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Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests

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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Inventory, Modeling and Remote Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2020) | Viewed by 44490

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giorgio Brunialti

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Guest Editor

TerraData Environmentrics, Spin Off Company of the University of Siena, Via Bardelloni 19, 58025 Monterotondo Marittimo, GR, Italy
Interests: environmental monitoring and indicator species; standardization of biomonitoring methods; quality assurance procedures in environmental monitoring; biodiversity and sustainable forest management; lichen diversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Luisa Frati

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Guest Editor

TerraData Environmetrics, Spin-off Company of the University of Siena, 58025 Monterotondo Marittimo, Italy
Interests: environmental monitoring and biomonitoring; applicability of bioindication and bioaccumulation techniques; environmental alteration of risk areas; lichen functional traits; sustainable forest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding patterns of biodiversity and their relationship with environmental gradients is a key issue in ecological research and conservation in forests. Indeed, several environmental factors are able to influence species distributions in these complex ecosystems. It is therefore essential to distinguish among the effects of natural factors from the anthropogenic ones (e.g., environmental pollution, climate change, forest management) by adopting reliable models able to predict future scenarios of species distribution.

In the last 20 years, the use of statistical tools such as species distribution models or ecological niche models has allowed making great strides in the subject, with hundreds of scientific studies in this field.

In this Forests Special Issue, entitled “Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests”, we aim to collect the timely and emerging research in this field. We encourage researchers to send contributions (research and review articles) on the following topics:

Climate change and the distribution of sensitive species or species assemblages;
Modelling the effects of forest fragmentation on biodiversity;
Determining the risk of species invasions by means of modeling approaches;
Modelling functional traits and indicator species;
Environmental niche models and species conservation;
Methodological aspects of species distribution models (SDM);
Recommendations and guidelines to select the most appropriate model;
The drawbacks connected with the issue of species presence-only data and pseudo-absences.

Dr. Giorgio Brunialti
Dr. Luisa Frati
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Environmental niche models
Species assemblages
Indicator species
Invasive species
Climate change
Spatial analyses
Forest modeling
Biogeography
Species conservation
Forest continuity

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 648 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests

by Giorgio Brunialti and Luisa Frati

Forests 2021, 12(3), 319; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12030319 - 10 Mar 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1726

Abstract

Understanding the patterns of biodiversity and their relationship with environmental gradients is a key issue in ecological research and conservation in forests [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

12 pages, 3797 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Reproductive Strategy as an Important Trait for the Distribution of Lower-Trunk Epiphytic Lichens in Old-Growth vs. Non-Old Growth Forests

by Giorgio Brunialti, Paolo Giordani, Sonia Ravera and Luisa Frati

Forests 2021, 12(1), 27; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12010027 - 28 Dec 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2313

Abstract

(1) Research Highlights: The work studied the beta diversity patterns of epiphytic lichens as a function of their reproductive strategies in old-growth and non-old growth forests from the Mediterranean area. (2) Background and Objectives: The reproductive strategies of lichens can drive the dispersal and distribution of species assemblages in forest ecosystems. To further investigate this issue, we analyzed data on epiphytic lichen diversity collected from old-growth and non-old growth forest sites (36 plots) located in Cilento National Park (South Italy). Our working hypothesis was that the dispersal abilities due to the different reproductive strategies drove species beta diversity depending on forest age and continuity. We expected a high turnover for sexually reproducing species and high nestedness for vegetative ones. We also considered the relationship between forest continuity and beta diversity in terms of species rarity. (3) Materials and Methods: we used the Bray–Curtis index of dissimilarity to partition lichen diversity into two components of beta diversity for different subsets (type of forest, reproductive strategy, and species rarity). (4) Results: The two forest types shared most of the common species and did not show significant differences in alpha and gamma diversity. The turnover of specific abundance was the main component of beta diversity, and was significantly greater for sexually reproducing species as compared to vegetative ones. These latter species had also the least turnover and greater nestedness in old-growth forests. Rare species showed higher turnover than common ones. (5) Conclusions: Our results suggest that sexually reproducing lichen species always have high turnover, while vegetative species tend to form nested assemblages, especially in old-growth forests. The rarity level contributes to the species turnover in lichen communities. Contrary to what one might expect, the differences between old-growth and non-old growth forests are not strong. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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15 pages, 1427 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diversity Patterns Associated with Varying Dispersal Capabilities as a Function of Spatial and Local Environmental Variables in Small Wetlands in Forested Ecosystems

by Brett M. Tornwall, Amber L. Pitt, Bryan L. Brown, Joanna Hawley-Howard and Robert F. Baldwin

Forests 2020, 11(11), 1146; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11111146 - 29 Oct 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1966

Abstract

The diversity of species on a landscape is a function of the relative contribution of diversity at local sites and species turnover between sites. Diversity partitioning refers to the relative contributions of alpha (local) and beta (species turnover) diversity to gamma (regional/landscape) diversity and can be influenced by the relationship between dispersal capability as well as spatial and local environmental variables. Ecological theory predicts that variation in the distribution of organisms that are strong dispersers will be less influenced by spatial properties such as topography and connectivity of a region and more associated with the local environment. In contrast, the distribution of organisms with limited dispersal capabilities is often dictated by their limited dispersal capabilities. Small and ephemeral wetlands are centers of biodiversity in forested ecosystems. We sampled 41 small and ephemeral wetlands in forested ecosystems six times over a two-year period to determine if three different taxonomic groups differ in patterns of biodiversity on the landscape and/or demonstrate contrasting relationships with local environmental and spatial variables. We focused on aquatic macroinvertebrates (aerial active dispersers consisting predominantly of the class Insecta), amphibians (terrestrial active dispersers), and zooplankton (passive dispersers). We hypothesized that increasing active dispersal capabilities would lead to decreased beta diversity and more influence of local environmental variables on community structure with less influence of spatial variables. Our results revealed that amphibians had very high beta diversity and low alpha diversity when compared to the other two groups. Additionally, aquatic macroinvertebrate community variation was best explained by local environmental variables, whereas amphibian community variation was best explained by spatial variables. Zooplankton did not display any significant relationships to the spatial or local environmental variables that we measured. Our results suggest that amphibians may be particularly vulnerable to losses of wetland habitat in forested ecosystems as they have high beta diversity. Consequently, the loss of individual small wetlands potentially results in local extirpations of amphibian species in forested ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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20 pages, 2501 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling of Forest Communities’ Spatial Structure at the Regional Level through Remote Sensing and Field Sampling: Constraints and Solutions

by Ivan Kotlov and Tatiana Chernenkova

Forests 2020, 11(10), 1088; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11101088 - 13 Oct 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2201

Abstract

This study tests modern approaches to spatial modeling of forest communities at the regional level based on a supervised classification. The study is conducted by the example of mapping the composition of forest communities in a large urbanized region (the Moscow Region, area 4.69 million hectares). A database of 1684 field descriptions is used as sample plots. As environmental variables, Landsat spectral reflectances, vegetation indices (5 images), digital elevation model and morphometric parameters of the relief, 54 layers in total, are used. Additionally, the Palsar-2 radar dataset is included. The main mapped units are formations and groups of associations identified on the basis of the ecological-phytocoenotic classification. Formations and groups of associations are similar in semantics and principles of allocation to units of forest typology. It is shown that the maximum entropy method has a wide range of applications, in particular, for mapping the typological diversity of forest cover. The method is used in combination with geographically structured spatial jack-knifing, spatial rarefication of occurrence data and independent testing of model feature classes and regularization parameters. Spatial rarefication is a critical technique when points are not evenly distributed in space. The resulting model of the spatial structure of forest cover is based on the integration of the best models of each thematic class of different types of forest cover into a single cartographic layer. It is shown that under conditions of uneven and sparse distribution of points, it is possible to provide an average point matching level of 0.45 for formations and 0.29 for association groups. Herewith, the spatial structure and the ratio of the formation’s composition correspond to the official data of the forest inventory. An attempt is made to identify and evaluate the distribution of more detailed syntaxonomic units: association groups. The necessary requirements for improving the quality of the forest cover model of the study area for 2 hierarchical typological units of forest cover are formulated. These include the additional sampling in order to equalize their spatial density, as well as to achieve equality of samples based on stratification according to the resulting map. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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16 pages, 3569 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Climate Variations on the Structure of Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Assemblage in Forests and Wetlands

by Marina Kirichenko-Babko, Yaroslav Danko, Anna Musz-Pomorksa, Marcin K. Widomski and Roman Babko

Forests 2020, 11(10), 1074; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11101074 - 08 Oct 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2321

Abstract

We studied the effect of climate variations on the structure of the assemblage of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a wetland and surrounding watershed forest. We analyzed the changes in the structure of the assemblage of ground beetles provoked by a two-year dry period against the background of studies carried out during the two-year wet period. Aridization influenced the structure of the assemblage of ground beetles more in wetlands than in forests. It was shown that despite the stabilizing effect of the forest on the structure of assemblages of terrestrial arthropods, the two-year dry period had a negative impact on the assemblage of ground beetles in the studied area. The Simpson dominance index of 4.9 during the wet season increased to 7.2 during the drought period. Although the total number of species during the dry period did not significantly decrease in comparison with the wet period—from 30 to 27 species—changes occurred in the trophic structure: during the drought period, the number of predators decreased. It is concluded that the resistance of forest habitats to climate aridization is somewhat exaggerated and, very likely, the structure of the community of arthropods in forests will change significantly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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15 pages, 3279 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vitality and Growth of the Threatened Lichen Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. in Response to Logging and Implications for Its Conservation in Mediterranean Oak Forests

by Elisabetta Bianchi, Renato Benesperi, Giorgio Brunialti, Luca Di Nuzzo, Zuzana Fačkovcová, Luisa Frati, Paolo Giordani, Juri Nascimbene, Sonia Ravera, Chiara Vallese and Luca Paoli

Forests 2020, 11(9), 995; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11090995 - 16 Sep 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3066

Abstract

Forest logging can be detrimental for non-vascular epiphytes, determining the loss of key components for ecosystem functioning. Legal logging in a Mediterranean mixed oak forest (Tuscany, Central Italy) in 2016 heavily impacted sensitive non-vascular epiphytes, including a large population of the threatened forest lichen Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. This event offered the background for this experiment, where the potential effects of logging in oak forests are simulated by means of L. pulmonaria micro-transplants (thallus fragments <1 cm). Our working hypothesis is that forest logging could negatively influence the growth of the thalli exposed in logged stands compared to those exposed in unlogged stands. One hundred meristematic lobes and 100 non-meristematic fragments are exposed for one year on 20 Turkey oak trees (Quercus cerris), half in a logged and half in an unlogged stand. Chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence emission and total chlorophyll content are used as a proxy for the overall vitality of the transplants, while their growth is considered an indicator of long-term effects. Generally, vitality and growth of the transplants in the logged stand are lower than in the unlogged stand. Both vitality and growth vary between the meristematic and non-meristematic fragments, the former performing much better. Hence, irrespective of forest management, meristematic fragments show higher growth rates (0.16–0.18 cm² year⁻¹) than non-meristematic ones (0.02–0.06 cm² year⁻¹). Considering that a conservation-oriented management for this species should be tailored at the habitat-level and, especially, at the tree-level, our results suggest that for appropriate conservation strategies, it is necessary to consider the life cycle of the lichen, since the probability of survival of the species may vary, with meristematic fragments having more chance to survive after logging. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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20 pages, 2876 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modelling Current and Future Potential Habitats for Plantations of Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden and E. dunnii Maiden in Uruguay

by Fernando Resquin, Joaquín Duque-Lazo, Cristina Acosta-Muñoz, Cecilia Rachid-Casnati, Leonidas Carrasco-Letelier and Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo

Forests 2020, 11(9), 948; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11090948 - 29 Aug 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3020

Abstract

Eucalyptus grandis and E. dunnii have high productive potential in the South of Brazil, Uruguay, and central Argentina. This is based on the similarity of the climate and soil of these areas, which form an eco-region called Campos. However, previous results show that these species have differences in their distribution caused by the prioritization of Uruguayan soils for forestry, explained by the particular conditions of each site. In this study, the site variables (climate, soil, and topography) that better explain the distribution of both species were identified, and prediction models of current and future distribution were adjusted for different climate change scenarios (years 2050 and 2070). The distribution of E. grandis was associated with soil parameters, whereas for E. dunnii a greater effect of the climatic variables was observed. The ensemble biomod2 model was the most precise with regard to predicting the habitat for both species with respect to the simple models evaluated. For E. dunnii, the average values of the AUC, Kappa, and TSS index were 0.98, 0.88, and 0.77, respectively. For E. grandis, their values were 0.97, 0.86, and 0.80, respectively. In the projections of climatic change, the distribution of E. grandis occurrence remains practically unchanged, even in the scenarios of temperature increase. However, current distribution of E. dunnii shows high susceptibility in a scenario of increased temperature, to the point that most of the area currently planted may be at risk. Our results might be useful to political government and foresters for decision making in terms of future planted areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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19 pages, 2797 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Impact of Climate Change on the Forest Coverage and the Spatial Distribution of 19 Key Forest Tree Species in Italy under RCP4.5 IPCC Trajectory for 2050s

by Matteo Pecchi, Maurizio Marchi, Marco Moriondo, Giovanni Forzieri, Marco Ammoniaci, Iacopo Bernetti, Marco Bindi and Gherardo Chirici

Forests 2020, 11(9), 934; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11090934 - 26 Aug 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4767

Abstract

Forests provide a range of ecosystem services essential for human wellbeing. In a changing climate, forest management is expected to play a fundamental role by preserving the functioning of forest ecosystems and enhancing the adaptive processes. Understanding and quantifying the future forest coverage in view of climate changes is therefore crucial in order to develop appropriate forest management strategies. However, the potential impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems remain largely unknown due to the uncertainties lying behind the future prediction of models. To fill this knowledge gap, here we aim to provide an uncertainty assessment of the potential impact of climate change on the forest coverage in Italy using species distribution modelling technique. The spatial distribution of 19 forest tree species in the country was extracted from the last national forest inventory and modelled using nine Species Distribution Models algorithms, six different Global Circulation Models (GCMs), and one Regional Climate Models (RCMs) for 2050s under an intermediate forcing scenario (RCP 4.5). The single species predictions were then compared and used to build a future forest cover map for the country. Overall, no sensible variation in the spatial distribution of the total forested area was predicted with compensatory effects in forest coverage of different tree species, whose magnitude and patters appear largely modulated by the driving climate models. The analyses reported an unchanged amount of total land suitability to forest growth in mountain areas while smaller values were predicted for valleys and floodplains than high-elevation areas. Pure woods were predicted as the most influenced when compared with mixed stands which are characterized by a greater species richness and, therefore, a supposed higher level of biodiversity and resilience to climate change threatens. Pure softwood stands along the Apennines chain in central Italy (e.g., Pinus, Abies) were more sensitive than hardwoods (e.g., Fagus, Quercus) and generally characterized by pure and even-aged planted forests, much further away from their natural structure where admixture with other tree species is more likely. In this context a sustainable forest management strategy may reduce the potential impact of climate change on forest ecosystems. Silvicultural practices should be aimed at increasing the species richness and favoring hardwoods currently growing as dominating species under conifers canopy, stimulating the natural regeneration, gene flow, and supporting (spatial) migration processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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15 pages, 8926 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Effects of Climate Change on the Geographic Distribution of the Endangered Plant Species Manihot walkerae

by Gisel Garza, Armida Rivera, Crystian Sadiel Venegas Barrera, José Guadalupe Martinez-Ávalos, Jon Dale and Teresa Patricia Feria Arroyo

Forests 2020, 11(6), 689; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11060689 - 18 Jun 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4396

Abstract

Walker’s Manihot, Manihot walkerae, is an endangered plant that is endemic to the Tamaulipan thornscrub ecoregion of extreme southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. M. walkerae populations are highly fragmented and are found on both protected public lands and private property. Habitat loss and competition by invasive species are the most detrimental threats for M. walkerae; however, the effect of climate change on M. walkerae’s geographic distribution remains unexplored and could result in further range restrictions. Our objectives are to evaluate the potential effects of climate change on the distribution of M. walkerae and assess the usefulness of natural protected areas in future conservation. We predict current and future geographic distribution for M. walkerae (years 2050 and 2070) using three different general circulation models (CM3, CMIP5, and HADGEM) and two climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and 8.5). A total of nineteen spatially rarefied occurrences for M. walkerae and ten non-highly correlated bioclimatic variables were inputted to the maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) to produce twenty replicates per scenario. The area under the curve (AUC) value for the consensus model was higher than 0.90 and the partial ROC value was higher than 1.80, indicating a high predictive ability. The potential reduction in geographic distribution for M. walkerae by the effect of climate change was variable throughout the models, but collectively they predict a restriction in distribution. The most severe reductions were 9% for the year 2050 with the CM3 model at an 8.5 RCP, and 14% for the year 2070 with the CMIP5 model at the 4.5 RCP. The future geographic distribution of M. walkerae was overlapped with protected lands in the U.S. and Mexico in order to identify areas that could be suitable for future conservation efforts. In the U.S. there are several protected areas that are potentially suitable for M. walkerae, whereas in Mexico no protected areas exist within M. walkerae suitable habitat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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18 pages, 4030 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coastal Pine-Oak Glacial Refugia in the Mediterranean Basin: A Biogeographic Approach Based on Charcoal Analysis and Spatial Modelling

by Gaetano Di Pasquale, Antonio Saracino, Luciano Bosso, Danilo Russo, Adriana Moroni, Giuliano Bonanomi and Emilia Allevato

Forests 2020, 11(6), 673; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11060673 - 12 Jun 2020

Cited by 53 | Viewed by 4761

Abstract

During the glacial episodes of the Quaternary, European forests were restricted to small favourable spots, namely refugia, acting as biodiversity reservoirs. the Iberian, Italian and Balkan peninsulas have been considered as the main glacial refugia of trees in Europe. In this study, we estimate the composition of the last glacial forest in a coastal cave of the Cilento area (SW Italy) in seven time frames, spanning from the last Pleniglacial to the Late Glacial. Charcoal analyses were performed in seven archaeological layers. Furthermore, a paleoclimate modelling (Maxent) approach was used to complement the taxonomic identification of charcoal fragments to estimate the past potential distribution of tree species in Europe. Our results showed that the mesothermophilous forest survived in this region in the core of the Mediterranean basin during the Last Glacial Period (LGP, since ~36 ka cal BP), indicating that this area played an important role as a reservoir of woodland biodiversity. Here, Quercus pubescens was the most abundant component, followed by a wide variety of deciduous trees and Pinus nigra. Charcoal data also pointed at the crucial role of this coastal area, acting as a reservoir for warm temperate trees of genera Tilia, Carpinus and Sambucus, in LGP, in the Mediterranean region. Our modelling results showed that P. nigra might be the main candidate as a “Pinus sylvestris type” in the study site in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Furthermore, we found that P. nigra might coexist with Q. pubescens in several European territories both currently and in the LGM. All models showed high levels of predictive performances. Our results highlight the advantage of combining different approaches such as charcoal analysis and ecological niche models to explore biogeographic questions about past and current forest distribution, with important implications to inform today’s forest management and conservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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11 pages, 1998 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling Tree Species Count Data in the Understory and Canopy Layer of Two Mixed Old-Growth Forests in the Dinaric Region

by Srđan Keren

Forests 2020, 11(5), 531; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11050531 - 09 May 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2032

Abstract

The distribution of tree species has traditionally been analyzed based on tree diameter (DBH) as a continuous variable. However, this approach does not usually provide information on how species are distributed across the area of interest. In this study, an inverse approach was applied to investigate tree distribution patterns in two Dinaric old-growth forest stands composed primarily of European beech, silver fir, and Norway spruce. Specifically, the variance-to-mean relationship of tree counts based on 80 plots (40 in each old-growth stand) were evaluated by using a dispersion index. Understory trees exhibited clumped and random patterns, whereas canopy trees were mostly distributed in a random manner. A regular pattern was only determined for beech and all trees in the canopy layer (two cases out of ten). The observed discrete variables were further compared with three theoretical distributions. It was found that a Poisson, binomial, and negative binomial model best fitted the observed count data, which, based on the dispersion index, exhibited a random, regular, and clumped pattern, respectively. The frequency of plots with low species presence and complete absence of species was also revealed. Consequently, the analysis and modeling of tree counts can be of practical use for species conservation purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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13 pages, 2984 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Climate Change on the Distribution of Euscaphis japonica (Staphyleaceae) Trees

by Keliang Zhang, Lanping Sun and Jun Tao

Forests 2020, 11(5), 525; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11050525 - 08 May 2020

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2598

Abstract

Analyzing the effects of climate change on forest ecosystems and individual species is of great significance for incorporating management responses to conservation policy development. Euscaphis japonica (Staphyleaceae), a small tree or deciduous shrub, is distributed among the open forests or mountainous valleys of Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and southern China. Meanwhile, it is also used as a medicinal and ornamental plant. Nonetheless, the extents of E. japonica forest have gradually shrunk as a result of deforestation, together with the regional influence of climate change. The present study employed two methods for modeling species distribution, Maxent and Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction (GARP), to model the potential distribution of this species and the effects of climate change on it. Our results suggest that both models performed favorably, but GARP outperformed Maxent for all performance metrics. The temperate and subtropical regions of eastern China where the species had been recorded was very suitable for E. japonica growth. Temperature and precipitation were two primary environmental factors affecting the distribution of E. japonica. Under climate change scenarios, the range of suitable habitats for E. japonica will expand geographically toward the north. Our findings may be used in several ways such as identifying currently undocumented locations of E. japonica, sites where it may occur in the future, or potential locations where the species could be introduced and so contribute to the conservation and management of this species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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11 pages, 2371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of the Dominant Species on the Distributions of Neighbor Species in a Subtropical Forest

by Shiguang Wei, Lin Li, Juyu Lian, Scott E. Nielsen, Zhigao Wang, Lingfeng Mao, Xuejun Ouyang, Honglin Cao and Wanhui Ye

Forests 2020, 11(3), 352; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11030352 - 20 Mar 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2852

Abstract

Understanding the role of dominant species in structuring the distribution of neighbor species is an important part of understanding community assembly, a central goal of ecology. Phylogenetic information helps resolve the multitude of processes driving community assembly and the importance of evolution in the assembly process. In this study, we classified species in a 20-ha subtropical forest in southern China into groups with different degrees of phylogenetic relatedness to the dominant species Castanopsis chinensis. Species surrounding individuals of C. chinensis were sampled in an equal area annulus at six spatial scales, counting the percent of relatives and comparing this to permutation tests of a null model and variance among species groups. The results demonstrated that dominant species affected their relatives depending on community successional stage. Theory would predict that competitive exclusion and density-dependence mechanisms should lead to neighbors that are more distant in phylogeny from C. chinensis. However, in mature forests distant relatives were subjected to competitive repulsion by C. chinensis, while environment filtering led to fewer distant species, regardless of scale. A variety of biological and non-biological factors appear to result in a U-shaped quantitative distribution determined by the dominant species C. chinensis. Scale effects also influenced the dominant species. As a dominant species, C. chinensis played an important role in structuring the species distributions and coexistence of neighbor species in a subtropical forest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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Review

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26 pages, 5027 KiB

Open AccessReview

Habitat Models of Focal Species Can Link Ecology and Decision-Making in Sustainable Forest Management

by Asko Lõhmus, Raido Kont, Kadri Runnel, Maarja Vaikre and Liina Remm

Forests 2020, 11(7), 721; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f11070721 - 30 Jun 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4442

Abstract

A fundamental problem of sustainability is how to reduce the double complexity of ecological and social systems into simple operational terms. We highlight that the conservation concept of focal species (selected species sensitive to a set of anthropogenic threats to their habitat) links multiple issues of ecological sustainability, and their habitat models can provide a practical tool for solving these issues. A review of the literature shows that most spatial modeling of focal species focuses on vertebrates, lacks the aspect of aquatic and soil habitats, and has been slow in the uptake by actual management planning. We elaborate on a deductive modeling approach that first generalizes the main influential dimensions of habitat change (threats), which are then parameterized as habitat quality estimates for focal species. If built on theoretical understanding and properly scaled, the maps produced with such models can cost-effectively describe the dynamics of ecological qualities across forest landscapes, help set conservation priorities, and reflect on management plans and practices. The models also serve as ecological hypotheses on biodiversity and landscape function. We illustrate this approach based on recent additions to the forest reserve network in Estonia, which addressed the insufficient protection of productive forest types. For this purpose, mostly former production forests that may require restoration were set aside. We distinguished seven major habitat dimensions and their representative taxa in these forests and depicted each dimension as a practical stand-scale decision tree of habitat quality. The model outcomes implied that popular stand-structural targets of active forest restoration would recover passively in reasonable time in these areas, while a critically degraded condition (loss of old trees of characteristic species) required management beyond reserve borders. Another hidden issue revealed was that only a few stands of consistently low habitat quality concentrated in the landscape to allow cost-efficient restoration planning. We conclude that useful habitat models for sustainable forest management have to balance single-species realism with stakeholder expectations of meaningful targets and scales. Addressing such social aspects through the focal species concept could accelerate the adoption of biodiversity distribution modeling in forestry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling of Species Distribution and Biodiversity in Forests)

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