MiS — Environmental Inventories in Forests

The MiS (Miljøregistrering i skog — Environmental Inventories in Forests) initiative aims to improve knowledge of biodiversity in forests and thereby contribute to improved detection, monitoring and management of environmental assets in forests.

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Photo: Michael Angeloff
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Lung moss (Lobaria pulmonaria). Foto: John Yngvar Larsson
MiS-Publications from other institutions than NIBIO

This is a major initiative financed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and consists of research, development, communication and guidance for the implementation of the forestry sector's responsibility to safeguard environmental assets in forests.

MiS — Registration and evaluation

The theoretical basis for a registration tool was developed between 1997 and 2000, introducing the so-called CHI approach, which combines forest habitats with a high number of target species and environment that differ in target species composition. MiS is based on the registration of 12 main types of habitats of particular importance to biodiversity in forests. MiS became part of forest planning in 2002, and later came to be an important part of environmental certification in forests.

The inventory provides forest ownership information about areas with environments that are particularly important to safeguard. 120,000 habitats were registered in 2015 and, of these, 87,000 were identified as key biotopes. There is a map database of registered habitats and environmental qualities that is continuously updated with data from several municipalities. In addition, MiS data is recorded in the National Forest Inventory to monitor developments in MiS habitats.

In 2017, a new guide, in which the registration of MiS environments is described according to the NiN (Natur i Norge) system, was released. From the beginning, one of the core focuses has been to document the functions of registered habitats and, since data from MiS records in forestry planning and in the National Forest Inventory was made available, the evaluation and improvement of the method have also been important. 

MiS — New knowledge

Knowledge of how species are distributed throughout the forest landscape and how these patterns change over time is of great significance in terms of how different strategies will work in the management of biological diversity. These patterns are determined by species- specific properties, such as their ability to reproduce and their competitiveness, by the distribution of suitable habitats over time, and by stochastic factors.

A key aim of the project is to produce new knowledge in these areas and to ensure that this knowledge is shared so that the registration and management of environmental assets for biodiversity is as up-to-date as possible. The scientific results are also significant for the management of biodiversity beyond forestry.

Publications

Authors

Ivar Gjerde Vigdis Vandvik

Abstract

Det internasjonale biomangfoldåret er på hell. Norge har, i likhet med flere andre land, satt 2010 som frist for å ”stoppe tapet av det biologiske mangfoldet”. Som en del av dette arbeidet fikk Norge i 2009 ny Naturmangfoldlov (Lov om forvaltning av naturens mangfold). I §23 i loven heter det at ”Kongen i statsråd kan ved forskrift utpeke nærmere angitte arter som prioritert.” Dette åpner for særskilte tiltak, og skal være et virkemiddel for å ta vare på arter som har problemer med å overleve. Men hvilke av de rundt 40.000 naturlig forekommende arter av dyr, planter og sopp i Norge skal prioriteres, og hvilke kriterier skal legges til grunn for utvelgelsen av disse artene?

Authors

Frode Ødegaard Hans Haavardsholm Blom Tor Erik Brandrud

Abstract

Rasmarker, berg og bekkekløfter utgjør særegne levesteder med et stort biologisk mangfold, på grunn av variasjon i miljøforhold og gunstige kombinasjoner av miljøfaktorer. Både blant moser, lav, sopp og karplanter finnes mange rødlistearter i disse naturtypene, og rasmarkene er særlig viktige for insektene. Ustabile naturforhold og vanskelig tilgjengelig terreng gjør disse områdene lite tilgjengelige for inngrep. Likevel påvirkes artssamfunnene negativt av vassdragsregulering, skogbruk og gjengroing.

Authors

Ivar Gjerde Hans Haavardsholm Blom Magne Sætersdal Fride Høistad Schei

Abstract

Effekter av skogbruk på biologisk mangfold er i dag et viktig tema innen skogforskningen. Vi vet en hel del om artenes biologi, og hvilken type skog og habitater de finnes i. Dette har blant annet gitt mulighet for å registrere og ta vare på arealtyper som er spesielt viktige for biologisk mangfold. Det vi vet mindre om er hvordan bestandsskogbruket påvirker artenes populasjoner over tid.

Authors

Ken Olaf Storaunet Jørund Rolstad Målfrid Toeneiet Erlend Rolstad

Abstract

Huldrestry er en epifyttisk lavart som står på den norske rødlista som sterkt truet (EN). Arten synes å være i sterk tilbakegang i mange av de kjente lokalitetene i hele Norge. Det er mangelfull kunnskap om artens økologiske krav og toleranse for hogst. En av flere grunner til tilbakegangen antas å være at skogen i noen lokaliteter er blitt for tett. Mjøsen Skog har en betydelig andel av huldrestryforekomstene i landet i sitt område og har dermed et ansvar for å bidra til å ivareta lavarten. Mjøsen har derfor gjennom prosjektet tatt initiativ til å skaffe fram et bedre grunnlag for å forvalte arten. Prosjektet har gått over 3 år, 2005 – 2007. Huldrestryforekomstene i Lillehammer ble registrert under kartlegging av biologisk viktige områder (MiSregistreringer) i 2003. Huldrestry er her mest tallrik i hogstmoden granskog i produktive skoglier. Historisk utvikling Forskere ved Norsk institutt for skog og landskap har gjennomført undersøkelser av huldrestry og skoghistorie. I forsøksområdet, Saksumdalen og Korsåsen i Lillehammer, ble tidligere tiders plukkhogst erstattet av flatehogst og kulturskogbruk fra 1950tallet. Den eldre skogen i dag framstår som rester etter de gamle hogstene...

Authors

Jørund Rolstad Erlend Rolstad

Abstract

Whereas lichen growth rates have received considerable attention, comparatively few detailed studies of growth patterns have been carried out. Generally, most lichens seem to grow apically, with pseudomeristomatic tissue confined to lobe margins and branch tips. However, some species appear to retain the capacity to expand throughout the thallus. Such intercalary growth processes have proved difficult to confirm in the field for two- and three-dimensionally growing folious and fruticose forms. Using transplants of the conspicuous, one-dimensionally growing Usnea longissima Ach., we document that intercalary growth actually does occur, with thalli expanding geometrically in length with a doubling time of less than a year under favorable conditions.

Authors

Ken Olaf Storaunet

Abstract

In recent years attention has focused on the consequences of modern forestry on biological diversity. Additionally, past forest management has reduced the structural heterogeneity of forest landscapes, increasing the interest in assessing forest naturalness. General forest history of Norway shows that single-tree and selective logging was the main silvicultural method up to the mid-twentieth century when clearcutting practice took over as the dominating logging regime. Thus, regenerating forests on former clearcut areas have barely reached the stages of maturity, implying that mature forests of today for the most part are remnants from the period of selective logging. This thesis has been part of a comprehensive research project where one of the general objectives was to gain knowledge on the distribution and abundance of rare and threatened species in Norwegian forests....

Authors

Magne Sætersdal Ivar Gjerde Hans Blom Per Gerhard Ihlen Elisabeth W. Myrseth Reidun Pommeresche John Skartveit Torstein Solhøy Olav Aas

Abstract

No abstract has been registered

Authors

Ken Olaf Storaunet

Abstract

Number of years since death was estimated by dendrochronological cross-dating of 107 standing dead trees (snags) of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] in a submountainous old-growth forest in south-central Norway. Snag characteristics (size, bark cover, branch order present and variables derived from tree-ring analyses) were used in stepwise linear regression procedures to identify variables that explained time since death.Number of branch orders present (where branches growing directly on the stem were branch order 1, branches growing on order 1 branches were order 2, and so on) explained two-thirds of the variation in time since death. Adding other significant variables, such as diameter, relative height of snags, percentage bark cover and average tree-ring width in the final years before death, increased model precision only moderately.The models were validated by the PRESS statistic, which showed that new observations were predicted fairly well with 65-69% of the variation explained.

Authors

Ken Olaf Storaunet Jørund Rolstad

Abstract

We estimated time from death to fall (standing time) of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) snags in a submountainous old-growth forest in south-central Norway, applying four calculation methods to 124 dendrochronologically cross-dated still-standing snags and 64 fallen logs. The calculation methods consistently estimated expected standing time of snags at 26–34 years, with a median of 16–21 years and 20% of snags standing for >48–58 years. The survival function from all methods took the approximate form of a negative exponential, with a 3%–4% annual fall rate for snags. In the distribution of time since death, a small peak in dead trees 20–30 years ago (late 1970s) coincides with a historic epidemic of bark beetles. The method using only time since death of still-standing snags appears to be the most feasible for estimating total standing time of snags in old-growth forests with constant tree mortality.

Authors

Tonje Økland Knut Rydgren Rune Halvorsen Økland Ken Olaf Storaunet Jørund Rolstad

Abstract

We studied four south-facing and three north-facing boreal spruce forest stands (ca. 0.1ha each) in SE Norway with the aim of testing the hypothesis that former logging has long-term effects on boreal forest-floor vegetation. The stand series comprised unlogged natural forests and forests that were selectively or clear cut 6070 years prior to our study. Each stand was described with respect to history of forestry impact and tree-stand structure.Environmental, species number, species abundance and species composition (vegetation gradients obtained as ordination axes) variables obtained for 25 m1m plots in each stand were tested for among-stand differences. Significant among-stand differences were found, partly related to former forest management and partly due to among-stand differences in topography.Differences among stands related to management were found for tree stand density, highest in managed stands, and for Dryopteris expansa agg. and Luzula pilosa abundances, peaking in formerly clear-cut stands. Species number (at plot or stand scales) was weakly related to former management.On southerly as well as northerly aspects, gradients in species composition were found that separated plots according to former management. Differences among stand conditioned on topography resulted in opposite patterns in the two series of stands because among southerly stands the clear cut was the least while among northerly the clear cut was the most strongly sloping. Low-inclination sites tended more strongly to be paludified and to have high Sphagnum cover, and to have low abundance of specific microsites with small mosses and hepatics. Vegetation gradients related to soil moisture and microtopography were found for both aspects.A strong gradient in species composition related to tree influence at within-stand scales was found, with variation in species number. Existence of such a gradient should provide for significant biotic effects (of short or long duration) of the environmental changes that take place during forest re-growth: (1) the immediate creation of small or large tree-layer gaps by tree felling; and (2) the closing of the tree layer during the regeneration phase.Most notably, the phases at which the tree layer reaches minimum and maximum cover, respectively, may act as `bottlenecks\" for survival of forest-floor species. We conclude that forestry impacts understorey vegetation by way of changes in tree-layer structure and, to a lesser extent, substrate availability and the local environment, during forest regrowth. The extent and duration of this impact will depend on a complex set of factors.Our results are consistent with the view that if maintenance of species diversity is aimed at, environmental considerations should be built into forest management practices, preferably by mimicking the natural structural dynamics of the tree layer.

Authors

Ken Olaf Storaunet Jørund Rolstad

Abstract

To estimate the age of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) logs by means of decay classes, and to assess how long it takes for downed logs to decompose, we dated logs dendrochronologically by applying 5- and 8-grade decay classification systems. Study sites were chosen in old-growth and previously selectively cut forest stands in boreal south-central Scandinavia; 113 logs were dated to the number of years since death, 120 were dated to the number of years since fall, and 61 logs were dated to both. The number of years from death to fall showed a negative exponential distribution, with a mean of 22 years and a range of 0–91 years. Decay classes of logs (8-grade scale) reflected time since fall (R2 = 0.58) better than time since death (R2 = 0.27) in a linear regression model. This result is due to the lower decomposition rate of standing snags. Therefore, the decomposition time of logs should be divided into two periods: time from death to fall, which varies considerably, and time after fall, which appears to follow a linear relationship with decay class. The model predicted that it takes 100 years after fall for downed logs to decompose completely (reaching decay class 8) in old-growth stands. Logs in selectively cut stands appeared to decompose faster (64 years), which is explained by a sample shortage of old logs resulting from previous cuttings. We conclude that the decomposition time of downed logs may be severely underestimated when data is retrospectively compiled from previously logged forest stands.

To document

Authors

Rune Halvorsen Økland Tonje Økland Knut Rydgren

Abstract

Undervegetasjonens artssammensetning er undersøkt i 150 prøveflater á 1 m2 i 11 gransumpskogslokaliteter i Østmarka naturreservat, Akershus. 53 miljøvariabler er registrert i tilknytning til hver prøveflate. Det ble funnet to hovedgradienter i artssammensetning i sumpskogene. Begge kunne relateres til økologiske hovedkompleksgradienter; jordas (og grunnvannets) nærings- og surhetsstatus, og dybden til det mediane grunnvannsspeilet. En rekke arter har klare fordelingsmønstre langs disse gradientene og kan derfor nyttes som indikatorer på ulike voksestedsforhold. Variasjonen langs de to hovedkompleksgradientene blir lagt til grunn for beskrivelse av seks voksestedstyper i gransumpskog.. Det blir vist at grensa mellom sumpskog og granskog på fastmark er relativt skarp, og at artsmangfoldet i sumpskoger er høyt, både på grunn av høyt nisjemangfold og på grunn av høyt antall mindre vanlige arter. Fordi artsinventaret i sumpskogene bare i begrenset grad kan forutsies på grunnlag av økologiske forhold anbefales at man, dersom man ønsker å ta vare på det biologiske mangfoldet i skog, sikrer alle intakte sumpskoger på næringsrik grunn og et representativt utvalg av øvrige sumpskoger mot grøfting og andre irreversible inngrep.

Authors

Ivar Gjerde

Abstract

I de senere årene har det blitt gjennomført registreringer av såkalte nøkkelbiotoper (Haugset m.fl. 1996), som vanligvis er mindre flekker av skog som anses for å være særlig viktig for mangfoldet av arter i skog. Metoden ble opprinnelig utviklet av feltbiologer i Nord-Sverige (Karström 1992) som igjen var inspirert av britiske undersøkelser (f.eks Peterken 1974, Rose 1976). Den bygger i stor grad på registrering av såkalte indikatorarter eller signalarter (særlig av lav og vedboende sopp), som skal indikere spesielle skogtilstander og forekomst av sjeldne og truete arter (rødlistearter). Interessen for slike registreringer har vært stor i skogbruket, ikke minst fordi næringen er inne i en prosess med miljøsertifisering, der hensyn til biologisk mangfold i utøvelsen av praktisk skogbruket står sentralt. I skogbruksmiljøene har man naturlig nok også funnet det interessant at man mener å kunne bevare en stor andel av mangfoldet gjennom å bevare en liten andel av skogen som nøkkelbiotoper (ca1% i Sverige, Skogsstyrelsen 1999 ). MiS-prosjektet har lagt ned et betydelig arbeid for å undersøke de faglige forutsetningene for bevaring av biologisk mangfold i skog, og for å videreutvikle en registreringsmetodikk for norske forhold. Arbeidet med å publisere resultatene er nå igang. I denne artikkelen skal jeg ta for meg noen grunnleggende prinsipper for hvordan MiS-registreringene er bygget opp, og hvordan de er knyttet til viktige resultater fra prosjektet.

Authors

Per Gerhard Ihlen B.J. Coppins

Abstract

Arthothelillm lirellans and A. orbilliferum are reported new to Scandinavia. Both species were found in Hordaland, western Norway. Their ecology and European distribution are discussed, and distribution maps presented.

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