Conserving Forest Ecosystems: Guidelines for Size, Condition and Landscape Requirements

Abstract

A forest ecosystem consists of thousands of species. Conserving forest biodiversity depends on protecting complete ecosystems that contain the full complement of their associated flora and fauna. Here I present an explicit framework and a set of guidelines for selecting and conserving forest sites as coarse-filters for forest biodiversity. The framework focuses on: 1) Size; defined as the area needed to accommodate natural dynamics and provide sufficient breeding area for multiple pairs of forest interior species, 2) Condition; defined as the quantity of., biological legacies, and the amount of non-fragmented interior forest needed to ensure resilience, and 3) Landscape context; defined as the amount and configuration of managed forest cover to maintain regional scale properties, and to buffer and connect key reserve areas. I use a case study from the Northern Appalachians ecoregion to illustrate the development of quantitative thresholds and measurable goals for these characteristics.