Fire, humans, and climate: modeling distribution dynamics of boreal forest waterbirds

Understanding the effects of landscape change and environmental variability on ecological processes is important for evaluating resource management policies, such as the emulation of natural forest disturbances. We analyzed time-series of detection/nondetection data using hierarchical models in a Bayesian multi-model inference framework to decompose the dynamics of species distributions into responses to environmental variability, spatial variation in habitat conditions, and population dynamics and interspecific interactions, while correcting for observation errors and variation in sampling regimes. We modeled distribution dynamics of 14 waterbird species (broadly defined, including wetland and riparian species) using data from two different breeding bird surveys collected in the Boreal Shield ecozone within Ontario, Canada. Temporal variation in species occupancy (2000 - 2006) was primarily driven by climatic variability. Only two species showed evidence of consistent temporal trends in distribution: ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris) decreased and red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) increased. The models had good predictive ability on independent data over time (1997 - 1999). Spatial variation in species occupancy was strongly related to the distribution of specific land cover types and habitat disturbance: fire and forest harvesting influenced occupancy more than did roads, settlements or mines. Bioclimatic and habitat heterogeneity indices and geographic coordinates exerted negligible influence on most species distributions. Estimated habitat suitability indices had good predictive ability on spatially independent data (Hudson Bay Lowlands ecozone). Additionally, we detected effects of interspecific interactions. Species responses to fire and forest harvesting were similar for 13 of 14 species; thus, forest harvesting practices in Ontario generally appeared to emulate the effects of fire for waterbirds over time scales of 10-20 years. Extrapolating to all 84 waterbird species breeding on the Ontario shield, however, suggested that up to 30 species may instead have altered (short-term) distribution dynamics due to forestry practices. Hence, natural disturbances are critical components of the ecology of the boreal forest and forest practices which aim to approximate them may succeed in allowing the maintenance of the associated species, but improved monitoring and modeling of large-scale boreal forest bird distribution dynamics is necessary to resolve existing uncertainties, especially on less-common species

An integrated MCDA software application for forest planning : a case study in southwestern Sweden

Forest planning in Sweden today translates not only into planning of timber production, but also for the provision of other functions and services. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods provide a way to take also non-monetary values into account in planning. The purpose of this study was to gain experience on how to use a forest decision support system combined with an MCDA tool in practical forestry. We used a new forest planning tool, PlanWise, which includes an integrated MCDA module, PlanEval. Using the software, the decision maker can compare different forest plans and evaluate them against his/her objectives in a structured and analytical manner. The analysis thus provides a ranking of the alternatives based on the individual preferences of the decision maker. PlanEval and the MCDA planning process are described in a case study, where the manager of a forest estate in southwestern Sweden used the program to compare different forest plans made for the estate. In the paper, we analyze possibilities and challenges of this approach and identify problems such as the adherence to formal requirements of MCDA techniques and the difficulty of comparing maps. Possibilities to expedite an MCDA planning process further are also discussed. The findings confirm that integration of an MCDA tool with a forest decision support system is valuable, but requires expert assistance to be successful

First the forest: conservation, 'community' and 'participation' in South West Cameroon

Western concern with ‘conserving’ or ‘managing’ the rain forests of Africa has led to the setting up of a number of conservation projects. In such projects the ‘participation’ of the ‘community’ in forest conservation has become the new orthodoxy. However, proposals about local people's participation presume that defining the future of the forest is a straight contest between the alternatives of conservation or forest clearing. Such proposals also presume that the existence of communities is non-problematic. In contrast, this article documents that there is already considerable local debate about forest use and conservation, much of it among those excluded from the formal arena of politics and policy-making. Concern with ‘the environment’ includes concern about the perpetuation of society, and represents a clear continuation of West African village cosmologies focused on the societalisation of space. At the same time, conservation aims of ‘keeping the forest as it is’ have few resonances, since forest people see society itself as an artful, but often problematic, construction in which the conversion of the forest plays a central part. In conclusion, the article suggests that the key to environmental management must be for external agencies to articulate with the interests and values of those who hold a legitimate stake in African forest resources

A baseline appraisal of water-dependant ecosystem services, the roles they play within desakota livelihood systems and their potential sensitivity to climate change

This report forms part of a larger research programme on 'Reinterpreting the Urban-Rural Continuum', which conceptualises and investigates current knowledge and research gaps concerning 'the role that ecosystems services play in the livelihoods of the poor in regions undergoing rapid change'. The report aims to conduct a baseline appraisal of water-dependant ecosystem services, the roles they play within desakota livelihood systems and their potential sensitivity to climate change. The appraisal is conducted at three spatial scales: global, regional (four consortia areas), and meso scale (case studies within the four regions). At all three scales of analysis water resources form the interweaving theme because water provides a vital provisioning service for people, supports all other ecosystem processes and because water resources are forecast to be severely affected under climate change scenarios. This report, combined with an Endnote library of over 1100 scientific papers, provides an annotated bibliography of water-dependant ecosystem services, the roles they play within desakota livelihood systems and their potential sensitivity to climate change. After an introductory, section, Section 2 of the report defines water-related ecosystem services and how these are affected by human activities. Current knowledge and research gaps are then explored in relation to global scale climate and related hydrological changes (e.g. floods, droughts, flow regimes) (section 3). The report then discusses the impacts of climate changes on the ESPA regions, emphasising potential responses of biomes to the combined effects of climate change and human activities (particularly land use and management), and how these effects coupled with water store and flow regime manipulation by humans may affect the functioning of catchments and their ecosystem services (section 4). Finally, at the meso-scale, case studies are presented from within the ESPA regions to illustrate the close coupling of human activities and catchment performance in the context of environmental change (section 5). At the end of each section, research needs are identified and justified. These research needs are then amalgamated in section 6

Governing for ecosystem health and human wellbeing

Governance arrangements and processes influence access to and benefits from ecosystem services, and therefore the potential for ecosystem services to alleviate poverty. Governance also then influences the health of ecosystems. This chapter learns from decades of governance-related research to identify how to make ecosystem governance more effectively ‘pro-poor’. It is informed by a systematic mapping of literature related to governance of ecosystem services and renewable natural resources for improved wellbeing and poverty alleviation, expert interviews and a workshop with government and non-government actors across a range of sectors from both North and South. The chapter is organised around the concept of trade-offs, considering first ecosystem-focused approaches, then rights-based approaches and lastly, participatory approaches to governance. The chapter further addresses the relevance of scale and multiple administrative levels (multi-level governance) and the importance of informal, or socially embedded, institutions. The chapter concludes that there is no single governance approach that can definitively deliver on improved ecosystem health and human wellbeing, that trade-offs are inevitable and governance is therefore an inherently political process

Drought impacts on ecosystem functions of the U.S. National Forests and Grasslands: Part I evaluation of a water and carbon balance model

Understanding and quantitatively evaluating the regional impacts of climate change and variability (e.g., droughts) on forest ecosystem functions (i.e., water yield, evapotranspiration, and productivity) and services (e.g., fresh water supply and carbon sequestration) is of great importance for developing climate change adaptation strategies for National Forests and Grasslands (NFs) in the United States. However, few reliable continental-scale modeling tools are available to account for both water and carbon dynamics. The objective of this study was to test a monthly water and carbon balance model, the Water Supply Stress Index (WaSSI) model, for potential application in addressing the influences of drought on NFs ecosystem services across the conterminous United States (CONUS). The performance of the WaSSI model was comprehensively assessed with measured streamflow (Q) at 72 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauging stations, and satellite-based estimates of watershed evapotranspiration (ET) and gross primary productivity (GPP) for 170 National Forest and Grassland (NFs). Across the 72 USGS watersheds, the WaSSI model generally captured the spatial variability of multi-year mean annual and monthly Q and annual ET as evaluated by Correlation Coefficient (R = 0.71–1.0), Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NS = 0.31–1.00), and normalized Root Mean Squared Error (0.06–0.48). The modeled ET and GPP by WaSSI agreed well with the remote sensing-based estimates for multi-year annual and monthly means for all the NFs. However, there were systemic discrepancies in GPP between our simulations and the satellite-based estimates on a yearly and monthly scale, suggesting uncertainties in GPP estimates in all methods (i.e., remote sensing and modeling). Overall, our assessments suggested that the WaSSI model had the capability to reconstruct the long-term forest watershed water and carbon balances at a broad scale. This model evaluation study provides a foundation for model applications in understanding the impacts of climate change and variability (e.g., droughts) on NFs ecosystem service functions

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LIST OF FIGURES -- LIST OF TABLES -- PREFACE -- CHAPTER 1— BACKGROUND & OVERVIEW: Alaska’s Native Lands: Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Lands: Regional Corporations, Village Corporations, Additional ANCSA Land Entitlements, Former Native Reserve Lands; Other Native Lands: Native Allotments, Annette Island Reservation; Native Land Status; Alaskan Forests; What is a Forest Inventory?; Forest Inventories in Alaska; Forest Inventories on Native Land -- CHAPTER 2 — DETERMINING THE NEED FOR AN INVENTORY: Existing Forest Inventory Information; Agency Inventories: Forest Service Inventories, Bureau of Indian Affairs Inventories, Tanana Chiefs Conference Inventories; Level of Inventory -- CHAPTER 3 — INVENTORY PLANNING: Gathering Information; Planning Considerations: Why is This Inventory Needed?, Where will the Inventory Take Place?, What needs to be Inventoried and What Information is to be Collected?, Who is Going to do the Inventory?, When will the Inventory Take Place?, How is the Inventory going to be Done and How will the Data be Processed?, How Much is the Inventory going to Cost?, Unique Alaskan Constraints: Transportation Logistics, Adverse Weather, Musket, Dangerous Wildlife, Vegetation Barriers, Availability of Supplies and Fuel; Advantages of Planning -- CHAPTER 4 — HOW FOREST INVENTORIES ARE CONDUCTED: Maps and Aerial Photographs: Using Aerial Photographs in Forest Inventories, Using Aerial Photographs for Timber Typing; Statistical Considerations of a Forest Inventory: Variability of the Sample, Number of Samples, Sampling Design; Field Measurements: Tree Height, Tree Diameter and Taper, Tree Defects, Tree Age and Growth, Site Conditions, Forestry Equipment -- CHAPTER 5 — AFTER THE FIELD WORK IS DONE: Compilation of Data; When the Inventory is Complete; Looking Toward the Future -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- APPENDIX I - ALASKA’S PRINCIPAL TREE SPECIES -- APPENDIX II — USES OF ALASKA'S PRINCIPAL TREE SPECIES -- APPENDIX III — FORESTY CONSULTANTS IN ALASKA -- APPENDIX IV — TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DIRECTORY -- APPENDIX V — SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR DEVELOPING A FOREST INVENTORY PLAN -- APPENDIX VI — USGS OFFICES IN ALASKA -- APPENDIX VII — NATURAL RESOURCES SCHOOLS IN ALASK