Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation Based on Natural Ecosystem Dynamics in Northern Europe
The Complexity Challenge
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10888488 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Timo Kuuluvainen (0000-0002-9085-5584, University of Helsinki, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 309-315 |
| Publication date | 2009-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | AMBIO (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0044-7447 • E-ISSN: 1654-7209 |
| Publisher | Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (PUBLISHER • SE) |
| DOI | 10.1579/08-a-490.1 |
| PMID | 19860154 |
| OpenAlex | W2172902522 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 19 |
| References cited | 2 |
Recent research in northern Europe has revised many long-held conceptions of the complexity of forest ecosystems and their natural structure and dynamics. The unveiling of the picture of natural characteristics of forest ecosystem structure and dynamics reveals much more diversity than its traditional complement, highlighting the importance of non-stand-replacing disturbances and the associated heterogeneous and dynamic stand and landscape structures. This increasing detail is a reflection of a fundamental change in the ecological understanding of forests as complex ecosystems. In particular, the generalization that the boreal forest is regulated by fierce stand-replacing disturbances, leading to the dominance of even-aged stand successions, has been disproved. However, this misconception has, until now, been repeated and used to legitimize the dominant practice of clear-cutting as a nature-based way to manage the forest. The practical conclusion of this review paper is that the dominating forest management model in North European boreal forests, which is based on the clear-cut harvesting of timber and growing of even-aged stands, is in contradiction with the variable and complex characteristics of the disturbance-succession cycle observed in naturally dynamic forests with negligible human impact. As a consequence, the structural variation of the boreal forest under management has been grossly truncated compared with its natural range. Because of this, and due to the scarcity of protection areas in many regions of northern Europe, it is not likely that the conservation of native biodiversity and ecological sustainability will be attained, assuming that the model of forest management remains unchanged. Thus, there is a strong incentive for change in the prevailing forest management model toward one that is based on natural ecosystem dynamics and an understanding of forests as complex systems
Agroforestry · Biodiversity · Biology · Boreal · Disturbance (geology) · Dominance (genetics) · Ecological succession · Ecosystem · Ecosystem Management · Environmental resource management · Forest ecology · Forest management · Forest restoration · Geography · Intact forest landscape · Natural (archaeology) · Sustainability · Taiga · Ecology · Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies · Environmental Science · Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies · Forest Management and Policy · Forestry
Disturbance and distributions
Limited microclimatic buffering capacity in boreal forests calls for sustainable management strategies
Patterns of regional site index across a North American boreal forest gradient
Towards operational tree-level timber quality and volume estimation using UAV multi-sensor remote sensing
Tale(s) of a Forest—Re-Creation of a Primeval Forest in Three Environmental Narratives
A PES scheme promoting forest biodiversity and carbon sequestration
Role of forest fires in Holocene stand-scale dynamics in the unmanaged taiga forest of northwestern Russia
The effect of continuous-cover forest management on Norway spruce stem taper revealed by terrestrial laser scanning
Quantifying the target state of forest stands managed with the continuous cover approach – revisiting Möller's “Dauerwald” concept after 100 years
Even-Aged and Uneven-Aged Forest Management in Boreal Fennoscandia
Envisaging nature-based solutions as designed ecosystems in the changing world
Keeping pace with forestry
Representative boreal forest habitats in northern Europe, and a revised model for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation
Varying rotation lengths in northern production forests
Impacts of forestry on boreal forests
Short-term effects of continuous cover forestry on forest biomass production and biodiversity
Retention as an integrated biodiversity conservation approach for continuous-cover forestry in Europe
Prescribed burning for boreal forest restoration
More fishers and fewer martens due to cumulative effects of forest management and climate change as evidenced from local knowledge
| Unique citing works | 19 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,36 |
| Citation span | 2012 - 2026 (15) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 18 |