The importance of different forest management systems for people's dietary quality in Tanzania.

Context: A large body of literature has shown that forests provide nutritious foods in many low- and middle-income countries. Yet, there is limited evidence on the contributions from different types of forest and tree systems. Objectives: Here, we focus on individual trees and smaller forest patches outside established forest reserves as well as different forest management systems. Methods: We do so by combining novel high-resolution data on tree cover with 24-h dietary recall surveys from 465 women in Tanzania. Results: We show that people with more unclassified tree cover (i.e., individual trees and small forest patches) in their nearby surroundings have more adequate protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin A intakes. We also find that having a nearby forest under Participatory Forest Management (PFM) system is associated with higher adequacy levels of energy, iron, zinc and vitamin A. By contrast, tree cover within other types of forest (e.g., Government Forest Reserves and Government Forest Plantations) is not positively associated with people's dietary quality. Conclusions: Our key finding is that having individual trees, smaller forest patches and/or forest under PFM in close proximity is more beneficial for people's diets than other types of established forests. Our results highlight the nutritional importance of trees outside established forests and question the often-assumed benefits of forests if these are made inaccessible by social barriers (e.g., legislation). Finally, our results emphasize the need to distinguish between different forest management systems when studying forest-diet linkages. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-024-01961-6.

Advancing forest carbon stocks' mapping using a hierarchical approach with machine learning and satellite imagery.

Remote sensing of forests is a powerful tool for monitoring the biodiversity of ecosystems, maintaining general planning, and accounting for resources. Various sensors bring together heterogeneous data, and advanced machine learning methods enable their automatic handling in wide territories. Key forest properties usually under consideration in environmental studies include dominant species, tree age, height, basal area and timber stock. Being proxies of stand productivity, they can be utilized for forest carbon stock estimation to analyze forests' status and proper climate change mitigation measures on a global scale. In this study, we aim to develop an effective machine learning-based pipeline for automatic carbon stock estimation using solely freely available and regularly updated satellite observations. We employed multispectral Sentinel-2 remote sensing data to predict forest structure characteristics and produce their detailed spatial maps. Using the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm in classification and regression settings and management-level inventory data as reference measurements, we achieved quality of predictions of species equal to 0.75 according to the F1-score, and for stand age, height, and basal area, we achieved an accuracy of 0.75, 0.58 and 0.56, respectively, according to the R2. We focused on the growing stock volume as the main proxy to estimate forest carbon stocks on the example of the stem pool. We explored two approaches: a direct approach and a hierarchical approach. The direct approach leverages the remote sensing data to create the target maps, and the hierarchical approach calculates the target forest properties using predicted inventory characteristics and conversion equations. We estimated stem carbon stock based on the same approach: from Earth observation imagery directly and using biomass and conversion factors developed for the northern regions. Thus, our study proposes an end-to-end solution for carbon stock estimations based on the complexation of inventory data at the forest stand level, Earth observation imagery, machine learning predictions and conversion equations for the region. The presented approach enables more robust and accurate large-scale assessments using limited annotated datasets.

Combinative effects of thinning and prescribed burning on fuel reduction and soil arthropods: A case study in a Mediterranean pine forest.

Wildfire pressure involves today to implement silvicultural practices that provide a good compromise between reducing fire risk and maintaining ecological functioning. Thinning reduces tree density and low branches, but results in the deposition of a considerable biomass of woody debris on the ground (up to 4800 g m2 in this study). They can be eliminated by prescribed burning, but this raises questions about the fire intensity that can be generated and the impact on soil fauna. We undertook the monitoring of a thinning and prescribed burning operation, separated and combined, in November 2020, in a Pinus laricio stand prone to fire risk, located in Bavella, Corsica. Fuel load was determined, and temperature measurements in the soil were performed using K-type thermocouples. Soil arthropod populations were monitored using pitfall traps, in particular Collembola, Acari, Aranae, and Coleoptera. The combination of thinning and burning resulted in a fire intensity of 75.8 versus 8.4 kW m-1 for burning alone. Maximum temperature rise measured at -2 cm below the surface was less than 5°C for both treatments. The combination of thinning and burning did not result in higher fire intensity at ground level than burning alone, and the soil showed high insulation capacity. Most of the woody debris that burned was small-diameter, and large-diameter debris remained unconsumed. This burning, performed during a period of low biological activity, had no effect on soil arthropods, and the presence of large debris may have provided refuge areas. Collembola group was the faster to recover, and were followed by cohorts of predators in summer, especially Acari. Our results suggest that a combination of burning and thinning in autumn may be beneficial for fire prevention. However, the decomposition of woody debris in relation to fire risk, and the occurrence of pests after these treatments need to be monitored.

Tree drought-mortality risk depends more on intrinsic species resistance than on stand species diversity.

Increasing tree diversity is considered a key management option to adapt forests to climate change. However, the effect of species diversity on a forest's ability to cope with extreme drought remains elusive. In this study, we assessed drought tolerance (xylem vulnerability to cavitation) and water stress (water potential), and combined them into a metric of drought-mortality risk (hydraulic safety margin) during extreme 2021 or 2022 summer droughts in five European tree diversity experiments encompassing different biomes. Overall, we found that drought-mortality risk was primarily driven by species identity (56.7% of the total variability), while tree diversity had a much lower effect (8% of the total variability). This result remained valid at the local scale (i.e within experiment) and across the studied European biomes. Tree diversity effect on drought-mortality risk was mediated by changes in water stress intensity, not by changes in xylem vulnerability to cavitation. Significant diversity effects were observed in all experiments, but those effects often varied from positive to negative across mixtures for a given species. Indeed, we found that the composition of the mixtures (i.e., the identities of the species mixed), but not the species richness of the mixture per se, is a driver of tree drought-mortality risk. This calls for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms before tree diversity can be considered an operational adaption tool to extreme drought. Forest diversification should be considered jointly with management strategies focussed on favouring drought-tolerant species.

Tree diversity across the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area in relation to climate and social vulnerability.

Urban tree canopy cover is often unequally distributed across cities such that more socially vulnerable neighborhoods often have lower tree canopy cover than less socially vulnerable neighborhoods. However, how the diversity and composition of the urban canopy affect the nature of social-ecological benefits (and burdens), including the urban forest's vulnerability to climate change, remains underexamined. Here, we synthesize tree inventories developed by multiple organizations and present a species-specific, geolocated database of more than 600,000 urban trees across the 7-county Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) metropolitan area in the Upper Midwest of the United States. We find that tree diversity across the MSP is variable yet dominated by a few species (e.g., Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Acer platanoides, and Gleditsia triacanthos), contributing to the vulnerability of the MSP urban forest to future climate change and disturbances. In contrast to tree canopy cover, tree diversity was not well predicted by socioeconomic or demographic factors. However, our analysis identified areas where both climate and social vulnerability are high. Our results add to a growing body of literature emphasizing the importance of considering how complex and interacting social and ecological factors drive urban forest diversity and composition when pursuing management objectives.

Bioeconomy in the Amazon: Lessons and gaps from thirty years of non-timber forest products research.

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) play an essential role in the Amazon region, contributing to the integration between biodiversity conservation and the enhancement of the bioeconomy. This study has examined the scope of NTFP research in the Amazon and pinpointed areas lacking scientific insight. From the 219 publications initially identified, 146 satisfied established inclusion criteria based on the methodology employed and the results achieved. It was found that the inaugural publication indexed by Scopus on Amazonian NTFPs dates to 1992. It was found that the inaugural publication indexed by Scopus on Amazonian NTFPs dates to 1992. Despite the extensive body of research, there is a noticeable deficit in studies addressing legal and regulatory frameworks within the NTFP production chain and public policy development. Research has predominantly concentrated on production, distribution, management, and economic aspects, often neglecting the social, normative, and political dimensions. Advancing the bioeconomy value chains in the Amazon necessitates empowering local communities to derive economic benefits from biodiversity. However, recognizing the complexity of these communities' relationships with the forest is important. Their interaction with the forest extends beyond economic considerations, embracing cultural, subsistence, and spiritual connections. These insights underscore the necessity for a comprehensive and sustainable approach to NTFP management in the Amazon, ensuring that biodiversity conservation and local community empowerment are integrally pursued. This holistic perspective is vital for fostering a resilient bioeconomy in the region.

Spatial pattern of forest aboveground biomass and its environmental influencing factors in Qinling-Daba Mountains, central China.

Accurate estimation of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is crucial for understanding and managing forest ecosystems in the context of global environmental change, and also provides a scientific basis for national and regional ecological planning and carbon emission reduction policies. In order to investigate the regional pattern of forest AGB and its influencing factors in central China, a total of 469 sample plots were measured along four sample transects and on six mountains in field survey. The results showed that: 1) Two longitudinal distribution patterns of forest AGB were found, and one was that the AGB in the Qinling Mountains and the Daba Moutains gradually decreased from east to west, and the other was that the AGB in the areas between the two mountains gradually increased from east to west. The latitudinal distribution pattern of the forest AGB showed an "increasing-decreasing-increasing-decreasing" trend from south to north. The altitudinal distribution pattern showed a "first increasing-then decreasing" pattern with increasing altitude. 2) The influence of each factor on the spatial pattern of forest AGB was manifested as temperature > precipitation > HAI > topography, indicating that the spatial pattern of forest AGB in central China was the result of the interaction of climate, human activities and natural factors.

Host tree availability shapes potential distribution of a target epiphytic moss species more than direct climate effects.

Climate change significantly impacts the distribution of woody plants, indirectly influencing the dynamics of entire ecosystems. Understanding species' varied responses to the environment and their reliance on biotic interactions is crucial for predicting the global changes' impact on woodland biodiversity. Our study focusses on Dicranum viride, a moss of conservation priority, and its dependence on specific phorophytes (host trees). Using species distribution modelling (SDM) techniques, we initially modelled its distribution using climate-only variables. As a novel approach, we also modelled the distribution of the main phorophyte species and incorporated them into D. viride SDM alongside climate data. Finally, we analysed the overlap of climatic and geographic niches between the epiphyte and the phorophytes. Inclusion of biotic interactions significantly improved model performance, with phorophyte availability emerging as the primary predictor. This underscores the significance of epiphyte-phorophyte interactions, supported by substantial niche overlap. Predictions indicate a potential decline in the suitability of most of the current areas for D. viride, with noticeable shifts towards the northern regions of Europe. Our study underscores the importance of incorporating biotic interactions into SDMs, especially for dependent organisms. Understanding such connections is essential to implement successful conservation strategies and adapt forest management practices to environmental changes.

Tree regeneration and ontogenetic strategies of northern European hemiboreal forests: transitioning towards closer-to-nature forest management.

Background: Tree ontogeny is the genetic trajectories of regenerative processes in trees, repeating in time and space, including both development and reproduction. Understanding the principles of tree ontogeny is a key priority in emulating natural ecological patterns and processes that fall within the calls for closer-to-nature forest management. By recognizing and respecting the growth and development of individual trees and forest stands, forest managers can implement strategies that align with the inherent dynamics of forest ecosystem. Therefore, this study aims to determine the ontogenetic characteristics of tree regeneration and growth in northern European hemiboreal forests. Methodology: We applied a three-step process to review i) the ontogenetic characteristics of forest trees, ii) ontogenetic strategies of trees for stand-forming species, and iii) summarise the review findings of points i and ii to propose a conceptual framework for transitioning towards closer-to-nature management of hemiboreal forest trees. To achieve this, we applied the super-organism approach to forest development as a holistic progression towards the establishment of natural stand forming ecosystems. Results: The review showed multiple aspects; first, there are unique growth and development characteristics of individual trees at the pre-generative and generative stages of ontogenesis under full and minimal light conditions. Second, there are four main modes of tree establishment, growth and development related to the light requirements of trees; they were described as ontogenetic strategies of stand-forming tree species: gap colonisers, gap successors, gap fillers and gap competitors. Third, the summary of our analysis of the ontogenetic characteristics of tree regeneration and growth in northern European hemiboreal forests shows that stand-forming species occupy multiple niche positions relative to forest dynamics modes. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of understanding tree ontogeny under the pretext of closer-to-nature forest management, and its potential towards formulating sustainable forest management that emulates the natural dynamics of forest structure. We suggest that scientists and foresters can adapt closer-to-nature management strategies, such as assisted natural regeneration of trees, to improve the vitality of tree communities and overall forest health. The presented approach prioritizes ecological integrity and forest resilience, promoting assisted natural regeneration, and fostering adaptability and connectivity among plant populations in hemiboreal tree communities.

Reconciling the EU forest, biodiversity, and climate strategies.

Forests provide important ecosystem services (ESs), including climate change mitigation, local climate regulation, habitat for biodiversity, wood and non-wood products, energy, and recreation. Simultaneously, forests are increasingly affected by climate change and need to be adapted to future environmental conditions. Current legislation, including the European Union (EU) Biodiversity Strategy, EU Forest Strategy, and national laws, aims to protect forest landscapes, enhance ESs, adapt forests to climate change, and leverage forest products for climate change mitigation and the bioeconomy. However, reconciling all these competing demands poses a tremendous task for policymakers, forest managers, conservation agencies, and other stakeholders, especially given the uncertainty associated with future climate impacts. Here, we used process-based ecosystem modeling and robust multi-criteria optimization to develop forest management portfolios that provide multiple ESs across a wide range of climate scenarios. We included constraints to strictly protect 10% of Europe's land area and to provide stable harvest levels under every climate scenario. The optimization showed only limited options to improve ES provision within these constraints. Consequently, management portfolios suffered from low diversity, which contradicts the goal of multi-functionality and exposes regions to significant risk due to a lack of risk diversification. Additionally, certain regions, especially those in the north, would need to prioritize timber provision to compensate for reduced harvests elsewhere. This conflicts with EU LULUCF targets for increased forest carbon sinks in all member states and prevents an equal distribution of strictly protected areas, introducing a bias as to which forest ecosystems are more protected than others. Thus, coordinated strategies at the European level are imperative to address these challenges effectively. We suggest that the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, EU Forest Strategy, and targets for forest carbon sinks require complementary measures to alleviate the conflicting demands on forests.

Past Fire and Vegetation Change in the Hyperdiverse Forests of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

The Ecuadorian Amazon holds more biodiversity than most other places on Earth. Palms are a particularly dominant component of the vegetation; however, it remains unknown to what degree the pattern has persisted through time. Here, we investigate the persistence of palm dominance through time and the degree to which past human activities (e.g., fire, cultivation, and forest opening) have affected changes in palm abundances across five regions of the Ecuadorian Amazon. We analyzed soil cores (40-80 cm depth) from each region for charcoal (evidence of past fire) and phytoliths (evidence of past vegetation change). The timings of fires (based on 14C radiocarbon dates), the occurrence, recurrence, and number of fires (based on charcoal presence and abundance in samples), and the amount of change in palm abundances (based on phytoliths) varied within and between the studied regions. The charcoal and phytolith results indicate the presence of low levels of past human activity at all sites. Our results show that patterns of modern palm hyperdominance found in Amazonian forests have not been persistent through time, and that even low levels of past human activities can affect palm abundance.

Individual tree diameter growth modelling for natural secondary forest in Changbai Mountains, Northeast China.

Individual modelling is a foundational approach to study the natural forest growth and in this paper, we develop a serial distance-depended individual tree model for some species in natural forest which would provide prediction and characteristics for natural species. The data used to develop individual model for natural mixed forests were collected from 712 remeasured 10-year periodic permanent sample plots of in Baihe Forest Bureau of Changbai Mountains, northeast China. Based on analyzing relationship between diameter increment of individual trees with tree size, competitive status, and site condition and finding out the major independent variables, the growth models for individual trees of 15 species in the natural mixed forests, that have good predicting precision, and easily applicable, were developed using stepwise regression method. The individual growth model developed in this study can reflect the tree increment of 15 species and be generally well suited for simulating tree and stand growth for natural mixed forests in Changbai Mountains. The research results for individual trees growth model of each species showed that main variable to influence on diameter increment of individual trees for natural mixed forests were tree size (D) and then competition index. The site condition was not related with diameter increment. The natural logarithm of DBH (lnD) and square diameter (D2) were included in the predicting models of diameter increment for all 15 species. The diameter increment was directly proportional to tree diameter for each species. For the competitive indexes in growth model, the relative diameter (RD), canopy closure (P), and the ratio of diameter of subject tree with maximum diameter (DDM) were related to diameter increment and the stand density measures were not significantly influenced on diameter increment. As canopy closure increase, tree increment decreases. The site conditions were performance less of factors in increment predictions in the model.

Extending the SUSI peatland simulator to include dissolved organic carbon formation, transport and biodegradation - Proper water management reduces lateral carbon fluxes and improves carbon balance.

Drainage intensity and forest management in peatlands affect carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere and export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to water courses. The peatland carbon (C) balance results from a complex network of ecosystem processes from where lateral C fluxes have typically been ignored. Here, we present a new version of the SUSI Peatland simulator, the first advanced process-based ecosystem model that compiles a full C balance in drained forested peatland including DOC formation, transport and biodegradation. SUSI considers site, stand and terrain characteristics as well as the interactions and feedbacks between ecosystem processes and offers novel ways to evaluate and mitigate adverse environmental impacts with thorough management planning. Here, we extended SUSI by designing and parameterizing a mass-balance based decomposition module (ESOM) based on literature findings and tested the ESOM performance against an independent dataset measured in the laboratory using peat columns collected from Finland, Estonia, Sweden and Ireland. ESOM predicted the CO2 emissions and changes in DOC concentrations with a reasonable accuracy for the peat columns. We applied the new SUSI for drained peatland sites and found that reducing the depth to which ditches are cleaned by 0.3 m decreased the annual DOC export by 34 (17 %), 29 (19 %) and 7 (5 %) kg ha-1 in Finland, Estonia and Sweden, respectively, using typical ditch spacing for these countries. Correspondingly, site annual C sink increased by 305, 409 and 32 kg ha-1 in Finland, Estonia and Sweden, respectively. Our results also indicated that terrain slope can markedly alter the water residence time and consequently DOC biodegradation and export to ditches. We conclude that DOC export can be decreased and site C sink increased by reducing the depth to which ditches are cleaned or by increasing the ditch spacing.

Impact of various microplastics on the morphological characteristics and nutrition of the young generation of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.).

Microplastics have the capacity to accumulate in soil due to their high resistance to degradation, consequently altering soil properties and influencing plant growth. This study focused on assessing the impact of various types and doses of microplastics on beech seedling growth. In our experiment, we used polypropylene and styrene granules with diameter of 4.0 mm in quantities of 2.5% and 7%. The hypothesis was that microplastics significantly affect seedlings' nutritional status and growth characteristics. The research analysed seedlings' nutrition, root morphological features, above-ground growth, and enzymatic activity in the substrate. Results confirmed the importance of microplastics in shaping the nutritional status of young beech trees. Microplastic type significantly impacted N/P and Ca/Mg stoichiometry, while microplastic quantity influenced Ca/Al and Ca+K+Mg/Al stoichiometry. Notably, only in the case of root diameter were significantly thicker roots noted in the control variant, whereas microplastics played a role in shaping the leaves' characteristics of the species studied. The leaf area was significantly larger in the control variant compared to the variant with polypropylene in the amount of 2.5% and styrene in the amount of 7%. Additionally, the study indicates a significant impact of microplastics on enzyme activity. In the case of CB and SP, the activity was twice as high in the control variant compared to the variants with microplastics. In the case of BG, the activity in the control variant was higher in relation to the variants used in the experiment. Research on the impact of microplastics on the growth of beech seedlings is crucial for enhancing our understanding of the effects of environmental pollution on forest ecosystems. Such studies are integral in shaping forestry management practices and fostering a broader public understanding of the ecological implications of plastic pollution.

Response of stream habitat and microbiomes to spruce budworm defoliation: New considerations for outbreak management.

Defoliation by eastern spruce budworm is one of the most important natural disturbances in Canadian boreal and hemi-boreal forests with annual area affected surpassing that of fire and harvest combined, and its impacts are projected to increase in frequency, severity, and range under future climate scenarios. Deciding on an active management strategy to control outbreaks and minimize broader economic, ecological, and social impacts is becoming increasingly important. These strategies differ in the degree to which defoliation is suppressed, but little is known about the downstream consequences of defoliation and, thus, the implications of management. Given the disproportionate role of headwater streams and their microbiomes on net riverine productivity across forested landscapes, we investigated the effects of defoliation by spruce budworm on headwater stream habitat and microbiome structure and function to inform management decisions. We experimentally manipulated a gradient of defoliation among 12 watersheds during a spruce budworm outbreak in the Gaspésie Peninsula, Québec, Canada. From May through October of 2019-2021, stream habitat (flow rates, dissolved organic matter [DOM], water chemistry, and nutrients), algal biomass, and water temperatures were assessed. Bacterial and fungal biofilm communities were examined by incubating six leaf packs for five weeks (mid-August to late September) in one stream reach per watershed. Microbiome community structure was determined using metabarcoding of 16S and ITS rRNA genes, and community functions were examined using extracellular enzyme assays, leaf litter decomposition rates, and taxonomic functional assignments. We found that cumulative defoliation was correlated with increased streamflow rates and temperatures, and more aromatic DOM (measured as specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm), but was not correlated to nutrient concentrations. Cumulative defoliation was also associated with altered microbial community composition, an increase in carbohydrate biosynthesis, and a reduction in aromatic compound degradation, suggesting that microbes are shifting to the preferential use of simple carbohydrates rather than more complex aromatic compounds. These results demonstrate that high levels of defoliation can affect headwater stream microbiomes to the point of altering stream ecosystem productivity and carbon cycling potential, highlighting the importance of incorporating broader ecological processes into spruce budworm management decisions.

Effects of participatory forest management programs on Land use/land cover change and its Determinants in Alle District, southwest Ethiopia.

In order to create sustainable conservation policies for biodiversity, it is imperative that participatory forest management (PFM) be assessed. Forests contribute to the sustainability of the planet by controlling soil erosion in agricultural areas and by moderating the effects of climate change. However, Ethiopia's forest resources have been under intense pressure because of the increased demand for wood products and agricultural conversion. As one of the potential solutions, the PFM programme was implemented in 1990. This study set out to investigate the effects of the PFM programme on land use and land cover (LULC) in the Alle district of southwest Ethiopia, as well as the variables influencing community involvement and the obstacles to PFM implementation and community involvement. Changes in forest cover were detected using Landsat images from 1992, 2012, and 2022 obtained from Thematic Mapper (TM), Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+), and Operational Land Imager (OLI). Images were obtained during the dry season and were cloud-free. A total of 240 respondents were chosen by means of a straightforward random sampling technique, and survey data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and field observations. Data were analyzed using ArcGIS 10.5, ERDAS Imagine 2015, SPSS version 20, and Excel 2010. The change in forest cover shows an increasing trend from 2012 to 2022. Again, grassland and wetland coverage in this study decreased rapidly. In the years 2012-2022, forest land increased from 462.7ha (74.8 %), to 569.8ha (92.1 %), while, the agricultural land, grassland, and wetland were reduced from 109.5ha (17.7 %) to 37.8ha (6.1 %), 31.9ha (5.2 %) to 0.0ha (0.0 %); 14.1 ha (2.3 %), to 10.8 ha (1.7 %) respectively. There have been beneficial developments in the forests over the last 30 years. The binary logistic regression model disclose that, land ownership had a negative impact on forest management participation, while other factors such as gender, education level, family size, TLU, access to credit, training, and law enforcement had a positive and significant (p < 0.05) effect on PFM practices. LULC change in study area causes rapid wetland ecosystem deterioration, which may result in the extinction of the most significant and ecologically valuable species and a loss of biodiversity in the environment. In this context, developing an integrated participatory approach requires rapid attention, and all farmers and stakeholders must be actively involved in PFM programs.

Community Forest Management and the Resilience of Karen Indigenous Knowledge in Northern Thailand.

This study investigates the resilience of indigenous knowledge in five Karen villages, located in Thailand's Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Lampang provinces, that have been recognized for best practices in community forest management (CFM). The CFM model was initiated by local communities to promote forest conservation and community engagement. Data on CFM practices, land-use rights, social networks, and indigenous knowledge were collected through 17 in-depth interviews and 5 focus group meetings. The findings include how these Karen communities have adopted payment for environmental services (PES) to fund conservation projects and social welfare. More specifically, PES generates social capital by facilitating coordination with stakeholders from the private sector, academia, and government. These social networks promote markets for local products and advocate for indigenous land-use rights. The PES model also serves as a tool whereby Indigenous Peoples can shape their identities as innovative forest guardians and legitimize their residence within the forest. Additionally, the study reports on how Karen people have diversified their livelihoods to include hosting academic tourism, handicrafts, and livestock, reducing their dependence on forest resources.

Effect of the irregular shelterwood system on soil organic carbon stock and soil quality of Shorea robusta Gaertn. f. forest in Nepal.

The effective management of forests relies on the crucial role played bysilvicultural systems. However there exist a significant knowledge gap regarding impact of these systems in Nepalese forests. Therefore, this research was conducted to assess the effects of the forest management activities under irregular shelterwood system on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and the overall soil quality of Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f.) forests in Terai region of Nepal. Stratified random sampling method with 1.67 % sampling intensity was adopted in this study where management of stands was used as basis of strata. A total of 30 composite soil samples (15 each from managed and unmanaged forest stands) were collected from a depth of 0-30 cm, taken from the four corners and the center of each plot. Soil quality index (SQI) method was used for soil quality assessment using indicators on the basis of prior studies conducted in Nepal. Our study found significant difference in soil parameters except organic carbon, pH, silt, and clay among the managed and unmanaged forest stands (p < 0.05). SOC stock of unmanaged forest stands (48.87 ± 1.34 ton ha-1) was significantly greater than managed forest stands (27.76 ± 1.27 ton ha-1). Similarly, unmanaged forest stands demonstrated better soil quality with higher SQI value (0.66) than managed forest stands (0.50). This negative impact of irregular shelterwood silviculture system highlights the necessity for management interventions to enhance SOC stock and overall soil quality. To establish a robust conclusion, further replication of similar studies at different soil depths and in other management regimes, along with longitudinal studies, is essential.

A priory allocation of ecosystem services to forest stands in a forest management context considering scientific suitability, stakeholder engagement and sustainability concept with multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) technique: A case study in Turkey.

Various research endeavours are designed to identify ecosystem services, assess their spatial distribution, and prioritize them in a given forest landscape. The Turkish State Forest Organization has introduced an ecosystem-based multiple-use forest management philosophy since 2008, which emphasizes the need for identifying and allocating ecosystem services to each forest planning unit. This paper aims to investigate the use of Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) techniques and explores their effectiveness and suitability in identifying and allocating ecosystem services to forest units, considering scientific suitability, stakeholder engagement and the sustainability concept in the context of ecosystem-based forest management decision-making processes in a case study area of Turkey. We propose a framework that entails an iterative process comprising various stages, starting from identifying ecosystem services (ES) to allocating them to forest stands with a participatory approach. We employed the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Delphi method to determine stakeholder preferences and allocate ecosystem services to forest stands. This was achieved through an equation newly developed using scientific suitability, stakeholder preferences, and the sustainability concept. The landscape percentage allocated primarily to ES was as follows: water regulation (55.44%), soil protection (16.47%), biodiversity conservation (14.03%), wood production (13.08%), and aesthetic-recreation (0.84%). Notably, no allocations were made for national defence and climate regulation services. In conclusion, the stratification of Posof forests into zones was efficiently achieved a priori, considering both scientific-technical and socio-cultural criteria through MCDA techniques based on stakeholder preferences. This study streamlines the decision-making process involved in spatially allocating ecosystem services and provides crucial information instrumental in determining management objectives and optimal forest activities.

Quantifying the resistance of mixed-forests against natural hazards in the Pyrenees.

Mountain protection forests can prevent natural hazards by reducing their onset and propagation probabilities. In fact, individual trees act as natural barriers against hydrogeomorphic events. However, assessing the structural strength of trees against these hazards is challenging, especially in a context of climate change due to the intensification of extreme events and changes in forest dynamics. Here, we focus on the mechanical analyses of two of the most common tree species across the Pyrenees (Abies alba Mill. and Fagus sylvatica L.) growing in two different areas (Spain and France), and affected by recurrent snow avalanche and rockfall events. We first performed 53 pulling test on mature trees, where the root-plate stiffness and the modulus of elasticity of the stems were evaluated. To further analyse the impact of forest management and climate on protective forests, we yielded information on tree growth using dendroecology techniques. Then, we assessed structure and neighbourhood characteristics for each target tree to account for the surrounding forest structure. Finally, using linear and structured equation models we tested if the mechanical capacity of the trees is determined either by functional traits (e.g. species, tree growth, diameter and height) or forest structural traits (e.g. tree density, tree structure and slenderness) or both. Our results suggest that the forest neighbourhood influences tree mechanical capacity through two pathways, including both functional and structural traits. The individual stiffness parameter of trees is influenced by their functional traits, while their structural traits are more closely related with changes in the modulus of elasticity. Both species exhibit varying levels of dominance in different locations, which is related to their resilience to the diverse natural hazards they confront. Our findings provide relevant insights to anticipating management strategies for forests that serve as a protective barrier against natural hazards in the context of a changing climate.