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Forest certification is a voluntary conservation tool that aims to promote sustainable forest management. While research on forest certification has increased recently, there remains a significant gap in understanding how and to what extent certification can promote forest conservation. Mediterranean cork oak open woodlands are ecosystems of high conservation and socio-economic value. However, these ecosystems are threatened by increased adult oak mortality and regeneration failure, often due to inadequate management and the rise of pests and diseases, aggravated by climate change. Forest certification prescribes management practices intended to enhance tree regeneration and maintain stand health conditions. Therefore, it is anticipated that forest certification could mitigate the observed decline of oak trees in Mediterranean regions. Here, we investigate whether forest certification contributes to the ecological sustainability of Mediterranean cork oak open woodlands in Portugal. We compare the stand biometrics of non-certified and certified cork oak stands before and after certification implementation, using both National Forest Inventory data and field sampling from 2005 and 2020. Our findings indicate that the density of adult oak trees decreased by 16 % in certified estates and 28 % in non-certified estates between 2005 and 2020. Similarly, cork oak cover declined by 6 % tree cover in certified plots and 19 % in non-certified plots during the same period. Consequently, by 2020, tree density was 20 % higher in certified stands than in the non-certified ones, and tree cover was 36 % higher in certified stands. Tree diameter and height increased at similar rates in both certified and non-certified stands from 2005 to 2020.The age structure of the stands also remained consistent, showing a bell-shaped distribution of tree diameters in both years. However, results on oak regeneration were inconclusive. Our results suggest that cork oak decline, measured by the changes in density and cover of adult trees from 2005 to 2020, is slower in certified cork oak woodlands. Nonetheless, the increase in tree diameter and the age structure shape indicate potential regeneration issues in both certified and non-certified stands, needing further measures to address the aging of cork oak open woodlands. • Cork oak tree density decreased between 2005 and 2020 throughout the study area. • The decrease in cork oak density was greater in non-certified stands than in certified stands. • In 2020, certified cork oak stands had a higher tree density and cover. • Certification is contributing to mitigating the decline of cork oak woodlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree species and canopy structural profile ('tree profile') are among the most critical environmental factors in determining urban ecosystem services such as climate and air quality control from urban trees. To accurately characterize a tree profile, the tree diameter, height, crown width, and height to the lowest live branch must be all measured, which is an expensive and time-consuming procedure. Recent advances in artificial intelligence aids to efficiently and accurately measure the aforementioned tree profile parameters. This can be particularly helpful if spatially extensive and accurate street-level images provided by Google ('streetview') or Kakao ('roadview') are utilized. We focused on street trees in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, and suggested a novel approach to create a tree profile and inventory based on deep learning algorithms. We classified urban tree species using the YOLO (You Only Look Once), one of the most popular deep learning object detection algorithms, which provides an uncomplicated method of creating datasets with custom classes. We further utilized semantic segmentation algorithm and graphical analysis to estimate tree profile parameters by determining the relative location of the interface of tree and ground surface. We evaluated the performance of the model by comparing the estimated tree heights, diameters, and locations from the model with the field measurements as ground truth. The results are promising and demonstrate the potential of the method for creating urban street tree profile inventory. In terms of tree species classification, the method showed the mean average precision (mAP) of 0.564. When we used the ideal tree images, the method also reported the normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE) for the tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and distances from the camera to the trees as 0.24, 0.44, and 0.41. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing demand for timber and the boom in massive tree-planting programs could mean the spreading of mismanaged tree plantations worldwide. Here, we apply the concept of ecological intensification to forestry systems as a viable biodiversity-focused strategy that could be critical to develop productive, yet sustainable, tree plantations. Tree plantations can be highly productive if tree species are properly combined to complement their ecological functions. Simultaneously considering soil biodiversity and animal-mediated biocontrol will be critical to minimize the reliance on external inputs. Integrating genetic, functional, and demographic diversity across heterogeneous landscapes should improve resilience under climate change. Designing ecologically intensified plantations will mean breaking the timber productivity versus conservation dichotomy and assuring the maintenance of key ecosystem services at safe levels. Current biodiversity and climate crises are forcing society to adopt new forms of forestry management that reconcile conservation, environmental health , and productivity. Ecological intensification, a pathway to improve yield productivity by increasing biodiversity and ecological functions, can and must be applied to forestry as a way to achieve sustainable and resilient tree plantations. Ecological intensification differs from other initiatives of sustainable management in that biodiversity is the vehicle to boost productivity and is not incompatible with protected areas. An appropriate management to restore and/or enhance both above- and below-ground diversity will increase not only productivity in the short term but also the long-term viability of tree plantations in a climate - change scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal logging is one of the most ancient wood extraction methods and it is still applied in different parts of the world, including industrialised countries. Animal logging is often imagined as a low-impact method and sometimes, or rather often, it is recommended as a best-management practice. However, the literature findings depict a more complex scenario, and the goal of the present review is to shed light on the topic of environmental sustainability of logging operations performed by animals. Usually, animal logging causes less pollutant emissions and less damage to the residual stand in comparison to ground-based mechanised extraction methods. However, when applied in commercial forestry interventions such as coppicing, animal logging showed levels of soil compaction in line with those of ground-based machinery like tractors, skidders and forwarders. Specifically developed trials revealed that in the animal skid trails a strong disturbance to the soil microarthropod community occurred. Furthermore, the soil features in the animal trails seemed to get worse over time after logging, thus suggesting the possible presence of strong localised erosion along these trails. Despite the strong need to further investigate this topic, concerning the ecological aspects of forest soil which were generally neglected by the literature, the use of animal logging can be recommended in the case of small-scale forestry with wooden material sparsely located throughout the logging site. In the case of commercial logging on steep slopes instead it is recommended to replace animal logging with cable-based extraction systems. • Logging operations by the use of animals are still very common. • Animal logging causes lower emission and less damage to the residual trees than machinery. • Animal logging can cause disturbance to soil physicochemical and biological features. • Animal logging is recommended for isolated pockets of timber to be harvested. • Cable systems should be preferred to animal logging on steep slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compared to state-owned but unallocated land, most concessions have a significant positive impact on degradation and deforestation. • The impact of timber concessions on forest loss varies with concession lengths and types. • The probabilities of forest loss on overlap concession areas are higher than timber-only areas, but lower than mining-only areas. Guyana manages an estimated 5.3 million hectares of old-growth tropical forests, 29% of its total forest area, for timber extraction. Individuals and companies can apply for time-limited leases that allocate access, management, and extraction rights for timber through a concession system. In many tropical regions, including Guyana, a lack of integrated land use planning often leads to overlapping extractive and forest use rights for logging and mining. Overlapping land rights in turn create uncertainty and limit investments toward sustainable forest management, affecting deforestation and forest degradation rates. In this study, we use matched fixed-effect and difference-in-differences panel data models to quantify the impact of establishing logging tenure on deforestation and forest degradation. We assess the impact of different tenure use allocations for Guyana, a high forest cover low deforestation country, utilizing a 31-year (1990–2020) remotely sensed annual time series dataset on deforestation and forest degradation. The rate of forest loss (deforestation plus degradation) in public forests managed by the State with no authorized use allocation activities were 0.062% per year. The issuance of timber concessions increases the probability of deforestation by 33.5% and forest degradation by 8.9% compared to unallocated state forests. Forests with overlapping use rights for timber and mining had a 156% and 19.1% higher probability of deforestation and degradation relative to unallocated public forests and forests where only timber harvesting was authorized, respectively. We conclude that overlapping land use allocations result in conflicting resource use strategies that ultimately will limit sustainability and climate goals related to reducing deforestation and degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• LoggingLab is an R package that explicitly simulates each step of tree logging. • By quantifying each source of logging damage, it helps to improve practices. • Its parameters can be adapted to a wide range of logging practices. • Accounting for the spatialisation of each tree and topography improves its accuracy. • Coupled with a forest dynamics simulator it can predict logging long-term impacts. Even where Reduced-Impact Logging (RIL) practices are applied, selective logging causes substantial damage to tropical forests. To further reduce selective logging damage, the practices that cause the most damage need to be identified and alternatives tested. To this end, we developed the R package LoggingLab , a spatially-explicit and individual tree-based selective logging simulator and demonstrated its functions using data from French Guiana. LoggingLab explicitly simulates damage during each stage of the selective logging process taking into account topography and hydrography, which are main constraints on logging. Most LoggingLab parameters can be easily adjusted to a wide range of local contexts. LoggingLab can also be coupled with forest dynamics models to simulate the long- term effects of different selective logging scenarios. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Skidding and forwarding are the two options for ground-based forest operations. • Among practitioners, skidding is generally considered more impactful than forwarding. • Skidding in actually more impactful regarding the damages to residual stand. • Forwarding causes stronger soil compaction than skidding. • Application of Best Management Practices is fundamental to limit the impacts of both skidding and forwarding. The disturbance that ground-based extraction operations can imply on the forests ecosystem is an issue which demands more attention. Skidding and forwarding are the two most common ground-based extraction systems. While skidding implies to partially or fully dragging the logs on the ground, in forwarding, timber is transported on a deck thus avoiding direct contact with the soil. Generally, skidding is considered to be more impactful than forwarding in relation to the amount of disturbance on forest soil and residual stand. However, the framework depicted in current literature is not so strict. While skidding actually implies a higher level of damage to residual stand, the situation concerning disturbance to forest soil is much more complex. The dissimilarities in the results from various studies on this topic have shown the level of complexity. The lack of research investigating the consequences of the two extraction systems on the overall forest ecosystem is evident. Only a few studies were focused for example on the implications on biodiversity. However, the beneficial effects of best management practices, such as the application of snatch blocks during winching or positioning brush mats on the skid trails/strip roads to reduce soil compaction, have been clearly demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • We estimated recruitment after logging using a transition matrix model and an individual-tree model. • Tree recruitment was adequately predicted by the two evaluated models. • Predicting recruitment is important for estimating the future development of forests. • The DII BAL (Basal Area of Larger trees) index more accurately estimates the mortality of recruited trees. Recruitment models in rainforests are important for studies on forest management sustainability and can guide the assessment of remaining stocks and timber harvesting. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate recruitment after Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) by using two categories of models: a distance-independent individual-tree model (ITM) and a matrix model of forest dynamics or transition matrix (TMM). Data from continuous inventories conducted in a Dense Ombrophilous Forest in Paragominas, Pará state, Brazil, were utilized. Two transects of 9 ha each were installed at an area with Reduced Impact Logging, the data was collected in 2005 (nine months after logging), then in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012. Considering a period of 8 years after RIL, the individual tree-based model and transition matrix give consistent predictions of the recruitment in the study area. However, we observed slight superiority by the ITM, which presented values closer to the real ones for the total number of trees per hectare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Family forest owner management decisions occur within a dynamic coupled natural-human system. • Forest owners couple human with natural systems through management. • Public policy is a documented societal instrument to influence forest management. • Role of policy on networks of family-owned properties and peer-learning is less known. • How system of family forest owners affects larger social systems under-researched. We offer a conceptual framework where management couples natural and human systems backed by a representative synthesis of the literature studying US family forest owners. Within a socio-ecological forest system, management occurs at the intersection of resources and conditions intrinsic to owners and land with interactions influenced by extrinsic social and natural factors. Among extrinsic factors, public policy stands out as a major instrument society uses to influence how family forest owners manage their parcels. We discuss how public policy tools influence individual management preferences occurring within a system of forest owners. In the US, forestry extension programs are a major conduit for achieving public policy objectives by increasing family forest owners' knowledge and reducing barriers to purposeful management, among other services. We conclude with insights into documented relationships linking family forestlands and owners to larger natural and human systems and identify areas where more research is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High functional diversity continued after intensive post-logging treatments. • Treated forests had similar dung beetle richness to primary and untreated logged forest. • Treated and untreated forest shared alike compositions distinct from primary communities. • Post-logging silviculture may return timber yields in a biodiversity-friendly way. Commercially logged tropical forests hold high conservation value but are rapidly being converted to lucrative low-diversity plantations. Post-logging interventions that accelerate forest timber and carbon recovery—such as enrichment planting and cutting of woody vines—may reduce both the spatial extent of logging and economic pressures to convert forests, delivering considerable conservation benefits. However, they could also seriously undermine logged forest biodiversity, simplifying forest structure and removing important wildlife microhabitats. To date, no study has investigated the impact of post-logging interventions on invertebrates. Focusing on dung beetles, we explore the effects of intensive vine-cutting and enrichment planting within a largescale post-logging silvicultural project in northern Borneo. We find that for four measures of functional diversity (the facet of diversity that accounts for species traits and functions) and for species richness, treated forest communities are similar to those in unlogged and naturally regenerating forest. Moreover, although community composition in treated forest remains distinct from old-growth forest, it is no different than that in naturally regenerating forest and in fact more closely resembles old-growth than naturally regenerating forest in terms of effective diversity. Our results indicate that logged forests continue to host diverse and functioning dung beetle communities even after silvicultural intensification. Post-logging interventions could therefore play an important role in forest and biodiversity conservation via their incorporation into emerging agendas including REDD+ and the Bonn Challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The impact of shelterwood (SW) cutting on understorey diversity was studied. • SW increases the species richness of vascular plants and bryophytes in pine forests. • The responses to different management practices were species group specific. • SW may be a suitable method to sustain the keystone forest floor species bilberry. Abstract Shelterwood (SW) cutting is considered a sustainable harvest method but its impact on understorey diversity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forests has not been thoroughly studied. Our aim was to clarify how uniform SW cutting in interactions with soil scarification, deposition of logging residues and altered light conditions affects the species richness and composition of vascular plants and bryophytes and how different species groups and individual species vary in their responses to SW practices. We monitored permanent vegetation plots in nine mature pine forests of hemiboreal Estonia before, shortly after and 3–4 years after SW harvesting. The results indicated that the effect of uniform SW harvesting was species group specific as the majority of vascular plant species groups as well as mosses and epigeic bryophytes increased in richness, however, the species richness of epiphytic and epixylic bryophytes decreased. Late-successional species showed two types of responses to SW harvesting: either reduction of cover or reduction followed by a recovery. Soil scarification favoured early-successional bryophyte species as well as the richness of tree seedlings and dwarf-shrubs but diminished the cover of Vaccinium myrtillus , Vaccinium vitis-idaea and Hylocomium splendens. The harvest-induced changes in the species composition were more pronounced for bryophyte communities than for vascular plants. Retention of green trees and dead-wood is important in SW harvesting for sustaining the vulnerable epixylic and epiphytic bryophyte species. To summarise, uniform SW harvesting increases the species richness of vascular plant and bryophyte communities in pine forests - at least in the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Liana liberation on future crop trees represented ∼12% of the field crews daily time. • Trees liberated from lianas grew 38–63% faster that those that did not get liberated. • Average growth rate of released trees over 40 years will yield an average of 1.51 m3. • Volume gains of trees liberated from lianas offset the costs of the treatment. Abstract Lianas (woody climbing plants) often abound in tropical forests after selective logging and other disturbances. Liana cutting is an often-prescribed but seldom applied silvicultural treatment designed to foster the growth of future crop trees (hereafter: FCTs). Small-scale studies indicate that this treatment is effective, but little is known about its efficiency (i.e., proportions of lianas missed) or financial cost effectiveness at operational scales. To fill these gaps, we worked in a commercial forest concession in Belize where FCTs and trees to be felled were liberated from lianas in 500–1000 ha annual timber harvest blocks. We found that field crews assigned this and inventory-related tasks spent 11.8% of their time cutting lianas from FCTs at a cost of $0.11 per tree. Workers failed to cut 31.9% of the lianas that infested the 701 FCTs they were supposed to liberate; most of the missed lianas grew into the FCT crowns from neighbors or hung down far from the bole [an additional 48 FCTs (6%) were completely missed]. In a logging block treated 9-years prior to this study, 39% of the liberated Swietenia macrophylla FCTs 29–56 cm DBH were still liana-free whereas in an untreated stand, 94% of similar-sized conspecific control FCTs were liana-infested. Based on tree ring data for the same 9-year period, the liberated FCTs grew 38–63% faster than control FCTs. If the mean growth benefit is sustained over the entire 40-year cutting cycle, each liberated FCT will yield an average of 1.51 m3 (639 board feet) more roundwood than comparable FCTs in unliberated forest. Over this 40-year period with an annual discount rate of 4.5%, this added volume gives the $0.11 investment per tree a net present value of US $161.38 and a profitability index of 1467 for export quality timber. These results argue for the application of this inexpensive and effective treatment in managed forests where lianas abound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Balancing conservation and small holder livelihoods in tropical forests is a multi-faceted challenge. • Ecology, management, policy, and economics factors were integrated into a community model. • Management allows for landscape species population recovery while improving economic viability. • Legalization may require more intense harvests to maintain competitive economic returns. Abstract Nearly 25% of world's poor are dependent on forests, with 0.5–1 billion smallholders managing trees. This extensive human use of forests points to the need for sustainable timber management (STM) at smallholder scales. Similar to other tropical regions, households in the Amazon Estuary have harvested timber informally with minimal management for decades. This research provides a comprehensive look at the ecological and economic sustainability of forest use by local smallholders by integrating detailed plant demography, microeconomic, management and land use models at a whole watershed and community scale. In terms of conservation outcomes, resulting models show that forest management results in extensive harvests that allow for faster tree population recovery. In terms of economic outcomes, management also improves the long-term viability of the local timber industry in all scenarios considered. However, with respect to harvest regulations, given the costs of legalizing these small informal operations, legalization may indirectly lead to heavier ecological impacts as households need to harvest more to keep economic returns similar to the predominant alternative land use in the region (açaí palm fruit agroforestry). Despite a fast-growing and resource-rich forest, an increasing extent of degraded forest area reduces the ecological and economic prospects for long-term management. Consequently, for this and other similar tropical forests, the viability of STM should not be evaluated as a binary and static yes or no response but instead as a moving window of opportunity that occurs when ecological, economic and policy conditions are met. Integrated model projections show that regionally-derived and ecologically-based sustainable management guidelines widen this window of opportunity by delivering the best ecological and economic outcomes under a range of scenarios considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Linear mixed models provide appropriate framework for modeling forest growth data. • Supervised logging with climber cutting (SLC) reduces recovery time. • SLC reduces Macaranga establishment compared to conventional logging (CL). • Double growth rate for dipterocarps in SLC compared to CL. Abstract To understand and predict the dynamics and productivity of the world's tropical rainforests after logging is a major challenge for ecologists and forest managers. Realistic forest-dynamics models for this biome are largely lacking. Using linear mixed models, we analyse basal area development for the commercially valuable tree species of dipterocarps and the fast-growing pioneer Macaranga spp., following two selective logging methods; supervised logging (SL) and conventional logging (CL) combined with- or without pre-harvest climber cutting (SLC and SL, and CLC and CL, respectively). After logging there was an initial period of about five years before recovery started. During the 18-year study period, the average stand basal area growth rates of the dipterocarp group in the SLC treatment was double that in the CL treatment, revealing a faster recovery. Eighteen years after logging, SL and SLC treatments recovered 93% and 84%, respectively, of the initial standing dipterocarp basal area, compared to 73% and 72% recovery for the CL and CLC treatments. SLC treatments reduced the overall establishment of pioneer species (Macaranga spp.) by about 45% in contrast to CL and CLC treatments. Our study provides a framework for evaluating and comparing growth rates in tropical forests for different logging methods. The results suggest that a combination of directional felling, pre-aligned skid trails and pre-harvest climber cutting can improve future yields in tropical rainforests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Suppressing either herbaceous-only or woody-only vegetation promoted competitive species and delayed understory maturation. • A single, second-season suppression of woody and herbaceous species favoured pine performance and understory recovery. • Silviculture prescriptions can be designed to balance multiple management objectives within eastern white pine plantations. Abstract Multiple-use land management is an important aspect of sustainable forest management and requires strategies that both promote sustainable fiber production and conserve biodiversity. Studies formally integrating these two aspects of forest management are needed to develop silviculture prescriptions capable of maintaining the delivery of multiple ecosystem goods and services. Techniques used to suppress vegetation that competes with young pine seedlings have become standard practice in the regeneration of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), but they can cause changes in plant community composition. We compared white pine performance to understory development under five vegetation suppression treatments within three experimental white pine plantations. White pine performance was assessed in terms of basal stem diameter and the percentage of trees reaching an age 10 height target. Understory development was characterized in terms of understory plant functional composition using a complementary set of functional and taxonomic diversity metrics. Plantations included one clearcut site and two sites managed under a uniform shelterwood system. Our results show that after 10 years, plots treated with a single, second-season application of herbicide that temporarily suppressed both woody and herbaceous vegetation favoured rapid white pine growth, increased pine canopy cover, and allowed the understory community to recover towards a mature functional and taxonomic composition. Repetitive suppression of either only herbaceous or woody vegetation caused major shifts in community composition that were still evident after 10 years. These shifts were due to the prevalence of competitive species that formed dominant layers in these treatments. Impacts of treatments on tree performance and understory development observed in this study have important implications for forest management. Some treatments might create problems in the long-term by delaying understory maturation, while others appear capable of balancing multiple management objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Low levels of seedling recruitment were found in shelterwood-treated jarrah forest. • Recruitment was strongly linked to levels of canopy seed store and seed fall. • A minor positive effect of ashbed, particularly areas burnt to mineral soil, was found. • Adequate seedling recruitment following logging in jarrah forest may require more intense fire. Abstract Successful and adequate recruitment of seedlings is an essential ecological process in forest ecosystem dynamics and is a key principle underpinning sustainable timber harvesting. This is particularly so with the shelterwood silvicultural system used in the jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest of south-west Australia where partial cuts of overstorey are made followed by prescribed burning to stimulate seed fall and seedling establishment. There have been concerns over the lack of seedling recruitment in some shelterwood-treated areas of the jarrah forest, and hence this study was implemented to explore the roles of seed supply and seedbed conditions in limiting recruitment of jarrah seedlings. Low seedling densities were recorded across all six burnt study sites and were strongly correlated (at both broad and fine scales) with both canopy seed store and seed fall. Ample levels of post-burn seed fall only resulted in low seedling numbers suggesting that adequate seed supply did not coincide with seedbed conditions suitable for mass seedling regeneration. Conditions favourable for seedling recruitment were highly variable within sites, since both seed supply and seedbed conditions were spatially heterogeneous. Fine-scale areas burnt to mineral soil showed an additive influence to the overwhelmingly dominant factor of seed supply on seedling recruitment. However, the capacity of low intensity burns to produce these seedbed conditions at a broad scale appears to be limited. Results suggest that successful stocking of shelterwood-treated jarrah forest is not always feasible following a single silvicultural event, such as post-harvest burning under mild conditions. The chances of ample seed supply coinciding with broad-scale seedbed conditions favourable for mass germination, emergence and establishment appear to be low. Successful stocking of shelterwood-treated jarrah forest is more likely to be a longer term outcome achieved through episodic recruitment, especially when favourable environmental conditions coincide with optimal seedbed conditions. Such episodic recruitment strategies may be common in resource-limited systems such as jarrah forest and other dry eucalypt forest systems, where conditions controlling the regeneration niche are often variable and unpredictable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Mediterranean forests are subject to various risks, particularly fire risk. • Decision making must include biological, environmental and economical concerns. • We developed a decision support system to integrate these different perspectives. • This decision support system is an important tool for managing the territory. • This system is also an important tool for implementing manager's decisions. Abstract Mediterranean forests contain a relevant biological diversity and are relevant for local economy. However, they are subject to various risks, particularly the risk of forest fires. This turns the critical decisions of forest managers, affecting both the long-term future of the forest and daily activities, to be difficult. To simulate decisions, and help managers and policy makers, a decision support system, which integrates the biological, environmental and economic management perspectives of agricultural and forest areas, was developed and considers the activities existing in the territory. The decision support system considers the characteristics of the biophysical units that comprise the territorial study area, production technologies and conservation of agro-forestry goods and preferences of managers or stakeholders. The proposed approach was applied in a pilot Forest Intervention Zone (FIZ) located within the Algarve region inner land. The results show that the decision support system proposed is an important tool for managing the territory and for implementing the manager's decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We institute a deliberative experiment to test whether intergenerational retrospective viewpoints affect individual policy preferences. • We prepare case method materials for the two treatments of non-retrospective and retrospective settings. • Subjects reveal preferences for forest policies at the individual and group levels through deliberative experiments. • Subjects in the retrospective treatment tend to choose as favorite policies those that fundamentally change the status quo. • Acquiring intergenerational retrospective viewpoints as part of projecting the future could possibly affect policy preferences. Abstract Brain scientists have established that projecting future events can influence the functioning of human brains and possibly current decisions (Schultz et al., 1997; Gilbert and Wilson, 2007; Gerlach et al., 2014, Szpunara et al., 2014). We design and institute a deliberative experiment to test whether the acquisition and experience of intergenerational retrospective viewpoints as one way of projecting future events affect individual preferences for policies. To this end, we employ a case-method approach for forest management policies in Kochi prefecture, Japan, because these environmental issues extend over multiple generations. We prepare two treatments of non-retrospective and retrospective settings where subjects are asked to read through a case-method material on forest management and reveal preferences for policies at the individual and group levels through deliberative discussions. Subjects in the retrospective treatment experience a series of procedures to acquire intergenerational retrospective viewpoints, while those in the non-retrospective treatment do not. The results reveal that the acquisition and experience of intergenerational retrospective viewpoints affect individual preferences for forest policies in that the most favored policies chosen by subjects in the retrospective treatment differ from those in the non-retrospective treatment. Subjects in the retrospective treatment tend to choose the policies that fundamentally change the status quo, while those in the non-retrospective treatment show the opposite tendency. Overall, this result suggests that acquiring intergenerational retrospective viewpoints as part of projecting the future could possibly affect ways of thinking and preferences for possible betterment of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The ecosystem services provided by tropical forests are affected by deforestation. Territorial management strategies aim to prevent and mitigate forest loss. Therefore, modeling potential land use changes is important for forest management, monitoring, and evaluation. This study determined whether there are relationships between forest vulnerability to deforestation (potential deforestation distribution) and the forest management policies applied in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Proxy and underlying variables were used to construct a statistical model, based on the principle of maximum entropy that could predict potential land use changes. Entropy can be seen as a measure of uncertainty for a density function. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis and the Jackknife Test were used to validate the model. The importance of input variables in the model was determined through: Percent Contribution (PC) and Permutation Importance (PI). The results were compared with prevailing regional forest management strategies. The socioeconomic variables that provided the largest amount of information in the overall model (AUC = 0.81) and that showed most of the information not present in other variables were: “Protected areas-Intangible zone” (PC = 24%, PI = 12.4%), “timber harvesting programs” (PC = 21.7%, PI = 4.7%), “road network” (PC = 18.9%, PI = 7.7%), and “poverty rate” (PC = 3.7%, PI = 6.1%). Also, the biophysical variable “temperature” (PC = 7,9%, PI = 22.3%) provided information in the overall model. The results suggested the need for changes in forest management strategies. Forest policies and management plans should consider integrating and strengthening protected areas and intangible zones, as well as restricting timber harvesting in native forest and establishing forest areas under permanent management. Furthermore, the results also suggested that financial incentive programs to reduce deforestation have to be evaluated because their present distribution is inefficient. In this context, conservation incentive plans need to be revised so that they focus on areas at deforestation risk. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Modeling deforestation could improve forest landscape planning and management. • Maximum entropy models as effective estimators in land use change studies, forest management, and deforestation distribution. • Mixed variables quantified the relationship between deforestation potential distribution and regional forest management. • Legal timber harvesting, protected areas, oil extraction and road network boost Western Amazon landscape deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Dead wood dynamics during whole shelterwood cutting cycle was studied in 70 stands. • Changes in dead wood composition increased with cutting intensity. • Shelterwood does not sustain larger dead-wood pools than clear-cutting system. • Shelterwood can stabilize total dead-wood volume, but its turnover is high. • Almost all snags were destroyed during regeneration cuttings. Abstract Shelterwood is commonly assumed to be a more nature-friendly silvicultural system than clear-cutting. However, dead-wood pools – a key characteristic of natural forest – have been seldom compared between these systems. We investigated how shelterwood harvesting influences the dynamics of different dead-wood fractions in Estonia, where the predominant forestry model is clear-cutting based but ‘seminatural’ (using native tree species and, to a significant extent, natural regeneration). We measured dead-wood pools in 49 Scots pine-dominated stands (representing all shelterwood harvesting stages), and in 11 pine-dominated and 10 Norway spruce-dominated stands as before-after experiments (1st stage only). We analysed dead-wood amounts in relation to site conditions and the proportion of timber harvested, and we compared the shelterwood impacts with published estimates from Estonian clear-cuts. Fine woody debris (5–9.9 cm) increased with the harvest. The volume of coarse woody debris was 19–27 m3 ha−1 in uniform shelterwood stands in pine forest (0–25 years after the first harvest); 63 m3 ha−1 in strip shelterwood stands in spruce forest (immediately post harvest). In before-after experiments, post-harvest dead-wood amounts depended on fraction and harvesting intensity, which determines the balance between the input of new debris (logs; stumps) and the loss of pre-existing standing and downed dead trees. After the first shelterwood harvesting, dead-wood pools remained relatively stable, which contrasts with the large fluctuations after clear-cutting. In the long term, however, shelterwood did not sustain generally larger dead-wood pools than the clear-cutting system in seminatural forestry setting. The issue to be resolved in both types of regeneration cuttings is the near-complete loss of standing dead trees, which probably requires new harvesting techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Viable populations of typical species indicate state of mire-forest landscapes. • Three species of declining forest grouse were mapped in seven Estonian landscapes. • The species were segregated by preferred Histosol sites. • All grouse species avoided recently thinned forests but did not avoid predators. • Grouse require large reserves and buffer habitats in drained peatland landscapes. Natural peatland forest landscapes have been transformed and fragmented by forestry and agriculture worldwide, which undermines their ecological functioning and resilience. In Northern Europe, such transformations are apparently linked with observed long-term declines of forest dwelling grouse; those declines have not been effectively addressed by conservation. We asked how site factors, in combination with forest management and predation risk, shape grouse distributions in such landscapes in the breeding season. The data were collected by single-visit snapshot mapping of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), hazel grouse (Tetrastes bonasia), and the signs of their potential predators across seven peatland forest areas (156 km2 in total) around large bogs in Estonia. We modelled the presence of grouse species in relation to landscape gradients, forest stand characteristics, and predator occurrence. The species were partly segregated along the bog-fen forest gradient (on different types of peat soils) and by stand composition; most capercaillie hens dispersed up to 2.5 km from lekking sites. All species avoided recently thinned forests, except breeding capercaillie in transitional mire sites (their preferred habitat). When the other factors were accounted for, the grouse neither avoided densely ditched areas nor predator vicinity at a forest scale (ca. 20-ha), which may expose the birds to unperceived risks. Our results indicate that conserving all three grouse species in peatland forest landscapes requires maintaining the edaphic and stand-structural diversity of the forests. Frequent thinning and dense predator populations are detrimental, and may require large refuge habitats to buffer their influence. Sustaining viable grouse populations serves as a clear target for ecosystem management in drained peatland landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Comprehensive Forest Area Density (FAD) data of Spain at five scale levels. • Differential profiles of forest types in response to Mediterranean condition. • Predictable FAD scaling relations by forest type; operational scale 5,300 ha. • Theoretical model based on actual FAD distributions across scale levels. • New multiscale fragmentation indicator for forest planning: sl50. This work contributes to the understanding of forest landscape ecology to support large-scale forest planning in Mediterranean forests. It examines the forest condition from a general perspective of habitat fragmentation in Spain. Our objective is to establish a framework for the assessment and comparison of the degree of forest fragmentation by generating reference curves of the Forest Area Density (FAD) metric, by forest type, and identifying multiscale fragmentation profiles at both the pixel and forest type level. To achieve this objective, pixel-level FAD values were produced in the entirety of Spain using a moving-window procedure and considering five scale levels and 20 forest types. Moreover, the results of this study inform useful operational scales and scaling relations, jointly providing a comprehensive national reference framework. We also propose a general theoretical model of fragmentation that derives from the relationship between the shape of the FAD reference curves and the considered scale levels. Based on this model, we define a new multiscale indicator for forest planning: the scale level (i.e., the size of the analysis window) at which the FAD metric takes a mean value of 50%. We expect this new indicator to be a useful tool for sustainable forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem accounting is a systematic approach that combines environmental and economic data to track the full physical and monetary value of natural capital and can be applied at various spatial scales and for a range of purposes. Our main objective is to identify where and how ecosystem accounting has been applied in the specific context of forest resource management. We selected the System of Economic Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA) Ecosystem Accounting (EA) which is aligned with national accounting for our analysis. Our systematic literature review was conducted on publications between 2012 and 2023 that apply SEEA EA consistent methodology for forest ecosystems globally. We find the use of SEEA EA consistent ecosystem accounts in forestry have been limited and tends to occur where governmental and institutional support is available. Detailed analysis of forestry case studies identified gaps and challenges including the variation in which SEEA EA had been applied, limited number of ecosystem services reported, issues related to valuation, and a lack of industry adoption. The results of this review highlight the urgent need to make ecosystem accounting more achievable and accessible in the forest sector to ensure that quantifying forest natural capital is mainstreamed for decision and policy processes. • Forest management can benefit from ecosystem accounting. • A limited number of SEEA EA consistent applications exist in forestry management. • Variation in SEEA EA compatible ecosystem accounts in forestry is observed. • Limited number and type of forest ecosystem services reported across case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Deforestation creates a hot environment, thus water is not capable to balance temperature differences in both time and space modifying the local and regional scale hydrological cycle and influencing the climate not only at these scales but to the Earth climate. • Most of the surface corresponds to high permeability type forming a karstic relief, where water is stored in Aguadas used only by nearby communities. • The studied sites at the RBC could be divided into three areas according to several factors some of them soil type, vegetation and climate: North, South, and Archaeological. • The natural influence by rock washing or erosion in the subsurface and surface has a direct effect on the ecosystem due to the presence of carbonates, sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Although DO concentration (% of saturation) suggests that primary production continues being an emergent macrophyte dominated system. • As and V were only detected in La Ceiba aguada, a cenote isolate from the inhabitants. • Although, cadmium, manganese, cupper, iron, aluminium, barium and strontium were detected in all the aguadas and presented values above the permitted limits by the NMX-AA-131-SCFI-2005, they are in agreement with the criteria for protection of aquatic life. Abstract Hydrological aspects in ecosystems are defined as those that support the availability of water. This involves the analysis of ecosystems establishing their ecological interactions as well as external factors such as humans’ presence, changes in seasonal patterns of flow, physicochemical characteristics of water bodies, and the type and amount of pollutants entering these water bodies mostly due to surface but also some subsurface runoff. The aim of this article is to establish if soil type, vegetation or land use changes have a major impact affecting water quality in aguadas (a type of cenotes) and therefore its availability as a source of water in a rain forest ecosystem with karst soil and shortages. For this, nine aguadas were monitored in a Natural Protected area, whose importance is based on sustaining the ecosystem of different species, as well as to provide a source of water supply. The monitoring work considered soil and vegetation characteristics and water quality, in the aguadas, with and without direct human impact. Results showed that the studied sites at the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (RBC) can be divided into three areas according to several factors some of them soil type, vegetation and climate. For each of the studies sites, sample tests of microorganisms, physico-chemical parameters and metals were performed. It was observed that deforestation around water bodies, transforming jungle into agricultural land, is critical since it creates a climatic transition zone affecting the water balance, and generates erosion moving nutrients and soil materials into water bodies. Additionally, the presence of total coliforms due to the combined use of water for human and animal use was observed. The natural influence by rock washing or erosion in the subsurface and surface has an effect on production systems due to the presence of carbonates, sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Besides these elements, all aguadas also have high concentrations of: cadmium, manganese, cupper, iron, aluminium, barium and strontium but they are agreed with the Water Quality Criteria. La Ceiba aguada has some traces of arsenic 0.019 mg/L and vanadium 0.041 mg/L. The presence of these elements need to be specified (natural or anthropogenic causes) in order to propose a treatment process. Based on this, soil and vegetation are clue to define water quality in a natural reserve, thus it is necessary to reduce deforestation and recovering the capacity of the resilience through a sustainable forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonally dry deciduous forest (Caatinga) of northeast Brazil is under intense human pressure, and sustainable use of its tree resources for fuelwood is a pressing concern. An experiment was conducted to ascertain which management techniques (coppicing, pollarding or crown-thinning) permit the highest survival of trees and optimal timber production. Four much-utilised tree species: Croton sonderianus, Mimosa ophthalmocentra, Mimosa tenuiflora and Poincianella pyramidalis (syn. Caesalpinia pyramidalis ) were studied at two sites in Pernambuco State. The impact of each harvesting regime was evaluated over a six-year period, with additional variables including wet-season versus dry-season harvesting, and three-year versus six-year harvesting cycles. The best performing tree species varied between sites, with M. tenuiflora providing the highest yields with all treatments at Sertânia and M. tenuiflora and Poincianella pyramidalis at Serra Talhada. The optimal management regime did not vary between species. Crown-thinned trees produced limited regrowth with the lowest mortality rates, and when ultimately coppiced growth appeared to have been stimulated. Pollarding was intermediate and coppicing was the poorest management strategy. Trees which were harvested twice, in both 2005 and 2008, had much lower overall production than those which had only been harvested once in 2008. The highest yields were obtained from crown-thinned trees which were coppiced in 2005 or 2008. Management decisions must consider local environmental conditions in the selection of the tree species used to produce fuelwood, however, the optimal management strategy for high production and low mortality is consistently low impact, infrequent crown thinning. There was considerable difference in the findings between the study sites (e.g. in the distribution of statistically significant results), and also in the impacts of treatments on mortality between the four species. The results can be used to guide species-level management regimes that minimise tree mortality, contributing to long-term fuelwood productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, considerable progress has been made in developing vulnerability assessment tools and in applying these methodologies to identify and implement climate change adaptation approaches for forest ecosystems and forest management organizations in Canada and the United States. However, given that adaptation processes are in early stages, evaluation of approaches across agency, organizational, and geographic boundaries is critical. Thus, we conducted a qualitative comparison of three conceptual frameworks for climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation efforts in the Canadian and United States forestry agency contexts. We focus our comparison on components of the conceptual frameworks, development process, intended users, similarities and differences in institutional contexts (geographic and organizational), and implementation. Finally, we present case studies to illustrate how the frameworks have been implemented on the ground and in different contexts. Despite different trajectories of development, the Canadian and US forest agencies have developed similar conceptual frameworks for vulnerability assessment and adaptation. We found that key components of the conceptual frameworks included: establishing a science-management partnership; evaluating current forest conditions and management objectives; conducting detailed science-based vulnerability assessments; developing adaptation approaches and on-the-ground tactics; implementing adaptation tactics; and monitoring outcomes and adjusting as needed. However, the contexts in which these frameworks are implemented vary considerably within and between countries, mostly because of differences in land ownership, management norms, and organizational cultures. On-the-ground applications, although slow to develop, are beginning to proliferate, providing examples that can be emulated by others. A strategy for accelerating implementation of adaptation in Canada and the United States is suggested, building on successes by federal agencies and extending to public, private, and crown lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable production of wood is one of the main services provided by forest systems. Site productivity in the case of forests is often evaluated through the site quality. However, most of the works addressing the site quality have been done at local or regional scale. In this work, we aim to develop site quality models for five dominant species in Spanish forests ( Fagus sylvatica , Pinus pinaster atlantica , Quercus pyrenaica , Pinus nigra , Pinus sylvestris ) and create site quality maps at a national-scale from these models. First, we develop site quality models using site form (height-diameter relationship) as the reference index and the Spanish National Forest Inventory as dataset. Then, we fit spatial additive models entering physiographic and climatic variables in order to predict the site quality over the whole country. Additionally, we plot site form maps for the five species in order to describe spatial pattern in site quality at a national scale. Altitude and aspect appeared to be fundamental variables in the assessment of site quality. The accuracy of the spatial additive models ranged from 38.2% to 47.9%. The correspondence between the predicted and observed maps of site qualities is clear. Our results provide a tool which could be used by forest managers in land use planning as well as in forest policy decision-making at a national scale. We suggest that this method could be used in other countries and that the maps could be expanded to the European scale to assessing the way in which site quality varies across Europe always considering that the relationships between forest productivity and environmental variables could vary among biogeoclimatic zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Involving stakeholders in the decision-making process can be very complex and time consuming. Decision theater (DT), which enables the combination of visualization and decision modeling capabilities together with human capacity of insight and interaction, is proposed for addressing this challenging problem in the forest sector. A generic framework for designing DTs to support participatory planning in the forest sector is proposed. To enable DT implementation and support decision-making in the DT in the province of Québec, Canada, the conceptual design of a decision-support system called Forest Community-DSS (FC-DSS) has been developed. Implementing FC-DSS along with other technologies in a DT environment can contribute to engage the stakeholders in the decision-making process by increasing participation frequency, collecting more inputs from the stakeholders, supporting the development and evaluation of alternative options and the selection of preferred alternatives. A DT-based collaboration approach would contribute to address the multiple issues of the stakeholders involved in participatory planning in Québec. Other Canadian provinces and other countries facing similar issues can benefit from the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linking integrated water resources management (IWRM) and Ecohydrology for the sustainance of watersheds and environmentally friendly economic activities is vital for ensuring continued water flow and a steady supply of watershed services for societal needs, and the integrity of aquatic vegetation and animal species. However, regardless of the reforms in water policy and the Water Resources Development Programme and Water Resources Management Act to include provisions for IWRM, Tanzania is still facing several institutional challenges in the practical implementation of IWRM. This study aimed at exploring the potentials and constraints for integrating Ecohydrology and IWRM to develop an integrated institutional framework for providing a sustainable flow of ecosystem services for societal needs along the Pangani River Basin (PRB) in Tanzania. The data was collected through socio-economic methods including questionnaires, surveys, structured and semi-structured interviews and a documentary review of secondary information. Logistic regression models were performed to analyse factors influencing watershed management integration. Logistic regression results showed that watershed management integration was significantly ( p < 0.001) constrained by poor inter-sectoral coordination at field level, diverging interests of watershed stakeholders, incompatibility between formal and informal institutions, poor highland-lowland integration, development interventions, population pressure, inadequate political support and migration. This, together with power imbalances and the uncoordinated interests of multi-stakeholders, predispose the PRB's watersheds to unsustainable management. This state of affairs will continue to hamper national aspirations to effectively implement IWRM along the PRB. Successful IWRM implementation would allow the country to meet its obligations towards sustainable watershed management. It is recommended that an integrated institutional framework capable of integrating upstream and downstream communities be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shelterwood (SW) cutting is a silvicultural method for establishing natural tree regeneration. It is considered to be less destructive for forest biodiversity than intensive harvest methods. In boreal forests, bryophytes are an important taxonomic group, but are vulnerable to changes caused by intensive forest management. To date, the effect of SW cutting on bryophytes has been insufficiently tested, particularly if the entire cutting cycle and different forest-type groups are included. Bryophyte assemblages and forest structural features were surveyed at the stand scale in 30 dry and fresh boreal study sites to test which factors influence bryophyte species richness and composition in SW cuttings as compared to mature managed forests. Total species richness of bryophytes was generally higher in mature forests (123 species) compared to SW cuttings after the first (96 species) and final (90 species) stages of the cutting rotation, but the mean stand scale richness was similar among SW cuttings and mature stands. Independent of the management, a higher number of deciduous trees favoured richness of mosses and liverworts, the latter also positively influenced by the volume of well-decayed logs. Bryophyte assemblages of the first and completed SW cut sites were similar, but distinct from those of mature forests. This pattern also held if mosses and liverworts were analysed separately or if assemblages of the same substrate type (i.e. live trees, stumps, dead wood) were compared between management treatments. The general impact of SW cutting on bryophytes was mild in dry boreal sites, but destructive for species of conservation concern in fresh boreal sites. Retaining a higher density of coniferous and deciduous trees during the SW rotation, as well as careful retention of dead wood legacies (snags and logs), is critical to support bryophyte assemblages in SW post-cut sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Non-timber tree species density was associated with post-logging NDVI change. • Horizontal understory cover was associated with post-logging NDVI change. • A. caerensis and J. mimosifolia endangered species were not recorded post-logging. • Post-logging there was a change in the species order regarding to the IVI. • A decrease in the first diameter classes could reduce timber productivity. Native forests are considered to be the main centers of terrestrial diversity in the world and they provide important ecosystem services for humanity. Unsustainable logging is currently-one of the greatest threats to the biodiversity of these forests. In northwestern Argentina, about 90 % of the piedmont forest in the Southern Yungas has been transformed and the remaining 10% is being intensively logged. The aim of this study was to identify post-logging changes in the structural and compositional attributes affecting the functionality of a dry forest in Argentina. In the control forest, we recorded 1559 individuals from 45 tree species and 22 families, and at post-logging forest, 1376 trees from 47 species and 25 families. Logging affected the forest structure by decreasing timber tree density and basal area. In addition, at the post-logging forest, we observed an increase in the density of non-timber trees and in the horizontal understory cover, which were associated with the normalized difference vegetation index, thus, affecting the forest functioning. The threatened timber species Amburana cearensis and Jacaranda mimosifolia were not recorded in the logged forest. In the control, four timber species had the highest importance value indexes (IVI): Phyllostilon rhamnoides , Anadenanthera colubrina , Calicophylum multiflorum , and Myracrodruon urundeuva. Additionally, in the logged forest there was a change in the species order regarding the IVI, with A. colubrina, P. rhamnoides, Cordia americana , and a non-valuable timber species (Ocotea puberula) being the most important tree species. In order to preserve the economic and ecological value of the piedmont forest, the density of non-timber tree species and the horizontal understory cover must be maintained at values close to the control forest. These guidelines can be implemented by applying low-impact logging techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arboreal lichens have a wide range of tolerance to habitat disturbance. As a result, they have been used globally as bioindicators of environmental change, particularly for monitoring atmospheric pollution. Here, we use lichens to monitor air quality and ecological integrity (EI) at Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site in Nova Scotia, Canada. We provide descriptions of two protocols and compare the results using data gathered in 2006, 2011, and 2016. To monitor air quality, we established 12 monitoring sites throughout the park and used a suite of lichens that are intolerant to air pollution to develop an index of air purity (IAP) that we compared every 5 years. Our protocol for monitoring EI of forest ecosystems was set up at these same 12 sites. We selected 50 regionally common field-identifiable lichen species and genera ranging in sensitivity from disturbance-tolerant to intolerant, and compare their presence in spatially constrained zones on a variety of tree species every 5 years. Our results suggest that air quality in Kejimkujik has increased slightly in the 10 years since monitoring was implemented, which is consistent with improvements in local air quality. Species richness also increased slightly, suggesting that EI has not declined. The maintenance of EI, through protection and restoration of natural resources, is a key priority in the management of national parks in Canada. Our protocols will provide early detection of changes to EI, enabling park managers to take responsive action. We are confident that our protocols can be replicated in other parts of the world with different suites of regionally common lichens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, over 400 million hectares of tropical forests are set aside for timber production. Several certification schemes exist to ensure more sustainable exploitation and large areas of production forests are currently certified. Under such schemes, logging companies are required to evaluate whether species are not overexploited and, if necessary, adapt their logging activities. However, the data needed to project exploitation intensities – growth, mortality and regeneration rates of trees – are scarce or non-existent. Tree-ring analysis provides lifetime species-specific growth data that can be used to allow or improve the projections of timber availability during following logging cycles. In this study, we integrated growth data from tree rings with logging inventory data to forecast timber yields in the next harvest round for four timber species in Cameroon. We compared projections using tree-ring data with projections using fixed growth rates, as set by law and customarily applied in Cameroon. Additionally, we assessed the effect of increasing logging cycles and of using filed-based species-specific logging intensities on the next cycle’s yield projections. Under current logging practices, timber volumes available at next logging cycles are projected to be 21–36% of the volumes obtained at first harvest. Simulations using fixed rates often resulted in lower yields with lower volume ingrowth from trees that were below minimum cutting diameters in the first harvest. Lengthening the logging cycle increased yield predictions during the next harvests, but yields were still not sustained over time. This problem can be resolved by using species-specific logging intensities, which led to projected yields of up to 73% of the initial harvested volume. The growth data provided by tree-ring analysis allows conducting such species-specific projections and thus helps to provide the knowledge base necessary for sustainable forest management. Yet, the low overall yields are a concern to forest conservation, as loss of economic value may lead to conversion of forests to other land uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inclusion of managed tropical forests in climate change mitigation has made it important to find the sustainable sweet-spot for timber production, carbon retention, and the quick recovery of both. Here we focus on recovery of aboveground carbon and timber stocks over the first 32 years after selective logging with the CELOS Harvest System in Suriname. Our data are from twelve 1-ha permanent sample plots in which growth, survival, and recruitment of trees ≥15 cm diameter were monitored between 1978 and 2012. We evaluate plot-level changes in basal area, stem density, aboveground carbon, and timber stock in response to average timber harvests of 15, 23, and 46 m 3 ha −1 . We use a linear mixed-effects model in a Bayesian framework to quantify recovery time for aboveground carbon and timber stock, as well as annualized increments for both. Our statistical models accounted for the uncertainty associated with the height and biomass allometries used to estimate aboveground carbon and increased precision of annualized aboveground carbon increments by including data from forty-one plots located elsewhere on the Guiana Shield. The probabilities of aboveground carbon recovery to pre-logging levels 32 years after harvests of 15, 23 and 46 m 3 ha −1 were 45%, 40%, and 24%, respectively. Net aboveground carbon increment for logged forests across all harvest intensities was 0.64 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 , more than twice the rate observed in unlogged forests (0.26 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 ). The probabilities of timber stock recovery at the end of the 32-year period were highest after harvest intensities of 15 and 23 m 3 ha −1 (with 80% probability) and lowest after the harvest of 46 m 3 ha −1 (with 70% probability). Timber stock recovery across all harvest intensities was driven primarily by residual tree growth. Application of the legal cutting limit of 25 m 3 ha −1 will require more than 70 and 40 years to recover aboveground carbon and timber stocks, respectively, with 90% probability. Based on the low recruitment rates of the twelve species harvested, the 25 year cutting cycle currently implemented in Suriname is too short for long-term timber stock sustainability. We highlight the value of propagating uncertainty from individual tree measurements to statistical predictions of carbon stock recovery. Ultimately, our study reveals the trade-offs that must be made between timber and carbon services as well as the opportunity to use carbon payments to enable longer cutting rotations to capture carbon from forest regrowth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of approaches have been proposed for natural resource management and biodiversity conservation in recent decades. In the important forestry sector, two of the most dominant policy paradigms have been multi-purpose forestry and sustainable forest management. The Convention on Biological Diversity, amongst other transnational commitments, added the ecosystem approach and its related idea of ecosystem services to this succession which is increasingly becoming the basis for natural resource management, including in the United Kingdom (UK). However, this latest addition raises the stimulating question of whether in forestry the ecosystem approach and the associated ecosystem services concept really constitute something fundamentally new, or are merely an extension or re-branding of existing policy approaches. This paper contributes to a lively contemporary debate surrounding the ecosystem approach and ecosystem services, by examining how these two interrelated but distinctly different concepts are currently understood and adopted within UK forestry and in the context of established forestry policy paradigms. For this purpose, I undertook a review of the scholarly literature and legal and policy documents which have been triangulated with a survey of the attitudes, interpretations and opinions of forestry stakeholders through expert interviews. The analysis suggests that in the UK forestry sector, as elsewhere, the frequency of, often broad and ambiguous approaches to natural resource management and biodiversity conservation in general, and forestry policy and management in particular, are causing confusion amongst some stakeholders, who, unsurprisingly frequently conflate concepts seemingly without understanding the details. However, a clear understanding of the differences and similarities of these important concepts, stemming from overlapping but different disciplines, is crucially important for successful policy implementation and sustainable forest management. This article attempts to contribute to such a clarification and to further interdisciplinary understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-researched and sound integration of non-wood forest products into a forest management planning process presents an opportunity to understand the fundamental causative basis of forest dynamics through decision support systems (DSS). The aim of this study is to present a simulation-based mushroom integrated decision support system, ETÇAP Simulation model, and forecast the effects of forest management intensity on mushroom productivity and occurrence. This is conducted through five policy sets with different planning scenarios, representing timber-oriented forest management (T1), multipurpose forest management (M1, M4, M6), and no intervention (NI). The study area involves the Kızılcasu Planning unit from the northwestern part of Turkey. The spatial distribution and productivity models of Lactarius delisiosus and L. salmonicolor generated for the Kızılcasu Planning unit were used in the simulation based model. The results indicated that both minimum harvesting ages and the intensity of forest management interventions are very important for increasing mushroom productivity and occurrence in the case study area. Under the T1 forest management scenario, mushroom productivity is estimated to be approximately 12,469 tonnes. When the planning approach changes to NI, M1, M4 and M6, however, mushroom productivity experiences 86%, 28%, 26% and 33% reduction rates, respectively. Despite these reductions, spatial distribution of mushrooms has been positively affected by forest management interventions. Simulations with multipurpose management policy would probably lead lower estimations of spatial distribution areas and productivity of mushroom than timber-oriented forest management policy would. Multiple-use planning approach seems to contribute less to mushroom productivity and the occurrence than does timber-oriented approach. In fact, determining optimal harvesting ages and the intensity of forest management interventions for each forest value presents a great challenge for decision makers. The DSS tools like ETÇAPSimulation are of great importance to understand the long term effects of various management plans on forest dynamics. Active management of forest resources will be important for achieving simultaneous production of timber products and mushrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable forest management has been approached on many occasions by defining and subsequently measuring a set of initially accepted indicators. This methodology permits the aggregation of multiple goods and services with heterogeneous characteristics into forest management. However, the calculation of these indicators has usually been static. When we find ourselves in situations in which there is a need to make long-term evaluations of the effects of possible scenarios affecting forest management, a procedure has to be set up to define and aggregate the different indicators over time, as well as to integrate the preferences of the stakeholders involved in management. This study shows a goal programming-based methodology, which permits to select the best management alternative in 6 climate change scenarios when different indicators are aggregated over 100 years in a mountain forest in Central Spain. The results revealed the predominance of one management alternative (no management) when the preferences of the stakeholders were aggregated. However, when the preferential weights corresponding to some stakeholders were included separately, the solution may notably vary, especially in the case of forest owners. It was concluded that the methodology proposed allows a dynamic aggregation of diverse sustainable forest management in addition to presenting a great flexibility at the moment of selecting various solutions proposed by the goal programming model, and the preferences of the different stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Development of a new dynamic simulation model for temperate mountain forest stands. • Output allows for detailed assessment of protective function against natural hazards. • Demographic processes formulated mostly based on large empirical data sets. • Successful model validation with long-term inventories from Switzerland. Protection from gravitational natural hazards such as snow avalanches and rockfall is among the most important ecosystem services provided by forests in steep mountain terrain such as the European Alps. These so-called "protection forests" often have to be actively managed to ensure a sustainable ecosystem service provision in time and space. For studying these slowly developing ecosystems, dynamic forest models are important tools to assess the effect of management on the protective function. However, existing models focus on the current protective effect and in many cases neglect aspects of stand resistance and resilience to large disturbances, which are important factors for maintaining the long-term protective function. Therefore, we developed ProForM, a new dynamic forest model aimed at (1) reproducing stand dynamics of managed temperate mountain forests and (2) assessing their protective function in detail. ProForM is a structurally simple model that contains mechanistic formulations of basic demographic processes but was developed mainly with empirical data. It is spatially explicit and was developed with a focus on regeneration dynamics. The model is parameterized for four tree species (Picea abies, Abies alba, Fagus sylvatica, and Acer pseudoplatanus) and four elevational zones, ranging from mixed species submontane to spruce-dominated subalpine forests. ProForM was calibrated with and validated against independent data from long-term forest inventories from Switzerland. It exhibited a satisfactory performance in reproducing measured basal area, stem number, diameter distribution and mean crown ratio at the stand level, comparable to the performance of other, typically more complex models. Illustrative example simulations demonstrate the assessment of the protective function of a stand against gravitational hazards according to multiple criteria used in forestry practice in Alpine countries. ProForM is a valuable new tool to study the impacts of management on the protective effect of mountain forests, and to inform forest managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand for tropical forest restoration has grown rapidly as the potential role of recovering secondary forests in sequestering carbon and enhancing biodiversity has been recognised. Active forest management is often prescribed to accelerate natural regeneration, but evidence for the efficacy of interventions is scarce for tropical forests. In this study we examine the hypothesis that the selective removal of abundant pioneers in the understory of recovering selectively logged forests can improve the composition of forest stands and accelerate succession. Four selective thinning treatments of increasing intensity were implemented in 8.75 ha compartments and replicated six times. Within each compartment, three monitoring plots were established and measured immediately after thinning and one year later to assess implementation of thinning treatments, growth and survival of stems, and changes in stand composition. Canopy openness was measured using hemispherical photography. Thinning treatments substantially reduced the abundance of pioneers, but there was only a slight increase in canopy openness (3.7–4.3%) relative to the control (1.8%) 8 months after implementation. Canopy openness increased dramatically across all treatments in the follow year due to the 2015–16 El Niño event and increased more in thinning treatments. Large (>10 cm dbh) and small (2–10 cm dbh) late-successional stems showed enhanced growth only in the low intensity thinning treatment, whereas the growth of small pioneer stems increased across the thinning intensity gradient. The cost of implementing thinning treatments was $US80 per ha or approximately 10% of the cost of planting treatments in the same forest. Our findings suggest that selective thinning of understory pioneer stems is a practical option for manipulating stand composition and potentially accelerating natural regeneration. Continued monitoring of the experiment should reveal the long-term impact and cost-effectiveness of treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High genetic diversity and significant fixation index in Oriental beech populations. • Oriental beech population have geographical genetic structure in Hyrcanian forest. • Shelterwood harvesting has not caused significant reduction in genetic diversity. • A trend of reduced genetic diversity, rare alleles and N e in managed populations. • Some genetic differentiation between the unmanaged and managed populations. Genetic diversity is essential for sustainability, adaptation and evolution of forest tree populations, especially under changed climate conditions. Maintenance of standing genetic diversity and effective population size (N e) in relict forest species is of special interest to preserve their genetic heritage. Forest harvesting and management practices can affect genetic diversity and population structure by affecting demography and several evolutionary processes. We examined the effect of shelterwood harvesting on genetic diversity, population structure and N e of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.) populations in the relict Hyrcanian forest region by comparing pairwise unmanaged and manged populations at five locations using nuclear microsatellites. High levels of genetic diversity and significant levels of fixation index were observed, and the populations showed geographical genetic structure. There was a trend of reduced genetic diversity and N e in the managed compared to unmanaged populations, but the differences were not significant. The unmanaged populations had almost twice the number of private alleles that of the managed populations. The unmanaged populations were genetically differentiated from their managed counterparts to varying degrees. The two unmanaged populations from Asalem and Sangedeh which had other human disturbance of livestock grazing or illegal harvesting were genetically the most differentiated from their managed counterparts as well as all other populations. F ST estimates indicated similar levels of genetic differentiation among unmanaged and among managed populations. Overall, our study shows that shelterwood harvesting although does not significantly reduce genetic diversity and N e and increase inbreeding levels in the extant managed populations, which are only one generation apart from the unmanaged populations, it does cause some genetic diversity and N e erosion. Our study has implications and applications for sustainable management and conservation of genetic resources of Oriental beech inside and outside of the Hyrcanian forest as well as for other beech species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about the sustainability of tropical forestry motivated this study on post-logging timber and carbon dynamics over a 20-year period in Paragominas, Pará, Brazil. Previously unlogged forest was subjected to conventional logging (CL), reduced-impact logging (RIL), or was set aside as an unlogged control. All trees ⩾25 cm DBH and all trees of commercial species ⩾10 cm DBH were monitored in a 24.5 ha plot in each treatment, with a 5.25 ha subplot in each for monitoring all trees ⩾10 cm DBH. Above-ground biomass and bole volumes of merchantable species were tracked based on 10 inventories made between 1993 and 2014. Pre-logging biomass and bole volumes of commercial species were estimated as 237, 231, and 211 Mg ha −1 , and 78, 80, and 70 m 3 ha −1 , in the RIL, CL, and unlogged plots, respectively. One year after logging, biomass was reduced 14% by RIL and 24% by CL with corresponding merchantable species volume reductions of 21% and 31%. By 2014, biomass and bole volumes of commercial species had recovered 95% and 98% of their pre-logging stocks in the RIL plot but only 76% and 72% in the CL plot, respectively; timber volumes from large trees (⩾50 cm DBH) were only recovered to 81% in the RIL plot and to 53% in the CL plot. Over the first twenty years after logging, average volume increments from commercial species were substantially higher in the RIL plot (0.72 m 3 ha −1 year −1 ) than in the CL plot (0.08 m 3 ha −1 year −1 ). Recovery of both biomass and timber volumes were temporarily reversed between 2009 and 2014 due to a 4-fold increase in annual mortality rates in the RIL plot and a 5.5-fold increase in the CL plot (as well as a 3-fold increase in the control plot), all presumably related to the extreme drought of 2010. Our findings support the claim that use of RIL techniques accelerates rates of biomass and timber stock recovery after selective logging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the often chaotic and confounding implications of neoliberalism as it applies to environmental governance in the Canadian forest sector. On one hand, neoliberal governance strategies are said to enhance collaborative and partnership approaches to forest management that empower local stakeholders and communities. On the other hand, these same strategies can entrench market discipline and optimize mechanisms for economic development at the expense of broader public interests. We explore these contrasting perspectives through a comparative case study of two Canadian Model Forest initiatives: Resources North and the Manitoba Model Forest. Results from interviews and document analysis reveal that local capacity development for collaborative management at the regional scale was limited and unevenly sustained. We identify intentions within the Model Forest program that migrated from wide-ranging public concerns toward more narrowly defined private-sector interests, such as forest certification. These outcomes resulted from strong federally mandated “action at a distance.” Results also reveal that while some initiatives provided for local empowerment at the beginning of the Model Forest program, over time, these initiatives became more prescriptive. Hence, there remained ongoing limitations of neoliberal governance in fostering capacity development for environmental governance at local scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioenergy plays an important role in mitigating dangerous climate change and will therefore most likely have to further expand substantially. With 50% of the global population living in urban areas, cities are transforming into hotspots for future sustainable energy systems in the context of a low-carbon society. Bioenergy feedstock from urban forests could contribute substantially to low-carbon energy supply, yet urban ecosystems also provide other services that have to be balanced against future energy needs. This study conducts a geo-spatial analysis of urban forests with respect to its potential of increasing feedstock production for urban bioenergy generation. At the same time, social and environmental constraints are considered and co-benefits discussed. In order to test the wider applicability of the methodology, the Vienna Woods Biosphere Reserve is chosen as a case study to determine the feedstock potential for local bioenergy provided to Viennese households. The theoretical biomass potential is modeled using biophysical growth and yield tables for individual tree species and then compared to the existing production area using GIS tools. Results show that the biomass use within the biosphere reserve can be increased by about 60% without violating any national or international law that protects multiple ecosystem services provided by the reserve, nor sustainability criteria of forest management. This indicates a high potential of peri-urban forest ecosystems to contribute to urban resilience – i.e. with respect to energy security and emissions reduction. The study concludes that urban forests require sensible management in order to minimize conflicts of multiple environmental, economic and social uses of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic climate change is altering the management of production forests. These changes are motivated by the need to adapt to the uncertainties and risks of climate change, and by the need to enlist their carbon storage and sequestration capacity as part of global mitigation efforts. These changes do however raise concerns regarding the potential implications for forest biodiversity. Here we evaluate these concerns by assessing the biodiversity implications of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies (CCAMS) being implemented in the production forests of Sweden. We do so by identifying biodiversity goals aimed specifically at closing the existing gap between the habitat requirements of forest-dependent species, and the conditions provided by production forests, in terms of tree species composition, forest structures, and spatio-temporal forest patterns. We then use the existing literature to determine whether and by which pathway each CCAMS is likely to bridge or extend this gap. Our results indicate that CCAMS will often come into direct or partial conflict with Swedish biodiversity goals in production forests. Furthermore, some CCAMS which are inconsistent with biodiversity goals, such as logging residue removal, are being implemented more extensively than those which were most consistent with biodiversity goals. We nevertheless challenge the necessity of setting the preservation of forest biodiversity against climate change mitigation and adaptation. We clarify how CCAMS with negative biodiversity implications may still be implemented without adverse outcomes, if coupled with conservation interventions, or combined with other CCAMS deemed complementary in habitat provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the notion of Criteria and Indicators (C&I) as a framework for evaluating sustainable forest management (SFM) rapidly gained interest. There have been several international processes and initiatives related to the development of C&I as a tool for defining SFM and measuring its progress. In Europe, a set of criteria and indicators was developed in 1998 by FOREST EUROPE, former Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE). However, until recently, insufficient information has been available on how the pan-European C&I have been used and what their real impact has been. A recent study 1 1 EFI (2013) . Implementing Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Europe (ci-sfm.org). (the “CI-SFM” project) conducted by the European Forest Institute (EFI) is the first effort to collect information on the implementation of the pan-European C&I in the 46 signatory states of the FOREST EUROPE process. The study analyzed how and to what extent the pan-European C&I have been used at the pan-European and national levels, investigated challenges and gaps in its implementation, and explored opportunities for further improvement. However, there is need for a prioritization and a more specific query on the factors influencing the implementation of the pan-European C&I in order to identify the major cornerstones for further use and priority areas for action. Thus, building on the findings from the EFI study, the main objective of this article is to analyze the SWOT factors (Strengths (S) – Weaknesses (W) – Opportunities (O) – Threats (T)) of the pan-European C&I in order to determine and prioritize the major constraints and future possibilities of their use and implementation. The results show that in order to consider the pan-European C&I as a powerful tool for promoting sustainable forest management, both at national, sub-national and pan-European levels, a number of factors (e.g. data availability and quality, cross-sectoral communication, conceptual validity, clear objectives, capacity building) that influence the implementation of the indicator set require further research and action by policy makers and relevant stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity of a more sustainable use of lands and environmental resources in general, throughout specific programming and management tools at different scale levels is nowadays widely shared. Forests and woodlands are a key asset of the environment and the traditional and current landscapes. With regards to the state of art of forest planning and management tools in Italy, in this short paper, after a synthetic analysis of the tools currently adopted at different levels, some critical aspects of the relationships of forest planning instruments with other planning tools involved in environmental management (landscape plan, energy plans, basin plans) are investigated, enlightening contrasts and communication conflicts. Solving such problems could enhance the effectiveness of planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important aspect of sustainable forest management is to assess the impact of forest operations on ecosystem services. This work analyzed the long-term effect of two standard thinning regimes on carbon stocks both in tree biomass and soil compartments as well as its effect on soil condition. The target population was a 90-year-old Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) stand in southwestern Europe. Soil condition was measured as dry mass of the forest floor and concentration of carbon, nutrients in the forest floor as well as exchangeable cations, effective cation exchange capacity, pH and bulk density in the mineral soil. Repeated thinnings from below in a southern European population of Scots pine led to a reduction in current on-site carbon stock in tree biomass of 28% in moderately thinned stands (D grade: average residual basal area of 65–79% relative to the control plots) which was consistent with an observed loss of volume production. However, the inclusion of the amount of carbon exported off-site with harvested biomass reduced the decrease in stock to 4.8%. Nutrient concentrations in the forest floor increased in moderate thinned stands (P, K, Mg and Mn) or were unchanged (C, N and Fe). The selected thinning regime did not alter mineral soil condition. A decreasing pattern of Ca and Mn stocks with depth was consistent with a high reduction of nutrient concentration of elements and higher bulk density with depth. However K, Mg and Na showed stable stocks across depths because of a much smaller reduction of nutrient concentrations in deeper layers relative to the surface layer. We hypothesized that this stable pattern with soil depth was due to leaching. The sustainability of forest thinning is a trade-off between loss of standing biomass and increasing stand stability as long as other indicators, like soil condition, do not significantly change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forestry policy and practice in Britain has been subject to a series of paradigm changes since the establishment of the Forestry Commission in 1919. Drawing on a documentary analysis of legislation, published policy statements, commentaries and scholarly critiques, this paper argues that British forestry policy has undergone three significant paradigm shifts since it was first mooted in the late 19th century. With origins in a largely ad hoc and laissez-faire attitude towards forest expansion and management which dominated up to World War I, a productivist stance based on intensive mono-culture plantations in order to reduce import dependence then held sway until the early 1970s. This has since been overlain with ideas about multi-functionality and sustainability that continue to be important today. The new ecosystem approach (and its specific emphasis on the provision of ecosystem services) can arguably be viewed as an emerging new forestry paradigm era in which ideas of resilience and sustainability are to the fore. It is suggested in conclusion that while the policy and practice of forestry in Britain continues to mirror broader shifts in environmental governance within the country, these in turn are increasingly influenced by international debates and obligations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]