Rehabilitating boreal forest structure and species composition in Finland through logging, dead wood creation and fire: The EVO experiment

Vanha‐Majamaa, Ilkka; Lilja, Saara; Ryömä, Riitta; Kotiaho, Janne S.; Laaka‐Lindberg, Sanna; Lindberg, Henrik; Puttonen, Pasi; Tamminen, Pekka; Toivanen, Tero; Kuuluvainen, Timo

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2007.03.012

Cited by 144 publications

(86 citation statements)

References 68 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The development of human population has influenced ecosystems almost everywhere around the Earth Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). Ecological restoration aims at the rehabilitation of ecosystem functions and structures, such as C sequestration and species communities, respectively, in order to respond to the threats of habitat and ecosystem level degradation (Vanha-Majamaa et al, 2007;. Results of restoration, like increase of biodiversity or revival of populations of individual species, are promising (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fighting carbon loss of degraded peatlands by jump-starting ecosystem functioning with ecological restoration

Kareksela

Haapalehto

Juutinen

et al. 2015

Science of The Total Environment

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Esitetään Jyväskylän yliopiston matemaattis-luonnontieteellisen tiedekunnan suostumuksella julkisesti tarkastettavaksi yliopiston vanhassa juhlasalissa S212 maaliskuun 28. päivänä 2014 kello 12.Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by permission of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science of the University of Jyväskylä, in building Seminarium, auditorium S212, on March 28, 2014 at 12 o'clock noon. The wide and rapidly increasing human land use has caused extensive degradation of natural landscapes, extinctions of species and loss of ecosystem functions and services. Subsequently, ecological restoration has been raised to a major global strategy for safeguarding ecosystem values. However, concerns have been raised on the real potential of restoration to re-establish ecosystem structures and functions. Here, I studied the effects of ecological restoration on the structure and functions of forestry drained boreal peatland ecosystems in southern Finland. To better understand structural and functional changes, the effects of drainage and restoration on water table level, pore water chemistry and peat chemistry were explored as well. Drainage lowered the water table and induced changes in pore water chemistry and plant community composition. Drainage retarded the accumulation of surface peat and resulted in significant reduction in the sequestration of carbon therein. Re-establishment of water table level and significant recovery of pore water and surface peat chemistry were observed after restoration. Restoration induced the recovery of ecosystem structure i.e. plant community composition towards the target. The recovery was dependent on the within-site degree of ecosystem degradation. The original ecosystem structure was not needed for the re-establishment of important peatland ecosystem functionality in terms of surface peat accumulation. However, a more profound recovery of structure and conditions may be needed for some other functions like surface peat carbon sequestration to recover. Overall, my results are promising from the perspective of restoration. However, they highlight the need for patience in drawing conclusions on the effectiveness of restoration. Practitioners should also be prepared for temporarily increased leaching of nutrients into downstream water courses. UNIVERSITY

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fighting carbon loss of degraded peatlands by jump-starting ecosystem functioning with ecological restoration

Kareksela

Haapalehto

Juutinen

et al. 2015

Science of The Total Environment

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is accepted that fire plays an important role in plant adaptations and ecosystem development and distribution (Pausas and Kelley, 2009). It is well known that fire is a common occurrence and important disturbance in boreal ecosystems and a factor in the forest ecology of the region (Vanha-Majamaa et al, 2007). These ecosystems are strongly adapted to fire disturbance (Granstrom, 2001;Hylander, 2011;Pereira et al, 2013a, b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short-term changes in soil Munsell colour value, organic matter content and soil water repellency after a spring grassland fire in Lithuania

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract.Fire is a natural phenomenon with important implications on soil properties. The degree of this impact depends upon fire severity, the ecosystem affected, topography of the burned area and post-fire meteorological conditions. The study of fire effects on soil properties is fundamental to understand the impacts of this disturbance on ecosystems. The aim of this work was to study the short-term effects immediately after the fire (IAF), 2, 5, 7 and 9 months after a low-severity spring boreal grassland fire on soil colour value (assessed with the Munsell colour chart), soil organic matter content (SOM) and soil water repellency (SWR) in Lithuania. Four days after the fire a 400 m 2 plot was delineated in an unburned and burned area with the same topographical characteristics. Soil samples were collected at 0-5 cm depth in a 20 m × 20 m grid, with 5 m space between sampling points. In each plot 25 samples were collected (50 each sampling date) for a total of 250 samples for the whole study. SWR was assessed in fine earth (< 2 mm) and sieve fractions of 2-1, 1-0.5, 0.5-0.25 and < 0.25 mm from the 250 soil samples using the water drop penetration time (WDPT) method. The results showed that significant differences were only identified in the burned area. Fire darkened the soil significantly during the entire study period due to the incorporation of ash/charcoal into the topsoil (significant differences were found among plots for all sampling dates). SOM was only significantly different among samples from the unburned area. The comparison between plots revealed that SOM was significantly higher in the first 2 months after the fire in the burned plot, compared to the unburned plot. SWR of the fine earth was significantly different in the burned and unburned plot among all sampling dates. SWR was significantly more severe only IAF and 2 months after the fire. In the unburned area SWR was significantly higher IAF, 2, 5 and 7 months later after than 9 months later. The comparison between plots showed that SWR was more severe in the burned plot during the first 2 months after the fire in relation to the unburned plot. Considering the different sieve fractions studied, in the burned plot SWR was significantly more severe in the first 7 months after the fire in the coarser fractions (2-1 and 1-0.5 mm) and 9 months after in the finer fractions (0.5-0.25 and < 0.25 mm). In relation to the unburned plot, SWR was significantly more severe in the size fractions 2-1 and < 0.25 mm, IAF, 5 and 7 months after the fire than 2 and 9 months later. In the 1-0.5-and 0.5-0.25 mm-size fractions, SWR was significantly higher IAF, 2, 5 and 7 months after the fire than in the last sampling date. Significant differences in SWR were observed among the different sieve fractions in each plot, with exception of 2 and 9 months after the fire in the unburned plot. In most cases the finer fraction (< 0.25 mm) was more water repellent than the Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. P. Pereira et al.: Sho...

show abstract

“…In central and northern Europe, PB is used mainly for conservation and forest regeneration purposes. It is applied extensively in the United Kingdom (Davies et al 2008), Sweden (over 4000 ha yr -1 -Granström 2001), Finland (2000 ha yr -1 -Vanha- Majamaa et al 2007), Germany (750 ha yr -1 -Held A., personal communication), while in other countries it has experimental application (Lázaro 2010). In the Mediterranean area, PB programs were designed in the 80s-90s for fire hazard reduction in France, Portugal and Spain, leading to an increase in trained personnel ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prescribed burning in Italy: issues, advances and challenges

Ascoli¹,

Bovio²

2013

iForest

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Prescribed burning has been carried out since the late 1970s in several southern European countries. Italy hosted some pioneer experiences in the early '80s, but these did not follow up into practical implementation, and few studies and applications were carried out in subsequent years. In the last decade, a new interest arose and several experiences were carried out. We aim to illustrate the limitations, advances and challenges of prescribed burning in Italy by reviewing the national literature of the last 40 years on this subject. Unfavorable land characteristics, conflicting management goals, a hostile socio-cultural environment, and an inadequate regulatory framework have supposedly limited the application of prescribed burning in Italy. Nevertheless, in the last 20 years the legislation at the regional level has been updated to consider the use of fire, and new procedures to authorize prescribed fires allowed for experiments and application, even within National Parks. From 2005 to 2012, prescribed burning programs for fire hazard reduction, forest and range management, biodiversity conservation and firefighter training were implemented throughout Italy. Several vegetation and fuel types were involved (e.g., broadleaved and coniferous forests, Mediterranean and continental shrubland, grassland, slash). Studies on fire behavior and effects helped to set prescriptions for specific objectives and environments. Results were transferred to professionals through training sessions. Some of the challenges ahead are improving the legislative framework, e.g., by introducing a certification for the use of fire, and addressing issues of pastoral fire through conflict resolution programs. Prescribed burning in Italy could be developed by committing to carry out ecological studies on its implications to silviculture, range management and habitat conservation.Keywords: Wildfire, Integrated Fire Management, Biodiversity, Historical Fire Use forest cover by conifers, 19.1% of which has an uneven-aged structure, and 13% by broadleaves (Tab. 2 -INFC 2005). On the other hand, shrub communities usually targeted by PB (i.e., heathlands, Mediterranean scrublands) represent 70% of shrub-type formations in the country (INFC 2005). However, Susmel (1973), a leading Italian ecologist of the 20 th century, maintained that PB could accelerate the degradation of Mediterranean scrublands that had been repeatedly burnt by wildfire between the 50s and the 70s. In a national survey on the awareness and perception of fire by professional foresters (Leone et al. 1999), 72% of the interviewees answered that potential damage to vegetation was the main limit to PB implementation in the field.Calabri (1988) highlighted that PB can be problematic in complex topographies and highly variable wind patterns. Some 66% of Italian forests is located at elevations > 500 m, and one third on slopes > 60% (Tab. ). Here, PB covers ~1600 ha yr -1 and is mainly used for fire hazard reduction, also at the rural-urban interface. Strong efforts have been sustain...

show abstract

Rehabilitating boreal forest structure and species composition in Finland through logging, dead wood creation and fire: The EVO experiment

Cited by 144 publications

References 68 publications

Fighting carbon loss of degraded peatlands by jump-starting ecosystem functioning with ecological restoration

Fighting carbon loss of degraded peatlands by jump-starting ecosystem functioning with ecological restoration

Short-term changes in soil Munsell colour value, organic matter content and soil water repellency after a spring grassland fire in Lithuania

Prescribed burning in Italy: issues, advances and challenges

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About