| 1. |
- Athanassiadis, Dimitris
(author)
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Sustainability Impact Assessment of Forest Operations: a Review
- 2019
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6436. ; 5, s. 101-113
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of Review One of the challenges of forest operations is to consider the consequences of different management strategies and to estimate the economic, environmental and social performance of different processes, products, or services. From the methods available to quantify the impact of alternative forest management, we selected the method of Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA), an iterative process that includes the analysis of the societal, environmental, and economic sustainability pillars and offers a wider assessment framework, which is useful for stakeholders and policy makers. The purpose of this review is to identify the state of the art and trends of SIA in forest operations. Recent Findings There are few studies including all pillars of sustainability and most of the studies consider different aspects of environmental or economic impacts. It is important to determine the system boundaries and select the appropriate indicators in order to have a comprehensive SIA. Different harvesting technologies and their deployment can influence costs, productivity, environment, and safety risk. Some indicators, such as cost and productivity, can vary between countries and different scenarios. Efficient machines, appropriate technical systems, innovative products, and up-to date training of operators can have a positive impact on sustainability. Economic factors can change at a rapid pace, and new machines can play a positive role in forest operations (e.g., lower fuel consumption, higher level of safety and comfort for operators). The inclusion of indicators measuring the extra value of the forest should be considered. We suggest adopting sensitivity analysis during the assessment of key processes to observe the effect on the hot spots.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Böhlenius, Henrik
(author)
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A Global Review on Innovative, Sustainable, and Effective Materials Composing Growing Media for Forest Seedling Production
- 2023
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - 2198-6436. ; 9, s. 413-428
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of Review The demand for forest tree seedlings is increasing globally, and Sphagnum peat moss is widely used as a component of growing media for container plant production. However, peat extraction is environmentally unsustainable. The forest nursery sector needs to switch to more sustainable alternatives to peat. This review aims to identify potential substitutes for peat by reviewing the worldwide literature on alternative materials for growing media in forest nurseries. Recent Findings Most studies on alternative growing media focused on single plant species growing under local conditions, thereby limiting generalizations about the effectiveness of alternative materials for plant production. To our knowledge, no systematic reviews of scientific literature on the effectiveness of new, alternative-to-peat materials for enhancing plant growth and the associated growing media characteristics for the forest nursery sector are currently available. Summary Most of the analyzed case studies focused on angiosperms (73.1%), with the majority of studies coming from tropical seasonal forests/savannas (36.5%), followed by woodlands/shrublands (31.6%), and temperate forests (15.0%) biomes. Compost was the most studied material (19.5%), followed by bark, other organic materials, and manure (9.8, 9.7, and 8.0%, respectively). Green and municipal wastes were the principal sources of compost (> 60%), while agriculture and green wastes were the first sources of other materials (> 90%). Tested materials were dependent on the geographic region. Thus, manure was the most tested material in Africa and South America, tree bark in North America, and compost in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Alternative materials effectively provided optimal physicochemical characteristics of growing media and enhanced seedling nursery growth when compared with peat-based growing media in more than 60% of the case studies. This review helps to identify research gaps and, most importantly, provides the basis for the future application of alternative growing media materials in forest nursery management worldwide.
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| 4. |
- Drew, David M., et al.
(author)
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A Review of Progress and Applications in Wood Quality Modelling
- 2022
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6436. ; 8:4, s. 317-332
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of Review: Producing wood of the right quality is an important part of forest management. In the same way that forest growth models are valuable decision support tools for producing desired yields, models that predict wood quality in standing trees should assist forest managers to make quality-influenced decisions. A challenge for wood quality (WQ) models is to predict the properties of potential products from standing trees, given multiple possible growing environments and silvicultural adjustments. While much research has been undertaken to model forest growth, much less work has focussed on producing wood quality models. As a result, many opportunities exist to expand our knowledge. Recent Findings: There has been an increase in the availability and use of non-destructive methods for wood quality assessment in standing trees. In parallel, a range of new models have been proposed in the last two decades, predicting wood property variation, and as a result wood quality, using both fully empirical (statistical) and process-based (mechanistic) approaches. Summary: We review here models that predict wood quality in standing trees. Although other research is mentioned where applicable, the focus is on research done within the last 20 years. We propose a simple classification of WQ models, first into two broad groupings: fully empirical and process-based. Comprehensive, although not exhaustive, summaries of a wide range of published models in both categories are given. The question of scale is addressed with relevance to the range of possibilities which these different types of models present. We distinguish between empirical models which predict stand or tree-level wood quality and those which predict within-tree wood quality variability. In this latter group are branching models (variation up the stem) and models predicting pith-to-bark clear-wood wood property variability. In the case of process-based models, simulation of within-tree variability, and specifically, how that variability arose over time, is always necessary. We discuss how wood quality models are, or should increasingly be, part of decision support systems that aid forest managers and give some perspectives on ways to increase model impact for forest management for wood quality.
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| 5. |
- Eriksson, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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The Management Response to Wind Disturbances in European Forests
- 2022
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6436.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of the Review The review synthesises the current knowledge of post-windstorm management in selected European countries in order to identify knowledge gaps and guide future research. Recent Findings Despite the differences in forest ownership and national regulations, management experiences in Europe converge at (1) the need for mechanization of post-windthrow management to ensure operator safety, (2) the importance to promote operator training and optimise the coordination between all the actors involved in disturbance management and (3) the need to implement measures to consolidate the timber market while restoring forest ecosystem services and maintain biodiversity. Windstorms are natural disturbances that drive forest dynamics but also result in socio-economic losses. As the frequency and magnitude of wind disturbances will likely increase in the future, improved disturbance management is needed. We here highlight the best practices and remaining challenges regarding the strategic, operational, economic and environmental dimensions of post-windthrow management in Europe. Our literature review underlined that post-disturbance management needs to be tailored to each individual situation, taking into account the type of forest, site conditions, available resources and respective legislations. The perspectives on windthrown timber differ throughout Europe, ranging from leaving trees on site to storing them in sophisticated wet storage facilities. Salvage logging is considered important in forests susceptible to bark beetle outbreaks, while no salvage logging is recommended in forests protecting against natural hazards. Remaining research gaps include questions of balancing between the positive and negative effects of salvage logging and integrating climate change considerations more explicitly in post-windthrow management.
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| 6. |
- Ersson, Back Tomas
(author)
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Advances in the Mechanization of Regenerating Plantation Forests: a Review
- 2020
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6436. ; 6, s. 143-158
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of Review The mechanization of silvicultural work on forest plantations is usually driven by a decreasing supply of motivated labour which increases its relative cost. Mechanization can also result in other advantages like increased effectiveness, higher efficiency, and improved working conditions. The purpose of our review is to examine the last few decades' endeavours to mechanize the regeneration activities of plantation forestry in the southern and northern hemisphere. In this case, regeneration activities include (1) site preparation; (2) tree planting; and (3) stand tending until the crop trees are free from vegetative competition. Recent Findings Originally, the mechanization of silvicultural work commenced in the northern hemisphere, but over the past decades, the most notable progress has been made in the southern hemisphere plantation forests. Although soil preparation is largely mechanized across the globe, tree planting and stand tending activities lag behind because of factors such as global variations in the manner in which they are performed, higher level of complexity, and low-cost competitiveness compared with existing labour-intensive methods. For mechanization of regeneration/silvicultural activities to progress, productive and adaptable machines will be required where economies of scale permit cost-efficient operations. These machines will probably have to be modified to the specific forestry context of different countries. Knowledge of the existing and state-of-the-art regeneration technologies available in both the northern and southern hemispheres is important for foresters to make informed decisions about the selection and application of mechanized regeneration systems.
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| 7. |
- Franic, Iva, et al.
(author)
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The Biosecurity Risks of International Forest Tree Seed Movements
- 2024
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - 2198-6436. ; 10, s. 89–102-
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of ReviewBecause tree seeds have been considered a low-risk pathway for the spread of plant pathogenic fungi, their international movement is not subject to strict phytosanitary regulation. However, recent studies have provided scientific evidence that the biosecurity risk of seed trade may not be as negligible as assumed. This review summarises current knowledge about seed trade activity across the world and seed-borne plant pathogenic fungi and highlights knowledge gaps that need to be filled to mitigate the risk of spreading tree pathogens via seeds.Recent FindingsSeveral outbreaks of severe tree diseases in natural forests and plantations worldwide have been linked to fungal pathogens spread by seed trade. Indeed, recent studies based on modern sequencing technologies have shown that tree seeds harbour highly diverse fungal communities, including well-known pathogens and fungal taxa belonging to unknown species. While it has become clear that even apparently healthy seeds can carry potentially pathogenic fungi, the likelihood of seed-borne pathogens being introduced and becoming established, spreading and causing impact in the new environment is still unclear which challenges the assessment of the phytosanitary risk posed by seed trade.SummaryOur analyses show that large amounts of tree seeds have been traded among countries and continents. Based on published literature, the risk of spreading pathogenic fungi via tree seed movement is high. However, the role of the taxonomically and functionally diverse fungal communities associated with seeds is still poorly understood. In particular, more research is needed to assess the likelihood of seed-borne fungi being transmitted to the seedlings and spreading and causing impact in the new environment.
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| 8. |
- Hansen, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Ecosystem services from small forest fragments in agricultural landscapes
- 2016
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6436. ; 2, s. 30-44
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Europe, like in many temperate lowlands worldwide, forest has a long history of fragmentation and land use change. In many places, forest landscapes consist of patches of different quality, age, size and isolation, embedded in a more or less intensively managed agricultural matrix. As potential biodiversity islets, small forest patches (SFP) may deliver several crucial ecosystem services to human society, but they receive little attention compared to large, relatively intact forest patches. Beyond their role as a biodiversity reservoir, SFP provide important in situ services such as timber and wild food (game, edible plants and mushrooms) production. At the landscape scale, SFP may enhance the crop production via physical (obstacle against wind and floods) and biological (sources of pollinators and natural enemies) regulation, but may, on the other hand, also be involved in the spread of infectious diseases. Depending on their geographic location, SFP can also greatly influence the water cycle and contribute to supply high-quality water to agriculture and people. Globally, SFP are important carbon sinks and are involved in nutrient cycles, thus play a role in climate change mitigation. Cultural services are more related to landscape values than to SFP per se, but the latter may contribute to the construction of community identity. We conclude that SFP, as local biodiversity hotspots in degraded landscapes, have the potential to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services and may even be crucial for the ecological intensification of agroecosystems. There is thus an urgent need to increase our knowledge about the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services delivered by these SFP in agricultural landscapes.
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| 9. |
- Hayatgheibi, Haleh, et al.
(author)
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Trade-offs and Trait Integration in Tree Phenotypes: Consequences for the Sustainable Use of Genetic Resources
- 2024
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - 2198-6436. ; 10, s. 196–222-
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of ReviewIn this review, we synthesise current knowledge on trade-offs among traits in key fitness dimensions and identify major research gaps with the intention of laying the groundwork for a rapid advance in tree breeding for multiple objectives as a key contribution to the sustainability of planted forests in the future.Recent FindingsTrade-offs among growth, reproduction, defence, stress tolerance and product quality predicted theoretically have been reported experimentally in many breeding programmes. Among these trade-offs, the genetic linkage between resistance against biotic threats and growth (or other relevant traits) is particularly critical for the current and future management of forest genetic resources. Maintaining tree growth and wood quality in the novel environments of the future requires the assessment of genetic correlations of target traits with phenology, closely linked to survival to temperature extremes. Improving our current knowledge on the genetic trade-offs of drought tolerance as a breeding objective in forest trees obligates a more precise definition of both the specific traits and the experimental conditions. Published evidence suggests that common target traits in breeding programmes may trade-off with reproductive success and fire-adaptation, and the simultaneous improvement of growth and wood quality traits still remains as a constraint in traditional tree breeding.SummaryChanging environments combined with pests and diseases are challenging plantation forestry worldwide, which implies an urgent need to develop new improvement strategies to build the resilience of forestry for our future environments. It is essential to have a better understanding of how traits interact, especially those important for production, climate and biotic threat resilience, but much of the information is still missing. Since many key trade-offs are affected by the environment, we need new studies under novel environments to forecast levels of multi-trait integration in breeding populations.
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| 10. |
- Holmes, Thomas P., et al.
(author)
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Fundamental Economic Irreversibilities Influence Policies for Enhancing International Forest Phytosanitary Security
- 2017
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - Cham : Springer. - 2198-6436. ; 3:3, s. 244-254
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- National and international efforts to manage forest biosecurity create tension between opposing sources of ecological and economic irreversibility. Phytosanitary policies designed to protect national borders from biological invasions incur sunk costs deriving from economic and political irreversibilities that incentivizes wait-and-see decision-making. However, the potential for irreversible ecological and economic damages resulting from failed phytosanitary policies argues for precautionary measures, creating sunk benefits while increasing the risk of over-investment in phytosanitary security. Here, we describe the inherent tension between these sources of irreversibility in economic terms, relate these forces to type I and type II errors, and use this framework to review national and international efforts to protect forests from biological invasions. Available historical evidence suggests that wait-and-see phytosanitary decision-making has dominated the adoption of precautionary measures in most regions and that willingness to under-regulate may sometimes be orders of magnitude greater than willingness to over-regulate. Reducing scientific uncertainty about threats to biosecurity may help mitigate the tendency to under-regulate, and phytosanitary security measures with relatively modest sunk costs could help protect forests as scientific learning advances. A fuller accounting of the costs associated with type II errors, particularly regarding the suite of non-market ecosystem services at risk, would help decision-makers better understand the trade-offs between the sunk costs of policies and long-term economic losses to stakeholders.
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| 11. |
- Högbom, Lars
(author)
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Strategies to Mitigate the Effects of Soil Physical Disturbances Caused by Forest Machinery: a Comprehensive Review
- 2022
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6436. ; 8, s. 20-37
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of Review Ground-based mechanized forest operations can cause severe soil disturbances that are often long lasting and detrimental to the health of forested ecosystems. To reduce these soil disturbances, focus is being increasingly directed at identifying and using appropriate mitigation techniques. This systematic review considered 104 scientific articles and reported the main findings according to four core themes: terrain-related factors, operational planning, machine modifications, and types of amendments used to mitigate machine-induced soil impacts. Recent Findings For terrain-related factors, most severe disturbances occur on machine operating trails exceeding 20% slope and that soil bulk density and rut depth show greater increases in fine-textured soils. When considering operational planning, trafficability maps proved to be helpful in reducing the frequency and magnitude of soil damages as well as the length of trails needed within harvest sites, especially if they are regularly updated with weather information. Machine modifications, through high flotation tires, use of extra bogie axle, lower inflation pressure, and use of steel flexibles tracks, are highly researched topics because of the considerable upside in terms of machine ground pressure distribution and increased traction. Two main types of amendments emerged to mitigate soil disturbances: brush mats and mulch cover. Brush mats created from harvesting debris can spread the load of a machine to a greater area thereby lowering peak loads transferred to the soil. Brush mats of 15-20 kg m(-2) are being recommended for adequate soil protection from harvesting operations. To conclude, we outline recommendations and strategies on the use of soil mitigation techniques within cut-to-length forest operations. New research opportunities are also identified and discussed. Considering single factors causing machine-induced soil disturbances remains important but there is a pressing need for having a multi-disciplinary approach to tackle the complex problems associated with machine/soil/plant interactions.
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| 12. |
- Keller, Thomas
(author)
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A Meta-analysis of Soil Susceptibility to Machinery-Induced Compaction in Forest Ecosystems Across Global Climatic Zones
- 2023
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - 2198-6436. ; 9, s. 370-381
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of Review Predicting, preventing, and minimizing machinery-induced soil compaction are of paramount importance in forest ecosystems. Understanding the soil's susceptibility to compaction is crucial in achieving these goals. This meta-analysis assessed the relevance of climatic and soil conditions for the susceptibility of forest soils to wood-harvesting-associated compaction across global climatic zones. We utilized soil bulk density change data (effect sizes; compacted versus uncompacted) from 81 forest sites worldwide, and mapped global patterns of the susceptibility of forest soils to compaction using climate and soil data.Recent Findings Wood-harvesting operations by harvester-forwarder technologies disturb the soil less as compared to skidders and cable yarders. It has been shown that a high number of vehicle passages (> 20 times) lead to maximum soil damage, although this contradicts the general belief that major soil disturbance occurs within the first few vehicle passages. Despite these important findings, a global compilation of local information on forest soil compaction induced by mechanized wood harvesting is currently lacking. A map that illustrates the global pattern of soil susceptibility to compaction is also required to identify particularly susceptible forest regions.Summary Forest soils in tropical and temperate zones were most susceptible to compaction (48% and 30% bulk density increase, respectively), while forest soils in arid and cold zones were less susceptible (15% and 18% bulk density increase, respectively). Soils in tropical and temperate forests receive high annual precipitation amounts, are characterized by high soil organic carbon content and low bulk density, and are often wet, resulting in high susceptibility to compaction. Since tropical and temperate forests are biodiversity hotspots, forest managers and policymakers should pay particular attention to mechanized wood-harvesting operations in these zones, as the recovery of compacted forest soils requires decades.
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| 13. |
- Lindberg, Eva, et al.
(author)
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Individual Tree Crown Methods for 3D Data from Remote Sensing
- 2017
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6436. ; 3, s. 19 - 31
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of Review: The rapid development of remote sensing technology has made dense 3D data available from airborne laser scanning and recently also photogrammetric point clouds. This paper reviews methods for extraction of individual trees from 3D data and their applications in forestry and ecology.Recent Findings: Methods for analysis of 3D data at tree level have been developed since the turn of the century. The first algorithms were based on 2D surface models of the upper contours of tree crowns. These methods are robust and provide information about the trees in the top-most canopy. There are also methods that use the complete 3D data. However, development of these 3D methods is still needed to include use of geometric properties. To detect a large fraction of the tallest trees, a surface model method generally gives the best results, but detection of smaller trees below the top-most canopy requires methods utilizing the whole point cloud. Several new sensors are now available with capability to describe the upper part of the canopy, which can be used to frequently update vegetation maps. Highly sensitive laser photo detectors have become available for civilian applications, which will enable acquisition of high-resolution 3D laser data for large areas to much lower costs.Summary: Methods for ITC delineation from 3D data provide information about a large fraction of the trees, but there is still a challenge to make optimal use of the information from the whole point cloud. Newly developed sensors might make ITC methods cheaper and feasible for large areas.
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| 14. |
- Mikusinski, Grzegorz
(author)
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A Systematic Review of the Effects of Multi-purpose Forest Management Practices on the Breeding Success of Forest Birds
- 2024
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - 2198-6436. ; 10, s. 175–195-
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of ReviewWe aimed to summarize the evidence linking multi-purpose forest management (MPF) to bird nesting and fledging success in temperate and boreal forests and to identify outstanding research gaps. Forest birds are in decline worldwide, but an ongoing move from production-oriented management towards MPF, integrating biodiversity conservation with other uses, may help counteracting these trends. The effects of MPF on bird diversity and abundance are well-studied, but less is known about effects on bird demographics.Recent FindingsWe retrieved 101 studies, reporting 342 outcomes of MPF for nesting and fledging success. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, we opted for a systematic mapping approach, accompanied by vote-counting and narrative review. Studies covered 11 types of MPF and 151 bird species. The most frequently studied interventions were overstorey retention and prescribed burning, but research was markedly biased towards temperate North America. Most outcomes (79.5%) were non-significant, and studies often found that breeding success was driven by ecological processes at both broader and finer scales than management interventions. Thus, managing for breeding success likely requires complementary management actions at various scales. Nonetheless, significant positive and negative outcomes of MPF were also found, inclusively affecting species of conservation concern, highlighting the variability and context-dependence of MPF effects.SummaryIn order to foster effectiveness of MPF for forest birds, future research should focus on a set of under-researched interventions and regions, as well as on ecosystem-wide experiments accounting for functional links between bird abundance, demographics, nest predation, and food supply.
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| 15. |
- Mikusinski, Grzegorz, et al.
(author)
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Salvage Logging Strongly Affects Woodpecker Abundance and Reproduction: a Meta-analysis
- 2023
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6436. ; 9, s. 1-14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of Review Wildfires, wind storms, and pest outbreaks are the main large-scale disturbances of temperate and boreal forests, which often generate large amounts of deadwood in the landscape. Salvage and sanitation loggings (hereafter salvage logging) are usually practiced following such disturbance events and the generated deadwood is then extracted from the forest. Those practices affect a broad array of species, including fungi, lichens, invertebrates, and vertebrates that make use of deadwood either as habitat, food resource, foraging substrate, or as shelter. Woodpeckers, being a key group of forest birds dependent on deadwood, can be affected by salvage logging in two ways: (1) a reduction in the availability of food (i.e. removal of deadwood along with the saproxylic and predatory invertebrates that usually colonize dead or dying trees following forest disturbances) and (2) a decrease in potential nest sites due to the removal of dead trees. Therefore, we assessed the global effects of salvage logging on woodpecker abundance and reproduction by conducting a meta-analysis of published and unpublished data. We focused on comparing woodpeckers' responses to forest disturbance in salvage-logged and unlogged sites. We considered different types of responses found in the literature, including abundance, occurrence, nest density, and breeding success. When analyzing the responses of woodpeckers, we also accounted for the potential effects of tree density, time since logging, elevation, latitude, and the continent. Recent Findings We found that both numbers and reproduction of woodpeckers were affected by salvage logging following a disturbance event. Apart from salvage logging, woodpecker responses were not significantly related to any other variables. This highlights that salvage logging can pose a substantial threat to woodpecker assemblages as well as secondary cavity-users dependent on them. Salvage logging and related practices that affect deadwood availability should be carefully planned and preferably avoided entirely in areas important for woodpecker conservation. In managed forests, deadwood should be retained in sufficient quantities to avoid detrimental impacts on woodpeckers and on forest biodiversity in general.
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| 16. |
- Montoro Girona, Miguel
(author)
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Forest Carbon Management: a Review of Silvicultural Practices and Management Strategies Across Boreal, Temperate and Tropical Forests
- 2021
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6436. ; 7, s. 245-266
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of Review Carbon sequestration and storage in forest ecosystems is often promoted as a solution for reducing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Yet, our understanding is lacking regarding how forest management strategies affect the net removal of greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change mitigation. Here, we present a review of carbon sequestration and stock dynamics, following three strategies that are widely used in boreal, temperate and tropical forests: extensive forest management, intensive forest management and old-growth forest conservation. Recent Findings Several studies show that specific forest management strategies can improve carbon sequestration capacity and soil carbon storage. Within these studies, the old-growth forest conservation strategy results in greater carbon storage in soils than do extensive and intensive forest management. Intensive forest management enhances forest carbon sequestration capacity through afforestation using fast-growing species, mechanical soil preparation from low to moderate intensity and N fertilization. Extensive forest management is an intermediate compromise regarding carbon sequestration and soil carbon storage, between conservation and intensive forest management strategies. With respect to silvicultural treatments, partial cutting is a practice that increases forest carbon sequestration rates and maintains higher carbon storage in soils compared to clear-cuts. Each silvicultural practice that is discussed in this review showed a similar effect on forest carbon in all biomes, although the magnitude of these effects differs mainly in terms of heterotrophic respiration. To achieve sustainable management and fulfill industrial demand and profitability, specific gaps must be dealt with to improve our scientific knowledge regarding forest carbon sequestration in a climate change context, mainly through the integration of the three aforementioned strategies in a functional zoning approach at the landscape scale. We present a review with promising strategies for guiding sustainable forest management in such a global context.
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| 17. |
- Nordfjell, Tomas
(author)
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Trafficability Prediction Using Depth-to-Water Maps: the Status of Application in Northern and Central European Forestry
- 2022
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2198-6436. ; 8, s. 55-71
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of Review Mechanized logging operations with ground-based equipment commonly represent European production forestry but are well-known to potentially cause soil impacts through various forms of soil disturbances, especially on wet soils with low bearing capacity. In times of changing climate, with shorter periods of frozen soils, heavy rain fall events in spring and autumn and frequent needs for salvage logging, forestry stakeholders face increasingly unfavourable conditions to conduct low-impact operations. Thus, more than ever, planning tools such as trafficability maps are required to ensure efficient forest operations at reduced environmental impact. This paper aims to describe the status quo of existence and implementation of such tools applied in forest operations across Europe. In addition, focus is given to the availability and accessibility of data relevant for such predictions.Recent Findings A commonly identified method to support the planning and execution of machine-based operations is given by the prediction of areas with low bearing capacity due to wet soil conditions. Both the topographic wetness index (TWI) and the depth-to-water algorithm (DTW) are used to identify wet areas and to produce trafficability maps, based on spatial information.Summary The required input data is commonly available among governmental institutions and in some countries already further processed to have topography-derived trafficability maps and respective enabling technologies at hand. Particularly the Nordic countries are ahead within this process and currently pave the way to further transfer static trafficability maps into dynamic ones, including additional site-specific information received from detailed forest inventories. Yet, it is hoped that a broader adoption of these information by forest managers throughout Europe will take place to enhance sustainable forest operations.
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| 18. |
- Söderholm, Patrik, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Environmental Regulation in the Pulp and Paper Industry : Impacts and Challenges
- 2019
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - : Springer. - 2198-6436. ; 5, s. 185-198
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of ReviewIn this article, we review existing research addressing how environmental regulations have influenced the pulp and paper industry. These regulations appear in different forms and designs and address air and water pollution as well as climate change. The paper devotes particular attention to how various regulations have affected sustainable technological change and the prospects for inducing deep emission reductions without jeopardizing industrial competitiveness and future investments.Recent FindingsExperiences from key pulp and paper regions, not least the Nordic countries, suggest that gradually tightening performance standards have contributed to radical reductions in emissions, e.g., chlorine compounds and biological oxygen demanding agents, and without imposing excessive compliance costs. This outcome can largely be attributed to how the regulations have been designed—and implemented—in practice, as well as to the presence of efficient and legitimate institutions. Long-term emission reduction targets, in combination with extended compliance periods and trustful firm-regulator relationships, contributed to radical technological innovation and permitted radical emission reductions without excessive compliance costs. The development of alternative bleaching technologies is an apt example. In contrast, the impact of carbon pricing schemes, including the EU emissions trading scheme, on carbon dioxide emissions reductions and related technological change in the pulp and paper industry has however been modest. Self-regulation, certification, and community pressure have exerted relatively modest influences on the environmental performance of the industry.SummaryImportant avenues for future research are identified. These include the following: (a) comparative research on how policy mixes in various countries have influenced environmental compliance and innovation; processes; (b) future studies of environmental regulations, their design and implementation, in emerging pulp and paper producing countries, not least China; and (c) research on how environmental regulations can affect ongoing restructurings in the industry towards a broader palette of products in biorefineries.
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| 19. |
- Valbuena, Ruben
(author)
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Continuous Cover Forestry and Remote Sensing: A Review of Knowledge Gaps, Challenges, and Potential Directions
- 2023
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - 2198-6436. ; 9, s. 490-501
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of ReviewContinuous cover forestry (CCF) is a sustainable management approach for forestry in which forest stands are manipulated to create irregular stand structures with varied species composition. This approach differs greatly from the traditional approaches of plantation-based forestry, in which uniform monocultures are maintained, and thus, traditional methods of assessment, such as productivity (yield class) calculations, are less applicable. This creates a need to identify new methods to succeed the old and be of use in operational forestry and research. By applying remote sensing techniques to CCF, it may be possible to identify novel solutions to the challenges introduced through the adoption of CCF.Recent FindingsThere has been a limited amount of work published on the applications of remote sensing to CCF in the last decade. Research can primarily be characterised as explorations of different methods to quantify the target state of CCF and monitor indices of stand structural complexity during transformation to CCF, using terrestrial and aerial data collection techniques.SummaryWe identify a range of challenges associated with CCF and outline the outstanding gaps within the current body of research in need of further investigation, including a need for the development of new inventory methods using remote sensing techniques. We identify methods, such as individual tree models, that could be applied to CCF from other complex, heterogenous forest systems and propose the wider adoption of remote sensing including information for interested parties to get started.
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| 20. |
- Weih, Martin
(author)
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Enhancing Tree Performance Through Species Mixing: Review of a Quarter-Century of TreeDivNet Experiments Reveals Research Gaps and Practical Insights
- 2024
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In: Current Forestry Reports. - 2198-6436. ; 10, s. 1-20
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose of ReviewInternational ambitions for massive afforestation and restoration are high. To make these investments sustainable and resilient under future climate change, science is calling for a shift from planting monocultures to mixed forests. But what is the scientific basis for promoting diverse plantations, and what is the feasibility of their establishment and management? As the largest global network of tree diversity experiments, TreeDivNet is uniquely positioned to answer these pressing questions. Building on 428 peer-reviewed TreeDivNet studies, combined with the results of a questionnaire completed by managers of 32 TreeDivNet sites, we aimed to answer the following questions: (i) How and where have TreeDivNet experiments enabled the relationship between tree diversity and tree performance (including productivity, survival, and pathogen damage) to be studied, and what has been learned? (ii) What are the remaining key knowledge gaps in our understanding of the relationship between tree diversity and tree performance? and (iii) What practical insights can be gained from the TreeDivNet experiments for operational, real-world forest plantations?Recent FindingsWe developed a conceptual framework that identifies the variety of pathways through which target tree performance is related to local neighbourhood diversity and mapped the research efforts for each of those pathways. Experimental research on forest mixtures has focused primarily on direct tree diversity effects on productivity, with generally positive effects of species and functional diversity on productivity. Fewer studies focused on indirect effects mediated via biotic growing conditions (e.g. soil microbes and herbivores) and resource availability and uptake. Most studies examining light uptake found positive effects of species diversity. For pests and diseases, the evidence points mostly towards lower levels of infection for target trees when growing in mixed plantations. Tree diversity effects on the abiotic growing conditions (e.g. microclimate, soil properties) and resource-use efficiency have been less well studied to date. The majority of tree diversity experiments are situated in temperate forests, while (sub)tropical forests, and boreal forests in particular, remain underrepresented.SummaryTreeDivNet provides evidence in favour of mixing tree species to increase tree productivity while identifying a variety of different processes that drive these diversity effects. The design, scale, age, and management of TreeDivNet experiments reflect their focus on fundamental research questions pertaining to tree diversity-ecosystem function relationships and this scientific focus complicates translation of findings into direct practical management guidelines. Future research could focus on (i) filling the knowledge gaps related to underlying processes of tree diversity effects to better design plantation schemes, (ii) identifying optimal species mixtures, and (iii) developing practical approaches to make experimental mixed plantings more management oriented.
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