Search results for " CONSERVATION"
showing 10 items of 1644 documents
Short-term responses of soil decomposer and vegetation communities to stump harvesting in boreal forests
2011
Recently, in addition to logging residues, stumps have become an important component in energy production since there is growing global interest in the use of renewable energy sources in order to decrease anthropogenic carbon emissions. Harvesting of stumps influences the forest floor by changing vegetation and soil organic layers and exposing mineral soil across large areas. We studied whether stump harvesting after clear felling poses further short-term changes in boreal forest soil decomposer community (microbes and mesofauna) and vegetation when compared to the traditional site preparation practice (mounding). In general, stump harvesting caused decline in enchytraeid abundance but did …
Spot mounding and granulated wood ash increase inorganic N availability and alter key components of the soil food web in clear-cut Norway spruce fore…
2012
Abstract The interactive effects of site preparation (spot mounding) and fertilization (granulated wood ash) on soil properties, soil micro- and mesofauna and ground vegetation were studied in two Norway spruce plantations established in clear-cut forests in Central Finland. Half of the seedlings were planted on mounds created by the planting machine, and the rest on intact forest floor. Half of the seedlings on mounded and intact forest floor were fertilized by adding granulated wood ash to circular plots surrounding the seedlings. Initial samples were taken from mounded and intact soil immediately after planting in June. Samples were taken from all treated plots in the autumn in the first…
The implications of stand composition, age and spatial patterns of forest regions with different ownership type for management optimisation in northe…
2015
Abstract Forests with different ownership type often form complex mosaics of stands, thus adding new challenges to the spatial planning of sustainable management in forested landscapes. This study attempted to analyse the spatial patterns and age structures of forest regions with different ownership type and to formulate suggestions for the optimisation of tactical planning of forest management planning by addressing ecological functionality at the landscape level. We hypothesised that structure of forests of various ownership groups differs significantly. National forest inventory data from 2011 was used in this study to compare spatial patterns of forest stands and clearcuts, as well as f…
The role of traditional Erica arborea L. management practices in maintaining northeastern Sicily’s cultural landscape
2007
The tree heath (Erica arborea L.), a small evergreen tree found in the Mediterranean region and parts of Eastern and Central Africa, produces lignotubers that are highly valued for making smoking pipes. The Peloritani Mountains of northeastern Sicily are historically one of the most important areas in Italy for the production of these high quality lignotubers, known as briar root wood. In the past, tree heath shrublands were also an important source of charcoal. Erica arborea utilisation has declined dramatically during the past century, mostly due to the decreasing demand for smoking pipes, as well as the increasing frequency of wildfires and large-scale afforestation activities in this re…
Building and evaluating predictive occupancy models for the Siberian flying squirrel using forest planning data
2005
Abstract We analyzed the applicability of forest planning data in predicting the occurrence of the Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) in managed northern boreal forests, in northeast Finland. Forest planning data is a source of information about forest characteristics for forest managers that may be used in estimating the availability of certain habitats for species conservation. Flying squirrel populations have declined in Finland, most probably due to habitat change and loss and maintenance of suitable habitats can be seen as a fundamental task in species conservation. First, we surveyed 715 ha of older spruce-dominated forest consisting of 91 stands, of which 35 were found occupi…
The perception of abandoned farmland by local people and experts: Landscape value and perspectives on future land use
2013
Abstract Abandonment of agricultural land is a common feature of areas undergoing a range of urbanisation and marginalisation processes across Europe and beyond. This is also the case in Latvia, particularly in the period since 1990, when after regaining independence from the Soviet Union land was restored to its previous owners or their descendants. Many of these people have moved to cities and lack the interest in or the necessary capital for starting farming enterprises. As a result, large areas of land were abandoned, leading to spontaneous afforestation and with associated changes in landscape structure, ecological function and aesthetic value. While there has been an increase in resea…
New insights on the occurrence and conservation status in Italy of Alessioporus ichnusanus (Boletaceae), an IUCN red listed mycorrhizal species
2020
The conservation status of Alessioporus ichnusanus is discussed considering new insights emerged from the IUCN global assessment. New locations were identified and Italy is confirmed as the center of distribution of this species. According to the IUCN categories and criteria, A. ichnusanus is assigned to the category Vulnerable C2a(i).
Test of the electric charge conservation law with Borexino detector
2015
International audience; The new limit on the electron lifetime is obtained from data of the Borexino experiment. The expected signal from the e → γν decay mode is a 256 keV photon detected in liquid scintillator. Because of the extremely low radioactive background level in the Borexino detector it was possible to improve the previous measurement by two orders of magnitude.
Gastrointestinal symptoms and association with medication use patterns, adherence, treatment satisfaction, quality of life, and resource use in osteo…
2016
The Medication Use Patterns, Treatment Satisfaction, and Inadequate Control of Osteoporosis Study (MUSIC-OS) is a prospective, observational study of women with osteoporosis in Europe and Canada. At baseline, patients with gastrointestinal symptoms reported lower adherence to osteoporosis treatment, treatment satisfaction, and health-related quality of life, than those without gastrointestinal symptoms. INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to examine gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and the association between GI symptoms and treatment adherence, treatment satisfaction, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among osteoporotic women in Europe and Canada. METHODS: Baseline results are re…
Varying Definitions of Abundance and Incomplete Assemblages Challenge the Generality of the Interspecific Abundance—Distribution Relationships
2011
Empirical evidence does not fully support the universal nature of the positive interspecific abundance—distribution relationship. We have earlier documented a negative relationship for butterfly species in Finland, but recently our view was again challenged using a small subset of Finnish butterflies as apparent evidence. Here we scrutinize the critique and identify some general conceptual challenges in analyses of interspecific abundance—distribution relationships. We identify the common problem that the abundance—distribution studies include only a small subset of species, and thus reveal only sample characteristics, not overall patterns in complete assemblages. Small subsets of species a…