Potential shift in tree species composition after interaction of fire and drought in the Central Alps

The future trajectory of forest ecosystems under climate change is heavily debated. Previous studies on the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems have focused mainly on direct effects of altered climatic conditions, whereas interactions with disturbance events have been largely neglected. The aim of this study is to explore interactions of drought with fire disturbance and to assess their effects on tree species shifts in the European Central Alps. Tree recruitment after a stand replacing wildfire in the Rhone valley, Switzerland, was measured along an altitudinal temperature moisture gradient. Recruitment was more successful in pioneer species (Betula pendula, Populus tremula and Salix appendiculata) than in pre-fire stand forming (PFSF) species (Larix decidua, Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris). Seedling and sapling density was not related to fire intensity, but it correlated with the distance to the forest edge in PFSF species. The window of opportunity for seedling establishment was short (1-2years), and moisture deficit was the main limiting factor for tree recruitment at lower altitudes. We suggest that prolonged drought periods, as projected under continued global warming, will further aggravate tree recruitment success after fire disturbance at low altitudes of the Central Alps and may eventually lead to a shift from PFSF species to either more drought-tolerant species or to forest-free vegetatio

Pan-European sustainable forest management indicators for assessing Climate-Smart Forestry in Europe

The increasing demand for innovative forest management strategies to adapt to and mitigate climate change and benefit forest production, the so-called Climate-Smart Forestry, calls for a tool to monitor and evaluate their implementation and their effects on forest development over time. The pan-European set of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management is considered one of the most important tools for assessing many aspects of forest management and sustainability. This study offers an analytical approach to selecting a subset of indicators to support the implementation of Climate-Smart Forestry. Based on a literature review and the analytical hierarchical approach, 10 indicators were selected to assess, in particular, mitigation and adaptation. These indicators were used to assess the state of the Climate-Smart Forestry trend in Europe from 1990 to 2015 using data from the reports on the State of Europe's Forests. Forest damage, tree species composition, and carbon stock were the most important indicators. Though the trend was overall positive with regard to adaptation and mitigation, its evaluation was partly hindered by the lack of data. We advocate for increased efforts to harmonize international reporting and for further integrating the goals of Climate-Smart Forestry into national-and European-level forest policy making

Reviewing the use of resilience concepts in forest sciences

Purpose of the review Resilience is a key concept to deal with an uncertain future in forestry. In recent years, it has received increasing attention from both research and practice. However, a common understanding of what resilience means in a forestry context, and how to operationalise it is lacking. Here, we conducted a systematic review of the recent forest science literature on resilience in the forestry context, synthesising how resilience is defined and assessed. Recent findings Based on a detailed review of 255 studies, we analysed how the concepts of engineering resilience, ecological resilience, and social-ecological resilience are used in forest sciences. A clear majority of the studies applied the concept of engineering resilience, quantifying resilience as the recovery time after a disturbance. The two most used indicators for engineering resilience were basal area increment and vegetation cover, whereas ecological resilience studies frequently focus on vegetation cover and tree density. In contrast, important social-ecological resilience indicators used in the literature are socio-economic diversity and stock of natural resources. In the context of global change, we expected an increase in studies adopting the more holistic social-ecological resilience concept, but this was not the observed trend. Summary Our analysis points to the nestedness of these three resilience concepts, suggesting that they are complementary rather than contradictory. It also means that the variety of resilience approaches does not need to be an obstacle for operationalisation of the concept. We provide guidance for choosing the most suitable resilience concept and indicators based on the management, disturbance and application context

Dystonia: pallidal or thalamic target?

Objective: Determine the e½cacy of bilateral chronic anterior thalamic stimulation in dystonic patients not signi®cantly improved after bilateral Gpi-DBS. Material and Method: 2 patients treated with bilateral Gpi-DBS and showing only modest response underwent bilateral anterior thalamic implantation of stimulating electrodes in the nucleus ventrooralis anterior (VOA: 2 mm anterior to MC, 5 mm superior to AC-PC, 10 mm lateral). Results: Improvement after VOA-DBS was not immediate but followed a silent period of a few weeks in one patient and 5 months in the other. In one patient, wheel-chair bound, the improvement was spectacular with recovery of an harmonious gait and writing, while less dramatic in the other and still ongoing, with loss of dystonic postures of the feet and reduced athetotic movements. Conclusion: Chronic bilateral stimulation of e¨erent pallidal pathways going through the thalamus, speci®cally the VOA, is e¨ective in improving motor function in dystonic patients where Gpi-DBS does not produce signi®cant improvement