外来树种日本落叶松和日本花柏对鄂西北森林群落的影响

【目的】研究大面积栽植外来树种日本落叶松和日本花柏对鄂西北森林群落物种多样性的影响,为评价外来树种的入侵风险提供依据。【方法】采用样地调查法对比研究外来树种日本落叶松和日本花柏人工林与当地森林群落特征差异。【结果】日本落叶松人工林样地林下植物种类丰富,样地平均物种数与当地天然林样地物种数相比无显著差异;林下灌木层和草本层多样性指数较高,草本层多样性指数与当地天然林相比无显著差异;林下未发现日本落叶松的更新苗。日本花柏人工林样地平均物种数显著少于当地其他人工林样地;乔木层、灌木层和草本层的4个多样性指数值均小于当地其他人工林样地;在3个样地中出现日本花柏更新苗,更新苗数量达479株·hm~(-2)。【结论】引种栽培日本落叶松不会导致当地森林群落的物种多样性降低,不会引起生物入侵风险;但引种栽培日本花柏会明显降低当地森林群落的物种多样性,对当地森林生态系统的稳定构成一定威胁。     

互花米草入侵对鸟类的生态影响

生物入侵威胁本地物种生存,破坏生态系统的结构和功能,是导致全球生物多样性丧失的重要原因之一。外来植物是入侵生物中的重要一类,可以显著改变本地植被群落,并影响其他生物类群。鸟类作为生态系统中的较高营养级,对由入侵植物引起的栖息地变化十分敏感。互花米草自引入中国沿海以来,其分布区域不断扩散,多数研究认为互花米草入侵造成本地生物多样性降低和生态系统退化。系统梳理了互花米草入侵对鸟类栖息地、食物资源、繁殖、群落等方面的生态影响。主要负面影响有:(1)植被群落结构不利于鸟类栖息、筑巢、觅食;(2)鸟类食物资源丰度和多样性下降;(3)本地鸟类种群数量和物种多样性显著下降。在我国东部沿海湿地,互花米草入侵已经显著改变了植被与鸟类分布格局。但随着入侵历史的增长,少数小型雀形目鸟类却可以逐渐适应互花米草生境。互花米草入侵为某些非本地鸟类提供了空白生态位,在一定程度上丰富了本地物种多样性,对互花米草的快速清除反而可能不利于已适应并依赖互花米草生境的鸟类。综上,认为互花米草入侵对鸟类群落甚至整个生态系统的影响可能需要更多研究进行综合评价,应开展长期、大尺度、多因子的监测研究和多物种比较研究,建立生态评价模型并制定科学有效的互花米草管理对策。     

外来树种华北落叶松引种对秦岭森林群落的影响

采用样地调查法对比研究了秦岭火地塘林区外来树种华北落叶松人工林与乡土树种华山松人工林及华山松天然次生林群落特征差异.结果表明:华北落叶松人工林群落与华山松天然次生林群落的相似性系数仅为0.11,华山松天然次生林与华山松人工林的物种数量均明显高于华北落叶松人工林(P＜0.01);华山松天然次生林和华山松人工林乔、灌、草层的Margalef指数、Simpson指数、Shannon-Wiener指数和Pielou均匀度指数均显著高于华北落叶松人工林( P＜0.001),而前两者之间灌木层和草本层的4个多样性指数的差异不显著(P＞0.05);华北落叶松人工林的自然构成系数最低(0.3),华山松天然次生林的自然构成系数最高(5.2),华山松人工林的自然构成系数为3.5,三者存在极显著差异(P＜0.001).说明外来树种华北落叶松引种造成秦岭森林群落物种丰富度、植物多样性和林分自然化程度降低,自然次生演替或乡土树种人工林较外来树种人工林更有利于林下植被的恢复.     

除草剂对桉树人工林下植物及土壤微生物群落的影响

除草剂在桉树人工林中的应用越来越普遍,但关于除草剂对桉树人工林林下植物和土壤微生物群落的影响知之甚少。通过桉树人工林低剂量高频率（LHF）、中剂量中频率（MMF）、高剂量低频率（HLF）除草剂喷施试验,并与人工除草（MT）为对照,比较分析不同剂量、不同频率除草剂施用对林下植物和土壤微生物群落的影响。结果表明,施用除草剂导致桉树人工林林下植物种类和功能群组成发生显著变化,但并未显著降低林下植物群落物种丰富度和多样性,随除草剂施用频率的降低及恢复时间的增加,物种丰富度及多样性指数呈恢复趋势。除草剂施用也导致土壤养分含量降低。除草剂通过对林下植物群落和土壤养分的负面影响间接影响土壤微生物群落。LHF显著降低藤本植物而显著提高蕨类植物功能群的重要值,从而显著降低了微生物群落、真菌和放线菌的磷脂脂肪酸（PLFA）含量。MMF显著降低木本和藤本植物而显著提高禾草植物功能群的重要值,导致土壤微生物群落和放线菌的PLFA含量显著降低。HLF未显著影响林下植物及土壤微生物群落,但土壤全磷含量显著降低,速效磷含量也大幅下降。施用除草剂显著降低了土壤微生物生物量碳、氮的含量。因此,生产上应减少除草剂的施用,以减少对林下植物和土壤微生物群落的负效应。     

滇池流域人工林群落结构及水土保持效益

以滇池流域5种主要人工林(柏木林、桉树林、银荆林、华山松林和云南松林)为研究对象,通过样方调查,分析群落结构特征,并构建了由植被、枯落物、土壤、地形4个因子组成的水土保持功能评价指标体系,在对所选取的8个指标进行标准化、确定权重的基础上,运用理想点综合评价方法评价其水土保持效益.结果表明:各人工林群落优势种重要值(Ⅳ)分别为:柏木89.69、桉树74.27、银荆96.35、华山松84.93、云南松65.65.桉树林、云南松林分层物种多样性表现为灌木层＞草本层＞乔木层,柏木林、银荆林和华山松林分层物种多样性表现为草本层＞灌木层＞乔木层.云南松林的群落总体物种多样性最高,华山松林和桉树林次之,柏木林较低,银荆林最低.各人工林水土保持效益依次为:云南松林＞华山松林＞柏木林＞桉树林＞银荆林,表明乡土树种作为水土保持林具有一定的优势.不同人工林在物种多样性及水土保持效益等方面存在明显差异,应根据立地条件选择适宜的造林树种及搭配方式,提升其生态功能,控制水土流失.     

五台山林区典型人工林群落物种多样性研究

对山西五台山林区4种典型人工林群落物种多样性特征进行了定量研究,结果表明: 1 4种人工林群落灌木层和草本层的Simpson指数 D 和Shannon-Wienner指数 H′ 差异不显著,物种丰富度指数和均匀度指数 Jsw 差异显著,均匀度指数 Ea 差异极显著,草本层发育明显好于灌木层; 2 各人工群落尚处于演替初期阶段,林下植被发育常以禾本科阳生性植物为主; 3 对4种人工林群落灌草层物种多样性显著性检验结果显示,在灌草层物种多样性特征上,油松林与桦木林、山杨林多样性差异显著 P<0.05 ,其它群落差异不显著.山杨林物种多样性程度较高,油松林最差; 4 不同人工林群落物种总体多样性特征分析表明,桦木和山杨人工林群落总体α多样性与油松林差异显著,且多样性较大,阔叶林更有利于林下植被的发育和更新; 5 对人工生态系统物种多样性研究是退耕还林、天然林保护等生态环境工程的延伸,对于植被恢复后的生物学效果评价有重要意义.     

连栽对桉树人工林下物种多样性的影响

采用时空序列和定位监测相结合的方法,对广西国有东门林场桉树人工林的物种多样性及其维持机制进行了研究.结果表明,桉树连栽导致人工林植物多样性减少,在667 m²样方内,第2代林的植物种类比第1代林减少了54.43%;对18块4 m²样方监测(1998～2003年)结果,第2代林植物多样性比第1代林减少了50%,物种丰富度和Shannon-Wiener指数分别比第1代林减少39.39%和17.76%.桉树人工林连栽导致群落物种多样性降低,改变了群落的物种组成及特征.不同连栽代数群落的生活型谱存在明显差异,第1代林以小高位芽、藤本高位芽和矮高位芽植物为主,而第2代林则以草本高位芽植物、地上芽植物为多;第1代林的k-对策种和r-对策种分别为69.32%和30.68%,第2代林则分别是47.83%和52.17%,可见连栽使草本植物、地上芽植物和r-对策种的数量增加,木本植物和k-对策种的数量减少.可以认为,土壤中种子库和营养体对物种多样性维持有重要作用,提出了桉树人工林群落物种多样性维持机制的初始植物繁殖体组成假说.在一个经营周期内(6～7年),桉树人工林维持的植物多样性的高低取决于初始植物繁殖体组成的丰富程度,高强度干扰的连栽方式使某些高竞争力的物种或仅以种子(果实)传播的物种丧失,造成下一代林地初始植物繁殖体组成多样性的降低,从而使连栽林地的物种多样性逐代减少.     

桉树人工林物种多样性变化特征

为了探讨大面积人工种植桉树林中植被类型和物种多样性的变化,以云南省西南部56.3万亩桉树人工林及其周围环境为研究区域,通过群落学调查,运用重要值、多样性、丰富度、均匀度等指标,统计分析桉树人工林、次生季风常绿阔叶林(以下简称次生林)和撂荒地3种不同植被类型的结构、种类组成和物种多样性。结果表明,桉树人工林中植被经过一定时间的演替会达到一定的丰富度,植物物种数和个体总数呈现出复杂性变化的特点,但规律性并不明显。桉树林样地中出现植物135种,隶属73科97属,草本层为最发达的一层;次生林样地中出现植物270种,隶属146科189属,乔木层为最发达层;撂荒地样地中出现植物105种,隶属74科104属,无乔木层。以样点9为例,类似立地因子的桉树林乔木层、灌木层和草本层的重要值Iv与其他2种植被类型相比差异较为明显。统计分析显示,桉树林多样性指数D值和H值、均匀度指数J值显著低于次生林(p<0.05),在海拔1700 m以下显著低于撂荒地(p <0.05),而1700m以上略高于撂荒地。桉树(Eucalyptus spp. )对植物群落多样性的影响与造林前的土地利用类型有关,在轮歇的撂荒地和低效灌木林地上发展桉树林不仅可以提供木材或纸浆材资源,而且还能够丰富植被结构和增加植物群落多样性。     

我国南方4种常见人工林林下植物多样性特征及影响因素

为了解长期植被恢复的成熟人工林林下植物组成与多样性特征及其影响因素,基于广东鹤山生态系统国家野外科学观测研究站的南亚热带人工林生态系统,对环境相似(坡度、坡向、海拔)、30 a生4种类型人工林(桉树混交林、马占相思纯林、乡土混交林、针叶混交林)进行调查研究,分析林下植物组成和物种多样性(Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数、Pielou指数)特征。结果表明,人工林林下植物类型丰富,均可形成乔-灌-草垂直结构;4种林型林下植物组成既有相似性,也有差异性,桉树混交林与针叶混交林、马占相思纯林与乡土混交林的灌木层组成相似;桉树混交林与马占相思纯林、乡土混交林与针叶混交林的草本层组成相似,而桉树混交林与针叶混交林的草本层组成极不相似。林分类型影响林下植物多样性,马占相思纯林林下灌草多样性显著低于其他3种混交林(P<0.05),灌木物种数、个体数最少;针叶混交林林下物种丰富度最高。林分郁闭度与林下植物多样性呈正相关(P<0.001),林下植物分布与土壤养分含量相关,桉树混交林、马占相思纯林林下植物多样性与不同形态氮含量相关,有效磷、全磷影响乡土混交林林下物种的分布,针叶混交林受土壤酸碱度、全钾的影响较为明显。在4种人工林林下植物群落中,乡土混交林多样性,均匀度最高,优势度最低,具有更佳的保育和维持林下生物多样性功能。因此,乡土树种混交林更适用于生态公益林构建或对一些针叶林及外来树种纯林进行林分改造。     

元谋干热河谷不同人工林中鞘翅目甲虫多样性比较

在元谋干热河谷采用网扫法调查了云南松林、桉树林、新银合欢林、桉树＋新银合欢林、印楝林及多树种混交的人工林鞘翅目昆虫多样性。结果表明,鞘翅目甲虫标本925号,计71种,分属18个科,其中叶甲科种类最丰富,象甲科数量最丰富。人工林鞘翅目昆虫群落物种丰富度在7～23,Shannon—Wiener多样性指数在1．249～2．562,昆虫多样性总体较低。各样地鞘翅目群落之间为不相似水平。云南松林鞘翅目昆虫群落物种丰富度、Shannon—Wiener指数、Simpson指数及Pielou指数分别为20、2．562、0．104和0．855,其多样性最高,多树种混交林较高,印楝林较低,而桉树林、新银合欢林、桉树＋新银合欢林多样性极低。多树种混交的恢复对昆虫多样性提高有显著促进作用。     

Community Comparison and Determinant Analysis of Understory Vegetation in Six Plantations in South China

Plantations cover large areas in many countries, and the enhancement of plantation biodiversity is an increasingly important ecological concern. Many studies have demonstrated that overstory composition is important because it influences understory regeneration. To compare the understory vegetation and analyze its determinant factors, six typical plantations in South China were investigated: Acacia mangium plantation, Schima superba plantation, Eucalyptus citriodora plantation, E. exserta plantation, mixed‐coniferous plantation, and mixed native species plantation. The results show that native species plantations shaded out more grasses and herbs than exotic species plantations, mixed‐species plantations recruited more understory species than monoculture plantations, the leguminous species plantation had higher soil nitrogen than nonleguminous species plantations, and understory vegetation in the mixed‐coniferous plantation was similar to that of mixed, native broadleaf species plantation. Although light is the crucial environmental factor affecting the understory community and diversity among the 14 measured factors, other environmental variables such as soil nutrients and soil moisture are also important.     

桉树人工林更新方式对林下植物功能群的影响

该研究综合运用野外调查和室内分析的方法,评估桉树人工林林下植物功能群的组成、分布及更新方式和相关环境因子之间的关系。结果表明:林分更新5 a后,除了非禾本科杂草功能群外,其他林下植物功能群的物种丰富度均呈现不同程度的增加,但与对照组(砍伐迹地)相比,其差异程度均不显著(P0.05);与对照组相比,藤本和蕨类功能群的相对多度也出现增加趋势,但禾本科草本功能群显著减少(P0.05);木本、藤本和蕨类功能群的相对盖度也呈现增加趋势,但禾本科草本功能群与对照组相比显著减少(P0.05);主成分分析(PCA)发现萌芽更新或植苗更新林的林下植物功能群组成和分布与对照组相比均发生了显著的变异,但不同更新方式(萌芽和植苗)下其林下植物功能群组成和分布差异不明显;通过冗余分析(RDA)确定了冠层透光系数、土壤孔隙度、坡向和土壤氮磷比是影响该林地林下植物功能群的主要因子,它们的叠加效应能解释大于75%的林下植物功能群的变异,最终模型通过排序得到冠层透光系数是影响该林地林下植物功能群的最主要因子。短期的研究发现萌芽和植苗这两种不同的更新方式对桉树林下植物功能群的影响有限,这可能与这两种更新方式形成的林冠结构和土壤理化性质差异性较小有关。     

Floral species richness,structural diversity and conservation value of vanilla agroecosystems in Madagascar

Agricultural landscapes provide financial livelihoods for farming communities in rural areas. However, such agroenvironments can significantly impact the local floral biodiversity and introduce harmful invasive species to the ecosystem. Despite the prominence of plantations throughout the tropics, their effects on local flora are limited to only a few specific cash crops and geographical regions. Here, we compared the species richness and structural diversity of vegetation in natural forest fragments and three types of vanilla plantation within the Sava region of north-east Madagascar ranging from those within or adjacent to existing forests, to intensively cultivated plantations. We recorded data on plant species abundance, diameter at breast height and canopy cover within multiple sites of each habitat. We used abundance data to calculate species richness indices, and we compared these metrics between habitats. Forested habitats contained a significantly higher floral species richness, structural diversity and more endemic and regionally native species than nonforested, anthropogenic vanilla plantations. However, our results suggest that the high floral species richness and structural diversity of natural forests can be partially achieved in vanilla plantations, depending on the site's management regime; traditionally managed vanilla plantations located close to natural forests can support diverse floral communities. These encouraging findings for plant conservation and sustainable agroforestry in Madagascar suggest that that newly created vanilla plantations and already existing nonforested plantations should endeavour to follow the more traditional forested approach to enhance the future sustainability and promote floristic diversity.     

Stand-level management of plantations to improve biodiversity values

As conservation reserves expand, the likelihood that they will capture areas degraded by previous land use increases. Ecological restoration of such areas will therefore play an increasing role in biodiversity conservation. On the New South Wales North Coast, recent expansion in the conservation estate has captured over 300 softwood and hardwood plantations, many with understoreys dominated by exotic weeds. Here we present an overview of the practices we have adopted in managing flooded gum (Eucalyptus grandis) plantations infested with lantana (Lantana camara) to enhance their biodiversity value. Experiments designed to overcome barriers limiting regeneration of native forest in conjunction with measurement of soil and plant responses yielded insights into the management of former timber plantations for biodiversity. Canonical Correspondence Analysis indicated that the level of canopy retention (or logging intensity) within sites consistently explained the greatest amount of variation in plant community composition (32–38% post-treatment). Thinning and burning stimulated regeneration of native species. Retained canopy cover was proportional to the richness or abundance of native woody shrubs, understorey trees and native perennial herbs, indicating that management intensity can be varied to promote a range of conservation values. A state-and-transition model summarising purported management actions and likely outcomes for these plantations is presented. This is the first time plantations have been managed solely for biodiversity. Logging income means that plantation restoration can be cost-neutral, and the positive influence of a cover crop of trees means that plantation management may generally be manipulated to promote biodiversity conservation.     

Contrasting Cloud Forest Restoration Potential Between Plantations of Different Exotic Tree Species

The role of exotic tree plantations for biodiversity conservation is contested. Such plantations nevertheless offer various ecosystem service benefits, which include carbon storage and facilitation of indigenous tree species regeneration. To assess forest restoration potential in tropical exotic tree plantations, we assessed native cloud forest tree regeneration in 166 plots in ca. 50‐year‐old plantations of five timber species that are widely used in tropical plantations (Pinus patula, Eucalyptus saligna, Cupressus lusitanica, Grevillea robusta and Acacia mearnsii). Differences in species abundance, diversity and composition were compared among plantations, and between plantations and disturbed and undisturbed indigenous Afromontane cloud forest (southeast Kenya) relicts after controlling for environmental variation between plots (i.e. altitude, distance to indigenous forest, soil depth, slope, aspect) and for environmental and stand structural variation (i.e. dominant tree height and basal area). Regenerating trees were mostly early‐successional species. Indigenous tree species regeneration was significantly higher in Grevillea plantations, where the seedling community also included late‐successional tree species. Regeneration under Eucalyptus was particularly poor. Acacia had a strong invasive nature, reducing its potential role and usefulness in indigenous forest restoration. Our study underlined that exotic tree plantations have differential effects on native tree species regeneration, with high potential for Grevillea plantations and low potential for invasive exotic species.     

Do Eucalyptus plantations host an insect community similar to remnant Eucalyptus forest?

Abstract We examined the potential of forest plantations to support communities of forest‐using insects when planted into an area with greatly reduced native forest cover. We surveyed the insect fauna of Eucalyptus globulus (Myrtaceae) plantations and native Eucalyptus marginata dominated remnant woodland in south‐western Australia, comparing edge to interior habitats, and plantations surrounded by a pastoral matrix to plantations adjacent to native remnants. We also surveyed insects in open pasture. Analyses focused on three major insect orders: Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera. Plantations were found to support many forest‐using insect species, but the fauna had an overall composition that was distinct from the remnant forest. The pasture fauna had more in common with plantations than forest remnants. Insect communities of plantations were different from native forest both because fewer insect species were present, and because they had a few more abundant insect species. Some of the dominant species in plantations were known forestry pests. One pest species (Gonipterus scutellatus) was also very abundant in remnant forest, although it was only recently first recorded in Western Australia. It may be that plantation forestry provided an ecological bridge that facilitated invasion of the native forest by this nonendemic pest species. Plantation communities had more leaf‐feeding moths and beetles than remnant forests. Plantations also had fewer ants, bees, evanioid wasps and predatory canopy beetles than remnants, but predatory beetles were more common in the understory of plantations than remnants. Use of broad spectrum insecticides in plantations might limit the ability of these natural enemies to regulate herbivore populations. There were only weak indications of differences in composition of the fauna at habitat edges and no consistent differences between the fauna of plantations adjacent to remnant vegetation and those surrounded by agriculture, suggesting that there is little scope for managing biodiversity outcomes by choosing different edge to interior ratios or by locating plantations near or far from remnants.     

Influence of overstory composition on understory colonization by native species in plantations on a degraded tropical site

Abstract. Patterns of understory colonization by native and naturalized trees and shrubs were evaluated in 4.5-year-old plantations of three exotic tree species, Casuarina equisetifolia, Eucalyptus robusta, and Leucaena leucocephala, on a degraded coastal grassland site with reference to overstory composition and understory environmental conditions. 19 secondary forest species were established in the plantation understories (with a total area of 0.52 ha), while no natural regeneration occurred in unplanted, though protected, control areas. The majority of these species (90 %) and the total seedling population (97 %) were zoochorous, indicating the importance of frugivorous bats and particularly birds as facilitators of secondary forest species colonization. Understory species richness and seedling densities were affected significantly by overstory composition, the most abundant regeneration occurring beneath Leucaena and least under Casuarina. Understory colonization rates within mixed-species stands were intermediate between those of single-species stands of the trees comprising their overstories. Significant negative correlations were found between understory species richness and seedling density, and forest floor depth and dry mass, especially for small-seeded ornithochorous species. Higher colonization rates near the peripheries of plantation plots relative to plot interiors were due in part to roosting site preferences by frugivores, particularly bats. The study results indicate that overstory species selection can exert a significant influence on subsequent patterns of colonization by secondary forest species and is an important consideration in the design of plantations for ‘catalyzing’ succession on deforested, degraded sites.     

Flora diversity of farm forestry plantations in southeast Queensland

Summary Plant species composition in plantation monoculture of the native Gympie Messmate (Eucalyptus cloeziana F. Muell.) was assessed and compared with native eucalypt forest and cleared grazing land in southeast Queensland, Australia. A total of 18 sites (11 in the plantations, four in native eucalypt forests and three on cleared grazing land) were surveyed. The four plantation age classes during the 18‐month survey period were 0.3–1.8 (very young), 2.1–3.8 (young), 15–16.5 (mid‐aged) and 38–40.5 (old) years of age. Significantly more native plant species were recorded in the plantations, regardless of their age, than on cleared grazing land. The number of native plant species in the old plantations was not significantly different from the native eucalypt forests. Native tree and shrub species richness increased significantly with plantation age. Two species (Ricinocarpos speciosus Muell. Arg. and Xanthostemon oppositifolius F. M. Bailey) listed as Vulnerable and one species (Alyxia magnifolia F. M. Bailey) listed as Rare were recorded in the old plantations. Two Rare species (A. magnifolia and Acianthus amplexicaulis (F. M. Bailey) Rolfe) were recorded in the native eucalypt forests. Exotic plant species, consisting mainly of herbs, grasses and shrubs in the plantations, were significantly more abundant in the very young and young plantations. However, the number of exotic species decreased significantly with increasing age of the plantations. The results suggest that even small‐scale plantation can increase landscape heterogeneity and help protect biodiversity.     

Seasonal variation in diversity and abundance of understorey birds in Bunduki Forest Reserve,Tanzania: evaluating the conservation value of a plantation forest

Plantation forests generally support lower bird diversity than natural forests. However, in some instances the plantations have been found to provide suitable habitat for a number of bird species. In the Eastern Arc Mountains, there is limited knowledge how understorey birds, some of which make seasonal altitudinal movements, use plantations. Using mist netting we assessed seasonal use of the plantation forest by the understorey bird community in Bunduki Forest Reserve in the Uluguru Mountains. Species diversity and capture rates were significantly higher during the cold season than during the hot season possibly due to seasonal altitudinal migration by some species. The use of plantations by those species that make seasonal altitudinal movements shows that plantation forests can enhance indigenous biodiversity by enabling connectivity between two or more natural forest patches. Our findings suggest that in a situation where there is no natural forest, an exotic plantation with suitable indigenous understorey cover can help in protection of birds, including endemic and near-endemic species.