我国西南部喀斯特森林特有濒危树种掌叶木新的微卫星分子标记的开发

采用基因组DNA富集文库法FIASCO(Fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats)从掌叶木(Handeliodendron bodinieri)基因组中分离和筛选了10个新的微卫星位点,进而对掌叶木茂兰自然分布居群的遗传多样性进行了分析。结果表明, 每个位点在30株掌叶木个体上的平均等位基因数(A)为3.5(3~5个),平均观察杂合度(H_O)为0.650(0.267~0.900),平均预期杂合度(H_E)为0.494(0.224~0.652)。每个位点的第一排除概率值P_r(Ex₁)为0.029~0.240,位点综合值为0.7496。单个位点的第二排除概率P_r(Ex₂)为0.123~0.419,位点综合值为0.9517。这些信息预示着这些微卫星标记可以为研究喀斯特特有濒危树种掌叶木的基因流及居群遗传结构提供有效的遗传工具。     

中亚热带格氏栲天然林幼苗竞争强度研究

采用Hegyi单木竞争指数模型对格氏栲幼苗种内和种间竞争强度进行定量分析.结果表明,格氏栲幼苗种内竞争强度随幼苗高度的增加而逐渐减少.种间竞争强度的顺序为:桂北木姜子＞梨茶＞黄润楠＞毛鳞省藤＞矩圆叶鼠刺＞木荷＞酸味子＞狗骨柴＞少叶黄杞＞山黄皮＞光叶山矾＞沿海紫金牛＞小叶赤楠＞尖叶水丝梨＞赤楠＞草珊瑚＞格氏栲＞丝栗栲＞杜...     

古田山常绿阔叶林凋落量时间动态及冰雪灾害的影响

2006年10月至2009年12月期间,我们通过对古田山24 ha常绿阔叶林动态样地169个种子雨收集器的凋落物进行烘干、分类、称量和数据分析,研究了凋落量的组成特征和时间动态,以及受2008年2月特大冰雪灾害的影响.2007年和2009年凋落量分别为532.05 g/m2和375.17 g/m2,年际变化显著,这与2008年的冰雪灾害有关.2007年古田山常绿阔叶林各组分在凋落量中所占比例依次为:叶(78.99%)>枝(14.69%)>皮(3-33%)>其他(2.99%);叶凋落量中各组分所占比例依次为:常绿阔叶树种叶(78.70%)>落叶阔叶树种叶(12.37%)>针叶树种叶(8.92%),其中甜槠(Castanopsis eyrei)、木荷(Schima superba)、马尾松(Pinus massoniana)和短柄袍(Quercus serrata vat.brevipetiolata)4个优势种年凋落量合计占叶凋落总量的71.36%,它们的动态直接影响着凋落总量的变化格局.凋落量高峰发生在春季(4月)和秋冬季(10月末至12月初),其中总凋落量、叶凋落量动态呈双峰型,枝条凋落量和树皮凋落量动态为不规则峰型,其他凋落量动态为单峰型.冰雪灾害后总凋落量、叶凋落量、枝条凋落量显著减少(P<0.05),其中甜槠、杨梅叶蚊母树(Distylium myricoides)叶凋落最显著减少(P<0.05)、木荷叶凋落量减少达到边缘显著水平(P<0.1),这也反映了冰亏灾害期间森林群落的受损情况.其他凋落量(主要成分为虫粪)在4B份增加极其显著(P<0.01),说明灾后植物的枝叶出现了补偿性生长.     

用原图-对偶图法设计内部间隔最小的自然保护区

生境破碎是导致生物多样性损失的重要原因之一,在设计自然保护区时设法减少生境破碎是提高保护区有效性的重要方法.由于经济资源或地理因素制约不可能把连续的大片土地都划为保护区时,设计一个由相互分离的几部分组成的保护区是更为现实的做法.选择地块组成内部间隔最小的保护区是减少破碎化的一个重要途径,但结合空间特征的保护区地块选择模...     

Leaf attributes and tree growth in a tropical dry forest

Questions: How are leaf attributes and relative growth rate (RGR) of the dominant tree species of tropical deciduous forest (TDF) affected by seasonal changes in soil moisture content (SMC)? What is the relationship of functional attributes with each other? Can leaf attributes singly or in combination predict the growth rate of tree species of TDF? Location: Sonebhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods: Eight leaf attributes, specific leaf area (SLA); leaf carbon concentration (LCC); leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC); leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC); chlorophyll concentration (Chl), mass‐based stomatal conductance (Gs_mass); mass based photosynthetic rate (A_mass); intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi); and relative growth rate (RGR), of six dominant tree species of a dry tropical forest on four sites were analysed for species, site and season effects over a 2‐year period. Step‐wise multiple regression was performed for predicting RGR from mean values of SMC and leaf attributes. Path analysis was used to determine which leaf attributes influence RGR directly and which indirectly. Results: Species differed significantly in terms of all leaf attributes and RGR. The response of species varied across sites and seasons. The attributes were positively interrelated, except for WUEi, which was negatively related to all other attributes. The positive correlation was strongest between Gs_mass and A_mass and the negative correlation was strongest between Gs_mass and WUEi. Differences in RGR due to site were not significant when soil moisture was controlled, but differences due to season remained significant. The attributes showed plasticity across moisture gradients, which differed among attributes and species. Gs_mass was the most plastic attribute. Among the six species, Terminalia tomentosa exhibited the greatest plasticity in six functional attributes. In the step‐wise multiple regression, A_mass, SLA and Chl among leaf attributes and SMC among environmental factors influenced the RGR of tree species. Path analysis indicated the importance of SLA, LNC, Chl and A_mass in determining RGR. Conclusion: A _mass, SMC, SLA and Chl in combination can be used to predict RGR but could explain only three‐quarters of the variability in RGR, indicating that other traits/factors, not studied here, are also important in modulating growth of tropical trees. RGR of tree species in the dry tropical environment is determined by soil moisture, whereas the response of mature trees of different species is modulated by alterations in key functional attributes such as SLA, LNC and Chl.     

Effect of increased Populus cover on Abies regeneration in the Picea–feathermoss boreal forest

Question: Does the increase in Populus tremuloides cover within the Picea mariana–feathermoss domain enhance establishment and growth conditions for Abies balsamea regeneration? Location: Boreal forest of northwest Quebec, Canada. Method: To document the effect of Populus tremuloides on A. balsamea regeneration, mixed stands with a heterogeneous presence of P. tremuloides adjacent to Picea mariana‐dominated stands were selected. Abies balsamea regeneration, understorey environment and canopy composition were characterized from 531 sampling units distributed along transects covering the mixed–coniferous gradient. Abundance of understorey A. balsamea regeneration was described using three height groups: seedling (<30 cm), small sapling (30 to <100 cm) and tall sapling (100 to 300 cm). Growth characteristics were measured from 251 selected individuals of A. balsamea (<3 m). Results: Results showed that A. balsamea regeneration was generally more abundant when P. tremuloides was present in the canopy. Differences between seedling and sapling abundance along the mixed–coniferous gradient suggest that while establishment probably occurs over a wide range of substrates, the better growth conditions found under mixed stands ensure a higher survival rate for A. balsamea seedlings. Conclusions: The abundant A. balsamea regeneration observed within mixed stands of the Picea mariana–feathermoss domain suggests that the increase in P. tremuloides cover, favoured by intensive management practices and climatic change, could contribute to acceleration of the northward expansion of the A. balsamea–Betula papyrifera domain into the northern boreal forest dominated by Picea mariana.     

Change from pre‐settlement to present‐day forest composition reconstructed from early land survey records in eastern Québec,Canada

Questions: What was the tree species composition of forests prior to European settlement at the northern hardwood range limit in eastern Québec, Canada? What role did human activities play in the changes in forest composition in this region? Location: Northern range limit of northern hardwoods in the Lower St. Lawrence region of eastern Québec, Canada. Methods: We used early land survey records (1846–1949) of public lands to reconstruct pre‐settlement forest composition. The data consist of ranked tree species enumerations at points or for segments along surveyed lines, with enumerations of forest cover types and notes concerning disturbances. An original procedure was developed to weigh and combine these differing data types (line versus point observations; taxa versus cover enumerations). Change to present‐day forest composition was evaluated by comparing survey records with forest decadal surveys conducted by the government of Québec over the last 30 years (1980–2009). Results: Pre‐settlement dominance of conifers was strong and uniform across the study area, whereas dominance of maple and birches was patchy. Cedar and spruce were less likely to dominate with increasing altitude, whereas maple displayed the reverse trend. Frequency of disturbances, especially logging and fire, increased greatly after 1900. Comparison of survey records and modern plots showed general increases for maple (mentioned frequency increased by 39%), poplar (36%) and paper birch (31%). Considering only taxa ranked first by surveyors, cedar displayed the largest decrease (19%), whereas poplar (15%) and maple (9%) increased significantly. Conclusions: These changes in forest composition can be principally attributed to clear‐cutting and colonization fire disturbances throughout the 20th century, and mostly reflected the propensity of taxa to expand (maples/aspen) or decline (cedar/spruce) with increased disturbance frequency. Québec's land survey archives provide an additional data source to reconstruct and validate our knowledge of North America's pre‐settlement temperate and sub‐boreal forests.     

The effect of fire and permafrost interactions on soil carbon accumulation in an upland black spruce ecosystem of interior Alaska: implications for post‐thaw carbon loss

High‐latitude regions store large amounts of organic carbon (OC) in active‐layer soils and permafrost, accounting for nearly half of the global belowground OC pool. In the boreal region, recent warming has promoted changes in the fire regime, which may exacerbate rates of permafrost thaw and alter soil OC dynamics in both organic and mineral soil. We examined how interactions between fire and permafrost govern rates of soil OC accumulation in organic horizons, mineral soil of the active layer, and near‐surface permafrost in a black spruce ecosystem of interior Alaska. To estimate OC accumulation rates, we used chronosequence, radiocarbon, and modeling approaches. We also developed a simple model to track long‐term changes in soil OC stocks over past fire cycles and to evaluate the response of OC stocks to future changes in the fire regime. Our chronosequence and radiocarbon data indicate that OC turnover varies with soil depth, with fastest turnover occurring in shallow organic horizons (～60 years) and slowest turnover in near‐surface permafrost (>3000 years). Modeling analysis indicates that OC accumulation in organic horizons was strongly governed by carbon losses via combustion and burial of charred remains in deep organic horizons. OC accumulation in mineral soil was influenced by active layer depth, which determined the proportion of mineral OC in a thawed or frozen state and thus, determined loss rates via decomposition. Our model results suggest that future changes in fire regime will result in substantial reductions in OC stocks, largely from the deep organic horizon. Additional OC losses will result from fire‐induced thawing of near‐surface permafrost. From these findings, we conclude that the vulnerability of deep OC stocks to future warming is closely linked to the sensitivity of permafrost to wildfire disturbance.     

A latitudinal gradient in tree growth response to climate warming in the Siberian taiga

We investigated the climate response of three Siberian taiga species, Larix cajanderi, Picea obovata, and Pinus sylvestris, across a latitudinal gradient in central Siberia. We hypothesized that warming is more frequently associated with increased growth for evergreen conifers (P. obovata and P. sylvestris) than for L. cajanderi, and for northern than for southern sites; we also hypothesized that increased growth is associated with a positive trend in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). In mixed stands, growth of L. cajanderi and P. obovata increased over time, but the larger growth increases in P. obovata may presage a shift in competitive balance between these species. Climate response varied among and within populations of all species, and positive responses to temperature prevailed at northern sites, where trees grew faster in years with warm early summers. Negative responses to warming declined along the south to north latitudinal gradient. We observed considerable variability in climate response within populations which even exceeded that among species or sites. Tree response to climate was correlated with NDVI trends, indicating that patterns of tree‐growth response to climate were indicative of a coherent landscape‐scale response to warming. Our findings suggest that increased productivity with warming is likely only in the northern reaches of the Siberian taiga. An increased prevalence of evergreen conifers in areas currently dominated by deciduous Larix species also seems likely.     

Relationships between phenology,radiation and precipitation in the Amazon region

In tropical areas, Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) still have deficiencies in simulating the timing of vegetation phenology. To start addressing this problem, standard Fourier‐based methods are applied to aerosol screened monthly remotely sensed phenology time series (Enhanced Vegetation Index, EVI) and two major driving factors of phenology: solar radiation and precipitation (for March 2000 through December 2006 over northern South America). At 1 × 1 km scale using, power (or variance) spectra on good quality aerosol screened time series, annual cycles in EVI are detected across 58.24% of the study area, the strongest (largest amplitude) occurring in the savanna. Terra Firme forest have weak but significant annual cycles in comparison with savannas because of the heterogeneity of vegetation and nonsynchronous phenological events within 1 × 1 km scale pixels. Significant annual cycles for radiation and precipitation account for 86% and 90% of the region, respectively, with different spatial patterns to phenology. Cross‐spectral analysis was used to compare separately radiation with phenology/EVI, precipitation with phenology/EVI and radiation with precipitation. Overall the majority of the Terra Firme forest appears to have radiation as the driver of phenology (either radiation is in phase or leading phenology/EVI at the annual scale). These results are in agreement with previous research, although in Acre, central and eastern Peru and northern Bolivia there is a coexistence of ‘in phase’ precipitation over Terra Firme forest. In contrast in most areas of savanna precipitation appears to be a driver and savanna areas experiencing an inverse (antiphase) relationship between radiation and phenology is consistent with inhibited grassland growth due to soil moisture limitation. The resulting maps provide a better spatial understanding of phenology–driver relationships offering a bench mark to parameterize ecological models.