Forest conservation in a changing world: using the past to manage the future
Informations
- Funding country
Europe- Acronym
- FOREST CONSERVATION
- URL
- -
- Start date
- 9/1/2006
- End date
- 8/31/2008
- Budget
- 160,180 EUR
Fundings
| Name | Role | Start | End | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP6 - Sixth Framework Programme | Grant | 9/1/2006 | 8/31/2008 | 160,180 EUR |
Abstract
Current ecological understanding has recognised that most ecosystems are dynamic; all are subject to ongoing processes of environmental disturbances, and many landscapes have been shaped by humans for millennia. This is particularly true for European forests, many of which were first cleared by humans around 6000 yr ago. With predictions suggesting that climatic variability will increase and human impact in many regions becoming more intense, it is essential that we have the capability to understand and man age the response of the vegetation. This is especially the case in the natural temperate woodlands of Europe, many of which maintain a level of biodiversity not seen elsewhere. However, almost without exception, the management of these natural forests is focussed on practices that see these forest systems as stable and any change, be it from human activity or climate, as detrimental; the ultimate goal in most of these conservation practices is to maintain the status quo or restore the forests to some former's natural benchmark. But what are these `natural benchmarks? This project proposes to reconstruct long-term vegetation histories of some of largest tracts of undisturbed natural temperate forests in Europe, in Romania. The research will concentrate on the long-term vegetation dynamics of the Apuseni Natural Park, a region of high natural biodiversity. The project aims to inform on the natural variability of this forest over time in response to climate change, other disturbances such as fire, and human impact. Techniques will include analysis of fossil pollen, plant macrofossils, charcoal, stable isotopes 13C, 15N, mineral magnetic records in combination with Pb210 and 14C dating. Results will be directly applied to management practices and planning of the A puseni Natural Park through detailed collaboration with conservation practitioners. Only through such partnerships will we be able to implement effective forest conservation in a changing world.