A Selected List of Filmstrips on the Conservation of Natural Resources, Number 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Jean Larson; Michaud, Howard H.

This pamphlet describes 115 conservation filmstrips as to content, sources, suggested grade level(s), curriculum area(s), and notes of interest to the user. The filmstrips are divided into the following areas: (1) general conservation, (2) ecology and resource interrelationships, (3) forest trees and other plants, (4) forest conservation, (5)…

Coarse Woody Debris Ecology in a Second-Growth Sequoia sempervirens Forest Stream

Treesearch

Matthew D. O' Connor; Robert R. Ziemer

1989-01-01

Coarse woody debris (CWD) contributes to high quality habitat for anadromous fish. CWD volume, species, and input mechanisms was inventoried in North Fork Caspar Creek to assess rates of accumulation and dominant sources of CWD in a 100-year-old second-growth redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forest. CWD accumulation in the active stream channel and in...

Coarse woody debris ecology in a second-growth Sequoia sempervirens forest stream

Treesearch

Matthew D. O' Connor; Robert R. Ziemer

1989-01-01

Abstract - Coarse woody debris (CWD) contributes to high quality habitat for anadromous fish. CWD volume, species, and input mechanisms was inventoried in North Fork Caspar Creek to assess rates of accumulation and dominant sources of CWD in a 100-year-old second-growth redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forest. CWD accumulation in the active stream channel and in pools...

Long-term carbon loss in fragmented Neotropical forests.

PubMed

Pütz, Sandro; Groeneveld, Jürgen; Henle, Klaus; Knogge, Christoph; Martensen, Alexandre Camargo; Metz, Markus; Metzger, Jean Paul; Ribeiro, Milton Cezar; de Paula, Mateus Dantas; Huth, Andreas

2014-10-07

Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, as they store a large amount of carbon (C). Tropical forest deforestation has been identified as a major source of CO2 emissions, though biomass loss due to fragmentation--the creation of additional forest edges--has been largely overlooked as an additional CO2 source. Here, through the combination of remote sensing and knowledge on ecological processes, we present long-term carbon loss estimates due to fragmentation of Neotropical forests: within 10 years the Brazilian Atlantic Forest has lost 69 (±14) Tg C, and the Amazon 599 (±120) Tg C due to fragmentation alone. For all tropical forests, we estimate emissions up to 0.2 Pg C y(-1) or 9 to 24% of the annual global C loss due to deforestation. In conclusion, tropical forest fragmentation increases carbon loss and should be accounted for when attempting to understand the role of vegetation in the global carbon balance.

Tropical forests are a net carbon source based on aboveground measurements of gain and loss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baccini, A.; Walker, W.; Carvalho, L.; Farina, M.; Sulla-Menashe, D.; Houghton, R. A.

2017-10-01

The carbon balance of tropical ecosystems remains uncertain, with top-down atmospheric studies suggesting an overall sink and bottom-up ecological approaches indicating a modest net source. Here we use 12 years (2003 to 2014) of MODIS pantropical satellite data to quantify net annual changes in the aboveground carbon density of tropical woody live vegetation, providing direct, measurement-based evidence that the world’s tropical forests are a net carbon source of 425.2 ± 92.0 teragrams of carbon per year (Tg C year-1). This net release of carbon consists of losses of 861.7 ± 80.2 Tg C year-1 and gains of 436.5 ± 31.0 Tg C year-1. Gains result from forest growth; losses result from deforestation and from reductions in carbon density within standing forests (degradation or disturbance), with the latter accounting for 68.9% of overall losses.

Stable isotopic variation in tropical forest plants for applications in primatology.

PubMed

Blumenthal, Scott A; Rothman, Jessica M; Chritz, Kendra L; Cerling, Thure E

2016-10-01

Stable isotope analysis is a promising tool for investigating primate ecology although nuanced ecological applications remain challenging, in part due to the complex nature of isotopic variability in plant-animal systems. The aim of this study is to investigate sources of carbon and nitrogen isotopic variation at the base of primate food webs that reflect aspects of primate ecology. The majority of primates inhabit tropical forest ecosystems, which are dominated by C3 vegetation. We used stable isotope ratios in plants from Kibale National Park, Uganda, a well-studied closed-canopy tropical forest, to investigate sources of isotopic variation among C3 plants related to canopy stratification, leaf age, and plant part. Unpredictably, our results demonstrate that vertical stratification within the canopy does not explain carbon or nitrogen isotopic variation in leaves. Leaf age can be a significant source of isotopic variation, although the direction and magnitude of this difference is not consistent across tree species. Some plant parts are clearly differentiated in carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition, particularly leaves compared to non-photosynthetic parts such as reproductive parts and woody stem parts. Overall, variation in the isotopic composition of floral communities, plant species, and plant parts demonstrates that stable isotope studies must include analysis of local plant species and parts consumed by the primates under study from within the study area. Am. J. Primatol. 78:1041-1054, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Agricultural non-point source pollution management in a reservoir watershed based on ecological network analysis of soil nitrogen cycling.

PubMed

Xu, Wen; Cai, Yanpeng; Rong, Qiangqiang; Yang, Zhifeng; Li, Chunhui; Wang, Xuan

2018-03-01

The Miyun Reservoir plays a pivotal role in providing drinking water for the city of Beijing. In this research, ecological network analysis and scenario analysis were integrated to explore soil nitrogen cycling of chestnut and Chinese pine forests in the upper basin of the Miyun Reservoir, as well as to seek favorable fertilization modes to reduce agricultural non-point source pollution. Ecological network analysis results showed that (1) the turnover time was 0.04 to 0.37 year in the NH 4 + compartment and were 15.78 to 138.36 years in the organic N compartment; (2) the Finn cycling index and the ratio of indirect to direct flow were 0.73 and 11.92 for the chestnut forest model, respectively. Those of the Chinese pine forest model were 0.88 and 29.23, respectively; and (3) in the chestnut forest model, NO 3 - accounted for 96% of the total soil nitrogen loss, followed by plant N (2%), NH 4 + (1%), and organic N (1%). In the Chinese pine forest, NH 4 + accounted for 56% of the total soil nitrogen loss, followed by organic N (34%) and NO 3 - (10%). Fertilization mode was identified as the main factor affecting soil N export. To minimize NH 4 + and NO 3 - outputs while maintaining the current plant yield (i.e., 7.85e0 kg N/year), a fertilization mode of 162.50 kg N/year offered by manure should be adopted. Whereas, to achieve a maximum plant yield (i.e., 3.35e1 kg N/year) while reducing NH 4 + and NO 3 - outputs, a fertilization mode of 325.00 kg N/year offered by manure should be utilized. This research is of wide suitability to support agricultural non-point source pollution management at the watershed scale.

Simulation of Regionally Ecological Land Based on a Cellular Automation Model: A Case Study of Beijing, China

PubMed Central

Xie, Hualin; Kung, Chih-Chun; Zhang, Yanting; Li, Xiubin

2012-01-01

Ecological land is like the “liver” of a city and is very useful to public health. Ecological land change is a spatially dynamic non-linear process under the interaction between natural and anthropogenic factors at different scales. In this study, by setting up natural development scenario, object orientation scenario and ecosystem priority scenario, a Cellular Automation (CA) model has been established to simulate the evolution pattern of ecological land in Beijing in the year 2020. Under the natural development scenario, most of ecological land will be replaced by construction land and crop land. But under the scenarios of object orientation and ecosystem priority, the ecological land area will increase, especially under the scenario of ecosystem priority. When considering the factors such as total area of ecological land, loss of key ecological land and spatial patterns of land use, the scenarios from priority to inferiority are ecosystem priority, object orientation and natural development, so future land management policies in Beijing should be focused on conversion of cropland to forest, wetland protection and prohibition of exploitation of natural protection zones, water source areas and forest parks to maintain the safety of the regional ecosystem. PMID:23066410

Simulation of regionally ecological land based on a cellular automation model: a case study of Beijing, China.

PubMed

Xie, Hualin; Kung, Chih-Chun; Zhang, Yanting; Li, Xiubin

2012-08-01

Ecological land is like the "liver" of a city and is very useful to public health. Ecological land change is a spatially dynamic non-linear process under the interaction between natural and anthropogenic factors at different scales. In this study, by setting up natural development scenario, object orientation scenario and ecosystem priority scenario, a Cellular Automation (CA) model has been established to simulate the evolution pattern of ecological land in Beijing in the year 2020. Under the natural development scenario, most of ecological land will be replaced by construction land and crop land. But under the scenarios of object orientation and ecosystem priority, the ecological land area will increase, especially under the scenario of ecosystem priority. When considering the factors such as total area of ecological land, loss of key ecological land and spatial patterns of land use, the scenarios from priority to inferiority are ecosystem priority, object orientation and natural development, so future land management policies in Beijing should be focused on conversion of cropland to forest, wetland protection and prohibition of exploitation of natural protection zones, water source areas and forest parks to maintain the safety of the regional ecosystem.

Impacts of a volcanic eruption on the forest birdcommunity of Montserrat, Lesser Antilles.

Treesearch

B. DALSGAARD; G. M. HILTON; G. A. L. GRAY; L. AYMER; J. BOATSWAIN; J. FENTON DALEY; J. MARTIN; L. MARTIN; P. MURRAIN; W. J. ARENDT; W. OLESEN GIBBONSD

2007-01-01

Volcanic eruptions are an important and natural source of catastrophic disturbance to ecological communities. However, opportunities to study them are relatively rare. Here we report on the effects of the eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano on the forest bird community of the Lesser Antillean island of Montserrat. The island’s species-poor avifauna includes 11...

Multiple successional pathways in human-modified tropical landscapes: new insights from forest succession, forest fragmentation and landscape ecology research.

PubMed

Arroyo-Rodríguez, Víctor; Melo, Felipe P L; Martínez-Ramos, Miguel; Bongers, Frans; Chazdon, Robin L; Meave, Jorge A; Norden, Natalia; Santos, Bráulio A; Leal, Inara R; Tabarelli, Marcelo

2017-02-01

Old-growth tropical forests are being extensively deforested and fragmented worldwide. Yet forest recovery through succession has led to an expansion of secondary forests in human-modified tropical landscapes (HMTLs). Secondary forests thus emerge as a potential repository for tropical biodiversity, and also as a source of essential ecosystem functions and services in HMTLs. Such critical roles are controversial, however, as they depend on successional, landscape and socio-economic dynamics, which can vary widely within and across landscapes and regions. Understanding the main drivers of successional pathways of disturbed tropical forests is critically needed for improving management, conservation, and restoration strategies. Here, we combine emerging knowledge from tropical forest succession, forest fragmentation and landscape ecology research to identify the main driving forces shaping successional pathways at different spatial scales. We also explore causal connections between land-use dynamics and the level of predictability of successional pathways, and examine potential implications of such connections to determine the importance of secondary forests for biodiversity conservation in HMTLs. We show that secondary succession (SS) in tropical landscapes is a multifactorial phenomenon affected by a myriad of forces operating at multiple spatio-temporal scales. SS is relatively fast and more predictable in recently modified landscapes and where well-preserved biodiversity-rich native forests are still present in the landscape. Yet the increasing variation in landscape spatial configuration and matrix heterogeneity in landscapes with intermediate levels of disturbance increases the uncertainty of successional pathways. In landscapes that have suffered extensive and intensive human disturbances, however, succession can be slow or arrested, with impoverished assemblages and reduced potential to deliver ecosystem functions and services. We conclude that: (i) succession must be examined using more comprehensive explanatory models, providing information about the forces affecting not only the presence but also the persistence of species and ecological groups, particularly of those taxa expected to be extirpated from HMTLs; (ii) SS research should integrate new aspects from forest fragmentation and landscape ecology research to address accurately the potential of secondary forests to serve as biodiversity repositories; and (iii) secondary forest stands, as a dynamic component of HMTLs, must be incorporated as key elements of conservation planning; i.e. secondary forest stands must be actively managed (e.g. using assisted forest restoration) according to conservation goals at broad spatial scales. © 2015 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Examining Historical and Current Mixed-Severity Fire Regimes in Ponderosa Pine and Mixed-Conifer Forests of Western North America

PubMed Central

Odion, Dennis C.; Hanson, Chad T.; Arsenault, André; Baker, William L.; DellaSala, Dominick A.; Hutto, Richard L.; Klenner, Walt; Moritz, Max A.; Sherriff, Rosemary L.; Veblen, Thomas T.; Williams, Mark A.

2014-01-01

There is widespread concern that fire exclusion has led to an unprecedented threat of uncharacteristically severe fires in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. Laws) and mixed-conifer forests of western North America. These extensive montane forests are considered to be adapted to a low/moderate-severity fire regime that maintained stands of relatively old trees. However, there is increasing recognition from landscape-scale assessments that, prior to any significant effects of fire exclusion, fires and forest structure were more variable in these forests. Biota in these forests are also dependent on the resources made available by higher-severity fire. A better understanding of historical fire regimes in the ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of western North America is therefore needed to define reference conditions and help maintain characteristic ecological diversity of these systems. We compiled landscape-scale evidence of historical fire severity patterns in the ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests from published literature sources and stand ages available from the Forest Inventory and Analysis program in the USA. The consensus from this evidence is that the traditional reference conditions of low-severity fire regimes are inaccurate for most forests of western North America. Instead, most forests appear to have been characterized by mixed-severity fire that included ecologically significant amounts of weather-driven, high-severity fire. Diverse forests in different stages of succession, with a high proportion in relatively young stages, occurred prior to fire exclusion. Over the past century, successional diversity created by fire decreased. Our findings suggest that ecological management goals that incorporate successional diversity created by fire may support characteristic biodiversity, whereas current attempts to “restore” forests to open, low-severity fire conditions may not align with historical reference conditions in most ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of western North America. PMID:24498383

Examining historical and current mixed-severity fire regimes in ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of western North America.

PubMed

Odion, Dennis C; Hanson, Chad T; Arsenault, André; Baker, William L; Dellasala, Dominick A; Hutto, Richard L; Klenner, Walt; Moritz, Max A; Sherriff, Rosemary L; Veblen, Thomas T; Williams, Mark A

2014-01-01

There is widespread concern that fire exclusion has led to an unprecedented threat of uncharacteristically severe fires in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. Laws) and mixed-conifer forests of western North America. These extensive montane forests are considered to be adapted to a low/moderate-severity fire regime that maintained stands of relatively old trees. However, there is increasing recognition from landscape-scale assessments that, prior to any significant effects of fire exclusion, fires and forest structure were more variable in these forests. Biota in these forests are also dependent on the resources made available by higher-severity fire. A better understanding of historical fire regimes in the ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of western North America is therefore needed to define reference conditions and help maintain characteristic ecological diversity of these systems. We compiled landscape-scale evidence of historical fire severity patterns in the ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests from published literature sources and stand ages available from the Forest Inventory and Analysis program in the USA. The consensus from this evidence is that the traditional reference conditions of low-severity fire regimes are inaccurate for most forests of western North America. Instead, most forests appear to have been characterized by mixed-severity fire that included ecologically significant amounts of weather-driven, high-severity fire. Diverse forests in different stages of succession, with a high proportion in relatively young stages, occurred prior to fire exclusion. Over the past century, successional diversity created by fire decreased. Our findings suggest that ecological management goals that incorporate successional diversity created by fire may support characteristic biodiversity, whereas current attempts to "restore" forests to open, low-severity fire conditions may not align with historical reference conditions in most ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of western North America.

Facing climate change in forests and fields: U.S. Forest Service taps into science-management partnerships

Treesearch

Amy Daniels; Nancy Shaw; Dave Peterson; Keith Nislow; Monica Tomosy; Mary Rowland

2014-01-01

As a growing body of science shows, climate change impacts on wildlife are already profound—from shifting species’ ranges and altering the synchronicity of food sources to changing the availability of water. Such impacts are only expected to increase in the coming decades. As climate change shapes complex, interwoven ecological processes, novel conditions and...

Socio-ecological costs of Amazon nut and timber production at community household forests in the Bolivian Amazon.

PubMed

Soriano, Marlene; Mohren, Frits; Ascarrunz, Nataly; Dressler, Wolfram; Peña-Claros, Marielos

2017-01-01

The Bolivian Amazon holds a complex configuration of people and forested landscapes in which communities hold secure tenure rights over a rich ecosystem offering a range of livelihood income opportunities. A large share of this income is derived from Amazon nut (Bertholletia excelsa). Many communities also have long-standing experience with community timber management plans. However, livelihood needs and desires for better living conditions may continue to place these resources under considerable stress as income needs and opportunities intensify and diversify. We aim to identify the socioeconomic and biophysical factors determining the income from forests, husbandry, off-farm and two keystone forest products (i.e., Amazon nut and timber) in the Bolivian Amazon region. We used structural equation modelling tools to account for the complex inter-relationships between socioeconomic and biophysical factors in predicting each source of income. The potential exists to increase incomes from existing livelihood activities in ways that reduce dependency upon forest resources. For example, changes in off-farm income sources can act to increase or decrease forest incomes. Market accessibility, social, financial, and natural and physical assets determined the amount of income community households could derive from Amazon nut and timber. Factors related to community households' local ecological knowledge, such as the number of non-timber forest products harvested and the number of management practices applied to enhance Amazon nut production, defined the amount of income these households could derive from Amazon nut and timber, respectively. The (inter) relationships found among socioeconomic and biophysical factors over income shed light on ways to improve forest-dependent livelihoods in the Bolivian Amazon. We believe that our analysis could be applicable to other contexts throughout the tropics as well.

Socio-ecological costs of Amazon nut and timber production at community household forests in the Bolivian Amazon

PubMed Central

Mohren, Frits; Ascarrunz, Nataly; Dressler, Wolfram; Peña-Claros, Marielos

2017-01-01

The Bolivian Amazon holds a complex configuration of people and forested landscapes in which communities hold secure tenure rights over a rich ecosystem offering a range of livelihood income opportunities. A large share of this income is derived from Amazon nut (Bertholletia excelsa). Many communities also have long-standing experience with community timber management plans. However, livelihood needs and desires for better living conditions may continue to place these resources under considerable stress as income needs and opportunities intensify and diversify. We aim to identify the socioeconomic and biophysical factors determining the income from forests, husbandry, off-farm and two keystone forest products (i.e., Amazon nut and timber) in the Bolivian Amazon region. We used structural equation modelling tools to account for the complex inter-relationships between socioeconomic and biophysical factors in predicting each source of income. The potential exists to increase incomes from existing livelihood activities in ways that reduce dependency upon forest resources. For example, changes in off-farm income sources can act to increase or decrease forest incomes. Market accessibility, social, financial, and natural and physical assets determined the amount of income community households could derive from Amazon nut and timber. Factors related to community households’ local ecological knowledge, such as the number of non-timber forest products harvested and the number of management practices applied to enhance Amazon nut production, defined the amount of income these households could derive from Amazon nut and timber, respectively. The (inter) relationships found among socioeconomic and biophysical factors over income shed light on ways to improve forest-dependent livelihoods in the Bolivian Amazon. We believe that our analysis could be applicable to other contexts throughout the tropics as well. PMID:28235090

Ecological Impacts of Southern Pine Beetle

Treesearch

Maria D. Tchakerian; Robert N. Coulson

2011-01-01

The southern pine beetle (SPB) is the most important biotic disturbance in southern pine forests and causes extensive changes to the forest environment. In this chapter we provide an overview of the ecological impacts of the SPB on forest conditions (the state of the forest) and on forest resources (uses and values associated with the forest). We define ecological...

Management of early-successional communities in central hardwood forests: with special emphasis on the ecology and management of oaks, ruffed grouse, and forest songbirds.

Treesearch

Frank R. III Thompson; Daniel R. Dessecker

1997-01-01

Describes the history, ecology, and silviculture of central hardwood forests and the status and ecology of early-successional forest songbirds and ruffed grouse. Concludes with management guidelines for early-successional communities in central hardwood forests.

[Simulation of CO2 exchange between forest canopy and atmosphere].

PubMed

Diao, Yiwei; Wang, Anzhi; Jin, Changjie; Guan, Dexin; Pei, Tiefan

2006-12-01

Estimating the scalar source/sink distribution of CO2 and its vertical fluxes within and above forest canopy continues to be a critical research problem in biosphere-atmosphere exchange processes and plant ecology. With broad-leaved Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountains as test object, and based on Raupach's localized near field theory, the source/sink and vertical flux distribution of CO2 within and above forest canopy were modeled through an inverse Lagrangian dispersion analysis. This model correctly predicted a strong positive CO2 source strength in the deeper layers of the canopy due to soil-plant respiration, and a strong CO2 sink in the upper layers of the canopy due to the assimilation by sunlit foliage. The foliage in the top layer of canopy changed from a CO2 source in the morning to a CO2 sink in the afternoon, while the soil constituted a strong CO2 source all the day. The simulation results accorded well with the eddy covariance CO2 flux measurements within and above the canopy, and the average precision was 89%. The CO2 exchange predicted by the analysis was averagely 15% higher than that of the eddy correlation, but exhibited identical temporal trend. Atmospheric stability remarkably affected the CO2 exchange between forest canopy and atmosphere.

[A review on disturbance ecology of forest].

PubMed

Zhu, Jiaojun; Liu, Zugen

2004-10-01

More than 80% of terrestrial ecosystems have been influenced by natural disasters, human activities and the combination of both natural and human disturbances. Forest ecosystem, as one of the most important terrestrial ecosystems, has also been disturbed without exception. Under the disturbance from natural disasters and human activities, particularly from the unreasonable activities of human beings, forest decline or forest degradation has become more and more severe. For this reason, sustaining or recovering forest service functions is one of the current purposes for managing forest ecosystems. In recent decades, the studies on disturbed ecosystems have been carried out frequently, especially on their ecological processes and their responses to the disturbances. These studies play a very important role in the projects of natural forest conservation and the construction of ecological environment in China. Based on a wide range of literatures collection on forest disturbance research, this paper discussed the fundamental concepts of disturbance ecology, the relationships between forest management and disturbance, and the study contents of forest disturbance ecology. The major research topics of forest disturbance ecology may include: 1) the basic characteristics of disturbed forests; 2) the processes of natural and human disturbances; 3) the responses of forests ecosystem to the disturbances; 4) the main ecological processes or the consequential results of disturbed forests, including the change of biodiversity, soil nutrient and water cycle, eco-physiology and carbon cycle, regeneration mechanism of disturbed forests and so on; 5) the relationships between disturbances and forest management; and 6) the principles and techniques for the management of disturbed forests. This review may be helpful to the management of disturbed forest ecosystem, and to the projects of natural forest conservation in China.

Ecological modeling for forest management in the Shawnee National Forest

Treesearch

Richard G. Thurau; J.F. Fralish; S. Hupe; B. Fitch; A.D. Carver

2008-01-01

Land managers of the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois are challenged to meet the needs of a diverse populace of stakeholders. By classifying National Forest holdings into management units, U.S. Forest Service personnel can spatially allocate resources and services to meet local management objectives. Ecological Classification Systems predict ecological site...

A tool for assessing ecological status of forest ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman Kassim, Abd; Afizzul Misman, Muhammad; Azahari Faidi, Mohd; Omar, Hamdan

2016-06-01

Managers and policy makers are beginning to appreciate the value of ecological monitoring of artificially regenerated forest especially in urban areas. With the advent of more advance technology in precision forestry, high resolution remotely sensed data e.g. hyperspectral and LiDAR are becoming available for rapid and precise assessment of the forest condition. An assessment of ecological status of forest ecosystem was developed and tested using FRIM campus forest stand. The forest consisted of three major blocks; the old growth artificially regenerated native species forests, naturally regenerated forest and recent planted forest for commercial timber and other forest products. Our aim is to assess the ecological status and its proximity to the mature old growth artificially regenerated stand. We used airborne LiDAR, orthophoto and thirty field sampling quadrats of 20x20m for ground verification. The parameter assessments were grouped into four broad categories: a. forest community level-composition, structures, function; landscape structures-road network and forest edges. A metric of parameters and rating criteria was introduced as indicators of the forest ecological status. We applied multi-criteria assessment to categorize the ecological status of the forest stand. The paper demonstrates the application of the assessment approach using FRIM campus forest as its first case study. Its potential application to both artificially and naturally regenerated forest in the variety of Malaysian landscape is discussed

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnes, C.; Ensminger, J.; O'Keefe, P.

This book presents papers on the use of wood fuels in Kenya. Topics considered include domestic energy consumption, historical aspects, the Kenyan economy, ecology, supply and demand, forests, aspects of energy consumption in a pastoral ecosystem, estimation of present and future demand for wood fuels, and energy source development.

The potential to characterize ecological data with terrestrial laser scanning in Harvard Forest, MA.

PubMed

Orwig, D A; Boucher, P; Paynter, I; Saenz, E; Li, Z; Schaaf, C

2018-04-06

Contemporary terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is being used widely in forest ecology applications to examine ecosystem properties at increasing spatial and temporal scales. Harvard Forest (HF) in Petersham, MA, USA, is a long-term ecological research (LTER) site, a National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) location and contains a 35 ha plot which is part of Smithsonian Institution's Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO). The combination of long-term field plots, eddy flux towers and the detailed past historical records has made HF very appealing for a variety of remote sensing studies. Terrestrial laser scanners, including three pioneering research instruments: the Echidna Validation Instrument, the Dual-Wavelength Echidna Lidar and the Compact Biomass Lidar, have already been used both independently and in conjunction with airborne laser scanning data and forest census data to characterize forest dynamics. TLS approaches include three-dimensional reconstructions of a plot over time, establishing the impact of ice storm damage on forest canopy structure, and characterizing eastern hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis ) canopy health affected by an invasive insect, the hemlock woolly adelgid ( Adelges tsugae ). Efforts such as those deployed at HF are demonstrating the power of TLS as a tool for monitoring ecological dynamics, identifying emerging forest health issues, measuring forest biomass and capturing ecological data relevant to other disciplines. This paper highlights various aspects of the ForestGEO plot that are important to current TLS work, the potential for exchange between forest ecology and TLS, and emphasizes the strength of combining TLS data with long-term ecological field data to create emerging opportunities for scientific study.

The potential to characterize ecological data with terrestrial laser scanning in Harvard Forest, MA

PubMed Central

Boucher, P.; Saenz, E.; Li, Z.

2018-01-01

Contemporary terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is being used widely in forest ecology applications to examine ecosystem properties at increasing spatial and temporal scales. Harvard Forest (HF) in Petersham, MA, USA, is a long-term ecological research (LTER) site, a National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) location and contains a 35 ha plot which is part of Smithsonian Institution's Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO). The combination of long-term field plots, eddy flux towers and the detailed past historical records has made HF very appealing for a variety of remote sensing studies. Terrestrial laser scanners, including three pioneering research instruments: the Echidna Validation Instrument, the Dual-Wavelength Echidna Lidar and the Compact Biomass Lidar, have already been used both independently and in conjunction with airborne laser scanning data and forest census data to characterize forest dynamics. TLS approaches include three-dimensional reconstructions of a plot over time, establishing the impact of ice storm damage on forest canopy structure, and characterizing eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) canopy health affected by an invasive insect, the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). Efforts such as those deployed at HF are demonstrating the power of TLS as a tool for monitoring ecological dynamics, identifying emerging forest health issues, measuring forest biomass and capturing ecological data relevant to other disciplines. This paper highlights various aspects of the ForestGEO plot that are important to current TLS work, the potential for exchange between forest ecology and TLS, and emphasizes the strength of combining TLS data with long-term ecological field data to create emerging opportunities for scientific study. PMID:29503723

Ecological gradients within a Pennsylvanian mire forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

DiMichele, W.A.; Falcon-Lang, H. J.; Nelson, W.J.; Elrick, S.D.; Ames, P.R.

2007-01-01

Pennsylvanian coals represent remains of the earliest peat-forming rain forests, but there is no current consensus on forest ecology. Localized studies of fossil forests suggest intermixture of taxa (heterogeneity), while, in contrast, coal ball and palynological analyses imply the existence of pronounced ecological gradients. Here, we report the discovery of a spectacular fossil forest preserved over ???1000 ha on top of the Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) Herrin (No. 6) Coal of Illinois, United States. The forest was abruptly drowned when fault movement dropped a segment of coastal mire below sea level. In the largest study of its kind to date, forest composition is statistically analyzed within a well-constrained paleogeographic context. Findings resolve apparent conflicts in models of Pennsylvanian mire ecology by confirming the existence of forest heterogeneity at the local scale, while additionally demonstrating the emergence of ecological gradients at landscape scale. ?? 2007 The Geological Society of America.

Analysis of water use strategies of the desert riparian forest plant community in inland rivers of two arid regions in northwestern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. N.; Li, W. H.; Zhou, H. H.; Chen, Y. P.; Hao, X. M.; Fu, A. H.; Ma, J. X.

2014-10-01

Studies of the water use of the desert riparian forest plant community in arid regions and analyses of the response and adaptive strategies of plants to environmental stress are of great significance to the formulation of effective ecological conservation and restoration strategies. Taking two inland rivers in the arid regions of northwestern China, downstream of the Tarim River and Heihe River Basin as the research target regions, this paper explored the stem water potential, sap flow, root hydraulic lift, and characteristics of plant water sources of the major constructive species in the desert riparian forest, Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima. Specifically, this was accomplished by combining the monitoring of field physiological and ecological indicators, and the analysis of laboratory tests. Then, the water use differences of species in different ecological environments and their ecological significance were analyzed. This study indicated that: (1) in terms of water sources, Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima mainly used deep subsoil water and underground water, but the plant root system in the downstream of the Tarim River was more diversified than that in the downstream of the Heihe River in water absorption, (2) in terms of water distribution, Populus euphratica root possessed hydraulic lift capacity, but Populus euphratica root in the downstream of the Tarim River presented stronger hydraulic lift capacity and more significant ecological effect of water redistribution, (3) in terms of water transport, the plants in the downstream of the Heihe River can adapt to the environment through the current limiting of branch xylem, while plants in the downstream of the Tarim River substantially increased the survival probability of the whole plant by sacrificing weak branches and improving the water acquisition capacity of dominant branches; and (4) in terms of water dissipation, the water use and consumption of Populus euphratica at night exhibited no significant difference, but the water use and consumption of Populus euphratica in the downstream of the Tarim River in the day was significantly higher than that in the downstream of the Heihe River, and the essential reason for this is the groundwater depth. The ecology in the downstream of the Heihe River has been in balance in the maintenance and development stage, while desert riparian forest plants in the downstream of the Tarim River are still in severe arid stress.

[Attributes of forest infrastructure].

PubMed

Gao, Jun-kai; Jin, Ying-shan

2007-06-01

This paper discussed the origin and evolution of the conception of ecological infrastructure, the understanding of international communities about the functions of forest, the important roles of forest in China' s economic development and ecological security, and the situations and challenges to the ongoing forestry ecological restoration programs. It was suggested that forest should be defined as an essential infrastructure for national economic and social development in a modern society. The critical functions of forest infrastructure played in the transition of forestry ecological development were emphasized. Based on the synthesis of forest ecosystem features, it was considered that the attributes of forest infrastructure are distinctive, due to the fact that it is constructed by living biological material and diversified in ownership. The forestry ecological restoration program should not only follow the basic principles of infrastructural construction, but also take the special characteristics of forests into consideration in studying the managerial system of the programs. Some suggestions for the ongoing programs were put forward: 1) developing a modern concept of ecosystem where man and nature in harmony is the core, 2) formulating long-term stable investments for forestry ecological restoration programs, 3) implementing forestry ecological restoration programs based on infrastructure construction principles, and 4) managing forests according to the principles of infrastructural construction management.

Assessing the relationship between forests and water in the High Rock Lake Watershed of North Carolina

Treesearch

Tom A. Gerow; David G. Jones; Wenwu Tang

2016-01-01

Forests are recognized as a priority source of relatively high quality and reliable water, be it for human use or ecological function. The High Rock Lake watershed straddles the piedmont and foothill regions of North Carolina, and a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) restoration plan is being developed for the reservoir. The findings of the study should add to the body of...

An ecological aesthetic for forest landscape management

Treesearch

Paul H. Gobster

1999-01-01

Although aesthetics and ecological sustainability are two highly regared values of forest landscapes, practices developed to manage forests for these values can sometimes conflict with one another. In this paper I argue that such conflicts are rooted in our conception of forest aesthetics as scenery, and propose that a normative, "ecological aesthetic" based...

Tropical forests and the changing earth system.

PubMed

Lewis, Simon L

2006-01-29

Tropical forests are global epicentres of biodiversity and important modulators of the rate of climate change. Recent research on deforestation rates and ecological changes within intact forests, both areas of recent research and debate, are reviewed, and the implications for biodiversity (species loss) and climate change (via the global carbon cycle) addressed. Recent impacts have most likely been: (i) a large source of carbon to the atmosphere, and major loss of species, from deforestation and (ii) a large carbon sink within remaining intact forest, accompanied by accelerating forest dynamism and widespread biodiversity changes. Finally, I look to the future, suggesting that the current carbon sink in intact forests is unlikely to continue, and that the tropical forest biome may even become a large net source of carbon, via one or more of four plausible routes: changing photosynthesis and respiration rates, biodiversity changes in intact forest, widespread forest collapse via drought, and widespread forest collapse via fire. Each of these scenarios risks potentially dangerous positive feedbacks with the climate system that could dramatically accelerate and intensify climate change. Given that continued land-use change alone is already thought to be causing the sixth mass extinction event in Earth's history, should such feedbacks occur, the resulting biodiversity and societal consequences would be even more severe.

Deforestation effects on Amazon forest resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zemp, D. C.; Schleussner, C.-F.; Barbosa, H. M. J.; Rammig, A.

2017-06-01

Through vegetation-atmosphere feedbacks, rainfall reductions as a result of Amazon deforestation could reduce the resilience on the remaining forest to perturbations and potentially lead to large-scale Amazon forest loss. We track observation-based water fluxes from sources (evapotranspiration) to sinks (rainfall) to assess the effect of deforestation on continental rainfall. By studying 21st century deforestation scenarios, we show that deforestation can reduce dry season rainfall by up to 20% far from the deforested area, namely, over the western Amazon basin and the La Plata basin. As a consequence, forest resilience is systematically eroded in the southwestern region covering a quarter of the current Amazon forest. Our findings suggest that the climatological effects of deforestation can lead to permanent forest loss in this region. We identify hot spot regions where forest loss should be avoided to maintain the ecological integrity of the Amazon forest.

Forest economics, natural disturbances and the new ecology

Treesearch

Thomas P. Holmes; Robert J. Huggett; John M. Pye

2008-01-01

The major thesis of this chapter is that the economic analysis of forest disturbances will be enhanced by linking economic and ecologic models. Although we only review a limited number of concepts drawn generally from mathematical and empirical ecology, the overarching theme we present is that ecological models of forest disturbance processes are complex and not...

Tropical forests are a net carbon source based on aboveground measurements of gain and loss.

PubMed

Baccini, A; Walker, W; Carvalho, L; Farina, M; Sulla-Menashe, D; Houghton, R A

2017-10-13

The carbon balance of tropical ecosystems remains uncertain, with top-down atmospheric studies suggesting an overall sink and bottom-up ecological approaches indicating a modest net source. Here we use 12 years (2003 to 2014) of MODIS pantropical satellite data to quantify net annual changes in the aboveground carbon density of tropical woody live vegetation, providing direct, measurement-based evidence that the world's tropical forests are a net carbon source of 425.2 ± 92.0 teragrams of carbon per year (Tg C year -1 ). This net release of carbon consists of losses of 861.7 ± 80.2 Tg C year -1 and gains of 436.5 ± 31.0 Tg C year -1 Gains result from forest growth; losses result from deforestation and from reductions in carbon density within standing forests (degradation or disturbance), with the latter accounting for 68.9% of overall losses. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Biodiversity matters in feedbacks between climate change and air quality: a study using an individual-based model.

PubMed

Wang, Bin; Shuman, Jacquelyn; Shugart, Herman H; Lerdau, Manuel T

2018-03-30

Air quality is closely associated with climate change via the biosphere because plants release large quantities of volatile organic compounds (VOC) that mediate both gaseous pollutants and aerosol dynamics. Earlier studies, which considered only leaf physiology and simply scale up from leaf-level enhancements of emissions, suggest that climate warming enhances whole forest VOC emissions, and these increased VOC emissions aggravate ozone pollution and secondary organic aerosol formation. Using an individual-based forest VOC emissions model, UVAFME-VOC, that simulates system-level emissions by explicitly simulating forest community dynamics to the individual tree level, ecological competition among the individuals of differing size and age, and radiative transfer and leaf function through the canopy, we find that climate warming only sometimes stimulates isoprene emissions (the single largest source of non-methane hydrocarbon) in a southeastern U.S. forest. These complex patterns result from the combination of higher temperatures' stimulating emissions at the leaf level but decreasing the abundance of isoprene-emitting taxa at the community level by causing a decline in the abundance of isoprene-emitting species (Quercus spp.). This ecological effect eventually outweighs the physiological one, thus reducing overall emissions. Such reduced emissions have far-reaching implications for the climate-air-quality relationships that have been established on the paradigm of warming-enhancement VOC emissions from vegetation. This local scale modeling study suggests that community ecology rather than only individual physiology should be integrated into future studies of biosphere-climate-chemistry interactions. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

Regional forest resource assessment in an ecological framework: the Southern United States

Treesearch

Victor A. Rudis

1998-01-01

Information about forest resources grouped by ecologically homogeneous area can be used to discern relationships between those resources and ecological processes. The author used forest resource data from 0.4-ha plots, and data on population and land area (by county), together with a global-to-local hierarchical framework of land areas with similar ecological potential...

Genetics of forest trees

Treesearch

Jessica Wright

2014-01-01

Combining data from provenance test studies with our current understanding of predicted climate change can be a powerful tool for informing reforestation efforts. However, the limitations of both sources of data need to be understood to develop an approach to ecological restoration that reduces risk and promotes the highest chance of successful reforestation.

Watershed and stream ecosystems

Treesearch

Carolyn T. Hunsaker; Jonathan W. Long; David B. Herbst

2014-01-01

Water and aquatic ecosystems in the synthesis area have high social, cultural, and ecological values. National forests in the synthesis area are a major source of water supply, hydropower, and recreational activity for much of California. Recent research has provided more information on water and nutrient budgets; these data are fundamental to understanding the...

Ecological interactions among phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an agroforestry environment of northeast Brazil.

PubMed

Pinheiro, Marcos Paulo Gomes; Silva, José Hilário Tavares; Cavalcanti, Katrine Bezerra; de Azevedo, Paulo Roberto Medeiros; de Melo Ximenes, Maria de Fátima Freire

2013-12-01

Phlebotomine vectors transmit parasites and can cause visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or cutaneous leishmaniasis (TL). Phlebotomine females are hematophagous but need to ingest carbohydrates, possibly promoting the development of protozoan parasites in their digestive tract. The present study evaluated the species composition and abundance across several habitats in a metropolitan landscape, as well as associations among phlebotomines, plants, and local climatic parameters. Three consecutive monthly collections were carried out in an Atlantic Forest fragment, using CDC light traps in peridomestic areas and cashew, coconut, and mango tree. plantations. Eight species of phlebotomine were captured: Evandromyia evandroi, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Psathyromyia shannoni, Sciopemyia sordellii, Evandromyia walkeri, Psychodopygus wellcomei, Nyssomyia whitmani, and Nyssomyia intermedia, primarily from the forest environment. L. longipalpis was confirmed as a species adapted to anthropic environments, while P. wellcomei was shown to be predominately forest-dwelling. Phlebotomines exhibited diversified food consumption patterns in relation to carbohydrate sources. They fed on both native and exotic species of arboreal and shrubby vegetables and gramineous plants. © 2013 The Society for Vector Ecology.

Bank-derived material dominates fluvial sediment in a suburban Chesapeake Bay watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cashman, M. J.; Gellis, A.; Gorman-Sanisaca, L.; Noe, G. B.; Cogliandro, V.; Baker, A.

2017-12-01

Excess fine sediment is a leading cause of ecological degradation within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Piedmont physiographic province, which includes parts of the Washington, D.C. metro area, has the highest sediment yields in the Chesapeake Bay. In order to effectively employ sediment mitigation measures, it is necessary to identify and quantify the contributions of sediments sources within rapidly urbanizing areas in the Piedmont. This sediment fingerprinting study examines the inputs of various sediment sources to Upper Difficult Run (14.2 km2; 22.6% impervious surface), an urbanized watershed in Fairfax County, Virginia. A source sediment library was constructed from collections of stream bank material, forest soils, and road dust from across the watershed. Target fluvial sediments were collected from fine channel margin deposits and from suspended sediment using an autosampler during 16 storm events from 2008 - 2012. Apportionment of the target samples to the source sediments was performed using Sed_SAT, a publically available toolkit for sediment fingerprinting. Bed sediment was found to be dominated by stream bank sources (mean: 96%), with minor contributions from forest (4%) and no detectable contribution from roads (0%). Suspended fine sediments were also found to predominantly originate from stream bank sources (SSC-weighted mean: 91%), with minor contributions from roads (8%), and negligible contributions from forests (1%). Stream bank sources dominated at all discharges, with the greatest contributions from overland sources found only at low discharges. On the rising limb of the hydrograph and at peak flow, sediment concentrations increased due to increasing contributions of bank material rather than surface erosion caused by overland flow. Results demonstrate that stream bank erosion is responsible for the vast majority of fine sediment occurring in this suburban basin of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This is likely a consequence of storm-water energy characteristics in urbanized watersheds resulting in channel widening and bank failure. Thus, bank stabilization, channel restoration, and/or storm water management to attenuate stream energy may improve the ecological condition of these waterbodies.

Fire ecology of western Montana forest habitat types

Treesearch

William C. Fischer; Anne F. Bradley

1987-01-01

Provides information on fire as an ecological factor for forest habitat types in western Montana. Identifies Fire Groups of habitat types based on fire's role in forest succession. Describes forest fuels and suggests considerations for fire management.

Climate Change Effects of Forest Management and Substitution of Carbon-Intensive Materials and Fossil Fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sathre, R.; Gustavsson, L.; Haus, S.; Lundblad, M.; Lundström, A.; Ortiz, C.; Truong, N.; Wikberg, P. E.

2016-12-01

Forests can play several roles in climate change mitigation strategies, for example as a reservoir for storing carbon and as a source of renewable materials and energy. To better understand the linkages and possible trade-offs between different forest management strategies, we conduct an integrated analysis where both sequestration of carbon in growing forests and the effects of substituting carbon intensive products within society are considered. We estimate the climate effects of directing forest management in Sweden towards increased carbon storage in forests, with more land set-aside for protection, or towards increased forest production for the substitution of carbon-intensive materials and fossil fuels, relative to a reference case of current forest management. We develop various scenarios of forest management and biomass use to estimate the carbon balances of the forest systems, including ecological and technological components, and their impacts on the climate in terms of cumulative radiative forcing over a 100-year period. For the reference case of current forest management, increasing the harvest of forest residues is found to give increased climate benefits. A scenario with increased set-aside area and the current level of forest residue harvest begins with climate benefits compared to the reference scenario, but the benefits cannot be sustained for 100 years because the rate of carbon storage in set-aside forests diminishes over time as the forests mature, but the demand for products and fuels remains. The most climatically beneficial scenario, expressed as reduced cumulative radiative forcing, in both the short and long terms is a strategy aimed at high forest production, high residue recovery rate, and high efficiency utilization of harvested biomass. Active forest management with high harvest level and efficient forest product utilization will provide more climate benefit, compared to reducing harvest and storing more carbon in the forest. Figure. Schematic diagram of complete modelled forest system including ecological and technological components, showing major flows of carbon.

Coast redwood ecological types of southern Monterey County, California

Treesearch

Mark Borchert; Daniel Segotta; Michael D. Purser

1988-01-01

An ecological classification system has been developed for the Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service. As part of this classification effort, coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests of southern Monterey County in the Los Padres National Forest were classified into six ecological types using vegetation, soils and geomorphology taken from...

Perceptions of environmental change and use of traditional knowledge to plan riparian forest restoration with relocated communities in Alcântara, Eastern Amazon.

PubMed

Celentano, Danielle; Rousseau, Guillaume Xavier; Engel, Vera Lex; Façanha, Cristiane Lima; Oliveira, Elivaldo Moreira de; Moura, Emanoel Gomes de

2014-01-27

Riparian forests provide ecosystem services that are essential for human well-being. The Pepital River is the main water supply for Alcântara (Brazil) and its forests are disappearing. This is affecting water volume and distribution in the region. Promoting forest restoration is imperative. In deprived regions, restoration success depends on the integration of ecology, livelihoods and traditional knowledge (TEK). In this study, an interdisciplinary research framework is proposed to design riparian forest restoration strategies based on ecological data, TEK and social needs. This study takes place in a region presenting a complex history of human relocation and land tenure. Local populations from seven villages were surveyed to document livelihood (including 'free-listing' of agricultural crops and homegarden tree species). Additionally, their perceptions toward environmental changes were explored through semi-structured interviews (n = 79). Ethnobotanical information on forest species and their uses were assessed by local-specialists (n = 19). Remnants of conserved forests were surveyed to access ecological information on tree species (three plots of 1,000 m2). Results included descriptive statistics, frequency and Smith’s index of salience of the free-list results. The local population depends primarily on slash-and-burn subsistence agriculture to meet their needs. Interviewees showed a strong empirical knowledge about the environmental problems of the river, and of their causes, consequences and potential solutions. Twenty-four tree species (dbh > 10 cm) were found at the reference sites. Tree density averaged 510 individuals per hectare (stdv = 91.6); and 12 species were considered the most abundant (density > 10ind/ha). There was a strong consensus among plant-specialists about the most important trees. The species lists from reference sites and plant-specialists presented an important convergence. Slash-and-burn agriculture is the main source of livelihood but also the main driver of forest degradation. Effective restoration approaches must transform problems into solutions by empowering local people. Successional agroforestry combining annual crops and trees may be a suitable transitional phase for restoration. The model must be designed collectively and include species of ecological, cultural, and socioeconomic value. In deprived communities of the Amazon, forest restoration must be a process that combines environmental and social gains.

Perceptions of environmental change and use of traditional knowledge to plan riparian forest restoration with relocated communities in Alcântara, Eastern Amazon

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Riparian forests provide ecosystem services that are essential for human well-being. The Pepital River is the main water supply for Alcântara (Brazil) and its forests are disappearing. This is affecting water volume and distribution in the region. Promoting forest restoration is imperative. In deprived regions, restoration success depends on the integration of ecology, livelihoods and traditional knowledge (TEK). In this study, an interdisciplinary research framework is proposed to design riparian forest restoration strategies based on ecological data, TEK and social needs. Methods This study takes place in a region presenting a complex history of human relocation and land tenure. Local populations from seven villages were surveyed to document livelihood (including ‘free-listing’ of agricultural crops and homegarden tree species). Additionally, their perceptions toward environmental changes were explored through semi-structured interviews (n = 79). Ethnobotanical information on forest species and their uses were assessed by local-specialists (n = 19). Remnants of conserved forests were surveyed to access ecological information on tree species (three plots of 1,000 m2). Results included descriptive statistics, frequency and Smith’s index of salience of the free-list results. Results The local population depends primarily on slash-and-burn subsistence agriculture to meet their needs. Interviewees showed a strong empirical knowledge about the environmental problems of the river, and of their causes, consequences and potential solutions. Twenty-four tree species (dbh > 10 cm) were found at the reference sites. Tree density averaged 510 individuals per hectare (stdv = 91.6); and 12 species were considered the most abundant (density > 10ind/ha). There was a strong consensus among plant-specialists about the most important trees. The species lists from reference sites and plant-specialists presented an important convergence. Conclusions Slash-and-burn agriculture is the main source of livelihood but also the main driver of forest degradation. Effective restoration approaches must transform problems into solutions by empowering local people. Successional agroforestry combining annual crops and trees may be a suitable transitional phase for restoration. The model must be designed collectively and include species of ecological, cultural, and socioeconomic value. In deprived communities of the Amazon, forest restoration must be a process that combines environmental and social gains. PMID:24468421

Using a Forest Health Index as an Outreach Tool for Improving Public Understanding of Ecosystem Dynamics and Research-Based Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osenga, E. C.; Cundiff, J.; Arnott, J. C.; Katzenberger, J.; Taylor, J. R.; Jack-Scott, E.

2015-12-01

An interactive tool called the Forest Health Index (FHI) has been developed for the Roaring Fork watershed of Colorado, with the purpose of improving public understanding of local forest management and ecosystem dynamics. The watershed contains large areas of White River National Forest, which plays a significant role in the local economy, particularly for recreation and tourism. Local interest in healthy forests is therefore strong, but public understanding of forest ecosystems is often simplified. This can pose challenges for land managers and researchers seeking a scientifically informed approach to forest restoration, management, and planning. Now in its second iteration, the FHI is a tool designed to help bridge that gap. The FHI uses a suite of indicators to create a numeric rating of forest functionality and change, based on the desired forest state in relation to four categories: Ecological Integrity, Public Health and Safety, Ecosystem Services, and Sustainable Use and Management. The rating is based on data derived from several sources including local weather stations, stream gauge data, SNOTEL sites, and National Forest Service archives. In addition to offering local outreach and education, this project offers broader insight into effective communication methods, as well as into the challenges of using quantitative analysis to rate ecosystem health. Goals of the FHI include its use in schools as a means of using local data and place-based learning to teach basic math and science concepts, improved public understanding of ecological complexity and need for ongoing forest management, and, in the future, its use as a model for outreach tools in other forested communities in the Intermountain West.

Design and realization of disaster assessment algorithm after forest fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Aijun; Wang, Danfeng; Tang, Lihua

2008-10-01

Based on GIS technology, this paper mainly focuses on the application of disaster assessment algorithm after forest fire and studies on the design and realization of disaster assessment based on GIS. After forest fire through the analysis and processing of multi-sources and heterogeneous data, this paper integrates the foundation that the domestic and foreign scholars laid of the research on assessment for forest fire loss with the related knowledge of assessment, accounting and forest resources appraisal so as to study and approach the theory framework and assessment index of the research on assessment for forest fire loss. The technologies of extracting boundary, overlay analysis, and division processing of multi-sources spatial data are available to realize the application of the investigation method of the burnt forest area and the computation of the fire area. The assessment provides evidence for fire cleaning in burnt areas and new policy making on restoration in terms of the direct and the indirect economic loss and ecological and environmental damage caused by forest fire under the condition of different fire danger classes and different amounts of forest accumulation, thus makes forest resources protection operated in a faster, more efficient and more economical way. Finally, this paper takes Lin'an city of Zhejiang province as a test area to confirm the method mentioned in the paper in terms of key technologies.

Biotic Nitrogen Enrichment Regulates Calcium Sources to Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pett-Ridge, J. C.; Perakis, S. S.; Hynicka, J. D.

2015-12-01

Calcium is an essential nutrient in forest ecosystems that is susceptible to leaching loss and depletion. Calcium depletion can affect plant and animal productivity, soil acid buffering capacity, and fluxes of carbon and water. Excess nitrogen supply and associated soil acidification are often implicated in short-term calcium loss from soils, but the long-term role of nitrogen enrichment on calcium sources and resupply is unknown. Here we use strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) as a proxy for calcium to investigate how soil nitrogen enrichment from biological nitrogen fixation interacts with bedrock calcium to regulate both short-term available supplies and the long-term sources of calcium in montane conifer forests. Our study examines 22 sites in western Oregon, spanning a 20-fold range of bedrock calcium on sedimentary and basaltic lithologies. In contrast to previous studies emphasizing abiotic control of weathering as a determinant of long-term ecosystem calcium dynamics and sources (via bedrock fertility, climate, or topographic/tectonic controls) we find instead that that biotic nitrogen enrichment of soil can strongly regulate calcium sources and supplies in forest ecosystems. For forests on calcium-rich basaltic bedrock, increasing nitrogen enrichment causes calcium sources to shift from rock-weathering to atmospheric dominance, with minimal influence from other major soil forming factors, despite regionally high rates of tectonic uplift and erosion that can rejuvenate weathering supply of soil minerals. For forests on calcium-poor sedimentary bedrock, we find that atmospheric inputs dominate regardless of degree of nitrogen enrichment. Short-term measures of soil and ecosystem calcium fertility are decoupled from calcium source sustainability, with fundamental implications for understanding nitrogen impacts, both in natural ecosystems and in the context of global change. Our finding that long-term nitrogen enrichment increases forest reliance on atmospheric calcium helps explain reports of greater ecological calcium limitation in an increasingly nitrogen-rich world.

Social and ecological synergy: local rulemaking, forest livelihoods, and biodiversity conservation.

PubMed

Persha, Lauren; Agrawal, Arun; Chhatre, Ashwini

2011-03-25

Causal pathways to achieve social and ecological benefits from forests are unclear, because there are few systematic multicountry empirical analyses that identify important factors and their complex relationships with social and ecological outcomes. This study examines biodiversity conservation and forest-based livelihood outcomes using a data set on 84 sites from six countries in East Africa and South Asia. We find both positive and negative relationships, leading to joint wins, losses, and trade-offs depending on specific contextual factors; participation in forest governance institutions by local forest users is strongly associated with jointly positive outcomes for forests in our study.

Disturbance ecology and forest management: A review of the literature

Treesearch

Paul Rogers

1996-01-01

This review of the disturbance ecology literature, and how it pertains to forest management, is a resource for forest managers and researchers interested in disturbance theory, specific disturbance agents, their interactions, and appropriate methods of inquiry for specific geographic regions. Implications for the future of disturbance ecology-based management are...

Floating Forests: Validation of a Citizen Science Effort to Answer Global Ecological Questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenthal, I.; Byrnes, J.; Cavanaugh, K. C.; Haupt, A. J.; Trouille, L.; Bell, T. W.; Rassweiler, A.; Pérez-Matus, A.; Assis, J.

2017-12-01

Researchers undertaking long term, large-scale ecological analyses face significant challenges for data collection and processing. Crowdsourcing via citizen science can provide an efficient method for analyzing large data sets. However, many scientists have raised questions about the quality of data collected by citizen scientists. Here we use Floating-Forests (http://floatingforests.org), a citizen science platform for creating a global time series of giant kelp abundance, to show that ensemble classifications of satellite data can ensure data quality. Citizen scientists view satellite images of coastlines and classify kelp forests by tracing all visible patches of kelp. Each image is classified by fifteen citizen scientists before being retired. To validate citizen science results, all fifteen classifications are converted to a raster and overlaid on a calibration dataset generated from previous studies. Results show that ensemble classifications from citizen scientists are consistently accurate when compared to calibration data. Given that all source images were acquired by Landsat satellites, we expect this consistency to hold across all regions. At present, we have over 6000 web-based citizen scientists' classifications of almost 2.5 million images of kelp forests in California and Tasmania. These results are not only useful for remote sensing of kelp forests, but also for a wide array of applications that combine citizen science with remote sensing.

Complex Network Simulation of Forest Network Spatial Pattern in Pearl River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Y.

2017-09-01

Forest network-construction uses for the method and model with the scale-free features of complex network theory based on random graph theory and dynamic network nodes which show a power-law distribution phenomenon. The model is suitable for ecological disturbance by larger ecological landscape Pearl River Delta consistent recovery. Remote sensing and GIS spatial data are available through the latest forest patches. A standard scale-free network node distribution model calculates the area of forest network's power-law distribution parameter value size; The recent existing forest polygons which are defined as nodes can compute the network nodes decaying index value of the network's degree distribution. The parameters of forest network are picked up then make a spatial transition to GIS real world models. Hence the connection is automatically generated by minimizing the ecological corridor by the least cost rule between the near nodes. Based on scale-free network node distribution requirements, select the number compared with less, a huge point of aggregation as a future forest planning network's main node, and put them with the existing node sequence comparison. By this theory, the forest ecological projects in the past avoid being fragmented, scattered disorderly phenomena. The previous regular forest networks can be reduced the required forest planting costs by this method. For ecological restoration of tropical and subtropical in south China areas, it will provide an effective method for the forest entering city project guidance and demonstration with other ecological networks (water, climate network, etc.) for networking a standard and base datum.

a long, long time ago...

Treesearch

Elliot West; Greg Ruark

2004-01-01

Riparian areas - lang adjacent to a streambank or other water body - filtering nonpoint source pollution. Unfortunately the riparian areas of today, include only narrow bands of forests, or no woody vegetation. This greatly minimizes their ecological function. In deciding how to manage these areas, knowing the natural riparian makeup before humans settled in the area...

Facing climate change in forests and fields

Treesearch

Amy Daniels; Nancy Shaw; Dave Peterson; Keith Nislow; Monica Tomosy; Mary Rowland

2014-01-01

As a growing body of science shows, climate change impacts on wildlife are already profound - from shifting species' ranges and altering the synchronicity of food sources to changing the availability of water. Such impacts are only expected to increase in the coming decades. As climate change shapes complex, interwoven ecological processes, novel conditions and...

Natural Resource Management based on Gender Perspectives and Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge of the Tepera in Jayapura, Papua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumbiak, W. A.; Wambrauw, E. V.

2018-05-01

The Tepera in Jayapura Regency have a traditional ecological concept of managing their natural resources which evolved over generations. The spatial concept of their resources management is recorded visually on mental maps. The existing conditions of the landscape, forest, coastal area, and sea are considered heritage and have economic, ecological, and cultural values. The people have their own perspectives on the relationship between the resources management, cultural values, gender perspectives, and development. Thus, this research aims to identify the gender perspective in the natural resource management and environmental services; and to analyse the sustainable pattern of the land use and cultural zoning in the resources management. The methodology comprises grounded research and Participatory Action Research. This research has three findings, i.e., the tribe named the landscape; they have developed a zoning system to manage the forest traditionally; and there is a difference in perception between men and women regarding the type of forest and landscape related to food and traditional medicine sources. Therefore, it is important to incorporate the concept of managing the environment and the cultural zones of the Tepera in the programs of the local government to direct the development in sustainable way. In addition, the female participation in managing the environment should be improved, especially related to domestic aspects.

Reconciling multiple data sources to improve accuracy of large-scale prediction of forest disease incidence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanks, E.M.; Hooten, M.B.; Baker, F.A.

2011-01-01

Ecological spatial data often come from multiple sources, varying in extent and accuracy. We describe a general approach to reconciling such data sets through the use of the Bayesian hierarchical framework. This approach provides a way for the data sets to borrow strength from one another while allowing for inference on the underlying ecological process. We apply this approach to study the incidence of eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum) in Minnesota black spruce (Picea mariana). A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources operational inventory of black spruce stands in northern Minnesota found mistletoe in 11% of surveyed stands, while a small, specific-pest survey found mistletoe in 56% of the surveyed stands. We reconcile these two surveys within a Bayesian hierarchical framework and predict that 35-59% of black spruce stands in northern Minnesota are infested with dwarf mistletoe. ?? 2011 by the Ecological Society of America.

Emissions of N2O, CH4 and CO2 from tropical forest soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Michael; Kaplan, Warren A.; Wofsy, Steven C.

1986-01-01

Emissions of nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide were measured at diverse locations in tropical forests of Brazil, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico using a static open chamber technique. Mean fluxes to the atmosphere were 1.7 x 10 to the 10th, -0.7 x 10 to the 10th, and 1.5 x 10 to the 14th molecules/sq cm per s for N2O, CH4, and CO2, respectively. The data indicate that tropical forests contribute a significant fraction of the global source for atmospheric N2O, about 40 percent of the current source, and possibly 75 percent of the preindustrial source. Methane is consumed by soils on average, but the sink is an insignificant part (less than 5 percent) of the atmospheric cycle for the gas. Emissions of CO2 from forest soils are higher at equatorial sites than at middle or high latitudes, as expected from ecological considerations. Soils emit CO2 at rates more than twice as large as the rate of carbon infall in litter; hence much of the emitted CO2 must arise from root metabolism.

Fire ecology of forests and woodlands in Utah

Treesearch

Anne F. Bradley; Nonan V. Noste; William C. Fischer

1992-01-01

Provides information on fire as an ecological factor in forest habitat types, and in pinyon-juniper woodland and oak-maple brushland communities occurring in Utah. Identifies Fire Groups based on fire's role in forest succession. Describes forest fuels and suggests considerations for fire management.

Fire ecology of the forest habitat types of eastern Idaho and western Wyoming

Treesearch

Anne F. Bradley; William C. Fischer; Nonan V. Noste

1992-01-01

Provides information on fire as an ecological factor in the forest habitat types occurring in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. Identifies Fire Groups based on fire's role in forest succession. Describes forest fuels and suggests considerations for fire management.

Taxonomic and functional composition of arthropod assemblages across contrasting Amazonian forests.

PubMed

Lamarre, Greg P A; Hérault, Bruno; Fine, Paul V A; Vedel, Vincent; Lupoli, Roland; Mesones, Italo; Baraloto, Christopher

2016-01-01

Arthropods represent most of global biodiversity, with the highest diversity found in tropical rain forests. Nevertheless, we have a very incomplete understanding of how tropical arthropod communities are assembled. We conducted a comprehensive mass sampling of arthropod communities within three major habitat types of lowland Amazonian rain forest, including terra firme clay, white-sand and seasonally flooded forests in Peru and French Guiana. We examined how taxonomic and functional composition (at the family level) differed across these habitat types in the two regions. The overall arthropod community composition exhibited strong turnover among habitats and between regions. In particular, seasonally flooded forest habitats of both regions comprised unique assemblages. Overall, 17·7% (26 of 147) of arthropod families showed significant preferences for a particular habitat type. We present a first reproducible arthropod functional classification among the 147 taxa based on similarity among 21 functional traits describing feeding source, major mouthparts and microhabitats inhabited by each taxon. We identified seven distinct functional groups whose relative abundance contrasted strongly across the three habitats, with sap and leaf feeders showing higher abundances in terra firme clay forest. Our novel arthropod functional classification provides an important complement to link these contrasting patterns of composition to differences in forest functioning across geographical and environmental gradients. This study underlines that both environment and biogeographical processes are responsible for driving arthropod taxonomic composition while environmental filtering is the main driver of the variance in functional composition. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2015 British Ecological Society.

A global meta-analysis on the ecological drivers of forest restoration success

PubMed Central

Crouzeilles, Renato; Curran, Michael; Ferreira, Mariana S.; Lindenmayer, David B.; Grelle, Carlos E. V.; Rey Benayas, José M.

2016-01-01

Two billion ha have been identified globally for forest restoration. Our meta-analysis encompassing 221 study landscapes worldwide reveals forest restoration enhances biodiversity by 15–84% and vegetation structure by 36–77%, compared with degraded ecosystems. For the first time, we identify the main ecological drivers of forest restoration success (defined as a return to a reference condition, that is, old-growth forest) at both the local and landscape scale. These are as follows: the time elapsed since restoration began, disturbance type and landscape context. The time elapsed since restoration began strongly drives restoration success in secondary forests, but not in selectively logged forests (which are more ecologically similar to reference systems). Landscape restoration will be most successful when previous disturbance is less intensive and habitat is less fragmented in the landscape. Restoration does not result in full recovery of biodiversity and vegetation structure, but can complement old-growth forests if there is sufficient time for ecological succession. PMID:27193756

The Eastern Arc Mountains and coastal forests of East Africa-an archive to understand large-scale biogeographical patterns: Pseudotomias, a new genus of African Pseudophyllinae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae).

PubMed

Hemp, Claudia

2016-06-21

A new genus of Pseudophyllinae restricted to East Africa is described. Data on the ecology, and the habitat are provided. The biogeographical pattern and morphology suggests an old radiation since Tomias from Central and West Africa is the closest relative to Pseudotomias. The old forests of East Africa could hereby be the source of representatives of this old radiation since venation is less reduced in East African taxa of Phyllomimini.

Ecology of Canada lynx in southern boreal forests [Chapter 13

Treesearch

Keith B. Aubry; Gary M. Koehler; John R. Squires

2000-01-01

Canada lynx occur throughout boreal forests of North America, but ecological conditions in southern regions differ in many respects from those in Canada and Alaska. To evaluate the extent to which lynx ecology and population biology may differ between these regions, we review existing information from southern boreal forests and compare our findings to...

Population genetics meets ecological genomics and community ecology in Cornus Florida

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Understanding evolutionary/ecological consequences of alien pests on native forests is important to conservation. Cornus florida L. subsp. florida is an ecologically important understory tree in forests of the eastern United States but faces heavy mortality from dogwood anthracnose. Understanding ge...

Cultural and Environmental Predictors of Pre-European Deforestation on Pacific Islands

PubMed Central

Coomber, Ties; Passmore, Sam; Greenhill, Simon J.; Kushnick, Geoff

2016-01-01

The varied islands of the Pacific provide an ideal natural experiment for studying the factors shaping human impact on the environment. Previous research into pre-European deforestation across the Pacific indicated a major effect of environment but did not account for cultural variation or control for dependencies in the data due to shared cultural ancestry and geographic proximity. The relative importance of environment and culture on Pacific deforestation and forest replacement and the extent to which environmental impact is constrained by cultural ancestry therefore remain unexplored. Here we use comparative phylogenetic methods to model the effect of nine ecological and two cultural variables on pre-European Pacific forest outcomes at 80 locations across 67 islands. We show that some but not all ecological features remain important predictors of forest outcomes after accounting for cultural covariates and non-independence in the data. Controlling for ecology, cultural variation in agricultural intensification predicts deforestation and forest replacement, and there is some evidence that land tenure norms predict forest replacement. These findings indicate that, alongside ecology, cultural factors also predict pre-European Pacific forest outcomes. Although forest outcomes covary with cultural ancestry, this effect disappears after controlling for geographic proximity and ecology. This suggests that forest outcomes were not tightly constrained by colonists’ cultural ancestry, but instead reflect a combination of ecological constraints and the short-term responses of each culture in the face of those constraints. PMID:27232713

Cultural and Environmental Predictors of Pre-European Deforestation on Pacific Islands.

PubMed

Atkinson, Quentin D; Coomber, Ties; Passmore, Sam; Greenhill, Simon J; Kushnick, Geoff

2016-01-01

The varied islands of the Pacific provide an ideal natural experiment for studying the factors shaping human impact on the environment. Previous research into pre-European deforestation across the Pacific indicated a major effect of environment but did not account for cultural variation or control for dependencies in the data due to shared cultural ancestry and geographic proximity. The relative importance of environment and culture on Pacific deforestation and forest replacement and the extent to which environmental impact is constrained by cultural ancestry therefore remain unexplored. Here we use comparative phylogenetic methods to model the effect of nine ecological and two cultural variables on pre-European Pacific forest outcomes at 80 locations across 67 islands. We show that some but not all ecological features remain important predictors of forest outcomes after accounting for cultural covariates and non-independence in the data. Controlling for ecology, cultural variation in agricultural intensification predicts deforestation and forest replacement, and there is some evidence that land tenure norms predict forest replacement. These findings indicate that, alongside ecology, cultural factors also predict pre-European Pacific forest outcomes. Although forest outcomes covary with cultural ancestry, this effect disappears after controlling for geographic proximity and ecology. This suggests that forest outcomes were not tightly constrained by colonists' cultural ancestry, but instead reflect a combination of ecological constraints and the short-term responses of each culture in the face of those constraints.

Studying dissolved organic carbon export from the Penobscot Watershed in to Gulf of Maine using Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouhani, S. F. B. B.; Schaaf, C.; Douglas, E. M.; Choate, J. S.; Yang, Y.; Kim, J.

2014-12-01

The movement of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) from terrestrial system into aquatic system plays an important role for carbon sequestration in ecosystems and affects the formation of soil organic matters.Carbon cycling, storage, and transport to marine systems have become critical issues in global-change science, especially with regard to northern latitudes (Freeman et al., 2001; Benner et al., 2004). DOC, as an important composition of the carbon cycling, leaches from the terrestrial watersheds is a large source of marine DOC. The Penobscot River basin in north-central Maine is the second largest watershed in New England, which drains in to Gulf of Maine. Approximately 89% of the watershed is forested (Griffith and Alerich, 1996).Studying temporal and spatial changes in DOC export can help us to understand terrestrial carbon cycling and to detect any shifts from carbon sink to carbon source or visa versa in northern latitude forested ecosystems.Despite for the importance of understanding carbon cycling in terrestrial and aquatic biogeochemistry, the Doc export, especially the combination of DOC production from bio-system and DOC transportation from the terrestrial in to stream has been lightly discussed in most conceptual or numerical models. The Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys), which has been successfully applied in many study sites, is a physical process based terrestrial model that has the ability to simulate both the source and transportation of DOC by combining both hydrological and ecological processes. The focus of this study is on simulating the DOC concentration and flux from the land to the water using RHESSys in the Penobscot watershed. The simulated results will be compared with field measurement of DOC from the watershed to explore the spatial and temporal DOC export pattern. This study will also enhance our knowledge to select sampling locations properly and also improve our understanding on DOC production and transportation in terrestrial forest ecosystem.

Fire ecology of Montana forest habitat types east of the Continental Divide

Treesearch

William C. Fischer; Bruce D. Clayton

1983-01-01

Provides information on fire as an ecological factor for forest habitat types occurring east of the Continental Divide in Montana. Identifies "Fire Groups" of habitat types based on fire's role in forest succession. Describes forest fuels and suggests considerations for fire management.

Fire ecology of the forest habitat types of central Idaho

Treesearch

M. F. Crane; William C. Fischer

1986-01-01

Discusses fire as an ecological factor for forest habitat types occurring in central Idaho. Identifies "Fire Groups" of habitat types based on fire's role in forest succession. Considerations for fire management are suggested.

Forest Fire Ecology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zucca, Carol; And Others

1995-01-01

Presents a model that integrates high school science with the needs of the local scientific community. Describes how a high school ecology class conducted scientific research in fire ecology that benefited the students and a state park forest ecologist. (MKR)

Proceedings from the conference on the ecology and management of high-elevation forests in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains

Treesearch

James S. Rentch; Thomas M. Schuler

2010-01-01

The proceedings includes 18 peer-reviewed papers and 41 abstracts pertaining to acid deposition and nutrient cycling, ecological classification, forest dynamics, avifauna, wildlife and fisheries, forests pests, climate change, old-growth forest structure, regeneration, and restoration.

Agriculture expansion, wood energy and woody encroachment in the Miombo woodlands: striving towards sustainability in Zambia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelletier, J.

2017-12-01

Agricultural expansion is mostly done at the expense of forests and woodlands in the tropics. In Sub-Saharan Africa, forests are also critical as providers of wood energy for domestic consumption with a clear majority of households depending on firewood and charcoal as primary source of energy. Using Zambia as a case study, we look at the link between agricultural expansion, wood energy and the sustainability of forest resources. Zambia has been identified as having one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, but there is large uncertainty in these estimates. The government of Zambia has identified charcoal production as one of the main of drivers of forest cover loss and is targeting this practice in their national strategy for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). Other assessment however indicate that agricultural expansion is by far the main driver of deforestation and charcoal production is sustainable in Zambia. These competing evaluations call for a better understanding of the drivers of change. Using two national-scale vegetation surveys and remote sensing data, we compare and validate historical forest cover loss estimates to improve their accuracy. We attribute the change and their associated emissions to specific drivers of deforestation. The ecological properties of areas under change are compared to stable areas over time. Our results from national permanent plots indicate a woody encroachment process in Zambia, a potential ecological response to rising CO2 levels. We found that despite large emissions from deforestation, forests and woodlands have been acting as a carbon sink. This research addresses directly the potential feedbacks and responses to competing demands on forests coming from different sectors, including for agriculture and energy, to set the baseline on which to evaluate forest sustainability now and in the future given potentially new ecological conditions. It provides policy relevant information on drivers of deforestation for orienting the policy response for transitioning towards a low-carbon development pathway, ensuring food security and securing livelihood needs in sustainable wood energy.

Short-term ecological consequences of collaborative restoration treatments in ponderosa pine forests of Colorado

Treesearch

Jennifer S. Briggs; Paula J. Fornwalt; Jonas A. Feinstein

2017-01-01

Ecological restoration treatments are being implemented at an increasing rate in ponderosa pine and other dry conifer forests across the western United States, via the USDA Forest Service’s Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) program. In this program, collaborative stakeholder groups work with National Forests (NFs) to adaptively implement and monitor...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamel, D.R.

This paper identifies the kinds of risk assessments being done by or for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. Summaries of data sources currently in use and the pesticide risk assessments completed by the agency or its contractors are discussed. An overview is provided of the agency`s standard operating procedures for the conduct of toxicological, ecological, environmental fate, and human health risk assessments.

Source water contributions and hydrologic responses to simulated emerald ash borer infestations in depressional black ash wetlands

Treesearch

Matthew J. Van Grinsven; Joseph P. Shannon; Joshua C. Davis; Nicholas W. Bolton; Joseph W. Wagenbrenner; Randall K. Kolka; Thomas Grant Pypker

2017-01-01

Forested wetlands dominated by black ash (Fraxinus nigra) are currently threatened by the rapid expansion of the exotic emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis, Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in North America, and very little is known about the hydrology and ecology of black ash wetlands. The ecohydrological response of...

Testing ecoregions in Kentucky and Tennessee with satellite imagery and Forest Inventory data

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab; F. Thomas Lloyd

2009-01-01

Ecoregions are large mapped areas of hypothesized ecological uniformity that are delineated subjectively based on multiple physical and biological components. Ecoregion maps are seldom evaluated because suitable data sets are often lacking. Landsat imagery is a readily available, low-cost source of archived data that can be used to calculate the normalized difference...

Forest on the edge: Seasonal cloud forest in Oman creates its own ecological niche

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hildebrandt, Anke; Eltahir, Elfatih A. B.

2006-06-01

Cloud forests usually grow in the moist tropics where water is not a limiting factor to plant growth. Here, for the first time, we describe the hydrology of a water limited seasonal cloud forest in the Dhofar mountains of Oman. This ecosystem is under significant stress from camels feeding on tree canopies. The Dhofar forests are the remnants of a moist vegetation belt, which once spread across the Arabian Peninsula. According to our investigation the process of cloud immersion during the summer season creates within this desert a niche for moist woodland vegetation. Woodland vegetation survives in this ecosystem, sustained through enhanced capture of cloud water by their canopies (horizontal precipitation). Degraded land lacks this additional water source, which inhibits re-establishment of trees. Our modeling results suggest that cattle feeding may lead to irreversible destruction of one of the most diverse ecosystems in Arabia.

[Decline of protective forest and its prevention strategies from viewpoint of restoration ecology: taking Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantation in Zhanggutai as an example].

PubMed

Jiang, Fengqi; Zeng, Dehui; Yu, Zhanyuan

2006-12-01

Aimed at the decline of protective forest in China, and applying the key principles of restoration ecology, such as ecological succession, disturbance, and population density, etc., this paper assessed the rationality of designing elements of protective forest in decision-making level, and analyzed its relationships with the decline of the forest, taking Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantation in Zhanggutai sandy land as an example. It was considered that the disagreement of large-scale afforestation with succession climax in regional scale was aberrant to the ecological principles, and resulted in the aberrancy of the objectives, steps, species composition, and stand density of protective forest establishment, being the main cause of protective forest decline. Mismanagement and frequent natural and human disturbances were also the important causes for the decline. Three strategies for preventing the decline, i.e., better understanding damaged ecosystems, increasing material and energy input, and overcoming disturbances were put forward, and the objectives of restoring vegetation, judgment of climax for ecological succession, and application of plagioclimax in establishing artificial vegetation were discussed.

Research Challenges And Opportunities To Enhance Ecological Functions In Forested Wetlands

Treesearch

John A. Stanturf; J. Steven Meadows

1994-01-01

Protecting wetland values and functions are important goals for forest managers. Value and function are easy terms to confuse, but they are not interchangeable. Societal values are directly and indirectly associated with ecological functions. For example, forested wetlands may suppress flooding downstream, which is a value. Floodplain forests store water, impede...

Adaptive economic and ecological forest management under risk

Treesearch

Joseph Buongiorno; Mo Zhou

2015-01-01

Background: Forest managers must deal with inherently stochastic ecological and economic processes. The future growth of trees is uncertain, and so is their value. The randomness of low-impact, high frequency or rare catastrophic shocks in forest growth has significant implications in shaping the mix of tree species and the forest landscape...

The ecology of forest insect invasions and advances in their management

Treesearch

Eckehard G. Brockerhoff; Andrew M. Liebhold; Herv& #233; Jactel

2006-01-01

Invasions by nonindigenous forest insects can have spectacular effects on the biodiversity, ecology, and economy of affected areas. This introduction explores several critical issues that are generally relevant to invasions by forest insects to provide an extended background for this special issue of the Canadian Journal of Forest Research and...

Ecology of forest insect invasions

Treesearch

E.G. Brockerhoff; A.M. Liebhold

2017-01-01

Forests in virtually all regions of the world are being affected by invasions of non-native insects. We conducted an in-depth review of the traits of successful invasive forest insects and the ecological processes involved in insect invasions across the universal invasion phases (transport and arrival, establishment, spread and impacts). Most forest insect invasions...

How livestock and flooding mediate the ecological integrity of working forests in Amazon River floodplains.

PubMed

Lucas, Christine M; Sheikh, Pervaze; Gagnon, Paul R; Mcgrath, David G

2016-01-01

The contribution of working forests to tropical conservation and development depends upon the maintenance of ecological integrity under ongoing land use. Assessment of ecological integrity requires an understanding of the structure, composition, and function and major drivers that govern their variability. Working forests in tropical river floodplains provide many goods and services, yet the data on the ecological processes that sustain these services is scant. In flooded forests of riverside Amazonian communities, we established 46 0.1-ha plots varying in flood duration, use by cattle and water buffalo, and time since agricultural abandonment (30-90 yr). We monitored three aspects of ecological integrity (stand structure, species composition, and dynamics of trees and seedlings) to evaluate the impacts of different trajectories of livestock activity (alleviation, stasis, and intensification) over nine years. Negative effects of livestock intensification were solely evident in the forest understory, and plots alleviated from past heavy disturbance increased in seedling density but had higher abundance of thorny species than plots maintaining low activity. Stand structure, dynamics, and tree species composition were strongly influenced by the natural pulse of seasonal floods, such that the defining characteristics of integrity were dependent upon flood duration (3-200 d). Forests with prolonged floods ≥ 140 d had not only lower species richness but also lower rates of recruitment and species turnover relative to forests with short floods <70 d. Overall, the combined effects of livestock intensification and prolonged flooding hindered forest regeneration, but overall forest integrity was largely related to the hydrological regime and age. Given this disjunction between factors mediating canopy and understory integrity, we present a subset of metrics for regeneration and recruitment to distinguish forest condition by livestock trajectory. Although our study design includes confounded factors that preclude a definitive assessment of the major drivers of ecological change, we provide much-needed data on the regrowth of a critical but poorly studied ecosystem. In addition to its emphasis on the dynamics of tropical wetland forests undergoing anthropogenic and environmental change, our case study is an important example for how to assess of ecological integrity in working forests of tropical ecosystems.

Fog and Phosphorous:Mist Connections?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weathers, K. C.; Caraco, N. F.; Ewing, H. A.

2005-12-01

Fog (or cloud) is an important vector for delivering water, nutrients and pollutants to many coastal and montane ecosystems worldwide. Previous research has demonstrated that elements and ions whose sources are thought to be atmospheric, such as nitrogen and sulfur, can be deposited in substantial quantities via fog water deposition. However, the ecologically-important nutrient, phosphorous (P), is thought to derive primarily from guano or terrestrial sources; it has not been demonstrated to be deposited in significant quantities via rain water, for example. Here we suggest that phosphorous may be quite prevalent in fog water and that the atmospheric deposition of phosphorous to the forest floor is significant. Phosphate appears to be either immobilized or utilized in the forest floor. We examine the concentrations of phosphorous in fog water from several ecosystems in the Americas and the spatial patterns of P movement in a fog-dominated, redwood forest in Sonoma County, CA. Phosphate concentrations were surprisingly high, ranging from 0.002 to 2.9 mg/L, in fog samples from near-coast and montane ecosystems. Phosphate in fog water appears to be derived from a crustal source as demonstrated by the strong relationship between phosphorous concentrations in fog and K:Na ratios. Fog water phosphorous inputs to the forest floor were observed to decline exponentially and vary significantly from edge to interior in a redwood forest. Phosphate via fog deposition can be detected in shallow soil zones but not at greater depths, and only at the forest edge, during the summer fog season.

Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Protein Degradation Ability Predicted by Soil Organic Nitrogen Availability

PubMed Central

Stas, Jelle; Nguyen, Nhu H.; Kuyper, Thomas W.; Carleer, Robert; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Colpaert, Jan V.; Kennedy, Peter G.

2015-01-01

In temperate and boreal forest ecosystems, nitrogen (N) limitation of tree metabolism is alleviated by ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. As forest soils age, the primary source of N in soil switches from inorganic (NH4+ and NO3−) to organic (mostly proteins). It has been hypothesized that ECM fungi adapt to the most common N source in their environment, which implies that fungi growing in older forests would have greater protein degradation abilities. Moreover, recent results for a model ECM fungal species suggest that organic N uptake requires a glucose supply. To test the generality of these hypotheses, we screened 55 strains of 13 Suillus species with different ecological preferences for their in vitro protein degradation abilities. Suillus species preferentially occurring in mature forests, where soil contains more organic matter, had significantly higher protease activity than those from young forests with low-organic-matter soils or species indifferent to forest age. Within species, the protease activities of ecotypes from soils with high or low soil organic N content did not differ significantly, suggesting resource partitioning between mineral and organic soil layers. The secreted protease mixtures were strongly dominated by aspartic peptidases. Glucose addition had variable effects on secreted protease activity; in some species, it triggered activity, but in others, activity was repressed at high concentrations. Collectively, our results indicate that protease activity, a key ectomycorrhizal functional trait, is positively related to environmental N source availability but is also influenced by additional factors, such as carbon availability. PMID:26682855

36 CFR 219.19 - Ecological, social, and economic sustainability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... economic sustainability. 219.19 Section 219.19 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE..., Social, and Economic Sustainability § 219.19 Ecological, social, and economic sustainability. Sustainability, composed of interdependent ecological, social, and economic elements, embodies the Multiple-Use...

36 CFR 219.19 - Ecological, social, and economic sustainability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... economic sustainability. 219.19 Section 219.19 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE..., Social, and Economic Sustainability § 219.19 Ecological, social, and economic sustainability. Sustainability, composed of interdependent ecological, social, and economic elements, embodies the Multiple-Use...

Dispatch from the field: ecology of ground-web-building spiders with description of a new species (Araneae, Symphytognathidae)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Abstract Crassignatha danaugirangensis sp. n. (Araneae: Symphytognathidae) was discovered during a tropical ecology field course held at the Danau Girang Field Centre in Sabah, Malaysia. A taxonomic description and accompanying ecological study were completed as course activities. To assess the ecology of this species, which belongs to the ground-web-building spider community, three habitat types were surveyed: riparian forest, recently inundated riverine forest, and oil palm plantation. Crassignatha danaugirangensis sp. n. is the most abundant ground-web-building spider species in riparian forest; it is rare or absent from the recently inundated forest and was not found in a nearby oil palm plantation. The availability of this taxonomic description may help facilitate the accumulation of data about this species and the role of inundated riverine forest in shaping invertebrate communities. PMID:24891829

Human ecological intervention and the role of forest fires in human ecology.

PubMed

Caldararo, N

2002-06-26

The present text is a summary of research on the relationship between forest fires and human activities. Numerous theories have been created to explain changes in forests during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, and a general understanding has developed in the past 50 years regarding natural fire regimes. The present summary is directed to assess the validity of these theories. A re-analysis of the literature argues that the intense forest fires we experience today are an artifact of human intervention in forest ecology, especially by the reduction of herbivores and are relatively recent, approximately 100,000-250,000 BP. The history of fire, especially in the context of the increased dominance of humans, has produced a progressively fire-adapted ecology, which argues for human-free wildlife areas and against prescribed burns under many circumstances.

Tropical forests and fragmentation: A case of South Garo Hills, Meghalaya, North East India

Treesearch

Ashish Kumar; Bruce Marcot; Rohitkumar Patel

2017-01-01

This study presents an ecological assessment of tropical forests at stand and landscape levels to provide knowledge, tools and, indicators to evaluate specific diversity patterns and related ecological processes happening in these tropical forest conditions; and for monitoring landscape changes for managing forest and wildlife resources of Jhum (shifting cultivation)...

Establishment and Data Collection of Vegetation-related Studies on the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project Study Sites

Treesearch

Brian L. Brookshire; Daniel C. Dey

2000-01-01

The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) is an experiment designed to determine the effects of forest management practices on important ecosystem attributes. MOFEP treatments evaluated include even-aged, uneven-aged, and no management treatments. Forest vegetation provides a common ecological link among many organisms and ecological processes, and therefore...

Fire ecology of the forest habitat types of northern Idaho

Treesearch

Jane Kapler Smith; William C. Fischer

1997-01-01

Provides information on fire ecology in forest habitat and community types occurring in northern Idaho. Identifies fire groups based on presettlement fire regimes and patterns of succession and stand development after fire. Describes forest fuels and suggests considerations for fire management.

Forest restoration: a global dataset for biodiversity and vegetation structure.

PubMed

Crouzeilles, Renato; Ferreira, Mariana S; Curran, Michael

2016-08-01

Restoration initiatives are becoming increasingly applied around the world. Billions of dollars have been spent on ecological restoration research and initiatives, but restoration outcomes differ widely among these initiatives in part due to variable socioeconomic and ecological contexts. Here, we present the most comprehensive dataset gathered to date on forest restoration. It encompasses 269 primary studies across 221 study landscapes in 53 countries and contains 4,645 quantitative comparisons between reference ecosystems (e.g., old-growth forest) and degraded or restored ecosystems for five taxonomic groups (mammals, birds, invertebrates, herpetofauna, and plants) and five measures of vegetation structure reflecting different ecological processes (cover, density, height, biomass, and litter). We selected studies that (1) were conducted in forest ecosystems; (2) had multiple replicate sampling sites to measure indicators of biodiversity and/or vegetation structure in reference and restored and/or degraded ecosystems; and (3) used less-disturbed forests as a reference to the ecosystem under study. We recorded (1) latitude and longitude; (2) study year; (3) country; (4) biogeographic realm; (5) past disturbance type; (6) current disturbance type; (7) forest conversion class; (8) restoration activity; (9) time that a system has been disturbed; (10) time elapsed since restoration started; (11) ecological metric used to assess biodiversity; and (12) quantitative value of the ecological metric of biodiversity and/or vegetation structure for reference and restored and/or degraded ecosystems. These were the most common data available in the selected studies. We also estimated forest cover and configuration in each study landscape using a recently developed 1 km consensus land cover dataset. We measured forest configuration as the (1) mean size of all forest patches; (2) size of the largest forest patch; and (3) edge:area ratio of forest patches. Global analyses of the factors influencing ecological restoration success at both the local and landscape scale are urgently needed to guide restoration initiatives and to further develop restoration knowledge in a topic area of much contemporary interest. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Landscape changes, traditional ecological knowledge and future scenarios in the Alps: A holistic ecological approach.

PubMed

Tattoni, Clara; Ianni, Elena; Geneletti, Davide; Zatelli, Paolo; Ciolli, Marco

2017-02-01

In recent decades, a dramatic landscape change has occurred in the European alpine region: open areas have been naturally recolonized by forests as traditional agricultural and forest activities were reduced and reorganized. Land use changes (LUC) are generally measured through GIS and photo interpretation techniques, but despite many studies focused on this phenomenon and its effects on biodiversity and on the environment in general, there is a lack of information about the transformation of the human-environment connection. The study of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), such as the ability to recognize wild plants used as medicine or food, can suggest how this connection evolved through time and generations. This work investigates the relationship between the natural forest cover expansion that influences the loss of open areas and the loss of TEK. Different data sources and approaches were used to address the topic in all its complexity: a mix of questionnaire investigations, historical maps, GIS techniques and modelling were used to analyse past land use changes and predict future scenarios. The study area, Trentino, Italy, is paradigmatic of the alpine situation, and the land use change in the region is well documented by different studies, which were reviewed and compared in this paper. Our findings suggest that open area loss can be used as a good proxy to highlight the present state and to produce future scenarios of Traditional Ecological Knowledge. This could increase awareness of the loss of TEK in other Alpine regions, where data on TEK are lacking, but where environmental trends are comparable. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Forests and competing land uses in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allaway, James; Cox, Pamela M. J.

1989-03-01

Indigenous forests in Kenya, as in other developing countries, are under heavy pressure from competing agricultural land uses and from unsustainable cutting. The problem in Kenya is compounded by high population growth rates and an agriculturally based economy, which, even with efforts to control birth rates and industrialize, will persist into the next century. Both ecological and economic consequences of these pressures need to be considered in land-use decision making for land and forest management to be effective. This paper presents one way to combine ecological and economic considerations. The status of principal forest areas in Kenya is summarized and competing land uses compared on the basis of ecological functions and economic analysis. Replacement uses do not match the ecological functions of forest, although established stands of tree crops (forest plantations, fuel wood, tea) can have roughly comparable effects on soil and water resources. Indigenous forests have high, although difficult to estimate, economic benefits from tourism and protection of downstream agricultural productivity. Economic returns from competing land uses range widely, with tea having the highest and fuel wood plantations having returns comparable to some annual crops and dairying. Consideration of ecological and economic factors together suggests some trade-offs for improving land allocation decisions and several management opportunities for increasing benefits or reducing costs from particular land uses. The evaluation also suggests a general strategy for forest land management in Kenya.

Ecological restoration of southwestern ponderosa pine ecosystems: A broad perspective

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, Craig D.; Savage, Melissa; Falk, Donald A.; Suckling, Kieran F.; Swetnam, Thomas W.; Schulke, Todd; Stacey, Peter B.; Morgan, Penelope; Hoffman, Martos; Klingel, Jon T.

2002-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to promote a broad and flexible perspective on ecological restoration of Southwestern (U.S.) ponderosa pine forests. Ponderosa pine forests in the region have been radically altered by Euro-American land uses, including livestock grazing, fire suppression, and logging. Dense thickets of young trees now abound, old-growth and biodiversity have declined, and human and ecological communities are increasingly vulnerable to destructive crown fires. A consensus has emerged that it is urgent to restore more natural conditions to these forests. Efforts to restore Southwestern forests will require extensive projects employing varying combinations of young-tree thinning and reintroduction of low-intensity fires. Treatments must be flexible enough to recognize and accommodate: high levels of natural heterogeneity; dynamic ecosystems; wildlife and other biodiversity considerations; scientific uncertainty; and the challenges of on-the-ground implementation. Ecological restoration should reset ecosystem trends toward an envelope of “natural variability,” including the reestablishment of natural processes. Reconstructed historic reference conditions are best used as general guides rather than rigid restoration prescriptions. In the long term, the best way to align forest conditions to track ongoing climate changes is to restore fire, which naturally correlates with current climate. Some stands need substantial structural manipulation (thinning) before fire can safely be reintroduced. In other areas, such as large wilderness and roadless areas, fire alone may suffice as the main tool of ecological restoration, recreating the natural interaction of structure and process. Impatience, overreaction to crown fire risks, extractive economics, or hubris could lead to widespread application of highly intrusive treatments that may further damage forest ecosystems. Investments in research and monitoring of restoration treatments are essential to refine restoration methods. We support the development and implementation of a diverse range of scientifically viable restoration approaches in these forests, suggest principles for ecologically sound restoration that immediately reduce crown fire risk and incrementally return natural variability and resilience to Southwestern forests, and present ecological perspectives on several forest restoration approaches.

Restoration treatments in urban park forests drive long-term changes in vegetation trajectories.

PubMed

Johnson, Lea R; Handel, Steven N

2016-04-01

Municipalities are turning to ecological restoration of urban forests as a measure to improve air quality, ameliorate urban heat island effects, improve storm water infiltration, and provide other social and ecological benefits. However, community dynamics following urban forest restoration treatments are poorly documented. This study examines the long-term effects of ecological restoration undertaken in New York City, New York, USA, to restore native forest in urban park natural areas invaded by woody non-native plants that are regional problems. In 2009 and 2010, we sampled vegetation in 30 invaded sites in three large public parks that were restored 1988-1993, and 30 sites in three large parks that were similarly invaded but had not been restored. Data from these matched plots reveal that the restoration treatment achieved its central goals. After 15-20 years, invasive species removal followed by native tree planting resulted in persistent structural and compositional shifts, significantly lower invasive species abundance, a more complex forest structure, and greater native tree recruitment. Together, these findings indicate that successional trajectories of vegetation dynamics have diverged between restored forests and invaded forests that were not restored. In addition, the data suggest that future composition of these urban forest patches will be novel assemblages. Restored and untreated sites shared a suite of shade-intolerant, quickly-growing tree species that colonize disturbed sites, indicating that restoration treatments created sites hospitable for germination and growth of species adapted to high light conditions and disturbed soils. These findings yield an urban perspective on the use of succession theory in ecological restoration. Models of ecological restoration developed in more pristine environments must be modified for use in cities. By anticipating both urban disturbances and ecological succession, management of urban forest patches can be adjusted to better predict and direct long-term outcomes. An urban approach to ecological restoration must use realistic, flexible targets to preserve and enhance urban biodiversity for both short-term benefits and long-term sustainability.

Relationship between forest clearing and biophysical factors in tropical environments: Implications for the design of a forest change monitoring approach. [Costa Rica

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sader, S. A.; Joyce, A. T.

1984-01-01

The relationship between forest clearing, biophysical factors (e.g, ecological zones, slope gradient, soils), and transportation network in Costa Rica was analyzed. The location of forested areas at four reference datas (1940, 1950, 1961, and 1977) as derived from aerial photography and LANDSAT MSS data was digitilized and entered into a geographically-referenced data base. Ecological zones as protrayed by the Holdridge Life Zone Ecology System, and the location of roads and railways were also digitized from maps of the entire country as input to the data base. Information on slope gradient and soils was digitized from maps of a 21,000 square kilometer area. The total area of forest cleared over four decades are related to biophysical factors was analyzed within the data base and deforestation rates and trends were tabulated. The relatiohship between forest clearing and ecological zone and the influence of topography, sils, and transportation network are presented and discussed.

Ten year change in forest succession and composition measured by remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G.; Botkin, Daniel B.; Strebel, Donald E.; Woods, Kerry K.; Goetz, Scott J.

1987-01-01

Vegetation dynamics and changes in ecological patterns were measured by remote sensing over a 10 year period (1973 to 1983) for 148,406 landscape elements, covering more than 500 sq km in a protected forested wilderness. Quantitative measurements were made possible by methods to detect ecologically meaningful landscape units; these allowed measurement of ecological transition frequencies and calculation of expected recurrence times. Measured ecological transition frequencies reveal boreal forest wilderness as spatially heterogeneous and highly dynamic, with one-sixth of the area in clearings and early successional stages, consistent with recent postulates about the spatial and temporal patterns of natural ecosystems. Differences between managed forest areas and a protected wilderness allow assessment of different management regimes.

Surface elevation change and susceptibility of different mangrove zones to sea-level rise on Pacific high islands o Micronesia

Treesearch

K.W. Krauss; D.R. Cahoon; J.A. Allen; K.C. Ewel; J.C. Lynch; N. Cormier

2010-01-01

Mangroves on Pacific high islands offer a number of important ecosystem services to both natural ecological communities and human societies. High islands are subjected to constant erosion over geologic time, which establishes an important source of terrigeneous sediment for nearby marinecommunities. Many of these sediments are deposited in mangrove forests and offer...

Development of seed zones for the Eastern United States: Request for input and collaboration!

Treesearch

Carrie C. Pike; George Hernandez; Barbara Crane; Paul Berrang

2017-01-01

Artificial regeneration is necessary for meeting a variety of management objectives following timber harvests and other disturbances. While foresters use ecological classification to identify the most appropriate species to plant on a particular site, they generally use seed zones to identify the most suitable seed source of that species to plant. Seed zones have been...

Radiant flux density, energy density, and fuel consumption in mixed-oak forest surface fires

Treesearch

R.L. Kremens; M.B. Dickinson; A.S. Bova

2012-01-01

Closing the wildland fire heat budget involves characterising the heat source and energy dissipation across the range of variability in fuels and fire behaviour. Meeting this challenge will lay the foundation for predicting direct ecological effects of fires and fire-atmosphere coupling. In this paper, we focus on the relationships between the fire radiation field, as...

Native and exotic insects and diseases in forest ecosystems in the Hoosier-Shawnee ecological assessment area

Treesearch

Dwight Scarbrough; Jennifer Juzwik

2004-01-01

Various native and exotic insects and diseases affect the forest ecosystems of the Hoosier-Shawnee Ecological Assessment Area. Defoliating insects have had the greatest effects in forests where oak species predominate. Increases in oak decline are expected with the imminent establishment of the European gypsy moth. Insects and pathogens of the pine forests are...

Amount of Future Forest Edge at a 2 Hectare Scale

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Forests provide economic and ecological value. High amounts of forest edge indicates a highly fragmented forest, which generally diminishes those economic and ecological values. EDGE2 is the percent of forest that is classified as edge using a 2 ha scale. More information about these resources, including the variables used in this study, may be found here: https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/NERL/ReVA/ReVA_Data.zip.

Amount of Future Forest Edge at a 65 Hectare scale

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Forests provide economic and ecological value. High amounts of forest edge indicates a highly fragmented forest, which generally diminishes those economic and ecological values. EDGE65 is the percent of forest that is classified as edge using a 65 ha scale. More information about these resources, including the variables used in this study, may be found here: https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/NERL/ReVA/ReVA_Data.zip.

Amount of Forest Edge at a 2 Hectare Scale

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Forests provide economic and ecological value. High amounts of forest edge indicates a highly fragmented forest, which generally diminishes those economic and ecological values. EDGE2 is the percent of forest that is classified as edge using a 2 ha scale. More information about these resources, including the variables used in this study, may be found here: https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/NERL/ReVA/ReVA_Data.zip.

Amount of Forest Edge at a 65 Hectare Scale

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Forests provide economic and ecological value. High amounts of forest edge indicates a highly fragmented forest, which generally diminishes those economic and ecological values. EDGE65 is the percent of forest that is classified as edge using a 65 ha scale. More information about these resources, including the variables used in this study, may be found here: https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/NERL/ReVA/ReVA_Data.zip.

Long-term colonization ecology of forest-dwelling species in a fragmented rural landscape - dispersal versus establishment.

PubMed

Lõhmus, Kertu; Paal, Taavi; Liira, Jaan

2014-08-01

Species colonization in a new habitat patch is an efficiency indicator of biodiversity conservation. Colonization is a two-step process of dispersal and establishment, characterized by the compatibility of plant traits with landscape structure and habitat conditions. Therefore, ecological trait profiling of specialist species is initially required to estimate the relative importance of colonization filters. Old planted parks best satisfy the criteria of a newly created and structurally matured habitat for forest-dwelling plant species. We sampled species in 230 ancient deciduous forests (source habitat), 74 closed-canopy manor parks (target habitats), 151 linear wooded habitats (landscape corridors), and 97 open habitats (isolating matrix) in Estonia. We defined two species groups of interest: forest (107 species) and corridor specialists (53 species). An extra group of open habitat specialists was extracted for trait scaling. Differing from expectations, forest specialists have high plasticity in reproduction mechanisms: smaller seeds, larger dispersules, complementary selfing ability, and diversity of dispersal vectors. Forest specialists are shorter, less nutrient-demanding and mycorrhizal-dependent, stress-tolerant disturbance-sensitive competitors, while corridor specialists are large-seeded disturbance-tolerant competitors. About 40% of species from local species pools have immigrated into parks. The historic forest area, establishment-related traits, and stand quality enhance the colonization of forest specialists. The openness of landscape and mowing in the park facilitate corridor specialists. Species traits in parks vary between a forest and corridor specialist, except for earlier flowering and larger propagules. Forest species are not dispersal limited, but they continue to be limited by habitat properties even in the long term. Therefore, the shady parts of historic parks should be appreciated as important forest biodiversity-enhancing landscape structures. The habitat quality of secondary stands can be improved by nurturing a heterogeneous shrub and tree layer, and modest herb layer management.

Long-term colonization ecology of forest-dwelling species in a fragmented rural landscape – dispersal versus establishment

PubMed Central

Lõhmus, Kertu; Paal, Taavi; Liira, Jaan

2014-01-01

Species colonization in a new habitat patch is an efficiency indicator of biodiversity conservation. Colonization is a two-step process of dispersal and establishment, characterized by the compatibility of plant traits with landscape structure and habitat conditions. Therefore, ecological trait profiling of specialist species is initially required to estimate the relative importance of colonization filters. Old planted parks best satisfy the criteria of a newly created and structurally matured habitat for forest-dwelling plant species. We sampled species in 230 ancient deciduous forests (source habitat), 74 closed-canopy manor parks (target habitats), 151 linear wooded habitats (landscape corridors), and 97 open habitats (isolating matrix) in Estonia. We defined two species groups of interest: forest (107 species) and corridor specialists (53 species). An extra group of open habitat specialists was extracted for trait scaling. Differing from expectations, forest specialists have high plasticity in reproduction mechanisms: smaller seeds, larger dispersules, complementary selfing ability, and diversity of dispersal vectors. Forest specialists are shorter, less nutrient-demanding and mycorrhizal-dependent, stress-tolerant disturbance-sensitive competitors, while corridor specialists are large-seeded disturbance-tolerant competitors. About 40% of species from local species pools have immigrated into parks. The historic forest area, establishment-related traits, and stand quality enhance the colonization of forest specialists. The openness of landscape and mowing in the park facilitate corridor specialists. Species traits in parks vary between a forest and corridor specialist, except for earlier flowering and larger propagules. Forest species are not dispersal limited, but they continue to be limited by habitat properties even in the long term. Therefore, the shady parts of historic parks should be appreciated as important forest biodiversity-enhancing landscape structures. The habitat quality of secondary stands can be improved by nurturing a heterogeneous shrub and tree layer, and modest herb layer management. PMID:25247068

Assessing the accuracy and stability of variable selection methods for random forest modeling in ecology

EPA Science Inventory

Random forest (RF) modeling has emerged as an important statistical learning method in ecology due to its exceptional predictive performance. However, for large and complex ecological datasets there is limited guidance on variable selection methods for RF modeling. Typically, e...

Citizen Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Katherine

2010-01-01

The Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology Program provides teachers and students with the opportunity and materials to participate in regionally focused ecological studies under the guidance of a mentor scientist working on a similar study. The Harvard Forest is part of a national network of ecological research sites known as the Long Term Ecological…

Calibrating and testing a gap model for simulating forest management in the Oregon Coast Range

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pabst, R.J.; Goslin, M.N.; Garman, S.L.; Spies, T.A.

2008-01-01

The complex mix of economic and ecological objectives facing today's forest managers necessitates the development of growth models with a capacity for simulating a wide range of forest conditions while producing outputs useful for economic analyses. We calibrated the gap model ZELIG to simulate stand-level forest development in the Oregon Coast Range as part of a landscape-scale assessment of different forest management strategies. Our goal was to incorporate the predictive ability of an empirical model with the flexibility of a forest succession model. We emphasized the development of commercial-aged stands of Douglas-fir, the dominant tree species in the study area and primary source of timber. In addition, we judged that the ecological approach of ZELIG would be robust to the variety of other forest conditions and practices encountered in the Coast Range, including mixed-species stands, small-scale gap formation, innovative silvicultural methods, and reserve areas where forests grow unmanaged for long periods of time. We parameterized the model to distinguish forest development among two ecoregions, three forest types and two site productivity classes using three data sources: chronosequences of forest inventory data, long-term research data, and simulations from an empirical growth-and-yield model. The calibrated model was tested with independent, long-term measurements from 11 Douglas-fir plots (6 unthinned, 5 thinned), 3 spruce-hemlock plots, and 1 red alder plot. ZELIG closely approximated developmental trajectories of basal area and large trees in the Douglas-fir plots. Differences between simulated and observed conifer basal area for these plots ranged from -2.6 to 2.4 m2/ha; differences in the number of trees/ha ???50 cm dbh ranged from -8.8 to 7.3 tph. Achieving these results required the use of a diameter-growth multiplier, suggesting some underlying constraints on tree growth such as the temperature response function. ZELIG also tended to overestimate regeneration of shade-tolerant trees and underestimate total tree density (i.e., higher rates of tree mortality). However, comparisons with the chronosequences of forest inventory data indicated that the simulated data are within the range of variability observed in the Coast Range. Further exploration and improvement of ZELIG is warranted in three key areas: (1) modeling rapid rates of conifer tree growth without the need for a diameter-growth multiplier; (2) understanding and remedying rates of tree mortality that were higher than those observed in the independent data; and (3) improving the tree regeneration module to account for competition with understory vegetation. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V.

Assessing Ecological Flow Needs and Risks for Springs and Baseflow Streams With Growth and Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Springer, A. E.; Stevens, L. E.

2008-12-01

Ecological flow needs assessments are beginning to become an important part of regulated river management, but are more challenging for unregulated rivers. Water needs for ecosystems are greater than just consumptive use by riparian and aquatic vegetation and include the magnitude, frequency, duration and timing of flows and the depth and annual fluctuations of groundwater levels of baseflow supported streams. An ecological flow needs assessment was adapted and applied to an unregulated, baseflow dependent river in the arid to semi-arid Southwestern U.S. A separate process was developed to determine groundwater sources potentially at risk from climate, land management, or groundwater use changes in a large regional groundwater basin in the same semi-arid region. In 2007 and 2008, workshops with ecological, cultural, and physical experts from agencies, universities, tribes, and other organizations were convened. Flow-ecology response functions were developed with either conceptual or actual information for a baseflow dependent river, and scoring systems were developed to assign values to categories of risks to groundwater sources in a large groundwater basin. A reduction of baseflow to the river was predicted to lead to a decline in cottonwood and willow tree abundance, decreases in riparian forest diversity, and increases in non-native tree species, such as tamarisk. These types of forest vegetation changes would likely cause reductions or loss of some bird species. Loss of riffle habitat through declines in groundwater discharge and the associated river levels would likely lead to declines in native fish and amphibian species. A research agenda was developed to develop techniques to monitor, assess and hopefully better manage the aquifers supporting the baseflow dependent river to prevent potential threshold responses of the ecosystems. The scoring system for categories of risk was applied to four systems (aquifers, springs, standing water bodies, and streams) in the groundwater basin. The process was developed to allow water managers to assess and prioritize potential impacts to the biological, historical, or cultural aspects of the four types of systems from groundwater abstraction. These approaches can be adapted to other baseflow dependent, unregulated rivers or to assess risks to natural features associated with water sources in other regions.

Toward a social-ecological theory of forest macrosystems for improved ecosystem management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kleindl, William J.; Stoy, Paul C.; Binford, Michael W.; Desai, Ankur R.; Dietze, Michael C.; Schultz, Courtney A.; Starr, Gregory; Staudhammer, Christina; Wood, David J. A.

2018-01-01

The implications of cumulative land-use decisions and shifting climate on forests, require us to integrate our understanding of ecosystems, markets, policy, and resource management into a social-ecological system. Humans play a central role in macrosystem dynamics, which complicates ecological theories that do not explicitly include human interactions. These dynamics also impact ecological services and related markets, which challenges economic theory. Here, we use two forest macroscale management initiatives to develop a theoretical understanding of how management interacts with ecological functions and services at these scales and how the multiple large-scale management goals work either in consort or conflict with other forest functions and services. We suggest that calling upon theories developed for organismal ecology, ecosystem ecology, and ecological economics adds to our understanding of social-ecological macrosystems. To initiate progress, we propose future research questions to add rigor to macrosystem-scale studies: (1) What are the ecosystem functions that operate at macroscales, their necessary structural components, and how do we observe them? (2) How do systems at one scale respond if altered at another scale? (3) How do we both effectively measure these components and interactions, and communicate that information in a meaningful manner for policy and management across different scales?

Use of isotopic and hydrometric monitoring methods to partition hydrologic contributions to forested wetlands in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Grinsven, M. J.; Pypker, T. G.; Kolka, R. K.

2012-12-01

As a result of their landscape position and physical soil properties, northern forested wetlands are capable of retaining springtime snowmelt, rain and near surface groundwater inputs into the growing season. Hydrological conditions such as source water chemistry, duration of inundation, and magnitude of water table fluctuations are affected by the relative contribution of snow, rain, and groundwater sources, and in turn these hydrological conditions strongly influence the structure and function of northern forested wetlands. Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) is a facultative wet tree species, and is known to occur in 23 U.S. states and 7 Canadian provinces in northeastern North America. Black ash trees have ecological, economic, and cultural significance, and are currently threatened by the rapid expansion of the exotic emerald ash borer (Burprestidae: Agrilus planipennis). Since its initial detection in 2002 near Detroit, MI, the emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees in 15 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces. There is very little known about black ash wetland hydrology and ecology, and as a result of the looming infestation, there is a critical need to gain a better understanding of the hydrology in undisturbed ecosystems. The main objective of this study is to partition source water contributions in black ash wetlands in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We hypothesize that snowmelt and near surface groundwater supply the majority of water to these wetlands annually, and summer rain is readily removed from the system through the evapotranspiration pathway. Hydrometric monitoring methods were used in conjunction with isotopic analysis using a linear mixing model to characterize source water contributions in nine black ash wetlands. The results suggest a connection with near surface groundwater during spring and early summer, and a short residence time for rain water following summer storm events. The outcome of this research aims to inform land managers in northeastern North America about the natural hydrologic condition of black ash wetlands, and provide baseline data that underscores potential water and forest resource impacts of current and future emerald ash borer infestations.

Ecology of Missouri Forests. Instructional Unit. Conservation Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Jim

This unit is designed to help science, social studies, vocational agriculture, and other teachers incorporate forest ecology concepts into their subject matter. The unit includes: (1) topic outline; (2) unit objectives; (3) background information on climate and soils, levels of a deciduous forest, age classes, food and energy relationships, forest…

Promoting biodiversity values of small forest patches in agricultural landscapes: Ecological drivers and social demand.

PubMed

Varela, Elsa; Verheyen, Kris; Valdés, Alicia; Soliño, Mario; Jacobsen, Jette B; De Smedt, Pallieter; Ehrmann, Steffen; Gärtner, Stefanie; Górriz, Elena; Decocq, Guillaume

2018-04-01

Small forest patches embedded in agricultural (and peri-urban) landscapes in Western Europe play a key role for biodiversity conservation with a recognized capacity of delivering a wide suite of ecosystem services. Measures aimed to preserve these patches should be both socially desirable and ecologically effective. This study presents a joint ecologic and economic assessment conducted on small forest patches in Flanders (Belgium) and Picardie (N France). In each study region, two contrasted types of agricultural landscapes were selected. Open field (OF) and Bocage (B) landscapes are distinguished by the intensity of their usage and higher connectivity in the B landscapes. The social demand for enhancing biodiversity and forest structure diversity as well as for increasing the forest area at the expenses of agricultural land is estimated through an economic valuation survey. These results are compared with the outcomes of an ecological survey where the influence of structural features of the forest patches on the associated herbaceous diversity is assessed. The ecological and economic surveys show contrasting results; increasing tree species richness is ecologically more important for herbaceous diversity in the patch, but both tree species richness and herbaceous diversity obtain insignificant willingness to pay estimates. Furthermore, although respondents prefer the proposed changes to take place in the region where they live, we find out that social preferences and ecological effectiveness do differ between landscapes that represent different intensities of land use. Dwellers where the landscape is perceived as more "degraded" attach more value to diversity enhancement, suggesting a prioritization of initiatives in these area. In contrast, the ecological analyses show that prioritizing the protection and enhancement of the relatively better-off areas is more ecologically effective. Our study calls for a balance between ecological effectiveness and welfare benefits, suggesting that cost effectiveness studies should consider these approaches jointly. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A preliminary test of an ecological classification system for the Oconee National Forest using forest inventory and analysis data

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab; Ronald B. Stephens; Richard D. Rightmyer; Erika M. Mavity; Samuel G. Lambert

2012-01-01

An ecological classification system (ECS) has been developed for use in evaluating management, conservation and restoration options for forest and wildlife resources on the Oconee National Forest. Our study was the initial evaluation of the ECS to determine if the units at each level differed in potential productivity. We used loblolly pine (Pinus taeda...

Forest habitats and the nutritional ecology of Sitka black-tailed deer: a research synthesis with implications for forest management.

Treesearch

T.A. Hanley; C.T. Robbins; D.E. Spalinger

1989-01-01

Research on forest habitats and the nutritional ecology of Sitka black-tailed deer conducted during 1981 through 1986 is reviewed and synthesized. The research approach was based on the assumption that foraging efficiency is the best single measure of habitat quality for an individual deer. Overstory-understory relations and the influence of forest overstory on snow...

Ecology and silviculture of the spruce-fir forests of eastern North America

Treesearch

Marinus Westveld

1953-01-01

Using the climax forest as a guide to growing the species best suited to the climate and the site, the author offers a silvicultural system for managing the spruce-fir forests of eastern North America. Based on ecological principles, such silviculture is aimed to bring about forests that are inherently healthy and have a natural resistance to insects and disease.

Raccoon ecological management area: partnership between Forest Service research and Mead Corporation

Treesearch

Daniel Yaussy; Wayne Lashbrook; Walt Smith

1997-01-01

The Chief of the Forest Service and the Chief Executive Officer of Mead Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understating (MOU) that created the Raccoon Ecological Management Area (REMA). This MOU designated nearly 17,000 acres as a special area to be co-managed by Mead and the Forest Service. The REMA is a working forest that continues to produce timber and pulpwood for...

Ecological indicators of forest degradation after forest fire and clear-cutting in the Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) stand of Mongolia

Treesearch

Y.D. Park; D.K. Lee; J.A. Stanturf; S.Y. Woo; D. Zoyo

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate ecological indicators of forest degradation after forest fire and clear-cutting in the Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) stand of Mongolia. The species abundance and biodiversity indices were higher in burned and clear-cut stands than those of reference stand, but boreal understory species, such as Vaccinium vitis-idaea,...

EMERGY-based environmental systems assessment of a multi-purpose temperate mixed-forest watershed of the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA.

PubMed

Tilley, David Rogers; Swank, Wayne T

2003-11-01

Emergy (with an 'm') synthesis was used to assess the balance between nature and humanity and the equity among forest outcomes of a US Forest Service ecosystem management demonstration project on the Wine Spring Creek watershed, a high-elevation (1600 m), temperate forest located in the southern Appalachian mountains of North Carolina, USA. EM embraces a holistic perspective, accounting for the multiple temporal and spatial scales of forest processes and public interactions, to balance the ecological, economic, and social demands placed on land resources. Emergy synthesis is a modeling tool that allows the structure and function of forest ecosystems to be quantified in common units (solar emergy-joules, sej) for easy and meaningful comparison, determining 'system-value' for forcing factors, components, and processes based on the amount of resources required to develop and sustain them, whether they are money, material, energy, or information. The Environmental Loading Ratio (ELR), the units of solar emergy imported into the watershed via human control per unit of indigenous, natural solar emergy, was determined to be 0.42, indicating that the load on the natural environment was not ecologically damaging and that excess ecological capacity existed for increasing non-ecological activities (e.g. timbering, recreation) to achieve an ELR of 1.0 (perfect ecological-economic balance). Three forest outcomes selected to represent the three categories of desired sustainability (ecological, economic, and social) were evaluated in terms of their solar emergy flow to measure outcome equity. Direct economic contribution was an order of magnitude less (224 x 10(12)solar emergy-joules (sej) ha(-1)) than the ecological and social contributions, which were provided at annual rates of 3083 and 2102 x 10(12)sejha(-1), respectively. Emergy synthesis was demonstrated to holistically integrate and quantify the interconnections of a coupled nature-human system allowing the goals of ecological balance and outcome equity to be measured quantitatively.

Landscape characteristics of Rhizophora mangle forests and propagule deposition in coastal environments of Florida (USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sengupta, R.; Middleton, B.; Yan, C.; Zuro, M.; Hartman, H.

2005-01-01

Field dispersal studies are seldom conducted at regional scales even though reliable information on mid-range dispersal distance is essential for models of colonization. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential distance of dispersal of Rhizophora mangle propagules by comparing deposition density with landscape characteristics of mangrove forests. Propagule density was estimated at various distances to mangrove sources (R. mangle) on beaches in southwestern Florida in both high-and low-energy environments, either facing open gulf waters vs. sheltered, respectively. Remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems were used to identify source forests and to determine their landscape characteristics (forest size and distance to deposition area) for the regression analyses. Our results indicated that increasing density of propagules stranded on beaches was related negatively to the distance of the deposition sites from the nearest stands of R. mangle and that deposition was greatly diminished 2 km or more from the source. Measures of fragmentation such as the area of the R. mangle forests were related to propagule deposition but only in low-energy environments. Our results suggest that geographic models involving the colonization of coastal mangrove systems should include dispersal dynamics at mid-range scales, i.e., for our purposes here, beyond the local scale of the forest and up to 5 km distant. Studies of mangrove propagule deposition at various spatial scales are key to understanding regeneration limitations in natural gaps and restoration areas. Therefore, our study of mid-range propagule dispersal has broad application to plant ecology, restoration, and modeling. ?? Springer 2005.

Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Protein Degradation Ability Predicted by Soil Organic Nitrogen Availability.

PubMed

Rineau, Francois; Stas, Jelle; Nguyen, Nhu H; Kuyper, Thomas W; Carleer, Robert; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Colpaert, Jan V; Kennedy, Peter G

2015-12-18

In temperate and boreal forest ecosystems, nitrogen (N) limitation of tree metabolism is alleviated by ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. As forest soils age, the primary source of N in soil switches from inorganic (NH4 (+) and NO3 (-)) to organic (mostly proteins). It has been hypothesized that ECM fungi adapt to the most common N source in their environment, which implies that fungi growing in older forests would have greater protein degradation abilities. Moreover, recent results for a model ECM fungal species suggest that organic N uptake requires a glucose supply. To test the generality of these hypotheses, we screened 55 strains of 13 Suillus species with different ecological preferences for their in vitro protein degradation abilities. Suillus species preferentially occurring in mature forests, where soil contains more organic matter, had significantly higher protease activity than those from young forests with low-organic-matter soils or species indifferent to forest age. Within species, the protease activities of ecotypes from soils with high or low soil organic N content did not differ significantly, suggesting resource partitioning between mineral and organic soil layers. The secreted protease mixtures were strongly dominated by aspartic peptidases. Glucose addition had variable effects on secreted protease activity; in some species, it triggered activity, but in others, activity was repressed at high concentrations. Collectively, our results indicate that protease activity, a key ectomycorrhizal functional trait, is positively related to environmental N source availability but is also influenced by additional factors, such as carbon availability. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Ecological consequences of forest elephant declines for Afrotropical forests.

PubMed

Poulsen, John R; Rosin, Cooper; Meier, Amelia; Mills, Emily; Nuñez, Chase L; Koerner, Sally E; Blanchard, Emily; Callejas, Jennifer; Moore, Sarah; Sowers, Mark

2018-06-01

Poaching is rapidly extirpating African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) from most of their historical range, leaving vast areas of elephant-free tropical forest. Elephants are ecological engineers that create and maintain forest habitat; thus, their loss will have large consequences for the composition and structure of Afrotropical forests. Through a comprehensive literature review, we evaluated the roles of forest elephants in seed dispersal, nutrient recycling, and herbivory and physical damage to predict the cascading ecological effects of their population declines. Loss of seed dispersal by elephants will favor tree species dispersed abiotically and by smaller dispersal agents, and tree species composition will depend on the downstream effects of changes in elephant nutrient cycling and browsing. Loss of trampling and herbivory of seedlings and saplings will result in high tree density with release from browsing pressures. Diminished seed dispersal by elephants and high stem density are likely to reduce the recruitment of large trees and thus increase homogeneity of forest structure and decrease carbon stocks. The loss of ecological services by forest elephants likely means Central African forests will be more like Neotropical forests, from which megafauna were extirpated thousands of years ago. Without intervention, as much as 96% of Central African forests will have modified species composition and structure as elephants are compressed into remaining protected areas. Stopping elephant poaching is an urgent first step to mitigating these effects, but long-term conservation will require land-use planning that incorporates elephant habitat into forested landscapes that are being rapidly transformed by industrial agriculture and logging. © 2017 Society for Conservation Biology.

Spatially explicit modeling of 1992-2100 land cover and forest stand age for the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sohl, Terry L.; Sayler, Kristi L.; Bouchard, Michelle; Reker, Ryan R.; Friesz, Aaron M.; Bennett, Stacie L.; Sleeter, Benjamin M.; Sleeter, Rachel R.; Wilson, Tamara; Soulard, Christopher E.; Knuppe, Michelle; Van Hofwegen, Travis

2014-01-01

Information on future land-use and land-cover (LULC) change is needed to analyze the impact of LULC change on ecological processes. The U.S. Geological Survey has produced spatially explicit, thematically detailed LULC projections for the conterminous United States. Four qualitative and quantitative scenarios of LULC change were developed, with characteristics consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on 5 Emission Scenarios (SRES). The four quantified scenarios (A1B, A2, B1, and B2) served as input to the Forecasting Scenarios of Land-use Change (FORE-SCE) model. Four spatially explicit datasets consistent with scenario storylines were produced for the conterminous United States, with annual LULC maps from 1992 through 2100. The future projections are characterized by a loss of natural land covers in most scenarios, with corresponding expansion of 10 anthropogenic land uses. Along with the loss of natural land covers, remaining natural land covers experience increased fragmentation under most scenarios, with only the B2 scenario remaining relatively stable in both proportion of remaining natural land covers and basic fragmentation measures. Forest stand age was also modeled. By 2100, scenarios and ecoregions with heavy forest cutting have relatively lower mean stand ages compared to those with less 15 forest cutting. Stand ages differ substantially between unprotected and protected forest lands, as well as between different forest classes. The modeled data were compared to the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) and other data sources to assess model characteristics. The consistent, spatially explicit, and thematically detailed LULC projections and the associated forest stand age data layers have been used to analyze LULC impacts on carbon and greenhouse gas fluxes, 20 biodiversity, climate and weather variability, hydrologic change, and other ecological processes.

Source Apportionment of Background PAHs in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (Alberta, Canada) Using Molecular Level Radiocarbon Analysis.

PubMed

Jautzy, Josué J; Ahad, Jason M E; Hall, Roland I; Wiklund, Johan A; Wolfe, Brent B; Gobeil, Charles; Savard, Martine M

2015-08-04

The downstream accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD), an ecologically important landscape, is a key issue of concern given the rapid development of the oil sands industry in Northern Alberta, Canada. In addition to PAHs derived from industrial activity (i.e., oil sands mining) within the Athabasca watershed, however, forest fires and erosion of fossil fuel deposits within both the Athabasca and Peace watersheds are two potentially important natural sources of PAHs delivered to the PAD. Consequently, evaluating the environmental impact of mining activities requires a quantitative understanding of natural, background PAHs. Here, we utilize molecular-level natural-abundance radiocarbon measurements on an amalgamated sediment record from a Peace River flood-susceptible oxbow lake in the northern Peace sector of the PAD to quantitatively discriminate sources of naturally occurring alkylated PAHs (fossil and modern biomass). A radiocarbon mass balance quantified a predominantly natural petrogenic source (93% petrogenic, 7% forest fire) for alkylated PAHs during the past ∼50 years. Additionally, a significant petrogenic component determined for retene, a compound usually considered a biomarker for softwood combustion, suggests that its use as a unique forest fire indicator may not be suitable in PAD sediments receiving Peace watershed-derived fluvial inputs.

Linking hunter knowledge with forest change to understand changing deer harvest opportunities in intensively logged landscapes

Treesearch

Tidd J. Brinkman; Terry Chapin; Gary Kofinas; David K. Person

2009-01-01

The effects of landscape changes caused by intensive logging on the availability of wild game are important when the harvest of wild game is a critical cultural practice, food source, and recreational activity. We assessed the influence of extensive industrial logging on the availability of wild game by drawing on local knowledge and ecological science to evaluate the...

Using landscape-level forest monitoring data to draw a representative picture of an iconic subalpine tree species

Treesearch

Sara A. Goeking; Deborah K. Izlar

2015-01-01

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is an ecologically important species in high-altitude, mid-latitude areas of western North America due to the habitat and food source it provides for many wildlife species. Recent concerns about the long-term viability of whitebark pine stands have arisen in the face of high mortality due to a combination of fire...

The ecological implications of ancestral religion and reciprocal exchange in a sacred forest in Karendi

Treesearch

Cynthia T. Fowler

2003-01-01

This article tells the story of the sacred place named Mata Loko ("River's Source") in Karendi on the western end of the islands of sumba. This ethnographic case of an eastern Indonesian society where the traditional religion of Marapu persists sheds light on questions of how local belief systems are part of environmental adaptions. the use of sacred...

Predicting Seagrass Occurrence in a Changing Climate Using Random Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydin, O.; Butler, K. A.

2017-12-01

Seagrasses are marine plants that can quickly sequester vast amounts of carbon (up to 100 times more and 12 times faster than tropical forests). In this work, we present an integrated GIS and machine learning approach to build a data-driven model of seagrass presence-absence. We outline a random forest approach that avoids the prevalence bias in many ecological presence-absence models. One of our goals is to predict global seagrass occurrence from a spatially limited training sample. In addition, we conduct a sensitivity study which investigates the vulnerability of seagrass to changing climate conditions. We integrate multiple data sources including fine-scale seagrass data from MarineCadastre.gov and the recently available globally extensive publicly available Ecological Marine Units (EMU) dataset. These data are used to train a model for seagrass occurrence along the U.S. coast. In situ oceans data are interpolated using Empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK) to produce globally extensive prediction variables. A neural network is used to estimate probable future values of prediction variables such as ocean temperature to assess the impact of a warming climate on seagrass occurrence. The proposed workflow can be generalized to many presence-absence models.

Ecology and management of morels harvested from the forests of western North America.

Treesearch

David Pilz; Rebecca McLain; Susan Alexander; Luis Villarreal-Ruiz; Shannon Berch; Tricia L. Wurtz; Catherine G. Parks; Erika McFarlane; Blaze Baker; Randy Molina; Jane E. Smith

2007-01-01

Morels are prized edible mushrooms that fruit, sometimes prolifically, in many forest types throughout western North America. They are collected for personal consumption and commercially harvested as valuable special (nontimber) forest products. Large gaps remain, however, in our knowledge about their taxonomy, biology, ecology, cultivation, safety, and how to manage...

EVALUATION OF A MEASUREMENT METHOD FOR FOREST VEGETATION IN A LARGE-SCALE ECOLOGICAL SURVEY

EPA Science Inventory

We evaluate a field method for determining species richness and canopy cover of vascular plants for the Forest Health Monitoring Program (FHM), an ecological survey of U.S. forests. Measurements are taken within 12 1-m2 quadrats on 1/15 ha plots in FHM. Species richness and cover...

Cumulative ecological and socioeconomic effects of forest policies in coastal Oregon.

Treesearch

T.A. Spies; K.N. Johnson; K.M. Burnett; J.L. Ohmann; B.C. McComb; G.H. Reeves; P. Bettinger; J.D. Kline; B. Garber-Yonts

2007-01-01

Forest biodiversity policies in multiownership landscapes are typically developed in an uncoordinated fashion with little consideration of their interactions or possible unintended cumulative effects. We conducted an assessment of some of the ecological and socioeconomic effects of recently enacted forest management policies in the 2.3-million-ha Coast Range...

Ecology of Phytophthora nemorosa and Phytophthora pseudosyringae in mixed-evergreen forests

Treesearch

Allison C. Wickland; David M. Rizzo

2006-01-01

Recent research has shown that Phytophthora ramorum is a major threat to California’s coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) dominated, mixed-evergreen forests (Rizzo and Garbelotto 2003). However, the role that diseases caused by other Phytophthora species play in the ecology of these forest communities is less...

Management strategies for bark beetles in conifer forests

Treesearch

Christopher Fettig; Jacek  Hilszczański

2015-01-01

Several species of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) are capable of causing significant amounts of tree mortality in conifer forests throughout much of the world.  In most cases, these events are part of the ecology of conifer forests and positively influence many ecological processes, but the economic and social implications can be...

After 100 years, is coevolution relevant?

Treesearch

Geral I. McDonald

2011-01-01

On the 100th anniversary of the introduction of Cronartium ribicola into western North America, it is fitting to assess the philosophical foundation of plant pathology and forest ecology. We should ask whether this foundation provides sufficient understanding of blister rust, other diseases of North American forests, and general forest ecology to insure the application...

From "Forest Fires" and "Hunting" to Disturbing "Habitats" and "Food Chains": Do Young Children Come Up with Any Ecological Interpretations of Human Interventions within a Forest?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ergazaki, Marida; Andriotou, Eirini

2010-01-01

This study aims at highlighting young children's reasoning about human interventions within a forest ecosystem. Our focus is particularly set on whether preschoolers are able to come up with any basic ecological interpretations of human actions upon forest plants or animals and how. Conducting individual, semi-structured interviews with 70…

Ecological surveys of Forest Service research natural areas in California

Treesearch

Todd Keeler-Wolf

1990-01-01

This report summarizes each of 68 ecological surveys conducted from 1975 through 1988 on candidate and established Research Natural Areas in the Pacific Southwest Region of the USDA Forest Service. These surveys represent an important but largely unknown contribution to the ecological literature of California. For each summary, information on location, target elements...

Songbird ecology in southwestern ponderosa pine forests: A literature review

Treesearch

William M. Block; Deborah M. Finch

1997-01-01

This publication reviews and synthesizes the literature about ponderosa pine forests of the Southwest, with emphasis on the biology, ecology, and conservation of songbirds. Critical bird-habitat management issues related to succession, snags, old growth, fire, logging, grazing, recreation, and landscape scale are addressed. Overviews of the ecology, current use, and...

Forest Service research natural areas in California

Treesearch

Sheauchi Cheng

2004-01-01

Ecological descriptions of 98 research natural areas (of various statuses) in the Pacific Southwest Region of the USDA Forest Service are summarized in this report. These descriptions, basically based on ecological surveys conducted from 1975 through 2000, provide important but largely unknown information on the ecology of California. For each area, descriptions of...

Individual-based modeling of ecological and evolutionary processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeAngelis, Donald L.; Mooij, Wolf M.

2005-01-01

Individual-based models (IBMs) allow the explicit inclusion of individual variation in greater detail than do classical differential-equation and difference-equation models. Inclusion of such variation is important for continued progress in ecological and evolutionary theory. We provide a conceptual basis for IBMs by describing five major types of individual variation in IBMs: spatial, ontogenetic, phenotypic, cognitive, and genetic. IBMs are now used in almost all subfields of ecology and evolutionary biology. We map those subfields and look more closely at selected key papers on fish recruitment, forest dynamics, sympatric speciation, metapopulation dynamics, maintenance of diversity, and species conservation. Theorists are currently divided on whether IBMs represent only a practical tool for extending classical theory to more complex situations, or whether individual-based theory represents a radically new research program. We feel that the tension between these two poles of thinking can be a source of creativity in ecology and evolutionary theory.

Ozone distribution in remote ecologically vulnerable terrain of the southern Sierra Nevada, CA.

PubMed

Panek, Jeanne; Saah, David; Esperanza, Annie; Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Fraczek, Witold; Cisneros, Ricardo

2013-11-01

Ozone concentration spatial patterns remain largely uncharacterized across the extensive wilderness areas of the Sierra Nevada, CA, despite being downwind of major pollution sources. These natural areas, including four national parks and four national forests, contain forest species that are susceptible to ozone injury. Forests stressed by ozone are also more vulnerable to other agents of mortality, including insects, pathogens, climate change, and ultimately fire. Here we analyze three years of passive ozone monitor data from the southern Sierra Nevada and interpolate landscape-scale spatial and temporal patterns during the summer-through-fall high ozone concentration period. Segmentation analysis revealed three types of ozone exposure sub-regions: high, low, and variable. Consistently high ozone exposure regions are expected to be most vulnerable to forest mortality. One high exposure sub-region has been documented elsewhere as being further vulnerable to increased drought and fire potential. Identifying such hot-spots of forest vulnerability has utility for prioritizing management. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating Species Richness and Modelling Habitat Preferences of Tropical Forest Mammals from Camera Trap Data

PubMed Central

Rovero, Francesco; Martin, Emanuel; Rosa, Melissa; Ahumada, Jorge A.; Spitale, Daniel

2014-01-01

Medium-to-large mammals within tropical forests represent a rich and functionally diversified component of this biome; however, they continue to be threatened by hunting and habitat loss. Assessing these communities implies studying species’ richness and composition, and determining a state variable of species abundance in order to infer changes in species distribution and habitat associations. The Tropical Ecology, Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) network fills a chronic gap in standardized data collection by implementing a systematic monitoring framework of biodiversity, including mammal communities, across several sites. In this study, we used TEAM camera trap data collected in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania, an area of exceptional importance for mammal diversity, to propose an example of a baseline assessment of species’ occupancy. We used 60 camera trap locations and cumulated 1,818 camera days in 2009. Sampling yielded 10,647 images of 26 species of mammals. We estimated that a minimum of 32 species are in fact present, matching available knowledge from other sources. Estimated species richness at camera sites did not vary with a suite of habitat covariates derived from remote sensing, however the detection probability varied with functional guilds, with herbivores being more detectable than other guilds. Species-specific occupancy modelling revealed novel ecological knowledge for the 11 most detected species, highlighting patterns such as ‘montane forest dwellers’, e.g. the endemic Sanje mangabey (Cercocebus sanjei), and ‘lowland forest dwellers’, e.g. suni antelope (Neotragus moschatus). Our results show that the analysis of camera trap data with account for imperfect detection can provide a solid ecological assessment of mammal communities that can be systematically replicated across sites. PMID:25054806

[Radio-ecological and hygienic assessment of consequences of forest fires in the areas polluted during the Chernobyl accident].

PubMed

Kashparov, V A; Lundin, S M; Kadygrib, A M; Protsak, V P; Levchuk, S E; Ioshchenko, V I; Kashpur, V A; Talerko, N N

2001-01-01

Retransfer of radionuclides on the condensation trails of Chernobyl radioactive fallouts during forest fires has been experimentally evaluated and their mathematical transfer model verified. It has been shown that radionuclide retransfer will make no great impact on additional pollution of an area even under the most unfavourable conditions. The contribution of convective and non-convective components of transfer to the formation of a radioactive aerosol concentration field has been assessed. Time course of changes in the concentration of radioactive aerosol and its dispersive composition are shown in different phases of fire and at different distance from its source.

Areas of Agreement and Disagreement Regarding Ponderosa Pine and Mixed Conifer Forest Fire Regimes: A Dialogue with Stevens et al.

PubMed Central

Odion, Dennis C.; Hanson, Chad T.; Baker, William L.; DellaSala, Dominick A.; Williams, Mark A.

2016-01-01

In a recent PLOS ONE paper, we conducted an evidence-based analysis of current versus historical fire regimes and concluded that traditionally defined reference conditions of low-severity fire regimes for ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and mixed-conifer forests were incomplete, missing considerable variability in forest structure and fire regimes. Stevens et al. (this issue) agree that high-severity fire was a component of these forests, but disagree that one of the several sources of evidence, stand age from a large number of forest inventory and analysis (FIA) plots across the western USA, support our findings that severe fire played more than a minor role ecologically in these forests. Here we highlight areas of agreement and disagreement about past fire, and analyze the methods Stevens et al. used to assess the FIA stand-age data. We found a major problem with a calculation they used to conclude that the FIA data were not useful for evaluating fire regimes. Their calculation, as well as a narrowing of the definition of high-severity fire from the one we used, leads to a large underestimate of conditions consistent with historical high-severity fire. The FIA stand age data do have limitations but they are consistent with other landscape-inference data sources in supporting a broader paradigm about historical variability of fire in ponderosa and mixed-conifer forests than had been traditionally recognized, as described in our previous PLOS paper. PMID:27195808

Areas of Agreement and Disagreement Regarding Ponderosa Pine and Mixed Conifer Forest Fire Regimes: A Dialogue with Stevens et al.

PubMed

Odion, Dennis C; Hanson, Chad T; Baker, William L; DellaSala, Dominick A; Williams, Mark A

2016-01-01

In a recent PLOS ONE paper, we conducted an evidence-based analysis of current versus historical fire regimes and concluded that traditionally defined reference conditions of low-severity fire regimes for ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and mixed-conifer forests were incomplete, missing considerable variability in forest structure and fire regimes. Stevens et al. (this issue) agree that high-severity fire was a component of these forests, but disagree that one of the several sources of evidence, stand age from a large number of forest inventory and analysis (FIA) plots across the western USA, support our findings that severe fire played more than a minor role ecologically in these forests. Here we highlight areas of agreement and disagreement about past fire, and analyze the methods Stevens et al. used to assess the FIA stand-age data. We found a major problem with a calculation they used to conclude that the FIA data were not useful for evaluating fire regimes. Their calculation, as well as a narrowing of the definition of high-severity fire from the one we used, leads to a large underestimate of conditions consistent with historical high-severity fire. The FIA stand age data do have limitations but they are consistent with other landscape-inference data sources in supporting a broader paradigm about historical variability of fire in ponderosa and mixed-conifer forests than had been traditionally recognized, as described in our previous PLOS paper.

Avian studies and research opportunities in the Luquillo Experimental Forest: a tropical rain forest in Puerto Rico

Treesearch

Joseph Wunderle, Jr; Wayne J. Arendt

2011-01-01

The Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) located on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico has a rich history of ecological research, including a variety of avian studies, and is one of the most active ecological research sites in the Neotropics. The LEF spans an elevational range from 100 to 1075mover which five life zones and four forest types are found in a warm, humid...

Proceedings of the symposium on the ecology and management of dead wood in western forests

Treesearch

William F. Laudenslayer; Patrick J. Shea; Bradley E. Valentine; C. Phillip Weatherspoon; Thomas E. Lisle

2002-01-01

Dead trees, both snags (standing dead trees) and logs (downed dead trees), are critical elements of healthy and productive forests. The “Symposium on the Ecology and Management of Dead Wood in Western Forests” was convened to bring together forest researchers and managers to share the current state of knowledge relative to the values and interactions of dead wood to...

Deforestation and climate feedbacks threaten the ecological integrity of south–southeastern Amazonia

PubMed Central

Coe, Michael T.; Marthews, Toby R.; Costa, Marcos Heil; Galbraith, David R.; Greenglass, Nora L.; Imbuzeiro, Hewlley M. A.; Levine, Naomi M.; Malhi, Yadvinder; Moorcroft, Paul R.; Muza, Michel Nobre; Powell, Thomas L.; Saleska, Scott R.; Solorzano, Luis A.; Wang, Jingfeng

2013-01-01

A mosaic of protected areas, including indigenous lands, sustainable-use production forests and reserves and strictly protected forests is the cornerstone of conservation in the Amazon, with almost 50 per cent of the region now protected. However, recent research indicates that isolation from direct deforestation or degradation may not be sufficient to maintain the ecological integrity of Amazon forests over the next several decades. Large-scale changes in fire and drought regimes occurring as a result of deforestation and greenhouse gas increases may result in forest degradation, regardless of protected status. How severe or widespread these feedbacks will be is uncertain, but the arc of deforestation in south–southeastern Amazonia appears to be particularly vulnerable owing to high current deforestation rates and ecological sensitivity to climate change. Maintaining forest ecosystem integrity may require significant strengthening of forest conservation on private property, which can in part be accomplished by leveraging existing policy mechanisms. PMID:23610166

Deforestation and climate feedbacks threaten the ecological integrity of south-southeastern Amazonia.

PubMed

Coe, Michael T; Marthews, Toby R; Costa, Marcos Heil; Galbraith, David R; Greenglass, Nora L; Imbuzeiro, Hewlley M A; Levine, Naomi M; Malhi, Yadvinder; Moorcroft, Paul R; Muza, Michel Nobre; Powell, Thomas L; Saleska, Scott R; Solorzano, Luis A; Wang, Jingfeng

2013-06-05

A mosaic of protected areas, including indigenous lands, sustainable-use production forests and reserves and strictly protected forests is the cornerstone of conservation in the Amazon, with almost 50 per cent of the region now protected. However, recent research indicates that isolation from direct deforestation or degradation may not be sufficient to maintain the ecological integrity of Amazon forests over the next several decades. Large-scale changes in fire and drought regimes occurring as a result of deforestation and greenhouse gas increases may result in forest degradation, regardless of protected status. How severe or widespread these feedbacks will be is uncertain, but the arc of deforestation in south-southeastern Amazonia appears to be particularly vulnerable owing to high current deforestation rates and ecological sensitivity to climate change. Maintaining forest ecosystem integrity may require significant strengthening of forest conservation on private property, which can in part be accomplished by leveraging existing policy mechanisms.

[Assessment on the changing conditions of ecosystems in key ecological function zones in China].

PubMed

Huang, Lin; Cao, Wei; Wu, Dan; Gong, Guo-li; Zhao, Guo-song

2015-09-01

In this paper, the dynamics of ecosystem macrostructure, qualities and core services during 2000 and 2010 were analyzed for the key ecological function zones of China, which were classified into four types of water conservation, soil conservation, wind prevention and sand fixation, and biodiversity maintenance. In the water conservation ecological function zones, the areas of forest and grassland ecosystems were decreased whereas water bodies and wetland were increased in the past 11 years, and the water conservation volume of forest, grassland and wetland ecosystems increased by 2.9%. This region needs to reverse the decreasing trends of forest and grassland ecosystems. In the soil conservation ecological function zones, the area of farmland ecosystem was decreased, and the areas of forest, grassland, water bodies and wetland ecosystems were increased. The total amount of the soil erosion was reduced by 28.2%, however, the soil conservation amount of ecosystems increased by 38.1%. In the wind prevention and sand fixation ecological function zones, the areas of grassland, water bodies and wetland ecosystems were decreased, but forest and farmland ecosystems were increased. The unit amount of the soil. wind erosion was reduced and the sand fixation amount of ecosystems increased lightly. In this kind of region that is located in arid and semiarid areas, ecological conservation needs to reduce farmland area and give priority to the protection of the original ecological system. In the biodiversity maintenance ecological function zones, the areas of grassland and desert ecosystems were decreased and other types were increased. The human disturbances showed a weakly upward trend and needs to be reduced. The key ecological function zones should be aimed at the core services and the protecting objects, to assess quantitatively on the effectiveness of ecosystem conservation and improvement.

Ecological classification systems for the Wayne National Forest, southeastern Ohio

Treesearch

David M. Hix; Jeffrey N. Pearcy

1997-01-01

The importance of basing land management decisions upon an ecosystem perspective is becoming widely accepted. It is frequently regarded as insufficient to simply manage stands or forest cover types without considering the ecological relationships of the forest vegetation to the other components of the ecosystems, such as soils and physiography. In order to implement...

Ecological scale and forest development: squirrels, dietary fungi, and vascular plants in managed and unmanaged forests.

Treesearch

A.B. Carey; J. Kershner; B. Biswell; L.S. Dominguez de Toledo

1999-01-01

Understanding ecological processes and their spatial scales is key to managing ecosystems for biodiversity, especially for species associated with late-seral forest. We focused on 2 species of squirrel (Sciuridae: northern flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus, and Townsend's chipmunk, Tamias townsendii) in a crosssectional survey of managed and natural stands in...

Chemical ecology and management of bark beetles in western coniferous forests

Treesearch

Christopher J. Fettig

2013-01-01

The future looks bright for the development and use of semiochemical-based tools in forests, particularly in remote and sensitive areas where other management techniques (e.g., the use of insecticides) may not be appropriate. This editorial provides an concise overview of chemical ecology and management of bark beetles in western coniferous forests.

Financial and ecological indicators of reduced impact logging performance in the eastern Amazon

Treesearch

Thomas P. Holmes; Geoffrey M. Blate; Johan C. Zweede; Rodrigo Pereira; Paulo Barreto; Frederick Boltz; Roberto Bauch

2002-01-01

Reduced impact logging (RIL) systems are currently being promoted in Brazil and other tropical countries in response to domestic and international concern over the ecological and economic sustainability of harvesting natural tropical forests. RIL systems are necessary, but not sufficient, for sustainable forest management because they reduce damage to the forest...

The apparent paradox of reestablishing species richness on degraded lands with tree monocultures.

Treesearch

Ariel E. Lugo

1997-01-01

The proliferation of degraded tropical landscapes in need of rehabilitation and the reduction of primary forest area have forced a closer collaboration between ecologist and land manager. this collaboration has led to new paradigms of forest management (combined in the term ecosystem management), new insight into forest ecology through comparative ecological...

Influence of forest structure and experimental green-tree retention on northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) abundance

Treesearch

Gillian L. Holloway; Winston P. Smith; Charles B. Halpern; Robert A. Gitzen; Christine C. Maguire; Stephen D. West

2012-01-01

In many regions of the world, forest management has shifted from practices emphasizing timber production to more sustainable harvesting that integrates ecological values, including maintenance of biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and ecological goods and services. To this end, management strategies emphasize retention of stand structures that meet the needs of forest-...

Small mammals of the Bitterroot National Forest: Ecological significance and guidelines for management

Treesearch

Dean E. Pearson

2000-01-01

Small mammal literature was reviewed to assess the ecological role of small mammals on the Bitterroot National Forest of western Montana. Small mammals fulfill numerous important roles in forest ecosystems by supporting a wide range of predators, dispersing seeds and mycorrhizal spores, altering vegetation through herbivory and seed predation, and preying on insects....

Toward a more ecologically informed view of severe forest fires

Treesearch

Richard L. Hutto; Robert E. Keane; Rosemary L. Sherriff; Christopher T. Rota; Lisa A. Eby; Vicki Saab

2016-01-01

We use the historical presence of high-severity fire patches in mixed-conifer forests of the western United States to make several points that we hope will encourage development of a more ecologically informed view of severe wildland fire effects. First, many plant and animal species use, and have sometimes evolved to depend on, severely burned forest...

Traditional and local ecological knowledge about forest biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest.

Treesearch

Susan Charnley; A. Paige Fischer; Eric T. Jones

2008-01-01

This paper synthesizes the existing literature about traditional and local ecological knowledge relating to biodiversity in Pacific Northwest forests in order to assess what is needed to apply this knowledge to forest biodiversity conservation efforts. We address four topics: (1) views and values people have relating to biodiversity, (2) the resource use and management...

Insights on Forest Structure and Composition from Long-Term Research in the Luquillo Mountains

Treesearch

Tamara Heartsill Scalley

2017-01-01

The science of ecology fundamentally aims to understand species and their relation to the environment. At sites where hurricane disturbance is part of the environmental context, permanent forest plots are critical to understand ecological vegetation dynamics through time. An overview of forest structure and species composition from two of the longest continuously...

Similarity in volatile communities leads to increased herbivory and greater tropical forest diversity.

PubMed

Massad, Tara J; Martins de Moraes, Marcílio; Philbin, Casey; Oliveira, Celso; Cebrian Torrejon, Gerardo; Fumiko Yamaguchi, Lydia; Jeffrey, Christopher S; Dyer, Lee A; Richards, Lora A; Kato, Massuo J

2017-07-01

A longstanding paradigm in ecology is that there are positive associations between herbivore diversity, specialization, and plant species diversity, with a focus on taxonomic diversity. However, phytochemical diversity is also an informative metric, as insect herbivores interact with host plants not as taxonomic entities, but as sources of nutrients, primary metabolites, and mixtures of attractant and repellant chemicals. The present research examines herbivore responses to phytochemical diversity measured as volatile similarity in the tropical genus Piper. We quantified associations between naturally occurring volatile variation and herbivory by specialist and generalist insects. Intraspecific similarity of volatile compounds across individuals was associated with greater overall herbivory. A structural equation model supported the hypothesis that plot level volatile similarity caused greater herbivory by generalists, but not specialists, which led to increased understory plant richness. These results demonstrate that using volatiles as a functional diversity metric is informative for understanding tropical forest diversity and indicate that generalist herbivores contribute to the maintenance of diversity. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Sugar maple ecology and health: proceedings of an international symposium

Treesearch

Stephen B. Horsley; Robert P. Long; eds.

1999-01-01

Contains 28 papers and abstracts on sugar maple history and ecology; recent sugar maple declines; nutrient and belowground dynamics in northeastern forests; and interactions of forest health with biotic and abiotic stressors.

Field sampling and data analysis methods for development of ecological land classifications: an application on the Manistee National Forest.

Treesearch

George E. Host; Carl W. Ramm; Eunice A. Padley; Kurt S. Pregitzer; James B. Hart; David T. Cleland

1992-01-01

Presents technical documentation for development of an Ecological Classification System for the Manistee National Forest in northwest Lower Michigan, and suggests procedures applicable to other ecological land classification projects. Includes discussion of sampling design, field data collection, data summarization and analyses, development of classification units,...

Agroforestry landscapes and global change: landscape ecology tools for management and conservation

Treesearch

Guillermo Martinez Pastur; Emilie Andrieu; Louis R. Iverson; Pablo Luis Peri

2012-01-01

Forest ecosystems are impacted by multiple uses under the influence of global drivers, and where landscape ecology tools may substantially facilitate the management and conservation of the agroforestry ecosystems. The use of landscape ecology tools was described in the eight papers of the present special issue, including changes in forested landscapes due to...

Development of an ecological classification system for the Wayne National Forest

Treesearch

David M. Hix; Andrea M. Chech

1993-01-01

In 1991, a collaborative research project was initiated to create an ecological classification system for the Wayne National Forest of southeastern Ohio. The work focuses on the ecological land type (ELT) level of ecosystem classification. The most common ELTs are being identified and described using information from intensive field sampling and multivariate data...

Ecological forestry in the Southeast: Understanding the ecology of fuels

Treesearch

R.J. Mitchell; J.K. Hiers; J. O’Brien; G. Starr

2009-01-01

Fire is a dominant disturbance within many forested ecosystems worldwide. Understanding the complex feedbacks among vegetation as a fuel for fire, the effects of fuels on fire behavior, and the impact of fire behavior on future vegetation are critical for sustaining biodiversity in fire-dependent forests. Nonetheless, understanding in fire ecology has been limited in...

Ecological integrity of remnant montane forests along an urban gradient in the Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

K. E. Heckmann; P.N. Manley; M.D. Schlesinger

2008-01-01

Urban development typically has extensive and intensive effects on native ecosystems, including vegetation communities and their associated biota. Increasingly, urban planning strives to retain elements of native ecosystems to meet multiple social and ecological objectives. The ecological integrity of native forests in an urbanizing landscape is challenged by a myriad...

Malaria vector populations across ecological zones in Guinea Conakry and Mali, West Africa.

PubMed

Coulibaly, Boubacar; Kone, Raymond; Barry, Mamadou S; Emerson, Becky; Coulibaly, Mamadou B; Niare, Oumou; Beavogui, Abdoul H; Traore, Sekou F; Vernick, Kenneth D; Riehle, Michelle M

2016-04-08

Malaria remains a pervasive public health problem in sub-Saharan West Africa. Here mosquito vector populations were explored across four sites in Mali and the Republic of Guinea (Guinea Conakry). The study samples the major ecological zones of malaria-endemic regions in West Africa within a relatively small distance. Mosquito vectors were sampled from larval pools, adult indoor resting sites, and indoor and outdoor human-host seeking adults. Mosquitoes were collected at sites spanning 350 km that represented arid savannah, humid savannah, semi-forest and deep forest ecological zones, in areas where little was previously known about malaria vector populations. 1425 mosquito samples were analysed by molecular assays to determine species, genetic attributes, blood meal sources and Plasmodium infection status. Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii were the major anophelines represented in all collections across the ecological zones, with A. coluzzii predominant in the arid savannah and A. gambiae in the more humid sites. The use of multiple collection methodologies across the sampling sites allows assessment of potential collection bias of the different methods. The L1014F kdr insecticide resistance mutation (kdr-w) is found at high frequency across all study sites. This mutation appears to have swept almost to fixation, from low frequencies 6 years earlier, despite the absence of widespread insecticide use for vector control. Rates of human feeding are very high across ecological zones, with only small fractions of animal derived blood meals in the arid and humid savannah. About 30 % of freshly blood-fed mosquitoes were positive for Plasmodium falciparum presence, while the rate of mosquitoes with established infections was an order of magnitude lower. The study represents detailed vector characterization from an understudied area in West Africa with endemic malaria transmission. The deep forest study site includes the epicenter of the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic. With new malaria control interventions planned in Guinea, these data provide a baseline measure and an opportunity to assess the outcome of future interventions.

Silica uptake and release in live and decaying biomass in a northern hardwood forest.

PubMed

Clymans, Wim; Conley, Daniel J; Battles, John J; Frings, Patrick J; Koppers, Mary Margaret; Likens, Gene E; Johnson, Chris E

2016-11-01

In terrestrial ecosystems, a large portion (20-80%) of the dissolved Si (DSi) in soil solution has passed through vegetation. While the importance of this "terrestrial Si filter" is generally accepted, few data exist on the pools and fluxes of Si in forest vegetation and the rate of release of Si from decomposing plant tissues. We quantified the pools and fluxes of Si through vegetation and coarse woody debris (CWD) in a northern hardwood forest ecosystem (Watershed 6, W6) at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in New Hampshire, USA. Previous work suggested that the decomposition of CWD may have significantly contributed to an excess of DSi reported in stream-waters following experimental deforestation of Watershed 2 (W2) at the HBEF. We found that woody biomass (wood + bark) and foliage account for approximately 65% and 31%, respectively, of the total Si in biomass at the HBEF. During the decay of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) boles, Si loss tracked the whole-bole mass loss, while yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) decomposition resulted in a preferential Si retention of up to 30% after 16 yr. A power-law model for the changes in wood and bark Si concentrations during decomposition, in combination with an exponential model for whole-bole mass loss, successfully reproduced Si dynamics in decaying boles. Our data suggest that a minimum of 50% of the DSi annually produced in the soil of a biogeochemical reference watershed (W6) derives from biogenic Si (BSi) dissolution. The major source is fresh litter, whereas only ~2% comes from the decay of CWD. Decay of tree boles could only account for 9% of the excess DSi release observed following the experimental deforestation of W2. Therefore, elevated DSi concentrations after forest disturbance are largely derived from other sources (e.g., dissolution of BSi from forest floor soils and/or mineral weathering). © 2016 The Authors. Ecology, published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., on behalf of the Ecological Society of America.

Social-Ecological Changes in a Quilombola Community in the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil.

PubMed

Thorkildsen, Kjersti

2014-01-01

Through a combined adaptive cycle and political ecology approach, this article explores how the Afro-Brazilian Quilombolas of Bombas, living inside the protected area of PETAR, respond to and shape social-ecological changes in the Atlantic Forest. Field data reveal that both environmental restrictions and social policies of state transfer payments and food packages have contributed to decreased engagement in agricultural practices, loss of traditional knowledge, and reduced agro-biodiversity. The claim to land rights based on a Quilombola identity and recent negotiations with forest authorities insinuate a shift of this trend. Contrary to dominant conservation narratives, the findings indicate that small-scale shifting cultivation practices by the Quilombolas have the potential to increase structural ecological complexity of the Atlantic Forest. The article therefore argues that legalization of settlement and subsistence activities is important not only for livelihood security and social cohesion of Bombas inhabitants, but also possibly for biodiversity conservation.

Megagardeners of the forest - the role of elephants in seed dispersal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa; Blake, Steve

2011-11-01

As the largest frugivores on Earth, elephants have unique ecological properties. Found in deserts, savannahs, and forests, they are the last remnants of a diverse lineage. Among the three currently recognized forms, African forest elephants are the most frugivorous, followed by Asian and African savannah elephants, although their role as seed dispersers is variable and context-dependent. African forest elephants may consume more seeds from more species than any other taxon of large vertebrate dispersers, defecating them over long distances in viable conditions into nutrient-rich and protective dung. In short, elephants are forest gardeners. The signature of elephant dispersal is evident in the spatial distribution of trees suggesting that elephants maintain tree diversity and retain low redundancy in seed dispersal systems. Large numbers of forest elephants ranging over large areas may be essential for ecosystem function. The loss of elephants will have important negative consequences for the ecological trajectories of some plant species and whole ecological communities, yet the conservation status of forest elephants is catastrophic in Asia and rapidly becoming so in Africa due to hunting and other conflicts with people. In this paper we review the current knowledge of elephants as seed dispersers, discuss the ecological consequences of their decline, and suggest priority areas for research and conservation action.

Biology of amphibians and reptiles in old-growth forests in the Pacific northwest. Forest Service general technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blaustein, A.R.; Beatty, J.J.; Olson, D.H.

1995-03-01

The amphibian and reptile fauna of older forest ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest includes several endemic species, species with unique behavioral and ecological characteristics, and species whose populations have been in decline in recent years. The authors review the biology of these species and include information on their distinguishing characteristics, behavior, and ecology. Herpetofaunal associations with forest characteristic and the impact of habitat loss are addressed.

Chief Joseph Dam, Columbia River, Washington, Community Impact Reports,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-05-01

provide a major source of employment. Forested areas in the north and east pro- vide raw materials for an active lumber and wood products industry...Sewage Disposal Systems. The District Engineer of the Washington State Department of Ecology furnished the design flow capacity and its population...latter is without consideration of Chief Joseph Dam contruction impact. The high school is rated 1. 4.03 The individual residents are responsible for

China Report, Economic Affairs.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-16

indirect benefits ( ecological benefits). For example, they regulate the climate, conserve water and soil, beautify the environment, and cleanse the...mankind’s need for wood and wooden articles will not only not decline, but will rapidly grow. Therefore, the possibility of using forests as a source...lack firewood for 90 to 150 days dur- ing the year. In areas with serious shortage, they are actually without fire- wood half the time every year

Resilience and Alternative Stable States of Tropical Forest Landscapes under Shifting Cultivation Regimes

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Shifting cultivation is a traditional agricultural practice in most tropical regions of the world and has the potential to provide for human livelihoods while hosting substantial biodiversity. Little is known about the resilience of shifting cultivation to increasing agricultural demands on the landscape or to unexpected disturbances. To investigate these issues, we develop a simple social-ecological model and implement it with literature-derived ecological parameters for six shifting cultivation landscapes from three continents. Analyzing the model with the tools of dynamical systems analysis, we show that such landscapes exhibit two stable states, one characterized by high forest cover and agricultural productivity, and another with much lower values of these traits. For some combinations of agricultural pressure and ecological parameters both of these states can potentially exist, and the actual state of the forest depends critically on its historic state. In many cases, the landscapes’ ‘ecological resilience’, or amount of forest that could be destroyed without shifting out of the forested stability domain, declined substantially at lower levels of agricultural pressure than would lead to maximum productivity. A measure of ‘engineering resilience’, the recovery time from standardized disturbances, was independent of ecological resilience. These findings suggest that maximization of short-term agricultural output may have counterproductive impacts on the long-term productivity of shifting cultivation landscapes and the persistence of forested areas. PMID:26406907

Ecological and economic impacts of forest policies: interactions across forestry and agriculture.

Treesearch

R.J. Alig; D.M. Adams; B.A. McCarl

1998-01-01

A linked model of the US forest and agriculture sectors was used to examine the economic and ecological impacts of two forest policies: a minimum harvest age limitation and a reduced public harvest policy. Simulated private responses to both policies indicate that landowners could undertake a range of adjustments to minimize their welfare impacts, but imposition of...

Human preference for ecological units: patterns of dispersed campsites within landtype associations on the Chippewa National Forest

Treesearch

Lisa Whitcomb; Dennis Parker; Bob Carr; Paul Gobster; Herb Schroeder

2002-01-01

Forest Service landscape architects sought a method for determining if people showed a preference for certain landscape-scale ecosystems and if ecological classification units could be used in visual resource management. A study was conducted on the Chippewa National Forest to test whether there was a systematic relationship between dispersed campsite locations and...

Development of an ecological classification system for the Cooper Creek watershed of the Chattahoochee National Forest: a first approximation

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab; Ronald B. Stephens; Erika M. Mavity; Joanne E. Baggs; James M. Wentworth; Richard D. Rightmyer; Alex J. Jaume; Brian D. Jackson; Michael P. Joyce

2015-01-01

The 2004 management plan for the Chattahoochee National Forest states that many future resource objectives and goals have an ecological basis. Assessment of resource needs in the Cooper Creek watershed area of the southern Appalachian Mountains of north Georgia were identified with awareness of ecological constraints and suitability. An interdisciplinary team of...

Environmental factors-ecological species group relationships in the Surash lowland-mountain forests in northern Iran

Treesearch

Fatemeh Bazdid Vahdati; Shahryar Saeidi Mehrvarz; Daniel C. Dey; Alireza Naqinezhad

2016-01-01

Identification of the primary factors that influence the ecological distribution of species groups is important to managers of lowland-mountain forests in northern Iran. The aim of this study was to identify main ecological species groups, describe the site conditions associated with these species groups and the relationships between environmental factors and the...

Soil and water related forest ecosystem services and resilience of social ecological system in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tekalign, Meron; Muys, Bart; Nyssen, Jan; Poesen, Jean

2014-05-01

In the central highlands of Ethiopia, deforestation and forest degradation are occurring and accelerating during the last century. The high population pressure is the most repeatedly mentioned reason. However, in the past 30 years researchers agreed that the absence of institutions, which could define the access rights to particular forest resources, is another underlying cause of forest depletion and loss. Changing forest areas into different land use types is affecting the biodiversity, which is manifested through not proper functioning of ecosystem services. Menagesha Suba forest, the focus of this study has been explored from various perspectives. However the social dimension and its interaction with the ecology have been addressed rarely. This research uses a combined theoretical framework of Ecosystem Services and that of Resilience thinking for understanding the complex social-ecological interactions in the forest and its influence on ecosystem services. For understanding the history and extent of land use land cover changes, in-depth literature review and a GIS and remote sensing analysis will be made. The effect of forest conversion into plantation and agricultural lands on soil and above ground carbon sequestration, fuel wood and timber products delivery will be analyzed with the accounting of the services on five land use types. The four ecosystem services to be considered are Supporting, Provisioning, Regulating, and Cultural services as set by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. A resilience based participatory framework approach will be used to analyze how the social and ecological systems responded towards the drivers of change that occurred in the past. The framework also will be applied to predict future uncertainties. Finally this study will focus on the possible interventions that could contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of the forest. An ecosystem services trade-off analysis and an environmental valuation of the water regulation and soil erosion control services will be made to propose solutions for increasing the social-ecological system resilience of Menagesha Suba forest.

Climate differentiates forest structure across a residential macrosystem

EPA Science Inventory

The extent of urban ecological homogenization depends on how humans build, inhabit, and manage cities. Morphological and socio-economic facets of neighborhoods can drive the homogenization of forest cover, thus affecting urban ecological and hydrological processes, and ecosystem...

Land cover's refined classification based on multi source of remote sensing information fusion: a case study of national geographic conditions census in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Tao; Zhang, Jialong; Zheng, Xinyan; Yuan, Rujin

2018-03-01

The project of The First National Geographic Conditions Census developed by Chinese government has designed the data acquisition content and indexes, and has built corresponding classification system mainly based on the natural property of material. However, the unified standard for land cover classification system has not been formed; the production always needs converting to meet the actual needs. Therefore, it proposed a refined classification method based on multi source of remote sensing information fusion. It takes the third-level classes of forest land and grassland for example, and has collected the thematic data of Vegetation Map of China (1:1,000,000), attempts to develop refined classification utilizing raster spatial analysis model. Study area is selected, and refined classification is achieved by using the proposed method. The results show that land cover within study area is divided principally among 20 classes, from subtropical broad-leaved forest (31131) to grass-forb community type of low coverage grassland (41192); what's more, after 30 years in the study area, climatic factors, developmental rhythm characteristics and vegetation ecological geographical characteristics have not changed fundamentally, only part of the original vegetation types have changed in spatial distribution range or land cover types. Research shows that refined classification for the third-level classes of forest land and grassland could make the results take on both the natural attributes of the original and plant community ecology characteristics, which could meet the needs of some industry application, and has certain practical significance for promoting the product of The First National Geographic Conditions Census.

Application of a forest-simulation model to assess the energy yield and ecological impact of forest utilization for energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doyle, T W; Shugart, H H; West, D C

1981-01-01

This study examines the utilization and management of natural forest lands to meet growing wood-energy demands. An application of a forest simulation model is described for assessing energy returns and long-term ecological impacts of wood-energy harvesting under four general silvicultural practices. Results indicate that moderate energy yields could be expected from mild cutting operations which would significantly effect neither the commercial timber market nor the composition, structure, or diversity of these forests. Forest models can provide an effective tool for determining optimal management strategies that maximize energy returns, minimize environmental detriment, and complement existing land-use plans.

Use of cotton gin trash to enhance denitrification in restored forested wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ullah, S.; Faulkner, S.P.

2006-01-01

Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV) has lost about 80% bottomland hardwood forests, mainly to agriculture. This landscape scale alteration of the LMV resulted in the loss of nitrate (NO3) removal capacity of the valley, contributing to nitrogen (N)-enhanced eutrophication and potentially hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Restoration of hardwood forests in the LMV is a highly recommended practice to reduce NO3 load of the Mississippi River. However, restored bottomland forests take decades to develop characteristic ecological functions including denitrifier activity. One way to enhance denitrifier activity in restored wetland forests is to amend the soils with an available carbon (C) source. This research investigated the effects of cotton gin trash (CGT) amendment on denitrification rate and N2O:N2 emission ratio from a restored bottomland forest soils and compared it to those from an adjacent unamended natural forest soils. CGT amendment increased denitrification rates in the restored forest soils to the level of the natural forest soils. N2O:N2 emission ratios from the restored and natural forest soils were highly variable and were not significantly different from each other. These findings suggest that restoration of bottomland hardwood forests in the LMV will require organic carbon amendment to achieve enhanced denitrifier activity for NO3 removal while the restored forest is developing into a mature state over time. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ecological risk assessment of coastal ecosystems: The case of mangrove forests in Hormozgan Province, Iran.

PubMed

Ghasemi, Saber; Moghaddam, Sina Siavash; Rahimi, Amir; Damalas, Christos A; Naji, Abolfazl

2018-01-01

Sediment quality of mangrove forests in Hormozgan Province of Iran with a focus on two distinct habitats - the Hara Protected Area and the area of the Azini Bay - was studied. The accumulation of heavy metals in the sediments of the Hara Protected Area in terms of concentration was in the order of Pb > Zn > Cu > Cd and in those of the Azini Bay in the order of Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. Based on Pearson's correlation coefficient, no significant correlations were found between concentrations of heavy metals in the sediments of the Hara Protected Area, while Zn and Pb concentrations were positively correlated in the sediments of the Azini Bay, implying a common pollution source. Common pollution indices, such as Contamination factor (Cf), degree of contamination (Cd), modified contamination degree (mCd), potential ecological risk index (RI) and metal pollution index (MPI), were used for assessing contamination status. The value of contamination (Cd) index was lower than 7 across all five stations of each studied region, implying a low degree of contamination. The modified contamination degree (mCd) index was lower than 1.5, showing that the sediment pollution was low in both regions. The potential ecological risk assessment index was 223.89 and 543.97 for the Hara Protected Area and the Azini Bay, respectively. Based on categorization of Hakanson's ecological risk, the Hara Protected Area region was in the range of 150 ≤ RI ≤ 300 (moderate ecological risk) and the Azini Bay region in the range of 300 ≤ RI ≤ 600 (acceptable ecological risk). Findings raise awareness of the contamination status of mangrove forests in Hormozgan Province, provide a valuable benchmark for future comparisons in the area, and are important for the design of appropriate policies and long-term management of those ecosystems by local managers and the national authorities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecological responses to el Niño-induced surface fires in central Brazilian Amazonia: management implications for flammable tropical forests.

PubMed Central

Barlow, Jos; Peres, Carlos A

2004-01-01

Over the past 20 years the combined effects of El Niño-induced droughts and land-use change have dramatically increased the frequency of fire in humid tropical forests. Despite the potential for rapid ecosystem alteration and the current prevalence of wildfire disturbance, the consequences of such fires for tropical forest biodiversity remain poorly understood. We provide a pan-tropical review of the current state of knowledge of these fires, and include data from a study in a seasonally dry terra firme forest of central Brazilian Amazonia. Overall, this study supports predictions that rates of tree mortality and changes in forest structure are strongly linked to burn severity. The potential consequences for biomass loss and carbon emissions are explored. Despite the paucity of data on faunal responses to tropical forest fires, some trends are becoming apparent; for example, large canopy frugivores and understorey insectivorous birds appear to be highly sensitive to changes in forest structure and composition during the first 3 years after fires. Finally, we appraise the management implications of fires and evaluate the viability of techniques and legislation that can be used to reduce forest flammability, prevent anthropogenic ignition sources from coming into contact with flammable forests and aid the post-fire recovery process. PMID:15212091

Ecological Knowledge Among Communities, Managers and Scientists: Bridging Divergent Perspectives to Improve Forest Management Outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rist, Lucy; Shackleton, Charlie; Gadamus, Lily; Chapin, F. Stuart; Gowda, C. Made; Setty, Siddappa; Kannan, Ramesh; Shaanker, R. Uma

2016-04-01

Multiple actors are typically involved in forest management, namely communities, managers and researchers. In such cases, suboptimal management outcomes may, in addition to other factors, be symptomatic of a divergence in perspectives among these actors driven by fundamental differences in ecological knowledge. We examine the degree of congruence between the understandings of actors surrounding key issues of management concern in three case studies from tropical, subtropical and boreal forests. We identify commonly encountered points of divergence in ecological knowledge relating to key management processes and issues. We use these to formulate seven hypotheses about differences in the bodies of knowledge that frequently underlie communication and learning failures in forest management contexts where multiple actors are involved and outcomes are judged to be suboptimal. Finally, we present a set of propositions to acknowledge and narrow these differences. A more complete recognition of the full triangulation between all actors involved, and of the influence that fundamental differences in ecological knowledge can exert, may help lead to a more fruitful integration between local knowledge and practice, manager knowledge and practice, and contemporary science in forest management.

Anthropogenic effects on forest ecosystems at various spatio-temporal scales.

PubMed

Bredemeier, Michael

2002-03-27

The focus in this review of long-term effects on forest ecosystems is on human impact. As a classification of this differentiated and complex matter, three domains of long-term effects with different scales in space and time are distinguished: Exploitation and conversion history of forests in areas of extended human settlement, Long-range air pollution and acid deposition in industrialized regions, Current global loss of forests and soil degradation. There is an evident link between the first and the third point in the list. Cultivation of primary forestland--with its tremendous effects on land cover--took place in Europe many centuries ago and continued for centuries. Deforestation today is a phenomenon predominantly observed in the developing countries, yet it threatens biotic and soil resources on a global scale. Acidification of forest soils caused by long-range air pollution from anthropogenic emission sources is a regional to continental problem in industrialized parts of the world. As a result of emission reduction legislation, atmospheric acid deposition is currently on the retreat in the richer industrialized regions (e.g., Europe, U.S., Japan); however, because many other regions of the world are at present rapidly developing their polluting industries (e.g., China and India), "acid rain" will most probably remain a serious ecological problem on regional scales. It is believed to have caused considerable destabilization of forest ecosystems, adding to the strong structural and biogeochemical impacts resulting from exploitation history. Deforestation and soil degradation cause the most pressing ecological problems for the time being, at least on the global scale. In many of those regions where loss of forests and soils is now high, it may be extremely difficult or impossible to restore forest ecosystems and soil productivity. Moreover, the driving forces, which are predominantly of a demographic and socioeconomic nature, do not yet seem to be lessening in strength. It can only be hoped that a wise policy of international cooperation and shared aims can cope with this problem in the future.

Ecological restoration success is higher for natural regeneration than for active restoration in tropical forests

PubMed Central

Crouzeilles, Renato; Ferreira, Mariana S.; Chazdon, Robin L.; Lindenmayer, David B.; Sansevero, Jerônimo B. B.; Monteiro, Lara; Iribarrem, Alvaro; Latawiec, Agnieszka E.; Strassburg, Bernardo B. N.

2017-01-01

Is active restoration the best approach to achieve ecological restoration success (the return to a reference condition, that is, old-growth forest) when compared to natural regeneration in tropical forests? Our meta-analysis of 133 studies demonstrated that natural regeneration surpasses active restoration in achieving tropical forest restoration success for all three biodiversity groups (plants, birds, and invertebrates) and five measures of vegetation structure (cover, density, litter, biomass, and height) tested. Restoration success for biodiversity and vegetation structure was 34 to 56% and 19 to 56% higher in natural regeneration than in active restoration systems, respectively, after controlling for key biotic and abiotic factors (forest cover, precipitation, time elapsed since restoration started, and past disturbance). Biodiversity responses were based primarily on ecological metrics of abundance and species richness (74%), both of which take far less time to achieve restoration success than similarity and composition. This finding challenges the widely held notion that natural forest regeneration has limited conservation value and that active restoration should be the default ecological restoration strategy. The proposition that active restoration achieves greater restoration success than natural regeneration may have arisen because previous comparisons lacked controls for biotic and abiotic factors; we also did not find any difference between active restoration and natural regeneration outcomes for vegetation structure when we did not control for these factors. Future policy priorities should align the identified patterns of biophysical and ecological conditions where each or both restoration approaches are more successful, cost-effective, and compatible with socioeconomic incentives for tropical forest restoration. PMID:29134195

Ecological restoration success is higher for natural regeneration than for active restoration in tropical forests.

PubMed

Crouzeilles, Renato; Ferreira, Mariana S; Chazdon, Robin L; Lindenmayer, David B; Sansevero, Jerônimo B B; Monteiro, Lara; Iribarrem, Alvaro; Latawiec, Agnieszka E; Strassburg, Bernardo B N

2017-11-01

Is active restoration the best approach to achieve ecological restoration success (the return to a reference condition, that is, old-growth forest) when compared to natural regeneration in tropical forests? Our meta-analysis of 133 studies demonstrated that natural regeneration surpasses active restoration in achieving tropical forest restoration success for all three biodiversity groups (plants, birds, and invertebrates) and five measures of vegetation structure (cover, density, litter, biomass, and height) tested. Restoration success for biodiversity and vegetation structure was 34 to 56% and 19 to 56% higher in natural regeneration than in active restoration systems, respectively, after controlling for key biotic and abiotic factors (forest cover, precipitation, time elapsed since restoration started, and past disturbance). Biodiversity responses were based primarily on ecological metrics of abundance and species richness (74%), both of which take far less time to achieve restoration success than similarity and composition. This finding challenges the widely held notion that natural forest regeneration has limited conservation value and that active restoration should be the default ecological restoration strategy. The proposition that active restoration achieves greater restoration success than natural regeneration may have arisen because previous comparisons lacked controls for biotic and abiotic factors; we also did not find any difference between active restoration and natural regeneration outcomes for vegetation structure when we did not control for these factors. Future policy priorities should align the identified patterns of biophysical and ecological conditions where each or both restoration approaches are more successful, cost-effective, and compatible with socioeconomic incentives for tropical forest restoration.

Ecological and ecophysiological attributes and responses to fire in eastern oak forests

Treesearch

Marc D. Abrams

2006-01-01

Prior to European settlement vast areas of the eastern U. S. deciduous forest were dominated by oak species. Evidence indicates that periodic understory fire was an important ecological factor in the historical development of oak forests. During European settlement of the late 19th and early 20th century, much of the Eastern United States was impacted by land clearing...

Combining mapped and statistical data in forest ecological inventory and monitoring - supplementing an existing system

Treesearch

H. T. Schreuder; R. Czaplewski; R. G. Bailey

1999-01-01

 forest ecological inventory and monitoring system combining information derived from maps and samples is proposed based on ecosystem regions (Bailey, 1994). The system extends the design of the USDA Forest Service Region 6 Inventory and Monitoring System (R6IMS) in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The key uses of the information are briefly discussed and...

Proceedings of a Symposium on the Kings River Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Project: Progress and Current Status

Treesearch

Jared Verner

2002-01-01

Ecosystem management aligns different uses of the land with ecological parameters and goals of environmental quality. An important USDA Forest Service mission is to balance the multiple uses of its lands in an ecologically sustainable way. This objective has been particularly challenging for National Forests of the Sierra Nevada in the face of heated controversies over...

Vascular Plant Species of the Forest Ecology Research and Demonstration Area, Paul Smith's, New York

Treesearch

Gary L. Wade; Jonathan A. Myers; Cecilia R. Martin; Kathie Detmar; William, III Mator; Mark J. Twery; Mike Rechlin

2003-01-01

Five forest harvest methods (single-tree selection, group selection, two-age cut, shelterwood cut, and clearcut) are being demonstrated on 5-acre tracts near the Adirondack Park Agency?s Visitor Interpretation Center (VIC) at Paul Smith?s, New York. The tracts are part of the agency?s Forest Ecology Research and Demonstration Area. A primary goal is to show visitors...

Ecological consequences of alternative fuel reduction treatments in seasonally dry forests: the national fire and fire surrogate study

Treesearch

J.D. McIver; C.J. Fettig

2010-01-01

This special issue of Forest Science features the national Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS), a niultisite, multivariate research project that evaluates the ecological consequences of prescribed fire and its mechanical surrogates in seasonally dry forests of the United States. The need for a comprehensive national FFS study stemmed from concern that information on...

Proceedings, 17th Central Hardwood Forest Conference

Treesearch

Songlin Fei; John M. Lhotka; Jeffrey W. Stringer; Kurt W. Gottschalk; Gary W., eds. Miller

2011-01-01

Includes 64 papers and 17 abstracts pertaining to research conducted on forest regeneration and propagation, forest products, ecology and forest dynamics, human dimensions and economics, forest biometrics and modeling, silviculture genetics, forest health and protection, and soil and mineral nutrition.

Hydrologic Controls on In-Stream Optical Dissolved Organic Matter Characteristics in an Old-Growth Forest of the Oregon Cascades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lajtha, K.; Lee, B. S.

2015-12-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a critical component of the carbon cycle linking terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, yet DOM composition representative of DOM sources at headwater catchments in the western U.S is poorly understood. This study examined the effect of forest management history and hydrologic patterns on DOM chemistry at nine experimental watersheds located in the H.J. Andrews Long Term Ecological Research Experimental Forest of the Oregon Cascades. Stream water samples representing a three-week composite of each watershed were collected between May 2013 and February 2015 (32 events). DOM chemistry was characterized by examining UV and fluorescent properties of stream samples. Specific UV absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA254; Weishaar et al. 2003), generally indicative of aromaticity, showed the lowest value at the high elevation clear-cut site (watershed 6, 1,030 m) and the highest value at the low elevation clear-cut site (watershed 10, 680 m) throughout the study period. DOM fluorescent components, identified by this study using a multivariate statistical model, Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC), did not differ significantly among experimental watersheds with varying forest management history. However, a protein-like DOM component exhibited temporal variations. Correlation analysis between the protein-like DOM and hydrologic patterns indicate that stream water during dry seasons come from protein-rich groundwater sources. This study shows UV and fluorescent spectroscopy DOM characterization is a viable finger printing method to detect DOM sources in pristine headwater streams at the western Cascades of Oregon where characterization of the stream water source with low DOC and DON concentrations is difficult.

Challenges and a checklist for biodiversity conservation in fire-prone forests: perspecitves from the Pacific Northwest of USA and Southeastern Australia

Treesearch

Thomas A. Spies; David B. Lindenmayer; A. Malcolm Gill; Scott L. Stephens; James K. Agee

2012-01-01

Conserving biodiversity in fire-prone forest ecosystems is challenging for several reasons including differing and incomplete conceptual models of fire-related ecological processes, major gaps in ecological and management knowledge, high variability in fire behavior and ecological responses to fires, altered fire regimes as a result of land-use history and climate...

Using traditional ecological knowledge as a basis for targeted forest inventory: paper birch (Betula papyrifera) in the US Great Lakes Region

Treesearch

Marla R. Emery; Alexandra Wrobel; Mark H. Hansen; Michael Dockry; W. Keith Moser; Kekek Jason Stark; Jonathan H. Gilbert

2014-01-01

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) has been proposed as a basis for enhanced understanding of ecological systems and their management. TEK also can contribute to targeted inventories of resources not included in standard mensuration. We discuss the results of a cooperative effort between the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) and USDA Forest...

Experiences from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: ecological findings and conservation initiatives.

PubMed

Joly, Carlos A; Metzger, Jean Paul; Tabarelli, Marcelo

2014-11-01

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest hosts one of the world's most diverse and threatened tropical forest biota. In many ways, its history of degradation describes the fate experienced by tropical forests around the world. After five centuries of human expansion, most Atlantic Forest landscapes are archipelagos of small forest fragments surrounded by open-habitat matrices. This 'natural laboratory' has contributed to a better understanding of the evolutionary history and ecology of tropical forests and to determining the extent to which this irreplaceable biota is susceptible to major human disturbances. We share some of the major findings with respect to the responses of tropical forests to human disturbances across multiple biological levels and spatial scales and discuss some of the conservation initiatives adopted in the past decade. First, we provide a short description of the Atlantic Forest biota and its historical degradation. Secondly, we offer conceptual models describing major shifts experienced by tree assemblages at local scales and discuss landscape ecological processes that can help to maintain this biota at larger scales. We also examine potential plant responses to climate change. Finally, we propose a research agenda to improve the conservation value of human-modified landscapes and safeguard the biological heritage of tropical forests. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Applying and Individual-Based Model to Simultaneously Evaluate Net Ecosystem Production and Tree Diameter Increment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, F. J.

2017-12-01

Reconciling observations at fundamentally different scales is central in understanding the global carbon cycle. This study investigates a model-based melding of forest inventory data, remote-sensing data and micrometeorological-station data ("flux towers" estimating forest heat, CO2 and H2O fluxes). The individual tree-based model FORCCHN was used to evaluate the tree DBH increment and forest carbon fluxes. These are the first simultaneous simulations of the forest carbon budgets from flux towers and individual-tree growth estimates of forest carbon budgets using the continuous forest inventory data — under circumstances in which both predictions can be tested. Along with the global implications of such findings, this also improves the capacity for forest sustainable management and the comprehensive understanding of forest ecosystems. In forest ecology, diameter at breast height (DBH) of a tree significantly determines an individual tree's cross-sectional sapwood area, its biomass and carbon storage. Evaluation the annual DBH increment (ΔDBH) of an individual tree is central to understanding tree growth and forest ecology. Ecosystem Carbon flux is a consequence of key ecosystem processes in the forest-ecosystem carbon cycle, Gross and Net Primary Production (GPP and NPP, respectively) and Net Ecosystem Respiration (NEP). All of these closely relate with tree DBH changes and tree death. Despite advances in evaluating forest carbon fluxes with flux towers and forest inventories for individual tree ΔDBH, few current ecological models can simultaneously quantify and predict the tree ΔDBH and forest carbon flux.

Effects of Projected Transient Changes in Climate on Tennessee Forests

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dale, Virginia H; Tharp, M Lynn; Lannom, Karen O.

This study examines transient effects of projected climate change on the structure and species composition of forests in Tennessee. The climate change scenarios for 2030 and 2080 were provided by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) from three General Circulation Models (GCMs) that simulate the range of potential climate conditions for the state. The precipitation and temperature projections from the three GCMs for 2030 and 2080 were related to changes in the ecoregions by using the monthly record of temperature and precipitation from 1980 to 1997 for each 1 km cell across the state as aggregated into the fivemore » ecological provinces. Temperatures are projected to increase in all ecological provinces in all months for all three GCMs for both 2030 and 2080. Precipitation patterns are more complex with one model projecting wetter summers and two models projecting drier summers. The forest ecosystem model LINKAGES was used to simulate conditions in forest stands for the five ecological provinces of Tennessee from 1989 to 2300. These model runs suggest there will be a change in tree diversity and species composition in all ecological provinces with the greatest changes occurring in the Southern Mixed Forest province. Most projections show a decline in total tree biomass followed by recovery as species replacement occurs in stands. The changes in forest biomass and composition, as simulated in this study, are likely to have implications on forest economy, tourism, understory conditions, wildlife habitat, mast provisioning, and other services provided by forest systems.« less

Ecosystem-based management in the whitebark pine zone

Treesearch

Robert E. Keane; Stephen F. Arno; Catherine A. Stewart

2000-01-01

Declining whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) forests have necessitated development of innovative methods to restore these ecologically valuable, high elevation ecosystems. We have began an extensive restoration study using prescribed fire and silvicultural cuttings to return native ecological processes to degenerating whitebark pine forests....

BIRD COMMUNITIES AND HABITAT AS ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF FOREST CONDITION IN REGIONAL MONITORING

EPA Science Inventory

Ecological indicators for long-term monitoring programs are needed to detect and assess changing environmental conditions, We developed and tested community-level environmental indicators for monitoring forest bird populations and associated habitat. We surveyed 197 sampling plo...

Proceedings, 18th Central Hardwood Forest Conference

Treesearch

Gary W. Miller; Thomas M. Schuler; Kurt W. Gottschalk; John R. Brooks; Shawn T. Grushecky; Ben D. Spong; James S., eds. Rentch

2013-01-01

Includes 44 papers and 41 abstracts pertaining to research conducted on biofuels and bioenergy, forest biometrics, forest ecology and physiology, forest economics, forest health including invasive species, forest soils and hydrology, geographic information systems, harvesting and utilization, silviculture, and wildlife management.

Ecological and Behavioural Factors Influencing Territorial Call Rates for the Bolivian Titi Monkeys, Plecturocebus modestus and Plecturocebus olallae.

PubMed

Martinez, Jesus; Wallace, Robert B

2016-01-01

Primate territorial calls have been used to locate groups in censuses. Daily variations in call rates are a potential source of error in these studies. To obtain more accurate estimations of population density it is necessary to determine how much variation there is in group call rates and to identify the factors that influence them. We present data on the emission of territorial calls by two threatened and endemic titi monkeys in Bolivia: Plecturocebus olallae and P. modestus. We found interspecific differences in daily call rates (52% P. modestus and 33% P. olallae). Groups inhabiting more continuous forests vocalized more frequently than groups in fragmented forests, which might be linked to the higher abundance of groups in less fragmented forests. We found seasonal differences in call rates between species, with more frequent calling in P. modestus during the dry season, while P. olallae called more frequently in the rainy season. The study groups emitted territorial calls mostly from the central zones of their territories, suggesting they do not face intense spatial competition with neighbouring groups. Our results improve the general ecological knowledge on P. olallae and P. modestus, and can also be used to improve population abundance studies and ongoing conservation efforts. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Unexpected dominance of parent-material strontium in a tropical forest on highly weathered soils

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bern, C.R.; Townsend, A.R.; Farmer, G.L.

2005-01-01

Controls over nutrient supply are key to understanding the structure and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Conceptual models once held that in situ mineral weathering was the primary long-term control over the availability of many plant nutrients, including the base cations calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K). Recent evidence has shown that atmospheric sources of these "rock-derived" nutrients can dominate actively cycling ecosystem pools, especially in systems on highly weathered soils. Such studies have relied heavily on the use of strontium isotopes as a proxy for base-cation cycling. Here we show that vegetation and soil-exchangeable pools of strontium in a tropical rainforest on highly weathered soils are still dominated by local rock sources. This pattern exists despite substantial atmospheric inputs of Sr, Ca, K, and Mg, and despite nearly 100% depletion of these elements from the top 1 m of soil. We present a model demonstrating that modest weathering inputs, resulting from tectonically driven erosion, could maintain parent-material dominance of actively cycling Sr. The majority of tropical forests are on highly weathered soils, but our results suggest that these forests may still show considerable variation in their primary sources of essential nutrients. ?? 2005 by the Ecological Society of America.

Simulating the effect of ignition source type on forest fire statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krenn, Roland; Hergarten, Stefan

2010-05-01

Forest fires belong to the most frightening natural hazards, and have long-term ecological and economic effects on the regions involved. It was found that their frequency-area distributions show power-law behaviour under a wide variety of conditions, interpreting them as a self-organised critical phenomenon. Using computer simulations, self-organised critical behaviour manifests in simple cellular automaton models. With respect to ignition source, forest fires can be categorised as lightning-induced or as a result of human activity. Lightning fires are considered to be natural, whereas ``man made'' fires are frequently caused by some sort of technological disaster, such as sparks from wheels of trains, the rupture of overhead electrical lines, the misuse of electrical or mechanical devices and so on. Taking into account that such events rarely occur deep in the woods, man made fires should start preferably on the edge of a forest or where the forest is not very dense. We present a modification in the self-organised critical Drossel-Schwabl forest fire model that takes these two different triggering mechanisms into account and increases the scaling exponent of the frequency-area distribution by ca. 1/3. Combined simulations further predict a dependence of the overall event-size distribution on the ratio of lightning-induced and man made fires as well as a splitting of their partial distributions. Lightning is identified as the dominant mechanism in the regime of the largest fires. The results are confirmed by the analysis of the Canadian Large Fire Database and suggest that lightning-induced and man made forest fires cannot be treated separately in wildfire modelling, hazard assessment and forest management.

Revisions to the 1995 map of ecological subregions that affect users of the southern variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab; Chad E. Keyser

2011-01-01

The Southern Variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator utilizes ecological units mapped in 1995 by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, to refine tree growth models for the Southern United States. The 2007 revision of the 1995 map resulted in changes of identification and boundary delineation for some ecoregion units. In this report, we summarize the...

Methods for measuring bird-mediated seed rain: Insights from a Hawaiian mesic forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rose, Eli; Stewart, Meredith; Brinkman, Andrew; Paxton, Eben H.; Yelenik, Stephanie G.

2017-01-01

Amount and diversity of bird-dispersed seed rain play important roles in determining forest composition, yet neither is easy to quantify. The complex ecological processes that influence seed movement make the best approach highly context specific. Although recent advances in seed rain theory emphasize quantifying source-specific seed shadows, many ecological questions can be addressed u sing a less mechanistic approach that requires fewer assumptions. Using seed rain rates from 0.38 m2 hoop traps sampled twice monthly over the course of a year, we show that number of traps required to identify changes in seed rain varies across seed species and forest type. Detecting a 50% increase in amount of seed rain required from 65 to >300 traps, while detecting a 200% increase generally required ≤⃒50 traps. Trap size and ecological context dictate the number of seeds found in each trap, but the coefficient of variation (CV) across traps in a given ecological context can help inform future studies about number of traps needed to detect change. To better understand factors influencing variation around estimates of seed rain, we simulated both clustered and evenly distributed patterns of fecal deposition using three different levels of seed aggregation (number of seeds in each fecal deposit). When patterns of fecal deposition were clustered, rather than evenly dispersed across the study area, they required >1.5 times the number of traps to identify a 100% increase in seed rain. Similarly, we found that low seed aggregation required >1.5 times the number of traps to detect a 100% change than when aggregation was medium or high. At low aggregations, fewer seed rain traps contained seeds (low, 33 ± 5%; medium, 23 ± 4%; high, 24 ± 5%), resulting in more variation across traps than medium and high aggregations. We also illustrate the importance of training observers to discern between morphologically similar seeds from different species and provide resources to help identify bird-dispersed seeds commonly found within midelevation mesic Hawaiian forests.

Proceedings 19th Central Hardwood Forest Conference

Treesearch

John W. Groninger; Eric J. Holzmueller; Clayton K. Nielsen; Daniel C., eds. Dey

2014-01-01

Proceedings from the 2014 Central Hardwood Forest Conference in Carbondale, IL. The published proceedings include 27 papers and 47 abstracts pertaining to research conducted on biofuels and bioenergy, forest biometrics, forest ecology and physiology, forest economics, forest health including invasive species, forest soils and hydrology, geographic information systems,...

Forests in a water limited world under climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mátyás, Csaba; Sun, Ge

2014-08-01

The debate on ecological and climatic benefits of planted forests at the sensitive dry edge of the closed forest belt (i.e. at the ‘xeric limits’) is still unresolved. Forests sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide, accumulate biomass, control water erosion and dust storms, reduce river sedimentation, and mitigate small floods. However, planting trees in areas previously dominated by grassland or cropland can dramatically alter the energy and water balances at multiple scales. The forest/grassland transition zone is especially vulnerable to projected drastic temperature and precipitation shifts and growing extremes due to its high ecohydrological sensitivity. We investigated some of the relevant aspects of the ecological and climatic role of forests and potential impacts of climate change at the dryland margins of the temperate-continental zone using case studies from China, the United States and SE Europe (Hungary). We found that, contrary to popular expectations, the effects of forest cover on regional climate might be limited and the influence of forestation on water resources might be negative. Planted forests generally reduce stream flow and lower groundwater table level because of higher water use than previous land cover types. Increased evaporation potential due to global warming and/or extreme drought events is likely to reduce areas that are appropriate for tree growth and forest establishment. Ecologically conscious forest management and forestation planning should be adjusted to the local, projected hydrologic and climatic conditions, and should also consider non-forest alternative land uses.

A global carbon assimilation system based on a dual optimization method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, H.; Li, Y.; Chen, J. M.; Wang, T.; Huang, Q.; Huang, W. X.; Wang, L. H.; Li, S. M.; Yuan, W. P.; Zheng, X.; Zhang, S. P.; Chen, Z. Q.; Jiang, F.

2015-02-01

Ecological models are effective tools for simulating the distribution of global carbon sources and sinks. However, these models often suffer from substantial biases due to inaccurate simulations of complex ecological processes. We introduce a set of scaling factors (parameters) to an ecological model on the basis of plant functional type (PFT) and latitudes. A global carbon assimilation system (GCAS-DOM) is developed by employing a dual optimization method (DOM) to invert the time-dependent ecological model parameter state and the net carbon flux state simultaneously. We use GCAS-DOM to estimate the global distribution of the CO2 flux on 1° × 1° grid cells for the period from 2001 to 2007. Results show that land and ocean absorb -3.63 ± 0.50 and -1.82 ± 0.16 Pg C yr-1, respectively. North America, Europe and China contribute -0.98 ± 0.15, -0.42 ± 0.08 and -0.20 ± 0.29 Pg C yr-1, respectively. The uncertainties in the flux after optimization by GCAS-DOM have been remarkably reduced by more than 60%. Through parameter optimization, GCAS-DOM can provide improved estimates of the carbon flux for each PFT. Coniferous forest (-0.97 ± 0.27 Pg C yr-1) is the largest contributor to the global carbon sink. Fluxes of once-dominant deciduous forest generated by the Boreal Ecosystems Productivity Simulator (BEPS) are reduced to -0.78 ± 0.23 Pg C yr-1, the third largest carbon sink.

Caatinga revisited: ecology and conservation of an important seasonal dry forest.

PubMed

de Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino; de Lima Araújo, Elcida; El-Deir, Ana Carla Asfora; de Lima, André Luiz Alves; Souto, Antonio; Bezerra, Bruna Martins; Ferraz, Elba Maria Nogueira; Maria Xavier Freire, Eliza; Sampaio, Everardo Valadares de Sá Barreto; Las-Casas, Flor Maria Guedes; de Moura, Geraldo Jorge Barbosa; Pereira, Glauco Alves; de Melo, Joabe Gomes; Alves Ramos, Marcelo; Rodal, Maria Jesus Nogueira; Schiel, Nicola; de Lyra-Neves, Rachel Maria; Alves, Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega; de Azevedo-Júnior, Severino Mendes; Telino Júnior, Wallace Rodrigues; Severi, William

2012-01-01

Besides its extreme climate conditions, the Caatinga (a type of tropical seasonal forest) hosts an impressive faunal and floristic biodiversity. In the last 50 years there has been a considerable increase in the number of studies in the area. Here we aimed to present a review of these studies, focusing on four main fields: vertebrate ecology, plant ecology, human ecology, and ethnobiology. Furthermore, we identify directions for future research. We hope that the present paper will help defining actions and strategies for the conservation of the biological diversity of the Caatinga.

Impacts of forest and land management on biodiversity and carbon

Treesearch

Valerie Kapos; Werner A. Kurz; Toby Gardner; Joice Ferreira; Manuel Guariguata; Lian Pin Koh; Stephanie Mansourian; John A. Parrotta; Nokea Sasaki; Christine B. Schmitt; Jos Barlow; Markku Kanninen; Kimiko Okabe; Yude Pan; Ian D. Thompson; Nathalie van Vliet

2012-01-01

Changes in the management of forest and non-forest land can contribute significantly to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Such changes can include both forest management actions - such as improving the protection and restoration of existing forests, introducing ecologically responsible logging practices and regenerating forest on degraded...

Peatlands on National Forests of the Northern Rocky Mountains: Ecology and conservation

Treesearch

Steve W. Chadde; J. Stephen Shelly; Robert J. Bursik; Robert K. Moseley; Angela G. Evenden; Maria Mantas; Fred Rabe; Bonnie Heidel

1998-01-01

This overview of peatland ecology and conservation on National Forests in the Northern Rocky Mountains describes physical components, vegetation, vascular and nonvascular flora, and invertebrate fauna on peatlands. Detailed site descriptions for 58 peatlands in Idaho, Montana, and northeastern Washington are included.

Neighbourhood-Scale Urban Forest Ecosystem Classification

Treesearch

James W.N. Steenberg; Andrew A. Millward; Peter N. Duinker; David J. Nowak; Pamela J. Robinson

2015-01-01

Urban forests are now recognized as essential components of sustainable cities, but there remains uncertainty concerning how to stratify and classify urban landscapes into units of ecological significance at spatial scales appropriate for management. Ecosystem classification is an approach that entails quantifying the social and ecological processes that shape...

Emulating natural disturbance regimes: an emerging approach for sustainable forest management

Treesearch

M. North; W Keeton

2008-01-01

Sustainable forest management integrates ecological, social, and economic objectives. To achieve the former, researchers and practitioners are modifying silvicultural practices based on concepts from successional and landscape ecology to provide a broader array of ecosystem functions than is associated with conventional approaches. One...

Natural Resources and Forest Ecology. Florida Vocational Program Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Univ., Tallahassee. Center for Instructional Development and Services.

This program guide identifies primary considerations in the organization, operation, and evaluation of a natural resources and forest ecology program. Program content is presented first. A curriculum framework specifies the exact course title, course number, levels of instruction, major course content, laboratory activities, special notes, major…

Complete genome sequence of “Enterobacter lignolyticus” SCF1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeAngelis, Kristen M.; D'Haeseleer, Patrik; Chivian, Dylan

2011-09-23

In an effort to discover anaerobic bacteria capable of lignin degradation, we isolated 'Ente-robacter lignolyticus' SCF1 on minimal media with alkali lignin as the sole source of carbon. This organism was isolated anaerobically from tropical forest soils collected from the Short Cloud Forest site in the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, USA, part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Station. At this site, the soils experience strong fluctuations in redox potential and are net methane producers. Because of its ability to grow on lignin anae-robically, we sequenced the genome. The genome of 'E. lignolyticus' SCF1 is 4.81 Mbpmore » with no detected plasmids, and includes a relatively small arsenal of lignocellulolytic carbohy-drate active enzymes. Lignin degradation was observed in culture, and the genome revealed two putative laccases, a putative peroxidase, and a complete 4-hydroxyphenylacetate degra-dation pathway encoded in a single gene cluster.« less

Spatial ecology and multi-scale habitat selection of the Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) in a managed forest landscape

Treesearch

WB Sutton; Y Wang; Callie Schweitzer; C.  McClure

2017-01-01

We evaluated the spatial ecology and habitat use of the Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) in managed, pine-hardwood forests in the William B. Bankhead National Forest, Alabama. We used radiotelemetry to monitor 31 snakes (23 males, 8 females [5 gravid and 3 non-gravid females]) over a period of 3 years (2006–2008). Snakes were tracked for one or more seasons in a...

Disturbance and productivity interactions mediate stability of forest composition and structure.

PubMed

O'Connor, Christopher D; Falk, Donald A; Lynch, Ann M; Swetnam, Thomas W; Wilcox, Craig P

2017-04-01

Fire is returning to many conifer-dominated forests where species composition and structure have been altered by fire exclusion. Ecological effects of these fires are influenced strongly by the degree of forest change during the fire-free period. Response of fire-adapted species assemblages to extended fire-free intervals is highly variable, even in communities with similar historical fire regimes. This variability in plant community response to fire exclusion is not well understood; however, ecological mechanisms such as individual species' adaptations to disturbance or competition and underlying site characteristics that facilitate or impede establishment and growth have been proposed as potential drivers of assemblage response. We used spatially explicit dendrochronological reconstruction of tree population dynamics and fire regimes to examine the influence of historical disturbance frequency (a proxy for adaptation to disturbance or competition), and potential site productivity (a proxy for underlying site characteristics) on the stability of forest composition and structure along a continuous ecological gradient of pine, dry mixed-conifer, mesic mixed-conifer, and spruce-fir forests following fire exclusion. While average structural density increased in all forests, species composition was relatively stable in the lowest productivity pine-dominated and highest productivity spruce-fir-dominated sites immediately following fire exclusion and for the next 100 years, suggesting site productivity as a primary control on species composition and structure in forests with very different historical fire regimes. Species composition was least stable on intermediate productivity sites dominated by mixed-conifer forests, shifting from primarily fire-adapted species to competition-adapted, fire-sensitive species within 20 years of fire exclusion. Rapid changes to species composition and stand densities have been interpreted by some as evidence of high-severity fire. We demonstrate that the very different ecological process of fire exclusion can produce similar changes by shifting selective pressures from disturbance-mediated to productivity-mediated controls. Restoring disturbance-adapted species composition and structure to intermediate productivity forests may help to buffer them against projected increasing temperatures, lengthening fire seasons, and more frequent and prolonged moisture stress. Fewer management options are available to promote adaptation in forest assemblages historically constrained by underlying site productivity. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Using the Viability Theory to Assess the Flexibility of Forest Managers Under Ecological Intensification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathias, Jean-Denis; Bonté, Bruno; Cordonnier, Thomas; de Morogues, Francis

2015-11-01

Greater demand for wood material has converged with greater demand for biodiversity conservation to make balancing forest ecosystem services a key societal issue. Forest managers, owners, or policymakers need new approaches and methods to evaluate their ability to adapt to this dual objective. We analyze the ability of forest owners to define sustainable forest management options based on viability theory and a new flexibility index. This new indicator gauges the adaptive capacity of forest owners based on the number of sustainable actions available to them at a given time. Here we study a public forest owner who regulates harvest intensity and frequency in order to meet demand for timber wood at forest scale and to meet a biodiversity recommendation via a minimum permanently maintained volume of deadwood per hectare at stand scale. Dynamical systems theory was used to model uneven-aged forest dynamics—including deadwood dynamics—and the dynamics of timber wood demand and tree removals. Uneven-aged silver fir forest management in the "Quatre Montagnes region" (Vercors, France) is used as an illustrative example. The results explain situations where a joint increase in wood production and deadwood retention does not reduce the flexibility index more than increasing either one dimension alone, thus opening up ecological intensification options. To conclude, we discuss the value of the new flexibility index for addressing environmental management and ecological intensification issues.

Wild European apple (Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill.) population dynamics: insight from genetics and ecology in the Rhine Valley. Priorities for a future conservation programme.

PubMed

Schnitzler, Annik; Arnold, Claire; Cornille, Amandine; Bachmann, Olivier; Schnitzler, Christophe

2014-01-01

The increasing fragmentation of forest habitats and the omnipresence of cultivars potentially threaten the genetic integrity of the European wild apple (Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill). However, the conservation status of this species remains unclear in Europe, other than in Belgium and the Czech Republic, where it has been declared an endangered species. The population density of M. sylvestris is higher in the forests of the upper Rhine Valley (France) than in most European forests, with an unbalanced age-structure, an overrepresentation of adults and a tendency to clump. We characterize here the ecology, age-structure and genetic diversity of wild apple populations in the Rhine Valley. We use these data to highlight links to the history of this species and to propose guidelines for future conservation strategies. In total, 255 individual wild apple trees from six forest stands (five floodplain forests and one forest growing in drier conditions) were analysed in the field, collected and genotyped on the basis of data for 15 microsatellite markers. Genetic analyses showed no escaped cultivars and few hybrids with the cultivated apple. Excluding the hybrids, the genetically "pure" populations displayed high levels of genetic diversity and a weak population structure. Age-structure and ecology studies of wild apple populations identified four categories that were not randomly distributed across the forests, reflecting the history of the Rhine forest over the last century. The Rhine wild apple populations, with their ecological strategies, high genetic diversity, and weak traces of crop-to-wild gene flow associated with the history of these floodplain forests, constitute candidate populations for inclusion in future conservation programmes for European wild apple.

Wild European Apple (Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill.) Population Dynamics: Insight from Genetics and Ecology in the Rhine Valley. Priorities for a Future Conservation Programme

PubMed Central

Schnitzler, Annik; Arnold, Claire; Cornille, Amandine; Bachmann, Olivier; Schnitzler, Christophe

2014-01-01

The increasing fragmentation of forest habitats and the omnipresence of cultivars potentially threaten the genetic integrity of the European wild apple (Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill). However, the conservation status of this species remains unclear in Europe, other than in Belgium and the Czech Republic, where it has been declared an endangered species. The population density of M. sylvestris is higher in the forests of the upper Rhine Valley (France) than in most European forests, with an unbalanced age-structure, an overrepresentation of adults and a tendency to clump. We characterize here the ecology, age-structure and genetic diversity of wild apple populations in the Rhine Valley. We use these data to highlight links to the history of this species and to propose guidelines for future conservation strategies. In total, 255 individual wild apple trees from six forest stands (five floodplain forests and one forest growing in drier conditions) were analysed in the field, collected and genotyped on the basis of data for 15 microsatellite markers. Genetic analyses showed no escaped cultivars and few hybrids with the cultivated apple. Excluding the hybrids, the genetically “pure” populations displayed high levels of genetic diversity and a weak population structure. Age-structure and ecology studies of wild apple populations identified four categories that were not randomly distributed across the forests, reflecting the history of the Rhine forest over the last century. The Rhine wild apple populations, with their ecological strategies, high genetic diversity, and weak traces of crop-to-wild gene flow associated with the history of these floodplain forests, constitute candidate populations for inclusion in future conservation programmes for European wild apple. PMID:24827575

Ecology, distribution, and predictive occurrence modeling of Palmers chipmunk (Tamias palmeri): a high-elevation small mammal endemic to the Spring Mountains in southern Nevada, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowrey, Chris E.; Longshore, Kathleen M.; Riddle, Brett R.; Mantooth, Stacy

2016-01-01

Although montane sky islands surrounded by desert scrub and shrub steppe comprise a large part of the biological diversity of the Basin and Range Province of southwestern North America, comprehensive ecological and population demographic studies for high-elevation small mammals within these areas are rare. Here, we examine the ecology and population parameters of the Palmer’s chipmunk (Tamias palmeri) in the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada, and present a predictive GIS-based distribution and probability of occurrence model at both home range and geographic spatial scales. Logistic regression analyses and Akaike Information Criterion model selection found variables of forest type, slope, and distance to water sources as predictive of chipmunk occurrence at the geographic scale. At the home range scale, increasing population density, decreasing overstory canopy cover, and decreasing understory canopy cover contributed to increased survival rates.

SPATIAL FOREST SOIL PROPERTIES FOR ECOLOGICAL MODELING IN THE WESTERN OREGON CASCADES

EPA Science Inventory

The ultimate objective of this work is to provide a spatially distributed database of soil properties to serve as inputs to model ecological processes in western forests at the landscape scale. The Central Western Oregon Cascades are rich in biodiversity and they are a fascinati...

Winter nutrition and population ecology of white-tailed deer in the central Superior National Forest.

Treesearch

Glenn D. DelGuidice; Michael E. Nelson; L. David Mech

1991-01-01

Summarizes 15 years of studying white-tailed deer social ecology, movements, winter nutritional physiology, reproduction, survival, mortality, and population changes in the central Superior National Forest. Applied results of nutritional experiments with captive deer to interpretation of data from wild deer.

Proceedings of the 12th biennial southern silvicultural research conference

Treesearch

Kristina F. Connor; [Editor

2004-01-01

Ninety-two papers and thirty-six poster summaries address a range of issues affecting southern forests. Papers are grouped in 15 sessions that include wildlife ecology; fire ecology; natural pine management; forest health; growth and yield; upland hardwoods - natural regeneration; hardwood intermediate treatments; longleaf pine; pine plantation silviculture; site...

Social/economic/cultural components

Treesearch

Patricia L. Winter; Jonathan W. Long; Susan Charnley

2014-01-01

Previous chapters of this synthesis rely on multiple ecological disciplines to frame core aspects of a sustainable, resilient ecosystem. Approaching forest management in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Range in a manner that promotes socioecological resilience and sustains important forest values requires consideration of not only the ecological, but also the...

Do remnant old-growth trees accelerate rates of succession in mature Douglas-fir forests?

Treesearch

William S. Keeton; Jerry F. Franklin

2005-01-01

Biological legacies left by natural disturbances provide ecological functions throughout forest stand development, but their influences on processes of ecological succession are not completely understood. We investigated the successional role of one type of biological legacy: remnant old-growth trees persisting in mature Pseudotsuga menziesii (...

The Hoosier-Shawnee Ecological assessment

Treesearch

Frank R., III, ed. Thompson; ed.

2004-01-01

This report is a scientific assessment of the characteristic composition, structure, and processes of ecosystems in the southern one-third of Illinois and Indiana and a small part of western Kentucky. It includes chapters on ecological sections and soils, water resources, forest, plants, and communities, aquatic animals, terrestrial animals, forest diseases and pests...

Ecological consequences of mountain pine beetle outbreaks for wildlife in western North American forests

Treesearch

Victoria A. Saab; Quresh S. Latif; Mary M. Rowland; Tracey N. Johnson; Anna D. Chalfoun; Steven W. Buskirk; Joslin E. Heyward; Matthew A. Dresser

2014-01-01

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) (MPB) outbreaks are increasingly prevalent in western North America, causing considerable ecological change in pine (Pinus spp.) forests with important implications for wildlife. We reviewed studies examining wildlife responses to MPB outbreaks and postoutbreak salvage logging to...

Variable selection with random forest: Balancing stability, performance, and interpretation in ecological and environmental modeling

EPA Science Inventory

Random forest (RF) is popular in ecological and environmental modeling, in part, because of its insensitivity to correlated predictors and resistance to overfitting. Although variable selection has been proposed to improve both performance and interpretation of RF models, it is u...

Vegetation data collection in temperate forest research natural areas.

Treesearch

Lewis F. Ohmann

1973-01-01

Despite a long history of research natural area preservation by the USDA Forest Service and other governmental agencies, ecological baseline data have been gathered for few areas. This report presents a framework, including possible sampling schemes for ecological baseline data collection by nonprofessionals working under the consulting supervision of professional...

Upland Oak Ecology Symposium: A Synthesis

Treesearch

Martin A. Spetich

2004-01-01

Recent changes in upland forests of the Interior Highlands have raised the interest of and questions from professional resource specialists and the public. This renewed interest in Interior Highland forests provided researchers an opportunity to update resource specialists on new knowledge regarding upland oak ecology. Symposium presentations and the papers presented...

Changing characteristics of land use and ecological service value in the water source region of the Middle Route of South-to-North Water Transfer Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jian; Zhai, Wenliang; Cao, Huiqun

2017-08-01

Research on changing characteristics of land use and ecological service value (ESV) can guide the regional land use planning and promote the rational use of environmental resources. On the basis of four phases of land-use data (2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015), this research analysed the changing characteristics of land use and ESV in the water source region of the Middle Route of South-to-North Water Transfer Project (SRMRP). The results showed that forest, grassland and cultivated land were the major land-use types in the SRMRP. During 2000∼2015, forest, grassland, farmland and wetland decreased. Construction land and bare land had increased, and the annual increase rates reached 3.6% and 8%, respectively. After the implementation of the water transfer project in 2003, water area was also increasing. The total ESV in the SRMRP is about 196 billion CNY, and mainly comes from the contributions of forest, grassland and farmland. During 2000∼2015, farmland shrinks leaded to the declines in value from supply service. With increasing in water and construction land, value from entertainment and cultural service increased. During the early stage of the water transfer project, value from regulation and support services increased due to the increase in water. With the decreasing in wetland and the increasing in construction land, the negative effects on the regulation and support services were increasing, and value from regulation and support services were therefore decreasing. During the process of resource exploitation and management, more attentions should be paid to the total control of construction land and wetland protection in the SRMRP.

Final Report, 2011-2014. Forecasting Carbon Storage as Eastern Forests Age. Joining Experimental and Modeling Approaches at the UMBS AmeriFlux Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Curtis, Peter; Bohrer, Gil; Gough, Christopher

2015-03-12

At the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) AmeriFlux sites (US-UMB and US-UMd), long-term C cycling measurements and a novel ecosystem-scale experiment are revealing physical, biological, and ecological mechanisms driving long-term trajectories of C cycling, providing new data for improving modeling forecasts of C storage in eastern forests. Our findings provide support for previously untested hypotheses that stand-level structural and biological properties constrain long-term trajectories of C storage, and that remotely sensed canopy structural parameters can substantially improve model forecasts of forest C storage. Through the Forest Accelerated Succession ExperimenT (FASET), we are directly testing the hypothesis that forest Cmore » storage will increase due to increasing structural and biological complexity of the emerging tree communities. Support from this project, 2011-2014, enabled us to incorporate novel physical and ecological mechanisms into ecological, meteorological, and hydrological models to improve forecasts of future forest C storage in response to disturbance, succession, and current and long-term climate variation« less

Emerging themes in the ecology and management of North American forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sharik, Terry L.; Adair, William; Baker, Fred A.; Battaglia, Michael; Comfort, Emily J.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Delong, Craig; DeRose, R. Justin; Ducey, Mark J.; Harmon, Mark; Levy, Louise; Logan, Jesse A.; O'Brien, Joseph; Palik, Brian J.; Roberts, Scott D.; Rogers, Paul C.; Shinneman, Douglas J.; Spies, Thomas; Taylor, Sarah L.; Woodall, Christopher; Youngblood, Andrew

2010-01-01

The 7th North American Forest Ecology Workshop, consisting of 149 presentations in 16 oral sessions and a poster session, reflected a broad range of topical areas currently under investigation in forest ecology and management. There was an overarching emphasis on the role of disturbance, both natural and anthropogenic, in the dynamics of forest ecosystems, and the recognition that legacies from past disturbances strongly influence future trajectories. Climate was invoked as a major driver of ecosystem change. An emphasis was placed on application of research findings for predicting system responses to changing forest management initiatives. Several “needs” emerged from the discussions regarding approaches to the study of forest ecosystems, including (1) consideration of variable spatial and temporal scales, (2) long-term monitoring, (3) development of universal databases more encompassing of time and space to facilitate meta-analyses, (4) combining field studies and modeling approaches, (5) standardizing methods of measurement and assessment, (6) guarding against oversimplification or overgeneralization from limited site-specific results, (7) greater emphasis on plant-animal interactions, and (8) better alignment of needs and communication of results between researchers and managers.

Estimating the ecology of extinct species with paleoecological data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raiho, A.; McLachlan, J. S.; Dietze, M.

2017-12-01

In order to understand long term, unobservable ecosystem processes, ecologists must use both paleoecoloigcal data and ecosystem models. Models parameterize species competitive interactions using modern data. But, modern ecological or physiological observations are not available for extinct species, making it difficult for models to conceptualize their ecology. For instance, American chestnut (Castanea dentata), who played a large role in forests of northeastern US, was decimated by disease to virtual extinction. Since chestnut's demise, defining its ecology has been controversial. Models typically assume that chestnut's ecology was very similar to oak; They parameterize chestnut like oak species. These assumptions are drawn from paleoecological data, but these data are often reported without uncertainty. Since the paleoecological data are often reported without uncertainty, paleoecological data has never been directly incorporated with ecosystem models. We developed a Bayesian statistical model to estimate fractional composition from paleoecological data with uncertainty. Then, we assimilated this data product into an ecosystem model for long term forest succession using a generalized ensemble adjustment filter to determine which species demographic parameters lead to changes in species composition over the last 2,000 years at Harvard Forest. We found that chestnut was strongly negatively correlated with white pine (Pinus strobus) and red oak (Quercus rubra) in the process covariance matrix, suggesting a strong competitive interaction that is not currently understood by models for forest succession. These findings provide support for utilizing a data assimilation framework to ecologically interpret paleoecological data or data products to learn about the ecology of extinct species.

Proceedings, 16th central hardwood forest conference

Treesearch

Douglass F. Jacobs; Charles H., eds. Michler

2008-01-01

Proceedings of the 16th Central Hardwood Forest Conference held April 8-9, 2008, in West Lafayette, IN. Includes 64 papers pertaining to forest regeneration and propagation, forest products, ecology and forest dynamics, human dimensions and economics, forest biometrics and modeling, silviculture and genetics, forest health and protection, and soil and mineral nutrition...

Forest and water relationships: hydrologic implications of forestation campaigns in China

Treesearch

Ge Sun; Guoyi Zhou; Zhiqiang Zhang; Xiaohua Wei; Steven G. McNulty; James Vose

2005-01-01

Reforestation and afforestation (referred to forestation thereafter) campaigns in the past two decades have resulted in great increases in both forest land area and forest ecosystem productivity in China. Although the ecological benefits of forests are well accepted, the hydrologic consequences of man-made forests by forestation are unclear. Debate and confusion on the...

Field Validation of a Conservation Network on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, USA, Using Breeding Birds as Bio-Indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Theodore C.; Blank, Peter J.; Sloan, Anne

2008-04-01

Maryland’s Green Infrastructure (GI) is a network of large, intact natural areas (hubs), interconnected by linear swaths of riparian or upland vegetation (corridors). The GI serves significant ecological functions and provides the bulk of the state’s natural support system. This study examined whether the GI as mapped does, in fact, identify Maryland’s most ecologically valuable forested lands, using forest interior dwelling birds (hereafter called “forest birds”) as bio-indicators. We conducted bird point counts within forest both inside and outside of hubs on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. We also collected a wide variety of habitat data. We found that both the condition of a forest and its surrounding landscape influenced the bird communities. On average, forest bird richness was significantly higher within hubs; furthermore, almost all sites with at least five forest bird species present were in hubs. Forest bird richness and abundance were highest in undisturbed, mature broadleaf forest with wetlands and streams nearby. We detected a significant relationship between forest bird richness and the ecological score of a finer-scale landscape assessment, focused on “cells” of about 0.1 ha in size. This field study also validated the Rapid Field Assessment (RFA) protocol developed in 2001 to assess, on the ground, the relative condition of individual sites or properties within the GI. Forest bird richness and abundance were positively correlated with the RFA community scores. Our results underscore the importance of maintaining regional biological diversity by retaining large blocks of forest, especially mature forest containing streams and wetlands.

Predators, Prey and Habitat Structure: Can Key Conservation Areas and Early Signs of Population Collapse Be Detected in Neotropical Forests?

PubMed

de Thoisy, Benoit; Fayad, Ibrahim; Clément, Luc; Barrioz, Sébastien; Poirier, Eddy; Gond, Valéry

2016-01-01

Tropical forests with a low human population and absence of large-scale deforestation provide unique opportunities to study successful conservation strategies, which should be based on adequate monitoring tools. This study explored the conservation status of a large predator, the jaguar, considered an indicator of the maintenance of how well ecological processes are maintained. We implemented an original integrative approach, exploring successive ecosystem status proxies, from habitats and responses to threats of predators and their prey, to canopy structure and forest biomass. Niche modeling allowed identification of more suitable habitats, significantly related to canopy height and forest biomass. Capture/recapture methods showed that jaguar density was higher in habitats identified as more suitable by the niche model. Surveys of ungulates, large rodents and birds also showed higher density where jaguars were more abundant. Although jaguar density does not allow early detection of overall vertebrate community collapse, a decrease in the abundance of large terrestrial birds was noted as good first evidence of disturbance. The most promising tool comes from easily acquired LiDAR data and radar images: a decrease in canopy roughness was closely associated with the disturbance of forests and associated decreasing vertebrate biomass. This mixed approach, focusing on an apex predator, ecological modeling and remote-sensing information, not only helps detect early population declines in large mammals, but is also useful to discuss the relevance of large predators as indicators and the efficiency of conservation measures. It can also be easily extrapolated and adapted in a timely manner, since important open-source data are increasingly available and relevant for large-scale and real-time monitoring of biodiversity.

Predators, Prey and Habitat Structure: Can Key Conservation Areas and Early Signs of Population Collapse Be Detected in Neotropical Forests?

PubMed Central

de Thoisy, Benoit; Fayad, Ibrahim; Clément, Luc; Barrioz, Sébastien; Poirier, Eddy; Gond, Valéry

2016-01-01

Tropical forests with a low human population and absence of large-scale deforestation provide unique opportunities to study successful conservation strategies, which should be based on adequate monitoring tools. This study explored the conservation status of a large predator, the jaguar, considered an indicator of the maintenance of how well ecological processes are maintained. We implemented an original integrative approach, exploring successive ecosystem status proxies, from habitats and responses to threats of predators and their prey, to canopy structure and forest biomass. Niche modeling allowed identification of more suitable habitats, significantly related to canopy height and forest biomass. Capture/recapture methods showed that jaguar density was higher in habitats identified as more suitable by the niche model. Surveys of ungulates, large rodents and birds also showed higher density where jaguars were more abundant. Although jaguar density does not allow early detection of overall vertebrate community collapse, a decrease in the abundance of large terrestrial birds was noted as good first evidence of disturbance. The most promising tool comes from easily acquired LiDAR data and radar images: a decrease in canopy roughness was closely associated with the disturbance of forests and associated decreasing vertebrate biomass. This mixed approach, focusing on an apex predator, ecological modeling and remote-sensing information, not only helps detect early population declines in large mammals, but is also useful to discuss the relevance of large predators as indicators and the efficiency of conservation measures. It can also be easily extrapolated and adapted in a timely manner, since important open-source data are increasingly available and relevant for large-scale and real-time monitoring of biodiversity. PMID:27828993

Have we been successful? Monitoring horizontal forest complexity for forest restoration projects

Treesearch

Yvette L. Dickinson; Kristen A. Pelz; Emma Giles; Josh Howie

2016-01-01

Forest management today often seeks to restore ecological integrity and enhance human well-being by increasing forest complexity, resilience, and functionality. However, effective and financially expedient monitoring of forest complexity is challenging. In this study, we developed a practical and inexpensive technique to measure horizontal forest complexity....

Using stable isotopes to track the effects of deforestation on small-mammal ecology in the Pacific Northwest over the last 100 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Packard, N. R.; Cotton, J. M.; Smiley, T. M.; Terry, R. C.

2017-12-01

Landscape, land-use, and climate change are important factors in determining ecosystem change over a range of spatio-temporal scales. For example, within small-mammal communities, the spread of agriculture, rapid urbanization, and deforestation have been shown to alter species composition and diet, thus potentially disrupting ecological interactions and reshaping ecosystems. Small mammals integrate the isotopic composition of their diet and drinking water into their hair and therefore serve as useful proxies for vegetation and water resources in their habitat. To better understand how forest loss and land-cover change influence small-mammal ecology in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), we analyzed the hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) isotopic composition of hair from historical Peromyscus maniculatus (North American deer mouse) specimens housed in natural history museums across the country. While deforestation along the east coast occurred hundreds of years ago, the loss of forests on the west coast occurred more recently, beginning around 1930. We use early 20th century specimens of this widespread and abundant generalist species to better understand ecosystem changes that occurred over the past 100 years of local and regional deforestation. Changing forest composition and structure during deforestation can influence both broad-scale hydrological cycling and local ecosystems. Variation in O and H isotopic composition corresponds to changes in the hydrological cycle, such as changes in the source and amount of precipitation, and changes in the moisture conditions in local ecosystems. We will present this spatial and temporal variability in the form of isoscapes, or δ18O and δD isotope landscape models, of P. maniculatus hair in the western forests of the PNW through time. Investigating isotopic signatures in small mammals can help us better understand ecosystem response to anthropogenic land-use and climate change.

Challenges of reforestation in a water limited world under climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mátyás, Csaba; Sun, Ge

2014-05-01

The debate on the ecological benefits of planted forests at the sensitive lower edge of the closed forest belt (at the "xeric limits") is still unresolved. Forests sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide, control water erosion and dust storms, reduce river sedimentation, and mitigate small floods. However, planting trees in areas previously predominantly occupied by grassland or agriculture can dramatically alter the energy and water balance at multiple scales. The forest/grassland transition zone is especially vulnerable to projected drastic temperature and precipitation shifts under future climate change and variability due to its high ecohydrological sensitivity. The study investigates some of the relevant aspects of the ecological and climatic role of plantation forests and potential impacts at the dryland edges of the temperate zone, using case studies from three countries/regions on three continents. We found that, contrary to popular expectations, the effect of forest cover on regional climate might be limited and the influence of reforestation on water resources might turn into negative. Planted forests generally reduce stream flow and lower groundwater table level because of higher water use than previous land cover types. Increased evaporation potential due to global warming and/or extreme drought events likely reduce areas that are appropriate for tree growth and forest establishment. Ecologically conscious forest policy on management, silviculture and reforestation planning requires the consideration of local hydrologic conditions, future climatic conditions, and also of non-forest alternatives of land use. Keywords: drylands, xeric limits, trailing limits, ecohydrology, climate forcing, land use change, forest policy

Synergistic Ecoclimate Teleconnections from Forest Loss in Different Regions Structure Global Ecological Responses.

PubMed

Garcia, Elizabeth S; Swann, Abigail L S; Villegas, Juan C; Breshears, David D; Law, Darin J; Saleska, Scott R; Stark, Scott C

2016-01-01

Forest loss in hotspots around the world impacts not only local climate where loss occurs, but also influences climate and vegetation in remote parts of the globe through ecoclimate teleconnections. The magnitude and mechanism of remote impacts likely depends on the location and distribution of forest loss hotspots, but the nature of these dependencies has not been investigated. We use global climate model simulations to estimate the distribution of ecologically-relevant climate changes resulting from forest loss in two hotspot regions: western North America (wNA), which is experiencing accelerated dieoff, and the Amazon basin, which is subject to high rates of deforestation. The remote climatic and ecological net effects of simultaneous forest loss in both regions differed from the combined effects of loss from the two regions simulated separately, as evident in three impacted areas. Eastern South American Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) increased due to changes in seasonal rainfall associated with Amazon forest loss and changes in temperature related to wNA forest loss. Eurasia's GPP declined with wNA forest loss due to cooling temperatures increasing soil ice volume. Southeastern North American productivity increased with simultaneous forest loss, but declined with only wNA forest loss due to changes in VPD. Our results illustrate the need for a new generation of local-to-global scale analyses to identify potential ecoclimate teleconnections, their underlying mechanisms, and most importantly, their synergistic interactions, to predict the responses to increasing forest loss under future land use change and climate change.

Large-scale parallel 454 sequencing reveals host ecological group specificity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a boreonemoral forest.

PubMed

Opik, M; Metsis, M; Daniell, T J; Zobel, M; Moora, M

2009-10-01

* Knowledge of the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in natural ecosystems is a major bottleneck in mycorrhizal ecology. Here, we aimed to apply 454 sequencing--providing a new level of descriptive power--to assess the AMF diversity in a boreonemoral forest. * 454 sequencing reads of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of Glomeromycota were assigned to sequence groups by blast searches against a custom-made annotated sequence database. * We detected 47 AMF taxa in the roots of 10 plant species in a 10 x 10 m plot, which is almost the same as the number of plant species in the whole studied forest. There was a significant difference between AMF communities in the roots of forest specialist plant species and in the roots of habitat generalist plant species. Forest plant species hosted 22 specialist AMF taxa, and the generalist plants shared all but one AMF taxon with forest plants, including globally distributed generalist fungi. These AMF taxa that have been globally recorded only in forest ecosystems were significantly over-represented in the roots of forest plant species. * Our findings suggest that partner specificity in AM symbiosis may occur at the level of ecological groups, rather than at the species level, of both plant and fungal partners.

Aboveground-belowground biodiversity linkages differ in early and late successional temperate forests

PubMed Central

Li, Hui; Wang, Xugao; Liang, Chao; Hao, Zhanqing; Zhou, Lisha; Ma, Sam; Li, Xiaobin; Yang, Shan; Yao, Fei; Jiang, Yong

2015-01-01

Understanding ecological linkages between above- and below-ground biota is critical for deepening our knowledge on the maintenance and stability of ecosystem processes. Nevertheless, direct comparisons of plant-microbe diversity at the community level remain scarce due to the knowledge gap between microbial ecology and plant ecology. We compared the α- and β- diversities of plant and soil bacterial communities in two temperate forests that represented early and late successional stages. We documented different patterns of aboveground-belowground diversity relationships in these forests. We observed no linkage between plant and bacterial α-diversity in the early successional forest, and even a negative correlation in the late successional forest, indicating that high bacterial α-diversity is not always linked to high plant α-diversity. Beta-diversity coupling was only found at the late successional stage, while in the early successional forest, the bacterial β-diversity was closely correlated with soil property distances. Additionally, we showed that the dominant competitive tree species in the late successional forest may play key roles in driving forest succession by shaping the soil bacterial community in the early successional stage. This study sheds new light on the potential aboveground-belowground linkage in natural ecosystems, which may help us understand the mechanisms that drive ecosystem succession. PMID:26184121

Are Protected Areas Required to Maintain Functional Diversity in Human-Modified Landscapes?

PubMed Central

Cottee-Jones, H. Eden W.; Matthews, Thomas J.; Bregman, Tom P.; Barua, Maan; Tamuly, Jatin; Whittaker, Robert J.

2015-01-01

The conversion of forest to agriculture across the world’s tropics, and the limited space for protected areas, has increased the need to identify effective conservation strategies in human-modified landscapes. Isolated trees are believed to conserve elements of ecological structure, providing micro-sites for conservation in matrix landscapes, and facilitating seed dispersal and forest restoration. Here we investigate the role of isolated Ficus trees, which are of critical importance to tropical forest ecosystems, in conserving frugivore composition and function in a human-modified landscape in Assam, India. We surveyed the frugivorous birds feeding at 122 isolated Ficus trees, 33 fruit trees, and 31 other large trees across a range of 32 km from the nearest intact forest. We found that Ficus trees attracted richer and more abundant assemblages of frugivores than the other tree categories. However, incidence function estimates revealed that forest specialist species decreased dramatically within the first kilometre of the forest edge. Despite this, species richness and functional diversity remained consistent across the human-modified landscape, as habitat generalists replaced forest-dependent frugivores, and accounted for most of the ecological function found in Ficus trees near the forest edge. We recommend that isolated Ficus trees are awarded greater conservation status, and suggest that their conservation can support ecologically functional networks of frugivorous bird communities. PMID:25946032

Changing ideas in forestry: A comparison of concepts in Swedish and American forestry journals during the early twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

PubMed

Mårald, Erland; Langston, Nancy; Sténs, Anna; Moen, Jon

2016-02-01

By combining digital humanities text-mining tools and a qualitative approach, we examine changing concepts in forestry journals in Sweden and the United States (US) in the early twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Our first hypothesis is that foresters at the beginning of the twentieth century were more concerned with production and less concerned with ecology than foresters at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Our second hypothesis is that US foresters in the early twentieth century were less concerned with local site conditions than Swedish foresters. We find that early foresters in both countries had broader-and often ecologically focused-concerns than hypothesized. Ecological concerns in the forestry literature have increased, but in the Nordic countries, production concerns have increased as well. In both regions and both time periods, timber management is closely connected to concerns about governance and state power, but the forms that governance takes have changed.

The ecology and management of moist mixed-conifer forests in eastern Oregon and Washington: a synthesis of the relevant biophysical science and implications for future land management

Treesearch

Peter Stine; Paul Hessburg; Thomas Spies; Marc Kramer; Christopher J. Fettig; Andrew Hansen; John Lehmkuhl; Kevin O' Hara; Karl Polivka; Peter Singleton; Susan Charnley; Andrew Merschel; Rachel White

2014-01-01

Land managers in the Pacific Northwest have reported a need for updated scientific information on the ecology and management of mixed-conifer forests east of the Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington. Of particular concern are the moist mixed-conifer forests, which have become drought-stressed and vulnerable to high-severity fire after decades of human disturbances...

Global Forest Area Trends Underestimate Threats from Forest Fragmentation

EPA Science Inventory

Forest loss and fragmentation of the remainder threaten the ecological attributes and functions which depend upon forests1. Forest interior area is particularly valued because it is relatively remote from human influence2, 3, 4, 5. Recent global assessments report declines in t...

Caatinga Revisited: Ecology and Conservation of an Important Seasonal Dry Forest

PubMed Central

de Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino; de Lima Araújo, Elcida; El-Deir, Ana Carla Asfora; de Lima, André Luiz Alves; Souto, Antonio; Bezerra, Bruna Martins; Ferraz, Elba Maria Nogueira; Maria Xavier Freire, Eliza; Sampaio, Everardo Valadares de Sá Barreto; Las-Casas, Flor Maria Guedes; de Moura, Geraldo Jorge Barbosa; Pereira, Glauco Alves; de Melo, Joabe Gomes; Alves Ramos, Marcelo; Rodal, Maria Jesus Nogueira; Schiel, Nicola; de Lyra-Neves, Rachel Maria; Alves, Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega; de Azevedo-Júnior, Severino Mendes; Telino Júnior, Wallace Rodrigues; Severi, William

2012-01-01

Besides its extreme climate conditions, the Caatinga (a type of tropical seasonal forest) hosts an impressive faunal and floristic biodiversity. In the last 50 years there has been a considerable increase in the number of studies in the area. Here we aimed to present a review of these studies, focusing on four main fields: vertebrate ecology, plant ecology, human ecology, and ethnobiology. Furthermore, we identify directions for future research. We hope that the present paper will help defining actions and strategies for the conservation of the biological diversity of the Caatinga. PMID:22919296

From State-controlled to Polycentric Governance in Forest Landscape Restoration: The Case of the Ecological Forest Purchase Program in Yong'an Municipality of China.

PubMed

Long, Hexing; Liu, Jinlong; Tu, Chengyue; Fu, Yimin

2018-07-01

Forest landscape restoration is emerging as an effective approach to restore degraded forests for the provision of ecosystem services and to minimize trade-offs between conservation and rural livelihoods. Policy and institutional innovations in China illustrate the governance transformation of forest landscape restoration from state-controlled to polycentric governance. Based on a case study of the Ecological Forest Purchase Program in Yong'an municipality, China's Fujian Province, this paper explores how such forest governance transformation has evolved and how it has shaped the outcomes of forest landscape restoration in terms of multi-dimensionality and actor configurations. Our analysis indicates that accommodating the participation of multiple actors and market-based instruments facilitate a smoother transition from state-centered to polycentric governance in forest landscape restoration. Governance transitions for forest landscape restoration must overcome a number of challenges including ensurance of a formal participation forum, fair participation, and a sustainable legislative and financial system to enhance long-term effectiveness.

Relationships of three species of bats impacted by white-nose syndrome to forest condition and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Silvis, Alexander; Perry, Roger W.; Ford, W. Mark

2016-01-01

Forest management activities can have substantial effects on forest structure and community composition and response of wildlife therein. Bats can be highly influenced by these structural changes, and understanding how forest management affects day-roost and foraging ecology of bats is currently a paramount conservation issue. With populations of many cave-hibernating bat species in eastern North America declining as a result of white-nose syndrome (WNS), it is increasingly critical to understand relationships among bats and forest-management activities. Herein, we provide a comprehensive literature review and synthesis of: (1) responses of northern long-eared (Myotis septentrionalis) and tri-colored (Perimyotis subflavus) bats—two species affected by WNS that use forests during summer—to forest management, and (2) an update to a previous review on the ecology of the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis).

Tracking forest cover change of Margalla Hills over a period of two decades (1992-2011): A remote sensing perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalid, Noora; Ullah, Saleem

2016-07-01

Forests play a critical role in balancing the ecological soundness of a region and in the facilitation of essential forest resources. Depletion of forest cover is a serious environmental problem throughout the world including Pakistan where a striking degradation of forest reserves has been an ecological concern for quite some time. Remote sensing techniques have been used to monitor land use and forest cover changes. The present study aims at exploring the potential impacts of climate change in the decline of forest reserves on Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), since it remains the primary culprit behind this depletion. Landsat images for 1992, 2000 and 2011 were manipulated for the spatial and temporal analysis, interpretation and computation of the change and shift that has occurred over the past two decades. The analysis revealed a great increase in the built-up area, barren soil and agricultural land. Though other classes such as water body, lower vegetation, scrub and conifer forest showed a diminishing trend. The rise in temperature and relative humidity, the depletion in annual precipitation, frequent wild fires and the boost in urbanization and agricultural practices are the climatic conditions and causative agents chiefly responsible for the decline shown by the vegetation of the area. The degrading condition of the forest is below par and requires conservation practices to be carried out in order to avoid ecological disturbances.

Tiny is mighty: seagrass beds have a large role in the export of organic material in the tropical coastal zone.

PubMed

Gillis, Lucy G; Ziegler, Alan D; van Oevelen, Dick; Cathalot, Cecile; Herman, Peter M J; Wolters, Jan W; Bouma, Tjeerd J

2014-01-01

Ecosystems in the tropical coastal zone exchange particulate organic matter (POM) with adjacent systems, but differences in this function among ecosystems remain poorly quantified. Seagrass beds are often a relatively small section of this coastal zone, but have a potentially much larger ecological influence than suggested by their surface area. Using stable isotopes as tracers of oceanic, terrestrial, mangrove and seagrass sources, we investigated the origin of particulate organic matter in nine mangrove bays around the island of Phuket (Thailand). We used a linear mixing model based on bulk organic carbon, total nitrogen and δ13C and δ15N and found that oceanic sources dominated suspended particulate organic matter samples along the mangrove-seagrass-ocean gradient. Sediment trap samples showed contributions from four sources oceanic, mangrove forest/terrestrial and seagrass beds where oceanic had the strongest contribution and seagrass beds the smallest. Based on ecosystem area, however, the contribution of suspended particulate organic matter derived from seagrass beds was disproportionally high, relative to the entire area occupied by mangrove forests, the catchment area (terrestrial) and seagrass beds. The contribution from mangrove forests was approximately equal to their surface area, whereas terrestrial contributions to suspended organic matter under contributed compared to their relative catchment area. Interestingly, mangrove forest contribution at 0 m on the transects showed a positive relationship with the exposed frontal width of the mangrove, indicating that mangrove forest exposure to hydrodynamic energy may be a controlling factor in mangrove outwelling. However we found no relationship between seagrass bed contribution and any physical factors, which we measured. Our results indicate that although seagrass beds occupy a relatively small area of the coastal zone, their role in the export of organic matter is disproportional and should be considered in coastal management especially with respect to their importance as a nutrient source for other ecosystems and organisms.

Monitoring the mighty duck timber sale: a national forest - conservation organization - research partnership

Treesearch

Douglas M. Stone; Jay C. Strand

1997-01-01

Resource managers are seeking silvicultural solutions to a variety of ecological, economic, and social issues. These issues include maintaining healthy and aesthetically pleasing forests, and sustaining or increasing ecological diversity. To reestablish a conifer component, and thereby increase species diversity, the LaCroix Ranger District of the Superior National...

An ecological classification system for the central hardwoods region: The Hoosier National Forest

Treesearch

James E. Van Kley; George R. Parker

1993-01-01

This study, a multifactor ecological classification system, using vegetation, soil characteristics, and physiography, was developed for the landscape of the Hoosier National Forest in Southern Indiana. Measurements of ground flora, saplings, and canopy trees from selected stands older than 80 years were subjected to TWINSPAN classification and DECORANA ordination....

Winter roosting ecology of silver-haired bats in an Arkansas forest

Treesearch

Roger W. Perry; David A. Saugey; Betty G. Crump

2010-01-01

Although summer roosting by Lasionycteris noctivagans (Silverhaired Bats) has been studied in various ecological regions of North America, no quantitative studies have examined winter roost selection. We radiotracked 11 bats to 31 day-roosts during winter in forests of the Ouachita Mountains, AR. We quantified roost structures and examined the association between...

Dynamics of buckbrush populations under simulated forest restoration alternatives

Treesearch

David W. Huffman; Margaret M. Moore

2008-01-01

Plant population models are valuable tools for assessing ecological tradeoffs between forest management approaches. In addition, these models can provide insight on plant life history patterns and processes important for persistence and recovery of populations in changing environments. In this study, we evaluated a set of ecological restoration alternatives for their...

Dynamics of buckbrush populations under simulated forest restoration alternatives (P-53)

Treesearch

David W. Huffman; Margaret M. Moore

2008-01-01

Plant population models are valuable tools for assessing ecological tradeoffs between forest management approaches. In addition, these models can provide insight on plant life history patterns and processes important for persistence and recovery of populations in changing environments. In this study, we evaluated a set of ecological restoration alternatives for their...

The Hoosier-Shawnee ecological assessment: Table of contents

Treesearch

Frank R., III ed. Thompson

2004-01-01

This report is a scientific assessment of the characteristic composition, structure, and processes of ecosystems in the southern one-third of Illinois and Indiana and a small part of western Kentucky. It includes chapters on ecological sections and soils, water resources, forest, plants, and communities, aquatic animals, terrestrial animals, forest diseases and pests,...

Hurricane Impacts on Ecological Services and Economic Values of Coastal Urban Forest: A Case Study of Pensacola, Florida

EPA Science Inventory

As urbanized areas continue to grow and green spaces dwindle, the importance of urban forests increases for both ecologically derived health benefits and for their potential to mitigate climate change. This study examined pre- and post- hurricane conditions of Pensacola's urban f...

Synergy between ecological needs and economic aspects of ecosystem restoration

Treesearch

Charles E. Keegan; Carl E. Fiedler

2000-01-01

The implementation of properly designed treatments to restore and sustain desired forest conditions in the Inland Northwest, besides moving forest stands more rapidly to an ecologically desirable and sustainable condition, can generate positive revenues from the timber to be removed. These treatments also have potential to increase the number of relatively high paying...

Restoration ecology: A new forest management paradigm, or another merit badge for foresters?

Treesearch

Michael R. Wagner; William M. Block; Brian W. Geils; Karl F Wenger

2000-01-01

Focusing on the Southwest but raising questions that are more broadly applicable, we compare ecological restoration with conventional management regimes -- multiple-use management, ecosystem management, and managing for specific resourse objectives. That restoration assumes a holistic prespective and active intervention does not distinguish it from other approaches to...

Forest site classification for cultural plant harvest by tribal weavers can inform management

Treesearch

S. Hummel; F.K. Lake

2015-01-01

Do qualitative classifications of ecological conditions for harvesting culturally important forest plants correspond to quantitative differences among sites? To address this question, we blended scientific methods (SEK) and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to identify conditions on sites considered good, marginal, or poor for harvesting the leaves of a plant (...

Using an Ecological Land Hierarchy to Predict Seasonal-Wetland Abundance in Upland Forests

Treesearch

Brian J. Palik; Richard Buech; Leanne Egeland

2003-01-01

Hierarchy theory, when applied to landscapes, predicts that broader-scale ecosystems constrain the development of finer-scale, nested ecosystems. This prediction finds application in hierarchical land classifications. Such classifications typically apply to physiognomically similar ecosystems, or ecological land units, e.g., a set of multi-scale forest ecosystems. We...

Changing disturbance regimes, ecological memory, and forest resilience

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnstone, Jill F.; Allen, Craig D.; Franklin, Jerry F.; Frelich, Lee E.; Harvey, Brian J.; Higuera, Philip E.; Mack, Michelle C.; Meentemeyer, Ross K.; Metz, Margaret R.; Perry, George LW; Schoennagel, Tania; Turner, Monica G.

2016-01-01

Ecological memory is central to how ecosystems respond to disturbance and is maintained by two types of legacies – information and material. Species life-history traits represent an adaptive response to disturbance and are an information legacy; in contrast, the abiotic and biotic structures (such as seeds or nutrients) produced by single disturbance events are material legacies. Disturbance characteristics that support or maintain these legacies enhance ecological resilience and maintain a “safe operating space” for ecosystem recovery. However, legacies can be lost or diminished as disturbance regimes and environmental conditions change, generating a “resilience debt” that manifests only after the system is disturbed. Strong effects of ecological memory on post-disturbance dynamics imply that contingencies (effects that cannot be predicted with certainty) of individual disturbances, interactions among disturbances, and climate variability combine to affect ecosystem resilience. We illustrate these concepts and introduce a novel ecosystem resilience framework with examples of forest disturbances, primarily from North America. Identifying legacies that support resilience in a particular ecosystem can help scientists and resource managers anticipate when disturbances may trigger abrupt shifts in forest ecosystems, and when forests are likely to be resilient.

Decline of forest interior conditions in the conterminous United States

EPA Science Inventory

Forest fragmentation threatens the sustainability of forest interior environments, thereby endangering subordinate ecological attributes and functions. We analyzed the spatial patterns of forest disturbance and recovery for the conterminous United States from 2001 to 2006 to det...

Integrating forest management for wildlife and fish: 1987 Society of American Foresters national convention; 1987 October 18-21; Minneapolis, MN.

Treesearch

USDA FS

1988-01-01

Papers from a technical session working group of the 1987 Society of American Foresters national convention. Topics include ecological and economic considerations of integrated forest resource management.

Wind River Experimental Forest.

Treesearch

Valerie. Rapp

2003-01-01

The Wind River Experimental Forest, known as the cradle of forest research in the Pacific Northwest, is a major center for ecological and silvicultural research in west-side Pacific Northwest forests. In the state of Washington, Wind River Experimental Forest is in the south-central area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, north of the Columbia River Gorge National...

Development of a stand-scale forest biodiversity index based on the state forest inventory

Treesearch

Diego Van Den Meersschaut; Kris Vandekerkhove

2000-01-01

Ecological aspects are increasingly influencing silvicultural management. Estimating forest biodiversity has become one often major tools for evaluating management strategies. A stand-scale forest biodiversity index is developed, based on available data from the state forest inventory. The index combines aspects of forest structure, woody and herbal layer composition,...

Proceedings, 15th central hardwood forest conference

Treesearch

David S. Buckley; Wayne K. Clatterbuck; [Editors

2007-01-01

Proceedings of the 15th central hardwood forest conference held February 27–March 1, 2006, in Knoxville, TN. Includes 86 papers and 30 posters pertaining to forest health and protection, ecology and forest dynamics, natural and artificial regeneration, forest products, wildlife, site classification, management and forest resources, mensuration and models, soil and...

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

Treesearch

Art McKee; Pamela Druliner

1998-01-01

The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest is a world renowned center for research and education about the ecology and management of forests and streams. Located about 50 miles (80 km) east of Eugene, Oregon, the Andrews Experimental Forest lies in the Blue River Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest. Established in 1948, the Experimental Forest is administered...

Forest Health Detectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bal, Tara L.

2014-01-01

"Forest health" is an important concept often not covered in tree, forest, insect, or fungal ecology and biology. With minimal, inexpensive equipment, students can investigate and conduct their own forest health survey to assess the percentage of trees with natural or artificial wounds or stress. Insects and diseases in the forest are…

Forest restoration paradigms

Treesearch

John Stanturf; Brian J. Palik; Mary I. Williams; R. Kasten Dumroese

2014-01-01

An estimated 2 billion ha of forests are degraded globally and global change suggests even greater need for forest restoration. Four forest restoration paradigms are identified and discussed: revegetation, ecological restoration, functional restoration, and forest landscape restoration. Restoration is examined in terms of a degraded starting point and an ending point...

Quantifying uncertainty in national forest carbon stocks: challenges and opportunities for the United States National Greenhouse Gas Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clough, B.; Russell, M.; Domke, G. M.; Woodall, C. W.

2016-12-01

Uncertainty estimates are needed to establish confidence in national forest carbon stocks and to verify changes reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Good practice guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stipulates that uncertainty assessments should neither exaggerate nor underestimate the actual error within carbon stocks, yet methodological guidance for forests has been hampered by limited understanding of how complex dynamics give rise to errors across spatial scales (i.e., individuals to continents). This talk highlights efforts to develop a multi-scale, data-driven framework for assessing uncertainty within the United States (US) forest carbon inventory, and focuses on challenges and opportunities for improving the precision of national forest carbon stock estimates. Central to our approach is the calibration of allometric models with a newly established legacy biomass database for North American tree species, and the use of hierarchical models to link these data with the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) database as well as remote sensing datasets. Our work suggests substantial risk for misestimating key sources of uncertainty including: (1) attributing more confidence in allometric models than what is warranted by the best available data; (2) failing to capture heterogeneity in biomass stocks due to environmental variation at regional scales; and (3) ignoring spatial autocorrelation and other random effects that are characteristic of national forest inventory data. Our results suggest these sources of error may be much higher than is generally assumed, though these results must be understood with the limited scope and availability of appropriate calibration data in mind. In addition to reporting on important sources of uncertainty, this talk will discuss opportunities to improve the precision of national forest carbon stocks that are motivated by our use of data-driven forecasting including: (1) improving the taxonomic and geographic scope of available biomass data; (2) direct attribution of landscape-level heterogeneity in biomass stocks to specific ecological processes; and (3) integration of expert opinion and meta-analysis to lessen the influence of often highly variable datasets on biomass stock forecasts.

Geographic information analysis: An ecological approach for the management of wildlife on the forest landscape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ripple, William J.

1995-01-01

This document is a summary of the project funded by NAGw-1460 as part of the Earth Observation Commericalization/Applications Program (EOCAP) directed by NASA's Earth Science and Applications Division. The goal was to work with several agencies to focus on forest structure and landscape characterizations for wildlife habitat applications. New analysis techniques were used in remote sensing and landscape ecology with geographic information systems (GIS). The development of GIS and the emergence of the discipline of landscape ecology provided us with an opportunity to study forest and wildlife habitat resources from a new perspective. New techniques were developed to measure forest structure across scales from the canopy to the regional level. This paper describes the project team, technical advances, and technology adoption process that was used. Reprints of related refereed journal articles are in the Appendix.

Malaysian Parasites 37: An Introduction to the Ecology of the Mosquitoes of the Lowland Dipterocarp Forest of Selangor, Malaya

DTIC Science & Technology

1960-01-01

introductory account jointly. The work at Ulu Gombak has been supplemented by collections in other forest areas of Selangor, chiefly Ulu Langat ...including those two species, but there is little information available on their ecology. ULU LANGAT FOREST RESERVE Situated due east of Kuala Lumpur (see...RESERVES These reserves have been visited only occasionally. Each is much less disturbed than either Ulu Gombak or Ulu Langat and this is reflected both

Atmospheric deposition of mercury in Atlantic Forest and ecological risk to soil fauna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristhy Buch, Andressa; Cabral Teixeira, Daniel; Fernandes Correia, Maria Elizabeth; Vieira Silva-Filho, Emmanoel

2014-05-01

The increasing levels of mercury (Hg) found in the atmosphere nowadays has a great contribution from anthropogenic sources and has been a great concern in the past two decades in industrialized countries. Brazil is the seventh country with the highest rate of mercury in the atmosphere. Certainly, the petroleum refineries have significant contribution, seen that 100 million m3 of crude oil are annually processed. These refineries contribute with low generation of solid waste; however, a large fraction of Hg can be emitted to the atmosphere. There are sixteen refineries in Brazil, three of them located in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The Hg is a toxic and hazardous trace element, naturally found in the earth crust. The major input of Hg to ecosystems is through atmospheric deposition (wet and dry), being transported in the atmosphere over large distances. The forest biomes are of great importance in the atmosphere/soil cycling of elemental Hg through foliar uptake and subsequent transfer to the soil through litterfall, which play an important role as Hg sink. The Atlantic Forest of Brazil is the greater contributor of fauna and flora biodiversity in the world and, according to recent studies, this biome has the highest concentrations of mercury in litter in the world, as well as in China, at Subtropical Forest. Ecotoxicological assessments can predict the potential ecological risk of Hg toxicity in the soil can lead to impact the soil fauna and indirectly other trophic levels of the food chain within one or more ecosystems. This study aims to determine mercury levels that represent risks to diversity and functioning of soil fauna in tropical forest soils. The study is conducted in two forest areas inserted into conservation units of Rio de Janeiro state. One area is located next to an important petroleum refinery in activity since fifty-two years ago, whereas the other one is located next to other refinery under construction (beginning activities in 2015), which will be the largest refinery of Brazil and, consequently, with less anthropogenic influences for the moment. Ecological risk assessments are conducted together with ecotoxicological tests in natural and artificial tropical soils, using exotic and native species of the soil fauna, naturally present in the area of study, in order to determine the risk of mercury in soil and litter in tropical forest. Previous results confirm higher concentrations of mercury in litter and soil of the forest area closest to the operating refinery. The presence of Hg seems to select the size of the organisms as well as the abundance and diversity of the soil fauna that remain in tropical forest.

Ecological consistency across space: a synthesis of the ecological aspects of Dromiciops gliroides in Argentina and Chile.

PubMed

Fontúrbel, Francisco E; Franco, Marcela; Rodríguez-Cabal, Mariano A; Rivarola, M Daniela; Amico, Guillermo C

2012-11-01

Dromiciops gliroides is an arboreal marsupial found in the temperate forests of South America (36-43 °S). This species is the sole extant representative of the order Microbiotheria, and is a key seed disperser of many native plant species, including the keystone mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus. Here, we synthesized the current knowledge on the ecological aspects of this species, and compared the available information from Argentina and Chile. Population density (23 ± 2 (mean ± SE) individual/ha) and home range (1.6 ± 0.6 ha) appear to be relatively similar across a marked ecological gradient in the mainland, but lower densities (7 ± 2 individual/ha) and smaller home ranges (0.26 ± 0.04 ha) were detected at island sites. We detected regional variation in body condition in Chile, but there were no significant differences across a wider E-W gradient. Movement patterns fit a random walk model; such behavior might have important consequences in shaping plant's spatial patterns. Although our data suggest that D. gliroides is more tolerant to habitat disturbance than previously thought, its incapability to disperse across non-forested areas suggests that the rapid rate of habitat loss and fragmentation that characterizes southern temperate forests likely poses a serious threat to this species. These ecological similarities are surprising given that forests studied receive dramatically different rainfall and correspond to distinct forest types. The evidence synthetized here dispels some of the myths about this species but also stresses the need for more comprehensive ecological studies across its distribution range.

Does tree diversity increase wood production in pine forests?

PubMed

Vilà, Montserrat; Vayreda, Jordi; Gracia, Carles; Ibáñez, Joan Josep

2003-04-01

Recent experimental advances on the positive effect of species richness on ecosystem productivity highlight the need to explore this relationship in communities other than grasslands and using non-synthetic experiments. We investigated whether wood production in forests dominated by Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) and Pyrenean Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) differed between monospecific and mixed forests (2-5 species) using the Ecological and Forest Inventory of Catalonia (IEFC) database which contains biotic and environmental characteristics for 10,644 field plots distributed within a 31,944 km(2) area in Catalonia (NE Spain). We found that in Pyrenean Scots pine forests wood production was not significantly different between monospecific and mixed plots. In contrast, in Aleppo pine forests wood production was greater in mixed plots than in monospecific plots. However, when climate, bedrock types, radiation and successional stage per plot were included in the analysis, species richness was no longer a significant factor. Aleppo pine forests had the highest productivity in plots located in humid climates and on marls and sandstone bedrocks. Climate did not influence wood production in Pyrenean Scots pine forests, but it was highest on sandstone and consolidated alluvial materials. For both pine forests wood production was negatively correlated with successional stage. Radiation did not influence wood production. Our analysis emphasizes the influence of macroenvironmental factors and temporal variation on tree productivity at the regional scale. Well-conducted forest surveys are an excellent source of data to test for the association between diversity and productivity driven by large-scale environmental factors.

Habitat Effects on the Breeding Performance of Three Forest-Dwelling Hawks.

PubMed

Björklund, Heidi; Valkama, Jari; Tomppo, Erkki; Laaksonen, Toni

2015-01-01

Habitat loss causes population declines, but the mechanisms are rarely known. In the European Boreal Zone, loss of old forest due to intensive forestry is suspected to cause declines in forest-dwelling raptors by reducing their breeding performance. We studied the boreal breeding habitat and habitat-associated breeding performance of the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus). We combined long-term Finnish bird-of-prey data with multi-source national forest inventory data at various distances (100-4000 m) around the hawk nests. We found that breeding success of the goshawk was best explained by the habitat within a 2000-m radius around the nests; breeding was more successful with increasing proportions of old spruce forest and water, and decreasing proportions of young thinning forest. None of the habitat variables affected significantly the breeding success of the common buzzard or the honey buzzard, or the brood size of any of the species. The amount of old spruce forest decreased both around goshawk and common buzzard nests and throughout southern Finland in 1992-2010. In contrast, the area of young forest increased in southern Finland but not around hawk nests. We emphasize the importance of studying habitats at several spatial and temporal scales to determine the relevant species-specific scale and to detect environmental changes. Further effort is needed to reconcile the socioeconomic and ecological functions of forests and habitat requirements of old forest specialists.

Predicting Fire Susceptibility in the Forests of Amazonia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nepstad, Daniel C.; Brown, I. Foster; Setzer, Alberto

2000-01-01

Although fire is the single greatest threat to the ecological integrity of Amazon forests, our ability to predict the occurrence of Amazon forest fires is rudimentary. Part of the difficulty encountered in making such predictions is the remarkable capacity of Amazon forests to tolerate drought by tapping moisture stored in deep soil. These forests can avoid drought-induced leaf shedding by withdrawing moisture to depths of 8 meters and more. Hence, the absorption of deep soil moisture allows these forests to maintain their leaf canopies following droughts of several months duration, thereby maintaining the deep shade and high relative humidity of the forest interior that prevents these ecosystems from burning. But the drought- and fire-avoidance that is conferred by this deep-rooting phenomenon is not unlimited. During successive years of drought, such as those provoked by El Nino episodes, deep soil moisture can be depleted, and drought-induced leaf shedding begins. The goal of this project was to incorporate this knowledge of Amazon forest fire ecology into a predictive model of forest flammability.

Nocturnal light environments and species ecology: implications for nocturnal color vision in forests.

PubMed

Veilleux, Carrie C; Cummings, Molly E

2012-12-01

Although variation in the color of light in terrestrial diurnal and twilight environments has been well documented, relatively little work has examined the color of light in nocturnal habitats. Understanding the range and sources of variation in nocturnal light environments has important implications for nocturnal vision, particularly following recent discoveries of nocturnal color vision. In this study, we measured nocturnal irradiance in a dry forest/woodland and a rainforest in Madagascar over 34 nights. We found that a simple linear model including the additive effects of lunar altitude, lunar phase and canopy openness successfully predicted total irradiance flux measurements across 242 clear sky measurements (r=0.85, P<0.0001). However, the relationship between these variables and spectral irradiance was more complex, as interactions between lunar altitude, lunar phase and canopy openness were also important predictors of spectral variation. Further, in contrast to diurnal conditions, nocturnal forests and woodlands share a yellow-green-dominant light environment with peak flux at 560 nm. To explore how nocturnal light environments influence nocturnal vision, we compared photoreceptor spectral tuning, habitat preference and diet in 32 nocturnal mammals. In many species, long-wavelength-sensitive cone spectral sensitivity matched the peak flux present in nocturnal forests and woodlands, suggesting a possible adaptation to maximize photon absorption at night. Further, controlling for phylogeny, we found that fruit/flower consumption significantly predicted short-wavelength-sensitive cone spectral tuning in nocturnal mammals (P=0.002). These results suggest that variation in nocturnal light environments and species ecology together influence cone spectral tuning and color vision in nocturnal mammals.

Two countries, one forest: Working beyond political boundaries in the Northern Appalachian/Acadian Forest

Treesearch

James Sullivan

2007-01-01

Two Countries, One Forest (2C1Forest) is a collaboration of conservation organizations and researchers committed to the long-term ecological health of the Northern Appalachian/ Acadian ecoregion of the United States and Canada.

Effect of multi-temporal forest cover change trajectories on forest plant diversity

EPA Science Inventory

One of the principal tenets of landscape ecology is that forest loss and fragmentation negatively affects biodiversity. However, historical fluctuations in forest cover resulting from repeated cycles of deforestation and reforestation are likely important in influencing patterns ...

[Regional ecological construction and mission of landscape ecology].

PubMed

Xiao, Duning; Xie, Fuju; Wei, Jianbing

2004-10-01

The eco-construction on regional and landscape scale is the one which can be used to specific landscape and intercrossing ecosystem in specific region including performing scientific administration of ecosystem and optimizing environmental function. Recently, the government has taken a series of significant projects into action, such as national forest protection item, partly forest restoration, and adjustment of water, etc. Enforcing regional eco-construction and maintaining the ecology security of the nation have become the strategic requisition. In various regions, different eco-construction should be applied, for example, performing ecological safeguard measure in ecological sensitive zone, accommodating the ecological load in ecological fragile zone, etc., which can control the activities of human being, so that, sustainable development can be reached. Facing opportunity and challenge in the development of landscape ecology, we have some key topics: landscape pattern of ecological security, land use and ecological process, landscape changes under human activity stress, quantitative evaluation of the influence on human being activities, evaluation of zonal ecological security and advance warning of ecological risk, and planning and optimizing of model in landscape eco-construction.

What is forest restoration?

Treesearch

John A. Stanturf

2005-01-01

The need to repair habitat and restore forest structure and funciton is recognized throughout the temperate and boreal zones as a component of sustainable forest management (Krishnaswamy and Hanson 1999; Dobson et al. 1997). Forest restoration is a complex task, complicated by diverse ecological and social conditions, that challenges our understanding of forest...

Bartlett Experimental Forest

Treesearch

Jane Gamal-Eldin

1998-01-01

The Bartlett Experimental Forest is a field laboratory for research on the ecology and management of northern forest ecosystems. Research on the Bartlett includes: 1) extensive investigations on structure and dynamics of forests at several levels, and developing management alternatives to reflect an array of values and benefits sought by users of forest lands, 2) a...

Forest Management

Treesearch

S. Hummel; K. L. O' Hara

2008-01-01

Global variation in forests and in human cultures means that a single method for managing forests is not possible. However, forest management everywhere shares some common principles because it is rooted in physical and biological sciences like chemistry and genetics. Ecological forest management is an approach that combines an understanding of universal processes with...

Nonnative forest insects and pathogens in the United States: Impacts and policy options.

PubMed

Lovett, Gary M; Weiss, Marissa; Liebhold, Andrew M; Holmes, Thomas P; Leung, Brian; Lambert, Kathy Fallon; Orwig, David A; Campbell, Faith T; Rosenthal, Jonathan; McCullough, Deborah G; Wildova, Radka; Ayres, Matthew P; Canham, Charles D; Foster, David R; LaDeau, Shannon L; Weldy, Troy

2016-07-01

We review and synthesize information on invasions of nonnative forest insects and diseases in the United States, including their ecological and economic impacts, pathways of arrival, distribution within the United States, and policy options for reducing future invasions. Nonnative insects have accumulated in United States forests at a rate of ~2.5 per yr over the last 150 yr. Currently the two major pathways of introduction are importation of live plants and wood packing material such as pallets and crates. Introduced insects and diseases occur in forests and cities throughout the United States, and the problem is particularly severe in the Northeast and Upper Midwest. Nonnative forest pests are the only disturbance agent that has effectively eliminated entire tree species or genera from United States forests within decades. The resulting shift in forest structure and species composition alters ecosystem functions such as productivity, nutrient cycling, and wildlife habitat. In urban and suburban areas, loss of trees from streets, yards, and parks affects aesthetics, property values, shading, stormwater runoff, and human health. The economic damage from nonnative pests is not yet fully known, but is likely in the billions of dollars per year, with the majority of this economic burden borne by municipalities and residential property owners. Current policies for preventing introductions are having positive effects but are insufficient to reduce the influx of pests in the face of burgeoning global trade. Options are available to strengthen the defenses against pest arrival and establishment, including measures taken in the exporting country prior to shipment, measures to ensure clean shipments of plants and wood products, inspections at ports of entry, and post-entry measures such as quarantines, surveillance, and eradication programs. Improved data collection procedures for inspections, greater data accessibility, and better reporting would support better evaluation of policy effectiveness. Lack of additional action places the nation, local municipalities, and property owners at high risk of further damaging and costly invasions. Adopting stronger policies to reduce establishments of new forest insects and diseases would shift the major costs of control to the source and alleviate the economic burden now borne by homeowners and municipalities. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Synergistic Ecoclimate Teleconnections from Forest Loss in Different Regions Structure Global Ecological Responses

PubMed Central

Garcia, Elizabeth S.; Swann, Abigail L. S.; Villegas, Juan C.; Breshears, David D.; Law, Darin J.; Saleska, Scott R.; Stark, Scott C.

2016-01-01

Forest loss in hotspots around the world impacts not only local climate where loss occurs, but also influences climate and vegetation in remote parts of the globe through ecoclimate teleconnections. The magnitude and mechanism of remote impacts likely depends on the location and distribution of forest loss hotspots, but the nature of these dependencies has not been investigated. We use global climate model simulations to estimate the distribution of ecologically-relevant climate changes resulting from forest loss in two hotspot regions: western North America (wNA), which is experiencing accelerated dieoff, and the Amazon basin, which is subject to high rates of deforestation. The remote climatic and ecological net effects of simultaneous forest loss in both regions differed from the combined effects of loss from the two regions simulated separately, as evident in three impacted areas. Eastern South American Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) increased due to changes in seasonal rainfall associated with Amazon forest loss and changes in temperature related to wNA forest loss. Eurasia’s GPP declined with wNA forest loss due to cooling temperatures increasing soil ice volume. Southeastern North American productivity increased with simultaneous forest loss, but declined with only wNA forest loss due to changes in VPD. Our results illustrate the need for a new generation of local-to-global scale analyses to identify potential ecoclimate teleconnections, their underlying mechanisms, and most importantly, their synergistic interactions, to predict the responses to increasing forest loss under future land use change and climate change. PMID:27851740

Forest Soil Bacteria: Diversity, Involvement in Ecosystem Processes, and Response to Global Change

PubMed Central

Lladó, Salvador; López-Mondéjar, Rubén

2017-01-01

SUMMARY The ecology of forest soils is an important field of research due to the role of forests as carbon sinks. Consequently, a significant amount of information has been accumulated concerning their ecology, especially for temperate and boreal forests. Although most studies have focused on fungi, forest soil bacteria also play important roles in this environment. In forest soils, bacteria inhabit multiple habitats with specific properties, including bulk soil, rhizosphere, litter, and deadwood habitats, where their communities are shaped by nutrient availability and biotic interactions. Bacteria contribute to a range of essential soil processes involved in the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. They take part in the decomposition of dead plant biomass and are highly important for the decomposition of dead fungal mycelia. In rhizospheres of forest trees, bacteria interact with plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi as commensalists or mycorrhiza helpers. Bacteria also mediate multiple critical steps in the nitrogen cycle, including N fixation. Bacterial communities in forest soils respond to the effects of global change, such as climate warming, increased levels of carbon dioxide, or anthropogenic nitrogen deposition. This response, however, often reflects the specificities of each studied forest ecosystem, and it is still impossible to fully incorporate bacteria into predictive models. The understanding of bacterial ecology in forest soils has advanced dramatically in recent years, but it is still incomplete. The exact extent of the contribution of bacteria to forest ecosystem processes will be recognized only in the future, when the activities of all soil community members are studied simultaneously. PMID:28404790

Forest Soil Bacteria: Diversity, Involvement in Ecosystem Processes, and Response to Global Change.

PubMed

Lladó, Salvador; López-Mondéjar, Rubén; Baldrian, Petr

2017-06-01

The ecology of forest soils is an important field of research due to the role of forests as carbon sinks. Consequently, a significant amount of information has been accumulated concerning their ecology, especially for temperate and boreal forests. Although most studies have focused on fungi, forest soil bacteria also play important roles in this environment. In forest soils, bacteria inhabit multiple habitats with specific properties, including bulk soil, rhizosphere, litter, and deadwood habitats, where their communities are shaped by nutrient availability and biotic interactions. Bacteria contribute to a range of essential soil processes involved in the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. They take part in the decomposition of dead plant biomass and are highly important for the decomposition of dead fungal mycelia. In rhizospheres of forest trees, bacteria interact with plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi as commensalists or mycorrhiza helpers. Bacteria also mediate multiple critical steps in the nitrogen cycle, including N fixation. Bacterial communities in forest soils respond to the effects of global change, such as climate warming, increased levels of carbon dioxide, or anthropogenic nitrogen deposition. This response, however, often reflects the specificities of each studied forest ecosystem, and it is still impossible to fully incorporate bacteria into predictive models. The understanding of bacterial ecology in forest soils has advanced dramatically in recent years, but it is still incomplete. The exact extent of the contribution of bacteria to forest ecosystem processes will be recognized only in the future, when the activities of all soil community members are studied simultaneously. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Synergistic Ecoclimate Teleconnections from Forest Loss in Different Regions Structure Global Ecological Responses

DOE PAGES

Garcia, Elizabeth S.; Swann, Abigail L. S.; Villegas, Juan C.; ...

2016-11-16

Forest loss in hotspots around the world impacts not only local climate where loss occurs, but also influences climate and vegetation in remote parts of the globe through ecoclimate teleconnections. The magnitude and mechanism of remote impacts likely depends on the location and distribution of forest loss hotspots, but the nature of these dependencies has not been investigated. We use global climate model simulations to estimate the distribution of ecologically-relevant climate changes resulting from forest loss in two hotspot regions: western North America (wNA), which is experiencing accelerated dieoff, and the Amazon basin, which is subject to high rates ofmore » deforestation. The remote climatic and ecological net effects of simultaneous forest loss in both regions differed from the combined effects of loss from the two regions simulated separately, as evident in three impacted areas. Eastern South American Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) increased due to changes in seasonal rainfall associated with Amazon forest loss and changes in temperature related to wNA forest loss. Eurasia's GPP declined with wNA forest loss due to cooling temperatures increasing soil ice volume. Southeastern North American productivity increased with simultaneous forest loss, but declined with only wNA forest loss due to changes in VPD. In conclusion, our results illustrate the need for a new generation of local-to-global scale analyses to identify potential ecoclimate teleconnections, their underlying mechanisms, and most importantly, their synergistic interactions, to predict the responses to increasing forest loss under future land use change and climate change.« less

Synergistic Ecoclimate Teleconnections from Forest Loss in Different Regions Structure Global Ecological Responses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garcia, Elizabeth S.; Swann, Abigail L. S.; Villegas, Juan C.

Forest loss in hotspots around the world impacts not only local climate where loss occurs, but also influences climate and vegetation in remote parts of the globe through ecoclimate teleconnections. The magnitude and mechanism of remote impacts likely depends on the location and distribution of forest loss hotspots, but the nature of these dependencies has not been investigated. We use global climate model simulations to estimate the distribution of ecologically-relevant climate changes resulting from forest loss in two hotspot regions: western North America (wNA), which is experiencing accelerated dieoff, and the Amazon basin, which is subject to high rates ofmore » deforestation. The remote climatic and ecological net effects of simultaneous forest loss in both regions differed from the combined effects of loss from the two regions simulated separately, as evident in three impacted areas. Eastern South American Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) increased due to changes in seasonal rainfall associated with Amazon forest loss and changes in temperature related to wNA forest loss. Eurasia's GPP declined with wNA forest loss due to cooling temperatures increasing soil ice volume. Southeastern North American productivity increased with simultaneous forest loss, but declined with only wNA forest loss due to changes in VPD. In conclusion, our results illustrate the need for a new generation of local-to-global scale analyses to identify potential ecoclimate teleconnections, their underlying mechanisms, and most importantly, their synergistic interactions, to predict the responses to increasing forest loss under future land use change and climate change.« less

Ecological species group—Environmental factors relationships in unharvested beech forests in the north of Iran

Treesearch

Mohammad Naghi Adel; Hassan Pourbabaei; Daniel C. Dey

2014-01-01

Beech forests are the richest forest community in Iran because they are both economically and environmentally valuable. The greatest forest volume occurs in Iran's beech forests. Forests dominated by oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipskey) cover about 565,000 ha and represent the total area of indigenous forests in Guilan Province. A system for classifying beech...

Ecological species group—Environmental factors relationships in unharvested beech forests in the north of Iran

Treesearch

Mohammad Naghi Adel; Hassan Pourbabaei; Daniel C. Dey

2014-01-01

Beech forests are the richest forest community in Iran because they are both economically and environmentally valuable. The greatest forest volume occurs in Iran's beech forests. Forests dominated by oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipskey) cover about 565,000 ha and represent the total area of indigenous forests in Guilan Province. A system...

A global carbon assimilation system based on a dual optimization method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, H.; Li, Y.; Chen, J. M.; Wang, T.; Huang, Q.; Huang, W. X.; Li, S. M.; Yuan, W. P.; Zheng, X.; Zhang, S. P.; Chen, Z. Q.; Jiang, F.

2014-10-01

Ecological models are effective tools to simulate the distribution of global carbon sources and sinks. However, these models often suffer from substantial biases due to inaccurate simulations of complex ecological processes. We introduce a set of scaling factors (parameters) to an ecological model on the basis of plant functional type (PFT) and latitudes. A global carbon assimilation system (GCAS-DOM) is developed by employing a Dual Optimization Method (DOM) to invert the time-dependent ecological model parameter state and the net carbon flux state simultaneously. We use GCAS-DOM to estimate the global distribution of the CO2 flux on 1° ×1° grid cells for the period from 2000 to 2007. Results show that land and ocean absorb -3.69 ± 0.49 Pg C year-1 and -1.91 ± 0.16 Pg C year-1, respectively. North America, Europe and China contribut -0.96 ± 0.15 Pg C year-1, -0.42 ± 0.08 Pg C year-1 and -0.21 ± 0.28 Pg C year-1, respectively. The uncertainties in the flux after optimization by GCAS-DOM have been remarkably reduced by more than 60%. Through parameter optimization, GCAS-DOM can provide improved estimates of the carbon flux for each PFT. Coniferous forest (-0.97 ± 0.27 Pg C year-1) is the largest contributor to the global carbon sink. Fluxes of once-dominant deciduous forest generated by BEPS is reduced to -0.79 ± 0.22 Pg C year-1, being the third largest carbon sink.

[Estimation of Shenyang urban forest green biomass].

PubMed

Liu, Chang-fu; He, Xing-yuan; Chen, Wei; Zhao, Gui-ling; Xu, Wen-duo

2007-06-01

Based on ARC/GIS and by using the method of "planar biomass estimation", the green biomass (GB) of Shenyang urban forests was measured. The results demonstrated that the GB per unit area was the highest (3.86 m2.m(-2)) in landscape and relaxation forest, and the lowest (2.27 m2.m(-2)) in ecological and public welfare forest. The GB per unit area in urban forest distribution area was 2.99 m2.m(-2), and that of the whole Shenyang urban area was 0.25 m2.m(-2). The total GB of Shenyang urban forests was about 1.13 x 10(8) m2, among which, subordinated forest, ecological and public welfare forest, landscape and relaxation forest, road forest, and production and management forest accounted for 36.64% , 23.99% , 19.38% , 16.20% and 3.79%, with their GB being 4. 15 x 10(7), 2.72 x 10(7), 2.20 x 10(7), 1.84 x 10(7) and 0.43 x 10(7) m2, respectively. The precision of the method "planar biomass estimation" was 91.81% (alpha = 0.05) by credit test.

Ecological type classification for California: the Forest Service approach

Treesearch

Barbara H. Allen

1987-01-01

National legislation has mandated the development and use of an ecological data base to improve resource decision making, while State and Federal agencies have agreed to cooperate in standardizing resource classification and inventory data. In the Pacific Southwest Region, which includes nearly 20 million acres (8.3 million ha) in California, the Forest Service, U.S....

A new book: the ecology and silviculture of oaks

Treesearch

Stephen R. Shifley; Robert Rogers

2003-01-01

A new book, The Ecology and Silviculture of Oaks, is now available (Johnson and others 2002). The book focuses on the oaks of the United States and was written for forest and wildlife managers, ecologists, silviculturists, environmentalists, students of those fields, and others interested in sustaining oak forests for their many tangible and intangible values. Although...

Fire and avian ecology in North America: Process influencing pattern

Treesearch

Victoria A. Saab; Hugh D. W. Powell

2005-01-01

We summarize the findings from 10 subsequent chapters that collectively review fire and avian ecology across 40 North American ecosystems. We highlight patterns and future research topics that recur among the chapters. Vegetation types with long fire-return intervals, such as boreal forests of Canada, forests at high elevations, and those in the humid Pacific Northwest...

The forest ecosystem of southeast Alaska: 7. Forest ecology and timber management.

Treesearch

Arland S. Harris; Wilbur A. Farr

1974-01-01

Large-scale use of the timber resource of southeast Alaska began in 1953 after long efforts to establish a timber industry. Development and present status of the industry and present management of the timber resource are summarized, stressing the biological basis for timber management activities in southeast Alaska today. Ecological and silvicultural considerations...

Ecology of bottomland oaks in the southeastern United states

Treesearch

Emile S. Gardiner

2001-01-01

0aks (Querczrs spp.) are among the most ecologically and economically valued trees of the floodplain forests which occupy the river valleys that dissect the Gulf and Atlantic coastal plains of the southeastem United States. In these floodplain forests, several species from the sections Quercus and Lobarae are commonly found distributed along a gradient of sites ranging...

Vegetation dynamics and impacts of Phytophthora ramorum in redwood-tanoak forests in California

Treesearch

S Lynch; R Cobb; D. Rizzo

2009-01-01

Pathogen epidemiology, community ecology of host species, and land use history all play major roles in the current distribution of Phytophthora ramorum and the extent of damage this pathogen has caused in California forests (Rizzo and others 2005, Meentemeyer and others 2008b). Research on the community ecology and the interaction of...

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter

2014-01-01

Forests cover a vast area of the United States: 304 million ha, or approximately one-third of the Nation’s land area (Smith and others 2009). These forests possess substantial ecological and socioeconomic importance. Both their ecological integrity and their continued capacity to provide goods and services are of concern in the face of a long list of threats, including...

Introduction

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter

2013-01-01

Forests cover a vast area of the United States, 304 million ha or approximately one-third of the Nation’s land area (Smith and others 2009). These forests possess substantial ecological and socioeconomic importance. Both their ecological integrity and their continued capacity to provide goods and services are of concern in the face of a long list of threats, including...

Introduction

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter

2012-01-01

Forests cover a vast area of the United States: 303.1 million ha or approximately onethird of the Nation’s land (Smith and others 2004). These forests are of substantial ecological, economic, and social importance. Both their ecological integrity and their continued capacity to provide goods and services are of considerable concern in the face of a long list of threats...

Introduction

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter

2013-01-01

Forests cover a vast area of the United States, 304 million ha, or approximately one-third of the Nation’s land area (Smith and others 2009). These forests possess substantial ecological and socioeconomic importance. Both their ecological integrity and their continued capacity to provide goods and services are of concern in the face of a long list of threats, including...

Spatial distribution of earthworms in an east Texas forest ecosystem

Treesearch

Melissa A. Bozarth; Kenneth W. Farrish; George A. Damoff; James VanKley; J. Leon Young

2016-01-01

Earthworms were collected and identified in different ecological habitats of the Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest (SFAEF) in the Piney Woods Ecoregion (PWE) of Texas. Earthworm spatial distribution data were collected over four distinct ecological habitats with a range of soil conditions and vegetative cover. A total of 128 sampling plots were surveyed in two...

Synthesis: Ecological Impacts of Forest Vegetation Management

Treesearch

Jerry L. Michael; M. Hermy

2002-01-01

Ecological impacts of forest vegetation management are highly complex with many interactions. Interactions are bounded on the one hand by hierarchical levels from genes to species to ecosystems and on the other hand by the tools used and the intensity of management applied to each level of possible interactions. Some impacts are easy to measure, but impacts become more...

On FIA Variables For Ecological Use

Treesearch

David C. Chojnacky

2001-01-01

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program collects or calculates over 300 variables for its national network of permanent forest plots. However, considerable ecological analysis can be done with only a few key variables. Two examples--Mexican spotted owl habitat in New Mexico and down deadwood in Maine--are used to illustrate the potential of FIA data for...

Ecological consequences of changing hydrological conditions in wetland forests of coastal Louisiana

Treesearch

Richard F. Keim; Jim L. Chambers; Melinda S. Hughes; J. Andrew Nyman; Craig A. Miller; Blake J. Amos; William H. Conner; John W. Day; Stephen P. Faulkner; Emile S. Gardiner; Sammy L. King; Kenneth W. McLeod; Gary P. Shaffer

2006-01-01

Large-scale and localized alterations of processes affecting deltaic coastal wetlands have caused the complete loss of some coastal wetland forests and reduced the productivity and vigor of many areas in coastal Louisiana. This loss and degradation threatens ecosystem functions and the services they provide. This paper summarizes ecological relationships controlled by...

Silviculture-ecology of forest-zone hardwoods in the Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

Philip M. McDonald; John C. Tappeiner

1996-01-01

Although the principal hardwood species in the forest zone of the Sierra Nevada (California black oak, tanoak, Pacific madrone, and canyon live oak) are key components of many ecosystems, they have received comparatively little study. Currently they are underutilized and unmanaged. This paper brings together what is known on the silviculture-ecology of these species...

Koa (Acacia koa) ecology and silviculture

Treesearch

Patrick J. Baker; Paul G. Scowcroft; John J. Ewel

2009-01-01

Koa (Acacia koa) is a tree species endemic to Hawaii that is of immense ecological and economic importance. This species has been mined from local forests for its wood for more than 100 years, and extensive areas of koa-dominated forests have been converted to grazing lands. Today, in recognition of the great importance and value of koa and the...

Ecology and management of aspen: A Lake States perspective

Treesearch

David T. Cleland; Larry A. Leefers; Donald I. Dickmann

2001-01-01

Aspen has been an ecologically important, though relatively minor, component of the Lake States (Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) forests for millennia. General Land Office records from the 1800s indicate that aspen comprised a small fraction of the region's eastern forests, but was more extensive on the western edge. Then Euro-American settlement in the 1800s...

Small mammal populations and ecology in the Kings River Sustainable Forest Ecosystems Project area

Treesearch

William F. Jr. Laudenslayer; Roberta J. Fargo

2002-01-01

Small mammals are important components of woodlands and forests. Since 1992, we have been studying several aspects of small mammal ecology in oak woodlands in western foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada. Assemblages of small, nocturnal mammal species are dominated by the brush mouse (Peromyscus boylii), California mouse (P. californicus...

A Bayesian approach to landscape ecological risk assessment applied to the upper Grande Ronde watershed, Oregon

Treesearch

Kimberley K. Ayre; Wayne G. Landis

2012-01-01

We present a Bayesian network model based on the ecological risk assessment framework to evaluate potential impacts to habitats and resources resulting from wildfire, grazing, forest management activities, and insect outbreaks in a forested landscape in northeastern Oregon. The Bayesian network structure consisted of three tiers of nodes: landscape disturbances,...

Research on Land Ecological Condition Investigation and Monitoring Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Chunyan; Guo, Xudong; Chen, Yuqi

2017-04-01

The ecological status of land reflects the relationship between land use and environmental factors. At present, land ecological situation in China is worrying. According to the second national land survey data, there are about 149 million acres of arable land located in forests and grasslands area in Northeast and Northwest of China, Within the limits of the highest flood level, at steep slope above 25 degrees; about 50 million acres of arable land has been in heavy pollution; grassland degradation is still serious. Protected natural forests accounted for only 6% of the land area, and forest quality is low. Overall, the ecological problem has been eased, but the local ecological destruction intensified, natural ecosystem in degradation. It is urgent to find out the situation of land ecology in the whole country and key regions as soon as possible. The government attaches great importance to ecological environment investigation and monitoring. Various industries and departments from different angles carry out related work, most of it about a single ecological problem, the lack of a comprehensive surveying and assessment of land ecological status of the region. This paper established the monitoring index system of land ecological condition, including Land use type area and distribution, quality of cultivated land, vegetation status and ecological service, arable land potential and risk, a total of 21 indicators. Based on the second national land use survey data, annual land use change data and high resolution remote sensing data, using the methods of sample monitoring, field investigation and statistical analysis to obtain the information of each index, this paper established the land ecological condition investigation and monitoring technology and method system. It has been improved, through the application to Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration, the northern agro-pastoral ecological fragile zone, and 6 counties (cities).

Penobscot Experimental Forest: 60 years of research and demonstration in Maine, 1950-2010

Treesearch

Laura S. Kenefic; John C. Brissette

2014-01-01

The Penobscot Experimental Forest (PEF) in Maine has been the site of U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station (previously Northeastern Forest Experiment Station) research on northern conifer silviculture and ecology since 1950. Purchased by forest industry and leased to the Forest Service for long-term experimentation, the PEF was...

[A review on fundamental studies of secondary forest management].

PubMed

Zhu, Jiaojun

2002-12-01

Secondary forest is also called as natural secondary forest, which regenerates on native forest that has been disturbed by severe natural or anthropogenic disturbances. The structural and dynamic organizations, growth, productivity and stand environment of secondary forests are significantly different from those of natural and artificial forests. Such significant differences make secondary forests have their own special characteristics in forestry. Secondary forests are the main body of forests in China. Therefore, their management plays a very important role in the projects of natural forest conservation and the construction of ecological environment in China or in the world. Based on a wide range of literature collection on secondary forest research, the fundamental studies of secondary forest management were discussed. The major topics are as follows: 1) basic characteristics of secondary forest, 2) principles of secondary forest management, 3) types of secondary forest, 4) community structure and succession dynamics of secondary forest, including niches, biodiversity, succession and so on, 5) main ecological processes of secondary forest, including regeneration, forest soil and forest environment. Additionally, the research needs and tendency related to secondary forest in the future were also given, based on the analyses of the main results and the problems in current management of secondary forest. The review may be helpful to the research of secondary forest management, and to the projects of natural forest conservation in China.

Integrating human and natural systems in community psychology: an ecological model of stewardship behavior.

PubMed

Moskell, Christine; Allred, Shorna Broussard

2013-03-01

Community psychology (CP) research on the natural environment lacks a theoretical framework for analyzing the complex relationship between human systems and the natural world. We introduce other academic fields concerned with the interactions between humans and the natural environment, including environmental sociology and coupled human and natural systems. To demonstrate how the natural environment can be included within CP's ecological framework, we propose an ecological model of urban forest stewardship action. Although ecological models of behavior in CP have previously modeled health behaviors, we argue that these frameworks are also applicable to actions that positively influence the natural environment. We chose the environmental action of urban forest stewardship because cities across the United States are planting millions of trees and increased citizen participation in urban tree planting and stewardship will be needed to sustain the benefits provided by urban trees. We used the framework of an ecological model of behavior to illustrate multiple levels of factors that may promote or hinder involvement in urban forest stewardship actions. The implications of our model for the development of multi-level ecological interventions to foster stewardship actions are discussed, as well as directions for future research to further test and refine the model.

Simulating the impact of human land use change on forest composition in the Great Plains agroecosystems with the Seedscape model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Easterling, W.E.; Brandle, J.R.; Hays, C.J.; Guo, Q.; Guertin, D.S.

2001-01-01

The expansion and contraction of marginal cropland in the Great Plains often involves small forested strips of land that provide important ecological benefits. The effect of human disturbance on these forests is not well known. Because of their unique structure such forests are not well-represented by forest gap models. In this paper, the development, testing and application of a new model known as Seedscape are described. Seedscape is a modification of the JABOWA-II model, and it uses a spatially-explicit landscape to resolve small-scale features of highly fragmented forests in the eastern Great Plains. It was tested and evaluated with observations from two sites, one in Nebraska and a second in eastern Iowa. Seedscape realistically simulates succession at the Nebraska site, but is less successful at the Iowa site. Seedscape was also applied to the Nebraska site to simulate the effect that varying forest corridor widths, in response to the presumed expansion/contraction of adjacent agricultural land, has on succession properties. Results suggest that small differences in widths have negligible effects on forest composition, but large differences in widths may cause statistically-significant changes in the relative importance of some species. We assert that long-term ecological change in human dominated landscapes is not well understood, in part, because of inadequate modeling techniques. Seedscape provides a much-needed tool for assessing the ecological implications of land use change in forests of predominately agricultural landscapes.

Regulations of the Forest Law, 29 June 1988.

PubMed

1988-01-01

These Regulations set forth the administration and duties of various government departments under the Mexican Forest Law. They provide that the National Forest Administration is, among other things, to promote operations designed for the conservation, protection, and restoration of forest resources, especially with respect to disasters of any kind that affect forests, such as pestilence, fires, disease, floods, and acid rain, as well as other destructive and contaminating elements. Further provisions of the Regulations describe efforts to aid reforestation and silviculture to be undertaken by the Secretariat and activities with respect to use permits and forest management. In its efforts to aid reforestation, the Secretariat is to establish nurseries, give assistance to local bodies to establish nurseries, and support reforestation programs financially. Regulations of the General Law on Ecological Equilibrium and Environmental Protection with Respect to Environmental Impact of 6 June 1988 contain provisions requiring the Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology to formulate general rules on the environmental impact involved in the use of forests. These rules are to set forth measures on prevention, improvement, preservation, restoration, and control. The Secretariat is also to issue ecological protection restrictions on the use of forest resources, which are to be relied on in the evaluation of proposed forest use projects. The Regulations also set forth procedures to be followed in examining use permit applications and information that must be included in such applications. See Diario Oficial, Vol. 417, No. 5, 7 June 1988, p. 28. full text

Hydro-economic modeling of the role of forests on water resources production in Andalusia, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beguería, Santiago; Serrano-Notivoli, Roberto; Álvarez-Palomino, Alejandro; Campos, Pablo

2014-05-01

The development of more refined information tools is a pre-requisite for supporting decision making in the context of integrated water resources management. Among these tools, hydro-economic models are favoured because they allow integrating the ecological, hydrological, infrastructure and economic aspects into a coherent, scientifically-informed framework. We present a case study that assesses physically the water resources of forest lands of the Andalusia region in Spain and conducts an economic environmental income and asset valuation of the forest surface water yield. We show how, based on available hydrologic and economic data, we can develop a comprehensive water account for all the forest lands at the regional scale. This forest water environmental valuation is part of the larger RECAMAN project, which aims at providing a robust and easily replicable accounting tool to evaluate yearly the total income an capital generated by the forest land, encompassing all measurable sources of private and public incomes (timber and cork production, auto-consumption, recreational activities, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, water production, etc.). Only a comprehensive integrated tool such as the one built within the RECAMAN project may serve as a basis for the development of integrated policies such as those internationally agreed and recommended for the management of water resources.

Modelling the role of forests on water provision services: a hydro-economic valuation approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beguería, S.; Campos, P.

2015-12-01

Hydro-economic models that allow integrating the ecological, hydrological, infrastructure, economic and social aspects into a coherent, scientifically- informed framework constitute preferred tools for supporting decision making in the context of integrated water resources management. We present a case study of water regulation and provision services of forests in the Andalusia region of Spain. Our model computes the physical water flows and conducts an economic environmental income and asset valuation of forest surface and underground water yield. Based on available hydrologic and economic data, we develop a comprehensive water account for all the forest lands at the regional scale. This forest water environmental valuation is integrated within a much larger project aiming at providing a robust and easily replicable accounting tool to evaluate yearly the total income and capital of forests, encompassing all measurable sources of private and public incomes (timber and cork production, auto-consumption, recreational activities, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, water production, etc.). We also force our simulation with future socio-economic scenarios to quantify the physical and economic efects of expected trends or simulated public and private policies on future water resources. Only a comprehensive integrated tool may serve as a basis for the development of integrated policies, such as those internationally agreed and recommended for the management of water resources.

Using Eco-hydrologic modeling in the Penobscot River Watershed to explore the role of climate and land use change on DOC concentration and flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouhani, S. F. B. B.; Schaaf, C.; Douglas, E. M.; Huntington, T. G.; Kim, J.

2017-12-01

Dissolved Organic Carbon leaches from the terrestrial watersheds to serve as one of the largest sources of marine DOC. Runoff, slope, soil organic matter and land cover characteristics are the primary spatial factors controlling the variability of fluvial Dissolved Organic Carbon fluxes through the catchment. In large, more heterogeneous catchments, streamflow dissolved organic carbon dynamics are regulated by the combined effect of hydrological mechanisms and the proportion of major landscape elements, such as wetland and forested areas. A number of studies have demonstrated that the amount of wetlands, especially peatlands, controls the watershed level transport of DOC in streams.The Penobscot River Watershed is located in north-central Maine and drains into the Gulf of Maine. It is the second largest watershed in New England. The Penobscot River Watershed is primarily forested but also contains extensive bogs, marshes, and wooded swamps.Studying the spatial and temporal changes in DOC export in the Penobscot River Watershed allows us to better understand and detect carbon sinks to carbon source shifts (or vice versa) in northern forested ecosystems.The Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System, is a physical process based terrestrial model that has the ability to simulate both the source and transportation of DOC by combining both hydrological and ecological processes. The study is focused on simulating the DOC concentration and flux with RHESSys in the Penobscot River Watershed. The simulated results are compared with field measurements of DOC from the watershed and the model results from the LOADEST and the temporal DOC export patterns are explored. Future changes in the amount of streamflow DOC will also be investigated by using projected land cover and climate change scenarios. Incremental increases in the loss of wetland areas have been implemented to explore the sensitivity of this watershed to wetland loss and progressive changes in forested land cover have been implemented to understand the role of vegetation types to the DOC flux.The simulated daily streamflow for the period of 2004-2013 corresponded well with observed daily streamflowat USGS gauge station. in addition, the simulated DOC flux and concentration values matched well with observed data and LODEST model results.

The use of composite fingerprints to quantify sediment sources in a wildfire impacted landscape, Alberta, Canada.

PubMed

Stone, M; Collins, A L; Silins, U; Emelko, M B; Zhang, Y S

2014-03-01

There is increasing global concern regarding the impacts of large scale land disturbance by wildfire on a wide range of water and related ecological services. This study explores the impact of the 2003 Lost Creek wildfire in the Crowsnest River basin, Alberta, Canada on regional scale sediment sources using a tracing approach. A composite geochemical fingerprinting procedure was used to apportion the sediment efflux among three key spatial sediment sources: 1) unburned (reference) 2) burned and 3) burned sub-basins that were subsequently salvage logged. Spatial sediment sources were characterized by collecting time-integrated suspended sediment samples using passive devices during the entire ice free periods in 2009 and 2010. The tracing procedure combines the Kruskal-Wallis H-test, principal component analysis and genetic-algorithm driven discriminant function analysis for source discrimination. Source apportionment was based on a numerical mass balance model deployed within a Monte Carlo framework incorporating both local optimization and global (genetic algorithm) optimization. The mean relative frequency-weighted average median inputs from the three spatial source units were estimated to be 17% (inter-quartile uncertainty range 0-32%) from the reference areas, 45% (inter-quartile uncertainty range 25-65%) from the burned areas and 38% (inter-quartile uncertainty range 14-59%) from the burned-salvage logged areas. High sediment inputs from burned and the burned-salvage logged areas, representing spatial source units 2 and 3, reflect the lasting effects of forest canopy and forest floor organic matter disturbance during the 2003 wildfire including increased runoff and sediment availability related to high terrestrial erosion, streamside mass wasting and river bank collapse. The results demonstrate the impact of wildfire and incremental pressures associated with salvage logging on catchment spatial sediment sources in higher elevation Montane regions where forest growth and vegetation recovery are relatively slow. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A walk on the wild side: Disturbance dynamics and the conservation and management of European mountain forest ecosystems☆

PubMed Central

Kulakowski, Dominik; Seidl, Rupert; Holeksa, Jan; Kuuluvainen, Timo; Nagel, Thomas A.; Panayotov, Momchil; Svoboda, Miroslav; Thorn, Simon; Vacchiano, Giorgio; Whitlock, Cathy; Wohlgemuth, Thomas; Bebi, Peter

2017-01-01

Mountain forests are among the most important ecosystems in Europe as they support numerous ecological, hydrological, climatic, social, and economic functions. They are unique relatively natural ecosystems consisting of long-lived species in an otherwise densely populated human landscape. Despite this, centuries of intensive forest management in many of these forests have eclipsed evidence of natural processes, especially the role of disturbances in long-term forest dynamics. Recent trends of land abandonment and establishment of protected forests have coincided with a growing interest in managing forests in more natural states. At the same time, the importance of past disturbances highlighted in an emerging body of literature, and recent increasing disturbances due to climate change are challenging long-held views of dynamics in these ecosystems. Here, we synthesize aspects of this Special Issue on the ecology of mountain forest ecosystems in Europe in the context of broader discussions in the field, to present a new perspective on these ecosystems and their natural disturbance regimes. Most mountain forests in Europe, for which long-term data are available, show a strong and long-term effect of not only human land use but also of natural disturbances that vary by orders of magnitude in size and frequency. Although these disturbances may kill many trees, the forests themselves have not been threatened. The relative importance of natural disturbances, land use, and climate change for ecosystem dynamics varies across space and time. Across the continent, changing climate and land use are altering forest cover, forest structure, tree demography, and natural disturbances, including fires, insect outbreaks, avalanches, and wind disturbances. Projected continued increases in forest area and biomass along with continued warming are likely to further promote forest disturbances. Episodic disturbances may foster ecosystem adaptation to the effects of ongoing and future climatic change. Increasing disturbances, along with trends of less intense land use, will promote further increases in coarse woody debris, with cascading positive effects on biodiversity, edaphic conditions, biogeochemical cycles, and increased heterogeneity across a range of spatial scales. Together, this may translate to disturbance-mediated resilience of forest landscapes and increased biodiversity, as long as climate and disturbance regimes remain within the tolerance of relevant species. Understanding ecological variability, even imperfectly, is integral to anticipating vulnerabilities and promoting ecological resilience, especially under growing uncertainty. Allowing some forests to be shaped by natural processes may be congruent with multiple goals of forest management, even in densely settled and developed countries. PMID:28860677

A walk on the wild side: Disturbance dynamics and the conservation and management of European mountain forest ecosystems.

PubMed

Kulakowski, Dominik; Seidl, Rupert; Holeksa, Jan; Kuuluvainen, Timo; Nagel, Thomas A; Panayotov, Momchil; Svoboda, Miroslav; Thorn, Simon; Vacchiano, Giorgio; Whitlock, Cathy; Wohlgemuth, Thomas; Bebi, Peter

2017-03-15

Mountain forests are among the most important ecosystems in Europe as they support numerous ecological, hydrological, climatic, social, and economic functions. They are unique relatively natural ecosystems consisting of long-lived species in an otherwise densely populated human landscape. Despite this, centuries of intensive forest management in many of these forests have eclipsed evidence of natural processes, especially the role of disturbances in long-term forest dynamics. Recent trends of land abandonment and establishment of protected forests have coincided with a growing interest in managing forests in more natural states. At the same time, the importance of past disturbances highlighted in an emerging body of literature, and recent increasing disturbances due to climate change are challenging long-held views of dynamics in these ecosystems. Here, we synthesize aspects of this Special Issue on the ecology of mountain forest ecosystems in Europe in the context of broader discussions in the field, to present a new perspective on these ecosystems and their natural disturbance regimes. Most mountain forests in Europe, for which long-term data are available, show a strong and long-term effect of not only human land use but also of natural disturbances that vary by orders of magnitude in size and frequency. Although these disturbances may kill many trees, the forests themselves have not been threatened. The relative importance of natural disturbances, land use, and climate change for ecosystem dynamics varies across space and time. Across the continent, changing climate and land use are altering forest cover, forest structure, tree demography, and natural disturbances, including fires, insect outbreaks, avalanches, and wind disturbances. Projected continued increases in forest area and biomass along with continued warming are likely to further promote forest disturbances. Episodic disturbances may foster ecosystem adaptation to the effects of ongoing and future climatic change. Increasing disturbances, along with trends of less intense land use, will promote further increases in coarse woody debris, with cascading positive effects on biodiversity, edaphic conditions, biogeochemical cycles, and increased heterogeneity across a range of spatial scales. Together, this may translate to disturbance-mediated resilience of forest landscapes and increased biodiversity, as long as climate and disturbance regimes remain within the tolerance of relevant species. Understanding ecological variability, even imperfectly, is integral to anticipating vulnerabilities and promoting ecological resilience, especially under growing uncertainty. Allowing some forests to be shaped by natural processes may be congruent with multiple goals of forest management, even in densely settled and developed countries.

Environmental assessment hot spots of perforated forest in the eastern United States

Treesearch

Kurt H. Riitters; John W. Coulston

2005-01-01

National assessments of forest fragmentation satisfy international biodiversity conventions, but they do not identify specific places where ecological impacts are likely. In this article, we identify geographic concentrations (hot spots) of forest located near holes in otherwise intact forest canopies (perforated forest) in the eastern United States, and we describe...

An assessment of forest ecosystem health in the Southwest

Treesearch

Cathy W. Dahms; Brian W. Geils

1997-01-01

This report documents an ecological assessment of forest ecosystem health in the Southwest. The assessment focuses at the regional level and mostly pertains to lands administered by the National Forest System. Information is presented for use by forest and district resource managers as well as collaborative partners in the stewardship of Southwestern forests. The...

Predicting forest successional stages using mutitemporal Landsat imagery with forest inventory and analysis data

Treesearch

Weiguo Liu; Conghe Song; Todd A. Schroeder; Warren B. Cohen

2008-01-01

Forest succession is an important ecological process that has profound biophysical, biological and biogeochemical implications in terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, information on forest successional stages over an extensive forested landscape is crucial for us to understand ecosystem processes, such as carbon assimilation and energy interception. This study explored...

Decline of forest interior conditions in the conterminous United States

Treesearch

Kurt H. Riitters; James D. Wickham

2012-01-01

Forest fragmentation threatens the sustainability of forest interior environments, thereby endangering subordinate ecological attributes and functions. We analyzed the spatial patterns of forest loss and gain for the conterminous United States from 2001 to 2006 to determine whether forest interior environments were maintained at five spatial scales. A 1.1% net loss of...

Assessing forest fragmentation metrics from forest inventory cluster samples

Treesearch

Christoph Kleinn

2000-01-01

Fragmentation of forest area plays an important role in the ongoing discussion of forest dynamics and biological and ecosystem diversity. Among its contributing factors are size, shape, number, and spatial arrangement of forest patches. Several metrics and indexes are in use, predominantly in quantitative landscape ecology. An important area of interest is the...

The structure of tropical forests and sphere packings

PubMed Central

Jahn, Markus Wilhelm; Dobner, Hans-Jürgen; Wiegand, Thorsten; Huth, Andreas

2015-01-01

The search for simple principles underlying the complex architecture of ecological communities such as forests still challenges ecological theorists. We use tree diameter distributions—fundamental for deriving other forest attributes—to describe the structure of tropical forests. Here we argue that tree diameter distributions of natural tropical forests can be explained by stochastic packing of tree crowns representing a forest crown packing system: a method usually used in physics or chemistry. We demonstrate that tree diameter distributions emerge accurately from a surprisingly simple set of principles that include site-specific tree allometries, random placement of trees, competition for space, and mortality. The simple static model also successfully predicted the canopy structure, revealing that most trees in our two studied forests grow up to 30–50 m in height and that the highest packing density of about 60% is reached between the 25- and 40-m height layer. Our approach is an important step toward identifying a minimal set of processes responsible for generating the spatial structure of tropical forests. PMID:26598678

Limits to CO2-Neutrality of Burning Wood. (Review)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abolins, J.; Gravitis, J.

2016-08-01

Consumption of wood as a source of energy is discussed with respect to efficiency and restraints to ensure sustainability of the environment on the grounds of a simple analytical model describing dynamics of biomass accumulation in forest stands - a particular case of the well-known empirical Richards' equation. Amounts of wood harvested under conditions of maximum productivity of forest land are presented in units normalised with respect to the maximum of the mean annual increment and used to determine the limits of CO2-neutrality. The ecological "footprint" defined by the area of growing stands necessary to absorb the excess amount of CO2 annually released from burning biomass is shown to be equal to the land area of a plantation providing sustainable supply of fire-wood.

Falling palm fronds structure amazonian rainforest sapling communities.

PubMed

Peters, Halton A; Pauw, Anton; Silman, Miles R; Terborgh, John W

2004-08-07

The senescence and loss of photosynthetic and support structures is a nearly universal aspect of tree life history, and can be a major source of disturbance in forest understoreys, but the ability of falling canopy debris in determining the stature and composition of understorey communities seems not to have been documented. In this study, we show that senescent fronds of the palm Iriartea deltoidea cause substantial disturbance in tropical forest sapling communities. This disturbance influences the species composition of the canopy and subcanopy by acting as an ecological filter, favouring sapling species with characteristics conducive to recovery after physical damage. The scale of this dominance suggests that falling I. deltoidea debris may be influencing sapling community structure and species composition in Amazonian rainforests over very large spatial scales.

Winter climate change and coastal wetland foundation species: salt marshes vs. mangrove forests in the southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Osland, Michael J.; Day, Richard H.; Doyle, Thomas W.; Enwright, Nicholas

2013-01-01

We live in an era of unprecedented ecological change in which ecologists and natural resource managers are increasingly challenged to anticipate and prepare for the ecological effects of future global change. In this study, we investigated the potential effect of winter climate change upon salt marsh and mangrove forest foundation species in the southeastern United States. Our research addresses the following three questions: (1) What is the relationship between winter climate and the presence and abundance of mangrove forests relative to salt marshes; (2) How vulnerable are salt marshes to winter climate change-induced mangrove forest range expansion; and (3) What is the potential future distribution and relative abundance of mangrove forests under alternative winter climate change scenarios? We developed simple winter climate-based models to predict mangrove forest distribution and relative abundance using observed winter temperature data (1970–2000) and mangrove forest and salt marsh habitat data. Our results identify winter climate thresholds for salt marsh–mangrove forest interactions and highlight coastal areas in the southeastern United States (e.g., Texas, Louisiana, and parts of Florida) where relatively small changes in the intensity and frequency of extreme winter events could cause relatively dramatic landscape-scale ecosystem structural and functional change in the form of poleward mangrove forest migration and salt marsh displacement. The ecological implications of these marsh-to-mangrove forest conversions are poorly understood, but would likely include changes for associated fish and wildlife populations and for the supply of some ecosystem goods and services.

Tracking nonpoint source nitrogen pollution in human-impacted watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kaushal, Sujay S.; Groffman, Peter M; Band, Lawrence; Elliott, Emily M.; Shields, Catherine A.; Kendall, Carol

2011-01-01

Nonpoint source nitrogen (N) pollution is a leading contributor to U.S. water quality impairments. We combined watershed N mass balances and stable isotopes to investigate fate and transport of nonpoint N in forest, agricultural, and urbanized watersheds at the Baltimore Long-Term Ecological Research site. Annual N retention was 55%, 68%, and 82% for agricultural, suburban, and forest watersheds, respectively. Analysis of δ15N-NO3–, and δ18O-NO3– indicated wastewater was an important nitrate source in urbanized streams during baseflow. Negative correlations between δ15N-NO3– and δ18O-NO3– in urban watersheds indicated mixing between atmospheric deposition and wastewater, and N source contributions changed with storm magnitude (atmospheric sources contributed ∼50% at peak storm N loads). Positive correlations between δ15N-NO3– and δ18O-NO3– in watersheds suggested denitrification was removing septic system and agriculturally derived N, but N from belowground leaking sewers was less susceptible to denitrification. N transformations were also observed in a storm drain (no natural drainage network) potentially due to organic carbon inputs. Overall, nonpoint sources such as atmospheric deposition, wastewater, and fertilizer showed different susceptibility to watershed N export. There were large changes in nitrate sources as a function of runoff, and anticipating source changes in response to climate and storms will be critical for managing nonpoint N pollution.

Termites and Forest Management in Australia

Treesearch

Don McG Ewart

1991-01-01

Termites have long been regarded as major pests of Australian forests. Drawing together research on termite ecology and mammal conservation, this paper argues that this perception is wrong; termites are a vital component of native forests.

Ecological effects of variable retention harvests in the northwestern United States: the DEMO study.

Treesearch

Keith B. Aubry; Charles B. Halpern; Douglas A. Maguire

2004-01-01

The retention of trees in harvest units is an integral part of forest management practices on federal lands in the northwestern United States (U.S.), yet the ecological benefits that result from various levels or patterns of retained trees remain speculative. Large scale and long term silviculture experiments are needed to evaluate the effects of alternative forest...

Objectives and study design of the Colville study: silviculture, ecology, utilization, and economics of small-diameter densely stocked stands.

Treesearch

R.J. Barbour; S.D. Tesch; J. McNeel; S.A. Willits; R.D. Fight; A. Mason; K.E. Skog

1997-01-01

Public land managers in the United States are increasingly interested in managing forests to provide a range of ecological and social outputs in addition to timber. These outputs might include healthy riparian areas, connected blocks of late-successional forests, habitat for threatened and endangered species, and high quality recreational opportunities. On National...

Forests and landscapes: linking ecology, sustainability and aesthetics

Treesearch

Paul H. Gobster

2001-01-01

The prairies of the Midwestern US seem like an unlikely place for me to comment on the friuts of a workshop inspired by the forest of Canada's Pacific Northwest. But it is from this smae vantage point, more than a half-century earlier, that Aldo Leopold outlined the elements of what has been called an ecological aesthetic, a way of beholding the...

Landscape dynamics in the wildland-urban interface

Treesearch

Wayne C. Zipperer

2012-01-01

The wildland–urban interface represents landscape change—changes brought about by urbanization, by shifts in forest management, and altered disturbance regimes, each having ecological, social, and economic ramifications. In this chapter, I will focus on some of the ecological ramifications associated with landscape change, primarily forest fragmentation and...

Status of the Southern Carpathian forests in the long-term ecological research network

Treesearch

Ovidiu Badea; Andrzej Bytnerowicz; Diana Silaghi; Stefan Neagu; Ion Barbu; Carmen Iacoban; Corneliu Iacob; Gheorghe Guiman; Elena Preda; Ioan Seceleanu; Marian Oneata; Ion Dumitru; Viorela Huber; Horia Iuncu; Lucian Dinca; Stefan Leca; Ioan Taut

2012-01-01

Air pollution, bulk precipitation, throughfall, soil condition, foliar nutrients, as well as forest health and growth were studied in 2006–2009 in a long-term ecological research (LTER) network in the Bucegi Mountains, Romania. Ozone (O 3 ) was high indicating a potential for phytotoxicity. Ammonia (NH 3 ) concentrations rose to levels that could contribute to...

The concept: Restoring ecological structure and process in ponderosa pine forests

Treesearch

Stephen F. Arno

1996-01-01

Elimination of the historic pattern of frequent low-intensity fires in ponderosa pine and pine-mixed conifer forests has resulted in major ecological disruptions. Prior to 1900, open stands of large, long-lived, fire-resistant ponderosa pine were typical. These were accompanied in some areas by other fire-dependent species such as western larch. Today, as a result of...

Long-term ecological reflections: writers, philosophers, and scientists meet in the forest.

Treesearch

Jonathan Thompson

2008-01-01

Over the past 7 years, a strong collaboration has emerged between the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest ecosystem research group and the Spring Creek Project for Ideas, Nature, and the Written Word, an independently funded program for nature writing based in the Department of Philosophy, Oregon State University. The program is called Long-Term Ecological Reflections and...

The 2002 Hayman Fire - ecological benefit or catastrophe? An understory plant community perspective

Treesearch

Paula Fornwalt

2013-01-01

Fire has long been a keystone ecological process in Western forests. In ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)/Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests of the Colorado Front Range, historical fires are believed to have been "mixed severity" in nature. That means that these fires are believed to have typically burned within a range of severities from low severity...

Measuring Ecological Effects of Prescribed Fire Using Birds as Indicators of Forest Conditions

Treesearch

Nathaniel E. Seavy; John D. Alexander

2006-01-01

To evaluate the ecological effects of prescribed fire, bird and vegetation surveys were conducted in four study areas of the Klamath National Forest where prescribed fires are being used for management. Bird and vegetation data were collected at sites treated with prescribed fire and nearby untreated control sites. Data were collected at stations from 2000 (pre-...

Spatial ecology of Puerto Rican boas (Epicrates inornatus) in a hurricane impacted forest

Treesearch

Joseph M. Wunderle; Javier E. Mercado; Bernard Parresol; Esteban Terranova

2004-01-01

Spatial ecology of Puerto Rican boas (Epicrates inornatus, Boidae) was studied with radiotelemetry in a subtropical wet forest recovering from a major hurricane (7–9 yr previous) when Hurricane Georges struck. Different boas were studied during three periods relative to Hurricane Georges: before only; before and after; and after only. Mean daily...

Spatial Ecology of Puerto Rican Boas (Epicrates inornatus) in a Hurricane Impacted Forest.

Treesearch

Joseph M. Wunderle Jr.; Javier E. Mercado Bernard Parresol Esteban Terranova 2

2004-01-01

Spatial ecology of Puerto Rican boas (Epicrates inornatus, Boidae) was studied with radiotelemetry in a subtropical wet forest recovering from a major hurricane (7–9 yr previous) when Hurricane Georges struck. Different boas were studied during three periods relative to Hurricane Georges: before only; before and after; and after only. Mean daily movement per month...

Regional and geomorphic influence on the productivity, composition, and structure of oak ecosystems in the western central hardwoods region

Treesearch

Amber M. Steele; John M. Kabrick; Randall J. Miles

2013-01-01

The steeply dissected glaciated landscapes of the Chariton River Hills Ecological Subsection (CRHES) in northern Missouri have extensive, but largely unmanaged, oak forests that are relatively unstudied. There is increasing interest in these forests for oak ecosystem restoration, ecological site description, and production of oak timber for biofuels. Our objectives...

Ecological impacts and management strategies for western larch in the face of climate-change

Treesearch

Gerald E. Rehfeldt; Barry C. Jaquish

2010-01-01

Approximately 185,000 forest inventory and ecological plots from both USA and Canada were used to predict the contemporary distribution of western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) from climate variables. The random forests algorithm, using an 8-variable model, produced an overall error rate of about 2.9 %, nearly all of which consisted of predicting presence at...

Using the forest, people, fire agent-based social network model to investigate interactions in social-ecological systems

Treesearch

Paige Fischer; Adam Korejwa; Jennifer Koch; Thomas Spies; Christine Olsen; Eric White; Derric Jacobs

2013-01-01

Wildfire links social and ecological systems in dry-forest landscapes of the United States. The management of these landscapes, however, is bifurcated by two institutional cultures that have different sets of beliefs about wildfire, motivations for managing wildfire risk, and approaches to administering policy. Fire protection, preparedness, and response agencies often...

Use of forest inventory and analysis grid-based animal population data to develop an index of ecological diversity

Treesearch

Patricia N. Manley; Kristian K. McIntyre; Matthew D. Schlesinger; Lori A. Campbell; Susan Merideth; Dennis D. Murphy

2009-01-01

Data collected in association with the forest inventory and analysis (FIA) systematic grid has the potential to make multiple contributions to meeting land management information needs, including the development of indicators for application in management and monitoring programs. We derived bird, small mammal, and mammalian carnivore indexes of ecological diversity for...

Fire in Eastern North American Oak Ecosystems: Filling the Gaps

Treesearch

Julian (Morgan) Varner; Mary Arthur; Stacy Clark; Daniel C. Dey; Justin Hart; Callie Schweitzer

2016-01-01

This special issue of Fire Ecology is focused on the fire ecology of eastern USA oak (Quercus L.) forests, woodlands, and savannas. The papers were presented as part of the Fifth Fire in Eastern Oak Forests Conference in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA, in 2015. The topic of fire in eastern oak ecosystems is one that has received insufficient interest from the...

Using pan-tropical biomass maps to improve IPCC Tier 1 default level emission factors - a case study for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langner, Andreas; Achard, Frédéric; Grassi, Giacomo

2014-05-01

The IPCC proposes three Tier levels for greenhouse gas emission monitoring with a hierarchical order in terms of accuracy as well as data requirements/complexity. While Tier 1 provides default above-ground biomass (AGB) values per ecological zone and continent, Tier 2 and 3 are either based on country-specific remote sensing or permanent sample-plot data. Due to missing capacities most developing countries have to rely on Tier 1 default values, which show highest uncertainties. Furthermore, IPCC Tier 1 values lack transparency as they are based on a variety of studies that have been repeatedly updated and combined with expert opinions, thus blurring the original data sources. A possible way to increase credibility is a conservative monitoring approach, following the principle of conservativeness, thus reducing the likelihood of unjustified payments for emission reductions not reflecting reality. For the implementation of that principle knowledge about the distribution of the biomass within each ecological zone is essential. However, such information is not available for the IPCC Tier 1 values, which only provide mean values and/or AGB ranges that are not based on a common statistical analysis. Using the pan-tropical datasets of Saatchi et al (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 108, 9899-9904, 2011; 1km spatial resolution) and Baccini et al (Nat Climate Change, 2:182-185, 2012; 500m spatial resolution) we calculated the mean AGB values as well as their 50% confidence intervals for each ecological zone within the DRC using Globcover2009 as forest/non-forest mask and the FAO ecological zones dataset. Such analysis is more transparent while at the same time leading to "statistically improved" Tier 1 values, potentially allowing a conservative monitoring approach by selecting the lower bound of the confidence interval for emission estimation during the reference period and the higher bound for the assessment period. Within the DRC Baccini generally delivers higher AGB estimates than Saatchi but even Baccini shows between 81t/ha and 143t/ha lower estimates for Tropical Rain Forests and Moist Deciduous Forests respectively than IPCC. While the AGB values for Tropical Dry Forest of both maps are similar to the IPCC, Tropical Mountain Systems cannot easily be compared as their IPCC data lack a mean value. A recent study by Mitchard et al (Carbon Balance and Management, 8, 10, 2013) compared both pan-tropical datasets, pointing out notable differences in the Congo basin. However, their analysis revealed that none of both maps is generally superior. Therefore, we suggest using the average of both maps as a reasonable approximation to the real but unknown AGB values, thus resulting in 213±69t/ha for Tropical Rain Forests, 94±19t/ha for Moist Deciduous Forests, 119±31t/ha for Tropical Dry Forests and 182±61t/ha for Tropical Mountain Systems of the DRC while the corresponding IPCC values are 310t/ha, 260t/ha, 120t/ha and 40-190t/ha.

In Land of Cypress and Pine: An Environmental History of the Santee Experimental Forest, 1683-1937

Treesearch

Hayden R. Smith

2012-01-01

The Santee Experimental Forest is a 6,100-acre research facility located within the Francis Marion National Forest, SC. Situated within the Huger Creek watershed in the headwaters of the East Branch of the Cooper River, the Santee Experimental Forest supports research in forest ecology, silviculture, prescribed fire, forest hydrology, ecosystem restoration, and...

Evaluating horizontal positional accuracy of low-cost UAV orthomosaics over forest terrain using ground control points extracted from different sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patias, Petros; Giagkas, Fotis; Georgiadis, Charalampos; Mallinis, Giorgos; Kaimaris, Dimitris; Tsioukas, Vassileios

2017-09-01

Within the field of forestry, forest road mapping and inventory plays an important role in management activities related to wood harvesting industry, sentiment and water run-off modelling, biodiversity distribution and ecological connectivity, recreation activities, future planning of forest road networks and wildfire protection and fire-fighting. Especially in countries of the Mediterranean Rim, knowledge at regional and national scales regarding the distribution and the characteristics of rural and forest road network is essential in order to ensure an effective emergency management and rapid response of the fire-fighting mechanism. Yet, the absence of accurate and updated geodatabases and the drawbacks related to the use of traditional cartographic methods arising from the forest environment settings, and the cost and efforts needed, as thousands of meters need to be surveyed per site, trigger the need for new data sources and innovative mapping approaches. Monitoring the condition of unpaved forest roads with unmanned aerial vehicle technology is an attractive option for substituting objective, laboursome surveys. Although photogrammetric processing of UAV imagery can achieve accuracy of 1-2 centimeters and dense point clouds, the process is commonly based on the establishment of control points. In the case of forest road networks, which are linear features, there is a need for a great number of control points. Our aim is to evaluate low-cost UAV orthoimages generated over forest areas with GCP's captured from existing national scale aerial orthoimagery, satellite imagery available through a web mapping service (WMS), field surveys using Mobile Mapping System and GNSS receiver. We also explored the direct georeferencing potential through the GNSS onboard the low cost UAV. The results suggest that the GNSS approach proved to most accurate, while the positional accuracy derived using the WMS and the aerial orthoimagery datasets deemed satisfactory for the specific task at hand. The direct georeferencing procedure seems to be insufficient unless an onboard GNSS with improved specifications or Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) capabilities is used.

Field strategies for the calibration and validation of high-resolution forest carbon maps: Scaling from plots to a three state region MD, DE, & PA, USA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolan, K. A.; Huang, W.; Johnson, K. D.; Birdsey, R.; Finley, A. O.; Dubayah, R.; Hurtt, G. C.

2016-12-01

In 2010 Congress directed NASA to initiate research towards the development of Carbon Monitoring Systems (CMS). In response, our team has worked to develop a robust, replicable framework to quantify and map aboveground forest biomass at high spatial resolutions. Crucial to this framework has been the collection of field-based estimates of aboveground tree biomass, combined with remotely detected canopy and structural attributes, for calibration and validation. Here we evaluate the field- based calibration and validation strategies within this carbon monitoring framework and discuss the implications on local to national monitoring systems. Through project development, the domain of this research has expanded from two counties in MD (2,181 km2), to the entire state of MD (32,133 km2), and most recently the tri-state region of MD, PA, and DE (157,868 km2) and covers forests in four major USDA ecological providences. While there are approximately 1000 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots distributed across the state of MD, 60% fell in areas considered non-forest or had conditions that precluded them from being measured in the last forest inventory. Across the two pilot counties, where population and landuse competition is high, that proportion rose to 70% Thus, during the initial phases of this project 850 independent field plots were established for model calibration following a random stratified design to insure the adequate representation of height and vegetation classes found across the state, while FIA data were used as an independent data source for validation. As the project expanded to cover the larger spatial tri-state domain, the strategy was flipped to base calibration on more than 3,300 measured FIA plots, as they provide a standardized, consistent and available data source across the nation. An additional 350 stratified random plots were deployed in the Northern Mixed forests of PA and the Coastal Plains forests of DE for validation.

Interannual variation of carbon fluxes from three contrasting evergreen forests: The role of forest dynamics and climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sierra, C.A.; Loescher, H.W.; Harmon, M.E.; Richardson, A.D.; Hollinger, D.Y.; Perakis, S.S.

2009-01-01

Interannual variation of carbon fluxes can be attributed to a number of biotic and abiotic controls that operate at different spatial and temporal scales. Type and frequency of disturbance, forest dynamics, and climate regimes are important sources of variability. Assessing the variability of carbon fluxes from these specific sources can enhance the interpretation of past and current observations. Being able to separate the variability caused by forest dynamics from that induced by climate will also give us the ability to determine if the current observed carbon fluxes are within an expected range or whether the ecosystem is undergoing unexpected change. Sources of interannual variation in ecosystem carbon fluxes from three evergreen ecosystems, a tropical, a temperate coniferous, and a boreal forest, were explored using the simulation model STANDCARB. We identified key processes that introduced variation in annual fluxes, but their relative importance differed among the ecosystems studied. In the tropical site, intrinsic forest dynamics contributed ?? 30% of the total variation in annual carbon fluxes. In the temperate and boreal sites, where many forest processes occur over longer temporal scales than those at the tropical site, climate controlled more of the variation among annual fluxes. These results suggest that climate-related variability affects the rates of carbon exchange differently among sites. Simulations in which temperature, precipitation, and radiation varied from year to year (based on historical records of climate variation) had less net carbon stores than simulations in which these variables were held constant (based on historical records of monthly average climate), a result caused by the functional relationship between temperature and respiration. This suggests that, under a more variable temperature regime, large respiratory pulses may become more frequent and high enough to cause a reduction in ecosystem carbon stores. Our results also show that the variation of annual carbon fluxes poses an important challenge in our ability to determine whether an ecosystem is a source, a sink, or is neutral in regard to CO2 at longer timescales. In simulations where climate change negatively affected ecosystem carbon stores, there was a 20% chance of committing Type II error, even with 20 years of sequential data. ?? 2009 by the Ecological Society of America.

Sustainability and economics: The Adirondack Park experience, a forest economic-ecological model, and solar energy policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erickson, Jon David

The long-term sustainability of human communities will depend on our relationship with regional environments, our maintenance of renewable resources, and our successful disengagement from nonrenewable energy dependence. This dissertation investigates sustainability at these three levels, following a critical analysis of sustainability and economics. At the regional environment level, the Adirondack Park of New York State is analyzed as a potential model of sustainable development. A set of initial and ongoing conditions are presented that both emerge from and support a model of sustainability in the Adirondacks. From these conditions, a clearer picture emerges of the definition of regional sustainability, consequences of its adoption, and lessons from its application. Next, an economic-ecological model of the northern hardwood forest ecosystem is developed. The model integrates economic theory and intertemporal ecological concepts, linking current harvest decisions with future forest growth, financial value, and ecosystem stability. The results indicate very different economic and ecological outcomes by varying opportunity cost and ecosystem recovery assumptions, and suggest a positive benefit to ecological recovery in the forest rotation decision of the profit maximizing manager. The last section investigates the motives, economics, and international development implications of renewable energy (specifically photovoltaic technology) in rural electrification and technology transfer, drawing on research in the Dominican Republic. The implications of subsidizing a photovoltaic market versus investing in basic research are explored.

A wood density and aboveground biomass variability assessment using pre-felling inventory data in Costa Rica.

PubMed

Svob, Sienna; Arroyo-Mora, J Pablo; Kalacska, Margaret

2014-12-01

The high spatio-temporal variability of aboveground biomass (AGB) in tropical forests is a large source of uncertainty in forest carbon stock estimation. Due to their spatial distribution and sampling intensity, pre-felling inventories are a potential source of ground level data that could help reduce this uncertainty at larger spatial scales. Further, exploring the factors known to influence tropical forest biomass, such as wood density and large tree density, will improve our knowledge of biomass distribution across tropical regions. Here, we evaluate (1) the variability of wood density and (2) the variability of AGB across five ecosystems of Costa Rica. Using forest management (pre-felling) inventories we found that, of the regions studied, Huetar Norte had the highest mean wood density of trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) greater than or equal to 30 cm, 0.623 ± 0.182 g cm -3 (mean ± standard deviation). Although the greatest wood density was observed in Huetar Norte, the highest mean estimated AGB (EAGB) of trees with a DBH greater than or equal to 30 cm was observed in Osa peninsula (173.47 ± 60.23 Mg ha -1 ). The density of large trees explained approximately 50% of EAGB variability across the five ecosystems studied. Comparing our study's EAGB to published estimates reveals that, in the regions of Costa Rica where AGB has been previously sampled, our forest management data produced similar values. This study presents the most spatially rich analysis of ground level AGB data in Costa Rica to date. Using forest management data, we found that EAGB within and among five Costa Rican ecosystems is highly variable. Combining commercial logging inventories with ecological plots will provide a more representative ground level dataset for the calibration of the models and remotely sensed data used to EAGB at regional and national scales. Additionally, because the non-protected areas of the tropics offer the greatest opportunity to reduce rates of deforestation and forest degradation, logging inventories offer a promising source of data to support mechanisms such as the United Nations REDD + (Reducing Emissions from Tropical Deforestation and Degradation) program.

Proceedings, 9th Central hardwood forest conference; 1993 March 8-10; West Lafayette, IN.

Treesearch

Andrew R. Gillespie; George R. Parker; Phillip E. Pope; George Rink

1993-01-01

Proceedings of the Ninth Central Hardwood Forest Conference includes one invited paper, 39 volunteer papers, and 13 volunteer poster abstracts. Presentations encompassed forest biology, protection, silviculture, ecology, inventory, yield, economics, marketing, wildlife management, soils, and nutrition of the central hardwood forests.

Uncoupling of microbial community structure and function in decomposing litter across beech forest ecosystems in Central Europe.

PubMed

Purahong, Witoon; Schloter, Michael; Pecyna, Marek J; Kapturska, Danuta; Däumlich, Veronika; Mital, Sanchit; Buscot, François; Hofrichter, Martin; Gutknecht, Jessica L M; Krüger, Dirk

2014-11-12

The widespread paradigm in ecology that community structure determines function has recently been challenged by the high complexity of microbial communities. Here, we investigate the patterns of and connections between microbial community structure and microbially-mediated ecological function across different forest management practices and temporal changes in leaf litter across beech forest ecosystems in Central Europe. Our results clearly indicate distinct pattern of microbial community structure in response to forest management and time. However, those patterns were not reflected when potential enzymatic activities of microbes were measured. We postulate that in our forest ecosystems, a disconnect between microbial community structure and function may be present due to differences between the drivers of microbial growth and those of microbial function.

Can evolutionary constraints explain the rarity of nitrogen-fixing trees in high-latitude forests?

PubMed

Menge, Duncan N L; Crews, Timothy E

2016-09-01

Contents 1195 I. 1195 II. 1196 III. 1196 IV. 1200 1200 References 1200 SUMMARY: The rarity of symbiotic nitrogen (N)-fixing trees in temperate and boreal ('high-latitude') forests is curious. One explanation - the evolutionary constraints hypothesis - posits that high-latitude N-fixing trees are rare because few have evolved. Here, we consider traits necessary for high-latitude N-fixing trees. We then use recent developments in trait evolution to estimate that > 2000 and > 500 species could have evolved from low-latitude N-fixing trees and high-latitude N-fixing herbs, respectively. Evolution of N-fixing from nonfixing trees is an unlikely source of diversity. Dispersal limitation seems unlikely to limit high-latitude N-fixer diversity. The greater number of N-fixing species predicted to evolve than currently inhabit high-latitude forests suggests a greater role for ecological than evolutionary constraints. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Green trees for greenhouse gases: a fair trade-off?

PubMed

Schmidt, C W

2001-03-01

While forests retain carbon in plants, detritus, and soils, utility companies spew it into the air as carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas behind global warming. Industrial carbon dioxide emissions aren't currently regulated by federal law, but a number of companies are trying to address the problem voluntarily by launching carbon sequestration programs in heavily forested countries, where carbon is contained in so-called sinks. But the November 2000 meeting of the Kyoto Protocol delegates in The Hague collapsed over the issue of the acceptability of carbon sinks as a source of carbon pollution credits, delivering what many see as a deathblow to the concept. At issue are a host of ecological and statistical questions, differing local land use practices, cultural factors, issues of verifiability, and even disagreement over definitions of basic terms such as "forest" Kyoto negotiators are gearing up for another round of discussions in Bonn in May 2001, and it is likely that the continuing debate over carbon sinks will dominate the agenda.

Partitioning of soil phosphorus among arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal trees in tropical and subtropical forests.

PubMed

Liu, Xubing; Burslem, David F R P; Taylor, Joe D; Taylor, Andy F S; Khoo, Eyen; Majalap-Lee, Noreen; Helgason, Thorunn; Johnson, David

2018-05-01

Partitioning of soil phosphorus (P) pools has been proposed as a key mechanism maintaining plant diversity, but experimental support is lacking. Here, we provided different chemical forms of P to 15 tree species with contrasting root symbiotic relationships to investigate plant P acquisition in both tropical and subtropical forests. Both ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees responded positively to addition of inorganic P, but strikingly, ECM trees acquired more P from a complex organic form (phytic acid). Most ECM tree species and all AM tree species also showed some capacity to take up simple organic P (monophosphate). Mycorrhizal colonisation was negatively correlated with soil extractable P concentration, suggesting that mycorrhizal fungi may regulate organic P acquisition among tree species. Our results support the hypothesis that ECM and AM plants partition soil P sources, which may play an ecologically important role in promoting species coexistence in tropical and subtropical forests. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Reconstructing European forest management from 1600 to 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGrath, M. J.; Luyssaert, S.; Meyfroidt, P.; Kaplan, J. O.; Buergi, M.; Chen, Y.; Erb, K.; Gimmi, U.; McInerney, D.; Naudts, K.; Otto, J.; Pasztor, F.; Ryder, J.; Schelhaas, M.-J.; Valade, A.

2015-04-01

European forest use for fuel, timber and food dates back to pre-Roman times. Century-scale ecological processes and their legacy effects require accounting for forest management when studying today's forest carbon sink. Forest management reconstructions that are used to drive land surface models are one way to quantify the impact of both historical and today's large scale application of forest management on today's forest-related carbon sink and surface climate. In this study we reconstruct European forest management from 1600 to 2010 making use of diverse approaches, data sources and assumptions. Between 1600 and 1828, a demand-supply approach was used in which wood supply was reconstructed based on estimates of historical annual wood increment and land cover reconstructions. For the same period demand estimates accounted for the fuelwood needed in households, wood used in food processing, charcoal used in metal smelting and salt production, timber for construction and population estimates. Comparing estimated demand and supply resulted in a spatially explicit reconstruction of the share of forests under coppice, high stand management and forest left unmanaged. For the reconstruction between 1829 and 2010 a supply-driven back-casting method was used. The method used age reconstructions from the years 1950 to 2010 as its starting point. Our reconstruction reproduces the most important changes in forest management between 1600 and 2010: (1) an increase of 593 000 km2 in conifers at the expense of deciduous forest (decreasing by 538 000 km2), (2) a 612 000 km2 decrease in unmanaged forest, (3) a 152 000 km2 decrease in coppice management, (4) a 818 000 km2 increase in high stand management, and (5) the rise and fall of litter raking which at its peak in 1853 removed 50 Tg dry litter per year.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cranbrook, The Earl of.

After a century of scientific investigation, it is now possible to understand Malaysia's complex ecosystem as an essential prerequisite to the successful management for conservation and long term productivity in the area. Contents: The physical setting: Forest types and forest zonation; The dipterocarps; Forest palms; Forest bamboos; Herbaceous flowering plants; Ferns; Higher fungi; Forest tree biology; Forest management; Mammals; Genetic diversity and evolution; Mammals; Distribution and ecology, Earl of Cranbook, Birds; Termites in rain forests; Forest lepidoptera; Freshwaters; Animal conservation strategies; People of the forest.

The formation and fate of chlorinated organic substances in temperate and boreal forest soils.

PubMed

Clarke, Nicholas; Fuksová, Kvetoslava; Gryndler, Milan; Lachmanová, Zora; Liste, Hans-Holger; Rohlenová, Jana; Schroll, Reiner; Schröder, Peter; Matucha, Miroslav

2009-03-01

Chlorine is an abundant element, commonly occurring in nature either as chloride ions or as chlorinated organic compounds (OCls). Chlorinated organic substances were long considered purely anthropogenic products; however, they are, in addition, a commonly occurring and important part of natural ecosystems. Formation of OCls may affect the degradation of soil organic matter (SOM) and thus the carbon cycle with implications for the ability of forest soils to sequester carbon, whilst the occurrence of potentially toxic OCls in groundwater aquifers is of concern with regard to water quality. It is thus important to understand the biogeochemical cycle of chlorine, both inorganic and organic, to get information about the relevant processes in the forest ecosystem and the effects on these from human activities, including forestry practices. A survey is given of processes in the soil of temperate and boreal forests, predominantly in Europe, including the participation of chlorine, and gaps in knowledge and the need for further work are discussed. Chlorine is present as chloride ion and/or OCls in all compartments of temperate and boreal forest ecosystems. It contributes to the degradation of SOM, thus also affecting carbon sequestration in the forest soil. The most important source of chloride to coastal forest ecosystems is sea salt deposition, and volcanoes and coal burning can also be important sources. Locally, de-icing salt can be an important chloride input near major roads. In addition, anthropogenic sources of OCls are manifold. However, results also indicate the formation of chlorinated organics by microorganisms as an important source, together with natural abiotic formation. In fact, the soil pool of OCls seems to be a result of the balance between chlorination and degradation processes. Ecologically, organochlorines may function as antibiotics, signal substances and energy equivalents, in descending order of significance. Forest management practices can affect the chlorine cycle, although little is at present known about how. The present data on the apparently considerable size of the pool of OCls indicate its importance for the functioning of the forest soil system and its stability, but factors controlling their formation, degradation and transport are not clearly understood. It would be useful to estimate the significance and rates of key processes to be able to judge the importance of OCls in SOM and litter degradation. Effects of forest management processes affecting SOM and chloride deposition are likely to affect OCls as well. Further standardisation and harmonisation of sampling and analytical procedures is necessary. More work is necessary in order to understand and, if necessary, develop strategies for mitigating the environmental impact of OCls in temperate and boreal forest soils. This includes both intensified research, especially to understand the key processes of formation and degradation of chlorinated compounds, and monitoring of the substances in question in forest ecosystems. It is also important to understand the effect of various forest management techniques on OCls, as management can be used to produce desired effects.

Stanley Corrsin Award Talk: Fluid Mechanics of Fungi and Slime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brenner, Michael

2013-11-01

There are interesting fluid mechanics problems everywhere, even in the most lowly and hidden corners of forest floors. Here I discuss some questions we have been working on in recent years involving fungi and slime. A critical issue for the ecology of fungi and slime is nutrient availability: nutrient sources are highly heterogeneous, and strategies are necessary to find food when it runs out. In the fungal phylum Ascomycota, spore dispersal is the primary mechanism for finding new food sources. The defining feature of this phylum is the ascus, a fluid filled sac from which spores are ejected, through a build up in osmotic pressure. We outline the (largely fluid mechanical) design constraints on this ejection strategy, and demonstrate how it provides strong constraints for the diverse morphologies of spores and asci found in nature. The core of the argument revisits a classical problem in elastohydrodynamic lubrication from a different perspective. A completely different strategy for finding new nutrient is found by slime molds and fungi that stretch out - as a single organism- over enormous areas (up to hectares) over forest floors. As a model problem we study the slime mold Physarum polycephalum, which forages with a large network of connected tubes on the forest floors. Localized regions in the network find nutrient sources and then pump the nutrients throughout the entire organism. We discuss fluid mechanical mechanisms for coordinating this transport, which generalize peristalsis to pumping in a heterogeneous network. We give a preliminary discussion to how physarum can detect a nutrient source and pump the nutrient throughout the organism.

Final Project Memorandum: Ecological implications of mangrove forest migration in the southeastern U.S.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Osland, Michael J.; Day, Richard H.; Krauss, Ken W.; From, Andrew S.; Larriviere, Jack C.; Hester, Mark W.; Yando, Erik S.; Willis, Jonathan A

2014-01-01

Winter climate change has the potential to have a large impact on coastal wetlands in the southeastern United States. Warmer winter temperatures and reductions in the intensity of freeze events would likely lead to mangrove forest range expansion and salt marsh displacement in parts of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast. The objective of this research was to better evaluate the ecological implications of mangrove forest migration and salt marsh displacement. The potential ecological impacts of mangrove migration are diverse ranging from important biotic impacts (e.g., coastal fisheries, land bird migration; colonial-nesting wading birds) to ecosystem stability (e.g., response to sea level rise and drought; habitat loss; coastal protection) to biogeochemical processes (e.g., carbon storage; water quality). This research specifically investigated the impact of mangrove forest migration on coastal wetland soil processes and the consequent implications for coastal wetland responses to sea level rise and carbon storage.

Climate-induced forest dieback as an emergent global phenomenon: Organized oral session at the Ecological Society of America/Society of Ecological Restoration Joint Meeting; San Jose, California, 5-10 August 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, Craig D.; Breshears, David D.

2007-01-01

An organized oral session at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in San Jose, Calif., posed this question: Is climate-induced drought stress triggering increasing rates and unusual patterns of forest die-off at a global scale? Twenty-nine researchers representing five continents reported on patterns, mechanisms, and projections of forest mortality.Observations include widespread forest dieback or reductions in tree cover and biodiversity in response to drought and warmer temperatures in the African Sahel (Patrick Gonzalez, The Nature Conservancy), Mediterranean and alpine Europe (Jorge Castro, Universidad de Granada), and Argentinean Patagonia (Thomas Kitzberger, Universidad Nacional del Comahue). In contrast, although much Eucalyptus mortality has resulted from recent droughts in Australia, warming trends have been less pronounced in the Southern Hemisphere and it is unclear if contemporary climate-induced tree mortality differs from previous historical drought impacts (Rod Fensham, Queensland Herbarium).

Distribution, Fraction, and Ecological Assessment of Heavy Metals in Sediment-Plant System in Mangrove Forest, South China Sea.

PubMed

Li, Ruili; Chai, Minwei; Qiu, Guo Yu

2016-01-01

Overlying water, sediment, rhizosphere sediment and mangrove seedlings in the Futian mangrove forest were analyzed for heavy metals. The results showed that mangrove plant acidified sediment and increased organic matter contents. Except for chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) in Aegiceras corniculatum sediment, heavy metals in all sediments were higher than in overlying water, rhizosphere sediment and mangrove root. Heavy metals in Avicennia marina sediments were higher than other sediments. The lower heavy metal biological concentration factors (BCFs) and translocation factors (TFs) indicated that mangrove plant adopted exclusion strategy. The geo-accumulation index, potential ecological risk index and risk assessment code (RAC) demonstrated that heavy metals have posed a considerable ecological risk, especially for cadmium (Cd). Heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu and Cd) mainly existed in the reducible fractions. These findings provide actual heavy metal accumulations in sediment-plant ecosystems in mangrove forest, being important in designing the long-term management and conservation policies for managers of mangrove forest.

Distribution, Fraction, and Ecological Assessment of Heavy Metals in Sediment-Plant System in Mangrove Forest, South China Sea

PubMed Central

Li, Ruili; Chai, Minwei; Qiu, Guo Yu

2016-01-01

Overlying water, sediment, rhizosphere sediment and mangrove seedlings in the Futian mangrove forest were analyzed for heavy metals. The results showed that mangrove plant acidified sediment and increased organic matter contents. Except for chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) in Aegiceras corniculatum sediment, heavy metals in all sediments were higher than in overlying water, rhizosphere sediment and mangrove root. Heavy metals in Avicennia marina sediments were higher than other sediments. The lower heavy metal biological concentration factors (BCFs) and translocation factors (TFs) indicated that mangrove plant adopted exclusion strategy. The geo-accumulation index, potential ecological risk index and risk assessment code (RAC) demonstrated that heavy metals have posed a considerable ecological risk, especially for cadmium (Cd). Heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu and Cd) mainly existed in the reducible fractions. These findings provide actual heavy metal accumulations in sediment-plant ecosystems in mangrove forest, being important in designing the long-term management and conservation policies for managers of mangrove forest. PMID:26800267

Wildfire exposure to analysis on the national forests in the Pacific Northwest, USA

Treesearch

Alan A. Ager; Michelle Buonopane; Allison Reger; Mark A. Finney

2012-01-01

We analyzed wildfire exposure for key social and ecological features on the national forests in Oregon and Washington. The forests contain numerous urban interfaces, old growth forests, recreational sites, and habitat for rare and endangered species. Many of these resources are threatened by wildfire, especially in the east Cascade Mountains fire-prone forests. The...

Wildfire exposure analysis on the National Forests in the Pacific Northwest, USA

Treesearch

Alan A. Ager; Michelle Buonopane; Allison Reger; Mark A. Finney

2013-01-01

We analyzed wildfire exposure for key social and ecological features on the national forests in Oregon and Washington. The forests contain numerous urban interfaces, old growth forests, recreational sites, and habitat for rare and endangered species. Many of these resources are threatened by wildfire, especially in the east Cascade Mountains fire-prone forests. The...

Long-term research at the USDA Forest Service's experimental forests and ranges.

Treesearch

Ariel D. Lugo; Frederick J. Swanson; Olga Ramos González; Mary Beth Adams; Brian Palik; Ronald E. Thill; Dale G. Brockway; Christel Kern; Richard Woodsmith; Robert Musselman

2006-01-01

The network of experimental forests and ranges administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service consists of 77 properties that are representative of most forest cover types and many ecological regions in the Nation. Established as early as 1908, these sites maintain exceptional, long-term databases on environmental dynamics and biotic responses. Early...

Forests on the edge: evaluating contributions of and threats to America's private forest lands

Treesearch

Mark Hatfield; Ronald E. McRoberts; Dacia M. Meneguzzo; Mike Dechter; < i> et al< /i>

2007-01-01

The Forests on the Edge project, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, uses geographic information systems to construct and analyze maps depicting ecological, social, and economic contributions of America's private forest lands and threats to those contributions. Watersheds across the conterminous United States are ranked relative to the...

Monitoring the sustainability of the Southern forest

Treesearch

Gregory A. Reams; Neil Clark; James Chamberlain

2004-01-01

The ecological and economic sustainability of southern forests is being questioned because there are many competing uses for these forests and because there are large regional shifts in forest land use. To adequately understand the state of our forests and their use with respect to sustainability, several significant changes have been made in programs of the U.S....

North American Forest Futures 2018-2090: Scenarios for Building a More Resilient Forest Sector

Treesearch

David N. Bengston; Jonathan Peck; Robert Olson; Melissa Barros; Richard A. Birdsey; Daniel R. Williams; Juan Carlos Leyva Reyes; Francisco José Zamudio

2018-01-01

North American forests and forest management institutions are experiencing a wide range of significant ecological disturbances and socioeconomic changes, which point to the need for enhanced resilience. A critical capacity for resilience in institutions is strategic foresight. This article reports on a project of the North American Forest Commission to use Futures...

Invertabrates Associated with Woody Debris in a Southeastern U.S. Forested Floodplain Wetland

Treesearch

Amy Braccia; Darold P. Batzer

2001-01-01

Woody debris is an ecologically important resource in upland forests and stream ecosystems. Although much is known about invertebrate-woody debris interactions in forests and streams, little information exists for forested wetlands. In this study, invertebrates associated with woody debris in a Southeastern U. S. forested floodplain are described and factors that shape...

Introduction to proceedings of a workshop on science considerations in functional restoration

Treesearch

Carlos Rodriguez-Franco

2014-01-01

There has been a great deal of discussion in the scientific literature and in traditional forest management literature about forest restoration, ecological restoration, adaptive and active management for restoring forest ecosystems, and a variety of linked topics. The USDA Forest Service manages 193 million acres of forest and grasslands for a variety of uses, and...

China's Classification-Based Forest Management: Procedures, Problems, and Prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Limin; Zhao, Fuqiang; Shao, Guofan; Zhou, Li; Tang, Lina

2009-06-01

China’s new Classification-Based Forest Management (CFM) is a two-class system, including Commodity Forest (CoF) and Ecological Welfare Forest (EWF) lands, so named according to differences in their distinct functions and services. The purposes of CFM are to improve forestry economic systems, strengthen resource management in a market economy, ease the conflicts between wood demands and public welfare, and meet the diversified needs for forest services in China. The formative process of China’s CFM has involved a series of trials and revisions. China’s central government accelerated the reform of CFM in the year 2000 and completed the final version in 2003. CFM was implemented at the provincial level with the aid of subsidies from the central government. About a quarter of the forestland in China was approved as National EWF lands by the State Forestry Administration in 2006 and 2007. Logging is prohibited on National EWF lands, and their landowners or managers receive subsidies of about 70 RMB (US10) per hectare from the central government. CFM represents a new forestry strategy in China and its implementation inevitably faces challenges in promoting the understanding of forest ecological services, generalizing nationwide criteria for identifying EWF and CoF lands, setting up forest-specific compensation mechanisms for ecological benefits, enhancing the knowledge of administrators and the general public about CFM, and sustaining EWF lands under China’s current forestland tenure system. CFM does, however, offer a viable pathway toward sustainable forest management in China.

Forest edge disturbance increases rattan abundance in tropical rain forest fragments.

PubMed

Campbell, Mason J; Edwards, Will; Magrach, Ainhoa; Laurance, Susan G; Alamgir, Mohammed; Porolak, Gabriel; Laurance, William F

2017-07-20

Human-induced forest fragmentation poses one of the largest threats to global diversity yet its impact on rattans (climbing palms) has remained virtually unexplored. Rattan is arguably the world's most valuable non-timber forest product though current levels of harvesting and land-use change place wild populations at risk. To assess rattan response to fragmentation exclusive of harvesting impacts we examined rattan abundance, demography and ecology within the forests of northeastern, Australia. We assessed the community abundance of rattans, and component adult (>3 m) and juvenile (≤3 m) abundance in five intact forests and five fragments (23-58 ha) to determine their response to a range of environmental and ecological parameters. Fragmented forests supported higher abundances of rattans than intact forests. Fragment size and edge degradation significantly increased adult rattan abundance, with more in smaller fragments and near edges. Our findings suggest that rattan increase within fragments is due to canopy disturbance of forest edges resulting in preferential, high-light habitat. However, adult and juvenile rattans may respond inconsistently to fragmentation. In managed forest fragments, a rattan abundance increase may provide economic benefits through sustainable harvesting practices. However, rattan increases in protected area forest fragments could negatively impact conservation outcomes.

Beliefs about the Potential Impacts of Exploiting Non-Timber Forest Products Predict Voluntary Participation in Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dantas Brites, Alice; Morsello, Carla

2017-06-01

Harvesting and trading non-timber forest products is advocated as a win-win strategy for conservation and development, yet it can produce negative ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Hence, monitoring exploitation outcomes is essential, and participatory monitoring has been suggested to be the most suitable approach. Among possible approaches, participatory monitoring is preferred because it is likely to increase people's awareness and beliefs regarding impacts or potential impacts, thus inducing behavioral changes, although the evidence in this regard is contradictory. We therefore evaluated whether people's beliefs about the potential ecological and socioeconomic impacts of non-timber forest product exploitation increased their likelihood of volunteering to monitor. We studied a community of forest inhabitants in the Brazilian Amazon who harvested and traded a commercially important non-timber forest product. Two methods of data gathering were employed: (i) a survey of 166 adults (51 households) to evaluate people's beliefs and their stated intention to engage in four different monitoring tasks and (ii) four pilot monitoring tasks to evaluate who actually participated. Based on mixed-effects regressions, the results indicated that beliefs regarding both types of impacts could predict participation in certain tasks, although gender, age and schooling were occasionally stronger predictors. On average, people had stronger beliefs about potential socioeconomic impacts than about potential ecological impacts, with the former also predicting participation in ecological data gathering. This finding reinforces the importance of monitoring both types of impacts to help achieve the win-win outcomes originally proposed by non-timber forest product trade initiatives.

Beliefs about the Potential Impacts of Exploiting Non-Timber Forest Products Predict Voluntary Participation in Monitoring.

PubMed

Dantas Brites, Alice; Morsello, Carla

2017-06-01

Harvesting and trading non-timber forest products is advocated as a win-win strategy for conservation and development, yet it can produce negative ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Hence, monitoring exploitation outcomes is essential, and participatory monitoring has been suggested to be the most suitable approach. Among possible approaches, participatory monitoring is preferred because it is likely to increase people's awareness and beliefs regarding impacts or potential impacts, thus inducing behavioral changes, although the evidence in this regard is contradictory. We therefore evaluated whether people's beliefs about the potential ecological and socioeconomic impacts of non-timber forest product exploitation increased their likelihood of volunteering to monitor. We studied a community of forest inhabitants in the Brazilian Amazon who harvested and traded a commercially important non-timber forest product. Two methods of data gathering were employed: (i) a survey of 166 adults (51 households) to evaluate people's beliefs and their stated intention to engage in four different monitoring tasks and (ii) four pilot monitoring tasks to evaluate who actually participated. Based on mixed-effects regressions, the results indicated that beliefs regarding both types of impacts could predict participation in certain tasks, although gender, age and schooling were occasionally stronger predictors. On average, people had stronger beliefs about potential socioeconomic impacts than about potential ecological impacts, with the former also predicting participation in ecological data gathering. This finding reinforces the importance of monitoring both types of impacts to help achieve the win-win outcomes originally proposed by non-timber forest product trade initiatives.

Short-term ecological consequences of collaborative restoration treatments in ponderosa pine forests of Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Briggs, Jenny S.; Fornwalt, Paula J.; Feinstein, Jonas A.

2017-01-01

Ecological restoration treatments are being implemented at an increasing rate in ponderosa pine and other dry conifer forests across the western United States, via the USDA Forest Service’s Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) program. In this program, collaborative stakeholder groups work with National Forests (NFs) to adaptively implement and monitor ecological restoration treatments intended to offset the effects of many decades of anthropogenic stressors. We initiated a novel study to expand the scope of treatment effectiveness monitoring efforts in one of the first CFLR landscapes, Colorado’s Front Range. We used a Before/After/Control/Impact framework to evaluate the short-term consequences of treatments on numerous ecological properties. We collected pre-treatment and one year post-treatment data on NF and partner agencies’ lands, in 66 plots distributed across seven treatment units and nearby untreated areas. Our results reflected progress toward several treatment objectives: treated areas had lower tree density and basal area, greater openness, no increase in exotic understory plants, no decrease in native understory plants, and no decrease in use by tree squirrels and ungulates. However, some findings suggested the need for adaptive modification of both treatment prescriptions and monitoring protocols: treatments did not promote heterogeneity of stand structure, and monitoring methods may not have been robust enough to detect changes in surface fuels. Our study highlights both the effective aspects of these restoration treatments, and the importance of initiating and continuing collaborative science-based monitoring to improve the outcomes of broad-scale forest restoration efforts.

Forest operations for ecosystem management

Treesearch

Robert B. Rummer; John Baumgras; Joe McNeel

1997-01-01

The evolution of modern forest resource management is focusing on ecologically sensitive forest operations. This shift in management strategies is producing a new set of functional requirements for forest operations. Systems to implement ecosystem management prescriptions may need to be economically viable over a wider range of piece sizes, for example. Increasing...

Ecosystems and people: managing forests for mutual gains.

Treesearch

Valerie Rapp

2004-01-01

The debate over forest management has often portrayed management choices as tradeoffs between ecological and socioeconomic values. Scientists at Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station, along with their colleagues at universities and national forests, decided to look scientifically at the question: "Can we as a society produce wood products and other forest...

BIOMASS AND NUTRIENT DYNAMICS OF RESTORED NEOTROPICAL FORESTS

Treesearch

ARIEL E. LUGO; WHENDEE L. SILVER; SANDRA MOLINA COLON

2004-01-01

Restoring species-rich tropical forests is an important activity because it helps mitigate land deforestation and degradation. However, scientific understanding of the ecological processes responsible for forest restoration is poor. We review the literature to synthesize the current state of understanding of tropical forest restoration from a biogeochemical point of...

Proceedings: linking healthy forests and communities through Alaska value-added forest products.

Treesearch

Theodore L. Laufenberg; Bridget K. Brady

2000-01-01

The Alaska forest products industry is experiencing significant changes in its structure due to economic, ecological, and social pressures. Papers presented at this workshop brought together technical specialists and exhibitors from forest products industry, associations, universities, and private, state, and federal land management agencies. Topics included: policy...

Old-growth forests in the Sierra Nevada: by type in 1945 and 1993 and ownership in 1993.

Treesearch

Debby Beardsley; Charles Bolsinger; Ralph. Warbington

1999-01-01

This report presents estimates of old-growth forest area in the Sierra Nevada by forest type in 1993 and 1945 and by old-growth stand characteristics as they existed in 1993. Ecological old-growth definitions for each forest type are used.

A new climatic classification of afforestation in Three-North regions of China with multi-source remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Xiao; Zhu, Jiaojun

2017-01-01

Afforestation and reforestation activities achieve high attention at the policy agenda as measures for carbon sequestration in order to mitigate climate change. The Three-North Shelter Forest Program, the largest ecological afforestation program worldwide, was launched in 1978 and will last until 2050 in the Three-North regions (accounting for 42.4 % of China's territory). Shelter forests of the Three-North Shelter Forest Program have exhibited severe decline after planting in 1978 due to lack of detailed climatic classification. Besides, a comprehensive assessment of climate adaptation for the current shelter forests was lacking. In this study, the aridity index determined by precipitation and reference evapotranspiration was employed to classify climatic zones for the afforestation program. The precipitation and reference evapotranspiration with 1-km resolution were estimated based on data from the tropical rainfall measuring mission and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer, respectively. Then, the detailed climatic classification for the afforestation program was obtained based on the relationship between the different vegetation types and the aridity index. The shelter forests in 2008 were derived from Landsat TM in the Three-North regions. In addition, climatic zones and shelter forests were corrected by comparing with natural vegetation map and field surveys. By overlaying the shelter forests on the climatic zones, we found that 16.30 % coniferous forests, 8.21 % broadleaved forests, 2.03 % mixed conifer-broadleaved forests, and 10.86 % shrubs were not in strict accordance with the climate conditions. These results open new perspectives for potential use of remote sensing techniques for afforestation management.

Managing national forests of the eastern United States for non-timber forest products

Treesearch

James L. Chamberlain; Robert J. Bush; A.L. Hammett; Philip A. Araman

2000-01-01

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in the economic and ecological potential of non-timber forest products. In the United States, much of this increased interest stems from drastic changes in forest practices and policies in the Pacific Northwest region, a region that produces many non-timber forest products. The forests of the eastern United States...

Role of eucalypt and other planted forests in biodiversity conservation and the provision of biodiversity-related services

Treesearch

Eckehard G. Brockerhoff; Hervé Jactel; John A. Parrotta; Silvio F.B. Ferraz

2013-01-01

Forests provide important habitat for much of the world’s biodiversity, and the continuing global deforestation is one of our greatest environmental concerns. Planted forests represent an increasing proportion of the global forest area and partly compensate for the loss of natural forest in terms of forest area, habitat for biodiversity and ecological function. At...

Miller Creek Demonstration Forest ecology activities - a teachers supplement to the field guide

Treesearch

Bill Schustrom; Reed Kuennen; Raymond C. Shearer

1998-01-01

Miller Creek, on the Flathead National Forest in northwestern Montana, is a demonstration forest, showing up to 30 years of forest change. This teachers supplement to the educational field guide (Miller Creek Demonstration Forest - a forest born of fire: a field guide; Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-7, 1998) outlines eight field and classroom activities that teach students a...

Optimal conservation resource allocation under variable economic and ecological time discounting rates in boreal forest.

PubMed

Mazziotta, Adriano; Pouzols, Federico Montesino; Mönkkönen, Mikko; Kotiaho, Janne S; Strandman, Harri; Moilanen, Atte

2016-09-15

Resource allocation to multiple alternative conservation actions is a complex task. A common trade-off occurs between protection of smaller, expensive, high-quality areas versus larger, cheaper, partially degraded areas. We investigate optimal allocation into three actions in boreal forest: current standard forest management rules, setting aside of mature stands, or setting aside of clear-cuts. We first estimated how habitat availability for focal indicator species and economic returns from timber harvesting develop through time as a function of forest type and action chosen. We then developed an optimal resource allocation by accounting for budget size and habitat availability of indicator species in different forest types. We also accounted for the perspective adopted towards sustainability, modeled via temporal preference and economic and ecological time discounting. Controversially, we found that in boreal forest set-aside followed by protection of clear-cuts can become a winning cost-effective strategy when accounting for habitat requirements of multiple species, long planning horizon, and limited budget. It is particularly effective when adopting a long-term sustainability perspective, and accounting for present revenues from timber harvesting. The present analysis assesses the cost-effective conditions to allocate resources into an inexpensive conservation strategy that nevertheless has potential to produce high ecological values in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative retrieving forest ecological parameters based on remote sensing in Liping County of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Qingjiu; Chen, Jing M.; Zheng, Guang; Xia, Xueqi; Chen, Junying

2006-09-01

Forest ecosystem is an important component of terrestrial ecosystem and plays an important role in global changes. Aboveground biomass (AGB) of forest ecosystem is an important factor in global carbon cycle studies. The purpose of this study was to retrieve the yearly Net Primary Productivity (NPP) of forest from the 8-days-interval MODIS-LAI images of a year and produce a yearly NPP distribution map. The LAI, DBH (diameter at breast height), tree height, and tree age field were measured in different 80 plots for Chinese fir, Masson pine, bamboo, broadleaf, mix forest in Liping County. Based on the DEM image and Landsat TM images acquired on May 14th, 2000, the geometric correction and terrain correction were taken. In addition, the "6S"model was used to gain the surface reflectance image. Then the correlation between Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Reduced Simple Ratio (RSR) was built. Combined with the Landcover map, forest stand map, the LAI, aboveground biomass, tree age map were produced respectively. After that, the 8-days- interval LAI images of a year, meteorology data, soil data, forest stand image and Landcover image were inputted into the BEPS model to get the NPP spatial distribution. At last, the yearly NPP spatial distribution map with 30m spatial resolution was produced. The values in those forest ecological parameters distribution maps were quite consistent with those of field measurements. So it's possible, feasible and time-saving to estimate forest ecological parameters at a large scale by using remote sensing.

The ecological consequences of socioeconomic and land-use changes in post agriculture Puerto Rico

Treesearch

H. Ricardo Grau; T. Mitchell Aide; Jess K. Zimmerman; John R. Thomlinson; Eileen Helmer; Xioming Zou

2003-01-01

Contrary to the general trend in the tropics, forests have recovered in Puerto Rico from less than 10% of the landscape in the late 1940s to more than 40% in the present. The recent Puerto Rican history of forest recovery provides the opportunity to study the ecological consequences of economic globalization, reflected in a shift from agriculture to manufacturing and...

The Ecological Consequences of Socioeconomic and Land-Use Changes in Postagriculture Puerto Rico.

Treesearch

H. RICARDO GRAU; T. MITCHELL AIDE; JESS K. ZIMMERMAN; JOHN R. HELMER THOMLINSON; XIOMING ZOU

2003-01-01

Contrary to the general trend in the tropics, forests have recovered in Puerto Rico from less than 10% of the landscape in the late 1940s to more than 40% in the present. The recent Puerto Rican history of forest recovery provides the opportunity to study the ecological consequences of economic globalization, reflected in a shift from agriculture to manufacturing and...

Modeling forest bird species' likelihood of occurrence in Utah with Forest Inventory and Analysis and Landfire map products and ecologically based pseudo-absence points

Treesearch

Phoebe L. Zarnetske; Thomas C., Jr. Edwards; Gretchen G. Moisen

2007-01-01

Estimating species likelihood of occurrence across extensive landscapes is a powerful management tool. Unfortunately, available occurrence data for landscape-scale modeling is often lacking and usually only in the form of observed presences. Ecologically based pseudo-absence points were generated from within habitat envelopes to accompany presence-only data in habitat...

"A Lot of It Comes from the Heart": The Nature and Integration of Ecological Knowledge in Tribal and Nontribal Forest Management

Treesearch

John Bussey; Mae A. Davenport; Marla R. Emery; Clint Carroll

2016-01-01

This article explores the generation, transmission, and nature of ecological knowledge used by tribal and nontribal natural resource management agency personnel who collectively manage a 666,542-acre forest in northern Minnesota. Using key informant interviews and an adapted grounded theory analysis, we documented the forms of knowledge participants expressed in their...

Linking sediment-charcoal records and ecological modeling to understand causes of fire-regime change in boreal forests

Treesearch

Linda B. Brubaker; Philip E. Higuera; T. Scott Rupp; Mark A. Olson; Patricia M. Anderson; Feng Sheng. Hu

2009-01-01

Interactions between vegetation and fire have the potential to overshadow direct effects of climate change on fire regimes in boreal forests of North America. We develop methods to compare sediment-charcoal records with fire regimes simulated by an ecological model, ALFRESCO (Alaskan Frame-based Ecosystem Code) and apply these methods to evaluate potential causes of a...

Ecology of soil arthropod fauna in tropical forests: A review of studies from Puerto Rico

Treesearch

Grizelle Gonzalez; María F. Barberena

2017-01-01

The majority of ecological studies in the tropics deal with organisms participating in grazing food webs, while few deal with the diversity of invertebrates in the soil, leaf litter or dead wood that participate in detrital food webs. For tropical forests, the status of information on soil animal diversity is limited, especially when compared to other ecosystems such...

Current and historical forest conditions and disturbance regimes in the Hoosier-Shawnee ecological assessment area

Treesearch

George R. Parker; Charles M. Ruffner

2004-01-01

We review the historical and current status of forests in the Hoosier-Shawnee Ecological Assessment Area. Native American people influenced the vegetation through fire and agricultural clearing across the region until the early 1800s when European settlers arrived. Clearing of the land for agriculture peaked in the early 1900s after which badly eroded land was...

A case study assessing opportunity costs and ecological benefits of streamside management zones and logging systems for eastern hardwood forests

Treesearch

Chris B. LeDoux; Ethel Wilkerson

2006-01-01

Forest landowners, managers, loggers, land-use planners, and other decision and policy-makers need to understand the opportunity costs and ecological benefits associated with different widths of streamside management zones (SMZs). In this paper, a simulation model was used to assess the opportunity costs of SMZ retention for four different logging systems, two mature...

Ecological health of river basins in forested regions of eastern Washington and Oregon.

Treesearch

Robert C. Wissmar; Jeanette E. Smith; Bruce A. McIntosh; Hiram W. Li; Gordon H. Reeves; James R. Sedell

1994-01-01

A retrospective examination of the history of the cumulative influences of past land and water uses on the ecological health of select river basins in forest regions of eastern Washington and Oregon indicates the loss of fish and riparian habitat diversity and quality since the 19th century. A physiographic framework of the eastern Washington and Oregon in terms of...

Missing data in forest ecology and management: advances in quantitative methods [Preface

Treesearch

Tara Barrett; Matti Maltomo

2012-01-01

In recent years, substantial progress has been made for handling missing data issues for applications in forest ecology and management, particularly in the area of imputation techniques. A session on this topic was held at the XXlll IUFRO World Congress in Seoul, South Korea, on August 23-28, 2010, resulting in this special issue of six papers that address recent...

Avian research on U.S. Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges: Emergent themes, opportunities, and challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stoleson, Scott H.; King, D.I.; Tomosy, M.

2011-01-01

Since 1908, U.S. Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges have been dedicated to long-term interdisciplinary research on a variety of ecological and management questions. They encompass a wide diversity of life zones and ecoregions, and provide access to research infrastructure, opportunities for controlled manipulations, and integration with other types of long-term data. These features have facilitated important advances in a number of areas of avian research, including furthering our understanding of population dynamics, the effects of forest management on birds, avian responses to disturbances such as fire and hurricanes, and other aspects of avian ecology and conservation. However, despite these contributions, this invaluable resource has been underutilized by ornithologists. Most of the Experimental Forests and Ranges have had no ornithological work done on them. We encourage the ornithological community, especially graduate students and new faculty, to take advantage of this largely untapped potential for long-term work, linkage with long-term data sets, multiple disciplines, and active forest management. ?? 2010 Elsevier B.V.

An ecological interpretation of the difference in leaf anatomy and its plasticity in contrasting tree species in orange kloof, table mountain, South Africa.

PubMed

Hlwatika, C N M; Bhat, R B

2002-01-01

Leaf anatomy and morphology were studied in 11 tree species growing in an undisturbed forest and the adjoining fynbos for over 50 years. Functional anatomical results suggest that the forest and the fynbos are ecologically distinct. Moreover, leaf anatomy suggests that the foliage is primarily adapted for photosynthesis rather than for control of transpirational water loss. Forest precursor tree species and scrub species exhibit xeromorphy in the fynbos whereas they exhibit mesomorphic features inside the forest. The wide-ranging species, such as Olea capensis subsp. capensis, simulated the response of the forest precursors, with the cuticle being phenotypically plastic between the forest and the fynbos but not between the stream and non-stream habitats. Finally, the forest precursors, the scrub species, and the wide-ranging taxa seem to have anatomical characters which can be modified in the fynbos and therefore allow its colonization by a variety of different species.

Science in the city: Urban trees, forests, and people

Treesearch

Kathleen L. Wolf

2016-01-01

The article, intended for professional and manager audiences, is an overview of current research in urban forestry. Topics include tree science, forest risks, forest management and assessment, ecosystem services, and urban socio-ecological systems (including governance and stewardship).

Terrestrial Ecological Unit Inventory technical guide

Treesearch

E. Winthers; D. Fallon; J. Haglund; T. DeMeo; G. Nowacki; D. Tart; M. Ferwerda; G. Robertson; A. Gallegos; A. Rorick; D. T. Cleland; W. Robbie

2005-01-01

The purpose of this technical guide is to provide specific direction and guidance for conducting Terrestrial Ecological Unit Inventory (TEUI) at the landscape and land-unit scales. TEUI seeks to classify ecological types and map terrestrial ecological units (TEUs) to a consistent standard throughout National Forest System lands. The objectives, policies, and...

Ecological units of the Northern Region: Subsections

Treesearch

John A. Nesser; Gary L. Ford; C. Lee Maynard; Debbie Dumroese

1997-01-01

Ecological units are described at the subsection level of the Forest Service National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units. A total of 91 subsections are delineated on the 1996 map "Ecological Units of the Northern Region: Subsections," based on physical and biological criteria. This document consists of descriptions of the climate, geomorphology,...

Organismal responses to habitat change: herbivore performance, climate and leaf traits in regenerating tropical dry forests.

PubMed

Agosta, Salvatore J; Hulshof, Catherine M; Staats, Ethan G

2017-05-01

The ecological effects of large-scale climate change have received much attention, but the effects of the more acute form of climate change that results from local habitat alteration have been less explored. When forest is fragmented, cut, thinned, cleared or otherwise altered in structure, local climates and microclimates change. Such changes can affect herbivores both directly (e.g. through changes in body temperature) and indirectly (e.g. through changes in host plant traits). We advance an eco-physiological framework to understand the effects of changing forests on herbivorous insects. We hypothesize that if tropical forest caterpillars are climate and resource specialists, then they should have reduced performance outside of mature forest conditions. We tested this hypothesis with a field experiment contrasting the performance of Rothschildia lebeau (Saturniidae) caterpillars feeding on the host plant Casearia nitida (Salicaceae) in two different aged and structured tropical dry forests in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Compared to more mature closed-canopy forest, in younger secondary forest we found that: (1) ambient conditions were hotter, drier and more variable; (2) caterpillar growth and development were reduced; and (3) leaves were tougher, thicker and drier. Furthermore, caterpillar growth and survival were negatively correlated with these leaf traits, suggesting indirect host-mediated effects of climate on herbivores. Based on the available evidence, and relative to mature forest, we conclude that reduced herbivore performance in young secondary forest could have been driven by changes in climate, leaf traits (which were likely climate induced) or both. However, additional studies will be needed to provide more direct evidence of cause-and-effect and to disentangle the relative influence of these factors on herbivore performance in this system. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.

ATLANTIC BIRDS: a data set of bird species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

PubMed

Hasui, Érica; Metzger, Jean Paul; Pimentel, Rafael G; Silveira, Luís Fábio; Bovo, Alex A D A; Martensen, Alexandre C; Uezu, Alexandre; Regolin, André L; Bispo de Oliveira, Arthur Â; Gatto, Cassiano A F R; Duca, Charles; Andretti, Christian B; Banks-Leite, Cristina; Luz, Daniela; Mariz, Daniele; Alexandrino, Eduardo R; de Barros, Fabio M; Martello, Felipe; Pereira, Iolanda M D S; da Silva, José N; Ferraz, Katia M P M D B; Naka, Luciano N; Dos Anjos, Luiz; Efe, Márcio A; Pizo, Marco Aurélio; Pichorim, Mauro; Gonçalves, Maycon Sanyvan S; Cordeiro, Paulo Henrique Chaves; Dias, Rafael A; Muylaert, Renata D L; Rodrigues, Rodolpho C; da Costa, Thiago V V; Cavarzere, Vagner; Tonetti, Vinicius R; Silva, Wesley R; Jenkins, Clinton N; Galetti, Mauro; Ribeiro, Milton C

2018-02-01

South America holds 30% of the world's avifauna, with the Atlantic Forest representing one of the richest regions of the Neotropics. Here we have compiled a data set on Brazilian Atlantic Forest bird occurrence (150,423) and abundance samples (N = 832 bird species; 33,119 bird individuals) using multiple methods, including qualitative surveys, mist nets, point counts, and line transects). We used four main sources of data: museum collections, on-line databases, literature sources, and unpublished reports. The data set comprises 4,122 localities and data from 1815 to 2017. Most studies were conducted in the Florestas de Interior (1,510 localities) and Serra do Mar (1,280 localities) biogeographic sub-regions. Considering the three main quantitative methods (mist net, point count, and line transect), we compiled abundance data for 745 species in 576 communities. In the data set, the most frequent species were Basileuterus culicivorus, Cyclaris gujanensis, and Conophaga lineata. There were 71 singletons, such as Lipaugus conditus and Calyptura cristata. We suggest that this small number of records reinforces the critical situation of these taxa in the Atlantic Forest. The information provided in this data set can be used for macroecological studies and to foster conservation strategies in this biodiversity hotspot. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Data Paper if data are used in publications and teaching events. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Comparative evolutionary diversity and phylogenetic structure across multiple forest dynamics plots: a mega-phylogeny approach

PubMed Central

Erickson, David L.; Jones, Frank A.; Swenson, Nathan G.; Pei, Nancai; Bourg, Norman A.; Chen, Wenna; Davies, Stuart J.; Ge, Xue-jun; Hao, Zhanqing; Howe, Robert W.; Huang, Chun-Lin; Larson, Andrew J.; Lum, Shawn K. Y.; Lutz, James A.; Ma, Keping; Meegaskumbura, Madhava; Mi, Xiangcheng; Parker, John D.; Fang-Sun, I.; Wright, S. Joseph; Wolf, Amy T.; Ye, W.; Xing, Dingliang; Zimmerman, Jess K.; Kress, W. John

2014-01-01

Forest dynamics plots, which now span longitudes, latitudes, and habitat types across the globe, offer unparalleled insights into the ecological and evolutionary processes that determine how species are assembled into communities. Understanding phylogenetic relationships among species in a community has become an important component of assessing assembly processes. However, the application of evolutionary information to questions in community ecology has been limited in large part by the lack of accurate estimates of phylogenetic relationships among individual species found within communities, and is particularly limiting in comparisons between communities. Therefore, streamlining and maximizing the information content of these community phylogenies is a priority. To test the viability and advantage of a multi-community phylogeny, we constructed a multi-plot mega-phylogeny of 1347 species of trees across 15 forest dynamics plots in the ForestGEO network using DNA barcode sequence data (rbcL, matK, and psbA-trnH) and compared community phylogenies for each individual plot with respect to support for topology and branch lengths, which affect evolutionary inference of community processes. The levels of taxonomic differentiation across the phylogeny were examined by quantifying the frequency of resolved nodes throughout. In addition, three phylogenetic distance (PD) metrics that are commonly used to infer assembly processes were estimated for each plot [PD, Mean Phylogenetic Distance (MPD), and Mean Nearest Taxon Distance (MNTD)]. Lastly, we examine the partitioning of phylogenetic diversity among community plots through quantification of inter-community MPD and MNTD. Overall, evolutionary relationships were highly resolved across the DNA barcode-based mega-phylogeny, and phylogenetic resolution for each community plot was improved when estimated within the context of the mega-phylogeny. Likewise, when compared with phylogenies for individual plots, estimates of phylogenetic diversity in the mega-phylogeny were more consistent, thereby removing a potential source of bias at the plot-level, and demonstrating the value of assessing phylogenetic relationships simultaneously within a mega-phylogeny. An unexpected result of the comparisons among plots based on the mega-phylogeny was that the communities in the ForestGEO plots in general appear to be assemblages of more closely related species than expected by chance, and that differentiation among communities is very low, suggesting deep floristic connections among communities and new avenues for future analyses in community ecology. PMID:25414723

Simulating landscape change in the Olympic Peninsula using spatial ecological and socioeconomic data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flamm, R.O.; Gottfried, R.; Lee, R.G.

1994-06-01

Ecological and socioeconomic data were integrated to study landscape change for the Dungeness River basin in the Olympic Peninsula, Washington State. A multinomial logit procedure was used to evaluate twenty-two maps representing various data themes to derive transition probabilities of land cover change. Probabilities of forest disturbance were greater on private land than public. Between 1975 and 1988, forest cover increased, grassy/brushy covers decreased, and the number of forest patches increased about 30%. Simulations were run to estimate future land cover. These results were represented as frequency distributions for proportion cover and patch characteristics.

Fire effects in southwestern forests: Proceedings of the Second La Mesa Fire symposium

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, Craig D.

1996-01-01

In 1977, the La Mesa Fire burned across 15,444 acres of ponderosa pine forests on the adjoining lands of Bandelier National Monument, the Santa Fe National Forest, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Following this event, several fire effects studies were initiated. The 16 papers herein document longer-term knowledge gained about the ecological effects of the fire and about Southwestern fire ecology in general. The presentations are also designed to give resource managers practical information for managing fire in local landscapes. Studies presented range from fire histories and avifauna to geomorphology and arthropods.

Novelty and its ecological implications to dry forest functioning and conservation

Treesearch

Ariel Lugo; Heather Erickson

2017-01-01

Tropical and subtropical dry forest life zones support forests with lower stature and species richness than do tropical and subtropical life zones with greater water availability. The number of naturalized species that can thrive and mix with native species to form novel forests in dry forest conditions in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands is lower than in other...

Application of rangeland health indicators on forested plots on the Fishlake National Forest, Utah

Treesearch

Maggie G. Toone; Sara Goeking

2017-01-01

Typical indicators of rangeland health are used to describe health and functionality of a variety of rangeland ecosystems. Similar indicators may be applied to forested locations to examine ecological health at a local forest level. Four rangeland health indicators were adapted and applied to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky...

Synthesis of science to inform land management within the Northwest Forest Plan area

Treesearch

Thomas A. Spies; Peter A. Stine; Rebecca A. Gravenmier; Jonathan W. Long; Matthew J. Reilly

2018-01-01

The 1994 Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) was developed to resolve debates over old-growth forests, endangered species, and timber production on federal forests in the range of the northern spotted owl. This three-volume science synthesis, which consists of 12 chapters that address various ecological and social concerns, is intended to inform forest plan revision and...

Botanical and ecological basis for the resilience of Antillean dry forests

Treesearch

A.E. Lugo; E. Medina; J. Carlos Trejo Torres; E. Helmer

2006-01-01

Dry forest environments limit the number of species that can survive there. Antillean dry forests have low floristic diversity and stature, high density of small and medium-sized trees, and are among the least conserved of the tropical forests. Their canopies are smooth with no emergent trees and have high species dominance. Antillean dry forests occur mostly on...

Climate change vulnerabilities within the forestry sector for the Midwestern United States

Treesearch

Stephen D. Handler; Chris W. Swanston; Patricia R. Butler; Leslie A. Brandt; Maria K. Janowiak; Matthew D. Powers; P. Danielle. Shannon

2014-01-01

Forests are a defining landscape feature for much of the Midwest, from boreal forests surrounding the northern Great Lakes to oak-hickory forests blanketing the Ozarks. Savannas and open woodlands within this region mark a major transition zone between forest and grassland biomes within the U.S. Forests help sustain human communities in the region, ecologically,...

Learning in Virtual Forest: A Forest Ecosystem in the Web-Based Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jussila, Terttu; Virtanen, Viivi

2014-01-01

Virtual Forest is a web-based, open-access learning environment about forests designed for primary-school pupils between the ages of 10 and 13 years. It is pedagogically designed to develop an understanding of ecology, to enhance conceptual development and to give a holistic view of forest ecosystems. Various learning tools, such as concept maps,…

2004 report on the health of Colorado's forests: Special issue: Ponderosa pine forests

Treesearch

Paige Lewis; Merrill R. Kaufmann; Laurie S. Huckaby; Dave Leatherman

2005-01-01

The 2004 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests begins with an overview of significant incidents and trends in forest insect and disease activity across the state. The remainder of the Report provides an in-depth examination of the ecology, condition and management of Colorado's ponderosa pine forests. Unlike previous editions, which highlighted a range...

Adaptation of the QBR index for use in riparian forests of central Ohio

Treesearch

Stephanie R. Colwell; David M. Hix

2008-01-01

Although high quality riparian forests are an endangered ecosystem type throughout the world, there has been no ecological index to measure the habitat quality of riparian forests in Ohio. The QBR (qualitat del bosc de ribera, or riparian forest quality) index was developed to assess the quality of habitat in Mediterranean forested riparian areas, and we have modified...

Temporal carbon dynamics of forests in Washington, US: implications for ecological theory and carbon management

Treesearch

Crystal L. Raymond; Donald McKenzie

2014-01-01

We quantified carbon (C) dynamics of forests in Washington, US using theoretical models of C dynamics as a function of forest age. We fit empirical models to chronosequences of forest inventory data at two scales: a coarse-scale ecosystem classification (ecosections) and forest types (potential vegetation) within ecosections. We hypothesized that analysis at the finer...

Classifying forest inventory data into species-based forest community types at broad extents: exploring tradeoffs among supervised and unsupervised approaches

Treesearch

Jennifer K. Costanza; Don Faber-Langendoen; John W. Coulston; David N. Wear

2018-01-01

Background: Knowledge of the different kinds of tree communities that currently exist can provide a baseline for assessing the ecological attributes of forests and monitoring future changes. Forest inventory data can facilitate the development of this baseline knowledge across broad extents, but they first must be classified into forest...

Forest inventory and analysis in the United States: remote sensing and geospatial activities

Treesearch

Mark Nelson; Gretchen Moisen; Mark Finco

2007-01-01

Our Nation's forests provide a wealth of ecological, social, and economic resources. These forest lands cover over 300 million hectares of the United States, or about one third of the total land area. Accurate and timely information about them is essential to their wise management and use. The mission of the Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA...

Forest Inventory and Analysis in the United States: Remote sensing and geospatial activities

Treesearch

Mark Nelson; Gretchen Moisen; Mark Finco

2007-01-01

Our Nation's forests provide a wealth of ecological, social, and economic resources. These forest lands cover over 300 million hectares of the United States, or about one third of the total land area. Accurate and timely information about them is essential to their wise management and use. The mission of the Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA...

Wind in the forests of southeast Alaska and guides for reducing damage.

Treesearch

A.S. Harris

1999-01-01

Alaska based on the literature and the author's experience. Storm winds resulting in damage to forest stands are described, and some ecological and management considerations of wind that are of concern to forest managers are reviewed. The author made a general reconnaissance of forest conditions on Prince of Wales Island and adjacent islands based on forest-type...

Riparian area protection and outdoor recreation: lessons from the Northwest Forest Plan

Treesearch

Patrick Impero Wilson; Troy E. Hall; Linda E. Kruger

2012-01-01

The Northwest Forest Plan required the US Forest Service (USFS) to shift its management focus to ecological values rather than the utilitarian ones that had dominated forest policy in the region. This article examines the effects of this shift on the USFS's historic mission to provide recreational access to the region's forests. Focusing on six national...

Collaborative restoration effects on forest structure in ponderosa pine-dominated forests of Colorado

Treesearch

Jeffery B. Cannon; Kevin J. Barrett; Benjamin M. Gannon; Robert N. Addington; Mike A. Battaglia; Paula J. Fornwalt; Gregory H. Aplet; Antony S. Cheng; Jeffrey L. Underhill; Jennifer S. Briggs; Peter M. Brown

2018-01-01

In response to large, severe wildfires in historically fire-adapted forests in the western US, policy initiatives, such as the USDA Forest Service’s Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP), seek to increase the pace and scale of ecological restoration. One required component of this program is collaborative adaptive management, in which monitoring...

Simulating the dynamics of linear forests in great plains agroecosystems under changing climates

Treesearch

Qinfeng Guo; J. Brandle; Michele Schoeneberger; D. Buettner

2004-01-01

Most forest growth models are not suitable for the highly fragmented, linear (or linearly shaped) forests in the Great Plains agroecosystems (e.g., windbreaks, riparian forest buffers), where such forests are a minor but ecologically important component of the land mosaics. This study used SEEI)SCAPE, a recently modified gap model designed for cultivated land mosaics...

Proceedings of the 11th Central Hardwood forest conference; 1997 March 23-26; Columbia, MO.

Treesearch

Stephen G. Pallardy; Robert A. Cecich; H. Eugene Garrett; Paul S. Johnson

1997-01-01

Four invited papers, 46 volunteer papers, and 11 volunteer poster summaries presented at the 11th Central Hardwood Forest Conference. Presentation topics included harvesting, economics, forest health, silviculture, ecology, genetics, physiology, and regeneration.

Chapter 5. Dynamics of ponderosa and Jeffrey pine forests

Treesearch

Penelope Morgan

1994-01-01

Ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa) and Jeffrey pine (Pinus jefferyi) forests are ecologically diverse ecosystems. The communities and landscapes in which these trees dominate are variable and often complex. Because of the economic value of resources, people have used these forests extensively.

Forest ecology

Treesearch

Malcolm North

2014-01-01

Building on information summaries in two previous general technical reports (PSW-GTR-220 and PSW-GTR-237), this chapter focuses on four topics raised by forest managers and stakeholders as relevant to current forest management issues. Recent studies suggest that the gap size in lower and mid-elevation historical forests with active fire regimes was often about 0.12 to...

Ecological, Physical, and Socioeconomic Relationships Within Southern National Forests- Proceedings of the Southern Evaluation Project Workshop

Treesearch

Henry A. Pearson; Fred E. Smeins; Ronald E. Thill

1987-01-01

The results of 43 projects, which evaluated the flora, fauna, watersheds, socioeconomics,and forest pests located on southern National Forests were presented and discussed in 4 major categories: Management Outlook and Evaluation, Loblolly-Shortleaf Pine Type, Longleaf-Slash Pine Type, and Watersheds, Socioeconomics,and Forest Pests.

Vegetation and Ecological Characteristics of Mixed-Conifer and Red Fir Forests at the Teakettle Experimental Forest

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Malcolm North; Brian Oakley; Jiquan Chen; Heather Erickson; Andrew Gray; Antonio Izzo; Dale Johnson; Siyan Ma; Jim Marra; Marc Meyer; Kathryn Purcell; Tom Rambo; Dave Rizzo; Brent Roath; Tim Schowalter

2002-01-01

Detailed analysis of mixed-conifer and red fir forests were made from extensive, large vegetation sampling, systematically conducted throughout the Teakettle Experimental Forest. Mixed conifer is characterized by distinct patch conditions of closed-canopy tree clusters, persistent gaps and shrub thickets. This heterogeneous spatial structure provides contrasting...

Climate and biodiversity effects on standing biomass in Puerto Rican forests

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R. Muscarella; M. Uriarte; D.L. Erickson; N.G. Swenson; J.K. Zimmerman; W.J. Kress

2016-01-01

Carbon sequestration is a major ecosystem service provided by tropical forests. Especially in light of global climate change, understanding the drivers of forest productivity is of critical importance. Although abiotic conditions (e.g., precipitation) are known to influence forest productivity, ecological theory predicts that biodiversity may also have independent...

Ecology of southwestern ponderosa pine forests

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William H. Moir; Brian W. Geils; Mary Ann Benoit; Dan Scurlock

1997-01-01

Ponderosa pine forests are important because of their wide distribution, commercial value, and because they provide habitat for many plants and animals. Ponderosa pine forests are noted for their variety of passerine birds resulting from variation in forest composition and structure modified by past and present human use. Subsequent chapters discuss how ponderosa pine...

The history and future of the forest industry of Irkutsk province

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Dennis V. Dayneko; Eric J. Gustafson

2013-01-01

Multiple global changes are impacting Russia today. Economic transformations in Russia have prompted the establishment of new relations in economic, institutional and ecological spheres, including within the Forest Industry. This paper focuses on the Forest sector in Irkutsk province and beyond, examining the basic problems related to the transformation of the forest...

Leave islands as refugia for low-mobility species in managed forest mosaics

Treesearch

Stephanie J. Wessell-Kelly; Deanna H. Olson

2013-01-01

In recent years, forest management in the Pacifi c Northwest has shifted from one based largely on resource extraction to one based on ecosystem management principles. Forest management based on these principles involves simultaneously balancing and sustaining multiple forest resource values, including silvicultural, social, economic, and ecological objectives. Leave...

Proceedings: integrated management and dynamics of forest defoliating insects

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A.M. Liebhold; M.L. McManus; I.S. Otvos; S.L.C Fosbroke

2001-01-01

This publication contains 18 research papers about the population ecology and management of forest insect defoliators. These papers were presented at a joint meeting of working parties s7.03.06, "Integrated Management of Forest Defoliating Insects," and S7.03.07, "Population Dynamics of Forest Insects," of the International Union of...

Range management research, Fort Valley Experimental Forest

Treesearch

Henry A. Pearson; Warren P. Clary; Margaret M. Moore; Carolyn Hull Sieg

2008-01-01

Range management research at the Fort Valley Experimental Forest during the past 100 years has provided scientific knowledge for managing ponderosa pine forests and forest-range grazing lands in the Southwest. Three research time periods are identified: 1908 to 1950, 1950 to 1978, and 1978 to 2008. Early research (1908-1950) addressed ecological effects of livestock...

Ecological importance of intermediate windstorms rivals large, infrequent disturbances in the northern Great Lakes

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Kirk M. Stueve; Charles H. (Hobie) Perry; Mark D. Nelson; Sean P. Healey; Andrew D. Hill; Gretchen G. Moisen; Warren B. Cohen; Dale D. Gormanson; Chengquan Huang

2011-01-01

Exogenous disturbances are critical agents of change in temperate forests capable of damaging trees and influencing forest structure, composition, demography, and ecosystem processes. Forest disturbances of intermediate magnitude and intensity receive relatively sparse attention, particularly at landscape scales, despite influencing most forests at least once per...

Human Dimensions of Forest Disturbance by Insects: An International Synthesis

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Courtney G. Flint; Bonnie McFarlene; Martin Muller

2008-01-01

Ecological disturbances of forests by insects have a complex array of associated human dimensions presenting complications for natural resource decision making and relationships between stakeholders and managers. This article discusses the human context of forest disturbances by insects by reviewing four cases of bark beetle forest disturbance from British Columbia in...

Seventy Years of Forest Change in the Northern Great Lakes Region, USA

Treesearch

Lisa A. Schulte; Thomas R. Crow; Dave Cleland

2003-01-01

The rates and magnitudes of forest change have important social and economic implications. We address facets of change associated with 20th century recovery of the U.S. Lake States (Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) forests from the Great Cutover, and discuss ecological and socioeconomic implications for future forest resources.

[Reform of collective forest property in Liaoning Province: a discussion].

PubMed

Tai, Shan-shan; Hu, Yuan-man; Zhang, Hong-sheng; Han, Yu-ku; Xiao, Ze-chen

2010-05-01

The reform of collective forest property has increased the farmers' income, and brought new development to forestry. On the basis of expatiating the conception of collective forest property and related management system, this paper introduced in detail the course, main ways, and effects of the reform in Liaoning Province, analyzed the research progress of the reform and existing problems, and made appraisement and exceptions to the reform of collective forest property in Liaoning Province, aimed to give comments to the development and orientation of forward reform. In this province, the reform of collective forest property had the characteristics of classified reform, different reform types in different areas, and the main and affiliated reform being carried out at the same time. By the end of 2009, the main task had turned into affiliated reform. In the future, the reform should be focused on the optimal forestry management model to improve the forest economic, ecological, and social benefits, and using multi-disciplinary methods to strengthen the researches on the relationships between forestry management and forest ecological functions to provide scientific bases for the reform of collective forest property in Liaoning Province.

Assessing the Ecological and Socio-Economic Impacts of Extensive Small Hydropower Development in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jumani, S.

2016-12-01

The growth of small hydro-power projects (SHPs) is being widely encouraged as they are believed to be environmentally sustainable and socially equitable sources of energy. Easy policies, carbon credits and government sponsored monetary incentives have led to the mushrooming of SHPs along most tropical rivers, especially in developing countries. Our field study conducted between December, 2013 and September, 2014 assessed the social and ecological impacts of a cluster of SHPs in the biodiversity hotspot of the Western Ghats in India. Ecological impacts were studied with respect to freshwater fish assemblages, river water parameters, forest fragmentation and spread of invasive species. Social surveys were conducted to understand impacts on SHPs on socio-economic activities, resource access and human-animal conflict. Ecological impacts were found to be substantial. Freshwater fish species richness was significantly higher in un-dammed sites, and this variation in richness was explained by dam-related variables. Within dammed streams, spatial sections that were particularly damaging were identified. Fish species and guilds that were particularly susceptible to be adversely impacted were identified as indicator species. Four SHPs having a cumulative capacity of 45MW led to a direct loss of 14.5ha of forest land. Resultant loss in canopy cover and spread of invasive plant species was quantified. More than 10% of the river stretch was left de-watered due to the dams. Socially, SHPs were not as beneficial as they are believed to be. Respondents claimed that human-elephant conflict began only after SHP construction began. This relationship was examined with secondary data, and found to be true. In light of our findings, we suggest that the policy regarding SHPs be revised. Given that 6474 sites have been identified for SHP development in India, all without any individual or cumulative impact assessments or public consultations, studies to understand their impacts at the landscape level are underway. We have mapped all existing and planned SHPs within the Western Ghats of Karnataka. Forest fragmentation and river fragmentation indices are being calculated at various spatial scales to provide a holistic perspective of SHP development in an attempt to influence the development of better policies.

[Empirical study on non-point sources pollution based on landscape pattern & ecological processes theory: a case of soil water loss on the Loess Plateau in China].

PubMed

Suo, An-ning; Wang, Tian-ming; Wang, Hui; Yu, Bo; Ge, Jian-ping

2006-12-01

Non-point sources pollution is one of main pollution modes which pollutes the earth surface environment. Aimed at soil water loss (a typical non-point sources pollution problem) on the Losses Plateau in China, the paper applied a landscape patternevaluation method to twelve watersheds of Jinghe River Basin on the Loess Plateau by means of location-weighted landscape contrast index(LCI) and landscape slope index(LSI). The result showed that LSI of farm land, low density grass land, forest land and LCI responded significantly to soil erosion modulus and responded to depth of runoff, while the relationship between these landscape index and runoff variation index and erosion variation index were not statistically significant. This tell us LSI and LWLCI are good indicators of soil water loss and thus have big potential in non-point source pollution risk evaluation.

Status and ecology of Mexican spotted owls in the Upper Gila Mountains recovery unit, Arizona and New Mexico

Treesearch

Joseph L. Ganey; James P. Ward; David W. Willey

2011-01-01

This report summarizes current knowledge on the status and ecology of the Mexican spotted owl within the Upper Gila Mountains Recovery Unit (UGM RU). It was written at the request of U.S. Forest Service personnel involved in the Four Forests Restoration Initiative (4FRI), a collaborative, landscape-scale restoration effort covering approximately 2.4 million ac (1...

Assessment of soil quality in different ecosystems (with soils of Podolsk and Serpukhov districts of Moscow oblast as examples)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavrilenko, E. G.; Ananyeva, N. D.; Makarov, O. A.

2013-12-01

The values of the soil-ecological index and microbiological parameters (the carbon of microbial biomass Cmic, its ratio to the total organic carbon Cmic/Corg, and basal respiration) were determined for the soddy-podzolic, soddy-gley, bog-podzolic, meadow alluvial, and gray forest soils under different land uses (forest, fallow, cropland, and urban areas) in the Podolsk and Serpukhov districts of Moscow oblast (237 and 45 sampling points, respectively). The soil sampling from the upper 10 cm (without the litter horizon) was performed in September and October. To calculate the soil-ecological index, both soil (physicochemical and agrochemical) and climatic characteristics were taken into account. Its values for fallow, cropland, and urban ecosystems averaged 70.2, 72.8, and 64.2 points ( n = 90, 17, and 24, respectively). For the soils of forest ecosystems, the average value of the soil-ecological index was lower (54.4; n = 151). At the same time, the micro-biological characteristics of the studied forest soils were generally higher than those in the soils of fallow, cropland, and urban ecosystems. In this context, to estimate the soil quality in different ecosystems on the basis of the soil-ecological index, the use of a correction coefficient for the biological properties of the soils (the Cmic content) was suggested. The ecological substantiation of this approach for assessing the quality of soils in different ecosystems is presented in the paper.

[Small rodents in the forest ecosystem as infectious disease reservoirs].

PubMed

Margaletić, Josip

2003-01-01

Due to numerousness of populations and width of ecologic valence, small rodents are important parts of almost any forest ecosystem. The represent an important animal group, which connects primary makers with higher trophic levels. They transmit various infectious diseases dangerous for the health of people and domestic and wild animals (trichinosis, leptospirosis, tick encephalitis, Lyme disease, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, etc.). The following species of small rodents live in forest ecosystems of Croatia: Chletrionomys glareolus Schreib., Arvicola terrestris L, M. subterraneus de Sel., M. arvalis Pall., M. agrestis L, M. multiplex Fat., Apodemus agrarius Pall., A. sylvaticus L. and A. flavicollis Melch. Small rodents transmit causative agents of diseases in active (excretion products) of passive (ectoparasites and endoparasites) ways. Their multiplication potential is quite high. Transmission of certain disease sometimes takes place extremely fast due to the high number of rodents, their high movability and distribution, and the fact that they easily get in touch with men and domestic and wild animals. The number of population of each species is directly influenced by abiotic and biotic factors and changes during one year and in a several year period. In a year when the influence of ecologic factors is favorable, it is presumed that the number of these rodents will significantly increase, by which the danger of their damaging effect also increases. The following factors influence the increase of a small rodent population: number and physiologic condition of the population, meteorologic conditions, habitat, food sources, natural enemies, and diseases. The occurrence of an epidemic is closely connected to the number and infectivity of causative agents. Regular control of the number of rodent population and their infectivity can help in planning preventive epidemiologic and sanitary measures to preclude the occurrence of epidemics and individual cases of disease among animals and humans who come in contact with forest (forest workers, holiday makers, hikers, soldiers, tourists, etc.).

Temporal-Spatial Pattern of Carbon Stocks in Forest Ecosystems in Shaanxi, Northwest China

PubMed Central

Cui, Gaoyang; Chen, Yunming; Cao, Yang

2015-01-01

The precise and accurate quantitative evaluation of the temporal and spatial pattern of carbon (C) storage in forest ecosystems is critical for understanding the role of forests in the global terrestrial C cycle and is essential for formulating forest management policies to combat climate change. In this study, we examined the C dynamics of forest ecosystems in Shaanxi, northwest China, based on four forest inventories (1989–1993, 1994–1998, 1999–2003, and 2004–2008) and field-sampling measurements (2012). The results indicate that the total C storage of forest ecosystems in Shaanxi increased by approximately 29.3%, from 611.72 Tg in 1993 to 790.75 Tg in 2008, partially as a result of ecological restoration projects. The spatial pattern of C storage in forest ecosystems mainly exhibited a latitude-zonal distribution across the province, increasing from north (high latitude) to south (low latitude) generally, which signifies the effect of environmental conditions, chiefly water and heat related factors, on forest growth and C sequestration. In addition, different data sources and estimation methods had a significant effect on the results obtained, with the C stocks in 2008 being considerably overestimated (864.55 Tg) and slightly underestimated (778.07 Tg) when measured using the mean C density method and integrated method, respectively. Overall, our results demonstrated that the forest ecosystem in Shaanxi acted as a C sink over the last few decades. However, further studies should be carried out with a focus on adaption of plants to environmental factors along with forest management for vegetation restoration to maximize the C sequestration potential and to better cope with climate change. PMID:26353011

Increased forest ecosystem carbon and nitrogen storage from nitrogen rich bedrock.

PubMed

Morford, Scott L; Houlton, Benjamin Z; Dahlgren, Randy A

2011-08-31

Nitrogen (N) limits the productivity of many ecosystems worldwide, thereby restricting the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to offset the effects of rising atmospheric CO(2) emissions naturally. Understanding input pathways of bioavailable N is therefore paramount for predicting carbon (C) storage on land, particularly in temperate and boreal forests. Paradigms of nutrient cycling and limitation posit that new N enters terrestrial ecosystems solely from the atmosphere. Here we show that bedrock comprises a hitherto overlooked source of ecologically available N to forests. We report that the N content of soils and forest foliage on N-rich metasedimentary rocks (350-950 mg N kg(-1)) is elevated by more than 50% compared with similar temperate forest sites underlain by N-poor igneous parent material (30-70 mg N kg(-1)). Natural abundance N isotopes attribute this difference to rock-derived N: (15)N/(14)N values for rock, soils and plants are indistinguishable in sites underlain by N-rich lithology, in marked contrast to sites on N-poor substrates. Furthermore, forests associated with N-rich parent material contain on average 42% more carbon in above-ground tree biomass and 60% more carbon in the upper 30 cm of the soil than similar sites underlain by N-poor rocks. Our results raise the possibility that bedrock N input may represent an important and overlooked component of ecosystem N and C cycling elsewhere.

Large-scale pattern of genetic differentiation within African rainforest trees: insights on the roles of ecological gradients and past climate changes on the evolution of Erythrophleum spp (Fabaceae).

PubMed

Duminil, Jerome; Brown, Richard P; Ewédjè, Eben-Ezer B K; Mardulyn, Patrick; Doucet, Jean-Louis; Hardy, Olivier J

2013-09-12

The evolutionary events that have shaped biodiversity patterns in the African rainforests are still poorly documented. Past forest fragmentation and ecological gradients have been advocated as important drivers of genetic differentiation but their respective roles remain unclear. Using nuclear microsatellites (nSSRs) and chloroplast non-coding sequences (pDNA), we characterised the spatial genetic structure of Erythrophleum (Fabaceae) forest trees in West and Central Africa (Guinea Region, GR). This widespread genus displays a wide ecological amplitude and taxonomists recognize two forest tree species, E. ivorense and E. suaveolens, which are difficult to distinguish in the field and often confused. Bayesian-clustering applied on nSSRs of a blind sample of 648 specimens identified three major gene pools showing no or very limited introgression. They present parapatric distributions correlated to rainfall gradients and forest types. One gene pool is restricted to coastal evergreen forests and corresponds to E. ivorense; a second one is found in gallery forests from the dry forest zone of West Africa and North-West Cameroon and corresponds to West-African E. suaveolens; the third gene pool occurs in semi-evergreen forests and corresponds to Central African E. suaveolens. These gene pools have mostly unique pDNA haplotypes but they do not form reciprocally monophyletic clades. Nevertheless, pDNA molecular dating indicates that the divergence between E. ivorense and Central African E. suaveolens predates the Pleistocene. Further Bayesian-clustering applied within each major gene pool identified diffuse genetic discontinuities (minor gene pools displaying substantial introgression) at a latitude between 0 and 2°N in Central Africa for both species, and at a longitude between 5° and 8°E for E. ivorense. Moreover, we detected evidence of past population declines which are consistent with historical habitat fragmentation induced by Pleistocene climate changes. Overall, deep genetic differentiation (major gene pools) follows ecological gradients that may be at the origin of speciation, while diffuse differentiation (minor gene pools) are tentatively interpreted as the signature of past forest fragmentation induced by past climate changes.

Large-scale pattern of genetic differentiation within African rainforest trees: insights on the roles of ecological gradients and past climate changes on the evolution of Erythrophleum spp (Fabaceae)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The evolutionary events that have shaped biodiversity patterns in the African rainforests are still poorly documented. Past forest fragmentation and ecological gradients have been advocated as important drivers of genetic differentiation but their respective roles remain unclear. Using nuclear microsatellites (nSSRs) and chloroplast non-coding sequences (pDNA), we characterised the spatial genetic structure of Erythrophleum (Fabaceae) forest trees in West and Central Africa (Guinea Region, GR). This widespread genus displays a wide ecological amplitude and taxonomists recognize two forest tree species, E. ivorense and E. suaveolens, which are difficult to distinguish in the field and often confused. Results Bayesian-clustering applied on nSSRs of a blind sample of 648 specimens identified three major gene pools showing no or very limited introgression. They present parapatric distributions correlated to rainfall gradients and forest types. One gene pool is restricted to coastal evergreen forests and corresponds to E. ivorense; a second one is found in gallery forests from the dry forest zone of West Africa and North-West Cameroon and corresponds to West-African E. suaveolens; the third gene pool occurs in semi-evergreen forests and corresponds to Central African E. suaveolens. These gene pools have mostly unique pDNA haplotypes but they do not form reciprocally monophyletic clades. Nevertheless, pDNA molecular dating indicates that the divergence between E. ivorense and Central African E. suaveolens predates the Pleistocene. Further Bayesian-clustering applied within each major gene pool identified diffuse genetic discontinuities (minor gene pools displaying substantial introgression) at a latitude between 0 and 2°N in Central Africa for both species, and at a longitude between 5° and 8°E for E. ivorense. Moreover, we detected evidence of past population declines which are consistent with historical habitat fragmentation induced by Pleistocene climate changes. Conclusions Overall, deep genetic differentiation (major gene pools) follows ecological gradients that may be at the origin of speciation, while diffuse differentiation (minor gene pools) are tentatively interpreted as the signature of past forest fragmentation induced by past climate changes. PMID:24028582

Proceedings, 10th Central Hardwood Forest Conference

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Kurt W. Gottschalk; Sandra L.C., eds. Fosbroke

1995-01-01

Two invited papers, 57 volunteer papers, and 22 volunteer poster summaries presented at the 10th Central Hardwood Forest Conference. Presentation topics included economics, forest amenities, harvesting, logging safety, utilization, physiology, genetics, ecology, regeneration, silviculture, protection, management, hydrology, soils, nutrient cycling, and hardwood markets...

Proceedings: Ecology, Survey and Management of Forest Insects

Treesearch

Michael L. McManus; Andrew M. Liebhold; [eds.

2003-01-01

Contains 46 papers and abstracts presented at a meeting sponsored by the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) Working Party S7.03-06, "Integrated Management of Forest Defoliating Insects," and Working Party S7.03.07, "Population Dynamics of Forest Insects."

Estimation of carbon sequestration in China's forests induced by atmospheric nitrogen deposition: Principles of ecological stoichiometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, J.; He, N.; Zhang, J.; Wang, Q.; Zhao, N.; Jia, Y.; Ge, J.; Yu, G.

2017-12-01

The worldwide development of industry and agriculture has generated noticeable increases in atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, significantly altering the global N cycle. These changes might affect the global carbon (C) cycle by enhancing forest C sequestration. Here, we measured a series of datasets from eight typical forests along the north-south transect of eastern China (NSTEC). These datasets contained information on community structure, C and N concentrations in the soil and different organs of 877 plant species (leaf, branch, stem, and fine-root), and atmospheric N deposition. Using the biomass weighting method, we scaled up the C:N ratios from the organ level to the ecosystem level, and evaluated the C sequestration rate (CSRN) in response to N deposition and N use efficiency (NUE) in China's forests on the principles of ecological stoichiometry. Our results showed that atmospheric N deposition had a modest impact on forest C storage. Specifically, CSRN was estimated as 231 kg C ha-1 yr-1 (range: 32.7-507.1 kg C ha-1 yr-1), accounting for 2.1% of NPP and 4.6% of NEP at the ecosystem level. The NUE (NUEeco) of atmospheric N deposition ranged from 9.6 to 27.7 kg C kg-1 N, and increased with increasing latitude from subtropical to cold-temperate forests in China (P < 0.05). This study provides a new approach for estimating the effect of atmospheric deposition on forest C sequestration based on the principle of ecological stoichiometry.

Oak-black bear relationships in southeastern uplands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Joseph D.; Spetich, Martin A.

2004-01-01

Bears (Ursus americanus) primarily occur in upland habitats in the Southeast because uplands were the last to be developed for agriculture and were more likely to become publicly owned. National parks and forests created in the early to mid-1900s served as sources to supply surrounding uplands with bears. Bears could not survive in southeastern uplands without oak mast. Bear reproductive and mortality rates in the region have been shown to be directly linked with acorn production. Masting is thought to be an adaptation by oaks to satiate predators during good acorn years, thus ensuring that the remainder will germinate. Acorn predator populations, however, cannot respond numerically to increased acorn production because the masting is episodic and synchronous. Consequently, bears have developed physiological, behavioral, and ecological adaptations to cope with such food shortages. Despite such adaptations, upland hardwood forests in the Southeast are of lower quality than they once were. The loss of the American chestnut (Castanea dentata), higrading, and soil degradation have markedly decreased the carrying capacity for bears and other wildlife. Other changes such as recent forest management practices, forest fragmentation, invasion by the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), and oak decline threaten to further degrade the capability of southeastern uplands to support bears.

Drove roads: Keystone structures that promote ant diversity in Mediterranean forest landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azcárate, Francisco M.; Seoane, Javier; Castro, Sara; Peco, Begoña

2013-05-01

Drove roads are the traditional corridors used by pastoralists for seasonal movements of livestock (transhumance). They cover a considerable land area in Mediterranean countries and, although they are an obvious source of landscape diversity, their influence on the diversity and composition of animal assemblages has not been documented. Ant communities were studied on four active drove roads, two in forests (submediterranean and conifer) and two in open environments (croplands and rangelands). They were compared with the respective matrix communities and their contribution to local species richness was evaluated. The effects were heavily dependent on the open or closed nature of the matrix. In forest environments, drove roads increased ant species richness at the local scale, acting as clear keystone structures. Their species richness and functional diversity were highest on the fine scale, species composition was different, and a slight edge effect in the matrix was detected. In contrast, drove roads had little or even a negative effect in open environment locations. We conclude that drove roads have a high conservation value for ants in Mediterranean forest environments, in addition to their importance as reservoirs of plant biodiversity and generators of ecological goods and services.

Evolution of soil, ecosystem, and critical zone research at the USDA FS Calhoun Experimental Forest

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Daniel deB Richter; Allan R. Bacon; Sharon A. Billings; Dan Binkley; Marilyn Buford; Mac Callaham; Amy E. Curry; Ryan L. Fimmen; A. Stuart Grandy; Paul R. Heine; Michael Hofmockel; Jason A. Jackson; Elisabeth LeMaster; Jianwei Li; Daniel Markewitz; Megan L. Mobley; Mary W. Morrison; Michael S. Strickland; Thomas Waldrop; Carol G. Wells

2015-01-01

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Calhoun Experimental Forest was organized in 1947 on the southern Piedmont to engage in research that today is called restoration ecology, to improve soils, forests, and watersheds in a region that had been severely degraded by nearly 150 years farming. Today, this 2,050-ha research forest is managed by the Sumter...

Using hyperspectral imagery to estimate forest floor consumption from wildfire in boreal forests of Alaska, USA

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Sarah A. Lewis; Andrew T. Hudak; Roger D. Ottmar; Peter R. Robichaud; Leigh B. Lentile; Sharon M. Hood; James B. Cronan; Penny Morgan

2011-01-01

Wildfire is a major forest disturbance in interior Alaska that can both directly and indirectly alter ecological processes. We used a combination of pre- and post-fire forest floor depths and post-fire ground cover assessments measured in the field, and high-resolution airborne hyperspectral imagery, to map forest floor conditions after the 2004 Taylor Complex in...

Mapping land cover and estimating forest structure using satellite imagery and coarse resolution lidar in the Virgin Islands

Treesearch

T.A. Kennaway; E.H. Helmer; M.A. Lefsky; T.A. Brandeis; K.R. Sherill

2008-01-01

Current information on land cover, forest type and forest structure for the Virgin Islands is critical to land managers and researchers for accurate forest inventory and ecological monitoring. In this study, we use cloud free image mosaics of panchromatic sharpened Landsat ETM+ images and decision tree classification software to map land cover and forest type for the...

Mapping land cover and estimating forest structure using satellite imagery and coarse resolution lidar in the Virgin Islands

Treesearch

Todd Kennaway; Eileen Helmer; Michael Lefsky; Thomas Brandeis; Kirk Sherrill

2009-01-01

Current information on land cover, forest type and forest structure for the Virgin Islands is critical to land managers and researachers for accurate forest inverntory and ecological monitoring. In this study, we use cloud free image mosaics of panchromatic sharpened Landsat ETM+ images and decision tree classification software to map land cover and forest type for the...

Evaluating the ecological trade-offs of riparian thinning for headwater stream ecosystems in second-growth redwood forests

Treesearch

David Roon; Jason Dunham; Bret Harvey; Ryan Bellmore; Deanna Olson; Gordon Reeves

2017-01-01

After decades of intensive timber harvest and land use change that removed forests from the landscape, recent satellite data show that forest cover has increased in North America (Liu et al. 2015). However, these regenerating forests differ greatly in structure and composition than the forests that preceded them (McIntyre et al. 2015). This has been especially evident...