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1.
Disturbance history of an old-growth subalpine fir (Abies fargesii) forest in the Shennongjia Mountains of central China was reconstructed using dendroecological methods. Increment cores were extracted from 468 trees within six 100 m × 50 m permanent transects distributed across the old-growth subalpine fir forest of 300 ha. Growth patterns of 299 fir cores were examined for abrupt increases in radial growth to indicate formation of past canopy gaps and for rapid early radial growth to indicate establishment in past canopy gaps. The results showed that 70.8 % of the canopy fir trees experienced an average of 0.78 (ranging from 0 to 2) major release event for an average of 15.8 (ranging from 10 to 24) years, and an average of 1.94 (ranging from 0 to 3) moderate release events for an average of 25.6 (ranging from 10 to 36) years before they reached canopy. Recruitment pulse of trees coincided temporally with the peak of disturbance rate from the 1900s to the 1910s, suggesting occurrence of intense disturbance events during the time period. Radial growth analyses indicated that a history with small-scale disturbance events has resulted in the formation of the old-growth subalpine fir forest, and stand-replacing disturbances might not be necessary for the development of the forest. This study provides strong evidence that there are substantial variations in the disturbance severity and frequency over time. Most disturbance events might rather cause treefall gaps than clear large areas of forest at once. Thus, the old-growth subalpine fir forest experienced frequent gap-scale disturbances and few large-scale disturbances in its development history.  相似文献   

2.
Dwarf bamboos impose intense resource competition in subalpine coniferous forests, and their exclusive densities have crucial impacts on tree regeneration and understory species diversity. We studied the factors influencing the distribution and growth of dwarf bamboo, Fargesia nitida, in a subalpine forest in southwest China. TWINSPAN, based on an attribute matrix, could divide the subalpine forest into 11 sub-associations, and more clearly reflected ecological functional features of the subalpine forest than analysis based on a species matrix. TWINSPAN was also generally consistent with DCA ordination based on the attribute matrix. DCA and DCCA ordination showed relationships between the distribution of F. nitida population and environment factor. The first DCCA axis showed topography and disturbance gradients (except fallen trees and broken branches); the second DCCA axis showed canopy density and composition gradients. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that distribution (culm density and coverage) of F. nitida decreased significantly with landslide and slope aspect, and increased significantly with soil status. The light condition had positive effects on growth and size of bamboo. A stable environment in the northern slope and more broadleaved species dominating in canopy would increase the dwarf bamboo biomass. Thus, the disturbance regimes, the slope aspect and the BA of evergreen conifer trees can provide useful guidelines for the control and management of F. nitida populations, and in helping to understand the succession and regeneration of subalpine forest in this region.  相似文献   

3.
Knowledge on how historical disturbances shaped the long-term development of forests is essential for understanding the present forest structure and for predicting the future forest ecosystem dynamics. In this study, dendroecological methods were used to reconstruct the disturbance history of an old-growth subalpine larch (Larix chinensis) forest in the Qinling Mountains of north-central China. Growth patterns of 690 and 582 increment cores extracted respectively from two climatically and topographically different larch stands in the northern and southern slope of the Qinling Mountains were examined for abrupt increases in radial growth indicating formation of past canopy gaps and for rapid early growth rates indicating recruitment in former canopy gaps. The findings demonstrated that there were no large-scale, stand-replacing disturbances during the past more than two centuries. Low- and medium-severity disturbance events predominated, which were probably caused by windthrows due to strong winds. The stand was unevenly aged, and the recruitment pulses associated with disturbance peaks could be distinguished. There were considerable spatio-temporal differences in disturbance dynamics of the subalpine larch stand between the topographically and climatically different sites, manifesting that the larch stand in the northern slope experienced frequent moderate but rare major disturbance events, contrasting with frequent major and moderate disturbance events in the southern slope. This study provided strong evidences that there were substantial variations in the intensity and frequency of disturbance dynamics, leading to considerable differences in the size and age structures of the subalpine larch forest.  相似文献   

4.
Abies magnifica (Red fir) forests in the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada of California are composed of groups, or patches, of even-sized individuals that form structurally complex stands. Patches may be even-aged, resulting from synchronous post-disturbance establishment, or multi-aged, reflecting continuous recruitment of seedlings moderately tolerant of shade. We analyze the population structure (i.e. age, size, and spatial patterning) of A magnifica, and associated A concolor, White fir, and reconstruct the disturbance history of two mature to old-growth A. magnifica forests in order to determine the relationship between disturbance and forest structure. Within both stands examined, the distributions of A. magnifica seedlings, saplings, and small understory trees were clumped, with clump sizes corresponding to the area of canopy gaps. Gaps were created by frequent wildfire (mean fire return interval of 41 yr) and by windstorms. Severe fire initiated mass establishment of Abies magnifica, whereas gaps created by windthrowreleasedalreadyestablishedindividuals. Lowinten-sity fire stimulated little recruitment, but Red fir established continuously during fire-free intervals. Thus, the complex age and structures of Red fir forests reflect both episodic and continuous recruitment, as determined by the type and severity of natural disturbance.  相似文献   

5.
Previous studies have indicated that recruitment of Abies sachalinensis, a representative conifer species of northern Japan, decreased following single-tree selection harvesting in stands with dense dwarf bamboo understory. We tested the hypothesis that growth and survival of A. sachalinensis seedlings are reduced by canopy opening in that type of stand. A 0.75 ha study plot was examined, and all the seedlings (defined as trees with height 0.5–2 m) were identified and their shoot extensions measured for three years after single-tree selection harvesting (26% intensity in terms of basal area). The leader extensions of A. sachalinensis seedlings that experienced canopy opening were greatly improved. However, a negative effect on survival was also apparent; nearly 40% of seedlings died at the sites that experienced canopy opening. These results were supported by generalized linear models that examined variations of local harvesting intensity for individual seedlings. Despite the ability of A. sachalinensis to respond rapidly to exposure, some physiological stresses may have appeared, and presumably were amplified by co-occurring dwarf bamboos. With regard to the low seedling density (156 stems ha−1), common in this type of stands, local harvesting intensity in the selection system should be reduced to maintain survival of advanced regeneration, thus sustaining stand structure and composition.  相似文献   

6.
Population structure (size, age, spatial patterns) and radial growth patterns are used to analyze regeneration patterns of Abies faxoniana, Betula albosinensis, Betula utilis, Larix potaninii, Picea purpurea, and Sabina saltuaria and reconstruct disturbance history in 8 subalpine forest stands in Wang Lang Natural Reserve, Sichuan, China. In old-growth stands tree regeneration occurs in tree-fall gaps whereby A. faxoniana, Betula sp., P. purpurea, and S. saltuaria persist at stand scales by gap-phase regeneration. Clump sizes of young populations are similar to canopy gap sizes but clumps sizes vary among species. Young Betula patches are larger than those of A. faxoniana suggesting that gap-partitioning by size contributes to species coexistence in mixed stands. Picea purpurea and S. saltuaria are longer lived than A. faxoniana which may compensate for lower recruitment and prevent their replacement by A. faxoniana. Tree regeneration and community structure are also influenced by the understory bamboo Fargesia denudata. Seedlings, saplings, and shrub density all decline with an increase in bamboo cover. Species that regenerate in old-growth forest also regenerate after flooding as do species that establish only on bare substrates (i.e. Larix potaninii, Prunus sp.). Structural and compositional patterns in Wang Lang forests are a reflection of disturbance history, canopy species life history attributes such as dispersal ability, shade tolerance, growth rates, and longevity, and competition of trees and shrubs with understory bamboos.  相似文献   

7.
We used clearcut logging in establishing four replicated sizes of canopy openings (0.016, 0.08, 0.4, and 2.0 ha) in a southern Appalachian hardwood forest in 1981 to examine the long-term effects of disturbance size on plant community structure, biomass accumulation, aboveground net primary productivity (NPP), and mode of recovery. The reestablishment of NPP and biomass following logging was 6–7-fold greater in large than small openings by 17 years. Total biomass in the 2.0 ha openings (127.3 Mg ha−1) recovered 59.5% as NPP (19.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1) reached 225% of precut forest levels. Biomass accumulation was 2.6–3.6-fold greater in interior than edge locations of all but the 0.016 ha gaps. The absence of significant patch size or edge vs. interior differences in tree densities suggests that growth rates of individual trees were enhanced in more insolated microenvironments. Sprouting (86–95% of tree NPP) was much more important than advance regeneration (4–10%) or seedling germination (<2%) during early recovery in all opening sizes. Canopy dominant Quercus and Carya trees exhibited limited sprouting following disturbance. Instead, shade-intolerant Robinia pseudoacacia and Liriodendron tulipifera were major sprouters that used N-fixation (Robinia) and rapid growth (Liriodendron) in attaining 7.4 and 5.9 fold greater biomass accumulation, respectively in 2.0 ha than 0.016 ha opening sizes. Seedling germination and understory production were extensive in all openings following logging, but declined rapidly as the young tree canopy began closing by 4–6 years. The relative importance of shade-intolerant tree biomass approximately doubled over 17 years as shade-tolerant tree seedlings, herbs, and shrubs gradually regained importance under the emerging canopy. Sprouting caused the persistence of a tree species composition in all openings that remained relatively similar to the precut forest. Large disturbances on mountain slopes of the southern Appalachians generally promote sprouting and rapid recovery, whereas small disturbances in low-elevation cove forests lead to a gradual recovery through seedling germination and/or advance regeneration. Continued logging in the southern Appalachians will increase the relative size and frequency of large disturbances, further the importance of sprouting of shade-intolerant species, and lead to more even-aged forest stands throughout the region.  相似文献   

8.
We measured the vertical distribution and seasonal patterns of fine-root production and mortality using minirhizotrons in a cool–temperate forest in northern Japan mainly dominated by Mongolian oak (Quercus crispula) and covered with a dense understory of dwarf bamboo (Sasa senanensis). We also investigated the vertical distribution of the fine-root biomass using soil coring. We also measured environmental factors such as air and soil temperature, soil moisture and leaf area indices (LAI) of trees and the understory Sasa canopy for comparison with the fine-root dynamics. Fine-root biomass to a depth of 60 cm in September 2003 totaled 774 g m−2, of which 71% was accounted for by Sasa and 60% was concentrated in the surface soil layer (0–15 cm), indicating that understory Sasa was an important component of the fine-root biomass in this ecosystem. Fine-root production increased in late summer (August) when soil temperatures were high, suggesting that temperature partially controls the seasonality of fine-root production. In addition, monthly fine-root production was significantly related to Sasa LAI (P<0.001), suggesting that fine-root production was also affected by the specific phenology of Sasa. Fine-root mortality was relatively constant throughout the year. Fine-root production, mortality, and turnover rates were highest in the surface soil (0–15 cm) and decreased with increasing soil depth. Turnover rates of production and mortality in the surface soil were 1.7 year−1 and 1.1 year−1, respectively.  相似文献   

9.
The aim of this study is to explore the effects of canopy conditions on clump and culm numbers, and the morphological plasticity and biomass distribution patterns of the dwarf bamboo species Fargesia nitida. Specifically, we investigated the effects of canopy conditions on the growth and morphological characteristics of F. nitida, and the adaptive responses of F. nitida to different canopy conditions and its ecological senses. The results indicate that forest canopy had a significant effect on the genet density and culm number per clump, while it did not affect the ramet density. Clumps tended to be few and large in gaps and forest edge plots, and small under forest understory plots. The ramets showed an even distribution under the closed canopy, and cluster distribution under gaps and forest edge plots. The forest canopy had a significant effect on both the ramets’ biomass and biomass allocation. Favourable light conditions promoted ramet growth and biomass accumulation. Greater amounts of biomass in gaps and forest edge plots were shown by the higher number of culms per clump and the diameter of these culms. Under closed canopy, the bamboos increased their branching angle, leaf biomass allocation, specific leaf area and leaf area ratio to exploit more favourable light conditions in these locations. The spacer length, specific spacer length and spacer branching angles all showed significant differences between gaps and closed canopy conditions. The larger specific spacer length and spacer branching angle were beneficial for bamboo growth, scattering the ramets and exploiting more favourable light conditions. In summary, this study shows that to varying degrees, F. nitida exhibits both a wide ecological amplitude and high degree of morphological plasticity in response to differing forest canopy conditions. Moreover, the changes in plasticity enable the plants to optimize their light usage efficiency to promote growth and increase access to resources available in heterogeneous light environments. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2006, 26(12): 4019–4026 [译自: 生态学报]  相似文献   

10.
We examined the influence of small-scale gap disturbances on stand development and tree species coexistence in an old-growth Fagus sylvaticaAbies alba forest in the Dinaric Mountains of Bosnia–Herzegovina. The structure and composition of tree regeneration in gaps were compared to the forest as a whole, and the influence of gap size on the density and composition of regeneration was assessed. Transition probabilities were also calculated from gapfillers in different life stages to examine canopy replacement patterns. The structure and composition of tree regeneration were similar between gaps and the forest as a whole, and there was no relationship between overall regeneration density and gap size, indicating most individuals established prior to gap formation. Likewise, there was no strong evidence of gap-size partitioning for shade tolerant F. sylvatica and A. alba, although less tolerant Acer pseudoplatanus only recruited to taller life stages in larger gaps. Transition probabilities calculated from the seedling and sapling data suggest that most gaps will be captured by F. sylvatica, while probabilities based on pole-sized gapmakers indicate both A. alba and F. sylvatica will be maintained in the canopy. We suggest that gaps primarily play a role in reorganizing advance regeneration, and that coexistence of shade tolerant F. sylvatica and A. alba is more likely related to their differential ability to tolerate shaded understory conditions, particularly during larger life stages, rather than gap-size partitioning.  相似文献   

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