DOI: 10.5061/dryad.z612jm69k
title: Data from: Spontaneous forest regrowth in South-West Europe: consequences for nature’s contributions to people

description: Context European forests are expanding and becoming denser
 following the widespread abandonment of farmland and rural areas. Yet,
 little is known about the goods and services that spontaneous forest
 regrowth provide to people. Aims We assessed the changes
 in nature’s contributions to people (NCP) from spontaneous forest
 regrowth, i.e. forest expansion and densification, in South-West Europe.
 Methods We investigated 65 forest plots in four different
 landscapes with contrasting ecological and societal contexts. Two
 landscapes are located in rural areas undergoing human exodus and forest
 expansion and densification; the other two, in peri-urban areas with
 intense land use and forest densification but negligible expansion. For
 each forest plot, we estimated variables related to ten out of the 18 main
 NCP defined by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on
 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Regulating and material NCP
 were addressed using variables measured in the field as proxies.
 Non-material NCP were studied through stakeholder interviews.
 Results Our results show across the cases that forest expansion
 and densification is generally associated with greater climate regulation
 and energy provision. Changes in other NCP, especially in non-material
 ones, were strongly context-dependent. The social perception of
 spontaneous forest regrowth was primarily negative in rural areas and more
 positive in peri-urban landscapes. Conclusion Passive restoration
 through spontaneous forest expansion and densification can enhance
 regulating and material NCP, especially when adaptive management is
 applied. To optimise NCP and to increase the societal awareness of and
 interest in spontaneous forest regrowth, the effects of this process
 should be analysed in close coordination with local stakeholders to unveil
 and quantify the many and complex trade-offs involved in rural or
 peri-urban social perceptions.
description: The dataset was collected by four different teams who took part
 in the project. It consisted on four case studies of forest regrowth
 (including expansion and densification) after rural abandonment with
 contrasting ecological and societal contexts. The study took place in
 Spain and France. Two landscapes are located in rural areas undergoing
 human exodus and forest expansion and densification; the other two, in
 peri-urban areas with intense land use and forest densification but
 negligible expansion. For each forest plot, we estimated variables related
 to ten out of the 18 main Nature's contributions to people
 (NCP) defined by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on
 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Regulating and material NCP were
 addressed using variables measured in the field as proxies. Non-material
 NCP were studied through stakeholder interviews. Thus,
 this dataset contains data on NCP associated with forest regrowth
 of Juniperus thurifera L., Fagus sylvatica L., Quercus ilex L., and
 Quercus robur L stands. It includes a total of 65 study plots and 2,837
 individual trees. The considered NCP included four regulating, three
 material, and three non-material NCP as well as one NCP common to all
 categories. The four regulating NCP were habitat creation and maintenance;
 pollination and dispersal of seeds and other propagules; regulation of
 climate through biological carbon (C) sequestration and storage; and
 regulation of detrimental organisms and biological processes. The two
 material NCP were energy; and medicinal, biochemical and genetic
 resources. The three non-material NCP were learning and inspiration;
 physical and psychological experience; and supporting identities. The NCP
 common to all categories was the maintenance of options, reflected in
 maintaining biodiversity (estimated in this case with the Shannon
 diversity index). The dataset contains information at both individual and
 plot level. Habitat creation and maintenance (NCP1) was
 calculated by computing the spatial connectivity of the plots in Q. ilex
 and Q. robur stands. It was inferred by calculating the percentage cover
 of broadleaved forest in a circular buffer (radius = 500 m) around each
 plot. Pollination and the dispersal of seeds and other
 propagules (NCP2) was estimated by counting all seedlings and saplings in
 each plot and divided them by the plot area to obtain the density of
 saplings per hectare.  Climate regulation in terms of
 biological carbon (C) storage and sequestration (NCP4) was estimated by
 the overall C stock contained in the trees of the study plots. We
 calculated the total biomass per tree using species-specific allometric
 equations that combine the dbh and the height of the sampled trees. We
 also calculated the C stock per tree multiplying the obtained biomass by
 the percentage of C in each species.  The regulation of
 detrimental organisms and biological processes (NCP10) was assessed using
 the percentage of invertebrate herbivory. For all except the <i>J.
 thurifera </i>case study, we determined herbivore damages by
 visually estimating the percentage of leaf area removed by
 invertebrates. Energy provision (NCP11) was understood
 as the production of biomass-based fuels such as fuelwood. We estimated
 biomass input from thick and medium branches (i.e. the tree parts normally
 employed as fuelwood) for each tree within plots. Biomass input from thick
 and medium branches was calculated from allometric equations specific for
 each species. The provision of medicinal, biochemical
 and genetic resources (NCP14) includes the production of plant genes and
 genetic information. In each plot we quantified gene diversity corrected
 for sample size as proxy for NCP14. The maintenance of
 options (NCP18) includes the benefits associated with species
 diversity. We scored woody species richness and abundance and computed the
 Shannon diversity index as proxy.  Additionally,
 interviews regarding social perceptions related to learning and
 inspiration (NCP15), physical and psychological experiences (NCP16) and
 supporting identities (NCP17) were conducted at the case study level.
 Please notice that the social perception dataset is not uploaded to ensure
 data privacy policy.  More information and detailed
 Methodology can be found in Martín-Forés et al. (2020) People and Nature,
 in both the main text and the Supplementary Material S1.
description: Some values are missing because the methodology was adjusted
 according to each case study. For more information please read the
 detailed information provided by Martín-Forés et al. (2020) People and
 Nature, in both the main text and the Supplementary Material S1.