Simulating spatial complexity in dry conifer forest restoration: implications for conservation prioritization and scenar
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Simulating spatial complexity in dry conifer forest restoration: implications for conservation prioritization and scenario evaluation Jeffery B. Cannon . Benjamin M. Gannon . Jonas A. Feinstein . Eunice A. Padley . Loretta J. Metz
Received: 3 April 2020 / Accepted: 7 September 2020 / Published online: 24 September 2020 Ó The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Context Several initiatives seek to increase the pace and scale of dry forest restoration and fuels reduction to enhance forest resilience to wildfire and other stressors while improving the quality and reliability of key ecosystem services. Ecological effects models are increasingly used to prioritize these efforts at the landscape-scale based on simulated treatment outcomes. Objectives Treatments are often simulated using uniform post-treatment target conditions or proportional changes to baseline forest structure variables, but do not account for the common objective of restoration to mimic the complex forest structure that
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-020-01111-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. J. B. Cannon (&) The Jones Center at Ichauway, Newton, GA 39870, USA e-mail: [email protected] B. M. Gannon Colorado Forest Restoration Institute and Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
was present historically which is thought to provide an example of structural conditions that contributed to ecosystem diversity and resilience. Methods We simulate spatially homogenous fire hazard reduction treatments along with heterogeneous restoration treatments in dry conifer forests to investigate how spatial complexity affects ecological indicators of (1) forest structural heterogeneity, (2) forest and watershed vulnerability to high-severity fire, and (3) feasibility of future prescribed fire use. Results Our results suggest that spatially explicit restoration treatments should produce similar wildfire and prescribed fire outcomes as homogeneous fuels reduction treatments, but with greater forest structural heterogeneity. The lack of strong tradeoffs between ecological objectives suggests the primary benefit of spatially complex treatments is to increase forest
E. A. Padley U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC 20250, USA L. J. Metz Natural Resources Conservation Service, Resource Inventory and Assessment Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
J. A. Feinstein U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Denver, CO 80225, USA
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structural heterogeneity which may promote biodiversity. Conclusions We show that landscape-scale prioritization to maximize ecological benefits can change when spatially complex restoration treatments are modeled. Coupling landscape-scale management simulations and ecological effects models offers flex
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