Ecosystem services

Ecosystem services of forests under different ownership structures

Background

In central European cultural landscapes, forests subsist in a complex functional context and provide many valuable ecosystem services such as timber production, soil protection and erosion control. They function as a water reservoir and provider of drinking water, or as recreation areas and natural habitats. Currently, the use of timber, as a production service, is undergoing a change in relevance in the light of climate protection initiatives because forest ecosystems constitute the largest carbon storage in the terrestrial biosphere. Forests production services, in the form of timber production, could become more prominent through measures to increase carbon sequestration in the forests in combination with measures to increase the use of forest biomass. This could lead to a shift in the functional structures of all ecosystem services. The trade-offs and decisions concerning the question which ecosystem services should be enhanced or prioritized, or the question which incentives will be accepted, depend largely on the forest owner, his goals, and the general set up of his production (size of the forest, site conditions, location). 

Up to now, forest owners have little or no incentives to enhance ecosystem services other than timber production, as timber sales traditionally generate the income. In addition, positive effects of alternative management concepts are generated often only in spatial distance of, or with a time lag from today’s management decisions. A forest mosaic has evolved from various forest ownership structures and different types of forest management. Nonetheless this mosaic generates the most varied ecosystem services. Still, the respective forest sites are not always tapped to their full potential.

Objective and hypothesis

The project analyzes the influence of different types of ownership and management practices on the structure and biodiversity of forests. It generates steering tools specifically for different types of forest ownership, how to facilitate the potentials of carbon sequestration, the use of biomass, the provision of biodiversity, and of other ecosystem services. The project ist part of the Ecosystem Services Research Group, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, under the Social-Ecological Research Programme and investigates exemplarily forests of the MAB Biosphere Reserves Schwäbische Alb (Swabian Alb) and Oberlausitzer Heide- und Teichlandschaft (Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape).

The following central hypothesis is the focus of the planned research: “Different forest ownership structures and forms of forest management have created a forest mosaic with varying potentials for nature and climate protection. Management using adapted instruments such as market-based incentives may foster climate protection and nature conservation potentials in line with the different types of forest ownership”.

Research Questions

• What are the differences and similarities between the concepts of forest functions and ecosystem services?  How can the concept of forest functions be meaningfully enhanced?
• What are the differences at the landscape scale between biodiversity parameters and ecosystem services in relation to different forest ownership types in the study areas?  What correlations exist between ownership form, management and landscape diversity and ecosystem services?
• Are there differences in timber stock, stand structure and species diversity between forests with different ownership forms? Is it possible to identify specific patterns and correlations of biodiversity parameters, carbon sequestration and forest ownership?
• What effects do the attitudes and goals of private forest owners, and in particular small private forest owners, have on forest stand structure, stock and biodiversity?
• How can particular ecosystem services be enhanced?  How might synergies be achieved or, as the case may be, how can incentives be developed for the targeted optimization of one or more ecosystem services across the different forms of forest ownership?

Design and methodology

The project is based on a landscape-historical study of the forests in the research areas. The study examines and compiles the details of the history of ownership and management during the last approximately 150 years on different spatial scale levels, and on clearly defined areas, as accurately as possible. On a large scale, parameters of biodiversity and carbon sequestration are being collected in appropriate sections of the forest landscape to identify patterns in relation to forest ownership and management.  For this purpose, we consult Arial photos, meta data from forest management planning, forest function mapping, and forest biotope mapping, as well as forest stand and site maps, and the land survey register. A comparison between forests with comparable site factors is drawn on the level of forest stands or forest lots. Here, we conduct vegetations surveys, forest structure surveys, and soil analysis. In addition, existing types and profiles of forest owners characterizing their attitudes and objectives shall be compared with the tangible assets of their forests. The forest owners’ acceptance of market based incentives will be examined with the help of interviews.

Selected publications

SCHAICH, H. & PLIENINGER, T. (2013): Land ownership drives stand structure and carbon storage of deciduous temperate forests. Forest Ecology and Management 305: 146-157, available online doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2013.05.013

PLIENINGER, T., BIELING, C., OHNESORGE, B., SCHAICH, H., SCHLEYER, C. & WOLFF, F. (2013): Exploring futures of ecosystem services in cultural landscapes through participatory scenario development in the Swabian Alb, Germany. Ecology and Society 18 (3): 39, available online doi: 10.5751/ES-05802-180339

SCHAICH, H. (2013): Instrumente des Waldnaturschutzes und die Rolle von Ökosystemleistungen. In: Ring, I. (Hrsg.): Der Nutzen von Ökonomie und Ökosystemleistungen für die Naturschutzpraxis – Workshop III: Wälder. BfN-Skripten 334. Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Bundesamt für Naturschutz: 44-55, pdf-download

PISTORIUS, T., SCHAICH, H., WINKEL, G., PLIENINGER, T., BIELING, C., KONOLD, W. & VOLZ, K.-R. (2012): Lessons for REDDplus: A comparative analysis of the German discourse on forest functions and the global ecosystem services debate. Forest Policy and Economics 8: 4-12, available online: doi: 10.1016/j.forpol.2011.09.00

SCHAICH, H. & KONOLD, W. (2012): Honorierung ökologischer Leistungen der Forstwirtschaft - Neue Wege für Kompensationsmaßnahmen im Wald? Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung 44 (1): 5-13 (pdf, 4 MB)

SCHAICH, H., BIELING, C. & PLIENINGER, T. (2010): Linking ecosystem services with cultural landscape research. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 19 (4): 269-277 (pdf, 231 KB)

May 2009 - August 2013

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF),Förderschwerpunkt Sozial-ökologische Forschung (SÖF), own ressources

Dr. Harald Schaich

Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Ökoinstitut, Ecologic