SIGNIFICANCE OF THINNING DEGRADED SWAMPS FOREST STANDS IN SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEM`S DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

In scope of biodiversity and sustainable ecosystem development swamps ecosystem restoration is important, because by eradicating the effect of drainage in swamps, negative impact on adjacent intact or relatively intact raised swamps and hydrological regime of other wetlands is lowered. Tree cutting in degraded swamps forest stands would speed up restoration of ecosystems disturbed hydrological regime. Habitat conservation value in long-term is the same as for habitat 7110* Intact raised swamps, as in case of hydrological regime restoration, within time it will transform into 7110*. Several specially protected plant species can be found only in raised swamps.
Tree stand transpiration volume varies depending on air temperature and solar radiation. Since in reality it is impossible to change air temperature or solar radiation in order to increase the groundwater level in a swamp, we can reduce the leaf area index (LAI) which is the most significant value influencing transpiration by cutting down trees.
Aim of this paper is to examine how LAI interacts with groundwater level by using system dynamics swamps ecosystem model.
Swamps ecosystem model shows correlation between LAI and groundwater level.
As a result of this research author observes, that LAI interacts groundwater level and system dynamics modelling could be useful to calculate degraded swamps forest stands thinning intensity through mathematical relationships.

Keywords: groundwater level, leaf area index, swamp, system dynamics

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2017.104