A meta-analysis of functional group responses to forest recovery outside of the tropics

Authors: Spake, R., Ezard, T.H.G., Martin, P.A., Newton, A.C. and Doncaster, C.P.

Journal: Conservation Biology

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Inc.

eISSN: 1523-1739

ISSN: 0888-8892

DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12548

Abstract:

Both active and passive forest restoration schemes are used in degraded landscapes across the world to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem service provision. Restoration is increasingly also being implemented in biodiversity offset schemes as compensation for loss of natural habitat to anthropogenic development. This has raised concerns about the value of replacing old-growth forest with plantations, motivating research on biodiversity recovery as forest stands age. Functional diversity is now advocated as a key metric for restoration success, yet it has received little analytical attention to date. We conducted a meta-analysis of 90 studies that measured differences in species richness for functional groups of fungi, lichens, and beetles between old-growth control and planted or secondary treatment forests in temperate, boreal, and Mediterranean regions. We identified functional-group-specific relationships in the response of species richness to stand age after forest disturbance. Ectomycorrhizal fungi averaged 90 years for recovery to old-growth values (between 45 years and unrecoverable at 95% prediction limits), and epiphytic lichens took 180 years to reach 90% of old-growth values (between 140 years and never for recovery to old-growth values at 95% prediction limits). Non-saproxylic beetle richness, in contrast, decreased as stand age of broadleaved forests increased. The slow recovery by some functional groups essential to ecosystem functioning makes old-growth forest an effectively irreplaceable biodiversity resource that should be exempt from biodiversity offsetting initiatives.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/22872/

Source: Scopus

A meta-analysis of functional group responses to forest recovery outside of the tropics.

Authors: Spake, R., Ezard, T.H.G., Martin, P.A., Newton, A.C. and Doncaster, C.P.

Journal: Conserv Biol

Volume: 29

Issue: 6

Pages: 1695-1703

eISSN: 1523-1739

DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12548

Abstract:

Both active and passive forest restoration schemes are used in degraded landscapes across the world to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem service provision. Restoration is increasingly also being implemented in biodiversity offset schemes as compensation for loss of natural habitat to anthropogenic development. This has raised concerns about the value of replacing old-growth forest with plantations, motivating research on biodiversity recovery as forest stands age. Functional diversity is now advocated as a key metric for restoration success, yet it has received little analytical attention to date. We conducted a meta-analysis of 90 studies that measured differences in species richness for functional groups of fungi, lichens, and beetles between old-growth control and planted or secondary treatment forests in temperate, boreal, and Mediterranean regions. We identified functional-group-specific relationships in the response of species richness to stand age after forest disturbance. Ectomycorrhizal fungi averaged 90 years for recovery to old-growth values (between 45 years and unrecoverable at 95% prediction limits), and epiphytic lichens took 180 years to reach 90% of old-growth values (between 140 years and never for recovery to old-growth values at 95% prediction limits). Non-saproxylic beetle richness, in contrast, decreased as stand age of broadleaved forests increased. The slow recovery by some functional groups essential to ecosystem functioning makes old-growth forest an effectively irreplaceable biodiversity resource that should be exempt from biodiversity offsetting initiatives.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/22872/

Source: PubMed

A meta-analysis of functional group responses to forest recovery outside of the tropics

Authors: Spake, R., Ezard, T.H.G., Martin, P.A., Newton, A.C. and Doncaster, C.P.

Journal: CONSERVATION BIOLOGY

Volume: 29

Issue: 6

Pages: 1695-1703

eISSN: 1523-1739

ISSN: 0888-8892

DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12548

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/22872/

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

A meta-analysis of functional group responses to forest recovery outside of the tropics.

Authors: Spake, R., Ezard, T.H.G., Martin, P.A., Newton, A.C. and Doncaster, C.P.

Journal: Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology

Volume: 29

Issue: 6

Pages: 1695-1703

eISSN: 1523-1739

ISSN: 0888-8892

DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12548

Abstract:

Both active and passive forest restoration schemes are used in degraded landscapes across the world to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem service provision. Restoration is increasingly also being implemented in biodiversity offset schemes as compensation for loss of natural habitat to anthropogenic development. This has raised concerns about the value of replacing old-growth forest with plantations, motivating research on biodiversity recovery as forest stands age. Functional diversity is now advocated as a key metric for restoration success, yet it has received little analytical attention to date. We conducted a meta-analysis of 90 studies that measured differences in species richness for functional groups of fungi, lichens, and beetles between old-growth control and planted or secondary treatment forests in temperate, boreal, and Mediterranean regions. We identified functional-group-specific relationships in the response of species richness to stand age after forest disturbance. Ectomycorrhizal fungi averaged 90 years for recovery to old-growth values (between 45 years and unrecoverable at 95% prediction limits), and epiphytic lichens took 180 years to reach 90% of old-growth values (between 140 years and never for recovery to old-growth values at 95% prediction limits). Non-saproxylic beetle richness, in contrast, decreased as stand age of broadleaved forests increased. The slow recovery by some functional groups essential to ecosystem functioning makes old-growth forest an effectively irreplaceable biodiversity resource that should be exempt from biodiversity offsetting initiatives.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/22872/

Source: Europe PubMed Central

A meta-analysis of functional group responses to forest recovery outside of the tropics.

Authors: Spake, R., Ezard, T.H., Martin, P.A., Newton, A. and Doncaster, C.P.

Journal: Conservation Biology

ISSN: 0888-8892

Abstract:

Both active and passive forest restoration schemes are used in degraded landscapes across the world to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem service provision. Restoration is increasingly also being implemented in biodiversity offset schemes as compensation for loss of natural habitat to anthropogenic development. This has raised concerns about the value of replacing old-growth forest with plantations, motivating research on biodiversity recovery as forest stands age. Functional diversity is now advocated as a key metric for restoration success, yet it has received little analytical attention to date. We conducted a meta-analysis of 90 studies that measured differences in species richness for functional groups of fungi, lichens, and beetles between old-growth control and planted or secondary treatment forests in temperate, boreal, and Mediterranean regions. We identified functional-group-specific relationships in the response of species richness to stand age after forest disturbance. Ectomycorrhizal fungi averaged 90 years for recovery to old-growth values (between 45 years and unrecoverable at 95% prediction limits), and epiphytic lichens took 180 years to reach 90% of old-growth values (between 140 years and never for recovery to old-growth values at 95% prediction limits). Non-saproxylic beetle richness, in contrast, decreased as stand age of broadleaved forests increased. The slow recovery by some functional groups essential to ecosystem functioning makes old-growth forest an effectively irreplaceable biodiversity resource that should be exempt from biodiversity offsetting initiatives.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/22872/

Source: BURO EPrints