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Asko Lõhmus
Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

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Original paper
Published: 16 August 2021 in Biodiversity and Conservation
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Protecting habitats for charismatic vertebrates can provide an ‘umbrella’ for less conspicuous organisms, especially when these are threatened by the same processes. However, such a conservation scheme is vulnerable to the extirpation of the focal species. We studied wider biodiversity values in long protected black stork (Ciconia nigra) nest sites, which were abandoned by the bird and thus legally subject to de-listing. In 20 abandoned nest sites in Estonia, we (i) mapped breeding birds within 600 m from the stork nest, and (ii) carried out time-limited surveys of lichens, polypore fungi, vascular plants and bryophytes in 2-ha plots. The breeding bird assemblages (64 species recorded) included 19 red-listed species, and showed no clear aggregation to the immediate surroundings of the stork nest. We recorded 740 plant and fungal species, of which 134 (18%) were of conservation concern (nationally protected, red-listed or extremely rare). Across the 2-ha plots, the numbers of the species of conservation concern varied more than three-fold (maximum 42 species), being affected notably by dead wood accumulation over time and presence of nemoral broad-leaved trees. The results demonstrate that many abandoned nest sites of the black stork have broader biodiversity significance, both due to the bird’s habitat requirements and the natural development during the protection. Expanding the umbrella function to sites abandoned by a focal species, but intact from anthropogenic degradation, can thus be a cost-effective conservation approach due to its low additional administrative burden. In most jurisdictions, the assessment procedure for such situations should be formalized, however.

ACS Style

Asko Lõhmus; Kadri Runnel; Anneli Palo; Mare Leis; Renno Nellis; Riinu Rannap; Liina Remm; Raul Rosenvald; Piret Lõhmus. Value of a broken umbrella: abandoned nest sites of the black stork (Ciconia nigra) host rich biodiversity. Biodiversity and Conservation 2021, 1 -18.

AMA Style

Asko Lõhmus, Kadri Runnel, Anneli Palo, Mare Leis, Renno Nellis, Riinu Rannap, Liina Remm, Raul Rosenvald, Piret Lõhmus. Value of a broken umbrella: abandoned nest sites of the black stork (Ciconia nigra) host rich biodiversity. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2021; ():1-18.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Asko Lõhmus; Kadri Runnel; Anneli Palo; Mare Leis; Renno Nellis; Riinu Rannap; Liina Remm; Raul Rosenvald; Piret Lõhmus. 2021. "Value of a broken umbrella: abandoned nest sites of the black stork (Ciconia nigra) host rich biodiversity." Biodiversity and Conservation , no. : 1-18.

Journal article
Published: 14 August 2021 in Water
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We describe how a bog hydrology simulation model, developed in the System Dynamics environment, predicts the changes in the groundwater levels that result from drainage ditch closure and partial thinning of the surrounding forest stand. Five plots were selected in an area that was subjected to such ecological restoration, and the observed groundwater levels were compared with the simulated ones. Across the plots, the mean difference between the observed and simulated groundwater curves varied between 0.88 and 2.63 cm, and the RMSE between 0.28 and 0.71. Although the absolute difference between the predicted vs. observed values was greater in the plots with ditch closure, the curves co-varied more closely there over time. Therefore, hydrological System Dynamics models can be particularly useful for relative comparisons and risk-mapping of novel management scenarios.

ACS Style

Oskars Java; Marko Kohv; Asko Lõhmus. Performance of a Bog Hydrological System Dynamics Simulation Model in an Ecological Restoration Context: Soomaa Case Study, Estonia. Water 2021, 13, 2217 .

AMA Style

Oskars Java, Marko Kohv, Asko Lõhmus. Performance of a Bog Hydrological System Dynamics Simulation Model in an Ecological Restoration Context: Soomaa Case Study, Estonia. Water. 2021; 13 (16):2217.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Oskars Java; Marko Kohv; Asko Lõhmus. 2021. "Performance of a Bog Hydrological System Dynamics Simulation Model in an Ecological Restoration Context: Soomaa Case Study, Estonia." Water 13, no. 16: 2217.

Original paper
Published: 16 July 2021 in European Journal of Forest Research
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Production forestry is known to reduce the naturally variable microhabitat pools in live trees and their biodiversity by tree removal and broad indirect effects of silviculture. However, the tree-scale processes are not known well enough for microhabitat management for the future. This study investigates how tree age affects the microhabitat occurrence in live trees, its effect modifiers, and explanatory value compared with tree diameter. We inventoried tree-related microhabitats on 879 live aspens (Populus tremula) and Norway spruces (Picea abies) of known age in 141 forests representing contrasting productive site conditions in Estonia. We analysed microhabitat incidence using logistic mixed models for significant tree-scale and stand-scale factors. Most microhabitat types appeared rare even in old trees, and the age effects had various patterns. Only 2% of trees bore five or more microhabitat types. Aspens and spruces had a similar microhabitat diversity before 80 years of age. Stand-level effects varied among microhabitat types but were less significant than tree-level effects; interactions were even rarer. Most effects found could be interpreted through known ecological processes; for example, humidity-dependent epiphytic growth; bark stripping by herbivores; pathogen effects in forests with distinct histories. In contrast, a reliable tree-scale prediction of microhabitat occurrence appears rarely possible; and depending on microhabitat type, either tree age or diameter can be a better predictor. We suggest that managing for tree-related microhabitats in production forests should combine facilitating ecological conditions for microhabitat formation, and early detection and retention of the trees with high microhabitat potential.

ACS Style

Maarja Kõrkjas; Liina Remm; Asko Lõhmus. Tree-related microhabitats on live Populus tremula and Picea abies in relation to tree age, diameter, and stand factors in Estonia. European Journal of Forest Research 2021, 1 -15.

AMA Style

Maarja Kõrkjas, Liina Remm, Asko Lõhmus. Tree-related microhabitats on live Populus tremula and Picea abies in relation to tree age, diameter, and stand factors in Estonia. European Journal of Forest Research. 2021; ():1-15.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maarja Kõrkjas; Liina Remm; Asko Lõhmus. 2021. "Tree-related microhabitats on live Populus tremula and Picea abies in relation to tree age, diameter, and stand factors in Estonia." European Journal of Forest Research , no. : 1-15.

Review
Published: 08 December 2020 in Forest Ecology and Management
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Many tree-dwelling species inhabit microhabitats that develop slowly in diseased or injured trees. Conservation planning would benefit from explicit knowledge of these processes, notably for resolving conflicts with timber production, arboricultural or public safety goals. We reviewed published rates of development of five selected common tree microhabitats and the factors affecting those rates in living trees. Most of the 71 relevant studies found globally focused on tree-cavities and exposed wood, while the development of witches’ broom, bark pocket and dendrotelm microhabitats remains poorly described. Three time parameters emerge as central: minimum tree age; rate of formation; and persistence time of the microhabitat. Among the studied microhabitats, large side cavities are formed in the oldest trees, seldom hosting large vertebrates in trees <100 years old. In contrast, the development of exposed wood, bark pockets and dendrotelms can be compatible with some approaches of even-aged production forestry. The evidence indicates that tree growth rate is a key effect modifier of microhabitat development, which supports short-term wound occlusion but can also expose the tree to chronic disease and decay. For example, side cavities usually develop more rapidly in fast-growing trees, but persist longer in slow-growing trees. Environmental exposure regulates microhabitat development by affecting these growth and degradation responses and pathogen performance, but typical ranges of natural variation in microhabitat development rates can also be distinguished. To mitigate conservation conflicts with production forestry and the management of human environments, microhabitat prone trees should be considered across multiple management cycles, notably to sustain large side-cavities and witches’ brooms. We outline retention forestry approaches, reduction of salvage logging, and veteran tree management in the countryside and urban environments as the key arenas of action. Given the high variation in tree microhabitat development, a successful strategy would combine fine-scale retention of existing microhabitats and landscape-scale prediction and planning for future microhabitat formation.

ACS Style

Maarja Kõrkjas; Liina Remm; Asko Lõhmus. Development rates and persistence of the microhabitats initiated by disease and injuries in live trees: A review. Forest Ecology and Management 2020, 482, 118833 .

AMA Style

Maarja Kõrkjas, Liina Remm, Asko Lõhmus. Development rates and persistence of the microhabitats initiated by disease and injuries in live trees: A review. Forest Ecology and Management. 2020; 482 ():118833.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maarja Kõrkjas; Liina Remm; Asko Lõhmus. 2020. "Development rates and persistence of the microhabitats initiated by disease and injuries in live trees: A review." Forest Ecology and Management 482, no. : 118833.

Review
Published: 30 June 2020 in Forests
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A fundamental problem of sustainability is how to reduce the double complexity of ecological and social systems into simple operational terms. We highlight that the conservation concept of focal species (selected species sensitive to a set of anthropogenic threats to their habitat) links multiple issues of ecological sustainability, and their habitat models can provide a practical tool for solving these issues. A review of the literature shows that most spatial modeling of focal species focuses on vertebrates, lacks the aspect of aquatic and soil habitats, and has been slow in the uptake by actual management planning. We elaborate on a deductive modeling approach that first generalizes the main influential dimensions of habitat change (threats), which are then parameterized as habitat quality estimates for focal species. If built on theoretical understanding and properly scaled, the maps produced with such models can cost-effectively describe the dynamics of ecological qualities across forest landscapes, help set conservation priorities, and reflect on management plans and practices. The models also serve as ecological hypotheses on biodiversity and landscape function. We illustrate this approach based on recent additions to the forest reserve network in Estonia, which addressed the insufficient protection of productive forest types. For this purpose, mostly former production forests that may require restoration were set aside. We distinguished seven major habitat dimensions and their representative taxa in these forests and depicted each dimension as a practical stand-scale decision tree of habitat quality. The model outcomes implied that popular stand-structural targets of active forest restoration would recover passively in reasonable time in these areas, while a critically degraded condition (loss of old trees of characteristic species) required management beyond reserve borders. Another hidden issue revealed was that only a few stands of consistently low habitat quality concentrated in the landscape to allow cost-efficient restoration planning. We conclude that useful habitat models for sustainable forest management have to balance single-species realism with stakeholder expectations of meaningful targets and scales. Addressing such social aspects through the focal species concept could accelerate the adoption of biodiversity distribution modeling in forestry.

ACS Style

Asko Lõhmus; Raido Kont; Kadri Runnel; Maarja Vaikre; Liina Remm. Habitat Models of Focal Species Can Link Ecology and Decision-Making in Sustainable Forest Management. Forests 2020, 11, 721 .

AMA Style

Asko Lõhmus, Raido Kont, Kadri Runnel, Maarja Vaikre, Liina Remm. Habitat Models of Focal Species Can Link Ecology and Decision-Making in Sustainable Forest Management. Forests. 2020; 11 (7):721.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Asko Lõhmus; Raido Kont; Kadri Runnel; Maarja Vaikre; Liina Remm. 2020. "Habitat Models of Focal Species Can Link Ecology and Decision-Making in Sustainable Forest Management." Forests 11, no. 7: 721.

Journal article
Published: 22 November 2019 in Forests
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There is a critical gap in our knowledge about sustainable forest management in order to maintain biodiversity with respect to allocating conservation efforts between production forests and set-asides. Field studies on this question are notably scarce on species-rich, poorly detectable taxon groups. On the basis of forest lichen surveys in Estonia, we assessed the following: (i) how much production stands contribute to maintaining the full species pool and (ii) how forest habitat conditions affect this contribution for habitat specialist species. The field material was collected in a “semi-natural forestry” system, which mitigates negative environmental impacts of even-aged forestry and forestry drainage by frequently using natural regeneration, tree retention, and low intensity of thinnings. We performed standard-effort surveys of full assemblages of lichens and allied fungi (such as non-lichenized calicioid and lichenicolous fungi) and measured stand structure in 127 2 ha plots, in mainland Estonia. The plots represented four management stages (old growth, mature preharvest forests, clear-cut sites with retention trees, and clear-cut sites without retention trees). The 369 recorded species represent an estimated 70% of the full species pool studied. Our main finding was that production forests supported over 80% of recorded species, but only one-third appears tolerant of management intensification. The landscape-scale potential of production forests through biodiversity-friendly silviculture is approximately twice as high as the number of tolerant species and, additionally, many very rare species depend on setting aside their scattered localities. The potential is much smaller at the scale of individual stands. The scale effect emerges because multiple stands contribute different sets of sensitive and infrequent species. When the full potential of production forests is realized, the role of reserves is to protect specific old-growth dependent taxa (15% to 20% of the species pool). Our study highlights that production forests form a heterogeneous and dynamic target for addressing the biodiversity conservation principle of sustainable forest management.

ACS Style

Piret Lõhmus; Asko Lõhmus. The Potential of Production Forests for Sustaining Lichen Diversity: A Perspective on Sustainable Forest Management. Forests 2019, 10, 1063 .

AMA Style

Piret Lõhmus, Asko Lõhmus. The Potential of Production Forests for Sustaining Lichen Diversity: A Perspective on Sustainable Forest Management. Forests. 2019; 10 (12):1063.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piret Lõhmus; Asko Lõhmus. 2019. "The Potential of Production Forests for Sustaining Lichen Diversity: A Perspective on Sustainable Forest Management." Forests 10, no. 12: 1063.

Original paper
Published: 22 May 2019 in Biodiversity and Conservation
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Conservation scientists often lack explicit understanding of the knowledge problems faced in practical conservation, which can be resolved through communication between the scientists and the managers. Focusing on cost-effectiveness of such communication, we planned and implemented a rapid research gap prioritization procedure for the main stakeholder groups in conservation management and policy (‘managers’) in Estonia. The procedure required each research gap to be explicitly linked with its expected application and comprised three steps: (i) preparatory work of the managers to list their main knowledge gaps; (ii) a seminar for representatives of all the main manager groups to sort out the potentially most influential research topics at the national scale; (iii) analysis and synopsis writing of the top-voted topics. Researchers provided the methodology, facilitated the procedure, helped to translate practical problems into research topics and checked the topics for existing research. The paper describes the 13 high-priority research topics, which were distinguished among more than 60 topics listed. Land-use planning decisions (notably in forests) were most frequently perceived to lack critical knowledge, while only two priority topics were listed for political decision-making (both in agricultural policy). The priority topics proposed for wetland conservation focused on management techniques to mitigate artificial drainage. Our experience was that, through direct two-way communication between managers and researchers, the perceived knowledge gaps in conservation can be rapidly and transparently formulated as research topics. However, the managers’ views tend to focus on short-term effects of conservation, and a different procedure may be needed for researchers who might vision for longer and less predictable future.

ACS Style

Asko Lõhmus; Herdis Fridolin; Agu Leivits; Kristjan Tõnisson; Riinu Rannap. Prioritizing research gaps for national conservation management and policy: the managers’ perspective in Estonia. Biodiversity and Conservation 2019, 28, 2565 -2579.

AMA Style

Asko Lõhmus, Herdis Fridolin, Agu Leivits, Kristjan Tõnisson, Riinu Rannap. Prioritizing research gaps for national conservation management and policy: the managers’ perspective in Estonia. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2019; 28 (10):2565-2579.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Asko Lõhmus; Herdis Fridolin; Agu Leivits; Kristjan Tõnisson; Riinu Rannap. 2019. "Prioritizing research gaps for national conservation management and policy: the managers’ perspective in Estonia." Biodiversity and Conservation 28, no. 10: 2565-2579.

Original paper
Published: 15 March 2019 in European Journal of Forest Research
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Retention forestry is regarded as an efficient approach for conserving ecosystem functions and biodiversity in production forests, but its long-term impacts on forest ecosystem goods and services are poorly documented. We investigated the functioning of solitary retention trees in regenerated young forest as refuges or dispersal centres for shade-preferring species and explored the potential cost on future timber supply due to suppressed tree regeneration. We described land snail assemblages, soil characteristics, vegetation structure and stand regeneration along 50-m transects radially away from 34 deciduous retention trees in young stands (15–16 years post-harvest, passed the pre-commercial thinning) in Estonia. General linear modelling revealed that the abundance and species richness of snails were higher in close proximity of the retention trees. Neither stand regeneration density nor its basal area varied systematically along the distance gradient. Thus, contrary to our hypothesis, the positive impact of retention trees on shade-preferring and hygrophilous species group in young production stands had no clear trade-off with stand regeneration. The development of both these functions should be studied further in maturing forests.

ACS Style

Anna-Liisa Šavrak; Liina Remm; Asko Lõhmus. Retention trees can benefit biodiversity without significant long-term reduction in stand regeneration in Estonian mixed forests. European Journal of Forest Research 2019, 138, 513 -525.

AMA Style

Anna-Liisa Šavrak, Liina Remm, Asko Lõhmus. Retention trees can benefit biodiversity without significant long-term reduction in stand regeneration in Estonian mixed forests. European Journal of Forest Research. 2019; 138 (3):513-525.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna-Liisa Šavrak; Liina Remm; Asko Lõhmus. 2019. "Retention trees can benefit biodiversity without significant long-term reduction in stand regeneration in Estonian mixed forests." European Journal of Forest Research 138, no. 3: 513-525.

Research article
Published: 12 December 2018 in PLOS ONE
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Finding standard cost-effective methods for monitoring biodiversity is challenging due to trade-offs between survey costs (including expertise), specificity, and range of applicability. These trade-offs cause a lack of comparability among datasets collected by ecologists and conservationists, which is most regrettable in taxonomically demanding work on megadiverse inconspicuous taxon groups. We have developed a site-scale survey method for diverse sessile land organisms, which can be analyzed over multiple scales and linked with ecological insights and management. The core idea is that field experts can effectively allocate observation effort when the time, area, and priority sequence of tasks are fixed. We present the protocol, explain its specifications (taxon group; expert qualification; plot size; effort) and applications based on >800 original surveys of four taxon groups; and we analyze its effectiveness using data on polypores in hemiboreal and tropical forests. We demonstrate consistent effort-species richness curves and among-survey variation in contrasting ecosystems, and high effectiveness compared with casual observations both at local and regional scales. Bias related to observer experience appeared negligible compared with typical assemblage variation. Being flexible in terms of sampling design, the method has enabled us to compile data from various projects to assess conservation status and habitat requirements of most species (specifically rarities and including discovery of new species); also, when linked with site descriptions, to complete environmental assessments and select indicator species for management. We conclude that simple rules can significantly improve expert-based biodiversity surveys. Ideally, define (i) a common plot size that addresses multiple taxon groups and management goals; (ii) taxon groups based on field expertise and feasible number of species; (iii) sufficient and practical search time; (iv) a procedure for recording within-plot heterogeneity. Such a framework, combined with freedom to allocate effort on-site, helps utilizing full expertise of observers without losing technical rigor.

ACS Style

Asko Lõhmus; Piret Lõhmus; Kadri Runnel. A simple survey protocol for assessing terrestrial biodiversity in a broad range of ecosystems. PLOS ONE 2018, 13, e0208535 .

AMA Style

Asko Lõhmus, Piret Lõhmus, Kadri Runnel. A simple survey protocol for assessing terrestrial biodiversity in a broad range of ecosystems. PLOS ONE. 2018; 13 (12):e0208535.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Asko Lõhmus; Piret Lõhmus; Kadri Runnel. 2018. "A simple survey protocol for assessing terrestrial biodiversity in a broad range of ecosystems." PLOS ONE 13, no. 12: e0208535.

Journal article
Published: 31 July 2018 in Folia Cryptogamica Estonica
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Conservation management for fungi has lagged behind animal and plant conservation, and remains largely restricted to protecting known locations of few conspicuous threatened species. We used Estonian polypores as an example of how conservation options can be systematically screened, based on the Red List of threatened species and in co-operation with practitioners. For a total of 61 species, we identified a broad range of management options representing diverse approaches (site protection; prescriptions of land use; protection of individuals; special management; protection via umbrella species). The results demonstrated the merits of systematic and multi-disciplinary assessments for fungal conservation and setting related research priorities. Our assessment also supported a theoretical expectation that some ecosystem conservation strategies should be explicitly designed based on functionally important groups of fungi. The advancement of fungal conservation appears largely dependent on co-operation between mycologists, conservationists and managers. Eesti metsade seenestiku looduskaitsevõtted torikseente näitel Seenestiku looduskaitseks kasutatav võttestik on märksa halvemini välja arendatud kui loomade ja taimede puhul ning hõlmab peamiselt silmatorkavate ohustatud liikide leiukohtade kaitset. Töös kirjeldatakse Eesti torikseente näitel, kuidas sobivaid looduskaitsevõtteid saab süstemaatiliselt valida – lähtuvalt ohustatud liikide nimestikust ja koostöös looduskaitsepraktikutega. Kokku eristati 61 ohustatud torikseeneliigi kaitseks lai valik võtteid, mis hõlmasid erinevaid võimalusi alade kaitseks, üldisi maakasutusjuhiseid, isendite kaitset, intensiivseid kaitsevõtteid ja kaitset teiste liikide (katusliikide) kaudu.Tulemused näitavad süstemaatilise ja multidistsiplinaarse analüüsi efektiivsust seente kaitse ja sellega seotud uuringute planeerimisel. Analüüs kinnitas ka teoreetilist, torikseente funktsionaalsest tähtsusest lähtuvat eeldust, et mõned ökosüsteemide kaitse võttestikud tuleks kujundada just seente ökoloogiast lähtuvalt. Seenestiku looduskaitse peamine edenemistingimus paistab niisiis olevat koostöö mükoloogide, looduskaitseteadlaste ja -praktikute vahel.

ACS Style

Asko Lõhmus; Eike Vunk; Kadri Runnel. Conservation management for forest fungi in Estonia: the case of polypores. Folia Cryptogamica Estonica 2018, 55, 79 -89.

AMA Style

Asko Lõhmus, Eike Vunk, Kadri Runnel. Conservation management for forest fungi in Estonia: the case of polypores. Folia Cryptogamica Estonica. 2018; 55 ():79-89.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Asko Lõhmus; Eike Vunk; Kadri Runnel. 2018. "Conservation management for forest fungi in Estonia: the case of polypores." Folia Cryptogamica Estonica 55, no. : 79-89.

Journal article
Published: 31 July 2018 in Folia Cryptogamica Estonica
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The conspicuous, mostly willow-inhabiting polypore Trametes suaveolens is a threatened species in Northern Europe. In Estonia it is listed as Critically Endangered, and has not been found since 1984. We report an apparently viable population discovered in Central Tallinn, inhabiting old Salix fragilis and S. alba trees and stumps along ca. 1.5 km of the Baltic seashore. The host trees are prone to removal due to city development and park care reasons. We discuss potential conservation measures for sustaining this unique population in the urban conditions. Pajutagel (Trametes suaveolens) Eestis taasleitud Peamiselt remmelgatel silmatorkavaid viljakehi moodustav pajutagel (Trametes suaveolens) on Põhja-Euroopas ohustatud liik. Eestis on selle liigi seisund hinnatud kriitiliseks ja viimane dokumenteeritud leid pärineb 1984. aastast. Siinses artiklis kirjeldatakse Tallinnast avastatud populatsiooni, mis asustab u. 1,5 km mereäärsel lõigul rabeda remmelga (Salix fragilis) ja hõberemmelga (S. alba) vanu elus puid ja kände. See asurkond oli 2018. aastal küll elujõuline, kuid tema elupaika ohustavad linna arendustegevus ja pargihooldus. Artiklis esitatakse soovitusi nii pajutagla säilitamiseks Tallinnas kui ka üldiselt puitulagundavate ohustatud seeneliikide kaitseks linnatingimustes.

ACS Style

Kadri Runnel; Sulev Järve; Asko Lõhmus. A lesson in urban mycology: Critically Endangered polypore Trametes suaveolens (Basidiomycota) re-discovered in Estonia. Folia Cryptogamica Estonica 2018, 55, 91 -95.

AMA Style

Kadri Runnel, Sulev Järve, Asko Lõhmus. A lesson in urban mycology: Critically Endangered polypore Trametes suaveolens (Basidiomycota) re-discovered in Estonia. Folia Cryptogamica Estonica. 2018; 55 ():91-95.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kadri Runnel; Sulev Järve; Asko Lõhmus. 2018. "A lesson in urban mycology: Critically Endangered polypore Trametes suaveolens (Basidiomycota) re-discovered in Estonia." Folia Cryptogamica Estonica 55, no. : 91-95.

Journal article
Published: 23 July 2018 in Forest Ecology and Management
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Shelterwood is commonly assumed to be a more nature-friendly silvicultural system than clear-cutting. However, dead-wood pools – a key characteristic of natural forest – have been seldom compared between these systems. We investigated how shelterwood harvesting influences the dynamics of different dead-wood fractions in Estonia, where the predominant forestry model is clear-cutting based but ‘seminatural’ (using native tree species and, to a significant extent, natural regeneration). We measured dead-wood pools in 49 Scots pine-dominated stands (representing all shelterwood harvesting stages), and in 11 pine-dominated and 10 Norway spruce-dominated stands as before-after experiments (1st stage only). We analysed dead-wood amounts in relation to site conditions and the proportion of timber harvested, and we compared the shelterwood impacts with published estimates from Estonian clear-cuts. Fine woody debris (5–9.9 cm) increased with the harvest. The volume of coarse woody debris was 19–27 m3 ha−1 in uniform shelterwood stands in pine forest (0–25 years after the first harvest); 63 m3 ha−1 in strip shelterwood stands in spruce forest (immediately post harvest). In before-after experiments, post-harvest dead-wood amounts depended on fraction and harvesting intensity, which determines the balance between the input of new debris (logs; stumps) and the loss of pre-existing standing and downed dead trees. After the first shelterwood harvesting, dead-wood pools remained relatively stable, which contrasts with the large fluctuations after clear-cutting. In the long term, however, shelterwood did not sustain generally larger dead-wood pools than the clear-cutting system in seminatural forestry setting. The issue to be resolved in both types of regeneration cuttings is the near-complete loss of standing dead trees, which probably requires new harvesting techniques.

ACS Style

Raul Rosenvald; Hardi Tullus; Asko Lõhmus. Is shelterwood harvesting preferable over clear-cutting for sustaining dead-wood pools? The case of Estonian conifer forests. Forest Ecology and Management 2018, 429, 375 -383.

AMA Style

Raul Rosenvald, Hardi Tullus, Asko Lõhmus. Is shelterwood harvesting preferable over clear-cutting for sustaining dead-wood pools? The case of Estonian conifer forests. Forest Ecology and Management. 2018; 429 ():375-383.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Raul Rosenvald; Hardi Tullus; Asko Lõhmus. 2018. "Is shelterwood harvesting preferable over clear-cutting for sustaining dead-wood pools? The case of Estonian conifer forests." Forest Ecology and Management 429, no. : 375-383.

Conference paper
Published: 24 May 2018 in Proceedings of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology
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ACS Style

Piret Lõhmus; Asko Lõhmus. Stand-scale potential of production forests for lichen diversity: a hemiboreal perspective. Proceedings of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Piret Lõhmus, Asko Lõhmus. Stand-scale potential of production forests for lichen diversity: a hemiboreal perspective. Proceedings of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piret Lõhmus; Asko Lõhmus. 2018. "Stand-scale potential of production forests for lichen diversity: a hemiboreal perspective." Proceedings of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology , no. : 1.

Conference paper
Published: 24 May 2018 in Proceedings of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology
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ACS Style

Kadri Runnel; Asko Lõhmus. Toward practical conservation of fungal diversity: polypores reveal the history and guide the future of forest conservation. Proceedings of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Kadri Runnel, Asko Lõhmus. Toward practical conservation of fungal diversity: polypores reveal the history and guide the future of forest conservation. Proceedings of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kadri Runnel; Asko Lõhmus. 2018. "Toward practical conservation of fungal diversity: polypores reveal the history and guide the future of forest conservation." Proceedings of the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology , no. : 1.

Review
Published: 30 April 2018 in Environmental Evidence
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Livestock grazing and ‘overabundance’ of large wild herbivores in forested areas have long been perceived as conflicting with the aims of both silviculture and forest conservation; however, certain kinds of herbivory can help to maintain habitat values in forest ecosystems. Management of mammalian herbivory in protected forests can, therefore, be a critical tool for biodiversity conservation. The primary aim of this systematic review was to examine how forest vegetation and invertebrates are affected by manipulation of the grazing/browsing pressure by livestock or wild ungulates. The ultimate purpose was to investigate whether such manipulation is useful for conserving or restoring biodiversity in forest set-asides. We considered studies of manipulated ungulate herbivory in forests anywhere within the boreal and temperate zones, not only in protected areas but also in production forest. Non-intervention or alternative levels of intervention were used as comparators. Relevant outcomes included abundance, diversity and composition of plants and invertebrates, tree regeneration, and performance of focal/target species. Studies were mainly selected from a recent systematic map of the evidence on biodiversity effects of forest management relevant to protected areas. Additional studies were identified through updated searches online and in bibliographies of existing reviews. Relevant studies were critically appraised, and studies with low or unclear validity were excluded from the review. Quantitative outcomes were extracted from 103 articles, and summary effect sizes were derived by meta-analysis. Most of the 144 studies included in the review had been conducted in North America, Europe or Australia/New Zealand. The intervention most commonly studied was experimental exclusion (or enclosure) of wild and/or domestic ungulates by fencing. Other studies examined culling of wild ungulates or compared forests long grazed by livestock to ungrazed forests. Effects on vegetation and invertebrates were reported in 135 and 23 of the studies, respectively. We found negative responses to herbivory in the abundance of understorey vegetation as a whole, woody understorey and bryophytes, and also in the species richness of woody understorey vegetation, whereas the richness of forbs and bryophytes responded positively. Several effects depended on ungulate origins: Understorey abundance responded negatively to livestock and to ungulates introduced into the wild, but not to native ones. In contrast, understorey species richness responded positively to livestock but not to wild ungulates. The duration and intensity of herbivory had few significant effects on vegetation—exceptions included woody understorey abundance and richness, which decreased with increasing duration and intensity, respectively. Among invertebrates we found negative responses to herbivory in the abundance of lepidopterans and spiders, but no significant effects on species richness. Our review revealed a large body of high-validity experimental studies on impacts of ungulate herbivory in forests. This evidence confirmed that manipulation of such herbivory is often highly influential on tree regeneration and on the abundance, diversity and composition of understorey vegetation. Nevertheless, we also identified important knowledge gaps—we found few studies of boreal areas, long-term herbivory effects, impacts on bryophytes, lichens and invertebrates, and effects of manipulation less radical than total exclusion of ungulates.

ACS Style

Claes Bernes; Biljana Macura; Bengt Gunnar Jonsson; Kaisa Junninen; Jörg Müller; Jennie Sandström; Asko Lõhmus; Ellen Macdonald. Manipulating ungulate herbivory in temperate and boreal forests: effects on vegetation and invertebrates. A systematic review. Environmental Evidence 2018, 7, 13 .

AMA Style

Claes Bernes, Biljana Macura, Bengt Gunnar Jonsson, Kaisa Junninen, Jörg Müller, Jennie Sandström, Asko Lõhmus, Ellen Macdonald. Manipulating ungulate herbivory in temperate and boreal forests: effects on vegetation and invertebrates. A systematic review. Environmental Evidence. 2018; 7 (1):13.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Claes Bernes; Biljana Macura; Bengt Gunnar Jonsson; Kaisa Junninen; Jörg Müller; Jennie Sandström; Asko Lõhmus; Ellen Macdonald. 2018. "Manipulating ungulate herbivory in temperate and boreal forests: effects on vegetation and invertebrates. A systematic review." Environmental Evidence 7, no. 1: 13.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2018 in Biological Conservation
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Environmental managers often use indicator taxa to monitor full biodiversity and hidden environmental factors. For identifying practical indicators from assemblage data collected in the field, it is crucial to remove irrelevant variation, which unfortunately is not a common practice. We demonstrate, based on field data from Estonian forests, (i) how an attractive indicator group of macrofungi, perennial polypores, loses its apparent indicator value when variation in study effort and conspicuous environmental factors have been reduced; (ii) that simply including survey effort variation is sufficient to create significant covariation between species richness of taxon groups, which has often been taken as a justification for indicator assignment. These results imply that standardizing study effort should become a requirement for any field study that reports indicator taxa based on covariance patterns. We encourage researchers to be explicit and critical about the practical value of indicator taxa when compared with direct measurement of habitat conditions.

ACS Style

Asko Lõhmus; Kadri Runnel. Assigning indicator taxa based on assemblage patterns: Beware of the effort and the objective! Biological Conservation 2018, 219, 147 -152.

AMA Style

Asko Lõhmus, Kadri Runnel. Assigning indicator taxa based on assemblage patterns: Beware of the effort and the objective! Biological Conservation. 2018; 219 ():147-152.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Asko Lõhmus; Kadri Runnel. 2018. "Assigning indicator taxa based on assemblage patterns: Beware of the effort and the objective!" Biological Conservation 219, no. : 147-152.

Journal article
Published: 05 February 2018 in Journal of Vegetation Science
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Questions(1) What is the impact of legacy structures on lichen assemblage development up to two decades post fire? (2) How does that impact vary among ecological groups? (3) Are charcoal inhabiting lichen assemblages regionally distinct?LocationHemiboreal pine forests in Estonia and middle-boreal pine forests in Eastern Finland.MethodsWe performed standard lichen surveys (4 hr effort per 2 ha plot; on all substrates 0–2 m from the forest floor) and measured forest structure in 18 burned sites (nine in Finland and nine in Estonia). The sites included both old (15–21 yrs) and recent (9 yrs) fires, and half of the latter had been harvested for timber. We analysed lichen assemblages (full assemblages and different ecological groups) in relation to site factors (general linear models for species richness; multivariate techniques for assemblage composition).ResultsLichen assemblages on burned sites (altogether 187 species recorded) were regionally distinct and, additionally, significantly affected by the large variation in legacy and regeneration abundance among sites. Species richness was negatively related to abundance of fallen trees 9 years after fire but the relationship was positive 15–21 years post fire; this pattern indicated a change from the initial damage effect to a substrate providing effect of the fire. Microlichens and vegetatively dispersing lichens appeared more sensitive to disturbance (including harvesting), whereas macrolichens were more responsive to substrate providing. The main structural influences on lichens inhabiting charred substrates (67 species recorded in total) were similar to the factors affecting the composition of full lichen assemblages.ConclusionsWithin 10 years post fire, initial disturbance-related damage to forest lichen assemblages becomes replaced by the dominance of substrate providing factors (legacies; regeneration). These damage and recovery phases differ among lichen groups, but are consistent between hemi- and middle-boreal regions. The availability of post-fire legacies, including charred surfaces, is of critical importance for the management of burned areas in modern landscapes.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

ACS Style

Piret Lõhmus; Asko Lõhmus; Aino Hämäläinen. Rapid legacy-dependent succession of lichen assemblages after forest fires: Insights from two boreal regions. Journal of Vegetation Science 2018, 29, 200 -212.

AMA Style

Piret Lõhmus, Asko Lõhmus, Aino Hämäläinen. Rapid legacy-dependent succession of lichen assemblages after forest fires: Insights from two boreal regions. Journal of Vegetation Science. 2018; 29 (2):200-212.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piret Lõhmus; Asko Lõhmus; Aino Hämäläinen. 2018. "Rapid legacy-dependent succession of lichen assemblages after forest fires: Insights from two boreal regions." Journal of Vegetation Science 29, no. 2: 200-212.

Original article
Published: 24 January 2018 in European Journal of Wildlife Research
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Protecting animal aggregation sites is intuitively an efficient conservation approach, particularly for threatened species in fragmented landscapes. However, the appropriate scale of protection depends on accompanying threats, such as predator attraction to the same aggregation sites, to which the target species may need to respond by moving to alternative habitat patches. We performed experiments using artificial ground nests around protected capercaillie leks in commercially managed forest landscape in Estonia. We considered two scales: the landscape up to 3 km from the lek centre, and among 10–30-ha forest compartments, which differed in predator abundance. We found that nest predation significantly declined with distance from the lek. Nests were depredated by multiple mammalian and avian predator species and total predator abundance explained most of the between-forest variation in predation rate. Our results indicate that, in this hemiboreal area, (i) ground nest predation is largely determined by landscape-scale distribution of predators and (ii) predators can aggregate at capercaillie leks. The implication is that lek-centred habitat protection used for the capercaillie and other grouse may be ineffective unless the peripheral habitat quality and predator abundance are specifically addressed. More generally, predation pressure can be a serious problem in small set-asides within hostile landscapes for threatened ground-nesting birds.

ACS Style

Ragne Oja; Eliisa Pass; Egle Soe; Karli Ligi; Peeter Anijalg; Leidi Laurimaa; Urmas Saarma; Asko Lõhmus; Harri Valdmann. Increased nest predation near protected capercaillie leks: a caveat against small reserves. European Journal of Wildlife Research 2018, 64, 6 .

AMA Style

Ragne Oja, Eliisa Pass, Egle Soe, Karli Ligi, Peeter Anijalg, Leidi Laurimaa, Urmas Saarma, Asko Lõhmus, Harri Valdmann. Increased nest predation near protected capercaillie leks: a caveat against small reserves. European Journal of Wildlife Research. 2018; 64 (1):6.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ragne Oja; Eliisa Pass; Egle Soe; Karli Ligi; Peeter Anijalg; Leidi Laurimaa; Urmas Saarma; Asko Lõhmus; Harri Valdmann. 2018. "Increased nest predation near protected capercaillie leks: a caveat against small reserves." European Journal of Wildlife Research 64, no. 1: 6.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2017 in Forest Ecology and Management
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ACS Style

Asko Lõhmus; Liina Remm. Disentangling the effects of seminatural forestry on an ecosystem good: Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) in Estonia. Forest Ecology and Management 2017, 404, 75 -83.

AMA Style

Asko Lõhmus, Liina Remm. Disentangling the effects of seminatural forestry on an ecosystem good: Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) in Estonia. Forest Ecology and Management. 2017; 404 ():75-83.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Asko Lõhmus; Liina Remm. 2017. "Disentangling the effects of seminatural forestry on an ecosystem good: Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) in Estonia." Forest Ecology and Management 404, no. : 75-83.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2017 in Fungal Ecology
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A major question in fungal conservation is why many species are confined to old forests, and how they could be supported by contemporary landscape matrix. Specifically, forestry that retains large biological legacies across landscape could reduce old-forest dependencies to species that require unusual substrate conditions. We sampled polypores in 112 2 ha plots (both old and harvested stands) in a semi-natural forestry context in Estonia and modelled the habitat factors of species confined to old growth. The results confirmed that old-growth assemblages emerged mostly due to diverse and abundant substrate supply (notably downed CWD). Only 10 species (five spruce-dwellers) were confined to old growth; of these, only Fomitopsis rosea and Oxyporus corticola were additionally affected by forest connectivity. The forestry system studied appeared particularly favourable for the species inhabiting deciduous wood. To better address habitat degradation in conservation, expert lists of ‘old-forest (indicator) fungi’ should be replaced with evidence-based focal taxa.

ACS Style

Kadri Runnel; Asko Lõhmus. Deadwood-rich managed forests provide insights into the old-forest association of wood-inhabiting fungi. Fungal Ecology 2017, 27, 155 -167.

AMA Style

Kadri Runnel, Asko Lõhmus. Deadwood-rich managed forests provide insights into the old-forest association of wood-inhabiting fungi. Fungal Ecology. 2017; 27 ():155-167.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kadri Runnel; Asko Lõhmus. 2017. "Deadwood-rich managed forests provide insights into the old-forest association of wood-inhabiting fungi." Fungal Ecology 27, no. : 155-167.