| 1. |
- Angelstam, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Green infrastructure development at European Union's eastern border: Effects of road infrastructure and forest habitat loss
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 193, s. 300-311
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The functionality of forest patches and networks as green infrastructure may be affected negatively both by expanding road networks and forestry intensification. We assessed the effects of (1) the current and planned road infrastructure, and (2) forest loss and gain, on the remaining large forest landscape massifs as green infrastructure at the EU's eastern border region in post -socialistic transition. First, habitat patch and network functionality in 1996-98 was assessed using habitat suitability index modelling. Second, we made expert interviews about road development with planners in 10 administrative regions in Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. Third, forest loss and gain inside the forest massifs, and gain outside them during the period 2001-14 were measured. This EU cross -border region hosts four remaining forest massifs as regional green infrastructure hotspots. While Poland's road network is developing fast in terms of new freeways, city bypasses and upgrades of road quality, in Belarus and Ukraine the focus is on maintenance of existing roads, and no new corridors. We conclude that economic support from the EU, and thus rapid development of roads in Poland, is likely to reduce the permeability for wildlife of the urban and agricultural matrix around existing forest massifs. However, the four identified forest massifs themselves, forming the forest landscape green infrastructure at the EU's east border, were little affected by road development plans. In contrast, forest loss inside massifs was high, especially in Ukraine. Only in Poland forest loss was balanced by gain. Forest gain outside forest massifs was low. To conclude, pro-ctive and collaborative spatial planning across different sectors and countries is needed to secure functional forest green infrastructure as base for biodiversity conservation and human well-being. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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| 2. |
- Angelstam, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Green infrastructure maintenance is more than land cover: large herbivores limit recruitment of key-stone tree species in Sweden
- 2017
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Ingår i: Landscape and Urban Planning. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-2046 .- 1872-6062. ; 167, s. 368-377
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Due to anthropogenic alteration of stand composition and landscape pattern in Swedish forest landscapes managed for industrial wood production, remnant patches of deciduous forests and woodlands do not form a functional green infrastructure for biodiversity conservation. We assessed if large herbivore browsing hampers the restoration of deciduous forest as green infrastructure by reducing the recruitment of boreal and temperate deciduous tree species of particular importance for biodiversity conservation. A natural experiment approach was applied in the distinct Swedish temperate-boreal forest gradient in Sweden. We measured the potential for saplings of aspen, rowan, sallow and oak to become recruited into the population of ecologically mature trees, as well as the amount of tree and field layer food. Sampling was made in forest stands representing four strata of managed forest landscapes accessible to large herbivores (experiment) and human settlements avoided by large herbivores (control). All four focal deciduous tree species had lower damage levels in controls (towns and villages) compared to experimental (forest) sites. While tree forage was much more abundant in controls, field layer forage in controls was not different from experimental stands. For all tree species except aspen we found a positive relationship between damage levels and large herbivore abundance, to which moose contributed > 89%. We discuss the role of research design for assessing the impact of large herbivores on plants, and highlight the need for integration of multi-species wildlife management as well as conservation planning and management.
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| 3. |
- Angelstam, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Transitioning from Soviet wood mining to sustainable forest management by intensification: are tree growth rates different in northwest Russia and Sweden?
- 2017
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Ingår i: Forestry. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0015-752X .- 1464-3626. ; 90, s. 292-303
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Russian forest policy stipulates that intensified wood production is part of sustainable forest management. Swedish forest practices form a role model for this ambition. However, are the biophysical conditions for tree growth the same in northwest (NW) Russia and Sweden? We compared growth rates of young Scots pine (Pinus silvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies H. Karst.) at 58 degrees, 60 degrees, 62 degrees, 64 degrees N in both countries. Stands on rich, mesic and poor sites were sampled using the intercept method as an indicator of the actual tree growth rate. Young Scots pine growth did not differ between NW Russia and Sweden, and should thus, if managed in the same way, have the same rate of wood production. However, for Norway spruce growth rates were 20 per cent lower in Russia than in Sweden. This was linked to few young spruce trees growing without removing competing deciduous trees in Russia. All Swedish stands had been pre-commercial cleaned, but this treatment had only been applied to 5 per cent of the Russian stands. We discuss that intensification towards sustainable forest management requires knowledge not only about forest ecology, but also a toolbox for governance, planning and management. This requires learning about societal development trajectories linked to ownership, governance and tenure systems as well as forest landscape history.
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| 4. |
- Elbakidze, Marine, et al.
(författare)
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A bottom-up approach to map land covers as potential green infrastructure hubs for human well-being in rural settings : A case study from Sweden
- 2017
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Ingår i: Landscape and Urban Planning. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-2046 .- 1872-6062. ; 168, s. 72-83
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Green infrastructure (GI) policy encourages the spatial planning of natural and semi-natural areas to deliver biodiversity conservation and a wide range of ecosystem services (ES) important to human well-being. Much of the current literature relies on expert-led and top-down processes to investigate connections between landscapes' different land covers and ES. Little is known regarding the preferences of residents, and how they connect land covers with the delivery of ES important for their well-being. The aim of this study is to identify and locate such land cover types as GI that provide multiple ES important for human well-being in rural settings. First, we interviewed 400 urban and rural residents to identify ES important for personal well-being and the land covers that deliver multiple ES in three counties that best represent the existing rural-urban gradient in Sweden. Second, to support the inclusion of GI in spatial planning, we identified and located spatial concentrations of individual land covers providing multiple ES (GI hubs) and significant clusters of such land covers (GI hotspots). The majority of urban and rural respondents associated their well-being with lakes, mountains above the tree line, old-growth forests, wooded-pastures, mature pine forests and rural farmsteads. The areal proportion of each type of hub was low, on average 3.5%. At least three land management strategies are needed to sustain GI hubs: maintenance of the composition, structure and function of natural ecosystems in protected areas; support for traditional agroforestry and villages as social-ecological systems; and diversification of the current intensive forest management approach.
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| 5. |
- Elbakidze, Marine, et al.
(författare)
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Hållbar landsbygdsutveckling : samverkan för kunskapsproduktion och lärande
- 2017
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Ingår i: Fakta. Skog. - 1400-7789.
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Annan publikation (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Landsbygdens naturresurser och andra värden är viktiga för att vidareutveckla en biobaserad ekonomi och att stärka Sverige som besöksnation. Därför är det viktigt med befolkade, aktiva och växande landsbygder. Landsbygden står dock inför stora utmaningar. Hur skapas attraktiva bygder? Hur bevaras gamla jobb, och skapas nya? Hur bevaras ekologiska, sociala och kulturella värden? Genom tvärvetenskaplig forskning tillsammans med aktörer på olika samhällsnivåer verkar vi för en hållbar landsbygd genom att generera kunskap och bidra till lärande. Vårt internationella arbetssätt ger nya perspektiv på kunskapsproduktion och lärande tillsammans med praktiker, och skapar förutsättningar för problembaserad utbildning för hållbar landsbygdsutveckling. Här presenteras huvudinriktningarna för vår forskning för hållbar landsbygdsutveckling.
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| 6. |
- Naumov, Vladimir
(författare)
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Barriers and bridges for intensified wood production and biodiversity conservation in NW Russia's boreal forest
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Wood production and biodiversity conservation are two key objectives of sustainable forest management policy. These goals are rival and, therefore, hard to achieve at the same time and space. The aim of the thesis is to contribute to the understanding of barriers and bridges for intensified wood production and biodiversity conservation in NW Russia’s boreal forests. It was implemented by case study approach on both ecological and social systems of forest landscapes with different forest use histories in the European boreal biome. I first studied the forest use history in a forest management unit in NW Russia (paper I). Second, I analysed how production and biodiversity goals are actually balanced on the ground by comparing indicators for wood production and biodiversity conservation in NW Russia, Belarus, Latvia and Sweden (paper II). Next, in order to test the hypothesis that there are no biophysical obstacles to intensified wood production in NW Russia, I compared tree growth rates at 4 latitudes in NW Russia and Sweden (paper III). Finally, I reviewed the history of forest zoning policy, which is an influential mechanism to conserve biodiversity in Russian forests, and assessed if zoning policy change towards intensification negatively affected riparian forests, e.g. biodiversity conservation (paper IV). Results from this research shows that barriers for intensified wood production in NW Russia include limited silviculture, poor road development and conservative mind-set of decision-makers (paper I). Bridges for intensified wood production involve existing infrastructure of forest villages and available middle-aged forests (paper I) as well as equal biophysical conditions for tree growths (paper III). Biodiversity conservation goal is achieved better than wood production in NW Russia in comparison to countries with longer forest use histories (paper II). More relaxed zoning policy is considered as barrier to biodiversity conservation (paper IV). Developed zoning system (paper IV), landscape approach initiatives and remaining intact forests (paper I) provide opportunities for biodiversity conservation. This thesis suggests that balanced sustained-yield wood production together with biodiversity conservation is possible when a segregative zoning model is employed. To conclude, there is a need to engage in transdisciplinary research on the role of landscape stewardship for satisfying both wood production and biodiversity conservation objectives.
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| 7. |
- Naumov, Vladimir, et al.
(författare)
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Satisfying rival forestry objectives in the Komi Republic: effects of Russian zoning policy change on wood production and riparian forest conservation
- 2017
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Ingår i: Canadian Journal of Forest Research. - : Canadian Science Publishing. - 0045-5067 .- 1208-6037. ; 47, s. 1339-1349
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spatial segregation of different forest landscape functions can accommodate rival forestry objectives more comprehensively than integrated approaches. Russia has a unique history of forest zoning separating production and environmental functions. However, the Russian Forest Code of 2006 increased the focus on wood production. We reviewed the history of zoning policy in Russia and assessed if the recent policy change affected logging rates and conservation of riparian forests. Using Russia's Komi Republic as a case study, we specifically assessed (i) if policy change led to increased logging near streams, (ii) if logging rates were different in headwaters vs. main rivers, and (iii) how logging changed among catchments with different accessibility to logging. Using a global open-access remote sensing dataset, we compared mean annual forest loss as a proxy of logging rates in 10 large forested catchments in the Komi Republic in one period with strict zoning policy (2000-2006) and one with moderate zoning policy (2007-2014). Harvesting rate was positively related to the distance from streams. On the other hand, it increased after the policy change in the buffer zone but decreased outside it. Forests were harvested more in headwater buffers than along larger rivers, and harvest in the catchments near industries was higher and increasing; remote catchments had low forest loss. We discuss the opportunity for adopting forest zoning policy in different governance contexts.
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