Understanding and Modeling Forest Disturbance Interactions at the Landscape Level
Disturbances, both natural and anthropogenic, affect the configuration, composition, and function of forested ecosystems. Complex system behaviors emerge from the interactions between disturbance regimes, the vegetation response to those disturbances, and their interplay with multiple drivers (clima...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-10-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.653647/full |
| _version_ | 1818934915448700928 |
|---|---|
| author | Brian R. Sturtevant Marie-Josée Fortin |
| author_facet | Brian R. Sturtevant Marie-Josée Fortin |
| author_sort | Brian R. Sturtevant |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Disturbances, both natural and anthropogenic, affect the configuration, composition, and function of forested ecosystems. Complex system behaviors emerge from the interactions between disturbance regimes, the vegetation response to those disturbances, and their interplay with multiple drivers (climate, topography, land use, etc.) across spatial and temporal scales. Here, we summarize conceptual advances and empirical approaches to disturbance interaction investigation, and used those insights to evaluate and categorize 146 landscape modeling studies emerging from a systematic review of the literature published since 2010. Recent conceptual advances include formal disaggregation of disturbances into their constituent components, embedding disturbance processes into system dynamics, and clarifying terminology for interaction factors, types, and ecosystem responses. Empirical studies investigating disturbance interactions now span a wide range of approaches, including (most recently) advanced statistical methods applied to an expanding set of spatial and temporal datasets. Concurrent development in spatially-explicit landscape models, informed by these empirical insights, integrate the interactions among natural and anthropogenic disturbances by coupling these processes to account for disturbance stochasticity, disturbance within and across scales, and non-linear landscape responses to climate change. Still, trade-offs between model elegance and complexity remain. We developed an index for the degree of process integration (i.e., balance of static vs. dynamic components) within a given disturbance agent and applied it to the studies from our systematic review. Contemporary model applications in this line of research have applied a wide range process integration, depending on the specific question, but also limited in part by data and knowledge. Non-linear “threshold” behavior and cross-scaled interactions remain a frontier in temperate, boreal, and alpine regions of North America and Europe, while even simplistic studies are lacking from other regions of the globe (e.g., subtropical and tropical biomes). Understanding and planning for uncertainty in system behavior—including disturbance interactions—is paramount at a time of accelerated anthropogenic change. While progress in landscape modeling studies in this area is evident, work remains to increase model transparency and confidence, especially for understudied regions and processes. Moving forward, a multi-dimensional approach is recommended to address the uncertainties of complex human-ecological dynamics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T05:11:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-710f8b8ade6c4e08b4811abeebdca49f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T05:11:52Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-710f8b8ade6c4e08b4811abeebdca49f2022-12-21T19:52:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2021-10-01910.3389/fevo.2021.653647653647Understanding and Modeling Forest Disturbance Interactions at the Landscape LevelBrian R. Sturtevant0Marie-Josée Fortin1Institute for Applied Ecosystem Studies, Northern Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Rhinelander, WI, United StatesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDisturbances, both natural and anthropogenic, affect the configuration, composition, and function of forested ecosystems. Complex system behaviors emerge from the interactions between disturbance regimes, the vegetation response to those disturbances, and their interplay with multiple drivers (climate, topography, land use, etc.) across spatial and temporal scales. Here, we summarize conceptual advances and empirical approaches to disturbance interaction investigation, and used those insights to evaluate and categorize 146 landscape modeling studies emerging from a systematic review of the literature published since 2010. Recent conceptual advances include formal disaggregation of disturbances into their constituent components, embedding disturbance processes into system dynamics, and clarifying terminology for interaction factors, types, and ecosystem responses. Empirical studies investigating disturbance interactions now span a wide range of approaches, including (most recently) advanced statistical methods applied to an expanding set of spatial and temporal datasets. Concurrent development in spatially-explicit landscape models, informed by these empirical insights, integrate the interactions among natural and anthropogenic disturbances by coupling these processes to account for disturbance stochasticity, disturbance within and across scales, and non-linear landscape responses to climate change. Still, trade-offs between model elegance and complexity remain. We developed an index for the degree of process integration (i.e., balance of static vs. dynamic components) within a given disturbance agent and applied it to the studies from our systematic review. Contemporary model applications in this line of research have applied a wide range process integration, depending on the specific question, but also limited in part by data and knowledge. Non-linear “threshold” behavior and cross-scaled interactions remain a frontier in temperate, boreal, and alpine regions of North America and Europe, while even simplistic studies are lacking from other regions of the globe (e.g., subtropical and tropical biomes). Understanding and planning for uncertainty in system behavior—including disturbance interactions—is paramount at a time of accelerated anthropogenic change. While progress in landscape modeling studies in this area is evident, work remains to increase model transparency and confidence, especially for understudied regions and processes. Moving forward, a multi-dimensional approach is recommended to address the uncertainties of complex human-ecological dynamics.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.653647/fullcompound disturbancelinked disturbancefeedback effectsresilienceforest landscape model (FLM)landscape legacy |
| spellingShingle | Brian R. Sturtevant Marie-Josée Fortin Understanding and Modeling Forest Disturbance Interactions at the Landscape Level Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution compound disturbance linked disturbance feedback effects resilience forest landscape model (FLM) landscape legacy |
| title | Understanding and Modeling Forest Disturbance Interactions at the Landscape Level |
| title_full | Understanding and Modeling Forest Disturbance Interactions at the Landscape Level |
| title_fullStr | Understanding and Modeling Forest Disturbance Interactions at the Landscape Level |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding and Modeling Forest Disturbance Interactions at the Landscape Level |
| title_short | Understanding and Modeling Forest Disturbance Interactions at the Landscape Level |
| title_sort | understanding and modeling forest disturbance interactions at the landscape level |
| topic | compound disturbance linked disturbance feedback effects resilience forest landscape model (FLM) landscape legacy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2021.653647/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brianrsturtevant understandingandmodelingforestdisturbanceinteractionsatthelandscapelevel AT mariejoseefortin understandingandmodelingforestdisturbanceinteractionsatthelandscapelevel |