DOI: 10.5061/dryad.vt4b8gtnp
title: Data from: Ecosystem service multifunctionality of low-productivity forests and implications for conservation and management

description: Low-productivity forests are often the last remaining pristine forests in
 managed forest landscapes and typically overrepresented among protected
 forests. However, the provisioning of individual and multiple ecosystem
 services (ES-multifunctionality) by these forests remains poorly assessed,
 making it difficult to evaluate their importance in forest conservation
 and management. Using nationwide data on ecosystem services (ES) from
 forest plots, we test whether levels of ES-multifunctionality and
 individual ES differ between low-productivity forested mires and rocky
 outcrops in relation to the levels of productive forests, and as a
 function of forest age, tree species richness and climate. We defined
 ES-multifunctionality using different threshold values of the maximum
 levels (low, medium and high) and weighted these according to land-use
 objectives (equal weight of all services, greater weight to cultural and
 supporting ES, or greater weight to production). We show that the
 ES-multifunctionality of forested mires is consistently lower than those
 of productive forests. However, the ES-multifunctionality increased with
 forest age in forested mires but not in productive forests. The
 ES-multifunctionality of forested rocky outcrops, on the other hand, was
 higher or equivalent to that of productive forests under equal weight and
 supporting land-use objectives, respectively. Our findings highlight that
 forested rocky outcrops can supply multiple ES, especially older forested
 stands with mixtures of coniferous and deciduous trees. Generally, we
 found no evidence for strong trade-offs between the ES studied and our
 results highlight the importance of forest age for increasing the
 ES-multifunctionality of low-productivity forests. Synthesis and
 applications. Low-productivity forests should not be exempt of
 forestry or protected purely based on low productivity or low land-use
 conflict if the goal is to conserve multiple ecosystem services (ES).
 Inclusion grounds for protecting low-productivity forests should instead
 carefully consider the site type (dry versus wet), forest age, and tree
 species richness. In order to maintain higher ES-multifunctionality in
 low-productivity forests, older or deciduous trees should also not be
 harvested. This will require changes in current conservation or management
 policies of low-productivity forests of some countries.
description: <strong>Ecosystem service multifunctionality values from
 forested mires</strong> Ecosystem service
 multifunctionality (ES-multifunctionality) values calculated
 from nationwide Swedish data on nine ecosystem services in circular plots
 (314 m<sup>2</sup>) located in forested mires and productive
 forests of similar age, tree species dominance by Scots
 pine <em>Pinus sylvestris</em>, and geographic location.
 The ES-multifunctionality values use different threshold values of the
 maximum levels (low =25%, medium=50% and high=75%) of ecosystem service
 values and are weighted according to three land-use objectives (equal
 weight of all services, greater weight to cultural and supporting
 services, or greater weight to tree biomass production). Abbreviations: ID
 (individual plot identifier), T25_EQUAL_WT (scaled and summed ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 25% of maximum levels and all services weighted equal), T25_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 25% of maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural and supporting services), T25_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 25% and greater weight to tree biomass production services), T50_EQUAL_WT (scaled and summed ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 50% of maximum levels and all services weighted equal), T50_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 50% of maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural and supporting services), T50_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 50% and greater weight to tree biomass production services), T75_EQUAL_WT (scaled and summed ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 75% of maximum levels and all services weighted equal), T75_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 75% of maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural and supporting services), T75_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 75% and greater weight to tree biomass production services), Site_type (forested mire or productive forest), Forest_stand_age (years), Tree_species_richness (number of tree species with diameter at breast height &gt;= 10 cm), Temp_Ann_99to10 (mean annual temperature averaged over 1999-2010), and Sum_Prec_Season_99to10 (summed precipitation May-November (mm) averaged over 1999-2010).  <strong>Ecosystem service multifunctionality values from forested rocky outcrops</strong> Ecosystem service multifunctionality (ES-multifunctionality) values calculated from nationwide Swedish data on nine ecosystem services in circular plots (314 m<sup>2</sup>) located in forested rocky outcrops and productive forests of similar age, tree species dominance by Scots pine <em>Pinus sylvestris</em>, and geographic location. The ES-multifunctionality values use different threshold values of the maximum levels (low =25%, medium=50% and high=75%) of ecosystem service values and are weighted according to three land-use objectives (equal weight of all services, greater weight to cultural and supporting services, or greater weight to tree biomass production). Abbreviations: ID (individual plot identifier), T25_EQUAL_WT (scaled and summed ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 25% of maximum levels and all services weighted equal), T25_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 25% of maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural and supporting services), T25_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 25% and greater weight to tree biomass production services), T50_EQUAL_WT (scaled and summed ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 50% of maximum levels and all services weighted equal), T50_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 50% of maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural and supporting services), T50_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 50% and greater weight to tree biomass production services), T75_EQUAL_WT (scaled and summed ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 75% of maximum levels and all services weighted equal), T75_SUPPORTING (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 75% of maximum levels and and greater weight to cultural and supporting services), T75_PRODUCTION (ES-multifunctionality values surpassing 75% and greater weight to tree biomass production services), Site_type (forested rocky outcrop or productive forest), Forest_stand_age (years), Tree_species_richness (number of tree species with diameter at breast height &gt;= 10 cm), Temp_Ann_99to10 (mean annual temperature averaged over 1999-2010), and Sum_Prec_Season_99to10 (summed precipitation May-November (mm) averaged over 1999-2010).