Forest ecosystem inventory and monitoring as a framework for terrestrial natural renewable resource survey programmes

ABSTRACT

The established practice of forest ecosystem inventory and monitoring is recognised as a main support for terrestrial natural renewable resource survey programmes. Inventory and monitoring programmes focused on an overall assessment of ecosystem attributes evolving into global environmental survey programmes have been devised, but implementation is still quite contradictory. The state-of-the-art is discussed here, with special reference to the European Union and Italy. Topical issues are reviewed, with selective concern to: remote sensing capability, probability sampling, forest type (habitat) classification and landscape ecology, sustainable management indicators. Benefits brought by information technology are highlighted. Its development and the implementation of approaches based on a sound “per habitat” landscape ecological perspective will bring unique benefits, thus leading to an effective integration among sector surveys aimed at global environmental inventory/monitoring.     

Some practical suggestions for improving engagement between researchers and policy‐makers in natural resource management

Summary Policy‐makers and managers in natural resource management (NRM) often complain that researchers are out of touch. Researchers often complain that policy‐makers and managers make poorly informed decisions. In this article, we report on a meeting between researchers, policy‐makers and managers convened to identify practical solutions to improve engagement between these camps. A necessary starting point is that every researcher and policy‐maker should understand, and tap into, the motivations and reward systems of the other when seeking engagement. For example, researchers can be motivated to engage in policy development if there is a promise of outputs that align with their reward systems such as co‐authored publications. Successful research–policy partnerships are built around personal relationships. As a researcher, you cannot therefore expect your results to inform policy by only publishing in journals. As a policy‐maker, you cannot guarantee engagement from researchers by publicly inviting comment on a document. Actively building and maintaining relationships with key individuals through discussions, meetings, workshops or field days will increase the likelihood that research outcomes will inform policy decisions. We identified secondments, sabbaticals, fellowships and ‘buddies’, an annual national NRM conference and ‘contact mapping’ (a Facebook‐type network) as forums that can catalyse new relationships between researchers and policy‐makers. We challenge every researcher, policy‐maker and manager in NRM to build one new cross‐cultural relationship each year.     

面向生态系统服务的森林生态系统经营:现状、挑战与展望

森林生态系统是地球陆地生态系统的主体,它具有很高的生物生产力和生物量以及丰富的生物多样性,对全球生态系统和人类经济社会发展起着至关重要和无可替代的作用。伴随着人口的不断增长和经济社会的迅猛发展,对森林资源和森林生态系统服务的需求不断高涨,而且人类对森林资源价值的认识也发生了很大程度的改变。推进森林资源可持续经营,增加森林总量、提高森林质量、增强生态功能,已成为中国林业可持续发展乃至推进中国生态文明建设和建设美丽中国的战略任务。本文全面综述了森林生态系统经营发展历程,分析了森林生态系统经营的现状和存在问题,在此基础上,提出整合基于生态系统管理与满足现代人类福祉对森林多重需求的新的森林生态系统经营理念,面向生态系统服务的森林生态系统经营理念是未来的发展趋势。森林经营发展战略表现为:1)从单纯的森林面积数量扩张,转变到提高单位面积的森林生产力和森林质量;2)从单一追求木材生产逐步转变为多目标经营,将森林林产品单一的经营目标转变为广泛的生态、经济和社会等多目标经营;3)森林经营重点从林分水平转变为森林景观的经营,强调森林景观的时空异质性和动态变化,权衡和协同多种生态系统的服务功能,倡导森林景观的多样性和连通性,提高森林与其它土地利用模式镶嵌构成的复合景观的可持续性和稳定性,增强森林生态系统对气候变化影响的适应能力;4)森林生态系统经营将从依赖传统经验的主观决策转变为信息化、数字化和智能化的决策,发展森林生态系统经营决策支持系统和森林景观恢复与空间经营规划系统。     

生态系统服务功能与景观格局耦合协调度研究——以武陵山区退耕还林工程为例

生态系统服务功能与景观格局演变关系极为密切,研究生态系统服务功能与景观格局的耦合协调度对于区域发展具有重要意义。以武陵山区退耕还林工程为例,参照国家标准和行业标准,采用分布式测算方法、景观格局指数分析和耦合协调度模型等方法,旨在揭示武陵山区退耕还林工程生态系统服务功能与景观格局二者耦合协调关系。结果表明:(1)2005—2017年间武陵山区退耕还林工程各项生态服务功能物质量均以15倍左右速度增长,生态系统服务空间分布格局最佳区域由西部地区逐渐向东南扩大;(2)武陵山区景观演变存在时空差异,1995—2005年景观格局变化更为明显,变化区域集中在中西部地区,2005—2015年与之相比,景观格局变化空间上更为分散;(3)武陵山区退耕还林工程生态系统服务与景观格局演变存在较高水平的耦合以及高水平的协调性。研究结果可为武陵山区土地利用规划及退耕还林工程进一步实施提供科学依据。     

A global quantitative synthesis of local and landscape effects on wild bee pollinators in agroecosystems

Bees provide essential pollination services that are potentially affected both by local farm management and the surrounding landscape. To better understand these different factors, we modelled the relative effects of landscape composition (nesting and floral resources within foraging distances), landscape configuration (patch shape, interpatch connectivity and habitat aggregation) and farm management (organic vs. conventional and local‐scale field diversity), and their interactions, on wild bee abundance and richness for 39 crop systems globally. Bee abundance and richness were higher in diversified and organic fields and in landscapes comprising more high‐quality habitats; bee richness on conventional fields with low diversity benefited most from high‐quality surrounding land cover. Landscape configuration effects were weak. Bee responses varied slightly by biome. Our synthesis reveals that pollinator persistence will depend on both the maintenance of high‐quality habitats around farms and on local management practices that may offset impacts of intensive monoculture agriculture.     

中国人工林经营发展战略与对策:从追求木材产量的单一目标经营转向提升生态系统服务质量和效益的多目标经营

人工林是全球森林资源的重要组成部分,在木材生产、环境改善、景观建设和减缓气候变化等方面扮演着愈来愈重要的角色。尽管我国人工林面积和蓄积不断增长,但是,人工林存在质量较差、结构不尽合理、生产力不高、生态功能较弱和生态稳定性下降等问题。人工林生态系统服务功能难以满足经济社会日益增长和新时期人们对美好生活向往的多方面需求。面对未来人工林面积继续增加受到适宜发展空间的严重制约和气候变化带来的现实和潜在的影响,亟需改变和调整我国人工林经营的发展战略和对策,将从人工林面积扩张、蓄积增加转变为人工林生态系统服务的质量和效益提升。如何提高人工林生态系统服务的质量和效益,创建健康稳定、高生产力和高碳汇的人工林生态系统,既能提供高产优质木材,又能够发挥固碳减排、生物多样性保护、水源涵养和水土保持等多种生态功能,以满足经济社会发展对森林的多种新需求和林业应对气候变化的新任务,亟需探索适合我国新时期人工林生态系统可持续经营的理论和多目标经营范式。在深入分析国际和我国人工林发展历程、变化趋势、面临问题的基础上,充分汲取和借鉴国际人工林经营的理念、经验和实践成果,并结合我国现阶段人工林发展实际情况,探索人工林生态系统服务质量与效益提升的发展思路和实践途径,从多层次、多尺度定位面向生态系统服务的人工林经营对策,倡导并实施人工林生态系统适应性经营,实现人工林生态系统服务的多目标权衡与协同,为我国人工林经营的战略转变和对策创新提供决策参考与未来展望。     

Temporal dynamics influenced by global change: bee community phenology in urban,agricultural, and natural landscapes

Urbanization and agricultural intensification of landscapes are important drivers of global change, which in turn have direct impacts on local ecological communities leading to shifts in species distributions and interactions. Here, we illustrate how human‐altered landscapes, with novel ornamental and crop plant communities, result not only in changes to local community diversity of floral‐dependent species, but also in shifts in seasonal abundance of bee pollinators. Three years of data on the spatio‐temporal distributions of 91 bee species show that seasonal patterns of abundance and species richness in human‐altered landscapes varied significantly less compared to natural habitats in which floral resources are relatively scarce in the dry summer months. These findings demonstrate that anthropogenic environmental changes in urban and agricultural systems, here mediated through changes in plant resources and water inputs, can alter the temporal dynamics of pollinators that depend on them. Changes in phenology of interactions can be an important, though frequently overlooked, mechanism of global change.     

A macro-scale perspective on within-farm management: how climate and topography alter the effect of farming practices

Organic farming has the potential to reverse biodiversity loss in farmland and benefit agriculture by enhancing ecosystem services. Although the mixed success of organic farming in enhancing biodiversity has been attributed to differences in taxa and landscape context, no studies have focused on the effect of macro-scale factors such as climate and topography. This study provides the first assessment of the impact of macro-scale factors on the effectiveness of within-farm management on biodiversity, using spiders in Japan as an example. A multilevel modelling approach revealed that reducing pesticide applications increases spider abundance, particularly in areas with high precipitation, which were also associated with high potential spider abundance. Using the model we identified areas throughout Japan that can potentially benefit from organic farming. The alteration of local habitat-abundance relations by macro-scale factors could explain the reported low spatial generality in the effects of organic farming and patterns of habitat association.     

Conservation strategies for Araucaria Forests in Southern Brazil: assessing current and alternative approaches

Efforts to protect the remaining Araucaria Forest fragments in Southern Brazil have focused on large forests dominated by the threatened species Araucaria angustifolia. However, such an approach can miss significant biodiversity by ignoring smaller forest fragments scattered throughout the landscape, many of which exist on small farms. Here, I evaluate the method used to define a set of natural reserves in Southern Brazil to assess if it captures and preserves the significant biodiversity that exists in this unique biome. I used a relatively simple field sampling methodology and statistical analyses to evaluate floristic and structural parameters, comparing tree species diversity within a large forest fragment (with and without A. angustifolia dominance) to smaller fragments in the surrounding landscape. While stands dominated by A. angustifolia showed primary forest‐like physiognomy, they did not have the levels of diversity expected for old‐growth forests. Traditional forestry parameters, especially basal area and number of individuals, are useful for differentiating forest types in terms of structure. While no single diversity index provides a complete picture of the composition and variation of diversity in forest fragments, when taken together and assessed using extrapolation and comparative statistics, they provide a meaningful method for comparing and identifying high priority areas for conservation. Future conservation strategies should look to alternative approaches for assessing biodiversity across the landscape, while including small‐scale landowners in conservation efforts.     

城市生态用地的空间结构及其生态系统服务动态演变——以常州市为例

生态用地是城市社会-经济-自然复合生态系统重要的组成部分,为城市提供多种显著的生态系统服务。应用遥感、地理信息系统技术和生态系统服务评估等方法,针对城市生态用地的空间结构与服务功能演变科学问题,通过对常州市区1991、1996、2001和2006年4个时段遥感图像的处理与比较分析,揭示了常州市区15a来城市空间景观格局的演变规律,评估了由城市生态用地改变所导致的生态系统服务的变化。研究结果表明,1991-2006年间,常州市区生态用地占市区面积的比例由89.2%降低至65.1%。1991-2001年,林地、农田和水体的面积都呈不同程度的下降趋势。2001-2006年,林地面积增加基本回到1996年水平。常州市区生态用地主要为城市提供了农林产品生产、气候调节、涵养水源、水土保持、生物多样性保护等生态系统服务。在过去15a间,由于城市化占用生态用地,常州市区生态用地生态系统服务的经济价值总体降低了19.3%。其中,农田的生态服务价值减少最大,减少了32.3%。研究结果表明,常州城市空间景观格局演变与生态系统服务变化之间存在着密切相关性,研究可为城市生态系统服务强化、城乡土地利用规划与管理、城市可持续发展等提供科学方法与决策参考。     

江南圩田的法与式：生态系统服务与空间形态增效

以江南圩田为研究对象,文章阐释在风景园林生态的语境下,以生态系统服务效能为“法”,以空间形态为“式”,有法有式,有律可循的观点。通过“水—绿—人”三者的关系,进行传统江南圩田原生空间形态的整体解读,剖析其间蕴含的8个维度的生态系统服务,反思当下圩田地区建设过程中的冲突与矛盾,进而探讨传统江南圩田生态智慧对当代圩田地区发展与规划实践给予的启示：“顺水而为”适度改造自然的理念;形成三生融合的整体人文生态系统;以及与水相协调的传统社会治理系统。     

Multifunctional use of a natural resource on farmland: wild pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) management and the conservation of farmland passerines

Current rural development policy encourages farmers to adopt multifunctional use of farmland. Non-agricultural resources such as wildlife provide a focus for recreational activities such as shooting and bird watching. This paper assesses the potential contribution of wild pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) management for shooting to the conservation of farmland passerines. Bird numbers were monitored over a 7-year period on farmland in Leicestershire (England), in relation to the introduction of a game management system. Passerines were used as the indicator group as they are an official quality of life indicator, and include species that are the subject of government biodiversity action plans. Following introduction of the game management package, there was little change in species diversity at the farm scale, but species experiencing population declines nationally showed significant increases in numbers. The management of wild pheasants for shooting may therefore have considerable potential for the conservation of nationally declining farmland birds and for recreational activities such as bird watching.     

基于选择容量价值的生态补偿标准与自然资源资产价值核算——以珠江水资源供应为例

选择容量价值是指,一项人类生存生产所必需的生态系统服务,其总量为消费该生态系统服务的消费活动所提供的选择自由度(即选择容量,optional capacity)与该消费活动所产生的经济社会价值的乘积。选择容量价值将经济发展状况和资源环境状况融合了起来,实现了经济社会发展与生态环境保护的价值统一,这对于推进保护与发展相辅相成的生态文明建设具有积极意义。为了探索以选择容量价值为指标的生态补偿标准与自然资源资产价值核算框架和核算方法,以珠江流域水资源供应为例,对跨水文单元的水资源供应流动进行了生态补偿核算,对各水文单元的水资源供应的自然资源资产价值进行了量化评估研究。研究结果显示,珠江三角洲地区的水资源供应的选择容量价值大部分(约74%)来自上游水文单元的跨区输入,而上游水文单元所提供的水资源供应的选择容量价值也在相当程度上依赖于下游水文单元的经济社会发展。基于跨区流动的水资源供应的选择容量价值,可以按照"共享共担"和"同工同酬"原则进行跨区生态补偿核算;基于各水文单元所提供的水资源供应的选择容量价值,可以对各单元内自然资源资产价值进行核定,这对于协调区域发展推进西江-珠江经济带流域生态文明...     

Spider diversity in cereal fields: comparing factors at local, landscape and regional scales

Aim Factors acting at various scales may affect biodiversity, demanding analyses at multiple spatial scales in order to understand how community richness is determined. Here, we adopted a hierarchical approach to test the contribution of region, landscape heterogeneity, local management (organic vs. conventional) and location within field (edge vs. centre) to the species richness and abundance of spiders in cereals. Location Three regions of western and central Germany: Leine Bergland, Soester Boerde, and Lahn‐Dill Bergland. Methods Forty‐two paired organic and conventional winter wheat fields were compared. Field pairs were located in areas ranging from structurally simple to structurally complex landscapes. In May and June 2003, spiders were sampled using pitfall traps. Linear mixed models were used to determine the relationship of spider diversity and abundance with regional spatial factors and landscape heterogeneity within a 500‐m radius, as well as with local management and within‐field location. Results Within‐field location of the traps and landscape heterogeneity were the best predictors of species richness: more species were found in field edges and in heterogeneous landscapes. Region and local management had no effect on species richness. Activity density was higher in field edges and differed among regions. Main conclusions The diversity of farmland spiders was influenced by differences at two of the spatial scales (edge vs. centre, simple vs. complex landscapes), but not at the two others (field management, region), emphasizing the importance of analyses at a variety of spatial scales for an adequate explanation of patterns in biodiversity. Our study suggests that promoting heterogeneity in land use at landscape scales is one of the keys to promoting spider diversity in agroecosystems.     

Multiple successional pathways in human‐modified tropical landscapes: new insights from forest succession,forest fragmentation and landscape ecology research

Old‐growth tropical forests are being extensively deforested and fragmented worldwide. Yet forest recovery through succession has led to an expansion of secondary forests in human‐modified tropical landscapes (HMTLs). Secondary forests thus emerge as a potential repository for tropical biodiversity, and also as a source of essential ecosystem functions and services in HMTLs. Such critical roles are controversial, however, as they depend on successional, landscape and socio‐economic dynamics, which can vary widely within and across landscapes and regions. Understanding the main drivers of successional pathways of disturbed tropical forests is critically needed for improving management, conservation, and restoration strategies. Here, we combine emerging knowledge from tropical forest succession, forest fragmentation and landscape ecology research to identify the main driving forces shaping successional pathways at different spatial scales. We also explore causal connections between land‐use dynamics and the level of predictability of successional pathways, and examine potential implications of such connections to determine the importance of secondary forests for biodiversity conservation in HMTLs. We show that secondary succession (SS) in tropical landscapes is a multifactorial phenomenon affected by a myriad of forces operating at multiple spatio‐temporal scales. SS is relatively fast and more predictable in recently modified landscapes and where well‐preserved biodiversity‐rich native forests are still present in the landscape. Yet the increasing variation in landscape spatial configuration and matrix heterogeneity in landscapes with intermediate levels of disturbance increases the uncertainty of successional pathways. In landscapes that have suffered extensive and intensive human disturbances, however, succession can be slow or arrested, with impoverished assemblages and reduced potential to deliver ecosystem functions and services. We conclude that: (i) succession must be examined using more comprehensive explanatory models, providing information about the forces affecting not only the presence but also the persistence of species and ecological groups, particularly of those taxa expected to be extirpated from HMTLs; (ii) SS research should integrate new aspects from forest fragmentation and landscape ecology research to address accurately the potential of secondary forests to serve as biodiversity repositories; and (iii) secondary forest stands, as a dynamic component of HMTLs, must be incorporated as key elements of conservation planning; i.e. secondary forest stands must be actively managed (e.g. using assisted forest restoration) according to conservation goals at broad spatial scales.     

Freshwater fishes of the Burdekin River, Australia: biogeography, history and spatial variation in community structure

Spatial variation in freshwater fish community structure in a large, structurally monotonous sub-tropical Australian river over 1989–1992 is described. The number of species collected (25) over the period of study, was low, given the large size of the river's catchment. The low diversity of fishes present in the river was suggested to be due to a combination of factors including the imposition of an ancient downstream barrier to fish movement (the Burdekin Falls), substantial volcanic activity during the late Tertiary, past climatic stress and little variation in habitat structure over the range of sites examined. Notwithstanding the low species richness, the Burdekin River's freshwater fish fauna is distinctive, containing elements of the fauna of both eastern and northern Australia, and this was suggested to reflect aspects of ancient landscape evolution. Spatial variation in fish community structure was most strongly influenced by the presence of the Burdekin Falls (the present site of a very large reservoir) and secondarily by minor differences in habitat structure of main channel and tributary streams.     

Life in leaf litter: novel insights into community dynamics of bacteria and fungi during litter decomposition

Microorganisms play a crucial role in the biological decomposition of plant litter in terrestrial ecosystems. Due to the permanently changing litter quality during decomposition, studies of both fungi and bacteria at a fine taxonomic resolution are required during the whole process. Here we investigated microbial community succession in decomposing leaf litter of temperate beech forest using pyrotag sequencing of the bacterial 16S and the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA genes. Our results reveal that both communities underwent rapid changes. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes dominated over the entire study period, but their taxonomic composition and abundances changed markedly among sampling dates. The fungal community also changed dynamically as decomposition progressed, with ascomycete fungi being increasingly replaced by basidiomycetes. We found a consistent and highly significant correlation between bacterial richness and fungal richness (R = 0.76, P < 0.001) and community structure (R_Mantel = 0.85, P < 0.001), providing evidence of coupled dynamics in the fungal and bacterial communities. A network analysis highlighted nonrandom co‐occurrences among bacterial and fungal taxa as well as a shift in the cross‐kingdom co‐occurrence pattern of their communities from the early to the later stages of decomposition. During this process, macronutrients, micronutrients, C:N ratio and pH were significantly correlated with the fungal and bacterial communities, while bacterial richness positively correlated with three hydrolytic enzymes important for C, N and P acquisition. Overall, we provide evidence that the complex litter decay is the result of a dynamic cross‐kingdom functional succession.     

北京边缘地区景观格局变化及对生态系统服务的影响评价——以牛栏山-马坡镇为例

北京边缘区正处于经济快速发展阶段,人类活动对景观格局产生了显著影响,造成生态服务功能发生巨大变化,因此,研究北京城市边缘区景观格局变化及其生态系统服务价值影响对未来城市边缘区的发展具有重要意义。基于Fragstats 4.2软件,以生态系统服务当量因子表为基础,探讨北京边缘地区牛栏山-马坡镇在1992—2015年间景观格局和生态系统服务价值变化;并进行景观指数与生态系统服务价值的相关性分析。结果表明:1992—2015年间,牛栏山-马坡镇景观格局发生了显著变化,破碎度增加,异质性增高,优势景观类型由农田变为建设用地;生态系统服务价值由11609.34万元增长到14992.07万元,其中,林地对生态系统服务价值增加的贡献率最大;提高最大斑块指数、斑块密度和多样性指数有利于生态系统服务价值的增加。综上所述,快速城镇化背景下人为干扰造成的景观格局变化不一定会使城市边缘地区生态系统服务价值降低,科学的生态环境规划和保护政策是牛栏山-马坡镇生态系统服务价值增加的主要原因。