Seeing and managing forests as functional complex networks – an interview with Christian Messier
In September 2017 I participated to a very dynamic field-week that took place in Tuscany, Italy. Here international students had the chance to discuss new concepts in forest management, such as viewing forest ecosystems as complex adaptive systems.
Managing forests as functional complex networks
Although a variety of forest management approaches to cope with climate change have been proposed worldwide, what has been missing so far is a way to integrate them at appropriate scales, particularly at landscape level, and to put a primary focus on enhancing forest resilience in the Anthropocene.
The symmetry of competition. Does the battle take place above or below our feet?
In this article, I talk about the “mode of competition”, in other words whether trees of different species compete more of aboveground or belowground resources when growing in mixed stands. Additionally, I highlight the advantage of mixed forests in the context of climate change.
Were forests not taken seriously enough in the last IPCC 1.5° report?
The latest IPCC special report discusses the potential impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C and presents several pathways scenarios but without focusing much on the need of protecting and sustainably managing the forests we currently have.
The symmetry of competition. A battle crown-to-crown or roots-to-roots?
Forests rich in tree species are not only known for providing higher levels of ecosystem services but also to be prompter to cope with unexpected disturbances and climatic changes. However, the mechanisms of competitions in multi-species forests are all but clear.
The symmetry of competition. Does the battle take place above or below our feet?
In one of my previous posts I have already focused on the complex topic of competition among tree species. In that post I discussed the variability of species interactions (aka mixing effects) which depends on multiple environmental factors.
No more maple syrup?
Most of the time we tend to think about forests as sources of important ecosystem service. But there is a very important service that is delivered mostly by one tree species: maple syrup.
What do European forest managers want to know from scientists about mixed forests?
During the last years, scientists published a large amount of papers and books on the ecology and functioning mixed forests. This has certainly contributed to advance our understanding of how a mixed species forest work, develop, function.
Teaching complex adaptive system science to manage forest ecosystems – an interview with Klaus Puettmann
September is a busy month for academics. To wake up researchers after the summer break, usually many conferences and events are being organized. After the IUFRO Congress in Freiburg i.B., last September I participated to a field course that took place at the Vallombrosa Forest in Tuscany (Italy).
What factors determine whether tree species compete or complement each other?
The growth of the forest depends on a series of variables and their complex net of interactions. When the forest is composed of multiple species (called a “mixture”) its growth also depends on the intra- and inter-specific interactions between these species.
