Evaluation of bilberry and cowberry yield models by comparing model predictions with field measurements from North Karelia, Finland

Kilpeläinen, Harri; Miina, Jari; Store, Ron; Salo, Kauko; Kurttila, Mikko

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2015.12.034

Cited by 19 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…In the future, more reliable models for NWFPs, especially for berries and mushrooms, should be prepared. For example, information on ground vegetation cover would improve the yield predictions of cowberries, bilberries, and bilberry shoots, because the site classification system applied in Finland does not describe the abundance and yield of bilberry and cowberry accurately enough [49].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synergies and Trade-Offs in the Production of NWFPs Predicted in Boreal Forests

Kurttila

Pukkala

Miina

2018

Forests

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The global growth of the consumption of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) is evident due to the current trends in lifestyle and consumption. Alongside the increased popularity and commercial use of NWFPs, their yields are also more often taken into account in forest management planning. Empirical yield models recently developed for different NWFPs enable forest managers to include their predicted yields in multi-objective optimization. However, knowledge on the synergies and trade-offs between timber production and different NWFPs is scanty. In this study, we analyzed these relationships through correlation matrices and production possibility frontiers in two case study forest holdings from Finland. A large number of Pareto optimal forest holding level plans were produced by multi-objective optimization and used to analyze trade-offs and synergies. Empirical yield models for 12 NWFPs, representing different berries, mushrooms, and tree-based products, were utilized in the analyses. The results revealed synergies and possibilities for joint-production for NWFPs, but also trade-offs between NWFPs and timber production. NWFPs often had a negative correlation with cutting removals, with the only exception being cowberry. Despite the overall negative correlation, the maximum yields of NWFPs called for some cuttings. Negative correlations with the net present value of timber production were weaker. The results are valuable when the aim is to diversify the use of boreal forests and open avenues for truly multi-objective decision support services to facilitate the decision making of forest owners.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synergies and Trade-Offs in the Production of NWFPs Predicted in Boreal Forests

Kurttila

Pukkala

Miina

2018

Forests

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“…The recent study evaluating the berry models in Finland showed that the bilberry model is more accurate than the cowberry model (Kilpeläinen et al 2016). The bilberry model might underestimate the yields while the cowberry model might overestimate the yields.…”

Section: Model Assumptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing boreal forests for the simultaneous production of collectable goods and timber revenues

Peura¹,

Triviño²,

Mazziotta³

et al. 2016

Silva Fenn.

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Highlights• We found a strong conflict between bilberry production and timber revenues, resulting in large losses of timber revenues when increasing bilberry production.• The conflicts between other collectables (cowberry, cep) and timber production were relatively small. • With careful forest planning, there is potential to simultaneously produce high levels of collectable goods and timber revenues in the landscape. AbstractTimber production is an economically important provisioning ecosystem service in forests, but is often in conflict with the provision of other ecosystem services. In multifunctional forestry, the production of timber and non-timber ecosystem services should coexist in the same landscape.To this end, we explored the capacity of a boreal landscape to simultaneously produce collectable goods − bilberry (Vaccimium myrtillus L.), cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) and cep (Boletus edulis Bull.) − alongside timber revenues. We also identified optimal forest management plans to achieve this. Furthermore, we analyzed trade-offs between collectable good yields and timber production, as well as between their economic values. We ran forest growth simulations under seven alternative management regimes at a landscape level across 50-year planning horizons. Then, we used multi-objective optimization to explore trade-offs and identify optimal forest management plans. The results showed that the strongest trade-off was between bilberry and timber production, resulting in a large loss in timber revenues for a gain in bilberry production. However, the conflicts between other collectables and timber production were relatively small: it was possible to increase the provision of collectable goods 4-15% with small reductions (3−5%) from timber revenues. With careful forest planning, there is the potential to simultaneously produce high levels of collectable goods and timber revenues in the landscape.

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“…Studies have shown that younger and denser forests have lower bilberry yield (Zmihorski , Kilpeläinen et al. ), although a negative effect of forest age on reproductive success has been found in some regions (Nielsen et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contrasting effects may at least partly be attributed to shading. Studies have shown that younger and denser forests have lower bilberry yield (Zmihorski 2011, Kilpel€ ainen et al 2016, although a negative effect of forest age on reproductive success has been found in some regions (Nielsen et al 2007). Kuusipalo (1988) determined that even if bilberry fertility is highest in open stands, the species also exhibits high fertility under heavy shading, which may be related to different allocation strategies under stressful conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate and herbivore influence on Vaccinium myrtillus over the last 40 years in northwest Lapland, Finland

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Annual fluctuations in the abundance of wild berries have repercussions on animals and humans who depend on this important resource. Although studies have tried to disentangle the effect of climate and herbivores on inter-annual berry yield, there are still many uncertainties as to which factors are driving productivity. In this research, we evaluated the effect of climate and predation by rodents and moths on the abundance of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) flowers and berries at the Kilpisj€ arvi Biological Station in northwest Finnish Lapland. The data were collected from 1973 to 2014 in a forest and an alpine site, both undisturbed by human activities. This dataset is unique due to the length of the sampling period, the availability of flower, berry, and rodent abundance data as well as the undisturbed nature of the habitat. Previous summer temperatures, the abundance of rodents, and the presence of a moth outbreak were complementary factors explaining the abundance of flowers. Herbivores had a larger impact on flower production than climate, but both variables were important to understand reproductive effort. Contrary to results from experimental studies, warmer winters did not significantly influence reproductive success. The abundance of fruits was strongly correlated with pollinator activity; the forest site, with a larger pollinator network, had a higher reproductive success and spring conditions were linked to inter-annual variability in fruit production. Our results illustrate the importance of the location of the population within the species distribution range to understand plant sensitivity to climatic fluctuations with fruit production only influenced by current year summer temperatures at the alpine site. Finally, we observed a general increase in flower and fruit production at the alpine site, which was driven by large yields since the early 1990s. Fruit production at the forest site was comparatively stable throughout the study period.

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Evaluation of bilberry and cowberry yield models by comparing model predictions with field measurements from North Karelia, Finland

Cited by 19 publications

References 23 publications

Synergies and Trade-Offs in the Production of NWFPs Predicted in Boreal Forests

Synergies and Trade-Offs in the Production of NWFPs Predicted in Boreal Forests

Managing boreal forests for the simultaneous production of collectable goods and timber revenues

Climate and herbivore influence on Vaccinium myrtillus over the last 40 years in northwest Lapland, Finland

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