Treesearch

A theoretically based analytic model of plant growth in single species conifer communities based on the species fully occupying a site and fully using the site resources is introduced. Model derivations result in a single equation simultaneously describes changes over both, different site conditions (or resources available), and over time for each variable for each species. Leaf area or biomass, or a related plant community measurement, such as site class, can be used as an indicator of available site resources. Relationships over time (years) are determined by the interaction between a...

Fritillaria pallidiflora is an endangered officinal herb distributed in the Tianshan Mountains of northwestern China. We examined its phylogeography to study evolutionary processes and suggest implications for conservation. Six haplotypes were detected based on three chloroplast non-coding spacers (psbA-trnH, rps16, and trnS-trnG); genetic variation mainly occurred among populations and SAMOVA groups. This species is distributed in different deep valleys, and we speculate that these fragmented habitats cause gene flow barriers among populations and groups. We also speculate that during...

Apex predators are ideal subjects for evaluating the effects of changing climatic conditions on the productivity of forested landscapes, because the quality of their breeding habitat depends primarily on the availability of resources at lower trophic levels. Identifying the environmental factors that influence the reproductive output of apex predators can, therefore, enhance our understanding of the ecological relationships that provide the foundation for effective forest management strategies in a variable environment. To identify the determinants of breeding-habitat quality for an apex...

Attaining fire-adapted human communities has become a key focus of collaborative planning on landscapes across the western United States and elsewhere. The coupling of fire simulation with GIS has expanded the analytical base to support such planning efforts, particularly through the "fireside" concept that identifies areas where wildfires could ignite and reach a human community. Previous research has identified mismatches in scale between localized community wildfire planning and the broader fireshed considering patterns of wildfire activity across landscapes. Here we expand upon this...

In a recent national survey of federal wilderness managers, respondents identified the high priority need for scientific information about public attitudes toward biophysical intervention to adapt to climate change and attitudes of the public toward restoration of natural conditions. In a survey of visitors to one National Park wilderness in California, visitors revealed that they largely do not support biophysical intervention in wilderness to mitigate the effects of climate change, but broad support for activities that restore natural conditions exists. In an attempt to understand how...

Efforts to understand leisure as a spatial practice are surprisingly recent. It is only in the past decade or two that leisure studies has devoted much attention to the vital role of place and spatial practices for understanding how leisure is performed and experienced, how leisure related identities are constructed and affirmed, and ultimately how through these performances leisure places are made and remade (Crouch, 1999). A quick glance through the indexes of major theoretical works on leisure from the early 1990s (e.g., Rojek, 1993), show a remarkable absence of spatial terms. Prior to...

In times of economical crisis, rewilding can be a less costly conservation management approach, able to generate economic value from wild lands and to rural communities. Simultaneously, improvement of connectivity between protected areas was identified as a global priority for conservation. Allying the rewilding concept and connectivity concern, a model for identification of less disturbed corridors for wildlife was designed. Less disturbed corridors can be serious candidates become rewilding areas due to their already low human pressure for wildlife. Accordingly, it was asked of experts...

Rewilding is a relatively new nature conservation strategy, especially in Europe, where there are virtually no experiences put into full practice yet. This approach is based on the restoration of natural processes as the main drivers of ecosystem dynamics. When developing this concept in Spain, it would be important to analyse why it is interesting and where it is possible. In this paper we provide seven main arguments that make rewilding an interesting option in the Spanish context: six conceptual (ethicalconservationist, functional, scientific, aesthetic-artistic-spiritual, educational,...

This paper reflects on the socio-political conceptualization of ‘Western Iberia', one of Rewilding Europe's first pilot areas. Drawing from Actor Network Theory and social theories discussing Politics of Scale, we illustrate how ‘Western Iberia' is continuously being negotiated through practices in different sites within / outside its geographical boundaries. We identify five different versions of ‘Western Iberia' for illustrative purposes to claim that there is not one ‘Western Iberia' but many. We conclude that these multiple versions are contingent and produced in networks of actors,...

In many watersheds, including the Great Lakes and Lake Tahoe Basins, two basins where the land cover is dominated by forests, the pollutants of concern are fine sediments and phosphorus. Forest runoff is generally low in nitrogen, and coarse sediment does not adversely impact the quality of lake waters. Predictive tools are needed to estimate not simply sediment, but fine sediment (