Modelling the dynamics of Mediterranean forests at large scales is a challenge. But scientists are setting up simulation models to help us better understand future directions of these ecosystems and how to better manage them.Continue reading
Author: Marco Mina
Are ash trees doomed?
Ash trees have been part of North American and European forest landscapes for millennia. Yet, they are now under threats because of invasive pests and pathogens such as the ash dieback in Europe and theContinue reading
Giant tree hunting and old-growth forest conservation in Vancouver Island
Temperate rainforests are magical ecosystems. In them trees grow tall, big, massive. It is not a coincidence that the tallest trees found on Earth are found in temperate rainforests, from the Coast Redwoods in California,Continue reading
Seeing and managing forests as functional complex networks – an interview with Christian Messier
In September 2017 I participated to a very dynamic field-week that took place in Tuscany, Italy. Here international students had the chance to discuss new concepts in forest management, such as viewing forest ecosystems asContinue reading
Were forests not taken seriously enough in the last IPCC 1.5° report?
The latest IPCC special report discusses the potential impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C and presents several pathways scenarios but without focusing much on the need of protecting and sustainably managing the forests weContinue reading
The symmetry of competition: does the battle take place above or below our feet?
In one of my previous posts I have already focused on the complex topic of competition among tree species. In that post I discussed the variability of species interactions (aka mixing effects) which depends onContinue reading
No more maple syrup?
Most of the time we tend to think about forests as sources of important ecosystem service such as timber, firewood, water regulation, carbon stock, biodiversity. But there is a very important (and very sweet!) serviceContinue reading
What do European forest managers want to know from scientists about mixed forests?
During the last years, scientists published a large amount of papers and books on the ecology and functioning mixed forests. This has certainly contributed to advance our understanding of how a mixed species forest work,Continue reading
Teaching complex adaptive system science to manage forest ecosystems – an interview with Klaus Puettmann
September is a busy month for academics. To wake up researchers after the summer break, usually many conferences and events are being organized. After the IUFRO Congress in Freiburg i.B., last September I participated toContinue reading
What factors determine whether tree species compete or complement each other?
The growth of the forest depends on a series of variables and their complex net of interactions. When the forest is composed of multiple species (called a “mixture”) its growth also depends on the intra-Continue reading