Treesearch

To understand the impacts of overstory density reductions on resilience of forest ecosystems (i.e., the capacity of an ecosystem to maintain desired ecosystem functions in a fl uctuating environment), we examined overstory basal area and understory vegetation cover and richness collected 6 years after thinning in seven 40- to 60-year-old forests dominated by Douglas-fi r (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) in the Oregon Coast Range and Cascade Range of western Oregon. Each site contained an unthinned control (240–1,540 trees∙ha-1 [tph]) and three thinning treatment units (high-density =...

Public agencies in the Pacifi c Northwest have engaged in managing for late-successional features or structure on lands which also have the possibility for high timber production. Th is study examined the potential for developing understory structure while maintaining a productive overstory on two sites (Willamette Valley foothills and coastal) in western Oregon. Treatments included thinning 50- to 55-year-old Douglas-fi r (Pseudotsuga menziesii) or Douglas-fir/Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) stands to three or four overstory densities 30 to 65 percent below full stocking, either in a...

At the conclusion of the workshop, a breakout group session discussed common themes that had emerged regarding forest degradation monitoring in the Southeast Asia region. The participants were also asked to list any important issues that may not have been sufficiently addressed during the workshop and that may require further discussion, and recommendations for next steps in moving forest degradation monitoring forward in the region were developed.

Monitoring forest degradation is a complex process that needs to account for a wide variety of forest characteristics, human activities, and programmatic resources in order to achieve reliable results. This workshop sought to deepen understanding of monitoring forest degradation as it relates to these issues by: a) discussing implications from definitions related to operationalizing forest monitoring degradation; b) assessing case studies with current, and emerging, best practices to detect and monitor forest degradation; and, c) identifying ways forward for forest degradation monitoring...

This presentation will provide an overview of an approach for quantifying uncertainty in spatial estimates of carbon emission from land use change. We generate uncertainty bounds around our final emissions estimate using a randomized, Monte Carlo (MC)-style sampling technique. This approach allows us to combine uncertainty from different sources without making assumptions about the distribution of the underlying data. We incorporate uncertainty from the following components: Estimates of forest loss; Estimates of aboveground biomass; and Estimates of belowground biomass. In each scenario...

Techniques for monitoring deforestation and associated changes to forest carbon stocks are widespread and well published. In contrast, techniques for monitoring forest degradation are relatively untested in developing countries despite their inclusion in UNFCCC REDD+ negotiations. In the Mekong countries, forest degradation may contribute a substantial portion of the total carbon losses from forests. There is a critical need to assess approaches for monitoring forest degradation, particularly at the subnational level. One potential obstacle in assessing monitoring approaches for the region...

Conversion of natural forest to agricultural land is one of the most important forms of land-use change affecting both carbon stock and biodiversity. When the agricultural land contains trees, e.g. fallow-land forest of slash-and-burn agriculture, the conversion can be categorized into forest degradation when the forest definition covers such vegetation. One practical method to monitor carbon stock change is an approach using a parameter for plant community age. For cyclic land use that includes clear-cutting stage, from which chronosequential changes in carbon stock can be estimated by...

An important element of MRV is to ensure accurate measurements of carbon stocks. Measuring trees on the ground may be needed for ground truthing of remote sensing results. It can also provide more accurate carbon stock monitoring than remote sensing alone. Local involvement in measuring trees for monitoring of carbon stocks may be advantageous in several ways. Involving local communities in monitoring of biomass in REDD+ schemes may cut costs of ground truthing and data gathering on changing rates of forest degradation. Moreover, local involvement can encourage local ownership of REDD+...

Two methodologies for estimating net emissions from forest harvesting practices (for timber and possibly fuel) are presented: (1) a standard approach of using medium resolution imagery to monitor the expansion of logging infrastructure into non-logged areas for activity data combined with ground plots and the stock-change method for emission factors; and (2) a combination of data sources (timber extraction rates, management plans, very high resolution imagery) for activity data combined with ground measurements in active logging gaps/concessions and the gain-loss method for emission...

Well planned sampling designs and robust approaches to estimating uncertainty are critical components of forest monitoring. The importance of uncertainty estimation increases as deforestation and degradation issues become more closely tied to financing incentives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the forest sector. Investors like to know risk and risk is tightly linked to uncertainty. Uncertainty assessment is also important for evaluating the implications of forest management actions, and it helps us identify and design future projects to reduce uncertainty.