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: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=569867
• 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.

木质残骸（WD）包括倒下的木材和断枝，被认为是许多生物体的重要资源，但对森林管理实践特别敏感。 尽管森林砍伐对生物多样性的重要性已得到广泛认可，而且事实上，维持野生动物栖息地和生态功能的森林砍伐保留准则在森林管理规划中无处不在，但其基础和有效性目前尚未得到充分了解。 拟议的研究将使用操作性实地研究和基于计算机的建模来解决安大略省东北部北部的这些差距。 具体目标是：1) 在不同水平的 WD 清除区域进行实地研究，以确定关键指标类群并更好地了解栖息地供应关系（重点关注腐木昆虫 [依赖枯死和垂死木材的昆虫]、真菌和小型哺乳动物群的关键类群）；2) 参数化模型框架，在该框架中可以调查特定管理实践对 WD 栖息地供应的短期和长期影响。 需要检验的关键假设包括：1）当地 WD 供应的减少将导致某些生物体群体的定植减少，从而导致 WD 物种丰富度的净减少； 2）小型哺乳动物的种群密度和生产力、活动和觅食行为将随着WD数量和质量的变化而变化； 3) 面对新的生物质需求，现有的 WD 保留指南将不足以满足生物多样性的长期、林分水平保护。 实地工作将集中于参考老树地块、常规和生物质砍伐以及一项操作性实验，其中从 40-65 年的 2.25 公顷研究地块中移除全部、一半或没有倒下的 WD。 该研究具有特别重要的意义，因为它：1）开创先例，利用强大的实验设计和新技术提供有关生物多样性指标和WD供应阈值的关键信息；2）将研究收获实践与长期WD栖息地供应之间的关系，包括在运营规模的生物燃料收获中。