Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-02-10DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxae003
Aman Dabral, Rajendra K Meena, Rajeev Shankhwar, Rama Kant, Shailesh Pandey, Harish S Ginwal, Maneesh S Bhandari
{"title":"Spatial Population Structuring and Genetic Analysis of Exotic Grevillea robusta in Northwestern India","authors":"Aman Dabral, Rajendra K Meena, Rajeev Shankhwar, Rama Kant, Shailesh Pandey, Harish S Ginwal, Maneesh S Bhandari","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxae003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxae003","url":null,"abstract":"The introduction of exotics is common in forestry, and majorly important species, like eucalypts, poplar, and Casuarina sp., occupy vast areas in the Indian subcontinent. Importantly, with the latest cost-effective sequencing techniques, genetic diversity research through molecular marker approaches on major exotics provides novel information for genetic improvement in economic traits with climatic adaptation. The study was carried out on Grevillea robusta to assess genetic relatedness and diversity among 228 genotypes belonging to five northwestern states in India. These genotypes were assayed using twelve simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A population structure analysis using structure software identified four major gene pool subgroups with clear-cut differences from each other. Principal coordinate analysis also supports the clustering patterns of the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean analysis. In the case of genetic diversity assessment, a total of seventy-three alleles were detected from twelve SSRs, with an average of 6.08 ± 0.71 per locus. Polymorphism information content ranged from 0.17 to 0.67 with a mean of 0.44 ± 0.045, indicating high levels of polymorphism across the genotypes. All the evaluated SSRs demonstrated moderate genetic diversity (observed heterozygosity = 0.31 ± 0.03; expected heterozygosity = 0.32 ± 0.03; and genetic differentiation = 0.295) among the sampled genotypes. These findings indicate significant genetic variability in the germplasm to warrant selection and have potential for a long-term tree improvement program of G. robusta in India. Study Implications: The study on population genetics of Grevillea robusta in exotic environments assessed probable gene pools, provenances, and genetic diversity in geographical distribution range of the species in the Indian scenario. The basic population genetic measures revealed the high diversity areas and probable seed zones of G. robusta in its exotic range. Importantly, the study will be helpful in the selection of candidate plus trees of G. robusta to further strengthen the genotype × environment interaction study for future breeding programs. Further, studying the genetic makeup for moderately diverse species offers valuable insights into evolutionary history, population dynamics, and ecological interactions, which may lead to conservation efforts and guidance for the management of trees such as G. robusta in their native and introduced regions.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"75 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139766233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-02-10DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxae004
Gustavo S Martins, Muhammad Yuliarto, Wong Ching Yong, Tisha Melia, Maggie V Maretha, Mukesh Sharma, Nathan Lakey, Jared Ordway, Juan José Acosta, Gary Hodge
{"title":"Estimation of Additive and Dominance Effects in an Acacia crassicarpa Multi-Environment Progeny Trial Using Genomic Pedigree Reconstruction","authors":"Gustavo S Martins, Muhammad Yuliarto, Wong Ching Yong, Tisha Melia, Maggie V Maretha, Mukesh Sharma, Nathan Lakey, Jared Ordway, Juan José Acosta, Gary Hodge","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxae004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxae004","url":null,"abstract":"Acacia crassicarpa is an important tree species in Southeast Asia, where hundreds of thousands of hectares of planted forests are supported by advancements in silviculture and genetic improvement. Although possible, controlled pollination is impractical for advancing breeding populations, requiring an unreasonable effort to produce more than a few crosses per year. For this reason, breeding populations often are bred by open pollination. This study used large-scale pedigree reconstruction in multi-environment trials to assess full-sib families to model the genetics of the quantitative traits survival, straightness, height, diameter at breast height, tree volume, mean annual increment (MAI), and basic density. The traits were predominantly controlled by additive effects, with heritabilities between 0.09 for survival and 0.45 for basic density. The genetic correlation across sites was high for all traits, showing the low impact of genotype-by-environment interaction. The trait-trait correlation showed that straightness was independent of any other traits, survival was only correlated with MAI, and growth traits were highly correlated among themselves. Basic density was positively correlated with growth traits and MAI. Study Implications: Parentage analysis using an informative single nucleotide polymorphism panel was used to reconstruct pedigree and allow a full-sib family model to estimate additive and dominance effects and genetic correlations across sites and among important traits in an open-pollinated population. The genetic control of all traits assessed in this study was mainly additive. In this scenario, the recommended breeding strategy is forward selection of outstanding progeny for advanced generation breeding and backward selection of outstanding parents to produce seed for deployment via family forestry. Full-sib families can be identified by pedigree reconstruction at a seedling stage, followed by tissue culture multiplication, rooted cutting propagation, and plantation establishment.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139766232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-02-09DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxae002
Daniel DeArmond, Adriano José Nogueira Lima, Niro Higuchi
{"title":"Logging Machinery Traffic Has Greatest Influence on Soil Chemical Properties in the Amazonian Rainy Season","authors":"Daniel DeArmond, Adriano José Nogueira Lima, Niro Higuchi","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxae002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxae002","url":null,"abstract":"In the forests of Amazonia each year, previously unentered stands are logged, which usually results in some degree of soil compaction. Consequently, the soil chemical properties in compacted areas are altered. The aim of this study was to determine how these changes may help or hinder site recovery in the context of seasonal variation and increased levels of compaction. To investigate these changes, an experiment was established in the Central Amazon. This consisted of tractor trails compacted at three incrementally increasing traffic intensities of one, three, and twelve machine cycles in the wet and dry seasons. Results revealed that elevated moisture in the wet season combined with heavy compaction from twelve machine cycles had the greatest impact on soil chemical properties. This was indicated by diminished total nitrogen, organic carbon, available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity, and elevated ammonium and Fe2+. Nevertheless, heavy compaction in the wet season led to lower Al3+ and higher base saturation, which could be beneficial for future site recovery. Study Implications: Annually, vast swathes of old-growth forest are logged for the first time in Amazonia. These areas require an extensive skid trail network to facilitate movement of logging machinery and subsequent log skidding. Skid trails always entail some level of soil compaction, especially in the heavily used primary skid trails. This compaction influences the soil chemical properties. Some impacts are only apparent in the wet season and may not be present in the dry season. Therefore, to reduce overall impacts to soil chemical properties, skid trail coverage should be planned to reduce the coverage of the logging site.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139766156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-01-25DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxad049
David L R Affleck, George C Gaines
{"title":"Mill and Landbase Attributes Condition Response Rates to Timber Product Output Surveys in the Western United States","authors":"David L R Affleck, George C Gaines","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxad049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxad049","url":null,"abstract":"Since the 1940s, the USDA Forest Service has surveyed roundwood receiving facilities to report on timber products output (TPO). The TPO program provides information on forest removals, processing capacity, and wood product markets, complementing inventory estimates of status and change. The program adopted an annual state-level probability sampling design in 2019 and this research evaluates rates of unit nonresponse (UN) in surveys of eleven western states over reference years 2019–2021. The overall response rate for this region and period was 43.7%, which appears low relative to prior western surveys. Response rates also differed significantly by state, facility type, and facility size class. Furthermore, distributions of forestland ownership and harvest levels over potential facility feedstock areas differed significantly between respondents and nonrespondents for an important class of large sawmills. Taken together, these results suggest UN is substantially degrading the precision of western TPO surveys and may be inducing appreciable bias in current estimators. At the same time, response rates were significantly higher where responses were obtained in previous years, suggesting a positive facilitation effect. The implications of these rates and patterns in UN for TPO survey design and estimation are discussed. Study Implications: The USDA Forest Service estimates timber products output (TPO) from US forests using sample surveys of roundwood receiving facilities. In TPO samples of western states for the period 2019–2021, the average response rate was only 43.7%. The level of unit nonresponse will substantially degrade the precision of TPO estimates at state and regional levels, while the observed patterns may induce bias. Further research is needed to identify the bias and precision of current and alternative estimators and to investigate survey implementation factors or design enhancements that would allow more intensive follow-up efforts to focus on a smaller number of nonrespondents.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139585189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2023-12-12DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxad045
Anwar Hussain, Ian A Munn, Robert K Grala
{"title":"Proportion of Nonindustrial Private Forest Lands That Potentially Can Be Leased to Bioenergy Enterprises to Grow Short Rotation Woody Crops","authors":"Anwar Hussain, Ian A Munn, Robert K Grala","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxad045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxad045","url":null,"abstract":"Determining how much nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) land could potentially be allocated to growing short rotation woody crops (SRWCs) is critical for estimating the future supply of woody biomass for biofuels and overall bioenergy production. This study estimated the proportion of the land NIPF landowners would be willing to allocate to SRWC cultivation. In view of the bounded nature of the dependent binary variable [0,1] and model performance, a fractional logit regression model was used to estimate model parameters. The estimated proportion of land allocated to SRWCs was positively influenced by the rental rate per acre, owning land for investment or fee-access hunting purposes, and the landowner’s age. In contrast, size of the ownership, owning land for the production of agricultural products, and residing on the land negatively influenced the proportion of land allocated to SRWCs. Lease contract duration, location of the largest tract owned, owning land for personal recreation or ecosystem services, and landowner familiarity with the concept of alternative fuels production did not influence the proportion of land allocated to SRWCs. These results will contribute to a better understanding of SRWC biomass supply from NIPF land and provide important benchmark information for conducting feasibility analyses of biofuel and biopower manufacturing in Mississippi and other states with abundant woody feedstocks. Study Implications: To achieve targeted levels of bioenergy production and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reductions and diversify NIPF landowner income, participation of NIPF landowners in woody biomass feedstock production will be critical, because they own a majority of forestland in the region. Moreover, they have diverse reasons for owning land which has extensive implications not only in terms of incentive types or monetary compensation levels they might require for cultivating SRWCs but also policies related to the development of the bioenergy sector in Mississippi, the location of individual bioenergy processing facilities, and feedstock types that will be developed. Thus, forest managers and biomass procurement foresters might need to decide whether to focus their efforts on maximizing the land area allocated to growing SRWCs or considering a mix of SRWCs at lower lease rates per acre and material obtained from thinnings, which might be more amenable to landowners who value environmental amenities.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138579822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2023-12-09DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxad050
Joseph L Conrad, W Dale Greene, Patrick Hiesl
{"title":"Georgia and Florida Logging Businesses Persevere Through Pandemic, Rising Costs, and Uncertainty","authors":"Joseph L Conrad, W Dale Greene, Patrick Hiesl","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxad050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxad050","url":null,"abstract":"Logging businesses in Georgia and Florida combine to harvest approximately 66 million tons of timber annually, more than 10% of the US total. Since 1987, the University of Georgia has surveyed Georgia logging business owners every 5 years. Florida logging businesses were included in 2022 to gain a better understanding of logging businesses in the region. During the first quarter of 2022, questionnaires were mailed to 503 and 132 logging businesses in Georgia and Florida, respectively. Adjusted response rates were 22% in Georgia and 25% in Florida. Logging businesses produced an average of 1,956 and 2,619 tons per week in Georgia and Florida, respectively. The median owner age was approximately 56 years in Georgia and 58 years in Florida. Nearly 40% of owners were over 60 years old in both states. More than 30% of loggers in both states expected to leave the industry within 5 years. The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on logging businesses, with over 80% of logging business owners reporting reduced production, employees becoming infected, and/or difficulty finding employees. Logging business owners identified fuel, labor, trucking, and insurance as their greatest challenges in 2022. Study Implications: Rising costs, turbulent markets, and shortages of labor are stressing many logging businesses. In the short term, adjustments to logging rates are needed to respond to increased input costs. In the long term, individual logging businesses, loggers’ associations, and the forest industry should collaborate to increase the pool of qualified labor, address trucking and insurance challenges, and create succession plans for logging business owners that plan to leave the industry.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138562316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2023-11-09DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxad046
Aurora C Baker, David L Phillips, J Davis Goode, Justin L Hart
{"title":"Natural Canopy Disturbance Patterns and Ecological Silviculture in the Alabama Fall Line Hills","authors":"Aurora C Baker, David L Phillips, J Davis Goode, Justin L Hart","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxad046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxad046","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract As a natural disturbance-based approach to silviculture is increasingly embraced by forest managers, quantitative reference conditions of natural disturbance patterns are paramount. We used LiDAR data to quantify resultant structural patterns from an EF3 tornado on the Oakmulgee Ranger District of Talladega National Forest in the Alabama Fall Line Hills, USA. We found the zone of catastrophic disturbance totaled 123 ha, had a mean width of 360 m, and residual trees were randomly distributed. This zone was buffered by an edge zone of intermediate-severity disturbance where trees were removed individually and in groups. The edge zone averaged 220 m in width. In total, the study area included seventy-nine stands and the percentage of stand area damaged ranged from < 1% to 94%. We suggest that clearcut, seed tree, and shelterwood with reserves regeneration methods may be appropriate analogs to natural canopy disturbance in the Fall Line Hills region. These catastrophic disturbance entries should be buffered from undisturbed neighborhoods by a system that retains mature forest structures and would constitute a zone of intermediate-severity disturbance. Our approach may be used as a template to expand our understanding of natural canopy disturbance patterns in other regions and forest types. Study Implications: In regions where tornadoes are a natural component of the disturbance regime, including much of the southeastern United States, we suggest that clearcut, seed tree, or shelterwood with reserves regeneration methods may be used to approximate the zone of catastrophic disturbance that corresponds to the tornado track. We observed that reserve tree spatial patterns were random, but residual trees could be selected based on desired species or protection of important biophysical features such as seeps. Surrounding the catastrophic disturbance zone was an edge zone of intermediate-severity disturbance where trees were removed individually and in variably sized groups. We suggest that the structural patterns documented in this edge zone may be created through variable retention harvesting.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":" 21","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135292590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2023-11-01DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxad042
Stephanie Chizmar, Rajan Parajuli, Sonia Bruck, Gregory Frey, Erin Sills
{"title":"Forest-Based Employment in the Southern United States amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Causal Inference Analysis","authors":"Stephanie Chizmar, Rajan Parajuli, Sonia Bruck, Gregory Frey, Erin Sills","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxad042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxad042","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some governments instituted mandatory stay-at-home policies. As these policies made exceptions for essential industries such as the forest sector, it is not clear a priori whether and how these policies would affect forest-based employment. This study examined the effect of mandatory stay-at-home orders on employment in the forest sector in forest dependent counties in eleven southern states in the United States. We estimated panel event study models in addition to difference-in-difference models to evaluate the policy effects with respect to initial treatment as well as average effects to the treated counties during treatment. We found that employment in wood product manufacturing was lower on average in counties under a lockdown order compared with employment in counties without an active order. We also found that employment in the aggregate forest sector in counties that implemented the policy was significantly lower than employment in counties without the policy up to 9 months following initial enactment compared with the underlying difference between treated and control counties one month prior to treatment. Overall, our findings suggest that lockdown policies had a limited effect on employment in essential industries such as wood-based manufacturing sectors in the southern states. Study Implications: This study uses causal inference techniques to assess the effect of lockdown orders on forest-based employment in 11 southern states. Results suggest effects of lockdown orders were limited to the aggregate forest sector and wood product manufacturing, likely due to the rapid designation of the sector as essential and the reduced production of sawmills. The other industries within the sector were not significantly affected, implying that industries designated as essential may be more resilient to short-term shocks. These findings can be used to inform discussions on potential policy responses to future disasters, including how different interventions interact with one another.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"60 11-12","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135455385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2023-10-31DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxad044
Terhi Koskela, Heimo Karppinen
{"title":"Forest Owners’ Intention to Safeguard Forest Biodiversity: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior","authors":"Terhi Koskela, Heimo Karppinen","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxad044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxad044","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Private nonindustrial forest owners’ intention to safeguard biodiversity in their own forest was studied by applying the theory of planned behavior. The data were collected in a nationwide mail survey sent to 3,000 Finnish forest owners (response rate 35%). The impact of attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on the intention to safeguard biodiversity was empirically tested by estimating structural equation models (SEM). The empirical estimations supported the theoretical model. The influence of perceived behavioral control was inhibiting on the intention and slightly stronger than the explanatory power of attitude or the subjective norm. External factors had an impact on the explanatory pattern of the intention. The effect of subjective norm increased and the role of attitude decreased with age. Academic education increased the importance of attitudes and decreased the role of normative pressures. In the development of voluntary measures aimed at safeguarding biodiversity, special attention should be paid to the reduction of the obstacles for the implementation perceived by forest owners. Forest owners often perceive important to retain decision-making power for the next generation. Forest owners should be provided with information about the different measures for safeguarding biodiversity and the contract terms. Study Implications: Forest owners consider active timber production, compensation level, willingness to retain decision-making power for the next generation, and small forest ownership as factors that inhibit their intention to safeguard biodiversity in their own forests. Forest owners’ attitude toward safeguarding forest biodiversity and the normative pressures the reference groups create have a slightly smaller effect on intention. It is important to take the views of forest owners into account when developing voluntary measures for safeguarding biodiversity. It is essential to distribute information to forest owners about the available measures, their requirements, and compensation.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"36 ","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135872026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2023-10-04DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxad043
Kiomars Sefidi, Carolyn A Copenheaver, Dominik Thom, Bernhard Felbermeier
{"title":"Developing a Structural Complexity Index for Oriental Beech Forests in Northern Iran","authors":"Kiomars Sefidi, Carolyn A Copenheaver, Dominik Thom, Bernhard Felbermeier","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxad043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxad043","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The structural complexity index (SCI) has become an important metric for forest managers to monitor ecosystem services and conservation value in a wide variety of forest types. In this study, we developed an SCI for an unmanaged mixed Fagus orientalis Lipsky forest in northern Iran, which incorporated structural information specific to mature and old-growth forests. Our results showed that we were able to develop an SCI for this forest that would assist managers to make conservation decisions in a forest where large overstory trees and small understory trees are equally important. The SCI was significantly positively correlated with the density of five minor tree species (Acer velutinum Boiss., Acer cappadocicum Gled., Tilia begoniifolia Chun & H.D. Wong, Quercus castaneifolia C.A. Mey., and Prunus avium L.) and the density of large ([50 cm < diameter at breast height {DBH} < 75 cm]) and very large (DBH > 75 cm) overstory trees. The SCI remains a highly flexible tool for forest conservation and decision making and may assist with decisions about forest management in response to climate change and shifting disturbance regimes. Study Implications: Forest managers have begun to use the structural complexity index (SCI) to assess the successful achievement of conservation management objectives. In many mature, mixed-species forests, large trees, minor species, and understory tree species are important structural components. In this study, we demonstrate that reduction of the minimum diameter used for sampling trees and careful selection of the variables used to calculate SCI results in a valuable metric for making conservation decisions. The advantage of SCI as a forest decision tool is that forest managers are able to adjust the inputs used to calculate SCI to reflect specific management objectives or monitoring goals.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"108 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135548897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}