Conceptual models of forest dynamics in environmental education and management: keep it as simple as possible, but no simpler

Timo Kuuluvainen

doi:10.1186/s40663-016-0075-6

Forest Ecosystems 2016, 3(4): 18 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-016-0075-6

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Open Access | Issue | Published: 05 August 2016

Conceptual models of forest dynamics in environmental education and management: keep it as simple as possible, but no simpler

Show Author's Information Hide Author's Information Timo Kuuluvainen

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Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland

Keywords:

Forest restoration, Forest succession, Natural forest, Forest disturbance, Forest age structure, Forest conservation, Sustainable management

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Kuuluvainen T. Conceptual models of forest dynamics in environmental education and management: keep it as simple as possible, but no simpler. Forest Ecosystems, 2016, 3(4): 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-016-0075-6

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Abstract Full text About this article

Abstract

Background

Conceptual models of forest dynamics are powerful cognitive tools,which are indispensable for communicating ecological ideas and knowledge,and in developing strategic approaches and setting targets for forest conservation,restoration and sustainable management. Forest development through time is conventionally described as a directional,or "linear",and predictable sequence of stages from "bare ground" to old forest representing the "climax-state". However,this simple view is incompatible with the current knowledge and understanding of intrinsic variability of forest dynamics.

Hypothesis

Overly simple conceptual models of forest dynamics easily become transformed into biased mental models of how forests naturally develop and what kind of structures they display. To be able to communicate the essential features and diversity of forest dynamics,comprehensive conceptual models are needed. For this end, Kuuluvainen (2009) suggested a relatively simple conceptual model of forest dynamics,which separates three major modes of forest dynamics,and incorporates state changes and transitions between the forest dynamics modes depending on changes in disturbance regime.

Conclusions

Conceptual models of forest dynamics should be comprehensive enough to incorporate both long-term directional change and short-term cyclic forest dynamics,as well as transitions from one dynamics mode to another depending on changes in the driving disturbance regime type. Models that capture such essential features of forest dynamics are indispensable for educational purposes,in setting reference conditions and in developing methods in forest conservation,restoration and ecosystem management.

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About this article

Conceptual models of forest dynamics in environmental education and management: keep it as simple as possible, but no simpler

Show Author's information Hide Author's Information Timo Kuuluvainen

(

)

Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland

Abstract

Background

Hypothesis

Conclusions

Keywords: Forest restoration, Forest succession, Natural forest, Forest disturbance, Forest age structure, Forest conservation, Sustainable management

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Publication history

Received: 26 April 2016

Accepted: 30 June 2016

Published: 05 August 2016

Issue date: December 2016

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Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Petri Keto-Tokoi, Tuomas Aakala and three anonymous reviewers for insightful comments on the manuscript.

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Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.