10.5061/DRYAD.VT4B8GTNP
Jönsson, Mari
0000-0002-5465-7820
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Snäll, Tord
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Data from: Ecosystem service multifunctionality of low-productivity
forests and implications for conservation and management
Dryad
dataset
2019
Formas grant
2016-114
NJ Faculty, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Swedish Species
Information Centre
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
2020-01-03T00:00:00Z
2020-01-03T00:00:00Z
en
111200 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Low-productivity forests are often the last remaining pristine forests in
managed forest landscapes and typically overrepresented among protected
forests. However, the provisioning of individual and multiple ecosystem
services (ES-multifunctionality) by these forests remains poorly assessed,
making it difficult to evaluate their importance in forest conservation
and management. Using nationwide data on ecosystem services (ES) from
forest plots, we test whether levels of ES-multifunctionality and
individual ES differ between low-productivity forested mires and rocky
outcrops in relation to the levels of productive forests, and as a
function of forest age, tree species richness and climate. We defined
ES-multifunctionality using different threshold values of the maximum
levels (low, medium and high) and weighted these according to land-use
objectives (equal weight of all services, greater weight to cultural and
supporting ES, or greater weight to production). We show that the
ES-multifunctionality of forested mires is consistently lower than those
of productive forests. However, the ES-multifunctionality increased with
forest age in forested mires but not in productive forests. The
ES-multifunctionality of forested rocky outcrops, on the other hand, was
higher or equivalent to that of productive forests under equal weight and
supporting land-use objectives, respectively. Our findings highlight that
forested rocky outcrops can supply multiple ES, especially older forested
stands with mixtures of coniferous and deciduous trees. Generally, we
found no evidence for strong trade-offs between the ES studied and our
results highlight the importance of forest age for increasing the
ES-multifunctionality of low-productivity forests. Synthesis and
applications. Low-productivity forests should not be exempt of forestry or
protected purely based on low productivity or low land-use conflict if the
goal is to conserve multiple ecosystem services (ES). Inclusion grounds
for protecting low-productivity forests should instead carefully consider
the site type (dry versus wet), forest age, and tree species richness. In
order to maintain higher ES-multifunctionality in low-productivity
forests, older or deciduous trees should also not be harvested. This will
require changes in current conservation or management policies of
low-productivity forests of some countries.
Ecosystem service multifunctionality values from forested mires Ecosystem
service multifunctionality (ES-multifunctionality) values calculated
from nationwide Swedish data on nine ecosystem services in circular plots
(314 m2) located in forested mires and productive forests of similar age,
tree species dominance by Scots pine Pinus sylvestris, and
geographic location. The ES-multifunctionality values use different
threshold values of the maximum levels (low =25%, medium=50% and high=75%)
of ecosystem service values and are weighted according to three land-use
objectives (equal weight of all services, greater weight to cultural and
supporting services, or greater weight to tree biomass production).
Abbreviations: ID (individual plot identifier), T25_EQUAL_WT (scaled and
summed ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 25% of maximum levels and
all services weighted equal), T25_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality values
surpassing 25% of maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural and
supporting services), T25_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values
surpassing 25% and greater weight to tree biomass production
services), T50_EQUAL_WT (scaled and summed ES-multifunctionality values
surpassing 50% of maximum levels and all services weighted
equal), T50_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 50% of
maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural and supporting
services), T50_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 50% and
greater weight to tree biomass production services), T75_EQUAL_WT (scaled
and summed ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 75% of maximum levels
and all services weighted equal), T75_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality
values surpassing 75% of maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural
and supporting services), T75_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values
surpassing 75% and greater weight to tree biomass production services),
Site_type (forested mire or productive forest), Forest_stand_age (years),
Tree_species_richness (number of tree species with diameter at breast
height >= 10 cm), Temp_Ann_99to10 (mean annual temperature averaged
over 1999-2010), and Sum_Prec_Season_99to10 (summed precipitation
May-November (mm) averaged over 1999-2010). Ecosystem service
multifunctionality values from forested rocky outcrops Ecosystem service
multifunctionality (ES-multifunctionality) values calculated
from nationwide Swedish data on nine ecosystem services in circular plots
(314 m2) located in forested rocky outcrops and productive forests of
similar age, tree species dominance by Scots pine Pinus sylvestris, and
geographic location. The ES-multifunctionality values use different
threshold values of the maximum levels (low =25%, medium=50% and high=75%)
of ecosystem service values and are weighted according to three land-use
objectives (equal weight of all services, greater weight to cultural and
supporting services, or greater weight to tree biomass production).
Abbreviations: ID (individual plot identifier), T25_EQUAL_WT (scaled and
summed ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 25% of maximum levels and
all services weighted equal), T25_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality values
surpassing 25% of maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural and
supporting services), T25_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values
surpassing 25% and greater weight to tree biomass production
services), T50_EQUAL_WT (scaled and summed ES-multifunctionality values
surpassing 50% of maximum levels and all services weighted
equal), T50_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 50% of
maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural and supporting
services), T50_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 50% and
greater weight to tree biomass production services), T75_EQUAL_WT (scaled
and summed ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 75% of maximum levels
and all services weighted equal), T75_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality
values surpassing 75% of maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural
and supporting services), T75_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values
surpassing 75% and greater weight to tree biomass production services),
Site_type (forested rocky outcrop or productive forest), Forest_stand_age
(years), Tree_species_richness (number of tree species with diameter at
breast height >= 10 cm), Temp_Ann_99to10 (mean annual temperature
averaged over 1999-2010), and Sum_Prec_Season_99to10 (summed precipitation
May-November (mm) averaged over 1999-2010).