Journal: Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research

Abbreviation

Forestry

Publisher

Oxford University Press

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ISSN

0015-752X
1464-3626

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Publications 1 - 8 of 8
  • The structure of natural oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) forests in the Caspian region of Iran and potential for the application of the group selection system
    Item type: Journal Article
    Sagheb‐Talebi, Khosro; Schütz, Jean‐Philippe (2002)
    Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research
  • Sustainable regeneration in uneven-aged mixed deciduous forests managed by selection silviculture: the role of demographic structure
    Item type: Journal Article
    Brüllhardt, Martin; Rotach, Peter; Forrester, David I.; et al. (2022)
    Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research
    Selection silviculture aims to create and maintain uneven-aged forests with a diameter at breast height (DBH) structure that is balanced at small spatial scales such that the stem number in each DBH class is high enough to replace the harvested and outgrowing trees over time by ingrowth from the next lower class. In these forests, natural regeneration of shade-tolerant species is at an advantage over shade-intolerant species. This is particularly pronounced in continuous-cover stands dominated by European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), which develops its crown laterally as a reaction to release events. The conditions necessary to sustain a mixture with less shade-tolerant species, e.g. sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.), have been little studied. Therefore, we explored growth patterns and stand structures in mixed deciduous forests with light availability quantified using vegetation height models. Harvesting and growth patterns were derived from inventory data of beech-dominated selection forests in Thuringia, Germany and long-term forest monitoring plot data from four stands in Switzerland. Based on these data, models of stem number distributions confirmed that stand basal area in deciduous forests dominated by beech should not exceed 21–25 m2 ha−1 to maintain a sustainable structure. In these forests, a total of ~90–120 stems per ha are needed in the ingrowth DBH class (DBH 8–11.9 cm) to ensure demographic sustainability. At canopy light transmittance <10 per cent, total stem number required in the thicket stage (DBH < 8 cm) is 800–1700 ha−1. Under such shady conditions, only a small proportion of sycamore was observed (<25 per cent) in the thicket stage, as the species is likely to require canopy gaps >400 m2 (gap diameter > 22.5 m) to recruit successfully. Selection silviculture with shade-intolerant species therefore requires much lower stocking volume and larger canopy openings created by group selection cutting than what is routinely applied in practical forest management using single-tree selection principles.
  • Vulnerability of uneven-aged forests to storm damage
    Item type: Journal Article
    Hanewinkel, Marc; Kuhn, Thomas; Bugmann, Harald; et al. (2014)
    Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research
  • Adaptation strategies for spruce forests - economic potential of bark beetle management and Douglas fir cultivation in future tree species portfolios
    Item type: Journal Article
    Fuchs, Jasper M.; Hittenbeck, Anika; Brandl, Susanne; et al. (2022)
    Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research
    Productive Norway spruce forests in mountainous growing areas are expected to be affected by increasing climate-driven disturbances, which will most likely result in a reduction of their economic performance. This study seeks to compare the potential of currently discussed management options aiming to maintain the economic performance on typical sites of spruce under a changing climate. For this purpose, we used a combined approach of tree mortality simulation and portfolio optimization to assess the management options: (1) including a deciduous species, (2) establishing mixed stands, (3) shortening the rotation periods, (4) forest protection measures focusing on bark beetles and (5) introducing another highly productive species. As a novel feature, we also compared the effect of combined management strategies on the return and risk of stand management. In our simulation and optimization approach, the inclusion of an alternative, highly productive tree species, such as Douglas fir, into the tree species portfolio outcompeted the forest protection measure of intensive bark beetle monitoring with timely sanitation fellings in terms of balancing risks and returns. The adaptation gain of introducing Douglas fir was further enhanced when combined with additional management options such as adapted rotation periods. The resulting synergies were able to overcompensate for the adverse economic effects of climate change. On the contrary, including beech did not only reduce the risks but also the return in a magnitude which was clearly outcompeted by Douglas fir, even with the assumption of high mortality risks for Douglas fir. These results prove the importance of a proactive tree species selection in relation to more reactive forest protection measures for climate change adaptation. They also advise a careful consideration of expected market demands when selecting an additional species for the portfolio.
  • Silvicultural tools to develop irregular and diverse forest structures
    Item type: Journal Article
    Schütz, Jean‐Philippe (2002)
    Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research
  • Close-to-nature silviculture: is this concept compatible with species diversity?
    Item type: Journal Article
    Schütz, Jp (1999)
    Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research
  • The changing culture of silviculture
    Item type: Journal Article
    Achim, Alexis; Moreau, Guillaume; Coops, Nicholas C.; et al. (2022)
    Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research
    Changing climates are altering the structural and functional components of forest ecosystems at an unprecedented rate. Simultaneously, we are seeing a diversification of public expectations on the broader sustainable use of forest resources beyond timber production. As a result, the science and art of silviculture needs to adapt to these changing realities. In this piece, we argue that silviculturists are gradually shifting from the application of empirically derived silvicultural scenarios to new sets of approaches, methods and practices, a process that calls for broadening our conception of silviculture as a scientific discipline. We propose a holistic view of silviculture revolving around three key themes: observe, anticipate and adapt. In observe, we present how recent advances in remote sensing now enable silviculturists to observe forest structural, compositional and functional attributes in near-real-time, which in turn facilitates the deployment of efficient, targeted silvicultural measures in practice that are adapted to rapidly changing constraints. In anticipate, we highlight the importance of developing state-of-the-art models designed to take into account the effects of changing environmental conditions on forest growth and dynamics. In adapt, we discuss the need to provide spatially explicit guidance for the implementation of adaptive silvicultural actions that are efficient, cost-effective and socially acceptable. We conclude by presenting key steps towards the development of new tools and practical knowledge that will ensure meeting societal demands in rapidly changing environmental conditions. We classify these actions into three main categories: re-examining existing silvicultural trials to identify key stand attributes associated with the resistance and resilience of forests to multiple stressors, developing technological workflows and infrastructures to allow for continuous forest inventory updating frameworks, and implementing bold, innovative silvicultural trials in consultation with the relevant communities where a range of adaptive silvicultural strategies are tested. In this holistic perspective, silviculture can be defined as the science of observing forest condition and anticipating its development to apply tending and regeneration treatments adapted to a multiplicity of desired outcomes in rapidly changing realities.
  • Multi-objective forestry increases the production of ecosystem services
    Item type: Journal Article
    Díaz-Yáñez, Olalla; Pukkala, Timo; Packalen, Petteri; et al. (2021)
    Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research
    Boreal forests produce multiple ecosystem services for the society. Their trade-offs determine whether they should be produced simultaneously or whether it is preferable to assign separate areas to different ecosystem services. We use simulation and optimization to analyse the correlations, trade-offs and production levels of several ecosystem services in single- and multi-objective forestry over 100 years in a boreal forest landscape. The case study area covers 3600 ha of boreal forest, consisting of 3365 stands. The ecosystem services and their indicators (in parentheses) considered are carbon sequestration (forestry carbon balance), biodiversity (amount of deadwood and broadleaf volume), economic profitability of forestry (net present value of timber production) and timber supply to forest industry (volume of harvested timber). The treatment alternatives simulated for each of the stands include both even-aged rotation forestry (thinning from above with clear cut) and continuous cover forestry regimes (thinning from above with no clear cut). First, we develop 200 Pareto optimal plans by maximizing multi-attribute utility functions using random weights for the ecosystem service indicators. Second, we compare the average level of ecosystem services in single- and multi-objective forestry. Based on our findings, forestry carbon balance and the amount of deadwood correlate positively with each other, and both of them correlate negatively with harvested timber volume and economic profitability of forestry. Despite this, the simultaneous maximization of multiple objectives increased the overall production levels of several ecosystem services, which suggests that the management of boreal forests should be multi-objective to sustain the simultaneous provision of timber and other ecosystem services.
Publications 1 - 8 of 8