scholarly journals Forest Restoration: Do Site Selection and Restoration Practices Follow Ecological Criteria? A Case Study in Sweden

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 988
Author(s):  
Anouschka R. Hof ◽  
Anna Zachrisson ◽  
Lina E. Polvi
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Initial State ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Ecological Site ◽  
Ecological Criteria ◽  
Restoration Practices ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Surrounding Landscape

The speed with which restoration will, or can, be accomplished depends on the initial state and location of the sites. However, many factors can undermine the process of choosing sites that are deemed the best ecological choice for restoration. Little attention has been paid to whether site selection follows ecological criteria and how this may affect restoration success. We used habitat inventory data to investigate whether ecological criteria for site selection and restoration have been followed, focusing on restoration for the white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos B.) in Sweden. In our study region, which is situated in an intensively managed forest landscape with dense and young stands dominated by two coniferous species, purely ecological criteria would entail that sites that are targeted for restoration would (1) initially be composed of older and more deciduous trees than the surrounding landscape, and (2) be at a scale relevant for the species. Furthermore, restoration should lead to sites becoming less dense and less dominated by coniferous trees after restoration, which we investigated as an assessment of restoration progress. To contextualize the results, we interviewed people involved in the restoration efforts on site. We show that although the first criterion for ecological site selection was largely met, the second was not. More research is needed to assess the motivations of actors taking part in restoration efforts, as well as how they interlink with public efforts. This would allow us to identify possible synergies that can benefit restoration efforts.

scholarly journals Defining spring foraging habitat and prioritization of conservation sites for Tricolored Blackbirds in California, USA

The Condor ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad B Wilsey ◽  
Nicole L Michel ◽  
Katie Krieger ◽  
Lotem Taylor ◽  
Liling Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Private Land ◽  
Foraging Habitat ◽  
Critical Feature ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Colonial Nesting ◽  
Surrounding Landscape

Abstract The Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) is a range-restricted, colonial-nesting species in decline. Colonies include tens of thousands of individuals that forage in the surrounding landscape, at times commuting miles between nesting and foraging grounds. We explored the role of landscape composition on colony occupancy and mapped core and potential spring foraging habitat in California, USA. We used observations of spring Tricolored Blackbird nesting colonies from 2008, 2011, and 2014 and characterized changes in the surrounding landscape during an extended drought. Then, we constructed occurrence and abundance models in order to map core foraging habitat across 4 ecoregions in California. Finally, we used simulated land cover changes to identify potential habitat under restoration scenarios. Across the 3 survey years, surface water declined over time at unoccupied colony locations but remained stable at occupied colony locations, confirming that permanent surface water was a critical feature of persistent Tricolored Blackbird colonies. Average percent cover of nearly all land cover types suitable for foraging, as well as frequency of dairies and median NDVI, were all higher in current or historical colony sites than elsewhere. The proportion of surrounding alfalfa, grasslands, and surface water were the elements of foraging habitat best able to predict Tricolored Blackbird early breeding season colony presence and colony size. Core foraging habitat covered over 6 million acres in the study region, but only 18% was occupied in 2014. This result suggests a need to study additional factors determining colony occurrence and persistence, such as landscape connectivity, distributions of nesting substrates, and risk from predators. The vast majority (93.1%) of Tricolored Blackbird core habitat occurred on private land; therefore, saving the species will require engagement and partnership with private landowners.

Pine Growth-Rate Changes in the Southeast: A Summary of Key Issues for Forest Managers

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan A. Lucier
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Usda Forest Service ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
The Past ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Natural Stands ◽  
Stand Conditions

Abstract Forest inventory data collected by the USDA Forest Service shows that pine forests in the Southeast have changed in many ways since the 1950s. The average age and density of natural stands has increased substantially over the past 30 years, perhaps reflecting the maturation of a large number of stands established between 1945 and 1965. Growth rates of some classes of trees and stands have decreased, but it is not known whether increases in age and density are largely responsible. The existence of growth reductions in natural stands is an expected consequence of the documented changes in stand conditions. The magnitude of the growth reductions, however, cannot be objectively defined as normal or abnormal on the basis of existing data. Researchers are attempting to define the contributions of stand conditions, drought, land-use patterns, atmospheric pollutants, and other factors to observed growth reductions. There is at present no demonstrated link between air pollutants and growth reductions in natural pine stands and no evidence of growth reductions on intensively managed forest industry lands. South. J. Appl. For. 12(2):84-89.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Exploratory Analysis of Ecological Integrity for Safeguarding World Natural Heritage Sites: Case Study of Shiretoko Peninsula, Japan

Heritage ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 898-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhik Chakraborty ◽  
Takeshi Takenaka
Keyword(s):  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Anthropogenic Stress ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Natural Heritage ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Surrounding Landscape ◽  
World Natural Heritage

This article reports the findings of an exploratory study on the complexity and challenges of managing UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites (WNHS). Despite their protected status, the majority of the WNHS currently face severe anthropogenic stress. While several studies have analyzed this scenario with spatial analysis and review of global trends, this research provides a qualitative analysis of ongoing fragmentation and impact in a specific site by employing the Ecological Integrity (EI) concept to the Shiretoko Peninsula WNHS in Japan. Insights from key scientific literature are synthesized with those from research and monitoring of the Blakiston’s Fish Owl (a keystone species). Findings indicate that ecosystems of Shiretoko WNHS have not sufficiently recovered from the intensive anthropogenic disruption in the 20th century and in some cases face novel stressors from tourism development after the inscription. Besides, ongoing construction of roads and facilities affects fine-scale heterogeneity in the surrounding landscape. The findings highlight the urgent need of protecting lower trophic level species, stream and forest restoration, and restricting infrastructure development. This implies that WNHS managers must implement measures to meaningfully offset anthropogenic stress on EI, and WNHS management should be integrated with the management of its surrounding landscapes.

Spruce budworm and management effects on forest and wood product carbon for an intensively managed forest

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 1736-1750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris R. Hennigar ◽  
David A. MacLean
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Wood Product ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Insecticide Application ◽  
C Storage ◽  
Biological Insecticide ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Forest C

An integrated forest management optimization model was developed to calculate potential spruce budworm ( Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens) effects on forest and wood product carbon (C) from 2007 to 2057 and to evaluate potential C sequestration benefits of alternative management strategies (salvage, biological insecticide application). The model was tested using simulated spruce budworm outbreaks on a 210 000 ha intensively managed forest in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Under a severe spruce budworm outbreak scenario from 2007 to 2020, harvest volume and forest and wood product C storage in 2027 were projected to be reduced by 1.34 Mm3, 1.48 Mt, and 0.26 Mt, respectively, compared with the levels under no defoliation. Under the same severe outbreak scenario, implementation of salvage and harvest replanning plus a biological insecticide applied aerially to 40% of susceptible forest area, reduced harvest, forest C, and wood product C impacts by 73%, 41%, and 56%, respectively. Extrapolation of these results to all of New Brunswick suggests that a future severe spruce budworm outbreak could effectively increase total provincial annual C emissions (all sources) by up to 40%, on average, over the next 20 years. This modeling approach can be used to identify to what extent insecticide application, as a forest-C-offset project, could result in additional C storage than without forest and pest management.

scholarly journals Knowledge transfer through Citizen Science using the example of a forest inventory campaign

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Thiel ◽  
Clémence Dubois ◽  
Friederike Klan ◽  
Carsten Pathe ◽  
Christiane Schmullius ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Friedrich Schiller ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Political Perspective ◽  
Offset Correction ◽  
Intensively Managed

<p>Citizen Science (CS) operates at the interface of engineering, natural and social sciences. The topic is currently gaining importance, which, from a political perspective, is based, among other things, on the hope of increasing the acceptance of science and scientific knowledge among the general public. The involvement of non-specialists in the conception and implementation of research projects enables and requires the development of innovative educational concepts that integrate knowledge transfer and added value to science, for example through citizen-based data acquisition. This win-win situation of active learning and the generation of research-relevant data can be implemented in educational institutions in particular by expanding didactic concepts with the integration of citizen science.</p><p>As an example, the project of the DLR in cooperation with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena will be presented. The campaign took place at site 15 km to the SE of Jena featuring planted and intensively managed forest. During the past two years the forest was affected by several stressors such as storm events, long drought periods (spring 2018 and 2019, summer 2018), and bark beetle attacks. Thus, forest management activities were conducted in June 2019 to remove stressed and infected trees. Two CS campaigns were conducted: one before (May) and one after (July) the management action (cross validation, check which trees were logged). The aim was to collect the stem circumference, the species, and other describing parameters. The citizens were “gathered“ from a university lecture for forthcoming Geography teachers. During the campaign a new approach for improved positioning under challenging GNSS conditions was tested (offset correction using Bluetooth low energy beacons – BLE).</p>

scholarly journals GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM-BASED MODELING AND ANALYSIS FOR SITE SELECTION OF GREEN MUSSEL, Perna viridis, MARICULTURE IN LADA BAY, PANDEGLANG, BANTEN PROVINCE

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Nyoman Radiarta ◽  
Hatim Albasri ◽  
Achmad Sudradjat
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Geographic Information System ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Geographic Information ◽  
Perna Viridis ◽  
Ideal Condition ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Green Mussel ◽  
Suitable Site

Green mussel is one of important species cultured in Lada Bay, Pandeglang. To provide a necessary guidance regarding green mussel mariculture development, finding suitable site is an important step. This study was conducted to identify suitable site for green mussel mariculture development using geographic information system (GIS) based models. Seven important parameters were grouped into two submodels, namely environmental (water temperature, salinity, suspended solid, dissolve oxygen, and bathymetry) and infrastructural (distance to settlement and pond aquaculture). A constraint data was used to exclude the area from suitability maps that cannot be allowed to develop green mussel mariculture, including area of floating net fishing activity and area near electricity station. Analyses of factors and constraints indicated that about 31% of potential area with bottom depth less than 25 m had the most suitable area. This area was shown to have an ideal condition for green mussel mariculture in this study region. This study shows that GIS model is a powerful tool for site selection decision making. The tool can be a valuable tool in solving problems in local, regional, and/or continent areas.

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