A Decade of Sanitary Fellings Followed by Climate Extremes in Croatian Managed Forests

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors, I have comprehensively reviewed the manuscript entitled: A decade of sanitary fellings followed by climate extremes in Croatian managed forests. This manuscript analyses the impact of extreme weather events in Croatian managed forests and their relationship with sanitary fellings. The authors main objective was to assess how disturbances such as ice storms, beetle outbreaks and wind extremes have affected the ecological and economic stability of these forests in the last decade. The findings indicate a significant correlation between sanitary logging, wind speed and precipitation anomalies, suggesting that climate change is intensifying forest vulnerability. Its publication in Land is relevant because it provides key information for sustainable forest management in a context of increasing climate perturbations.

However, the authors should consider several of my suggestions before making a decision on possible publication:

Introduction

I suggest the authors include references to studies showing the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in Europe and their impact on forest stability.

It would be advisable to cite previous research that has addressed the relationship between climate and forest management, and explain how this study provides new insights.

It is important to explain why it is relevant to conduct this research specifically in Croatia and what particularities its forests have in comparison to other regions in Europe.

It would be necessary to explain how this study can contribute to improving forest management strategies in Croatia and in other regions with similar conditions.

It is relevant to mention how the study can influence decision making regarding conservation and sustainable forest management policies.

Materials and methods

It is important to provide details on the methodology used to assess the effectiveness of sanitary felling, including the criteria for selecting the affected trees, the area felled and the time elapsed between felling and the assessment of forest regeneration.

Results

It would be advisable to include quantifiable values and their measures of dispersion (mean ± standard deviation) for each variable analysed.

It is important to use figures that summarise the results in a visually effective way, e.g. bar charts to compare the impact of different climatic events on tree mortality or heat maps showing the spatial distribution of disturbances in Croatian forests.

Discussion

It would be advisable to compare the findings with previous studies in Europe, identifying similarities or particularities in terms of forest management and climatic conditions in Croatia.

It is important to assess the effectiveness of sanitary logging in mitigating climatic disturbances, considering both its benefits and possible impacts on biodiversity and forest regeneration.

It would be necessary to analyse whether the frequency of extreme events and the demand for sanitary logging have increased over time, which would allow predicting their impact on forest management and conservation.

I suggest the authors discuss the socio-economic impact of clear-cutting, considering its implications for management costs, timber production and access to natural resources.

It would be timely to examine the policy and governance implications of forest management in the face of extreme events, highlighting the need for conservation policies based on scientific evidence.

I suggest including a final section that summarises the contributions of the study and its implications for future research, proposing lines of work to strengthen the understanding of climate change on forest resilience.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Dear editorial staff. I apologise, but my native language is Spanish and I do not feel qualified to comment on English grammar.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

thank you for all your comments. We have tried to respond to all your suggestions, which is fully visible in the new MS file.

We have included new references to the Introduction in response to your comments. 

Materials and methods and results have been expanded regarding sanitary fellings (figure 9).

Discussion has also been expanded, new citation has been added.

Since Reviewer 2 asked us to shorten the article, we had to make additional changes. Some parts have been removed so that additional parts could be added.

Sincerely,

Authors

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Below are our responses:

Dear authors, I have comprehensively reviewed the manuscript entitled: A decade of sanitary fellings followed by climate extremes in Croatian managed forests. This manuscript analyses the impact of extreme weather events in Croatian managed forests and their relationship with sanitary fellings. The authors main objective was to assess how disturbances such as ice storms, beetle outbreaks and wind extremes have affected the ecological and economic stability of these forests in the last decade. The findings indicate a significant correlation between sanitary logging, wind speed and precipitation anomalies, suggesting that climate change is intensifying forest vulnerability. Its publication in Land is relevant because it provides key information for sustainable forest management in a context of increasing climate perturbations.

However, the authors should consider several of my suggestions before making a decision on possible publication:

CHANGES WERE MADE IN THE INTRODUCTION ACCORDING TO REVIEWERS' REMARKS
Introduction

I suggest the authors include references to studies showing the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in Europe and their impact on forest stability. LINES 59-66

It would be advisable to cite previous research that has addressed the relationship between climate and forest management, and explain how this study provides new insights. LINES 66-73

It is important to explain why it is relevant to conduct this research specifically in Croatia and what particularities its forests have in comparison to other regions in Europe. LINES 95-100

It would be necessary to explain how this study can contribute to improving forest management strategies in Croatia and in other regions with similar conditions. LINES 104 -106, 194-204

It is relevant to mention how the study can influence decision making regarding conservation and sustainable forest management policies. LINES 138-164

CHANGES WERE MADE IN THE M&M SECTION ACCORDING TO REVIEWERS' REMARKS

Materials and methods

It is important to provide details on the methodology used to assess the effectiveness of sanitary felling, including the criteria for selecting the affected trees, the area felled and the time elapsed between felling and the assessment of forest regeneration. LINES 303-306

CHANGES WERE MADE IN THE RESULTS SECTION ACCORDING TO REVIEWERS' REMARKS
Results

It would be advisable to include quantifiable values and their measures of dispersion (mean ± standard deviation) for each variable analysed. MEAN VALUES HAVE BEEN PRESENTED WHERE APLLICABLE (TABLES 2, 4, 7; FIGURES 7, 9, 11, 12, 13). NEW DATA REGARDING SANITARY FELLINGS HAS BEEN ADDED TO RESULTS, LINES 531-538.

It is important to use figures that summarise the results in a visually effective way, e.g. bar charts to compare the impact of different climatic events on tree mortality or heat maps showing the spatial distribution of disturbances in Croatian forests. HEATMAPS WERE NOT A PART OF THIS RESEARCH, BUT AN OVERALL DAMAGE TO FORESTS IN CROATIA IN THE LAST DECADE, IN REGARD TO AREA AFFECTED HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE FIG.15. PREVIOUS FIG.9 HAS BEEN REMOVED, AS WELL AS PARTS OF THE TEXT, LINES 517-530 TO GAIN MORE 'FLUIDUTY' DURING READING.

CHANGES WERE MADE IN THE DISCUSSION SECTION ACCORDING TO REVIEWERS' REMARKS
Discussion

It would be advisable to compare the findings with previous studies in Europe, identifying similarities or particularities in terms of forest management and climatic conditions in Croatia. LINES 456-661

It is important to assess the effectiveness of sanitary logging in mitigating climatic disturbances, considering both its benefits and possible impacts on biodiversity and forest regeneration. THIS WILL BE THE TOPIC OF THE UPCOMING RESEARCH, SINCE WE COULD NOT GET ALL THE NECESSARY DATA.

It would be necessary to analyse whether the frequency of extreme events and the demand for sanitary logging have increased over time, which would allow predicting their impact on forest management and conservation. LINES 656-662

I suggest the authors discuss the socio-economic impact of clear-cutting, considering its implications for management costs, timber production and access to natural resources. LINES 653-656

It would be timely to examine the policy and governance implications of forest management in the face of extreme events, highlighting the need for conservation policies based on scientific evidence. THIS WILL BE THE PART OF A NEXT RESEACH, IN PART WAS MENTIONED IN LINES 817-822

I suggest including a final section that summarises the contributions of the study and its implications for future research, proposing lines of work to strengthen the understanding of climate change on forest resilience. FINAL SECTION WAS ADDED AT THE END OF THE DISCUSSION, LINES 812-825.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

this paper has an interesting approach and a lot of data, probably too many. I think it need to be improved in the abstract and in the introduction, trying to be more incisive and giving a more clear statement of the focus (introduction) and on the result (abstract). it will be useful to shorten all the paper: it is really too long and this doesn’t’ allow a good appreciation of the work. Especially introduction needs to be more incisive and concentrate on the focus of the paper. No problem on result and discussion., even if it is possible to shorten something. In this kind of paper, the reader can easily lose the meaning of the work and become bored, and this it is bad because subject and data are interesting

Author Response

Dear Reviwer,

Thank you for all your comments.

We know the article is quite long, but since reviewer 1 asked for additional information, we had to include it in the MS.

We have tried to shorten the initial text, but adding new information does not significantly reduce the overall MS.

Hopefully this aliterations will be satisfactiory for you.

Sincerely,

Authors

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Below are our responses: this paper has an interesting approach and a lot of data, probably too many. I think it need to be improved in the abstract and in the introduction, trying to be more incisive and giving a more clear statement of the focus (introduction) and on the result (abstract). it will be useful to shorten all the paper: it is really too long and this doesn’t’ allow a good appreciation of the work. Especially introduction needs to be more incisive and concentrate on the focus of the paper. No problem on result and discussion., even if it is possible to shorten something. In this kind of paper, the reader can easily lose the meaning of the work and become bored, and this it is bad because subject and data are interesting  

SINCE REVIEWERS HAD THE OPPOSITE COMMENTS REGARDING THE DATA WHICH SHOULD BE INCLUDED OR EXCLUDED FROM THE MS, AND THE ACADEMIC EDITOR GAVE US NO ADVICE, WE HAVE TRIED OUR BEST TO SHORTEN (EXCLUDE) SOME PARTS, LINES: 57-58, 84-88, 92-95, 120-124, 160-161, 164-166, 173-176, 177-182, 189-193, 196-204, 517-530, 709-712, 731-735, 755-762, 774-783, 805-814.  

SINCE, NEW TEXT HAS BEEN ADDED, ACCORDING TO REVIEWER 1, WE ARE NOT SURE REGARDING THE OVERALL MINIMISATION OF THE TEXT.  

INTRODUCTION, DISCUSSION HAVE BEEN REWRITTEN, NEW RESULTS REGARDING SANITARY FELLINGS HAVE BEEN ADDED. 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors 

I have thoroughly and thoroughly reviewed each of the responses given to my comments. I have found that the manuscript has improved significantly and I believe that in its present state it could be considered for publication. Best regards

Comments on the Quality of English Language

None