Affiliation:
1. Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”, Rigas Street 111, LV-2169 Salaspils, Latvia
Abstract
Intensifying forest management and a reduction in the rotation period necessitates the development of intensive biodiversity conservation strategies, such as the triad concept, which aims at ensuring habitat connectivity. Such an approach depends on the relationships between biodiversity components and manageable stand characteristics. Mostly, the biological value of stands has been associated with age, although stand structures, which are often intercorrelated with age, might be of primary importance. The relationships between ground cover vegetation, which is a principal component and indicator of the biological value of temperate conifer forests, and stand characteristics were assessed in pre-harvesting/harvesting age and old-growth coniferous stands in the eastern Baltic region (Latvia). The old-growth stands were nearly two times older than the pre-harvesting/harvesting age stands. Both stand groups showed generally similar ground cover flora, though ground cover vegetation showed higher variability in the old-growth stands. The principal gradients of ground cover vegetation were related to light, site fertility, and structural diversity, as well as the degree of deciduous (particularly Betula spp.) admixture in a tree stand. Considering the explicit contrasts, stand age did not affect ground cover vegetation, implying the principal effects of stand structure, which are manageable characteristics. This implies the potential for specific management to aid the ecological connectivity of stands in commercial forest landscapes.
Funder
Project “The role of old-growth forests in mitigating climate change: information for Latvian and European Union Forest and sectoral policy makers”
project “Effect of forestry on the forest ecosystem and related ecosystem services”
Subject
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Geography, Planning and Development,Building and Construction
Reference88 articles.
1. Effects of intensified silviculture on timber production and its economic profitability in boreal Norway spruce and Scots pine stands under changing climatic conditions;Routa;For. Int. J. For. Res.,2019
2. Silvicultural strategies for increased timber harvesting in a Central European mountain landscape;Temperli;Eur. J. For. Res.,2017
3. Height growth rate of Scots pine in Central Europe increased by 29% between 1900 and 2000 due to changes in site productivity;Socha;For. Ecol. Manag.,2021
4. Effects of forest management on ground-dwelling beetles (Coleoptera; Carabidae, Staphylinidae) in Central Europe are mainly mediated by changes in forest structure;Lange;For. Ecol. Manag.,2014
5. (2023, February 20). Södra Skog, Lönsamt Med Kortare Omloppstid i Granskog. [Shorter Rotations are Profitable in Spruce Forest] (Press Release). (In Swedish).
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献