Livelihood dependency and management on semiarid oak forests

This thesis deals with the relationships between inhabitants’ livelihoods and forest resources management at watershed level in the semiarid forests (woodlands) of Persian oak (Quercus persica) in southwest Iran. The ultimate objective of the studies is to lay a basis for planning woodland resource management, to suggest on strategies for improvements in implementation of management plans for sustainable use and conservation of these resources, and improvement of natural resources-based livelihoods of the communities. Paper I investigates the relationships between the traditional utilization, socioeconomic development during recent decades and land cover changes in the study area. Paper II aims to investigate dependency of inhabitant’s livelihoods on the woodland resources by characterizing their forest-based activities. The impacts of these activities on the attributes of the woodland as well as the participation of inhabitants in these activities are studied in Paper III. In Paper IV, a diameter class model is developed in order to predict the effects of different management practices on growth and yield of stands of Persian oak. Data on land cover change (Paper I) were collected through stereo interpretation with digital photogrammetric techniques applied to sets of scanned aerial photographs. Field data for all studies were gathered in 2003 from a woodland inventory. Socioeconomic data were gathered through interviews in 2006 (Paper I) and in 2008 (Papers II and III). Some data for model parameters in Paper IV were extracted from information of an adjacent forested area. In Paper II, canonical correlation analysis and pairwise correlation analysis were used to explore any significant relationships between the socioeconomic variables and the variables of the forest-based activities of the households. In Paper IV, linear programming was used to solve the planning problems. Results show stability in crown cover density and in the number of large trees and an increment of the woodland area. This could be related to a change in the traditional pattern of the woodland utilization in the past decades. There is a high dependency of inhabitants’ livelihoods on the woodland resources. The woodland-based incomes in Ganaveh are obtained by performing animal grazing, and collection of fuel wood, seeds, and ground fodder. The more income diversification and the better educational conditions for households, the less dependency on these resources. Lack of natural regeneration, relatively high incident of bad quality trees cause concerns for sustainability and conservation of the woodland as a result of the performed activities. Some efforts to reach social acceptance from the woodland users to protect the preserved areas from animal grazing and seed gathering for a period could be a good alternative for woodland rehabilitation. Fuel wood collection should not put the sustainability of the woodland in jeopardy. Although the accuracy of some parameters of the suggested diameter class model should be improved, the preliminary results show that the present prohibition of harvests seems contra productive. Rather, a regulated harvest of trees could enhance the livelihood of the Ganaveh households

Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Persian oak along altitudinal gradation and gradient (case study: Ilam province, Iran)

Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Persian oak (Quercus persica) were studied in relation to altitude and slope variations in Ilam province. A total area of 1,500 m2 (30 × 50 m) was covered in five altitudinal classes ranging from 800 to 1,800 m a.s.l. Samples were taken based on a systematic random sampling method with 24 sample plots at each class. In total, 120 sample plots (in five classes) were collected covering four gradient categories ranging from 60%. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out to compare differences between group means in gradient categories and Duncan’s post-hoc test was performed to reveal differences between the means of various quantitative characteristics (e.g. growing stock, basal area, diameter at breast height, tree height and regeneration) and the altitudinal classes. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to examine the differences between the means of qualitative variables and different altitudes and slopes categories. The results indicated that variations with altitudes may have a higher impact than slopes on the quantitative characteristics of the oak stands in the region while the qualitative variables of the native species were influenced by both altitudes and slope variations

Impacts of Forest-Based Activities on Woodland Characteristics in a Forested Watershed of Southern Zagros, Iran

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of forest-based activities on the conditions of the Ganaveh woodland in the southern Zagros, Iran, and to suggest strategies for improving the implementation of forest resource management plans. Woodland inventory data was gathered in 2003, accompanied with data from interviews in 2008, were used in this study. The results show that there is forest degradation in terms of a lack of forest regeneration and a relatively high incidence of bad quality trees. These defects in the woodland attributes reflect the effects of the traditional management on vegetation cover, and are the causes of concern regarding the sustainability and conservation of the woodland. Overgrazing, seed gathering, and drought in some years are probably the main reasons for the poor natural regeneration in the area. Forest activities over the last decades could be the main causes of the relatively high rate of bad quality oak trees and the high rate of oaks in coppice form. Some efforts to gain acceptance from the woodland users for protecting the preserved areas from animal grazing and seed gathering for a period could be a better alternative for woodland rehabilitation than seeding

Allometric equations for determining volume and biomass of Acer monspessulanum L. subsp. cinerascens multi-stemmed trees

Due to the importance of Acer monspessulanum in Iranian mountain forests, a study was carried out to reliably estimate its woody biomass and growing volume via allometric equations. Four transects, five trees in each were chosen randomly. The characteristics of standing trees including: diameter at root collar, height, number of stems and crown width were measured, then trees were finally cut down. Trunk and branches were separated and weighed. Some disks were taken and moved to the laboratory to determine the dry/fresh weight ratio and wood specific gravity and subsequently to calculate the dry weight of trunk, branch as well as aboveground biomass. Linear regression analysis was conducted to create allometric equations. Results showed that there was a strong and significant correlation between volume/biomass of Acer monspessulanum and quantitative characteristics of standing trees. The most robust predictors of volume and aboveground biomass were found to be crown width and crown area (R^2 = 0.83) followed by equivalent diameter at root collar (R^2 = 0.81). The normalized rootmean-square error amounts were found to be under 20% for most models especially for predicting biomass of branches. Tree height combined with equivalent diameter at root collar (EDRC) explained 87% of the variations in volume and biomass, creating precise models. It is concluded that crown diameter and EDRC can predict biomass and the volume of A. monspessulanum as a multi-stemmed tree with high accuracy and precision

Modelled agroforestry outputs at field and farm scale to support biophysical and environmental assessments

This report, comprising Deliverable 6.17, in the AGFORWARD project brings together examples of modelled outputs at field and farm scale to support the biophysical, social, and environmental assessment of the innovations selected from work-packages 2 to 5.N/

The use of scenarios and models to evaluate the future of nature values and ecosystem services in Mediterranean forests

Science and society are increasingly interested in predicting the effects of global change and socio-economic development on natural systems, to ensure maintenance of both ecosystems and human well-being. The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has identified the combination of ecological modelling and scenario forecasting as key to improving our understanding of those effects, by evaluating the relationships and feedbacks between direct and indirect drivers of change, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Using as case study the forests of the Mediterranean basin (complex socio-ecological systems of high social and conservation value), we reviewed the literature to assess (1) what are the modelling approaches most commonly used to predict the condition and trends of biodiversity and ecosystem services under future scenarios of global change, (2) what are the drivers of change considered in future scenarios and at what scales, and (3) what are the nature and ecosystem service indicators most commonly evaluated. Our review shows that forecasting studies make relatively little use of modelling approaches accounting for actual ecological processes and feedbacks between different socio-ecological sectors; predictions are generally made on the basis of a single (mainly climate) or a few drivers of change. In general, there is a bias in the set of nature and ecosystem service indicators assessed. In particular, cultural services and human well-being are greatly underrepresented in the literature. We argue that these shortfalls hamper our capacity to make the best use of predictive tools to inform decision-making in the context of global change.This work was supported by the Spanish Government through the INMODES project (grant number CGL2017-89999-C2-2-R), the ERA-NET FORESTERRA project INFORMED (grant number 29183), and the project Boscos Sans per a una Societat Saludable funded by Obra Social la Caixa (https://obrasociallacaixa.org/). AMO and AA were supported by Spanish Government through the “Juan de la Cierva” fellowship program (IJCI-2016-30349 and IJCI-2016-30049, respectively). JVRD was supported by the Government of Asturias and the FP7-Marie Curie-COFUND program of the European Commission (Grant “Clarín” ACA17-02)

Role of governmental policies in forest degradation and sediment transportation to the Caspian Sea

Deforestation in Iran has been more rapid in the past 50 years than at any time in Iran’s history. Forests play a vital role in sustaining water resources and aquatic ecosystems. Forest disturbance, both natural (e.g. wildfire, insects, disease, wind-storms, drought) and human (e.g. timber harvesting, land conversion) caused, can have a profound effect on hydrologic, geomorphic and ecologic processes. With climate change, natural disturbances are becoming more frequent and catastrophic. This, together with growing human disturbance, will undoubtedly affect water re-sources and consequently have significant implications for land managers and pol-icy makers. Intensive cultivation and mismanagement have caused environmental problems and soil degradation. Soils which developed under natural forests in north Iran have been degraded by land-use changes. Forests protect water quality by slowing runoff, stabilizing soils and filtering pollutants. Conversion of forest land to other uses interrupts these natural processes and increases the potential for water quality impairment. Since soil erosion and sediment redistribution have implications for both soil and water resources, and scientists have established that the movements of soil, sediment and water are intrinsically linked, it is critical to im-plement integrated resource protection strategies. Erosion, transport and sedimen-tation processes gain increasingly importance in socio – economic and ecological respect. In this research land use, land cover maps were prepared, using satellite imagery and aerial photos during the last 50 year. The rate of land use changes was compared with rate of sedimentation. Parallel with this work forest policy in Iran during different development plans using policy cycle method was analyzed and actors were recognized. Then the policies in development plans before and after Islamic revolution compared with prepared maps, results showed that government development plans didn’t apply according to the program and forest degradation and consequently sedimentation was increased in study area during the time

Assessing the impacts of intensive forest practices on biodiversity in fragmented landscapes in Portugal

The Mediterranean basin is a biodiversity hotspot which is being threatened by land abandonment and afforestation, most notably with eucalypt plantations, but little research has been done to assess their impact. This study evaluated the impact of eucalypt plantations on biodiversity in the Mediterranean area, taking Portugal as a case study and amphibians, bats and carnivores as the target groups. The impact of eucalypt cover and other landscape, stand and local variables was evaluated in relation to: species richness and species occurrence for amphibians, namely if amphibian species occurrence is influenced by local characteristics (micro-scale), land-use cover (migration and dispersion-scale) or a mix of both and whether the effects differ if the main cover is eucalypt plantations or montado; species richness, bat activity, Kuhl’s bat Pipistrellus kuhlii (the most abundant bat species in the area) activity, for bats; and species occupancy and detection and spatial and temporal co-occurrence patterns for carnivores. Amphibian species occurrence was, generally, not influenced by eucalypt cover, with the exception of the newt Lissotriton boscai, which was negatively affected, and Salamandra salamandra, which was positively affected. Overall, eucalypt plantations had a negative impact on bat activity, species richness and Pipistrellus kuhlii activity and negatively influenced carnivore detection probability across all species in both single and co-occurrence models. Eucalypt plantations had a negative effect on red fox (Vulpes vulpes) occupancy, whilst stone marten (Martes foina) and badger (Meles meles) preferred native land covers. However, eucalypt plantations had no effect on the interactions within this carnivore community. This study confirms the negative impact of eucalypt plantations on bats and carnivores and suggests forest management guidelines to improve biodiversity at the stand and landscape scale. Namely, at a local scale, the implementation of a pond network of different hydroperiods and the exclusion/removal of exotic fish and promotion of understorey vegetation on eucalypt stands; at a landscape scale, it is suggested a multi-functional landscape, promoting eucalypt plantations with diverse age stands and the maintenance/promotion of native and patchy habitats

Growth and Development of Short Rotation Woody Crops for Rural and Urban Applications

Integrating biomass production of short rotation woody crops (SRWCs), with their use in environmental applications to produce income, sequester carbon, and clean the environment, provides an opportunity to enhance livelihoods and increase ecosystem services in rural and urban communities. This book consists of 20 papers from the special issue on the Growth and Development of SRWCs for Rural and Urban Applications highlighting four genera (Phalaris L., Populus L., Robinia L., Salix L.) from 13 countries. In addition to the development and management of a Salix cultivar database, rural and urban applications represented in the book included: a) forest buffers, b) forest health screening, c) phytoremediation, d) short rotation coppice, e) volume production, and f) wastewater reuse

Forest landscapes and global change. New frontiers in management, conservation and restoration. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference

This volume contains the contributions of numerous participants at the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference, which took place in Bragança, Portugal, from 21 to 24 of September 2010. The conference was dedicated to the theme Forest Landscapes and Global Change - New Frontiers in Management, Conservation and Restoration. The 128 papers included in this book follow the structure and topics of the conference. Sections 1 to 8 include papers relative to presentations in 18 thematic oral and two poster sessions. Section 9 is devoted to a wide-range of landscape ecology fields covered in the 12 symposia of the conference. The Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference register the growth of scientific interest in forest landscape patterns and processes, and the recognition of the role of landscape ecology in the advancement of science and management, particularly within the context of emerging physical, social and political drivers of change, which influence forest systems and the services they provide. We believe that these papers, together with the presentations and debate which took place during the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference – Bragança 2010, will definitively contribute to the advancement of landscape ecology and science in general. For their additional effort and commitment, we thank all the participants in the conference for leaving this record of their work, thoughts and science