Do partial cuts create forest complexity? A new approach to measuring the complexity of forest patterns using photographs and the mean information gain

Abstract

Forest management generally simplifies forest structure and composition with some negative impacts in terms of biodiversity and resilience. Thus, maintaining structural complexity is increasingly cited as an objective of sustainable forest management. Different initiatives have been proposed to use partial cuts to increase the complexity of forests. Using “the length of description” of forest patterns as a novel measure of complexity in forests, the effects of two intensities of partial cuts were compared to those found in 34-year-old secondary forests and 86-year-old primary (post-fire) forests. Our results show that partial cuts increase the complexity of forest patterns as compared to mature and secondary forests.

Spatial Patterns of Structural Complexity in Differently Managed and Unmanaged Beech-Dominated Forests in Central Europe

“…In order to imitate complex structures of primary forests, we first need to make their characteristic structures measurable and reproducible. Despite approaches to quantify complexity without 3D measurements, such as the structural complexity index (SCI) [22], the mean information gain index (MIG) [23], or the arc-chord ratio (ACR) rugosity index [24], terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has shown to be an efficient and effective method allowing for an accurate and precise assessment of three-dimensional forest structure [25][26][27]. In combination with methods for quantifying complexity, such as fractal analysis [28], the structural complexity of forests can be assessed mathematically.…”