Forest carbon projects in the Ukrainian Carpathians: an assessment of potential community impacts and benefits

Amanda R. Egan, William S. Keeton, Cecilia M. Danks, Asim Zia, Ihor Soloviy

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Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) is a frequently promoted climate change mitigation strategy. As forest carbon projects proceed, we are learning how they affect local sovereignty and resource access, particularly in developing economies. Central and Eastern Europe’s temperate forests offer potential for projects, yet little is known about how the sociopolitical context of these transitional economies may influence project success. In this article, we enhance understanding of potential community impacts and explore opportunities for fair benefit distribution in Ukraine’s Carpathian Mountain region. Through a thematic qualitative and interpretive analysis of interviews and observational data, we: (1) describe what community-level forest uses and tenure rights may be affected by forest carbon projects; and (2) explore the opportunities and obstacles of fair benefit distribution and community engagement in projects in the region. Our data show that local communities in the region are important forest-dependent stakeholders, relying on the forest for fuelwood, non-timber forest products, recreation, and other intangible benefits. This indicates the need for strong social safeguards in developing forest carbon projects. While no mechanisms exist for direct revenue sharing, communities could derive other benefits that improve the local social, economic, and ecological situation. Our results further suggest that lessons from projects in developing economies can be informative to project development in post-socialist, transitioning economies.

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Adaptive genetic variability and differentiation of Croatian and Austrian Quercus robur L. populations at a drought prone field trial

Saša Bogdan, Mladen Ivanković, Martina Temunović, Maja Morić, Jozo Franjić, Ida Katičić Bogdan

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Provenance trials, where populations of different geographical origin are tested in a common environment (common garden test), are a tool suited to allow the study of intraspecific adaptive genetic variation. Research of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) adaptive genetic variability through analyses of populations in common garden tests has a long tradition. However, pedunculated oak populations originating south-eastern from the Alps have been scarcely studied in this way. This study addresses the adaptive genetic variability and differentiation of pedunculate oak populations originating from Austria and Croatia in a provenance/progeny field trial. Studied plants were six years old and were growing at the trial for three years. After two years of unusually low precipitations height and survival were analysed. The total mean height of all plants in the trial was 137.8 cm and ranged from 123.0 cm to 151.8 cm. The overall mean survival rate was rather high (0.85). Mean population survival ranged from 0.64 to 0.94. Individual narrow-sense heritabilities (hi2), family mean heritabilities (hf2), the coefficients of additive genetic variation (CVA) and quantitative genetic differentiation coefficients (QST) were calculated. A multivariate regression tree (MRT) analysis was used to determine the pattern of genetic differentiation of the populations. Individual heritabilities for height ranged between 0.00 and 0.39. Family mean heritabilities for height were rather low in most populations as well (<0.5). Family mean heritabilities for survival were higher than for height (ranging between 0.00 and 0.77). Calculated QST coefficients (0.25 for height and 0.14 for survival) indicated between-population genetic differentiation. The populations were separated into two clusters by MRT analysis regarding a climatic variable, namely Hargreaves’ reference evapotranspiration. Populations originating from comparatively more humid habitats were grouped in the first cluster. The first cluster had a lower mean height and survival compared to the second one. The differences between these clusters were highly statistically significant. The observed quantitative genetic differentiation might have been driven by natural selection caused by differences in the relative moisture of the habitats from which the progeny populations originate. The results suggest ecotypic pattern of the quantitative genetic differentiation among studied populations.

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Seasonal variability of interception and water wettability of common oak leaves

Anna Klamerus-Iwan, Ewa Błońska

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Wettability of leaves and the resulting amount of interception loss of tree crowns is an important component of the atmosphere-tree stand-soil system balance. In the study, we hypothesized that changes occurring in leaves during the vegetation period can significantly affect the amount of rainwater retained by plants and wettability of leaves which is expressed by the contact angle between drops and leaves. We evaluated the hypothesis based on measurement series, which combined direct spraying of leaves with water at different stages of development at a constant temperature with observations made with an electron scanner which was used to determine changes occurring within a leaf, while the photographic method was used to analyze the contact angle of drops. The study involved common oak (Quercus robur). Samples of twigs derived from this species were collected in the area of Przedbórz (Poland) forest district, in particular from the trees with well-developed crowns. Twigs were collected from 10 trees of similar age (35–40 years). The resulting database contained experimental data on changes of raindrop adhesion on oak leaves throughout the growing season. The internal contact angle of drops was within the range of 150° on the upper side of the leaf and 160° on the underside in May, up to 15° and 35° in November on the upper and underside of the leaves. Loss of interception was established at 6% at the beginning of the growing season up to 22% in autumn. It was concluded that the wettability and the level of interception increases in line with the age of a leaf.

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Survival and growth of three endangered oak species in a Mexican montane cloud forest

Ofelia Andrea Valdés-Rodríguez, Yureli García-De La Cruz, Brent R. Frey

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Cloud forests are amongst the world’s most impacted and endangered forest types, with Mexican cloud forests amongst the most degraded. These species rich forests are characterized by a diversity of congeneric oak species which dominate the canopy of mature forests. An improved understanding of the establishment requirements of oak seedlings in cloud forests is needed for conservation and restoration purposes. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of light conditions during early establishment of three endangered Quercus species. Seedling growth and biomass allocation in Quercus insignis M. Martens & Galeotti, Q. sartorii Liebm. and Q. xalapensis Bonpl. was determined under two light levels: light gap (1338 µmol m-2 s-1) and closed canopy (118 µmol m-2 s-1) in a cloud forest in Veracruz, Mexico. Growth and development were evaluated over the first 13 months. Results suggest there was a significant effect of light conditions on growth rate and biomass allocation. Although survival rate was similar among both environments, the three species showed lower growth rates under the closed canopy during the first nine months, while elongation rate was higher during the last three months under this environment compared to the light gap. Across all species, fresh biomass and dry biomass of roots, stem and leaves were almost 50% higher in light gap than under closed canopy. Q. insignis produced more biomass in shoots and roots than Q. sartorii and Q. xalapensis, which may increase its establishment success in shaded conditions. Results suggest that these three oak species are suited to planting in small gaps, but also in shaded understory conditions, as high early survival (>90%) may allow enrichment planting in advance of gap creation.

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An integrated airborne laser scanning approach to forest management and cultural heritage issues: a case study at Porolissum, Romania

Anamaria Roman, Tudor-Mihai Ursu, Sorina Fărcaş, Vlad-Andrei Lăzărescu, Coriolan Horaţiu Opreanu

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This paper explores the opportunities that arise where forest ecosystem management and cultural heritage monuments protection converge. The case study area for our analysis was the landscape surrounding the Moigrad-Porolissum Archaeological site. We emphasize that an Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS or LiDAR-Light Detection and Ranging) approach to both forest management and cultural heritage conservation is an outstanding tool, assisting policy-makers and conservationists in decision making for integrated planning and management of the environment. LiDAR-derived surface models enabled a synoptic, never-seen-before view of the ancient Roman frontiers defensive systems while also revealing the present forest road network. The thorough and accurate road inventory data are very useful for updating and modifying forest base maps and registries and also for identifying the priority sectors for archaeological discharge. The ability to identify and determine optimal routes for forest management and to locate previously unmapped ancient archaeological remains aids in reducing costs and creating operational efficiencies as well as in complying with the legislation and avoiding infringements. The potential of LiDAR to demonstrate the long-term and comprehensive human impact on wooded areas is discussed. We identified a significant historical landscape change, consisting of a deforestation period, spanning over more than 160 years, during the Roman Period in Dacia (106-271 AD). The transdisciplinary analysis of the LiDAR data provides the base for combining knowledge from archaeology, forestry and environmental history in order to achieve a thorough analysis of the landscape changes and history. In the “nature versus culture” dichotomy, the landscape, outfield areas and forests are primarily perceived as nature, while in reality they are often heavily marked by human impact. LiDAR offers an efficient method for broadening our knowledge regarding the character and extent of human interaction with landscapes – forested or otherwise.

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Impact of operational factors on fossil energy inputs in motor-manual tree felling and processing: results of two case studies

Gheorghe Ignea, Mohammad Reza Ghaffaryian, Stelian Alexandru Borz

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In many cases tree felling and processing operations are carried out motor-manually and knowledge about fossil fuel consumption and direct energy inputs when using such equipment is required for different purposes starting with operational costing and ending with environmental assessment of forest operations. In this study, fuel mixture, chain oil and direct fossil energy inputs were evaluated for two chainsaws which were used to fell and process trees in two silvicultural systems. The results of this study suggest that there is a strong dependence relation between selected tree size variables such as the diameter at breast height and tree volume on one hand and the fuel mixture, chain oil and direct fossil energy inputs when felling and processing broadleaved hardwood and resinous softwood trees on the other hand. For the broadleaved trees (mean tree volume of 1.50 m3 × tree-1, DBH of 45.5 cm and tree height of 21.84 m) the mean direct fossil energy input was of 3.86 MJ m-3 while for resinous trees (mean tree volume of 1.77 m3 tree-1, DBH of 39.28 cm and tree height of 32.49 m) it was of 3.93 MJ m-3. Other variables, including but not limited to the technology used, work experience and procedural pattern, may influence the mentioned figures and extensive studies are required to clarify their effects.

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