Forest landscape disturbances are a global phenomenon. Simulation models are an important tool in understanding these broad scale processes and exploring their effects on forest ecosystems. This book contains a collection of insights from a group of ecologists who address a variety of processes: physical disturbances such as drought, wind, and fire; biological disturbances such as defoliating insects and bark beetles; anthropogenic influences; interactions among disturbances; effects of climate change on disturbances; and the recovery of forest landscapes from disturbances—all from a simulation modeling perspective. These discussions and examples offer a broad synopsis of the state of this rapidly evolving subject.

The Interior Northwest Landscape Analysis System (INLAS) links a number of resource, disturbance, and landscape simulations models to examine the interactions of vegetative succession, management, and disturbance with policy goals. The effects of natural disturbance like wildfire, herbivory, forest insects and diseases, as well as specific management actions are included. The outputs from simulations illustrate potential changes in aquatic conditions and terrestrial habitat, potential for wood utilization, and socioeconomic opportunities. The 14 chapters of this document outline the current state of knowledge in each of the areas covered by the INLAS project and describe the objectives and organization of the project. The project explores ways to integrate the effects of natural disturbances and management into planning and policy analyses; illustrate potential conflicts among current policies, natural distrubances, and management activities; and explore the policy, economics, and ecological constraints associated with the application of effective fuel treatments on midscale landscapes in the interior Northwest.

Key researchers present newly emerging approaches to computer simulation models of large, forest landscapes.

What is a natural forest disturbance? How well do we understand natural forest disturbances and how might we emulate them in forest management? What role does emulation play in forest management? Representing a range of geographic perspectives from across Canada and the United States, this book looks at the escalating public debate on the viability of natural disturbance emulation for sustaining forest landscapes from the perspective of policymakers, forestry professionals, academics, and conservationists. This book provides a scientific foundation for justifying the use of and a solid framework for examining the ambiguities inherent in emulating natural forest landscape disturbance. It acknowledges the divergent expectations that practitioners face and offers a balanced view of the promises and challenges associated with applying this emerging forest management paradigm. The first section examines foundational concepts, addressing questions of what emulation involves and what ecological reasoning substantiates it. These include a broad overview, a detailed review of emerging forest management paradigms and their global context, and an examination of the ecological premise for emulating natural disturbance. This section also explores the current understanding of natural disturbance regimes, including the two most prevalent in North America: fire and insects. The second section uses case studies from a wide geographical range to address the characterization of natural disturbances and the development of applied templates for their emulation through forest management. The emphasis on fire regimes in this section reflects the greater focus that has traditionally been placed on understanding and managing fire, compared with other forms of disturbance, and utilizes several viewpoints to address the lessons learned from historical disturbance patterns. Reflecting on current thinking in the field, immediate challenges, and potential directions, the final section moves deeper into the issues of practical applications by exploring the expectations for and feasibility of emulating natural disturbance through forest management.

Our goal is to provide users with an overview of forest landscape simulation modeling and provide concrete examples of how to use a forest landscape simulation model - specifically LANDIS-II - for research or planning purposes. First, we provide a general introduction to using sophisticated simulation models to project changes across forested landscapes. Second, we give an overview of the LANDIS-II landscape simulation model, a widely used forest landscape change model. Finally, we provide exercises so the user can gain familiarity with a forest landscape simulation model - specifically LANDIS-II. We begin with a broad overview of simulation modeling. We briefly touch on topics common to all forest simulation models: scale, level of detail, parameterization, calibration, validation, and replication.Next, we provide a comprehensive outline of the characteristics of LANDIS-II that distinguish it from other models. We then describe the data needed to parameterize the model and outline various sources from which to gather the data. A description of the various succession extensions available for LANDIS-II is provided, along with an explanation of how one might calibrate the model and then validate the results. Next, we briefly describe a subset of the disturbance extensions available and outline procedures for their calibration and validation. We conclude with a discussion of how LANDIS simulates the effects of climate change on forest succession and disturbance. The book concludes with a compilation of several exercises designed for the user to gain familiarity with modeling forested landscapes and with using LANDIS-II. The first exercises (chapter 6-8) familiarize the user with running the model (necessary for all subsequent exercises. Subsequent exercises help users become familiar with the simulation of critical ecological processes: succession (chapters 9 and 10) and disturbances (chapters 11-12). Also included is an exercise to learn how to develop forest management scenarios (chapter 13). The final exercise (chapter 14) is designed to help the user synthesize multiple processes to answer more integrated questions about how to manage forests in the face of climate change and disturbance. Together, these exercises will guide the user through the mechanics of running the model and help them discern which extensions are appropriate for their specific research, planning, or scenario application.This book is not a substitute for reading the many LANDIS-II User Guides or the peer-reviewed literature associated with each. If, at the end of the book, you are inspired to apply LANDIS-II, please visit www.landis-ii.org and explore the many resources provided there.

“Landscape Ecology in Forest Management and Conservation: Challenges and Solutions for Global Change” discusses how landscape ecology can contribute to addressing the challenges in contemporary forest management practice, with diverse contributions from active researchers worldwide. It provides not only a summary of conceptual understanding of landscape ecology as related to forest management but also a whole set of specific challenges, issues, and methods on how to deal with them. This book is a stimulating addition to the international literature on landscape ecology and land resource management at large. Dr. Chao Li is a Research Scientist with the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), Natural Resources Canada, and leads the Landscape Disturbances and Forest Valuation Modeling group. Dr. Raffaele Lafortezza is a Lecturer in forest landscape ecology at the University of Bari, Italy. Dr. Jiquan Chen is a Professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences, the University of Toledo, USA.