Validation of ecological indicators to evaluate sustainability of forest management in Humid tropics, with emphasis on forests with high conservation value.

This study quantifies the impacts of different intensities of tree harvesting on indicators of stand structure and composition and on butterflies communities in a certified forest in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua. The impacts on the three indicators were assessed by determining thresholds of acceptable/unacceptable levels of change based on existent methodologies. The use of thresholds is a useful tool to demonstrate the impact level of different management practices. Indicators were measured in three forests: forest with low harvesting (ABI), forest with high harvesting (AAI) and a forest without harvesting, used as a control (BR). Vegetation density, basal area and palm abundance was measured considering only individuals with DBH>10cm, in temporal 50m x 50m plots. Canopy openness and vertical structure was assessed in 10m x 10m temporal plots. Butterfly communities were evaluated in 500m transects, distributed in such a manner as to include all different environments within the forest.

本研究针对尼加拉瓜北大西洋自治区的一处认证森林，量化了不同强度林木采伐对林分结构、组成指标以及蝴蝶群落的影响。本研究基于现有方法体系，通过确定可接受/不可接受的变化阈值，评估三类指标所受的影响。阈值的应用是直观展示不同营林措施影响程度的实用工具。本次研究在三类森林中开展指标测定：低强度采伐林（ABI）、高强度采伐林（AAI）以及作为对照的无采伐林（BR）。研究针对胸径（DBH）大于10cm的林木个体，在50m×50m临时样地中测定了植被密度、林分断面积以及棕榈科植物丰度；在10m×10m临时样地中评估林冠开阔度与群落垂直结构；通过布设覆盖森林内所有生境类型的500m样线，对蝴蝶群落进行调查评估。