林窗干扰与森林群落演替

林窗干扰是影响森林群落演替的一个重要因素。该文从林窗干扰和森林群落演替理论及林窗对森林群落微环境、植物入侵和定居、群落结构、群落演替的影响等方面简要介绍了当前国内外有关林窗干扰与森林群落演替的研究现状和研究前景。     

生境破碎化对食果动物及种子传播的影响

食果动物与依赖其传播种子的植物间在进化过程中形成互惠关系,生境破碎化往往干扰种子传播过程,继而破坏这种关系.生境破碎化通常降低食果动物的多样性,但亦有相反的情况出现.食果动物对生境破碎化的适应能力不同,泛性森林动物和广食性动物具有较强的适应性.生境破碎化对依赖动物传播的植物影响有差异,多数植物受到负面影响,但也有一些植物不受影响,甚至受益.动物在破碎生境中对种子传播的有效性是种子搬运量、传播距离、种子萌发及种群建立等环节的综合效果.破碎化生境中种子的搬运量与动物的觅食行为和食物选择有关;种子传播距离受食物资源可获得性的改变和生境斑块异质性的影响;种子萌发和更新种群建立成功与否决定于是否存在有效的种子传播者.生境破碎化如何影响种子传播以及动植物相互关系,尤其是异质斑块的空间分布如何影响食果动物的传播有效性、破碎化生境下动植物互惠共生关系如何建立,生境破碎化导致的植物入侵对本地植物种子传播的影响是未来需要深入研究的问题.     

兴安落叶松(Larix gmelinii)火后种子萌发影响因子

林火干扰是影响兴安落叶松林结构和功能的主要因子之一。兴安落叶松种群火后更新受多种因子的影响,并决定着该群落演替轨迹。通过在大兴安岭呼中自然保护区的火烧迹地内设置原位控制实验,利用增强回归树分析方法,量化研究了落叶松火后恢复初期不同影响因子（温度、有机质层厚度、覆盖度等）对种子萌发的相对重要性。研究结果表明：落叶松火后种子萌发的最主要影响因子为温度,第二影响因子为种源,第三影响因子为草本覆盖度,分别解释了幼苗数量变异的28.51%、22.40%、20.66%;各影响因子的相对重要性在不同地形条件下有明显差异：温度在山坡顶部和阳坡底部占有重要影响,种源在阳坡中部和阴坡中部最为重要,土壤含水量在阴坡底部占有重要地位。同时,去除土壤表面有机质可以显著提高种子萌发数量,去除地面杂草则会使种子萌发数量降低。从研究结果可知,落叶松火后种子萌发在不同地形（环境条件）下的限制因子不同,人工辅助需因地制宜采取相应措施,才能更有效地促进种子萌发与森林恢复。     

林窗干扰研究

林窗是森林生态系统中一种普遍存在的现象,无论是健康的系统还是已经受到过度干扰的系统,林窗作为森林生态系统发展的重要驱动力,影响着森林的物种组成、结构以及森林的演替方向。因此,林窗研究能够为受干扰森林生态系统的恢复提供理论指导,并为森林生态系统的管理提供科学依据。本文从总结有关林窗的基本理论入手,重点介绍了近年来对林窗概念、基本特征、林窗产生后的生境条件变化以及生物对林窗环境变化的响应等研究概况,并对目前林窗研究的手段以及热点问题进行了总结,以期为今后的相关研究提供参考。     

鸟类栖木在森林植被恢复中的生态意义

鸟类传播种子对于植物种群自然更新及群落演替具有重要的生态意义,鸟类栖息的树木具有富集种子雨功能,在山体滑坡区及废弃矿区等干扰生境中人工设置鸟类栖木,可以增加鸟类传播的种子雨输入,丰富土壤种子库,尤其食果鸟类可以传播那些处于群落演替中期至后期的乔、灌木树种,能够促进受干扰地区森林植被的演替进程.5·12汶川大地震对地震灾区造成了大面积的山体滑坡和严重的植被破坏,在地震灾区森林植被的生态恢复工作中,一些地区可以采用人工设置鸟类栖木方法,充分利用山体滑坡区周围残余森林的丰富种子源及众多食果鸟类,促进灾区森林植被的自然恢复.     

林窗研究进展

本文从林窗的形成、林窗内微环境特点、林窗内树木更新、以及树轮分析与干扰重建,阐述了国内外在该领域的研究动态和取得的成果,以期推动和促进我国的林窗研究工作。根据欧美学者的研究报告,林窗的面积不仅与林冠和树径的大小成正比,而且与树木的倒伏方式有关;林窗的形成与特征主要受制造林窗树林的种类、树龄、海拔和气候带等因素的影响。林窗内微环境特点随林窗的大小、形状、纬度及所处位置的不同而变化。林窗是推动森林演替和更新的重要因素之一,林窗的形成、大小影响和控制着林内树种的组成和树木的更新。树轮分析可用于检测树木的生长释放,研究表明,在样本数量较大时,树木生长释放对重建过去的森林干扰是很有用的。     

热带次生林森窗平均气温空间分布特征的初步分析

森林群落演替更新作为生态学研究的核心问题 ,一直是研究热点 ,而群落演替更新的重要生态动力乃是自然或人为的干扰。国内外关于大尺度干扰对不同森林类型演替更新已有较详细的研究 ;从 2 0世纪 80年代初开始 ,小尺度的林窗干扰开始受到广泛重视。由于林窗是群落演替的起始地 ,其大小和环境变化程度决定了林窗发展的方向和速度 ,并且林窗的更新状况直接影响到顶级森林的结构、种类组成和种群动态。对于世界范围内的各种森林类型的更新和演替均有重要作用 [17] ,而在热带雨林中的作用更加显著和重要[15] ,因此 ,国外学者十分重视林窗的研究。…     

植物天然更新过程中种子和幼苗死亡的影响因素

植物天然更新包括有种子搬运、种子库动态、种子萌发和幼苗定居等过程。从种子生产到幼苗定居的更新是植物生活史中最为敏感的阶段之一 ,多种因素的影响种子和幼苗的命运。其中包括 :( 1 )动物取食或病原体侵袭。种子在扩散和搬运过程中 ,易被小哺乳动物或无脊椎动物取食。蛀虫也可以使种子失去萌芽能力。病原体感染种子和幼苗 ,容易引起种子和幼苗的死亡。 ( 2 )异质生境的影响。在不同生境中 ,光照条件、土壤水分和化学成分等因子的组合严重影响种子和幼苗的命运。 ( 3 )干扰的影响。小尺度和大尺度的干扰都可以影响到植物更新时种子和幼苗的命运。林窗作为特殊的干扰体系 ,为不同种类植物提供了更新的机会。 ( 4 )繁殖体特征。种子大小、质量和保护色等特征影响种子和幼苗在更新过程中的生存。种子休眠期间 ,由于生理衰老和腐烂的原因使种子失去活力而不能萌发。 ( 5 )密度和距离制约。母株附近由于密度竞争的影响 ,种子和幼苗死亡率都较高。     

黑龙江省大兴安岭林区火烧迹地森林更新及其影响因子

林火干扰是大兴安岭森林更新的影响因子之一,研究火烧迹地森林更新的影响因子(立地条件、火前植被、火干扰特征)对理解生态系统的结构、功能和火后演替轨迹具有重要意义。选取呼中及新林林业局55个代表性火烧样地,利用增强回归树分析法分析了火烧迹地森林更新的影响因素。结果表明:(1)立地条件是影响针、阔叶树更新苗密度的主要因素;海拔对针叶树更新苗密度的影响最大;坡度对阔叶树更新苗密度影响最大;(2)距上次火烧时间对针叶树更新苗比重影响最大,其次是林型;(3)中度林火干扰后森林更新状况好于轻度和重度火烧迹地。根据火烧迹地森林更新调查分析可知:林型影响火后演替模式,火前为针叶树或阔叶树纯林,火后易发生自我更新(火后树种更新组成与火前林型相同),而针阔混交林在火干扰影响下易于发生序列演替(火后初期以早期演替树种更新为主)。     

气候变化对森林演替的影响

森林演替是森林生态动力源驱动下森林再生的生态学过程,自20世纪初建立群落演替理论以来,演替研究成为生态学研究中的热点．客观准确地认识森林演替规律,研究森林演替动力学机理及其模型,是科学管理森林生态系统的需要;对于天然林保护工程与森林植被的恢复重建,具有重要的理论与实际意义．干扰是森林循环的驱动力,导致森林生态系统时空异质性,是更新格局和生态学过程的主要影响因素．它可改变资源的有效性,干扰导致的林隙是森林循环的起点．回顾了目前演替研究的几种方法,即马尔科夫模型、林窗模型(GAP)、陆地生物圈模型(BIOME)和非线性演替模式．介绍了气候变化对森林演替的影响;并在已有成果的基础上,提出了目前研究存在的问题及未来的发展方向．     

生境对啮齿动物介导下锐齿槲栎种子命运的影响

干扰作为森林演替的驱动力,在改变森林结构和地表植被的同时也对林内动物介导下的种子扩散过程产生影响.本研究采用塑料标签标记法,选取秦岭林区不同人为干扰后形成的3种类型生境(未抚育林分、抚育3年后林分、裸地),研究啮齿动物扩散行为对不同生境类型锐齿槲栎种子命运的响应.结果表明:抚育3年后林分的种子扩散速率最大,裸地扩散速率最小.裸地的种子原地取食率显著低于未抚育(25.0%)和抚育3年后林分(36.3%),而抚育3年后林分的种子搬运后取食率显著高于未抚育林分(17.3%)和裸地(5.0%),且抚育3年后的林分中被啮齿动物分散埋藏的种子比例最高(4.3%).种子扩散距离以抚育3年后林分最大(26 m),且扩散距离显著大于裸地和未抚育林分.锐齿槲栎种子的初次扩散过程在不同生境中表现不同,其种子后期成苗率也存在差异.不同类型生境在一定程度上影响啮齿动物的觅食策略,最终导致不同的种子扩散模式和森林天然更新格局的形成.     

Seed dispersal and seedling recruitment of trees at different successional stages in a temperate forest in northeastern China

Aims Spatial distribution of adult trees in a forest community is determined by patterns of both seed dispersal and seedling recruitment. The objectives of our study were to understand the processes of seed dispersal and seedling recruitment of dominant tree species in a temperate forest of northeastern China and to identify the factors constraining seed dispersal and seedling establishment at different stages of forest succession.Methods During three summer and autumn sessions between 2006 and 2008, altogether 113080 seeds from 22 different tree species were collected in three large field plots representing different forest types in the Changbai Mountain region of northeastern China. The spatial distribution of seed abundance was analyzed using a Syrjala test. Regeneration success of nine major tree species was assessed using variables defining 'limitations' in 'seeds' and 'seedling establishment'.Important findings We found that seed production fluctuated between years and varied greatly with forest types. Four tree species, Acer spp., Fraxinus mandshurica, Tilia amurensis and Betula spp., had the greatest seed production and the widest range of seed dispersal, whereas Quercus mongolica showed the most sustained seed production pattern. The spatial patterns of seed abundance differed significantly among forest types and years. The tree species investigated in this study differed in the degree of seed limitation, as well as in limitation of seedling establishment. There were both negative and positive correlations between seed density and seedling density, depending on site and parental tree density. Seeds of 16 tree species were found in the Populus davidiana–Betula platyphylla forest (PBF) plot, 11 in the conifer and broad-leaved mixed forest (CBF) plot but only 8 in the broad-leaved-Korean pine mixed forest (BKF) plot. The number of seed-contributing species was not only greater in the secondary forests (CBF and PBF plots) than in the primary forest (BKF plot) but was also more variable during the 3 years of assessment. Results from the correlations between seed density and seedling occurrence and that between parental tree density or seed weight and dispersal limitation confirm our intuitive expectations, i.e. heavy seeds had greater dispersal limitation but higher establishment success than light seeds.     

生物土壤结皮对种子萌发和幼苗建植的影响研究进展

生物土壤结皮（BSC）在陆地生态系统中具有重要的生态地位,尤其是旱地生态系统中,BSC占据了种子植物之间的广阔地面。因此,BSC的发展必然影响种子植物更新过程与植被空间格局;但其作用方式、影响程度等因相关研究涉及多气候要素、土壤类型、BSC组成物种和种子植物物种的差异及其不同组合,导致目前的研究结论存在广泛争议。研究综合论述了BSC改变地表微形态对种子传播过程的影响;BSC改变土壤特性（物理、化学、生物学）对种子萌发和幼苗存活与建植等关键环节的影响;并结合种子形态特征及种子萌发、幼苗建植的性状等,综合分析了BSC对种子传播、种子萌发与幼苗建植等更新过程的潜在影响机理;探讨了目前研究矛盾性结论产生的原因。总体来说,深入研究并全面揭示BSC对种子植物更新过程的影响,应加强学科交叉,将分子生物学、植物生理学、生物化学等微观研究,与遥感、野外生态因子过程监测、控制实验等宏观、中观研究结合,从机理到过程方面动态研究BSC对种子植物更新过程的影响,并引入水文模型、气候模型、种群动态模型等模型预测方法,研究气候变化、各类干扰频发的情景下,BSC对种子传播、萌发及幼苗建植过程的潜在影响,以期促进对BSC与种子植物间相互关系的研究,加深对干旱脆弱生态系统植被发展规律的认识。     

Artificial Bird Perches for the Regeneration of Degraded Tropical Peat Swamp Forest: A Restoration Tool with Limited Potential

Forest rehabilitation activities have been initiated on degraded peatland at several sites in Southeast Asia. In order to achieve rehabilitation efficiently and on the largest possible scale, cost‐effective, transferable methods need to be established. One potential method, which has previously proven successful in both temperate and neotropical forest ecosystems, is the construction of artificial bird perches outside the forest edge. These provide resting perches for frugivorous birds, encouraging them to fly out of the forest, thus increasing seed dispersal and subsequent seedling recruitment into the degraded area. This method was trialled for the first time in degraded tropical peat swamp forest in Indonesia. The results show that the perches were used by frugivorous birds, leading to a significant increase in seed dispersal; however, seedling recruitment was not increased. The frugivorous birds using the perches were degraded zone species and dispersed mainly tree species from the degraded area. Furthermore, while some seeds of forest‐area tree species were dispersed, largely only the degraded area tree species survived to seedling stage. Neither seasonality nor distance from forest edge proved to be significant factors influencing seed dispersal or seedling recruitment, the latter highlighting that seeds were principally being dispersed from within the degraded area rather than from the forest. Although artificial perches did increase seed dispersal, their use as an actual restoration tool in the process of forest regeneration on degraded tropical peatland is limited. Furthermore, when the cost‐ and effort‐to‐area factors are considered, this method is shown to be inefficient.     

Small traits with big consequences: how seed traits of nitrogen‐fixing plants might influence ecosystem nutrient cycling

Symbiotic nitrogen (N)‐fixing plants have important effects on the biogeochemical processes of the sites they inhabit, but their ability to reach these sites is determined by the dispersal of their seeds. Differences in seed size and dispersal vectors of N‐fixing and non‐fixing plants could influence the spatial and temporal distributions of N fixers, and thus could have important impacts on biogeochemical cycling. Using seed mass, dispersal vector, and biome data retrieved from online public databases, we ask if there are systematic differences in seed mass and dispersal vectors between N‐fixing and non‐fixing plants. We demonstrate that rhizobial N fixers tend to have larger seeds that are more likely to be biotically dispersed than seeds of non‐fixers, whereas actinorhizal N‐fixing trees tend to have small, abiotically dispersed seeds. We then synthesize existing evidence from the literature to draw links between these dispersal traits and the spatio–temporal patterns of N fixers, as well as their biogeochemical effects on terrestrial ecosystems. Using this literature, we argue that the spatio–temporal distributions of N fixers are influenced by their seed dispersal characteristics, and that these distribution patterns have important effects on the total amount of N fixed at a site and the timing of N inputs during processes such as succession.     

Edge Effects Act Differentially on Multiple Early Regeneration Stages of a Shade‐tolerant Tree Tapirira mexicana

Forest fragmentation is pervasive in tropical landscapes, and one pathway by which fragmentation may negatively impact populations is via edge effects. Early life‐stages are particularly important for species regeneration as they act as bottlenecks, but how edge effects may act differentially on different life‐stages is unknown. This study evaluated edge effects on multiple early life‐stages of a currently common animal‐dispersed, shade‐tolerant tree Tapirira mexicana (Anacardiaceae). The study was conducted in tropical premontane wet forest fragments in a highly deforested region of Costa Rica. The stages assessed were pre‐dispersal predation, primary dispersal, post‐dispersal predation, secondary dispersal, ex situ germination, in situ seed longevity, first and second year seedling abundance, second year seedling survivorship, and basal diameter growth. Results showed that impacts of edge effects were not equal across stages, but were limited to specific stages and times. One stage which may act as a bottleneck for species regeneration was pre‐dispersal predation. Over 60 percent of the seeds were predated by larvae, and predation was higher near the edge than interior habitat. Seeds lost viability within 10 d in the forest. Germination to first year seedling stage was also lower near edges, but such effect was eliminated within a year after that. Primary dispersal, seedling survivorship, and growth were not affected by proximity to edges, and both secondary dispersal and post‐dispersal predation were rare. This study demonstrates that current population abundance may not guarantee future species persistence and the importance of considering multiple life‐stages for a comprehensive assessment of forest fragmentation effects on species regeneration.     

Seasonal rhythms of seed rain and seedling emergence in two tropical rain forests in southern Brazil

Seasonal tropical forests show rhythms in reproductive activities due to water stress during dry seasons. If both seed dispersal and seed germination occur in the best environmental conditions, mortality will be minimised and forest regeneration will occur. To evaluate whether non-seasonal forests also show rhythms, for 2 years we studied the seed rain and seedling emergence in two sandy coastal forests (flooded and unflooded) in southern Brazil. In each forest, one 100 x 30-m grid was marked and inside it 30 stations comprising two seed traps (0.5 x 0.5 m each) and one plot (2 x 2 m) were established for monthly monitoring of seed rain and a seedling emergence study, respectively. Despite differences in soil moisture and incident light on the understorey, flooded and unflooded forests had similar dispersal and germination patterns. Seed rain was seasonal and bimodal (peaks at the end of the wetter season and in the less wet season) and seedling emergence was seasonal and unimodal (peaking in the wetter season). Approximately 57% of the total species number had seedling emergence 4 or more months after dispersal. Therefore, both seed dormancy and the timing of seed dispersal drive the rhythm of seedling emergence in these forests. The peak in germination occurs in the wetter season, when soil fertility is higher and other phenological events also occur. The strong seasonality in these plant communities, even in this weakly seasonal climate, suggests that factors such as daylength, plant sensitivity to small changes in the environment (e.g. water and nutrient availability) or phylogenetic constraints cause seasonal rhythms in the plants.     

Bird Perches Increase Forest Seeds on Puerto Rican Landslides

Abstract Landslides result in the loss of vertical vegetative structure, soil nutrients, and the soil seed bank. These losses impede timely recovery of tropical forest communities. In this study we added bird perches to six Puerto Rican landslides with three types of surfaces (bare, climbing fern, grass) in an effort to facilitate inputs of forest seeds through bird dispersal and to accelerate plant succession. Numbers of bird‐dispersed forest seeds were significantly higher in plots beneath introduced perches than in control plots. Perches did not increase forest seedling densities compared with control plots. Seven different species of birds were observed on introduced perches. Because 99% of the seed inputs to controls and perch plots in the six landslides were wind‐dispersed seeds (mostly graminoids), perches can improve landslide restoration if woody plants establish and shade out the dominant graminoid and climbing fern ground cover. Although increasing seed inputs from forest species is a critical step in accelerating revegetation of landslides, we suggest that supplemental restoration techniques be applied in addition to bird perches to promote forest recovery.     

片段化景观中壳斗科植物种子捕食和扩散模式

生境片段化伴随的面积效应和边缘效应, 可改变分散贮食动物的竞争强度、觅食行为以及隐蔽条件, 影响种子捕食和扩散模式。阐明生境片段化对多物种种子捕食和扩散的影响, 对理解片段化生境中的植物更新和生物多样性维持十分重要。该研究在浙江省千岛湖地区的岛屿和大陆上开展了针对6种壳斗科植物的种子捕食和扩散实验, 分析了物种、分散贮食动物相对多度、种子产量、岛屿大小和边缘效应如何共同影响种子命运和种子扩散距离。主要结果: (1)种子命运和扩散距离在物种间存在显著差异; (2)大陆比岛屿有更长的种子留存时间, 小岛种子留存时间最短, 岛屿内部比岛屿边缘有更长的种子留存时间; (3)物种和岛屿大小对种子原地取食率存在交互作用, 白栎(Quercus fabri)种子在大岛上有更高的原地取食率; (4)种子在小岛上有最高的扩散率, 分散贮食动物相对多度对种子扩散后贮藏率有负效应。表明在千岛湖地区, 生境片段化改变了种子捕食和扩散模式, 且面积效应对不同物种的种子捕食和扩散模式产生了不同作用, 从而影响森林群落更新和生物多样性维持。     

Land‐use change and the ecological consequences of personality in small mammals

Many plants rely on animals for seed dispersal, but are all individuals equally effective at dispersing seeds? If not, then the loss of certain individual dispersers from populations could have cascade effects on ecosystems. Despite the importance of seed dispersal for forest ecosystems, variation among individual dispersers and whether land‐use change interferes with this process remains untested. Through a large‐scale field experiment conducted on small mammal seed dispersers, we show that an individual's personality affects its choice of seeds, as well as how distant and where seeds are cached. We also show that anthropogenic habitat modifications shift the distribution of personalities within a population, by increasing the proportion of bold, active, and anxious individuals and in‐turn affecting the potential survival and dispersal of seeds. We demonstrate that preserving diverse personality types within a population is critical for maintaining the key ecosystem function of seed dispersal.