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Conserving Forest Ecosystems: Guidelines for Size, Condition and Landscape Requirements

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Saving Biological Diversity

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Abstract

A forest ecosystem consists of thousands of species. Conserving forest biodiversity depends on protecting complete ecosystems that contain the full complement of their associated flora and fauna. Here I present an explicit framework and a set of guidelines for selecting and conserving forest sites as coarse-filters for forest biodiversity. The framework focuses on: 1) Size; defined as the area needed to accommodate natural dynamics and provide sufficient breeding area for multiple pairs of forest interior species, 2) Condition; defined as the quantity of biological legacies, and the amount of non-fragmented interior forest needed to ensure resilience, and 3) Landscape context; defined as the amount and configuration of managed forest cover to maintain regional scale properties, and to buffer and connect key reserve areas. I use a case study from the Northern Appalachians ecoregion to illustrate the development of quantitative thresholds and measurable goals for these characteristics.

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  1. University of New Hampshire, USA

    Mark G. Anderson

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  1. Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT 06320-4196

    Robert A. Askins , Glenn D. Dreyer , Gerald R. Visgilio  & Diana M. Whitelaw , ,  & 

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Anderson, M.G. (2008). Conserving Forest Ecosystems: Guidelines for Size, Condition and Landscape Requirements. In: Askins, R.A., Dreyer, G.D., Visgilio, G.R., Whitelaw, D.M. (eds) Saving Biological Diversity. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09565-3_10

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