Effects of forest management on dead wood supply and implications for biodiversity

森林管理对死木供应的影响及其对生物多样性的影响

• 批准号: 203116-2011
• 负责人: Malcolm, Jay
• 金额: $ 2.77万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=546251
• 关键词: Effects; forest; management; dead; wood

Woody debris (WD), which includes both downed wood and snags, is thought to be an important resource for many organisms, but one that is especially sensitive to forest management practices. Although the importance of WD for biodiversity is widely recognized, and indeed WD retention guidelines to sustain wildlife habitat and ecological function are ubiquitous in forest management planning, their basis and effectiveness at present is not fully understood. The proposed research will use manipulative field studies and computer-based modelling to address these gaps in boreal northeastern Ontario. Specific objectives will be to: 1) undertake field studies in areas of different levels of downed WD removal to identify key indicator taxa and to better understand habitat supply relationships (with a focus on key groups of saproxylic insects [those dependent upon dead and dying wood], fungi, and small mammal fauna) and 2) parameterize a modelling framework in which short- and long-term effects of particular management practices on WD habitat supply can be investigated. Key hypotheses to be tested include: 1) reductions in the local supply of WD will result in reduced colonization among certain groups of organisms, with net reduction of species richness of WD; 2) small mammal population densities and productivity, movements, and foraging behaviour will vary in response to variation in the quantity and quality of WD; and 3) existing guidelines for WD retention will prove inadequate for long-term, stand-level conservation of biodiversity in the face of new biomass demands. Field work will focus on reference old-growth plots, conventional and biomass clearcuts, and a manipulative experiment in which all, one-half, or no downed WD was removed from 40-65 year-old, 2.25 ha study plots. The research is of particular significance in that it is: 1) precedent setting in that it makes use of a powerful experimental design and novel techniques to provide critical information on biodiversity indicators and WD supply thresholds and 2) will examine the relationship between harvesting practices and long-term WD habitat supply, including in operational-scale biofuel harvests.

木质残体（WD），其中包括倒下的木材和障碍物，被认为是许多生物的重要资源，但一个是特别敏感的森林管理措施。 虽然WD生物多样性的重要性得到了广泛的认可，并确实WD保留准则，以维持野生动物栖息地和生态功能是无处不在的森林经营规划，其基础和有效性，目前还没有完全理解。 拟议的研究将使用操纵性实地研究和基于计算机的建模，以解决这些差距在北方东北部安大略。 具体目标是：1）在不同水平的下降WD去除区域进行实地研究，以确定关键指示类群，并更好地了解栖息地供应关系（重点是关键的几类昆虫，如：依赖枯木的昆虫，真菌，和小型哺乳动物区系）和2）参数化建模框架，其中短期和长期-长期的影响，特别是管理措施对WD栖息地供应可以进行调查。 待检验的关键假设包括：1）本地WD供应的减少将导致某些生物群体的定殖减少，WD物种丰富度的净减少; 2）小型哺乳动物种群密度和生产力、运动和觅食行为将响应WD数量和质量的变化而变化;和3）现有的指导方针WD保留将证明不足以长期，林分水平的生物多样性保护，面对新的生物量的需求。 实地工作将集中在参考古老的生长地块，传统和生物量皆伐，和一个操纵实验中，所有，一半，或没有下降的WD被删除40-65岁，2.25公顷的研究地块。 该研究具有特别重要的意义，因为它是：1）先例设置，因为它利用了强大的实验设计和新技术，以提供生物多样性指标和WD供应阈值的关键信息，2）将检查收获实践和长期WD栖息地供应之间的关系，包括在操作规模的生物燃料收获。