A comparison between data requirements and availability for calibrating predictive ecological models for lowland UK woodlands: learning new tricks from old trees

© 2016 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Woodlands provide valuable ecosystem services, and it is important to understand their dynamics. To predict the way in which these might change, we need process-based predictive ecological models, but these are necessarily very data intensive. We tested the ability of existing datasets to provide the parameters necessary to instantiate a well-used forest model (SORTIE) for a well-studied woodland (Wytham Woods). Only five of SORTIE's 16 equations describing different aspects of the life history and behavior of individual trees could be parameterized without additional data collection. One age class – seedlings – was completely missed as they are shorter than the height at which Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) is measured. The mensuration of trees has changed little in the last 400 years (focussing almost exclusively on DBH) despite major changes in the nature of the source of value obtained from trees over this time. This results in there being insufficient data to parameterize process-based models in order to meet the societal demand for ecological prediction. We do not advocate ceasing the measurement of DBH, but we do recommend that those concerned with tree mensuration consider whether additional measures of trees could be added to their data collection protocols. We also see advantages in integrating techniques such as ground-based LIDAR or remote sensing techniques with long-term datasets to both preserve continuity with what has been performed in the past and to expand the range of measurements made.published_or_final_versio

Modelling forest ecosystems: a crossroad between scales, techniques and applications

When organizing this special issue, we (the guest editors) decided to carry out a quick overview of current trends in forest modelling. To do so, we used Clarivate’s Web of Science to carry out a search in the top five journals with “Forestry” as their unique category (Forest Ecology and Management, Tree Physiology, Trees – Structure and Function, Canadian Journal of Forest Research, International Journal of Wildland Fire), and two journals specialized in ecological modeling (Environmental Modelling and Software and Ecological Modelling). We searched for papers containing the same keywords as the papers published in the present article collection on modelling forest ecosystems. We limited our search to the last three complete years in the database (2017 and 2019). As several hundred papers were obtained, we made our personal selections as our search was not intended to be exhaustive, only to provide a sense on what is going on nowadays in the forest ecological modelling community (Table 1)

As territorialidades da população carcerária do complexo penitenciário do Serrotão em Campina Grande-PB

The prison space structured by the constant disciplines in the regime of the prisoner, which directly conditions its relationship with space, has through the territoriality as a spatial practice permeated by power as strategy, which configure the distribution and organization of the spatial elements of the prison, as well as the prison work that appears as a form of territoriality supported by the process of resocialization of the convicts. In this way, the Serrotão penitentiary complex is chosen, configured by three penitentiary establishments in its surroundings, for the analysis of the various forms of territorialities among the heterogeneous prison population of this territory. Therefore, the research analyzes the territorialities as spatial practices that order the geographic space of the penitentiary establishment, as well as configures the territories delimited by the main spatial agents. The methodological path adopted for the execution of this study is guided between the bibliographic research, the survey of demographic data among the penitentiary establishments that make up the Serrotão penitentiary complex between 2016 and 2018, and the recognition of the study area through field activity with the help of the institution's staff. For this, the spatialization of the data treated by means of software is carried out, making possible the analysis of the main localities of the prison space and specifically in the regional penitentiary Raymundo Asfora, the reading of the demographic density and the distribution of the inmates between pavilions, the last step to finish the methodological path of this research, are the interviews with the inmates of the penitentiary establishments by means of discourse analysis, in which the discourse can be equal to social practice.O espaço prisional é um campo de pesquisa que envolve, dentre outros aspectos, estudos sobre o regime disciplinar imposto ao preso e as estratégias usadas pelo apenado para conviver nesse espaço. O disciplinamento condiciona a relação do presidiário com o espaço, sendo a territorialidade uma prática espacial estratégica para a definição da configuração, distribuição e organização dos elementos espaciais no cárcere. O complexo penitenciário do Serrotão em Campina Grande-PB, configura-se, nesse contexto prisional, o campo de estudo desse trabalho. Como se estabelece o processo de uso e apropriação do território prisional a partir do trabalho realizado pelo apenado e como se estabelecem as relações de poder, nesse complexo prisional, a partir das práticas espaciais envidadas são questões centrais a serem decifradas a partir da análise das territorialidades da população carcerária. O percurso metodológico adotado para a execução deste estudo está pautado em pesquisa bibliográfica, levantamento de dados demográficos dos estabelecimentos penitenciários que compõe o complexo penitenciário do Serrotão, reconhecimento da área de estudo através da atividade de campo com o auxílio dos funcionários da instituição e entrevistas com os detentos. A sistematização dos dados/informações feitas por meio de mapas e tabelas, cuja interpretação terá por suporte teórico as noções de poder no espaço e a discussão sobre territorialidade de Raffestin (1980), a questão do disciplinamento nas prisões de Foucault (2009). Essas ideias contribuem para a análise do espaço a partir das relações de trabalho que se estabelecem e conduzem a organização do espaço carcerário e do poder no complexo prisional

Combining innovative mulches and soil conditioners in mountain afforestation with ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) in the Pyrenees (NE Spain)

Aim of study: To assess the effectiveness for improving early seedling performance of the individual and combined application of (i) various doses of an innovative soil conditioner including polyacrylamide-free super-absorbent polymers, fertilizers, root precursors and humic acids; and (ii) innovative mulches based on renewable-biodegradable or recycled raw materials. The assessment was carried out in comparison with reference (commercial) soil conditioners and mulches.Area of study: Upper montane afforestation site located at 1,430 m altitude in the southern Pyrenees (NE Spain).Material and methods: We studied the effect of 15 treatments (various combinations of soil conditioners and mulches) on mountain ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), testing survival, diameter and height growth and water and nutrient status during two growing seasons (2014-2015). We also assessed mulch durability during 2014-2016.Main results: The innovative soil conditioner improved diameter and height seedling growth (92% and 72% respectively) and water and nutrient status. The 40 g/seedling dosage was more cost-effective than the 20 and 80 g/seedling doses. The new formulation performed better in general than the commercial formulation. Mulches led to slight gains compared to control seedlings, and there were no major differences between the mulch models. The combined application of soil conditioners and mulches was not of particular interest.Research highlights: Soil conditioners consisting of synergic mixtures of water super-absorbent polymers, fertilizers, root growth precursors and humic acids can improve early seedling performance in coarse-textured, stony soils in montane conditions. Small mulches may be only of limited interest as long as weed competitiveness is poor.Keywords: ecotechnology; groundcovers; reforestation; seedling performance; restoration; water super-absorbent polymer; weed.Abbreviations used: GSn, growing season number ‘n’; leaf water potential, LWP; water super-absorbent polymers, SAP; soil conditioner with water super-absorbent polymers, SCwSAP; Soil Plant Analysis Development, SPAD

Ecosystem services provision by Mediterranean forests will be compromised above 2℃ warming

Forests provide a wide range of provisioning, regulating and cultural services of greatvalue to societies across the Mediterranean basin. In this study, we reviewed the sci -entific literature of the last 30 years to quantify the magnitude of projected changesin ecosystem services provision by Mediterranean forests under IPCC climate changescenarios. We classified the scenarios according to the temperature threshold of 2℃set by the Paris Agreement (below or above). The review of 78 studies shows thatclimate change will lead to a general reduction in the provision of regulating services(e.g. carbon storage, regulation of freshwater quantity and quality) and a general in-crease in the number of fires, burnt areas and generally, an increase in climate-relatedforest hazards (median + 62% by 2100). Studies using scenarios above the 2℃ thresh-old projected significantly more negative changes in regulating services than stud-ies using scenarios below this threshold. Main projected trend changes on materialservices (e.g. wood products), were less clear and depended on (i) whether or notthe studies considered the interaction between the rise in temperatures and otherdrivers (e.g. forest management, CO2 fertilization) and (ii) differences in productivityresponses across the tree species evaluated. Overall, the reviewed studies projectedsignificant reductions in range extent and habitat suitability for the most drought-sensitive forest species (e.g. −88% Fagus sylvatica), while the amount of habitatavailable for more drought-tolerant species will remain stable or increase; however,the magnitude of projected change for these more xeric species was limited whenhigh-end extreme climatic scenarios were considered (above Paris Agreement). Ourreview highlights the benefits that climate change mitigation (to keep global meantemperature increase <2℃) can bring in terms of service provision and conservationof Mediterranean forests

The relationship between fire severity and burning efficiency for estimating wildfire emissions in Mediterranean forests

Forests are exposed to changing climatic conditions reflected by increasing drought and heat waves that increase the risk of wildfire ignition and spread. Climatic variables such as rain and wind as well as vegetation structure, land configuration and forest management practices are all factors that determine the burning potential of wildfires. The assessment of emissions released by vegetation combustion is essential for determining greenhouse gases and air pollutants. The estimation of wildfire-related emissions depends on factors such as the type and fraction of fuel (i.e., live biomass, ground litter, dead wood) consumed by the fire in a given area, termed the burning efficiency. Most approaches estimate live burning efficiency from optical remote sensing data. This study used a data-driven method to estimate live burning efficiency in a Mediterranean area. Burning severity estimations from Landsat imagery (dNBR), which relate to fuel consumption, and quantitative field data from three national forest inventory data were combined to establish the relationship between burning severity and live burning efficiency. Several proxies explored these relationships based on dNBR interval classes, as well as regression models. The correlation results between live burning efficiency and dNBR for conifers (R = 0.63) and broad-leaved vegetation (R = 0.95) indicated ways for improving emissions estimations. Median estimations by severity class (low, moderate-low, moderate-high, and high) are provided for conifers (0 .44 − 0.81) and broad-leaves (0.64 − 0.86), and regression models for the live fraction of the tree canopy susceptible to burning (&lt; 2 cm, 2 − 7 cm, &gt; 7 branches, and leaves). The live burning efficiency values by severity class were higher than previous studies

Maximum tree height in European Mountains decreases above a climate-related elevation threshold

Mountain forests face important threats from global change and spatio-temporal variation in tree height can help to monitor these effects. In this study, we used the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation space-borne laser sensor to examine the relationship between maximum tree height and elevation, and the role of climate, in the main European mountain ranges. We found a piecewise relationship between elevation and maximum tree height in all mountain ranges, supporting the existence of a common breakpoint that marks the beginning of tree development limitations. Temperature and precipitation were identified as the most important drivers of tree height variation. Additionally, we predicted significant upward displacement of the breakpoint for the period 2080-2100 under climate change scenarios, potentially increasing the area without growth limitations for trees. These findings contribute to understanding the impacts of global warming on mountain forest ecosystems and provide insights for their monitoring and management

LandTrendr smoothed spectral profiles enhance woody encroachment monitoring

Secondary succession (SS) is one of the main consequences of the abandonment of agricultural and forestry practices in rural areas, causing -among other processes- woody encroachment on former pastures and croplands. In this study we model and monitor the spatial evolution of SS over semi-natural grassland communities in the mountain range of the Pyrenees in Spain, during the last 36 years (1984-2019). Independent variables for ‘annual-based’ and ‘period-based’ modeling were drawn from a suite of Surface Reflectance Landsat images, LandTrendr (LT)-algorithm-adjusted images and LT outputs. Support vector machine (SVM) classifiers were trained and tested using all possible variable combinations of all the aforementioned datasets. The best modeling strategy involved yearly time series of LT-adjusted Tasseled Cap Brightness (TCB) and Wetness (TCW) axes as predictors, attaining a F1-score of 0.85, a Matthew Correlation Coefficient (MCC) of 0.67 and an AUC 0.83. Woodlands encroached above 480, 000 ha of grasslands and crops during the study period. A model using LT outputs for the whole period also denoted good performance (F1-score = 0.85, MCC = 0.75) and estimated a similar area of woodland expansion (~509, 000 ha), but this ‘period’ approach was unable to provide temporal information on the year or the encroachment dynamics. Our results suggest an overall proportion of 66% for the Pyrenees being affected by SS, with higher intensity in the west-central part, decreasing towards the eastern end. © 2021 The Author

Biogeographic context mediates multifaceted diversity-productivity relationships in island and mainland forests

Biotic and abiotic conditions have been found to strongly influence how biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning in forests. This context dependency of biodiversity-productivity relationships in real-world ecosystems may be shaped by the biogeographic context via deep-time processes acting on the size and composition of the species pool such as dispersal limitation, environmental filtering, speciation and invasibility. However, the role of the biogeographic context in shaping multifaceted biodiversity and forest productivity relationships remains uncertain. Using data from the Spanish National Forest Inventory in climatically similar forests on the Canary Islands (637 plots) and mainland Spain (1434 plots), we investigate the extent to which above-ground productivity is determined by ecological and evolutionary processes associated with the biogeographic context. We used structural equation models to test the drivers of above-ground productivity in both contexts, that operate via multifaceted tree diversity (taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity) or alternative mechanisms, that is environmental conditions, non-native species, and the number of trees. Our results show that mainland and island forests exhibit similar levels of productivity, yet island forests display overall lower multifaceted diversity. We found that the number of trees increased multifaceted diversity and also increased productivity directly and via their effects on phylogenetic diversity in both mainland and island forests. Further, non-native species increased productivity in island forests. Synthesis: Our results suggest that multifaceted diversity, by capturing the diversity of evolutionary history, contributes to elucidating diversity-productivity relationships in mainland and island forests that could not be detected by taxonomic diversity alone. By filling empty niches in island forests, we find that non-native species are fundamentally altering ecosystem functioning on islands and thus, reveal how biogeographic context can shape biodiversity-productivity relationships

Author&apos;s personal copy Understory light predictions in mixed conifer mountain forests: Role of aspect-induced variation in crown geometry and openness

a b s t r a c t Predicting light availability in forest understory is a key step in the modeling of forest dynamics. Aspect is often the main source of environmental variation in mountain forests, and so aspect-induced differences in crown geometry and transparency can be expected to affect light transmission through the canopy and modify understory light predictions. To gain a better understanding of the effects of aspect on the light interception capacity of forest trees, we determined crown allometry and crown openness (CO) in 120 adult trees of three common conifer species in the Pyrenees (mountain pine, Scots pine and silver fir), sampled in eight montane-subalpine forests that each included two contrasting aspects. CO was calculated from digital photographs and several crown outlines were automatically determined to prevent user bias. We also calculated crown irregularity as the difference between crown surface area for the tightest and loosest outlines. Predictions of understory light availability obtained from a forest dynamics model were compared with actual values obtained from 115 hemispherical photographs. Crown length and CO varied across species following previous rankings of shade tolerance. Both pines had longer and wider crowns in the north aspect, whereas fir crown geometry was not affected by aspect. CO depended largely on the method chosen for determining crown outline, ranging from 0.10 to 0.56, and the tightest outline provided the best predictions of understory light (slope = 0.89, R 2 = 0.46). CO was also significantly affected by tree size and plot aspect (p &lt; 0.001): crowns in southern-oriented plots were more open for mountain pine and silver fir, whereas Scots pine showed the opposite trend. Predictions of understory light were significantly improved when crown geometry and openness were allowed to vary according to plot aspect (slope of the regression: 0.95, R 2 = 0.50). Our results suggest that aspect should be explicitly considered when modeling ecological processes and dynamics in mixed mountain forests given its influence on both abiotic conditions and crown responses to them