Table Of ContentPlantation Forests and Biodiversity:
Oxymoron or Opportunity?
TOPICS IN BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
Volume 9
http://www.springer.com/series/7488
Plantation Forests and Biodiversity:
Oxymoron or Opportunity?
Edited by
Eckehard G. Brockerhoff
Herve´ Jactel
John A. Parrotta
Christopher P. Quine
Jeffrey Sayer
and
David L. Hawksworth
Reprinted from Biodiversity and Conservation, volume 17:5 (2008)
Editors
Eckehard G. Brockerhoff Jeffrey Sayer
Scion IUCN The World Conservation Union
(New Zealand Forest Research Institute) Forest Conservation
PO Box 29237
rue Mauverney 28
Christchurch 8540
1196 Gland
New Zealand
Switzerland
[email protected]
[email protected]
Hervé Jactel
David L. Hawksworth
INRA
Universidad Complutense
69 route d’Arcachon
Fac. Farmacia
33612 Cestas Cedex
Dept. Biología Vegetal II
France
Plaza Ramon y Cajal
[email protected]
Ciudad Universitaria
28040 Madrid
John A. Parrotta
Spain
U.S. Forest Service
[email protected]
Research & Development
1601 N. Kent Street
Arlington VA22209
USA
[email protected]
Christopher P. Quine
Forest Research
Northern Research Station
Roslin, Midlothian
United Kingdom EH25 9SY
[email protected]
ISBN: 978-90-481-2806-8 e-ISBN: 978-90-481-2807-5
DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-2807-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009927287
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Contents
Plantation Forests and Biodiversity:
Oxymoron or Opportunity?
ECKEHARD G. BROCKERHOFF, HERVÉ JACTEL, JOHN A. PARROTTA,
CHRISTOPHER P. QUINE and JEFFREYSAYER / Plantation forests
and biodiversity: oxymoron or opportunity? 1–27
LINDA COOTE, GEORGE F. SMITH, DANIEL L. KELLY, SAOIRSE
O’DONOGHUE, PAUL DOWDING, SUSAN IREMONGER and
FRASER J.G. MITCHELL / Epiphytes of Sitka spruce (Picea
sitchensis) plantations in Ireland and the effects of open spaces 29–44
MARÍA VICTORIA LANTSCHNER, VERÓNICA RUSCH and CELINA
PEYROU / Bird assemblages in pine plantations replacing native
ecosystems in NWPatagonia 45–65
GEORGE F. SMITH, TOM GITTINGS, MARK WILSON, LAURA
FRENCH, ANNE OXBROUGH, SAOIRSE O’DONOGHUE, JOHN
O’HALLORAN, DANIEL L. KELLY, FRASER J.G. MITCHELL,
TOM KELLY, SUSAN IREMONGER, ANNE-MARIE McKEE and
PAUL GILLER / Identifying practical indicators of biodiversity for
stand-level management of plantation forests 67–91
NOBUYA SUZUKI and DEANNA H. OLSON / Options for biodiversity
conservation in managed forest landscapes of multiple ownerships in
Oregon and Washington, USA 93–115
GAËTAN DU BUS DE WARNAFFE and MARC DECONCHAT / Impact of
four silvicultural systems on birds in the Belgian Ardenne:
implications for biodiversity in plantation forests 117–131
ERIKABUSCARDO, GEORGE F. SMITH, DANIELL. KELLY, HELENA
FREITAS, SUSAN IREMONGER, FRASER J.G. MITCHELL,
SAOIRSE O’DONOGHUE and ANNE-MARIE McKEE / The early
effects of afforestation on biodiversity of grasslands in Ireland 133–148
LUC BARBARO, LAURENT COUZI, VINCENT BRETAGNOLLE,
JULIEN NEZAN and FABRICE VETILLARD / Multi-scale habitat
selection and foraging ecology of the eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops)
in pine plantations 149–163
JOS BARLOW, IVANEI S. ARAUJO, WILLIAM L. OVERAL, TOBY A.
GARDNER, FERNANDADASILVAMENDES, IAIN R. LAKE and
CARLOS A. PERES / Diversity and composition of fruit-feeding
butterflies in tropical Eucalyptusplantations 165–180
ROBERT NASI, PIIA KOPONEN, JOHN G. POULSEN, MELANIE
BUITENZORGYand W. RUSMANTORO / Impact of landscape and
corridor design on primates in a large-scale industrial tropical
plantation landscape 181–202
STEPHEN M. PAWSON, ECKEHARD G. BROCKERHOFF, ESTHER D.
MEENKEN and RAPHAEL K. DIDHAM / Non-native plantation
forests as alternative habitat for native forest beetles in a heavily
modified landscape 203–224
v
vi
INGE VAN HALDER, LUC BARBARO, EMMANUEL CORCKET and
HERVÉJACTEL/ Importance of semi-natural habitats for the conser-
vation of butterfly communities in landscapes dominated by pine plan-
tations 225–245
LISA A. BERNDT, ECKEHARD G. BROCKERHOFF and HERVÉ
JACTEL/ Relevance of exotic pine plantations as a surrogate habitat
for ground beetles (Carabidae) where native forest is rare 247–261
JASON CUMMINGS and NICK REID / Stand-level management of
plantations to improve biodiversity values 263–287
-F1oreword
Plantation forests and biodiversity: Oxymoron1 or
opportunity?
Forests form the natural vegetation over much of the Earth’s land, and they are
critical for the survival of innumerable organisms. The ongoing loss of natural
forests,whichinsomeregionsmayhavetakenmanymillenniatodevelop,isone
of the main reasons for the decline of biodiversity. Preventing the further
destruction of forests and protecting species and ecosystems within forests have
become central issues for environmental agencies, forest managers, and govern-
ments.Inthisdifficulttasksciencehasanimportantroleininformingpolicyand
management as to how to go about this. So how do industrial and other plan-
tation forests fit into this?
Plantationforests,comprisedofrowsofplantedtreesthatmaybedestinedfor
pulp or sawmills after only a few years of growth, appear to have little to con-
tributetotheconservationofbiodiversity.Yetthereismoretothisthanmeetsthe
eye (of the casual observer), and there are indeed numerous opportunities, and
often untapped potential, for biodiversity conservation in plantation forestry.
With plantation forests expanding at a rate of approximately three million
hectaresperyear,itiscrucialtounderstandhowplantationscanmakeapositive
contribution to biodiversity conservation and how the potentially negative
impacts of this land use can be minimised. That is the topic of this book.
Insomecountries,expansionofplantationforestsrepresentathreattonatural
forests, along with many other pressures on natural land cover from our rapidly
growing population and our thirst for natural resources. Clearly, new plantation
forests should be established on land that does not have important conservation
value. However, plantation forests replacing agricultural and other ‘un-natural’
land uses often benefit conservation by providing new or expanded habitat for
forest species of all kinds, from microorganisms, fungi, and insects to birds and
mammals.Thisisparticularlysowhentheuseofnativetreesleadstoaforestthat
shares key attributes with the former natural land cover, but even exotic trees
offer opportunities for restoration of forest habitat. Regardless of the origin or
1An‘oxymoron’isafigureofspeechusinganintendedcombinationoftwoapparentlycontradictory
terms.
vii
viii E.G.Brockerhoffetal.(eds.)
history of a plantation forest, much can be done in terms of forest design and
management to improve their value for biodiversity. This applies to both the
plantedareaaswellasnaturalforestremnantsandotherreserveareasmaintained
within the plantation forest landscape.
This book is the result of ongoing collaboration among forest scientists from
numerous countries who have joined efforts under the umbrella of the Interna-
tional Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO), with contributions
from the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the WWF-World Wide Fund For
Nature, and many others. The contents of this volume are derived from papers
presented at three conferences that took place in Europe and Australia between
2005 and 2006, with the aim of increasing our understanding of conservation
issues and opportunities around plantation forestry. The research presented here
covers a wide range of taxa living in forests, from lichens to primates, from
varioustemperateandtropicalregionsaroundtheworld.Thefindingsareequally
of interest to the scientific community, policy makers and forest managers. This
work can assist with the improvement of best-practice guidelines for the estab-
lishment and management of plantation forests. The topical examples of applied
conservation issues will make the volume also highly valuable for use in
conservation biology courses.
The 14 contributions presented here were first published in Biodiversity and
Conservation 17(5):925–1211 (2008). They are being released again now in book
form in view of the great interest shown by the scientific community in the
compilation. Since the conception of this project there has been an increasing
momentum towards planting more forests as carbon sinks to combat climate
change. Much of the contents of this volume are relevant to such ‘‘carbon
forests’’, and its appearance is timely. As with all types of planted forests, there
are significant win-win opportunities for multiple benefits, including biodiversity
conservation.
ECKEHARD G. BROCKERHOFF
HERVE´ JACTEL
JOHN A.PARROTTA
CHRISTOPHERP. QUINE
JEFFREY SAYER
DAVIDL. HAWKSWORTH
Plantation forests and biodiversity: oxymoron
or opportunity?
Eckehard G. BrockerhoV · Hervé Jactel ·
John A. Parrotta · Christopher P. Quine ·
JeVrey Sayer
Originally published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation, Volume 17, No 5, 925–951.
DOI: 10.1007/s10531-008-9380-x © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008
Abstract Losses of natural and semi-natural forests, mostly to agriculture, are a signiW-
cant concern for biodiversity. Against this trend, the area of intensively managed plantation
forests increases, and there is much debate about the implications for biodiversity. We pro-
vide a comprehensive review of the function of plantation forests as habitat compared with
other land cover, examine the eVects on biodiversity at the landscape scale, and synthesise
context-speciWc eVects of plantation forestry on biodiversity. Natural forests are usually
more suitable as habitat for a wider range of native forest species than plantation forests but
there is abundant evidence that plantation forests can provide valuable habitat, even for
some threatened and endangered species, and may contribute to the conservation of biodi-
versity by various mechanisms. In landscapes where forest is the natural land cover, planta-
tion forests may represent a low-contrast matrix, and aVorestation of agricultural land can
assist conservation by providing complementary forest habitat, buVering edge eVects, and
An ‘oxymoron’ is a Wgure of speech using an intended combination of two apparently contradictory
terms.
E. G. BrockerhoV (&)
Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute), P.O. Box 29237, Christchurch 8540, New Zealand
e-mail: [email protected]
H. Jactel
INRA, UMR1202 Biodiversity, Genes & Communities, Laboratory of Forest Entomology
and Biodiversity, 69 Route d’Arcachon, 33612 Cestas Cedex, France
J. A. Parrotta
U.S. Forest Service, Research & Development, 4th Xoor, RP-C, 1601 North Kent Street,
Arlington, VA 22209, USA
C. P. Quine
Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9SY, UK
J. Sayer
The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Forest Conservation Programme, 28 rue Mauverney,
1196 Gland, Switzerland
E.G. Brockerhoff et al. (eds.), Plantation Forests and Biodiversity: Oxymoron or Opportunity?
DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-2807-5_1 1
2 E.G. Brockerhoff et al. (eds.)
increasing connectivity. In contrast, conversion of natural forests and aVorestation of
natural non-forest land is detrimental. However, regional deforestation pressure for agricul-
tural development may render plantation forestry a ‘lesser evil’ if forest managers protect
indigenous vegetation remnants. We provide numerous context-speciWc examples and case
studies to assist impact assessments of plantation forestry, and we oVer a range of manage-
ment recommendations. This paper also serves as an introduction and background paper to
this special issue on the eVects of plantation forests on biodiversity.
Keywords AVorestation · Biodiversity conservation · CertiWcation · Context ·
Deforestation · Forest management · Impact assessment · Land use change · Landscape
ecology
Introduction
Deforestation is a major cause of the loss of biological diversity and a signiWcant global
concern (e.g., Wilson 1988; Brook etal. 2003; Laurance 2007) as it is estimated that more
than half of the known terrestrial plant and animal species live in forests (Millenium
Ecosystem Assessment 2005). Globally, the area of natural and semi-natural forests
decreases by some 13millionha annually (ca. 0.3%), mostly due to conversion to
agriculture (FAO 2006a, 2007). Plantation forests constitute only about 3.5% of the total
forest area (ca. 140millionha) but the area of plantation forests is increasing by about
2–3millionha (ca. 2%) annually, against the trend of a globally falling forest cover (FAO
2006a, Table1). According to the current Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and
International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) deWnitions (e.g., FAO
2006a), plantation forests are established through planting or seeding of one or more indig-
enous or introduced tree species in the process of aVorestation or reforestation. Particularly
in the Wrst rotation after establishment, stands are typically of an even-aged structure with
an even spacing of trees. Their main objective is often the production of timber or fuel
wood (plantations provided about 35% of the global wood supply in 2000) but some are
established to reduce erosion, Wx carbon, or provide other environmental, economic, or
social beneWts. Many plantations are intensively managed including the use of improved
tree varieties and silvicultural operations that may involve site preparation (e.g., ploughing,
harrowing, use of fertilizers, and herbicides), thinning, and clear-cut harvesting, often with
short rotations (e.g., <30years between planting and harvesting, or as little as 5–10years
for poplars and some tropical species). Apart from such plantations, the FAO deWnition for
“planted forests” (FAO 2006b) also includes some types of semi-natural forests that were
established through planting or seeding by human intervention. In reality, it is often diY-
cult to categorise planted forests such as those that have been established as pure stands by
planting or sowing centuries ago, and have since become more diverse by natural
processes, which is common in much of Europe.
The implications for the conservation of forest biodiversity of plantation forests and their
continuing expansion are being debated vigorously. Although plantation forest managers
increasingly recognise the need to conserve biodiversity, and many adhere to sustainable
management guidelines such as those of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC Forest
Stewardship Council 2007a) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest CertiWcation
schemes (PEFC 2007), certiWcation does not always beneWt biodiversity conservation
(Gullison 2003), and criticism of plantation forestry from some stakeholders remains strong
(e.g., Cossalter and Pye-Smith 2003, and see below). Plantation forests are the focus of
