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Apesar da vasta literatura sobre os efeitos da perda e fragmentação florestal sobre a biodiversidade, poucos estudos incorporaram o aspecto temporal, ou seja, a história da paisagem, em suas análises. No entanto, o histórico de alterações da paisagem é um dos fatores que, ao ser ignorado, pode levar a interpretação errada dos reais efeitos da perda e fragmentação florestal sobre a diversidade de espécies. Assim, o objetivo desta tese foi avaliar os efeitos do histórico de mudança da paisagem sobre aves e pequenos mamíferos na Mata Atlântica. Para atingir este objetivo eu investiguei (1) a dinâmica de três paisagens fragmentadas de Mata Atlântica entre 1960-1980 e 1980-2000, (2) os efeitos da cobertura florestal passada e atual sobre a riqueza de espécies de espécies e, (3) a plausibilidade de modelos de cobertura vegetal nativa na riqueza de espécies e abundância, considerando ou não a heterogeneidade da vegetação nativa. Para investigar essas questões, foram usados dados de aves e pequenos mamíferos em 53 fragmentos florestais localizados em três paisagens com diferentes proporções de cobertura florestal (10, 30 e 50%) na Mata Atlântica do Planalto Atlântico de São Paulo. Os resultados mostraram que (1) a trajetória da cobertura florestal entre os anos 1960 e 2000 nas três paisagens estudadas foi não-linear e, atualmente, fragmentos florestais consistem de um mosaico de florestas com diferentes idades de regeneração, (2) a existência do débito de extinção e do crédito de espécies, assim como o potencial para o seu pagamento futuro, depende não só da trajetória de cobertura florestal, mas também da cobertura florestal remanescente na escala da paisagem, e (3) a heterogeneidade da vegetação nativa desempenha um papel importante na definição da riqueza de espécies e abundância e que as respostas a essa heterogeneidade são definidas pelos requerimentos de habitat e dependem de cobertura florestal da paisagem. / Despite the extended literature on the effects of forest loss and fragmentation on biodiversity, few studies incorporated the temporal aspect, i.e. the history of change of habitat amount and configuration over time at a given landscape, in the analysis. However, ignoring landscape change history might lead to inaccurate interpretation of the impact of forest loss and fragmentation on species diversity. Thus, the aim of this thesis was to evaluate the effects of landscape change history on birds and small mammals in the Atlantic Forest. To achieve this aim I investigated (1) the land-use and land-cover change dynamics in Atlantic Forest fragmented landscapes between 1960s-1980s and 1980s-2000s, (2) the effects of historical and present-day forest cover on species richness and, (3) the potential of explaining species richness and abundance patterns by inclusion or exclusion of present native vegetation heterogeneity in model frameworks. To address these objectives I used data on birds and small mammals in 53 forest fragments from three landscapes with different proportions of forest cover (10, 30 and 50%) in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The results showed that (1) forest cover trajectory between the 1960s and 2000s at the three study landscapes was non-linear and that individual forest patches currently consist of a mosaic of different forest age classes, (2) the existence of extinction debt and species credit as well as the potential for their future payment depends not only on forest cover trajectory but also on the present amount of remaining forest cover at the landscape scale, and (3) the heterogeneity within native vegetation plays an important role in defining species richness and abundance in fragmented landscapes and responses to this heterogeneity are defined by habitat requirements and depend on forest cover at landscape scale.

Apesar da vasta literatura sobre os efeitos da perda e fragmentação florestal sobre a biodiversidade, poucos estudos incorporaram o aspecto temporal, ou seja, a história da paisagem, em suas análises. No entanto, o histórico de alterações da paisagem é um dos fatores que, ao ser ignorado, pode levar a interpretação errada dos reais efeitos da perda e fragmentação florestal sobre a diversidade de espécies. Assim, o objetivo desta tese foi avaliar os efeitos do histórico de mudança da paisagem sobre aves e pequenos mamíferos na Mata Atlântica. Para atingir este objetivo eu investiguei (1) a dinâmica de três paisagens fragmentadas de Mata Atlântica entre 1960-1980 e 1980-2000, (2) os efeitos da cobertura florestal passada e atual sobre a riqueza de espécies de espécies e, (3) a plausibilidade de modelos de cobertura vegetal nativa na riqueza de espécies e abundância, considerando ou não a heterogeneidade da vegetação nativa. Para investigar essas questões, foram usados dados de aves e pequenos mamíferos em 53 fragmentos florestais localizados em três paisagens com diferentes proporções de cobertura florestal (10, 30 e 50%) na Mata Atlântica do Planalto Atlântico de São Paulo. Os resultados mostraram que (1) a trajetória da cobertura florestal entre os anos 1960 e 2000 nas três paisagens estudadas foi não-linear e, atualmente, fragmentos florestais consistem de um mosaico de florestas com diferentes idades de regeneração, (2) a existência do débito de extinção e do crédito de espécies, assim como o potencial para o seu pagamento futuro, depende não só da trajetória de cobertura florestal, mas também da cobertura florestal remanescente na escala da paisagem, e (3) a heterogeneidade da vegetação nativa desempenha um papel importante na definição da riqueza de espécies e abundância e que as respostas a essa heterogeneidade são definidas pelos requerimentos de habitat e dependem de cobertura florestal da paisagem. / Despite the extended literature on the effects of forest loss and fragmentation on biodiversity, few studies incorporated the temporal aspect, i.e. the history of change of habitat amount and configuration over time at a given landscape, in the analysis. However, ignoring landscape change history might lead to inaccurate interpretation of the impact of forest loss and fragmentation on species diversity. Thus, the aim of this thesis was to evaluate the effects of landscape change history on birds and small mammals in the Atlantic Forest. To achieve this aim I investigated (1) the land-use and land-cover change dynamics in Atlantic Forest fragmented landscapes between 1960s-1980s and 1980s-2000s, (2) the effects of historical and present-day forest cover on species richness and, (3) the potential of explaining species richness and abundance patterns by inclusion or exclusion of present native vegetation heterogeneity in model frameworks. To address these objectives I used data on birds and small mammals in 53 forest fragments from three landscapes with different proportions of forest cover (10, 30 and 50%) in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The results showed that (1) forest cover trajectory between the 1960s and 2000s at the three study landscapes was non-linear and that individual forest patches currently consist of a mosaic of different forest age classes, (2) the existence of extinction debt and species credit as well as the potential for their future payment depends not only on forest cover trajectory but also on the present amount of remaining forest cover at the landscape scale, and (3) the heterogeneity within native vegetation plays an important role in defining species richness and abundance in fragmented landscapes and responses to this heterogeneity are defined by habitat requirements and depend on forest cover at landscape scale.

This study examines the impact of forest age on bird morphology and feeding guilds within the Kibale National Park, Uganda. Bird morphology is closely linked to their environment, effecting their ability to find food, avoid predators, and attract mates. Species characteristics in bird communities could change along the forest successional gradient, as different species or guilds exhibit preferences for specific stages of forest succession. Habitat preferences, such as the availability of nesting sites, foraging opportunities, and food availability, can be directly affected by changes in forest age. Life history traits like reproductive strategies and tolerance to disturbance and ecological interactions, such as competition, predation, and mutualism, can also be influenced by forest age. Changes in forest structure and resource availability can alter these dynamics, leading to shifts in species composition and community structure.  In this work data was derived from a study conducted in 2016, following the restoration of the Kibale National Park were the feeding guilds and morphological traits of birds were gathered from observed specimens in different aged forests to see if these traits change along the age gradient.  Understanding the relationship between forest age and species characteristics is crucial for effective conservation and management strategies. Conservation efforts often involve maintaining or restoring habitat conditions that support key species populations, which may include managing forest age structure to meet specific ecological requirements. By examining the data and working the statistics, significance could be found in all cases regarding bird traits and total number of individuals, with an increase in variables when compared to forest of primary age. Significance was only found in insectivore/nectivorous (IN) feeding guild with significance difference between forests of younger-primary age and older-primary age, and the sallying insectivorous (SAL) feeding guilds with no significant difference between the forest ages.

The interrelationship between trees and humans is primordial. As pressures on natural resources grow and become more complex this innate connection drives an increased need for improved data and analytical techniques for assessing the status and trends of forests, trees, their products, and their services. Techniques for using readily available data such as the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) database and output from forest disturbance detection algorithms derived from Landsat data, such as Vegetation Change Tracker (VCT), for estimating forest attributes across time from the state and inventory unit level down to the stand and pixel level are presented. Progressively more comprehensive harvest and parcel boundary records are incorporated appropriately. Quantification of attributes, including non-timber forest products and fine-scale age estimates, across the landscape both historically and into the future is emphasized. Spatial information on the distribution of forest resources by age-class provides knowledge of timber volume through time and across the landscape to support forest management for sustained production. In addition to monitoring forest resources in regards to their value as products for human consumption, their measurement facilitates analysis of the relationship of their spatial and temporal abundance to other resources such as water and wildlife. / Ph. D. / In response to growing, complex pressures on natural resources, techniques for improving the timely estimation of the status and trends of forest resources across wide regions are presented. Methods for processing large amounts of readily available data, such as U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data, and forest disturbance maps derived from remotely sensed data, are used for estimating forest attributes across time by region, state, county, and individually owned forest units. The inclusion of progressively more comprehensive harvest timing and parcel boundary records improves the accuracy of regionwide wall-to-wall and spatially precise forest age and harvest boundary maps at the individual stand level. In addition, region-wide quantification of tree-based non-timber forest products is facilitated by inventory measurements that are already used for timber products. These metrics can be used to measure forest resource supplies and attributes historically and for decision-support in maintaining sustainable production into the future. Monitoring and forecasting the abundance and attributes of these forest resources with spatial and temporal precision is also valuable for analysis of their relationship to other resources such as water and wildlife.

In west-central Alberta increased landscape fragmentation has lead to increased human use, having negative effects on wildlife such as the grizzly bear (<i>Ursus arctos</i> L.). Recently, grizzly bears in the Foothills Model Forest were found to select clear cuts of different age ranges as habitat and selected or avoided certain clear cuts depending on the site preparation process employed. Satellite remote sensing offers a practical and cost-effective method by which cut areas, their age, and site preparation activities can be quantified. This thesis examines the utility of spectral reflectance of SPOT-5 pansharpened imagery (2.5m spatial resolution) to identify and map 44 regenerating stands sampled in August 2005. Using object based classification with the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), green, and short wave infrared (SWIR) bands, 90% accuracy can be achieved in the detection of forest disturbance. Forest structural parameters were used to calculate the structural complexity index (SCI), the first loading of a principal components analysis. The NDMI, first-order standard deviation and second-order correlation texture measures were better able to explain differences in SCI among the 44 forest stands (R2=0.74). The best window size for the texture measures was 5x5, indicating that this is a measure only detectable at a very high spatial resolution. Age classes of these cut blocks were analysed using linear discriminant analysis and best separated (82.5%) with the SWIR and green spectral bands, second order correlation under a 25x25 window, and the predicted SCI. Site preparation was best classified (90.9%) using the NDMI and homogeneity texture under a 5x5 window. Future applications from this research include the selection of high probability grizzly habitat for high spatial resolution imagery acquisition for detailed mapping initiatives.

In west-central Alberta increased landscape fragmentation has lead to increased human use, having negative effects on wildlife such as the grizzly bear (<i>Ursus arctos</i> L.). Recently, grizzly bears in the Foothills Model Forest were found to select clear cuts of different age ranges as habitat and selected or avoided certain clear cuts depending on the site preparation process employed. Satellite remote sensing offers a practical and cost-effective method by which cut areas, their age, and site preparation activities can be quantified. This thesis examines the utility of spectral reflectance of SPOT-5 pansharpened imagery (2.5m spatial resolution) to identify and map 44 regenerating stands sampled in August 2005. Using object based classification with the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), green, and short wave infrared (SWIR) bands, 90% accuracy can be achieved in the detection of forest disturbance. Forest structural parameters were used to calculate the structural complexity index (SCI), the first loading of a principal components analysis. The NDMI, first-order standard deviation and second-order correlation texture measures were better able to explain differences in SCI among the 44 forest stands (R2=0.74). The best window size for the texture measures was 5x5, indicating that this is a measure only detectable at a very high spatial resolution. Age classes of these cut blocks were analysed using linear discriminant analysis and best separated (82.5%) with the SWIR and green spectral bands, second order correlation under a 25x25 window, and the predicted SCI. Site preparation was best classified (90.9%) using the NDMI and homogeneity texture under a 5x5 window. Future applications from this research include the selection of high probability grizzly habitat for high spatial resolution imagery acquisition for detailed mapping initiatives.

<p>At present, carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems slows the growth rate of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, and thereby reduces the impact of anthropogenic fossil fuel emissions on the climate system. Changes in climate and land use affect terrestrial biosphere structure and functioning at present, and will likely impact on the terrestrial carbon balance during the coming decades - potentially providing a positive feedback to the climate system due to soil carbon releases under a warmer climate. Quantifying changes, and the associated uncertainties, in regional terrestrial carbon budgets resulting from these effects is relevant for the scientific understanding of the Earth system and for long-term climate mitigation strategies.</p> <p>A model describing the relevant processes that govern the terrestrial carbon cycle is a necessary tool to project regional carbon budgets into the future. This study (1) provides an extensive evaluation of the parameter-based uncertainty in model results of a leading terrestrial biosphere model, the Lund-Potsdam-Jena Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPJ-DGVM), against a range of observations and under climate change, thereby complementing existing studies on other aspects of model uncertainty; (2) evaluates different hypotheses to explain the age-related decline in forest growth, both from theoretical and experimental evidence, and introduces the most promising hypothesis into the model; (3) demonstrates how forest statistics can be successfully integrated with process-based modelling to provide long-term constraints on regional-scale forest carbon budget estimates for a European forest case-study; and (4) elucidates the combined effects of land-use and climate changes on the present-day and future terrestrial carbon balance over Europe for four illustrative scenarios - implemented by four general circulation models - using a comprehensive description of different land-use types within the framework of LPJ-DGVM.</p> <p>This study presents a way to assess and reduce uncertainty in process-based terrestrial carbon estimates on a regional scale. The results of this study demonstrate that simulated present-day land-atmosphere carbon fluxes are relatively well constrained, despite considerable uncertainty in modelled net primary production. Process-based terrestrial modelling and forest statistics are successfully combined to improve model-based estimates of vegetation carbon stocks and their change over time. Application of the advanced model for 77 European provinces shows that model-based estimates of biomass development with stand age compare favourably with forest inventory-based estimates for different tree species. Driven by historic changes in climate, atmospheric CO₂ concentration, forest area and wood demand between 1948 and 2000, the model predicts European-scale, present-day age structure of forests, ratio of biomass removals to increment, and vegetation carbon sequestration rates that are consistent with inventory-based estimates. Alternative scenarios of climate and land-use change in the 21^st century suggest carbon sequestration in the European terrestrial biosphere during the coming decades will likely be on magnitudes relevant to climate mitigation strategies. However, the uptake rates are small in comparison to the European emissions from fossil fuel combustion, and will likely decline towards the end of the century. Uncertainty in climate change projections is a key driver for uncertainty in simulated land-atmosphere carbon fluxes and needs to be accounted for in mitigation studies of the terrestrial biosphere.</p> / <p>Kohlenstoffspeicherung in terrestrischen Ökosystemen reduziert derzeit die Wirkung anthropogener CO₂-Emissionen auf das Klimasystem, indem sie die Wachstumsrate der atmosphärischer CO₂-Konzentration verlangsamt. Die heutige terrestrische Kohlenstoffbilanz wird wesentlich von Klima- und Landnutzungsänderungen beeinflusst. Diese Einflussfaktoren werden sich auch in den kommenden Dekaden auf die terrestrische Biosphäre auswirken, und dabei möglicherweise zu einer positiven Rückkopplung zwischen Biosphäre und Klimasystem aufgrund von starken Bodenkohlenstoffverlusten in einem wärmeren Klima führen. Quantitative Abschätzungen der Wirkung dieser Einflussfaktoren - sowie der mit ihnen verbundenen Unsicherheit - auf die terrestrische Kohlenstoffbilanz sind daher sowohl für das Verständnis des Erdsystems, als auch für eine langfristig angelegte Klimaschutzpolitik relevant.</p> <p>Um regionale Kohlenstoffbilanzen in die Zukunft zu projizieren, sind Modelle erforderlich, die die wesentlichen Prozesse des terrestrischen Kohlenstoffkreislaufes beschreiben. Die vorliegende Arbeit (1) analysiert die parameterbasierte Unsicherheit in Modellergebnissen eines der führenden globalen terrestrischen Ökosystemmodelle (LPJ-DGVM) im Vergleich mit unterschiedlichen ökosystemaren Messgrößen, sowie unter Klimawandelprojektionen, und erweitert damit bereits vorliegende Studien zu anderen Aspekten der Modelunsicherheit; (2) diskutiert unter theoretischen und experimentellen Aspekten verschiedene Hypothesen über die altersbedingte Abnahme des Waldwachstums, und implementiert die vielversprechenste Hypothese in das Model; (3) zeigt für eine europäische Fallstudie, wie Waldbestandsstatistiken erfolgreich für eine verbesserte Abschätzung von regionalen Kohlenstoffbilanzen in Wäldern durch prozessbasierten Modelle angewandt werden können; (4) untersucht die Auswirkung möglicher zukünftiger Klima- und Landnutzungsänderungen auf die europäische Kohlenstoffbilanz anhand von vier verschiedenen illustrativen Szenarien, jeweils unter Berücksichtigung von Klimawandelprojektionen vier verschiedener Klimamodelle. Eine erweiterte Version von LPJ-DGVM findet hierfür Anwendung, die eine umfassende Beschreibung der Hauptlandnutzungstypen beinhaltet. </p> <p>Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt einen Ansatz vor, um Unsicherheiten in der prozessbasierten Abschätzung von terrestrischen Kohlenstoffbilanzen auf regionaler Skala zu untersuchen und zu reduzieren. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit zeigen, dass der Nettokohlenstoffaustausch zwischen terrestrischer Biosphäre und Atmosphäre unter heutigen klimatischen Bedingungen relativ sicher abgeschätzt werden kann, obwohl erhebliche Unsicherheit über die modelbasierte terrestrische Nettoprimärproduktion existiert. Prozessbasierte Modellierung und Waldbestandsstatistiken wurden erfolgreich kombiniert, um verbesserte Abschätzungen von regionalen Kohlenstoffvorräten und ihrer Änderung mit der Zeit zu ermöglichen. Die Anwendung des angepassten Modells in 77 europäischen Regionen zeigt, dass modellbasierte Abschätzungen des Biomasseaufwuchses in Wäldern weitgehend mit inventarbasierten Abschätzungen für verschiede Baumarten übereinstimmen. Unter Berücksichtigung von historischen Änderungen in Klima, atmosphärischem CO₂-Gehalt, Waldfläche und Holzernte (1948-2000) reproduziert das Model auf europäischer Ebene die heutigen, auf Bestandsstatistiken beruhenden, Abschätzungen von Waldaltersstruktur, das Verhältnis von Zuwachs und Entnahme von Biomasse, sowie die Speicherungsraten im Kohlenstoffspeicher der Vegetation. Alternative Szenarien von zukünftigen Landnutzungs- und Klimaänderungen legen nahe, dass die Kohlenstoffaufnahme der europäischen terrestrischen Biosphäre von relevanter Größenordnung für Klimaschutzstrategien sind. Die Speicherungsraten sind jedoch klein im Vergleich zu den absoluten europäischen CO₂-Emissionen, und nehmen zudem sehr wahrscheinlich gegen Ende des 21. Jahrhunderts ab. Unsicherheiten in Klimaprojektionen sind eine Hauptursache für die Unsicherheiten in den modellbasierten Abschätzungen des zukünftigen Nettokohlenstoffaustausches und müssen daher in Klimaschutzanalysen der terrestrischen Biosphäre berücksichtigt werden.</p>

I april-juli år 2010 undersöktes tre studieområden i mellersta Sverige avseende hur fördelningen av vildsvinsbök såg ut i dessa områden. Resultaten visade att vildsvinsbök främst återfanns i miljöer dominerade av tall-och granskog där åldern på träden låg runt 45-90 år, samt med fältskikt bestående av bärris, mossa eller gräs. På två utav de tre lokalerna påverkades inte arealen på bök av faktorer såsom trädartsammansättning, trädålder eller fältskikt men det fanns däremot korrelationer mellan dessa faktorer på en utav lokalerna. Vidare påverkades arealen på bök inte av populationstäthet eller hur lång tid vildsvin förekommit i området. / In April-July in 2010, three forest dominated areas in central Sweden were studied to investigate wild boar rooting habits. The results showed that rooting mainly occurred in pine-and spruce dominated habitats where tree-ages varied between 45-90 years old and with ground surface vegetation consisting of shrubs (blueberry/lingonberry), mosses and grass. In two of the three study areas the size of rooted areas was not affected by factors such as tree species composition, forest age or vegetation ground cover, but correlations between these factors were found in one of the areas. The size of rooted areas was not affected by the population density or the time with wild boar present in the area.