Purpose – Recent climate scenarios indicate that Sweden’s southern region, Go¨taland, will
experi... more Purpose – Recent climate scenarios indicate that Sweden’s southern region, Go¨taland, will experience significant climate change over the coming century. Swedish forestry policy guidelines emphasize the need for risk spreading to reduce the potential adverse impacts of these changes. Risk spreading is defined here as reducing the vulnerability of a social-ecological system by increasing the heterogeneity of its ecological components. Risk spreading may be achieved through the diversification of tree species currently relied upon by the forestry sector. The purpose of this paper is to consider the capacity of the socio-ecological forest system to adapt to climate change through the use of risk spreading. Design/methodology/approach – A variety of disciplines contribute to the understanding of the rate at which risk spreading is likely to take place in a system. A synthesis is conducted to unite these insights. Findings – Five key constraints on the rate at which risk spreading can take place are identified. These include constraints imposed by the silvicultural system itself, voluntary policy measures, forest-owner perceptions of climate change, motivation among forest owners to respond to risk, and forestry consultants. Potential future directions are discussed and include the need for specifying the goal of risk spreading policy, and the need to evaluate the motivations of those forest owners already altering adopting risk spreading approaches. Originality/value – Conceptual equivalents of the “risk spreading” approach are international, due to the need for many societies to adapt social-ecological systems to climate change. The issues raised from this case study/synthesis provide value insights regarding the breadth of systemic constraints which can thwart attempts at rapid adjustment to climate change, and where solutions to these constraints may be found.
Anthropogenic climate change is altering the management of production forests. These changes are ... more Anthropogenic climate change is altering the management of production forests. These changes are motivated by the need to adapt to the uncertainties and risks of climate change, and by the need to enlist their carbon storage and sequestration capacity as part of global mitigation efforts. These changes do however raise concerns regarding the potential implications for forest biodiversity. Here we evaluate these concerns by assessing the biodiversity implications of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies (CCAMS) being implemented in the production forests of Sweden. We do so by identifying biodiversity goals aimed specifically at closing the existing gap between the habitat requirements of forest-dependent species, and the conditions provided by production forests, in terms of tree species composition, forest structures, and spatio-temporal forest patterns. We then use the existing literature to determine whether and by which pathway each CCAMS is likely to bridge or extend this gap. Our results indicate that CCAMS will often come into direct or partial conflict with Swedish biodiversity goals in production forests. Furthermore, some CCAMS which are inconsistent with biodiversity goals, such as logging residue removal, are being implemented more extensively than those which were most consistent with biodiversity goals. We nevertheless challenge the necessity of setting the preservation of forest biodiversity against climate change mitigation and adaptation. We clarify how CCAMS with negative biodiversity implications may still be implemented without adverse outcomes, if coupled with conservation interventions, or combined with other CCAMS deemed complementary in habitat provision.
Forest-product markets can be affected by policies aimed at mitigating climate change in several ... more Forest-product markets can be affected by policies aimed at mitigating climate change in several ways; directly through substitution of wood products for other materials that yield more greenhouse gas (GHG) and the development and use of bioenergy and biofuel or indirectly through policies involving forest-based carbon sequestration. The most internationally relevant climate mitigation policy with a specific focus on forests, is the United Nations collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries. REDD is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, and thereby provide an incentive for developing countries to reduce emissions from forest loss. In addition to its intended outcomes, forest management strategies and policies such as REDD may have unintentional implications for forest sectors in countries that are not REDD targets, most notably through market linkages. By its very definition...
Over previous decades new environmental measures have been implemented in forestry. In Fennoscand... more Over previous decades new environmental measures have been implemented in forestry. In Fennoscandia, forest management practices were modified to set aside conservation areas and to retain trees at final felling. In this study we simulated the long-term effects of set-aside establishment and tree retention practices on the future availability of large trees and dead wood, two forest structures of documented importance to biodiversity conservation. Using a forest decision support system (Heureka), we projected the amounts of these structures over 200 years in two managed north Swedish landscapes, under management scenarios with and without set-asides and tree retention. In line with common best practice, we simulated set-asides covering 5% of the productive area with priority to older stands, as well as ∼5% green-tree retention (solitary trees and forest patches) including high-stump creation at final felling. We found that only tree retention contributed to substantial increases in the future density of large (DBH ≥35 cm) deciduous trees, while both measures made significant contributions to the availability of large conifers. It took more than half a century to observe stronger increases in the densities of large deciduous trees as an effect of tree retention. The mean landscape-scale volumes of hard dead wood fluctuated widely, but the conservation measures yielded values which were, on average over the entire simulation period, about 2.5 times as high as for scenarios without these measures. While the density of large conifers increased with time in the landscape initially dominated by younger forest, best practice conservation measures did not avert a long-term decrease in large conifer density in the landscape initially comprised of more old forest. Our results highlight the needs to adopt a long temporal perspective and to consider initial landscape conditions when evaluating the large-scale effects of conservation measures on forest biodiversity.
The potential impact of climatic change on bird species’ distributions in Europe was recentlymode... more The potential impact of climatic change on bird species’ distributions in Europe was recentlymodeled for several scenarios of projected late 21st century climate. The results indicate mean range shifts of hundreds of kilometres north for many of European bird species. Here we consider the implications from such distributional shifts for the bird communities ofNorway spruce (Picea abies)monocultures in southern Sweden, a forest type likely to remain prevalent due to forestry, despite climate change.Our assessment led us to three key findings. First, the monocultures offer suitable habitat to only two bird species projected to extend their breeding distribution northwards into southern Sweden this century. Second, species richness was projected to decline overall, which would accentuate the depauperate nature of these stands. Third, all conifer-associated arboreal granivores and three of four conifer-associated arboreal insectivores were projected not to occur, reducing both the functional richness and functional redundancy. We discuss caveats related to our approach, including the potential for bioclimatic projections – used in this study – to be hampered by the artificial retention of dominant vegetation.We also discuss the implications of our results for avian biodiversity in what is today the most prevalent forest type in southern Sweden and in many other regions of Europe
... to the success of the expedition, including our Aboriginal collabo-rators Paddy and Lindsay B... more ... to the success of the expedition, including our Aboriginal collabo-rators Paddy and Lindsay Bassani and fellow birdwatchers Eda Addicott, John Allen ... Thanks are also given to the Lama Lama people of Princess Charlotte Bay and the Rirrmerr Corporation for support of the ...
There are many issues that we now understand much better than 20 years ago. Evidently, the taxono... more There are many issues that we now understand much better than 20 years ago. Evidently, the taxonomic focus in forest biodiversity research has changed. Birds and mammals were previously widely studied, but now most studies focus on invertebrates, fungi, bryophytes, ...
Purpose – Recent climate scenarios indicate that Sweden’s southern region, Go¨taland, will
experi... more Purpose – Recent climate scenarios indicate that Sweden’s southern region, Go¨taland, will experience significant climate change over the coming century. Swedish forestry policy guidelines emphasize the need for risk spreading to reduce the potential adverse impacts of these changes. Risk spreading is defined here as reducing the vulnerability of a social-ecological system by increasing the heterogeneity of its ecological components. Risk spreading may be achieved through the diversification of tree species currently relied upon by the forestry sector. The purpose of this paper is to consider the capacity of the socio-ecological forest system to adapt to climate change through the use of risk spreading. Design/methodology/approach – A variety of disciplines contribute to the understanding of the rate at which risk spreading is likely to take place in a system. A synthesis is conducted to unite these insights. Findings – Five key constraints on the rate at which risk spreading can take place are identified. These include constraints imposed by the silvicultural system itself, voluntary policy measures, forest-owner perceptions of climate change, motivation among forest owners to respond to risk, and forestry consultants. Potential future directions are discussed and include the need for specifying the goal of risk spreading policy, and the need to evaluate the motivations of those forest owners already altering adopting risk spreading approaches. Originality/value – Conceptual equivalents of the “risk spreading” approach are international, due to the need for many societies to adapt social-ecological systems to climate change. The issues raised from this case study/synthesis provide value insights regarding the breadth of systemic constraints which can thwart attempts at rapid adjustment to climate change, and where solutions to these constraints may be found.
Anthropogenic climate change is altering the management of production forests. These changes are ... more Anthropogenic climate change is altering the management of production forests. These changes are motivated by the need to adapt to the uncertainties and risks of climate change, and by the need to enlist their carbon storage and sequestration capacity as part of global mitigation efforts. These changes do however raise concerns regarding the potential implications for forest biodiversity. Here we evaluate these concerns by assessing the biodiversity implications of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies (CCAMS) being implemented in the production forests of Sweden. We do so by identifying biodiversity goals aimed specifically at closing the existing gap between the habitat requirements of forest-dependent species, and the conditions provided by production forests, in terms of tree species composition, forest structures, and spatio-temporal forest patterns. We then use the existing literature to determine whether and by which pathway each CCAMS is likely to bridge or extend this gap. Our results indicate that CCAMS will often come into direct or partial conflict with Swedish biodiversity goals in production forests. Furthermore, some CCAMS which are inconsistent with biodiversity goals, such as logging residue removal, are being implemented more extensively than those which were most consistent with biodiversity goals. We nevertheless challenge the necessity of setting the preservation of forest biodiversity against climate change mitigation and adaptation. We clarify how CCAMS with negative biodiversity implications may still be implemented without adverse outcomes, if coupled with conservation interventions, or combined with other CCAMS deemed complementary in habitat provision.
Forest-product markets can be affected by policies aimed at mitigating climate change in several ... more Forest-product markets can be affected by policies aimed at mitigating climate change in several ways; directly through substitution of wood products for other materials that yield more greenhouse gas (GHG) and the development and use of bioenergy and biofuel or indirectly through policies involving forest-based carbon sequestration. The most internationally relevant climate mitigation policy with a specific focus on forests, is the United Nations collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries. REDD is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, and thereby provide an incentive for developing countries to reduce emissions from forest loss. In addition to its intended outcomes, forest management strategies and policies such as REDD may have unintentional implications for forest sectors in countries that are not REDD targets, most notably through market linkages. By its very definition...
Over previous decades new environmental measures have been implemented in forestry. In Fennoscand... more Over previous decades new environmental measures have been implemented in forestry. In Fennoscandia, forest management practices were modified to set aside conservation areas and to retain trees at final felling. In this study we simulated the long-term effects of set-aside establishment and tree retention practices on the future availability of large trees and dead wood, two forest structures of documented importance to biodiversity conservation. Using a forest decision support system (Heureka), we projected the amounts of these structures over 200 years in two managed north Swedish landscapes, under management scenarios with and without set-asides and tree retention. In line with common best practice, we simulated set-asides covering 5% of the productive area with priority to older stands, as well as ∼5% green-tree retention (solitary trees and forest patches) including high-stump creation at final felling. We found that only tree retention contributed to substantial increases in the future density of large (DBH ≥35 cm) deciduous trees, while both measures made significant contributions to the availability of large conifers. It took more than half a century to observe stronger increases in the densities of large deciduous trees as an effect of tree retention. The mean landscape-scale volumes of hard dead wood fluctuated widely, but the conservation measures yielded values which were, on average over the entire simulation period, about 2.5 times as high as for scenarios without these measures. While the density of large conifers increased with time in the landscape initially dominated by younger forest, best practice conservation measures did not avert a long-term decrease in large conifer density in the landscape initially comprised of more old forest. Our results highlight the needs to adopt a long temporal perspective and to consider initial landscape conditions when evaluating the large-scale effects of conservation measures on forest biodiversity.
The potential impact of climatic change on bird species’ distributions in Europe was recentlymode... more The potential impact of climatic change on bird species’ distributions in Europe was recentlymodeled for several scenarios of projected late 21st century climate. The results indicate mean range shifts of hundreds of kilometres north for many of European bird species. Here we consider the implications from such distributional shifts for the bird communities ofNorway spruce (Picea abies)monocultures in southern Sweden, a forest type likely to remain prevalent due to forestry, despite climate change.Our assessment led us to three key findings. First, the monocultures offer suitable habitat to only two bird species projected to extend their breeding distribution northwards into southern Sweden this century. Second, species richness was projected to decline overall, which would accentuate the depauperate nature of these stands. Third, all conifer-associated arboreal granivores and three of four conifer-associated arboreal insectivores were projected not to occur, reducing both the functional richness and functional redundancy. We discuss caveats related to our approach, including the potential for bioclimatic projections – used in this study – to be hampered by the artificial retention of dominant vegetation.We also discuss the implications of our results for avian biodiversity in what is today the most prevalent forest type in southern Sweden and in many other regions of Europe
... to the success of the expedition, including our Aboriginal collabo-rators Paddy and Lindsay B... more ... to the success of the expedition, including our Aboriginal collabo-rators Paddy and Lindsay Bassani and fellow birdwatchers Eda Addicott, John Allen ... Thanks are also given to the Lama Lama people of Princess Charlotte Bay and the Rirrmerr Corporation for support of the ...
There are many issues that we now understand much better than 20 years ago. Evidently, the taxono... more There are many issues that we now understand much better than 20 years ago. Evidently, the taxonomic focus in forest biodiversity research has changed. Birds and mammals were previously widely studied, but now most studies focus on invertebrates, fungi, bryophytes, ...
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experience significant climate change over the coming century. Swedish forestry policy guidelines
emphasize the need for risk spreading to reduce the potential adverse impacts of these changes. Risk
spreading is defined here as reducing the vulnerability of a social-ecological system by increasing the
heterogeneity of its ecological components. Risk spreading may be achieved through the
diversification of tree species currently relied upon by the forestry sector. The purpose of this
paper is to consider the capacity of the socio-ecological forest system to adapt to climate change
through the use of risk spreading.
Design/methodology/approach – A variety of disciplines contribute to the understanding of the
rate at which risk spreading is likely to take place in a system. A synthesis is conducted to unite these
insights.
Findings – Five key constraints on the rate at which risk spreading can take place are identified.
These include constraints imposed by the silvicultural system itself, voluntary policy measures,
forest-owner perceptions of climate change, motivation among forest owners to respond to risk, and
forestry consultants. Potential future directions are discussed and include the need for specifying the
goal of risk spreading policy, and the need to evaluate the motivations of those forest owners already
altering adopting risk spreading approaches.
Originality/value – Conceptual equivalents of the “risk spreading” approach are international, due
to the need for many societies to adapt social-ecological systems to climate change. The issues raised
from this case study/synthesis provide value insights regarding the breadth of systemic constraints
which can thwart attempts at rapid adjustment to climate change, and where solutions to these
constraints may be found.
for several scenarios of projected late 21st century climate. The results indicate
mean range shifts of hundreds of kilometres north for many of European bird species.
Here we consider the implications from such distributional shifts for the bird communities
ofNorway spruce (Picea abies)monocultures in southern Sweden, a forest type
likely to remain prevalent due to forestry, despite climate change.Our assessment led us to
three key findings. First, the monocultures offer suitable habitat to only two bird species
projected to extend their breeding distribution northwards into southern Sweden this century.
Second, species richness was projected to decline overall, which would accentuate
the depauperate nature of these stands. Third, all conifer-associated arboreal granivores
and three of four conifer-associated arboreal insectivores were projected not to occur, reducing
both the functional richness and functional redundancy. We discuss caveats related
to our approach, including the potential for bioclimatic projections – used in this
study – to be hampered by the artificial retention of dominant vegetation.We also discuss
the implications of our results for avian biodiversity in what is today the most prevalent
forest type in southern Sweden and in many other regions of Europe
experience significant climate change over the coming century. Swedish forestry policy guidelines
emphasize the need for risk spreading to reduce the potential adverse impacts of these changes. Risk
spreading is defined here as reducing the vulnerability of a social-ecological system by increasing the
heterogeneity of its ecological components. Risk spreading may be achieved through the
diversification of tree species currently relied upon by the forestry sector. The purpose of this
paper is to consider the capacity of the socio-ecological forest system to adapt to climate change
through the use of risk spreading.
Design/methodology/approach – A variety of disciplines contribute to the understanding of the
rate at which risk spreading is likely to take place in a system. A synthesis is conducted to unite these
insights.
Findings – Five key constraints on the rate at which risk spreading can take place are identified.
These include constraints imposed by the silvicultural system itself, voluntary policy measures,
forest-owner perceptions of climate change, motivation among forest owners to respond to risk, and
forestry consultants. Potential future directions are discussed and include the need for specifying the
goal of risk spreading policy, and the need to evaluate the motivations of those forest owners already
altering adopting risk spreading approaches.
Originality/value – Conceptual equivalents of the “risk spreading” approach are international, due
to the need for many societies to adapt social-ecological systems to climate change. The issues raised
from this case study/synthesis provide value insights regarding the breadth of systemic constraints
which can thwart attempts at rapid adjustment to climate change, and where solutions to these
constraints may be found.
for several scenarios of projected late 21st century climate. The results indicate
mean range shifts of hundreds of kilometres north for many of European bird species.
Here we consider the implications from such distributional shifts for the bird communities
ofNorway spruce (Picea abies)monocultures in southern Sweden, a forest type
likely to remain prevalent due to forestry, despite climate change.Our assessment led us to
three key findings. First, the monocultures offer suitable habitat to only two bird species
projected to extend their breeding distribution northwards into southern Sweden this century.
Second, species richness was projected to decline overall, which would accentuate
the depauperate nature of these stands. Third, all conifer-associated arboreal granivores
and three of four conifer-associated arboreal insectivores were projected not to occur, reducing
both the functional richness and functional redundancy. We discuss caveats related
to our approach, including the potential for bioclimatic projections – used in this
study – to be hampered by the artificial retention of dominant vegetation.We also discuss
the implications of our results for avian biodiversity in what is today the most prevalent
forest type in southern Sweden and in many other regions of Europe