scholarly journals When nature meets the divine: effect of prohibition regimes on the structure and tree species composition of sacred forests in northern Greece

Web Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-86
Author(s):  
Valentino Marini Govigli ◽  
John R. Healey ◽  
Jennifer L. G. Wong ◽  
Kalliopi Stara ◽  
Rigas Tsiakiris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Woody Plant ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Northern Greece ◽  
Plant Groups ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Management Regimes ◽  
Sacred Forests ◽  
Prohibition Regimes

Abstract. Sacred forests are an integral component of the mountainous cultural landscape of northern Greece, hypothesized to be the result of both ecological processes and site-specific forest management regimes through strict religious prohibition. These practices acted as constraints on natural forest development by suppressing understory growth, while prohibition of woodcutting has preserved large trees. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative effects of physical site environment and management regimes on the structure and composition of woody plant groups in six such forests. Species rank–abundance curves, dissimilarity indices and cluster analyses were used to assess variation within and amongst the woody plant groups of the sites. Species abundance was found to be highly variable amongst the sites, with notable variation between canopy and understory layers indicating dynamic change in floristics and structure. Cluster analysis revealed four main woody plant groups statistically associated with environmental variables (aspect) and forest management (different forest prohibition regimes, and presence or absence of infrastructure). Our results indicate that tree composition is significantly associated with different prohibition regimes linked to the forests' sacred status, as well as the inherent environmental variation amongst sites. Exploring further the role of traditional management systems in shaping sacred forest structure is a relevant research path for designing effective conservation practices tailored to sacred natural sites facing cultural abandonment.

scholarly journals How Well Do Stakeholder-Defined Forest Management Scenarios Balance Economic and Ecological Forest Values?

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannette Eggers ◽  
Minna Räty ◽  
Karin Öhman ◽  
Tord Snäll
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Ecological Indicators ◽  
Forest Landscape ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Continuous Cover Forestry ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Management Regimes ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Forest Values

Research Highlights: We show the difference in the long-term effects on economic and ecological forest values between four forest management scenarios of a large representative forest landscape. The scenarios were largely formulated by stakeholders representing the main views on how to manage north-European forests. Background and Objectives: Views on how to balance forest management between wood production and biodiversity differ widely between different stakeholder groups. We aim to show the long-term consequences of stakeholder-defined management scenarios, in terms of ecological and economic forest values. Materials and Methods: We simulated management scenarios for a forest landscape in Sweden, based on the management objectives and strategies of key stakeholders. We specifically investigated the difference in economic forest values coupled to wood supply and ecological indicators coupled to structural biodiversity between the scenarios over a 100-year period. The indicators were net present value, harvest, growing stock and increment, along with deadwood volume, the density of large trees, area of old forests and mature broadleaf-rich forests. Results: We show that the scenarios have widely different outcomes in terms of the studied indicators, and that differences in indicator outcome were largely due to different distributions in management regimes, i.e., the proportion of forest left unmanaged or under even-aged management or continuous cover forest, as well as specific retention practices. Retention and continuous cover forestry mitigate the negative effects that clear-cut forestry has upon biodiversity. Conclusions: We found that an increase in the forest area under the continuous cover forestry regime could be a cost-efficient way to increase structural diversity in managed boreal forests. On the other hand, no single management regime performed best with respect to all indicators, which means that a mixture of several management regimes is needed to balance conflicting objectives. We also show that the trade-off between economic and ecological indicators was not directly proportional, meaning that an increase in structural biodiversity may be obtained at a proportionally low cost with appropriate management planning.

scholarly journals Effects of habitat edges on vegetation structure and the vulnerable golden-brown mouse lemur (Microcebus ravelobensis) in northwestern Madagascar

BMC Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Andriatsitohaina ◽  
Daniel Romero-Mujalli ◽  
Malcolm S. Ramsay ◽  
Frederik Kiene ◽  
Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Edge Effects ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Logistic Function ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Vegetation Parameters

Abstract Background Edge effects can influence species composition and community structure as a result of changes in microenvironment and edaphic variables. We investigated effects of habitat edges on vegetation structure, abundance and body mass of one vulnerable Microcebus species in northwestern Madagascar. We trapped mouse lemurs along four 1000-m transects (total of 2424 trap nights) that ran perpendicular to the forest edge. We installed 16 pairs of 20 m2 vegetation plots along each transect and measured nine vegetation parameters. To determine the responses of the vegetation and animals to an increasing distance to the edge, we tested the fit of four alternative mathematical functions (linear, power, logistic and unimodal) to the data and derived the depth of edge influence (DEI) for all parameters. Results Logistic and unimodal functions best explained edge responses of vegetation parameters, and the logistic function performed best for abundance and body mass of M. ravelobensis. The DEI varied between 50 m (no. of seedlings, no. of liana, dbh of large trees [dbh ≥ 10 cm]) and 460 m (tree height of large trees) for the vegetation parameters, whereas it was 340 m for M. ravelobensis abundance and 390 m for body mass, corresponding best to the DEI of small tree [dbh < 10 cm] density (360 m). Small trees were significantly taller and the density of seedlings was higher in the interior than in the edge habitat. However, there was no significant difference in M. ravelobensis abundance and body mass between interior and edge habitats, suggesting that M. ravelobensis did not show a strong edge response in the study region. Finally, regression analyses revealed three negative (species abundance and three vegetation parameters) and two positive relationships (body mass and two vegetation parameters), suggesting an impact of vegetation structure on M. ravelobensis which may be partly independent of edge effects. Conclusions A comparison of our results with previous findings reveals that edge effects are variable in space in a small nocturnal primate from Madagascar. Such an ecological plasticity could be extremely relevant for mitigating species responses to habitat loss and anthropogenic disturbances.

scholarly journals Effect of Forest Management Operations on Aggregate-Associated SOC Dynamics Using a 137Cs Tracing Method

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 859
Author(s):  
Geng Guo ◽  
Xiao Li ◽  
Xi Zhu ◽  
Yanyin Xu ◽  
Qiao Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Aggregate Size ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Vegetation Coverage ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Mountain Areas

Although forest conversions have long been a focus in carbon (C) research, the relationship between soil erosion and the dynamic change of soil organic carbon (SOC) has not been well-quantified. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of converting CBF (coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests) to economic forests, including CF (chestnut forest), HF (hawthorn forest), and AF (apple forest), on the soil structure and nutrient loss in the Huaibei Rocky Mountain Areas, China. A 137Cs tracer method was used to provide soil erosion data in order to quantify the loss of aggregate-associated SOC. The results showed that forest management operations caused macro-aggregates to decrease by 1.69% in CF, 4.52% in AF, and 3.87% in HF. Therefore, the stability of aggregates was reduced. The SOC contents in each aggregate size decreased significantly after forest conversion, with the largest decreases occurring in AF. We quantified the loss of 0.15, 0.38, and 0.31 Mg hm−2 of aggregate-associated SOC after conversion from CBF to CF, AF, and HF, respectively. These results suggest that forest management operations have a negative impact on soil quality and fertility. CF has better vegetation coverage and less human interference, making it more prominent among the three economic forests species. Therefore, when developing forest management operations, judicious selection of tree varieties and appropriate management practices are extremely critical. In addition, measures should be taken to increase surface cover to reduce soil erosion and achieve sustainable development of economic forests.

scholarly journals Post-fire management and recovery of a pine forest in Greece

Web Ecology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Spanos ◽  
Y. Raftoyannis ◽  
P. Platis ◽  
E. Xanthopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Woody Plant ◽  
Pinus Halepensis ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Control Site ◽  
Plant Composition ◽  
Northern Greece ◽  
Pine Regeneration ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Treatment Application

Abstract. The effects of management after fire in Pinus halepensis forests were assessed in northern Greece. Seeding, logging and building of log barriers were applied in burned sites and compared to a control site. Two years after treatment application, 70–80% of the ground in all sites was covered with vegetation. Seeding with herbaceous plants did not increase plant cover. Logging and building of log barriers negatively affected herbaceous species but increased woody species. During the first spring after fire, the highest numbers of P. halepensis seedlings were observed in the control site and the lowest number in the logged site. Logging and log barrier building had a negative effect on pine regeneration compared to control and seeding treatments. Woody plant composition was similar in control and seeding sites, with dominance of P. halepensis and Cistus species. A different pattern was observed in the logging and log-barrier sites with a low number of seeders and a high number of resprouter species.

scholarly journals Analysis of some dynamic series of forest production and trends of forest economics in the Czech Republic

2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Kupčák
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
The Other ◽  
Forest Economics ◽  
Wood Production ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Timber Sales ◽  
Management Regimes ◽  
The One ◽  
Dynamic Series

Functions of wood production in forestry are historically determined by felling possibilities of forest resources. Revenues from timber sales create a financial space for silvicultural operations thus providing for management continuity. These determinations have however recently shown a rather negative trend of development due to the development of timber prices on the one hand and due to increasing inputs on the other hand, last but not least also due to the projections of near-natural forest management methods and increasing area under special management regimes. In their synergy, all these factors lead to economic impacts reflected not only in the profit of forest owners but also in economic results of other entities. The paper presents an analysis into the trends of forest management primary economic variables in the Czech Republic in the period from 1998&minus;2004.

Selection of vertebrate wildlife indicators for monitoring sustainable forest management in Ontario

1998 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret A. McLaren ◽  
Ian D. Thompson ◽  
James A. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Indicator Species ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
General Hypothesis ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Criteria For Selection ◽  
Selection Of

Part of a recently advocated method of sustainable forest development employs indicator species as fine filters to assess changes within ecosystems and landscapes. We used a series of criteria based on biology, sampling methods, and legal or particular status to select vertebrate indicator species for the province of Ontario. The criteria for selection were applied in a hierarchical manner, with species ecology given primary importance, followed by sampling considerations, and status criteria. The latter represented certain societal weightings and political or featured management concerns. Species fitting the selection criteria were placed in a four-dimensional matrix (with axes: broad habitat type, age class, trophic level, and spatial scale), and species were then chosen from among the matrix cells. The exercise reduced the total vertebrate species in two forest biomes (Boreal and Great-Lakes St. Lawrence) to a relative few, from which the final choices were made primarily based on expert opinion. In Ontario, the species selected as indicators of biological diversity will be used to test the underlying general hypothesis that forest management has no effect on species richness and species abundance, or the distribution of species in time and space.

Floral syndrome in Amelanchier nantucketensis (Rosaceae). II. Bee preference and diversity associated with andropetaly

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (11) ◽  
pp. 1860-1867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison C. Dibble ◽  
Francis A. Drummond ◽  
Wallace E. Laberge
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Floral Morphology ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Floral Display ◽  
Plant Groups ◽  
Pollinator Preference ◽  
Floral Density ◽  
Eusocial Bees ◽  
Floral Syndrome

Pollinator preference has been demonstrated to depend on floral morphology in some plant groups. We tested bee preference for Amelanchier nantucketensis, which has pollen-bearing petals or andropetals, over Amelanchier humilis with its normal petals when these flower together at two Maine sites. In an array experiment with equal floral display for Amelanchier nantucketensis and Amelanchier humilis, almost twice as many bees approached the latter first. Bees responded to some aspect of the larger flowers of Amelanchier humilis when number of inflorescences and height above the ground were similar. We captured 539 bees in 43 species individually on flowers, in malaise traps, and in sweeps; most were common, widely distributed solitary and eusocial bees. Bee species diversity differed slightly between plant species, and guilds differed; 11 bee species were unique to Amelanchier nantucketensis, including 39 individuals of Andrena milwaukiensis, and three species were unique to Amelanchier humilis. For 29 bee species shared by both plant species, abundance on Amelanchier nantucketensis was greater than on Amelanchier humilis for 62%, less for 14%, and the same for 24%. Bees might be attracted to Amelanchier nantucketensis less by andropetaly than by proximity of flowers to the ground, floral density, or unidentified features. Key words: Amelanchier, bees, foraging, morphology, Maine, species diversity.

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