Research priorities and opportunities within the forestry and agroforestry sectors in Albania

The present paper is the report of a study travel carried out in Albania in May 2009, which was financed by a Short Term Mobility Program of the Italian National Council of Research (CNR). During the stay, a scientific collaboration was established between the Institute of Agro-environmental and Forest Biology - CNR and the Agricultural University of Tirana and several formal and informal meetings and interviews were arranged with different stakeholders involved in forestry and agroforestry sectors. Bibliographic materials were also collected and analysed. The specific aim of the paper is to highlight some research themes and priorities that could be implemented through specific projects and programmes

Intelligent data analytics for time series, trend analysis and drought indices comparison

This chapter develops intelligent data analytics approaches to compare the frequently used drought-monitoring indices and applies the change-point analysis technique to detect subtle changes in the drought index trends for natural hazard and disaster risk mitigation. The Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), used in this chapter, is able to identify extreme drought events better than the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI). SPEI highly correlates with Precipitation-based Drought Indices (DIs), especially with SPI and Rainfall Decile-based Drought Index (RDDI) but can additionally provide complementary information about hydrological effects of drought. Illustrated by the wavelet analysis, the SPEI concurs with all major drought events largely, significant at 95% confidence interval, compared to SPI, RDDI and Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI). The change-point analysis is able to detect changes in the SPEI trend with associated confidence levels and confidence intervals. The study found the location R4 (in arid/semi-arid region) to have undergone 26 changes in SPEI trend compared to R1, R2 and R3 with 0, 9 and 6, respectively. The location of study matters where inland from the coastline experiences more variability in the environmental parameters that define the SPEI. The methods proposed this chapter can be useful for disaster risk mitigation, particularly, quantifying drought events for decision-making processes

Profiles de microhabitats dans des hêtraies primaires d'Europe

International audienceTree-related microhabitats (TreMs) are important features for the conservation of biodiversity in forest ecosystems. Although other structural indicators of forest biodiversity have been extensively studied in recent decades, TreMs have often been overlooked, either due to the absence of a consensual definition or a lack of knowledge. Despite the increased number of TreM studies in the last decade, the role of drivers of TreM profile in primary forests and across different geographical regions is still unknown. To evaluate the main drivers of TreM density and diversity, we conducted the first large-scale study of TreMs across European primary forests. We established 146 plots in eight primary forests dominated by European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in the Carpathian and Dinaric mountain ranges. Generalized linear mixed effect models were used to test the effect of local plot characteristics and spatial variability on the density and diversity (alpha, beta, and gamma) of TreMs. Total TreM density and diversity were significantly positively related with tree species richness and the proportion of snags. Root mean square tree diameters were significantly related to alpha and gamma diversity of TreMs. Both regions reached similarly high values of total TreM densities and total TreM densities and diversity were not significantly different between the two regions; however, we observed between the two regions significant differences in the densities of two TreM groups, conks of fungi and epiphytes. The density and diversity of TreMs were very high in beech-dominated mountain primary forests, but their occurrence and diversity was highly variable within the landscapes over relatively short spatial gradients (plot and stand levels). Understanding these profile provides a benchmark for further comparisons, such as with young forest reserves, or for improving forest management practices that promote biodiversity

European primary forest database v2.0

Primary forests, defined here as forests where the signs of human impacts, if any, are strongly blurred due to decades without forest management, are scarce in Europe and continue to disappear. Despite these losses, we know little about where these forests occur. Here, we present a comprehensive geodatabase and map of Europe’s known primary forests. Our geodatabase harmonizes 48 different, mostly field-based datasets of primary forests, and contains 18,411 individual patches (41.1 Mha) spread across 33 countries. When available, we provide information on each patch (name, location, naturalness, extent and dominant tree species) and the surrounding landscape (biogeographical regions, protection status, potential natural vegetation, current forest extent). Using Landsat satellite-image time series (1985–2018) we checked each patch for possible disturbance events since primary forests were identified, resulting in 94% of patches free of significant disturbances in the last 30 years. Although knowledge gaps remain, ours is the most comprehensive dataset on primary forests in Europe, and will be useful for ecological studies, and conservation planning to safeguard these unique forests

Jet stream position explains regional anomalies in European beech forest productivity and tree growth

The mechanistic pathways connecting ocean-atmosphere variability and terrestrial productivity are well-established theoretically, but remain challenging to quantify empirically. Such quantification will greatly improve the assessment and prediction of changes in terrestrial carbon sequestration in response to dynamically induced climatic extremes. The jet stream latitude (JSL) over the North Atlantic-European domain provides a synthetic and robust physical framework that integrates climate variability not accounted for by atmospheric circulation patterns alone. Surface climate impacts of north-south summer JSL displacements are not uniform across Europe, but rather create a northwestern-southeastern dipole in forest productivity and radial-growth anomalies. Summer JSL variability over the eastern North Atlantic-European domain (5-40E) exerts the strongest impact on European beech, inducing anomalies of up to 30% in modelled gross primary productivity and 50% in radial tree growth. The net effects of JSL movements on terrestrial carbon fluxes depend on forest density, carbon stocks, and productivity imbalances across biogeographic regions. © 2022, The Author(s).Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Jet stream position explains regional anomalies in European beech forest productivity and tree growth

The mechanistic pathways connecting ocean-atmosphere variability and terrestrial productivity are well-established theoretically, but remain challenging to quantify empirically. Such quantification will greatly improve the assessment and prediction of changes in terrestrial carbon sequestration in response to dynamically induced climatic extremes. The jet stream latitude (JSL) over the North Atlantic-European domain provides a synthetic and robust physical framework that integrates climate variability not accounted for by atmospheric circulation patterns alone. Surface climate impacts of north-south summer JSL displacements are not uniform across Europe, but rather create a northwestern-southeastern dipole in forest productivity and radial-growth anomalies. Summer JSL variability over the eastern North Atlantic-European domain (5-40E) exerts the strongest impact on European beech, inducing anomalies of up to 30% in modelled gross primary productivity and 50% in radial tree growth. The net effects of JSL movements on terrestrial carbon fluxes depend on forest density, carbon stocks, and productivity imbalances across biogeographic regions