Journal of Forest Science, 2020 (vol. 66), issue 3
Vertical distribution and production of fine roots in an old-growth forest, JapanOriginal Paper
Bui The Doi, Tran Van Do
J. For. Sci., 2020, 66(3):89-96 | DOI: 10.17221/121/2019-JFS 
Fine roots (≤ 2 mm in diameter) account for up to 50% of total net primary production in forests, representing a major flow of both carbon and nutrients into the soil. We investigated the vertical distribution and production of fine roots in a warm temperate old-growth evergreen broadleaved forest in southwestern Japan. We used a continuous inflow method that considered different rates of diameter-dependent root mortality, decomposition, and thickening. Fine roots were classified into two classes (≤ 1 mm and 1-2 mm diameter). The experiment was conducted over a 1-year period to collect data on the mass of live fine roots and mass of dead...
Preventing forest fires using a wireless sensor networkOriginal Paper
Ligong Pan
J. For. Sci., 2020, 66(3):97-104 | DOI: 10.17221/151/2019-JFS
Forest fire is a natural phenomenon in many ecosystems across the world. The forecasting of fire danger conditions resembles one of the most important parts in forest fire management. A ZigBee-based wireless sensor network was proposed for monitoring fire danger and predicting the behaviour of fire after occurrence. This technique is intended for real-time operation, given the urgent need for forest protection against fires. The architecture of a wireless sensor network for forest fire detection is described. From the information collected by the system, decisions on firefighting or fire prevention can be made more quickly by the relevant government...
Willingness to pay for church forest conservation: a case study in northwestern EthiopiaOriginal Paper
Birara Endalew, Beneberu Assefa Wondimagegnhu, Kassahun Tassie
J. For. Sci., 2020, 66(3):105-116 | DOI: 10.17221/154/2019-JFS
Church forests provide a safe habitat for plants and animals, sources of food and traditional medicine, seed bank for native tree species, reduce soil erosion and rich in biodiversity. But the economic values of these important benefits of church forests were not well documented. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the mean and total willingness to pay for church forest conservation using open-ended and double bounded contingent valuation formats. In doing so, both cash and labour contributions were used to measure the respondents' willingness to pay. Primary data were collected from 300 randomly selected households and analyzed using descriptive...
Development of the Norway spruce (Picea abies /L./ Karst.) stand established by various spacings and affected by abiotic harmful factors and ungulate gameOriginal Paper
Igor Štefančík
J. For. Sci., 2020, 66(3):117-131 | DOI: 10.17221/18/2020-JFS
The paper presents the results of 30-year research on silviculture-production relationships in a 50-years-old Norway spruce stand (a small-pole stage) originated from artificial regeneration in a mountain forest. The stand was established in four different spacing variants: (i) 1.5 × 1.0 m, (ii) 2.5 × 1.0 m, (iii) 2.5 × 1.5 m, and (iv) 2.5 × 2.5 m. At each spacing, three management methods were investigated: geometric (schematic) intervention, mixed selective intervention, and control (no intervention). The development of the stand was disturbed by repeated snow breaks, rime and ungulate game damage. As a result of these harmful factors, the number...