森林更新与空间异质性

森林更换是一个重要的生态学过程,一直是森林生态系统动态研究中的主要领域之一。森林更新受物理环境、自然干扰、人为干扰、更新树种特性、树种对干扰的反应等因素及其相互作用的影响。这些生物和非生物的因素随空间和时间而不断变化,构成了森林的空间异质性和时间异质性,使森林更新具有空间和时间上的变化特点,表现在异质性的格局和过程中。探索森林更新与空间异质性的内在规律,可揭示空间格局对更新的生态学过程的潜在作用机制。本文主要综述了近年来有关森林更新与空间异质性研究的主要内容和一些观点,分析了更新中空间异质性的来源,着重评述了空间异质性的生境及更新树种的反应、小尺度的空间异质性与更新动态、林分中光有效性的空间异质性与更新格局以及土壤和更新的空间异质性尺度的关联性等方面的研究。     

长白山云冷杉针阔混交林天然更新空间分布格局及其异质性

2012年8月在长白山林区云冷杉针阔混交林中设置一块60 m×60 m典型更新样地,采用地统计学的半方差函数分析方法、分形维数和Kriging插值方法,分析林下天然更新幼苗幼树的空间分布格局及其异质性.结果表明:云冷杉针阔混交林更新层幼苗幼树以冷杉和色木槭为主,占更新总数的87.4%;样地中更新幼苗幼树呈聚集分布,聚集斑块最大半径为9.93 m;更新幼苗幼树之间具有很强的空间自相关性,其88.7%的变异由结构性因素(生物学、生态学特性和环境异质性)引起,11.3%的变异由随机性因素引起;更新幼苗幼树的空间分布表现出各向异性,南北方向上的分形维数最小,异质性最高,东北-西南方向上的分形维数最大,异质性最低;更新幼苗幼树树高比地径的空间异质性强;更新幼苗幼树地径和树高的空间自相关范围分别为29.97和31.86 m,随机因素和结构因素对其空间异质性的影响具有同等作用.     

干扰对动物传播森林植物种子有效性影响的研究进展

干扰在森林生态系统中普遍存在,并影响森林的更新和演替.动物传播种子是种子更新的必经阶段,其对森林干扰的响应在一定程度上能够预测未来的森林群落组成和结构变化,对于明确森林演替方向具有重要意义.本文论述了森林干扰对动物传播种子有效性(包括动物传播种子的数量和质量)影响研究的生态学意义,全面揭示了自然干扰(火干扰、林窗干扰等)和人为干扰(生境破碎化、狩猎、采伐等)对动物传播种子数量、传播距离以及传播后幼苗更新影响的研究进展,指出干扰通过影响动物种群动态,进而造成动物传播种子数量发生了改变,动物传播种子的距离对干扰的响应基本表现出轻微负相关;干扰对传播后幼苗更新的影响结果因干扰类型的不同而复杂多变,干扰迹地环境因子的变化也影响着传播后的种子萌发和幼苗更新.干扰对动物传播种子有效性影响研究中存在的问题,主要表现为火干扰迹地恢复过程、增益性的干扰(如抚育、间伐、林窗)等对种子传播有效性影响研究的匮乏,以及忽略了温带森林内的干扰对动物传播种子的影响等.今后,应开展干扰对种子传播有效性的长期研究;对于干扰多发地带的森林,应高度重视增益性干扰影响动物传播植物种子的研究.     

小幼苗大世界——东北阔叶红松林下的小幼苗

<正>森林之所以吸引人,在于它无穷无尽的浩瀚之绿。而人们关注森林,大多数人把目光集中在森林的大树上,很少有人关心推动森林不断演替更新的小精灵——幼苗。小幼苗,大世界。树木幼苗的存活将直接影响森林群落的物种组成、更新、群落结构以及群落的稳定性。具有如此大作用的幼苗,我们又了解多少呢?在森林中游玩时,我们又多少次依照高矮胖瘦来错误地将幼苗判定为小草呢?我与幼苗的缘分起于两年前的八月。第一次走进长白山阔叶红松林,俯下身在一堆     

植物病原菌在森林动态中的作用

植物病原菌作为森林生态系统的重要组成成分及调控因子之一,在森林动态中扮演着重要的角色。植物病原菌通过侵染过程导致寄主植物的幼苗及成熟个体死亡、成熟个体的种子量降低或不实,或造成植物个体或群落中不同物种不同程度的病害,影响它们之间的营养竞争,从而导致群落结构、物种及个体数量的变化。感染散布前、后的种子和土壤种子库中的种子,以及由种子萌发产生的幼苗,它们的存活率降低,进而影响森林中的种子散布、幼苗更新与增补格局。在天然林中,先锋树种比顶极树种对病原菌更敏感,群落演替的早期阶段对病原菌比较敏感。植物病原菌主要通过密度依赖机制造成森林树种不同的死亡格局,从而参与森林的动态过程。     

林隙干扰对森林生态系统的影响

林隙干扰通过改变森林微生境异质性和群落演替进程,对森林物种组成、林分结构和系统功能产生重要影响。本研究评述了有关林隙干扰对森林生态系统影响的最新研究进展,从物种生物学特性和环境因素两个方面分析了林隙干扰对森林物种组成变化的影响规律,基于群落组件和群落架构阐述了林隙干扰对森林结构的作用关系,梳理了林隙干扰对森林生态系统功能的影响机制。基于已有研究的分析和目前森林生态系统经营亟需解决的问题,提出未来研究所需关注的重点领域和问题: 林隙面积阈值确定方法;林隙闭合机制;林隙干扰对森林生态系统过程的影响;林隙干扰与森林生产力的关系。林隙干扰在促进物种更新和提升森林结构复杂性等方面具有优势,因此本研究可为我国低产低效人工林改造提供科学依据。     

林窗研究进展（综述）

林窗研究已为当前森林生态学关注的热点之一。它是森林循环更新的一个重要阶段,也是维持森林生物多样性的一个重要环境。本文从林窗的基础理论、概念、特征、林窗的影响作用、林窗模型以及林窗与森林经营等方面,简要介绍了当前国内外有关林窗的研究状况、热点及展望。     

不同生态习性热带雨林树种的幼苗对光能的利用与耗散

研究了生长于100％、25％和8％光照条件下的热带雨林先锋树种团花、演替顶极阶段的冠层树种绒毛番龙眼和中下层树种滇南风吹楠幼苗的光合能力及光能分配特性对光强的响应。与绒毛番龙眼和滇南风吹楠相比,团花具有较高的最大光合速率和最大电子传递速率,从光能分配对光强的响应曲线可以看出,随着光强的增加,3个树种幼苗叶片吸收的光能分配到光化学反应的比例减少,分配到热耗散的比例增加,光能在光化学反应与热耗散之间的分配呈显著负相关,与其它两个种相比,100％光下的团花幼苗将较多的光能分配到光化学反应中,热耗散较弱且未达到饱和。过剩光能少,没有引起长期光抑制,绒毛番龙眼和滇南风吹楠将叶片吸收的较多光能分配到热耗散中,但生长于100％光下的幼苗过剩光能仍然较多,导致幼苗遭受长期光抑制,结果表明,不同生态习性热带雨林树种幼苗更新对光环境的要求与这些幼苗对光能的利用和耗散特性密切相关。     

林窗与生物多样性维持

自 2 0世纪以来 ,森林群落演替更新与生态系统的空间异质性 (ｓｐａｔｉａｌｈｅｔｅｒｏｇｅｎｅｉｔｙ) ,逐渐成为当前生态学研究的热点。干扰 (自然或人为干扰 )作为群落时空格局及其动态的驱动力 ,是森林群落发展变化和结构维持的必要成分。将干扰状况与森林群落特征结合起来的研究方法 ,有助于对群落动态变化规律的深入理解 ,从而加深人们对森林群落调控机理的全面认识。生物多样性是全球关注的热点问题之一。对于生物多样性的维持与保护 ,提出了众多的理论与假说 ,但尚未形成一个完善的理论体系。空间异质性、物种竞争、边缘效应等都…     

额济纳绿洲不同林隙胡杨根蘖的发生特征

额济纳绿洲在维持我国西北广大地区脆弱的生态平衡方面起着至关重要的作用.但目前由于水资源匮乏和水污染,以及人为干扰,该绿洲中胡杨林退化严重,更新主要依赖林隙中的根蘖形式的无性繁殖实现.从胡杨根蘖幼苗的发生和生长与林隙的特征关系着手,揭示胡杨根蘖更新的规律.在研究中,调查了胡杨林内不同林隙条件下,胡杨根蘖幼苗的密度、苗高和基径等生长状况,以及林隙内主要的环境影响因子,包括地被物、土壤条件、胡杨母株和人为干扰等.研究结果表明:在胡杨的根蘖幼苗生长过程中,苦豆子与土壤条件是主要的影响因子,苦豆子密度、人为干扰和周边大树数量对根蘖的基径和高生长具有显著的影响,但根蘖的发生的密度与苦豆子和土壤条件等环境因子的相关性却不显著.在分析原因中提出了根蘖发生机制的随机性与环境资源异质性的假说.     

Patterns and ecological consequences of abiotic heterogeneity in managed cork oak forests of Southern Spain

Spatial heterogeneity of abiotic factors influences the structure and function of forests and must be taken into account for their conservation and sustainable management. In this study, we evaluate the heterogeneity of abiotic environmental variables in managed cork oak (Quercus suber L.) forests in southern Spain at patch, site and regional scales. The extent of spatial heterogeneity depended on the environmental variable examined and the scale considered. For example, soil Mn and P and light availability in the understorey were very heterogeneous at the regional scale, while soil N had low regional heterogeneity, but high spatial variability, at patch scale, attributed to open overstorey and grazing disturbance. There was a general trend of increasing heterogeneity with spatial scale. We also study the effects of a silvicultural practice—shrub clearing on the forest environment and its consequence for spatial heterogeneity. Shrub clearing increased understorey light and decreased its spatial heterogeneity with idiosyncratic effects on soil properties and their spatial heterogeneity at each site. Finally, we compare the heterogeneity (estimated by the coefficient of variation) obtained in these cork oak forests with a database compiled from published studies on other forest environments. The comparison revealed a remarkable extent of abiotic heterogeneity in the cork oak forests studied, suggesting that a sustainable management of these forests should combine intrinsic and human induced abiotic heterogeneity to preserve crucial ecological processes and to maintain high levels of biodiversity.     

Which Extent is Plasticity to Light Involved in the Ecotypic Differentiation of a Tree Species from Savanna and Forest?

Light intensity and heterogeneity are some of the main environmental factors that differ between forest and savanna habitats, and plant species from these habitats form distinct functional types. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that not only differences in morphological and physiological traits but also phenotypic plasticity in response to light are involved in adaptation to forest and savanna habitats by investigating ecotypic differentiation between populations of Plathymenia reticulata (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae), a tree from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and the Brazilian Cerrado (savanna). Seeds from four natural populations (one from each biome core area and two from ecotonal regions) were grown in a common garden with four light treatments. Fifteen morphological and physiological characteristics were evaluated until individuals reached 6 mo old. Comparisons among populations showed differences for seven traits in at least one light treatment. These differences pointed to local adaptation to different biomes. Populations showed different levels of phenotypic plasticity in response to light in seven traits. Higher plasticity was found either in the forest core population or ecotonal populations; lower values were found in the cerrado core population. Lower plasticity in the cerrado population emphasizes the stress resistant syndrome, as lower plasticity is probably advantageous in a habitat where a conservative resource use is crucial. Higher plasticity in forest individuals suggests higher ability in exploiting the light heterogeneity in this habitat. Also, higher plasticity in ecotonal populations can be important to ensure the maintenance of P. reticulata in these temporally and spatially dynamic areas. Abstract in Portugese is available at http://www.blackwell‐synergy.com/loi/btp .     

Phenotypic plasticity to light of two congeneric trees from contrasting habitats: Brazilian Atlantic Forest versus cerrado (savanna)

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a typically multi-layer tropical forest, while cerrado (savanna) is a patchy habitat with different physiognomy. Despite these differences, both habitats have high light heterogeneity. Functional traits of Dalbergia nigra and D. miscolobium from the Atlantic Forest and cerrado, respectively, were evaluated under shade (25% of full sunlight) and full sunlight in a nursery experiment. We hypothesised that both species should benefit from high phenotypic plasticity in relation to light. Plasticity was estimated using the relative distance phenotypic index (RDPI). D. miscolobium had lower shoot growth under both light conditions, suggesting it has low competitive capacity in the forest environment, which could explain its limited ability to expand over areas of Atlantic Forest. The studied species exhibited photoprotection strategies under high light and improved light capture under low light. Stomatal conductance, ETR(max) (maximum electron transport rate), PPFD(sat) (saturating photosynthetically active photon flux density), chlorophyll and carotenoid content had higher RDPI than stem morphological traits. Although both species showed considerable phenotypic plasticity, D. miscolobium had higher RDPI for eight of 11 evaluated traits. This high plasticity could be one of the factors that explain the occurrence of this species in a wide range of environmental conditions, from open grassland to dense woodlands, and it could also reflect its adaptation to high light. D. nigra also had considerable plasticity and good growth performance in both shade and full sunlight, but its absence in areas of cerrado suggests that factors other than light limit its occurrence in these habitats.     

关帝山森林景观异质性及其动态的研究

以４期航片为基础资料,在ＡＲＣ／ＩＮＦＯ支持下,应用地理信息系统（ＧＩＳ）技术,通过景观要素优势度指数、景观多样性指数、景观斑块密度、景观边缘密度、景观镶嵌度指数和景观聚集度指数５类指标,对关帝山林区５０年代末以来的景观异质性及其动态特征进行了全面分析,并介绍了各指标的数据来源和计算方法,分析了各指标的实用性．在ＧＩＳ支持下,上述各指标可以从不同侧面描述和反映景观异质结构特征,用于景观异质性动态变化规律的研究．研究表明,自５０年代末以来,关帝山森林景观受环境异质性、植被自然演替和人为活动的共同控制,总体异质性发生了很大变化,３个时期表现出不同的动态特征．对人为活动频繁的次生林区的森林景观异质性动态变化的基本规律和控制因素进行了讨论     

中国森林健康生态风险评价

我国森林每年都在遭受诸如过度砍伐、火灾、病虫鼠害、酸雨、气象灾害等各种形式的干扰．这些干扰对我国森林生态系统的健康状况造成很大的威胁．因此,如何有效地管理我国的森林资源,特别是对森林的生态风险管理,提高森林生态系统抵御风险的能力,是森林生态系统健康研究和森林可持续管理的首要任务之一．森林健康生态风险评价是描述和评价人为活动、自然灾害和环境污染等胁迫因子对森林生态系统结构和功能、森林生态系统的健康状况产生不利影响的可能性和危害程度的评估,是森林资源管理的一个重要环节．以我国森林生态系统为例,探讨森林健康生态风险评价的研究方法,并以森林火灾、病虫害和酸雨为生态风险源,运用生态风险评价方法,分析了这些风险源对森林健康的主要危害,对我国森林健康的风险进行了综合评价,并提出不同森林风险区的管理策略．     

云南西双版纳地区森林转型特征(英文)

森林转型是指森林覆盖率由净减少到净增加的过程。中国森林早在20世纪80年代就进入了转型期,然而,中国热带地区的总森林覆盖率虽呈增长趋势,但依旧存在着天然林大量被毁的现象。鉴于天然林对森林生态系统功能的重要作用,本研究通过加入森林类型分类的内容,以西双版纳为例探讨其森林转型的真实特征。结果表明:森林转型理论单纯以"总森林"覆盖率为研究对象,忽视了其他森林类型的动态变化,甚至掩盖了"天然林"的真实动态变化。西双版纳的森林转型主要是人工种植林的扩张所致,只是树木数量统计上的转型。事实上,自1988年以来,西双版纳的天然林一直在锐减。所以建议未来关于森林转型的研究应将"森林"区分成不同的森林类型加以研究。     

Forest Transition in Xishuangbanna,Yunnan

Forest transition is a process of overall forest cover from net loss to net gain over time. Forest transition especially the process after turning point from deforestation to reforestation has inspired lots of researches for its potential to improve environmental services. China has undergone forest transition since the 1980s. However, in tropical China, deforestation was still existed, while the overall forest cover increased greatly. To investigate this issue, we conducted this research by classifying overall forest into natural forest and plantation in Xishuangbanna, which has undergone forest transition and deforestation and overall forest cover increasing. We found that natural forest continues decreasing while overall forest cover increasing and plantation expansion in forest transition. The forest transition in Xishuangbanna was found to be a tree cover transition, which was mainly contributed by large plantation expansion. In Xishuangbanna, deforestation is still undergoing after its overall forest cover transition occurred in 1988. The general overall forest definition used by forest transition will not be able to recognize deforestation when natural forests are displaced by plantations because the overall forest cover remains unchanged or even increasing. We therefore recommended to classify forest types in forest transition researches.     

Environmental heterogeneity and biotic interactions mediate climate impacts on tropical forest regeneration

Predicting the fate of tropical forests under a changing climate requires understanding species responses to climatic variability and extremes. Seedlings may be particularly vulnerable to climatic stress given low stored resources and undeveloped roots; they also portend the potential effects of climate change on future forest composition. Here we use data for ca. 50,000 tropical seedlings representing 25 woody species to assess (i) the effects of interannual variation in rainfall and solar radiation between 2007 and 2016 on seedling survival over 9 years in a subtropical forest; and (ii) how spatial heterogeneity in three environmental factors—soil moisture, understory light, and conspecific neighborhood density—modulate these responses. Community‐wide seedling survival was not sensitive to interannual rainfall variability but interspecific variation in these responses was large, overwhelming the average community response. In contrast, community‐wide responses to solar radiation were predominantly positive. Spatial heterogeneity in soil moisture and conspecific density were the predominant and most consistent drivers of seedling survival, with the majority of species exhibiting greater survival at low conspecific densities and positive or nonlinear responses to soil moisture. This environmental heterogeneity modulated impacts of rainfall and solar radiation. Negative conspecific effects were amplified during rainy years and at dry sites, whereas the positive effects of radiation on survival were more pronounced for seedlings existing at high understory light levels. These results demonstrate that environmental heterogeneity is not only the main driver of seedling survival in this forest but also plays a central role in buffering or exacerbating impacts of climate fluctuations on forest regeneration. Since seedlings represent a key bottleneck in the demographic cycle of trees, efforts to predict the long‐term effects of a changing climate on tropical forests must take into account this environmental heterogeneity and how its effects on regeneration dynamics play out in long‐term stand dynamics.     

Environmental heterogeneity and interspecific interactions influence nest occupancy by key seed-dispersing ants

The complex interplay between species along environmental gradients ultimately shapes their distributions and additional community interactions. Ant-mediated seed dispersal fails in the wettest habitat of deciduous forest in eastern North America, and we examine whether this pattern corresponds with colony distributions for seed-dispersing ants and associated heterogeneity in abiotic and biotic variables. Specifically, we used spatial variation in soil moisture, temperature and diffuse light along natural habitat gradients and experimentally manipulated soil moisture gradients to examine ant habitat selection. We also examined niche segregation between effective (Aphaenogaster spp.) and ineffective (Lasius alienus Foerster) seed-dispersing ants across these environmental gradients. Whereas most research links ant foraging and nesting with temperature gradients, we find niche segregation between Aphaenogaster spp. and L. alienus by soil moisture along naturally occurring gradients and in experimentally irrigated upland habitat. The failure of Aphaenogaster spp. to occupy the wettest habitats, where L. alienus is present, is consistent with observed seed dispersal failure in these habitats. These results indicate that environmental heterogeneity drives niche segregation between effective (Aphaenogaster spp.) and ineffective (L. alienus) seed dispersers so each occupies distinct habitat. Most forest understory plants rely on ants for seed dispersal. Our research implies that climate-mediated interactions between effective and ineffective seed dispersing ant species may structure the microhabitat distributions for woodland herbs.