesa Prabhu Sundramurthy, Gayathri Rangasamy
Summary: Valorizing agricultural waste into valuable products is crucial for environmental protection and bioeconomy advancement. Preprocessing of agricultural waste is a critical step to convert free carbohydrate molecules for final conversion, and factors such as biomass nature, feed loading, pH, temperature, and time influence the process. This review provides comprehensive information on agricultural waste availability, preprocessing techniques, and factors influencing performance.
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Aqueel Ahmad, Ashok Kumar Yadav, Achhaibar Singh, Dinesh Kumar Singh
Summary: The study focuses on predicting and optimizing the yield of biogas production in an anaerobic digester using co-digestion. Experimental data was used to develop a machine learning-based prognostic model, and the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the parameters. The results demonstrate that RSM coupled with machine learning is an effective technique for modeling, predicting, and optimizing biogas production yield.
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2024)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yijing Zhong, Wenxiang Zhai, Xinli Wei
Summary: This paper studies the thermal stability and decomposition of cork materials with and without silica aerogel filler. The results show that the decomposition is inhibited and the pyrolysis is significantly reduced with the addition of silica aerogel. This finding suggests that silica aerogel-infused cork may be a promising raw material for biofuel production with reduced environmental pollution.
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2024)
