Carbon storage and potentials of the broad-leaved forest in alpine region of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau,China北大核心CSCD

Aims Our objective was to explore the vegetation carbon storages and their variations in the broad-leaved forests in the alpine region of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau that includes Qinghai Province and Xizang Autonomous Region. Methods Based on forest resource inventory data and field sampling, this paper studied the carbon storage, its sequestration rate, and the potentials in the broad-leaved forests in the alpine region of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Important findings The vegetation carbon storage in the broad-leaved forest accounted for 310.70 Tg in 2011, with the highest value in the broad-leaved mixed forest and the lowest in Populus forest among the six broad-leaved forests that include Quercus, Betula, Populus, other hard broad-leaved species, other soft broad-leaved species, and the broadleaved mixed forest. The carbon density of the broad-leaved forest was 89.04 Mg•hm2, with the highest value in other hard broad-leaved species forest and the lowest in other soft broad-leaved species forest. The carbon storage and carbon density in different layers of the forests followed a sequence of overstory layer > understory layer > litter layer > grass layer > dead wood layer, which all increased with forest age. In addition, the carbon storage of broad-leaved forest increased from 304.26 Tg in 2001 to 310.70 Tg in 2011. The mean annual carbon sequestration and its rate were 0.64 Tg•a1 and 0.19 Mg•hm2•a1, respectively. The maximum and minimum of the carbon sequestration rate were respectively found in other soft broad-leaved species forest and other hard broad-leaved species forest, with the highest value in the mature forest and the lowest in the young forest. Moreover, the carbon sequestration potential in the tree layer of broad-leaved forest reached 19.09 Mg•hm2 in 2011, with the highest value found in Quercus forest and the lowest in Betula forest. The carbon storage increased gradually during three inventory periods, indicating that the broad-leaved forest was well protected to maintain a healthy growth by the forest protection project of Qinghai Province and Xizang Autonomous Region.     

Present status and rate of carbon sequestration of forest vegetation in Jilin Province,Northeast China北大核心CSCD

Aims Forests represent the most important component of the terrestrial biological carbon pool and play an important role in the global carbon cycle. The regional scale estimation of carbon budgets of forest ecosystems, however, have high uncertainties because of the different data sources, estimation methods and so on. Our objective was to accurately estimate the carbon storage, density and sequestration rate in forest vegetation in Jilin Province of China, in order to understand the role of the carbon sink and to better manage forest ecosystems. Methods Vegetation survey data were used to determine forest distribution, size of area and vegetation types regionally. In our study, 561 plots were investigated to build volume-biomass models; 288 plots of shrubs and herbs were harvested to calculate the biomass of understory vegetation, and samples of trees, shrubs and herbs were collected to analyze carbon content. Carbon storage, density and sequestration rate were estimated by two forest inventory data (2009 and 2014), combined with volume-biomass models, the average biomass of understory vegetation and carbon content of vegetation. Finally, the distribution patterns of carbon pools were presented using ArcGIS soft ware. Important findings Understory vegetation biomass overall was less than 3% of the tree layer biomass, varying greatly among different forest types and even among the similar types. The carbon content of trees was between 45.80% 52.97%, and that of the coniferous forests was higher than that of the broadleaf forests. The carbon content of shrub and herb layers was about 39.79% 47.25% and 40%, respectively. Therefore, the vegetation carbon conversion coefficient was 0.47 or 0.48 in Jilin Province, and the conventional use of 0.50 or 0.45 would cause deviation of ±5.26%. The vegetation carbon pool of Jilin Province was at the upper range of regional carbon pool and had higher capacity of carbon sequestration. The value in 2009 and 2014 was 471.29 Tg C and 505.76 Tg C, respectively, and the total increase was 34.47 Tg C with average annual growth of 6.89 Tg C•a1. The corresponding carbon sequestration rate was 0.92 t•hm 2•a1. The carbon density rose from 64.58 t•hm 2 in 2009 to 66.68 t•hm2 in 2014, with an average increase of 2.10 t•hm2. In addition, the carbon storage of the Quercus mongolica forests and broadleaved mixed forests, accounted for 90.34% of that of all forests. The carbon increment followed the order of young > over-mature > near mature > middle-aged > mature forests. The carbon sequestration rate of followed the order of over-mature > young > near mature > middle-aged > mature forests. Both the carbon increment and the carbon sequestration rate of mature forests were negative. Furthermore, spatially the carbon storage and density were higher in the east than in the west of Jilin province, while the carbon increment was higher in northeast and middle east than in the west. The carbon sequestration rate was higher in Tonghua and Baishan in the south, followed by Jinlin in the middle and Yanbian in the east, while Baicheng and Songyuan, etc. in west showed negative values.     

Long-term protection effects of national reserve to forest vegetation in 4 decades: biodiversity change analysis of major forest types in Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve, China

The Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve (CNR) was established in 1960 to protect the virgin Korean pine mixed hardwood forest, a typical temperate forest of northeast China. We conducted systematic stud- ies of vascular diversity patterns on the north slope of the CNR mountainside forests (800-1700 m a.s.l.) in 1963 and 2006 respectively. The aim of this comparison is to assess the long-term effects of the protection on plant biodiversity of CNR during the interval 43 years. The research was carried out in three types of forests: mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest (MCBF), mixed coniferous forest (MCF), and sub-alpine coniferous forest (SCF), characterized by different dominant species. The alpha diversity indicted by species richness and the Shannon-Wiener index were found different in the same elevations and forest types during the 43-year interval. The floral composition and the diversity of vascular species were generally similar along altitudinal gradients before and after the 43-year interval, but some substantial changes were evident with the altitude gradient. In the tree layers, the dominant species in 2006 were similar to those of 1963, though diversity declined with altitude. The indices in the three forest types did not differ significantly between 1963 and 2006, and these values even increased in the MCBF and MCF from 1963 to 2006. However, originally dominant species, P. koraiensis for ex- ample, tended to decline, while the proportion of broad-leaved trees increased, and the species turn- over in the succession layers trended to shift to higher altitudes. The diversity pattern of the under canopy fluctuated along the altitudinal gradient due to micro-environmental variations. Comparison of the alpha diversity in the three forests shows that the diversity of the shrub and herb layer decreased with time. During the process of survey, we also found some rare and medicinal species disappeared. Analysis indicates that the changes of the diversity pattern in this region are caused by both nature and human factors. Meteorological records revealed that climate has changed significantly in the past 43 years. We also found the most severe human disturbance to the CNR forests in the process of another field survey that is the exploitation of herb medicines and Korean pine nuts. We hope this research would give some guidance to the future reserve management in Changbai Mountain area.     

Carbon storage and its distribution of forest ecosystems in Zhejiang Province,China北大核心CSCD

Aims The concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has considerably increased over last century and is set to rise further. Forest ecosystems play a key role in reducing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and mitigating global climate change. Our objective is to understand carbon storage and its distribution in forest ecosystems in Zhejiang Province, China. Methods By using the 8th forest resource inventory data and 2011 2012 field investigation data, we estimated carbon storage, density and its distribution in forest ecosystems of Zhejiang Province. Important findings The carbon storage of forest ecosystems in Zhejiang Province was 602.73 Tg, of which 122.88 Tg in tree layer, 16.73 Tg in shrub-herb layer, 11.36 Tg in litter layer and 451.76 Tg in soil layer accounting for 20.39%, 2.78%, 1.88% and 74.95% of the total carbon storage, respectively. The carbon storage of mixed broadleaved forests was 138.03 Tg which ranked the largest (22.90%) among all forest types. The young and middle aged forests which accounted for 70.66% of the total carbon storage were the main body of carbon storage in Zhejiang Province. The carbon density of forest ecosystems in Zhejiang Province was 120.80 t•hm2 and that in tree layer, shrub-herb layer, litter layer and soil layer were 24.65 t•hm2, 3.36 t•hm2, 2.28 t•hm2 and 90.51 t•hm2, respectively. The significant relationship between soil organic carbon storage and forest ecosystem carbon storage indicated that soil carbon played an important role in shaping forest ecosystem carbon density. Carbon density of tree layer increased with age in natural forests, but decreased in the order over-mature > near-mature > mature > middle-aged > young forest in plantations. The proportions of young and middle aged forests were larger than any other age classes. Thereby, the carbon storage of forest ecosystems in Zhejiang Province could be increased through a proper forest management.     

Carbon storage of the forests and its spatial pattern in Nei Mongol,China北大核心CSCD

Aims Forest carbon storage in Nei Mongol plays a significant role in national terrestrial carbon budget due to its large area in China. Our objectives were to estimate the carbon storage in the forest ecosystems in Nei Mongol and to quantify its spatial pattern. Methods Field survey and sampling were conducted at 137 sites that distributed evenly across the forest types in the study region. At each site, the ecosystem carbon density was estimated thorough sampling and measuring different pools of soil (0 100 cm) and vegetation, including biomass of tree, grass, shrub, and litter. Regional carbon storage was calculated with the estimated carbon density for each forest type. Important findings Carbon storage of vegetation layer in forests in Nei Mongol was 787.8 Tg C, with the biomass of tree, litter, herbaceous and shrub accounting for 93.5%, 3.0%, 2.7% and 0.8%, respectively. Carbon density of vegetation layer was 40.4 t•hm2, with 35.6 t•hm2 in trees, 2.9 t•hm2 in litter, 1.2 t•hm2 in herbaceous and 0.6 t•hm2 in shrubs. In comparison, carbon storage of soil layer in forests in Nei Mongol was 2 449.6 Tg C, with 79.8% distributed in the first 30 cm. Carbon density of soil layer was 144.4 t•hm2. Carbon storage of forest ecosystem in Nei Mongol was 3 237.4 Tg C, with vegetation and soil accounting for 24.3% and 75.7%, respectively. Carbon density of forest ecosystems in Nei Mongol was 184.5 t•hm2. Carbon density of soil layer was positively correlated with that of vegetation layer. Spatially, both carbon storage and carbon density were higher in the eastern area, where the climate is more humid. Forest reserves and artificial afforestations can significantly improve the capacity of regional carbon sink.     

Soil Organic Matter Dynamics Along a Vertical Vegetation Gradient in the Gongga Mountain on the Tibetan Plateau

Our knowledge about soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics is limited although this is an important issue in the study of responses of ecosystems to global climate changes. Twelve sampling plots were set up every 200 m from 1 700 to 3 900 m along the vertical vegetation gradient along the east slope of Gongga Mountain. Samples were taken from all 12 plots for SOM content measurement, although only 5 of the 12 plots were subjected to radiocarbon measurements. A radiocarbon isotope method and a time-dependent model were used to quantify the SOM dynamics and SOM turnover rates along the vertical vegetation gradient. The results showed that the SOM turnover rate decreased and turnover time increased with soil depth for all vegetation types. The litter layer turnover rates presented a clear trend along the gradient. The litter layer turnover rates decreased with an increase in elevation, except that the litter layer turnover rate of mixed forest was higher than that of evergreen forest. Climatic factors, such as temperature and precipitation, were the main factors influencing the surface soil carbon dynamics. The turnover rates of the subsoil (including the A, B, and C horizons in the soil profiles) along the vertical gradient had no clear trends. The SOM of subalpine shrub and meadow turned over more slowly than that of the forest types in almost all soil horizons. The characteristic of short roots distributing in the upper part of the soil profile leads to different SOM dynamics of shrub and meadow compared with the forest types. Coniferous and mixed forests were susceptible to carbon loss from the young carbon pool, but their long and big roots resulted in high △^14C values of the deep soil profiles and increased the input of young carbon to the deep soil. In evergreen forest, the carbon cumulative ability from the B horizon to the C horizon was weak. The different vegetation types, together with their different modes of nutrient and carbon intake, may be the mechanism conditioning the subsoil organic matter dynamics.     

Community Characteristics of Early Recovery Vegetation on Abandoned Lands of Shifting Cultivation in Bawangling of Hainan Island, South China

Shifting cultivation is a major form of agricultural practice in most parts of tropical regions worldwide. In places where the bush fallow period is excessively shortened or the period of cultivation is extended for too long, the rate of vegetation recovery and biodiversity on abandoned lands of shifting cultivation would decline. The recovery of the secondary plant communities could even be inhibited for a prolonged period because of grass occupancy. Because of the vital significance of the early recovery communities to secondary succession, we studied the community characteristics of early recovery vegetation on abandoned lands of shifting cultivation in Bawangling of Hainan Island. Measurements were made of the community composition and structure of early recovery vegetation. The sprouting abilities of different functional groups and different species in the same functional group, and the effect of the grass functional group on the composition and quantitative characteristics of tree and shrub functional groups were analyzed. Results indicated that only a few families, genera, or species apparently dominated in the early recovery vegetation on the abandoned lands of shifting cultivation and that deciduous species occurred with a rather high percentage in this early recovery community compared with the natural secondary or old growth forests. Smallsized individuals dominated the woody community. The abundance and basal area of sprouting stems for species in the tree functional group were greater than those of seeder stems, whereas the abundance and basal area of resprouters and seeders for species in the shrub functional group did not differ. The total abundance of stems for the community, stem abundances for species in tree or shrub functional groups, and for seeder or resprouter stems were all negatively correlated with coverage of the grass functional group. The mean sprouting ability in the tree functional group was greater than in the shrub functional group. The sprouting ability for different species in the same functional group was also significantly different.     

Ramet Population Structure of Fargesia nitida （Mitford） Keng f. et Yi in Different Successional Stands of the Subalpine Coniferous Forest in Wolong Nature Reserve

Forest structure and succession in Wolong Nature Reserve is influenced by the understory dwarf bamboo population. However, less is known about how the forest succession affects the dwarf bamboo population. To examine the bamboo ramet population growth of Fargesla nitida （Mltford） Keng f. et Yi and to determine how ramet population structure varies along the succession of coniferous forest, we sampled ramet populations of F. nitida from the following three successional stages： （i） a deciduous broad-leaved （BL） stand; （ii） a mixed broad-leaved coniferous （MI） stand; and （ill） a coniferous （CF） stand. We investigated the population structure, biomass allocation, and morphological characteristics of the bamboo ramet among the three stand types. Clonal ramets, constituting the bamboo population, tended to become short and small with succession. The ramet changed towards having a greater mass investment in leaves, branches and underground roots and rhizomes rather than in the culm. With respect to leaf traits, individual leaf mass and area in the BL stand were markedly bigger than those In both the MI and CF stands, except for no significant difference in specific leaf area. The age distribution showed that the bamboo population approached an older age with succession. The results demonstrate that the ramet population structure of F. nitida is unstable and its growth performance is inhibited by succession.     

哀牢山木果柯林及其退化植被下土壤无机氮库的干季动态特征

The dry-season dynamics of soil inorganic nitrogen pools were investigated under three types of vegetation (Primary Lithocarpus xylocarpus forest, secondary oak forest and tea plantation), which represent three different intensities of disturbance. Pools of inorganic nitrogen in soils (0-15 cm) showed strong differences between the three types of vegetation. Organic material, total nitrogen reduced and C/N ratio fell with increasing intensity of disturbance, while nitrate loss potential rose. These results suggest that disturbance does not favor the retention of soil nutrient elements. The dry-season dynamics of the inorganic nitrogen pools were similar under the three vegetation types while the dynamics of NH+-N differed from that of NO3--N’s. NH4+-N was the major form of inorganic nitrogen, and NO3-N content only was 1.16%-3.44%, 0.58%-2.09% and 2.02%- 7.37% of NH4+-N content in the primary Lithocatpus xylocarpus forests, secondary oak forests and tea plantations.     

Current stocks and potential of carbon sequestration of the forest tree layer in Qinghai Province,China北大核心CSCD

Aims Our objective was to estimate the carbon storage in the forest tree layer in Qinghai Province, China. Methods Based on forest resource inventory data and field investigation data, we estimated the carbon storage, sequestration rate and potentials in the forest tree layer in the Qinghai Province. Important findings The carbon density and total carbon storage of forest tree layer in Qinghai Province was 76.54 Mg·hm-2 and 27.38 Tg, respectively, of which four forest types (Picea spp. forest, Cupressus funebris forest, Betula spp. forest and Populus spp. forest) accounted for 86.67% while their areas were 96.23% of total forest areas in Qinghai. The carbon density and carbon storage of Picea spp. forest was 106.93 Mg·hm-2 and 14.78 Tg, respectively, which was the largest among all forest types. The carbon storage of the forest tree layer at different stand ages followed the sequence of over-mature forest > middle-aged forest > mature forest > near-mature forest > young forest. In addition, the carbon storage of forest tree layer in the province increased from 23.30 Tg in 2003 to 27.38 Tg in 2011. The average annual growth of carbon and carbon sequestration rate were 0.51 Tg and 1.06 Mg·hm-2·a-1, respectively. The maximum and minimum of carbon sequestration rate were respectively found in Cupressus funebris forest (0.44 Mg·hm-2·a-1) and Betula spp. forest (-1.06 Mg·hm-2·a-1). The mean carbon sequestration potential reached 8.50 Tg in 2011, with the highest value found in Picea spp. forest (3.40 Tg). These findings suggested high carbon sequestration potential of forest tree layer in Qinghai Province. Therefore, the carbon storage in Qinghai Province could be increased through better forest management and utilization. © 2018 Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology. All rights reserved.     

Planting position and shade enhance native seedling performance in forest restoration for an endangered malagasy plant

The critically endangered tree Schizolaena tampoketsana is confined to a few diminished and degraded forest fragments on the Malagasy highlands. This habitat is vulnerable to loss due to frequent fires in the surrounding grassland that threaten to spread into the forest. One of these fragments is the focus a conservation project and here the managers aim to conserve S. tampoketsana by restoring its forest habitat to its former extent as evidenced by remnant woody plants. To inform this activity the survival and early-stage growth of seedlings of four locally native tree species were compared under contrasting conditions of proximity to the remaining forest and shade. After 12 months, seedlings of three species(Baronia taratana, Eugenia pluricymosa, Uapaca densifolia) survived better and experienced improved growth in height in grassland close to the existing forest rather than distant from it, and two survived better with shade rather than unshaded. A number of mechanisms could explain these results including reduced exposure to desiccating sunlight and winds and better soil and greater water availability close to the forest. The seedlings of one species(Nuxia capitata) survived well under all conditions. This study suggests that reforestation in these dry highlands is most feasible adjacent to remnant forest fragments and in microhabitats that minimize water loss, though young plants of some tree species may be capable of surviving in harsher conditions.     

Composition and seasonal dynamics of seed rain in broad-leaved Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) mixed forest in Changbai Mountain, China

To explore the composition and spatio-temporal dynamics of seed rain in broad-leaved Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) mixed forest, 150 seed traps were set up in a 25 hm2 plot in Changbai Mountain. Seeds, fruits, anthotaxy and others in seed traps were collected, identified and divided into 4 types. From 2005 to 2006, we collected 47 different types. Total number of seeds and fruits was 121291, including 23147 mature seeds and fruits (19.1% of the total). Tilia amurensis and Fraxinus mandshurica, with the most seeds and fruits, accounted for 90% of the total. The analysis on seasonal dynamics of seed rain showed that there were the largest number of seeds and fruits between July and October, which were composed of immature seeds and fruits. In mid-October, mature seeds and fruits reached their peak, but immature seeds and fruits still accounted for high proportion. There were 91 traps that contained 100–200 mature seeds and fruits, and one trap without any mature seed or fruit. The largest number of species found in a trap was 7, and usually 3 or 4 species were found in most of the traps. There were obvious relationships between spatial patterns of mature seeds and fruits and their parent trees, indicating that their mature seeds and fruits were not dispersed far from their parent trees.     

Composition and seasonal dynamics of seed rain in broad-leaved Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) mixed forest in Changbai Mountain, China

To explore the composition and spatio-temporal dynamics of seed rain in broad-leaved Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) mixed forest, 150 seed traps were set up in a 25 hm2 plot in Changbai Mountain. Seeds, fruits, anthotaxy and others in seed traps were collected, identified and divided into 4 types. From 2005 to 2006, we collected 47 different types. Total number of seeds and fruits was 121291, including 23147 mature seeds and fruits (19.1% of the total). Tilia amurensis and Fraxinus mandshurica, with the most seeds and fruits, accounted for 90% of the total. The analysis on seasonal dynamics of seed rain showed that there were the largest number of seeds and fruits between July and October, which were composed of immature seeds and fruits. In mid-October, mature seeds and fruits reached their peak, but immature seeds and fruits still accounted for high proportion. There were 91 traps that contained 100–200 mature seeds and fruits, and one trap without any mature seed or fruit. The largest number of species found in a trap was 7, and usually 3 or 4 species were found in most of the traps. There were obvious relationships between spatial patterns of mature seeds and fruits and their parent trees, indicating that their mature seeds and fruits were not dispersed far from their parent trees.     

Characteristics and underlying mechanisms of plant deep soil water uptake and utilization: Implication for the cultivation of plantation trees北大核心CSCD

Root water uptake is an essential part of tree water relations and plays a crucial role in tree physiological activities. Water resource in deep soil is relatively abundant and can provide plenty of water to trees to guarantee their survival and healthy growth during dry seasons. Thus, a good comprehension of the characteristics and underlying mechanisms of deep soil water uptake and utilization by trees will deepen the understanding of the interaction between trees and the environment, tree survival and growth strategies, coexistence and competition among different species, etc. This knowledge is important in establishing green cultivation schemes for plantations, which depend less on the external water resources input and avoid the adverse effects on the water ecological environment. From existing studies, the characteristics and underlying mechanisms of deep water uptake and utilization by trees are reviewed. Firstly, the definition of deep roots and deep soil is discussed, and 1 m depth is recommended as the average (reference) definition standard in main forest vegetation types except the boreal forest. The reasons for the formation of deep tree roots around the globe were also determined. Secondly, the observed deep soil water uptake characteristics of trees and their influencing factors are summarized. Then, from the aspects of the adjustment of deep root traits and the coordination of hydraulic traits of different organs, the mechanisms of deep water uptake by trees are discussed. For example, the spatial, temporal and efficiency adjustment strategies of deep roots can be used to facilitate the absorption of deep soil water. Finally, some implications of deep soil water uptake for the cultivation of plantations are proposed, such as “for water management in plantations, trees should be induced to moderately utilize some deep soil water and an appropriate irrigation frequency should be selected”, “appropriate mixed planting of different tree species can facilitate the buffering effect of deep soil water storage”, “developing techniques of selecting trees for thinning based on the water uptake depths of different species”, etc. Deficiencies of existing studies and some future research directions were also pointed out. © 2018 Editorial Office of Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology. All Rights Reserved.     

Climatic Control on Forests and Tree Species Distribution in the Forest Region of Northeast China

North-east （NE） China covers considerable climatic gradients and all major forests types of NE Asia. in the present study, 10 major forest types across the forest region of NE China were sampled to Investigate forest distribution in relation to climate. Canonical correspondence analysis （CCA） revealed that growing season precipitation and energy availability were primary climatic factors for the overall forest pattern of NE China, accounting for 66% of the explanatory power of CCA. Conversely, annual precipitation and winter coldness had minor effects. Generalized additive models revealed that tree species responded to climatic gradients differently and showed three types of response curve： （i） monotonous decline; （ii） monotonous Increase; and （iii） a unimodai pattern. Furthermore, tree species showed remarkable differences in limiting climatic factors for their distribution. The power of climate in explaining species distribution declined significantly with decreasing species dominance, suggesting that the distribution of dominant species was primarily controlled by climate, whereas that of subordinate species was more affected by competition from other species.     

Different Patterns of Changes in the Dry Season Diameter at Breast Height of Dominant and Evergreen Tree Species in a Mature Subtropical Forest in South China

Information on changes in diameter at breast height （DBH） is important for net primary production （NPP） estimates, timing of forest inventory, and forest management. In the present study, patterns of DBH change were measured under field conditions during the dry season for three dominant and native tree species in a monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve. For each tree species, different patterns of DBH change were observed. In the case of the fast-growing tree species Castanopsis chinensis Hance, large diurnal fluctuations occur, with a peak DBH in the early morning （around 05：00 h） that decreases to a minimum by about 14：00 h. Both Schima superba Gardn. et Chemp and Cryptocarya chinensis （Hance） Hemsh exhibited less diurnal swelling and shrinkage. Diurnal fluctuations for these species were observed on a few occasions over the period of observation. Graphical comparisons and statistical analysis of changes in DBH with meteorological variables indicate that for different trees, the different changes in DBH observed responded to different meteorological variables. Large stem changes were found to occur for Ca. chinensis trees that were associated with variations in solar radiation. However, both S. superba and Cr. chinensis were found to be less sensitive to solar radiation. Changes in the DBH of these two species were found to be controlled mainly by soil temperature and soil moisture. During the later dry season, with a lower soil temperature and soil moisture, all three tree species stopped growing and only negligible shrinkage, expansion, or fluctuation occurred, suggesting that the optimum time to measure tree growth in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve is the later dry season.     

Research on characteristics of biomass distribution in urban forests of Shanghai metropolis based on remote sensing and spatial analysis北大核心CSCD

Aims Monitoring and quantifying the biomass and its distribution in urban trees and forests are crucial to understanding the role of vegetation in an urban environment. In this paper, an estimation method for biomass of urban forests was developed for the Shanghai metropolis, China, based on spatial analysis and a wide variety of data from field inventory and remote sensing. Methods An optimal regression model between forest biomass and auxiliary variables was established by stepwise regression analysis. The residual value of regression model was computed for each of the sites sampled and interpolated by Inverse-distance weighting (IDW) to predict residual errors of other sites not subjected to sampling. Forest biomass in the study area was estimated by combining the regression model based on remote sensing image data and residual errors of spatial distribution map. According to the distribution of plantations and management practices, a total of 93 sample plots were established between June 2011 and June 2012 in the Shanghai metropolis. To determine a suitable model, several spectral vegetation indices relating to forest biomass and structure such as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), ratio vegetation index (RVI), difference vegetation index (DVI), soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), and modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI), and new images synthesized through band combinations such as the sum of TM2, TM3 and TM4 (denoted Band 234), and the sum of TM3, TM4 and TM5 (denoted Band 345) were used as alternative auxiliary parameters . Important findings The biomass density in urban forests of the Shanghai metropolis varied from 15 to 120 t•hm2. The higher densities of forest biomass concentrated mostly in the urban areas, e.g. in districts of Jing'an and Huangpu, mostly ranging from 35 to 70 t•hm2. Suburban localities such as the districts of Jiading and Qingpu had lower biomass densities at around 15 to 50 t•hm2. The biomass density of Cinnamomum camphora trees across the Shanghai metropolis varied between 20 and 110 t•hm2. The spatial biomass distribution of urban forests displayed a tendency of higher densities in northeastern areas and lower densities in southwestern areas. The total biomass was 3.57 million tons (Tg) for urban forests and 1.33 Tg for C. camphora trees. The overall forest biomass was also found to be distributed mostly in the suburban areas with a fraction of 93.9%, whereas the urban areas shared a fraction of only 6.1%. In terms of the areas, the suburban and urban forests accounted for 95.44% and 4.56%, respectively, of the total areas in the Shanghai metropolis. Among all the administrative districts, the Chongming county and the new district of Pudong had the highest and the second highest biomass, accounting for 20.1% and 19.18% of the total forest biomass, respectively. In contrast, the Jing'an district accounted for only 0.11% of the total forest biomass. The root-mean-square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean relative error (MRE) of the model for estimating urban forest biomass in this study were 8.39, 6.86 and 24.22%, respectively, decreasing by 57.69%, 55.43% and 64.00% compared to the original simple regression model and by 62.21%, 58.50%, 65.40% compared to the spatial analysis method. Our results indicated that a more efficient way to estimate urban forest biomass in the Shanghai metropolis might be achieved by combining spatial analysis with regression analysis. In fact, the estimated results based on the proposed model are also more comparable to the up-scaled forest inventory data at a city scale than the results obtained using regression analysis or spatial analysis alone.     

Analysis of forestry impacts and biodiversity in two Pyrenean forests through a comparison of moth communities （Lepidoptera, Heterocera）

We have compared the biodiversity variations in moth communities between unmanaged forests and commercial forests in a mountainous environment （Pyrenees France）. The aim was to evaluate the impact of forestry activities on moth diversity. The data collected from the insects were analysed with a Bayesian specific similarity index （noted SSP index） and by statistical biodiversity indexes comparison. It was seen that diversity and richness were decreased in the plantation compared to the unmanaged forest. Interestingly, the composition of the communities of moths was shown to be not only related to the presence/absence of host plants, but also to be in relation with changes in the differences in forest architecture （i.e. the relative coverage by the different vegetation levels）. However, the moth community in the commercial forest still has a high capacity to converge with the moth community present in more natural forests. We report here a list of 177 species of moths, providing information on the distribution of some uncommon species, poorly studied as yet in the Pyrenees.     

Community Dynamics of Seed Rain in Mixed Evergreen Broad-leaved and Deciduous Forests in a Subtropical Mountain of Central China

Seed dispersal is a key process within community dynamics. The spatial and temporal variations of seed dispersal and the interspecific differences are crucial for understanding species coexistence and community dynamics. This might also hold for the mixed evergreen broadleaved and deciduous forests in the mountains of subtropical China, but until now little existing knowledge is available for this question. In 2001, we chose to monitor the seed rain process of our mixed evergreen broad-leaved and deciduous forest communities in Mount Dalaoling National Forest Park, Yichang, Hubei Province, China. The preliminary analyses show obvious variations in seed rain density, species compositions and timing of seed rain among four communities. The average seed rain densities of the four communities are 2.43 ± 5.15, 54.13 ±182.75, 10.05 ±19.30 and 24.91 ± 58.86 inds/m^2, respectively; about one tenth the values in other studies in subtropical forests of China. in each community, the seed production is dominated by a limited number of species, and the contributions from the others are generally minor. Fecundity of evergreen broadleaved tree species is weaker than deciduous species. The seed rain of four communities begins earlier than September, and stops before December, peaking from early September to late October. The beginning date, ending date and peak times of seed rain are extensively varied among the species, indicating different types of dispersal strategies. According to the existing data, the timing of seed rain is not determined by the climate conditions in the same period, while the density of seed rain may be affected by the disturbances of weather variations at a finer temporal resolution.