Year published:
2002
Volume:
17
Issue:
2
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Introduction: what is RONV?
The concept of the range of natural variability[1] is increasingly recognized as an important element of strategies for sustainable forest management. Generally, the range of natural variability (RONV) refers to the spectrum of natural conditions possible in ecosystem structure, composition, and function, when considering both temporal and spatial scales (Swanson et al. 1994) (Figure 1). This concept is useful for evaluating how management interventions affect the structures, composition, and functions of forest ecosystems. Here, our objectives are to review the concept of RONV, discuss its merits and challenges and provide a checklist with which to evaluate a defensible determination of RONV.