Getting the biggest birch for the bang: restoring and expanding upland birchwoods in the Scottish Highlands by managing red deer

High deer populations threaten the conservation value of woodlands and grasslands, but predicting the success of deer culling, in terms of allowing vegetation to recover, is difficult. Numerical simulation modeling is one approach to gain insight into the outcomes of management scenarios. We develop a spatially explicit model to predict the responses of Betula spp. to red deer (Cervus elaphus) and land management in the Scottish Highlands. Our model integrates a Bayesian stochastic stage‐based matrix model within the framework of a widely used individual‐based forest simulation model, using data collected along spatial and temporal gradients in deer browsing. By initializing our model with the historical spatial locations of trees, we find that densities of juvenile trees (<3 m tall) predicted after 9–13 years closely match counts observed in the field. This is among the first tests of the accuracy of a dynamical simulation model for predicting the responses of tree regeneration to herbivores. We then test the relative importance of deer browsing, ground cover vegetation, and seed availability in facilitating landscape‐level birch regeneration using simulations in which we varied these three variables. We find that deer primarily control transitions of birch to taller (>3 m) height tiers over 30 years, but regeneration also requires suitable ground cover for seedling establishment. Densities of adult seed sources did not influence regeneration, nor did an active management scenario where we altered the spatial configuration of adults by creating “woodland islets”. Our results show that managers interested in maximizing tree regeneration cannot simply reduce deer densities but must also improve ground cover for seedling establishment, and the model we develop now enables managers to quantify explicitly how much both these factors need to be altered. More broadly, our findings emphasize the need for land managers to consider the impacts of large herbivores rather than their densities.     

Interim Response of Dissolved Oxygen to Reestablished Flow in the Kissimmee River,Florida, U.S.A.

Restoration of the Kissimmee River should have multiple ecological benefits including improved dissolved oxygen (DO) within the river channel. Channelization of the Kissimmee River virtually eliminated flow through the natural river channel. After channelization, chronically low DO concentrations were observed in the stagnant remnant channel. Although no DO data from before channelization exist, reference estimates of pre‐channelization conditions were derived from seven relatively unimpacted streams. Stations along the Kissimmee River were sampled for 3 years before construction of the first phase of the restoration project began and for up to 8 years after the completion of construction. After Phase I construction, DO concentrations in the area of the river channel to which flow had been restored increased significantly from 2.2 to 4.9 mg/L, which is similar to DO concentrations observed in the reference streams. Mean DO concentrations for the reference streams ranged from 4.6 to 6.7 mg/L. Comparison of reference data to data from the pre‐Phase I and post‐Phase I system suggests that channelization had a negative impact on DO and that DO concentrations in the post‐Phase I Kissimmee River channel have made a significant recovery. Long‐term data trends demonstrate that DO concentrations can be negatively impacted by high flow events and that recovery from these events is generally quick, suggesting some degree of resilience in the system.     

Mediterranean hay meadow communities: diversity and dynamics in mountain areas throughout the Iberian Central Range (Spain)

This paper reports a phytosociological study on managed hay meadow communities in the main mountains of the Spanish Central Range. Multivariate techniques (Cluster analysis and CA-ordination) were applied in the classification of the relevés and ordination of vegetation units and species. Clusters were related to the following associations: Agrostio castellanae–Arrhenatheretum bulbosi, Festuco amplae–Cynosuretum cristati, and F. amplae–Agrostietum castellanae. The scattergram suggested that the dynamic patterns between communities are associated with soil nutrient content and moisture. We propose a new subassociation: F. amplae–A. castellanae gaudinietosum fragilis that includes Salmantincensean Agrostis castellana communities growing in regions with lower supramediterranean thermotype.     

Harvester ant seed removal in an invaded sagebrush ecosystem: Implications for restoration

A better understanding of seed movement in plant community dynamics is needed, especially in light of disturbance‐driven changes and investments into restoring degraded plant communities. A primary agent of change within the sagebrush‐steppe is wildfire and invasion by non‐native forbs and grasses, primarily cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Our objectives were to quantify seed removal and evaluate ecological factors influencing seed removal within degraded sagebrush‐steppe by granivorous Owyhee harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex salinus Olsen). In 2014, we sampled 76 harvester ant nests across 11 plots spanning a gradient of cheatgrass invasion (40%–91% cover) in southwestern Idaho, United States. We presented seeds from four plant species commonly used in postfire restoration at 1.5 and 3.0 m from each nest to quantify seed removal. We evaluated seed selection for presented species, monthly removal, and whether biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., distance to nearest nest, temperature) influenced seed removal. Our top model indicated seed removal was positively correlated with nest height, an indicator of colony size. Distance to seeds and cheatgrass canopy cover reduced seed removal, likely due to increased search and handling time. Harvester ants were selective, removing Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides) more than any other species presented. We suspect this was due to ease of seed handling and low weight variability. Nest density influenced monthly seed removal, as we estimated monthly removal of 1,890 seeds for 0.25 ha plots with 1 nest and 29,850 seeds for plots with 15 nests. Applying monthly seed removal to historical restoration treatments across the western United States showed harvester ants can greatly reduce seed availability at degraded sagebrush sites; for instance, fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) seeds could be removed in <2 months. Collectively, these results shed light on seed removal by harvester ants and emphasize their potential influence on postfire restoration within invaded sagebrush communities.     

基于主导生态功能的抚河流域国土空间生态安全格局分析

从主导生态功能的角度分析探讨生态安全格局，是明晰流域内生态安全、保护生物多样性的重要途径。以抚河流域为研究对象，采用多源空间数据，根据研究区自然条件和生态状况，基于主导生态功能定量评估水源涵养、水土保持、生物多样性3个生态系统服务功能，结合粒度反推法和热点分析选取生态源地，综合自然条件和人类活动影响因素构建阻力面，运用电路理论构建生态廊道，识别生态修复关键区域，提出生态安全格局优化对策。研究结果表明：（1）抚河流域内有25块生态源地，主要为林草地，共5574.63km²，60条生态廊道，共1126.91km；（2）基于生态安全格局识别生态修复关键区域，包括生态夹点26处、总长度为182.99km，生态障碍点19处、总面积为167.09km²，生态断裂点146处，破碎生态空间3283.79km²；（3）结合生态安全格局和生态修复关键区域，构建"三轴六区"生态安全空间布局优化体系。研究对维护抚河流域的生态安全、实行国土空间生态系统修复具有指导意义。     

南方丘陵山区生态安全格局构建与优化修复——以瑞金市为例

构建科学合理的生态安全格局、落实生态保护修复与空间优化是促进区域生态系统健康运行和社会经济可持续发展的重要途径。以南方丘陵山区瑞金市为例，综合生态敏感性评价与最小阻力模型，解构瑞金市生态安全格局及其自然生态与社会经济特点，并提出生态保护修复与空间优化方案。结果显示：(1)瑞金市生态源地共有123.22km~2,占总国土面积5%,主要为重要山林地和水域，环绕中部盆地呈卫星状分布；(2)潜在廊道119条，生态节点72个，在周边山地呈闭合网络状，但中部盆地廊道单一、节点密集，网络连通性较低；(3)瑞金市是典型的高原型阻力面，中部盆地城镇发展区、沟域经济延伸带、西部工矿挖采点生态阻力高、源地辐射弱，应生态预警与重点修复。瑞金市生态保护修复与空间优化应宏观统筹、分区推进、精细落实，划分生态修复核心区、生态监测预警区、生态保护缓冲区和生态保护重点区，明确空间管控原则、分区推进生态保护，围绕“源地-廊道-节点”落实生态修复。     

Quantifying post-fire regrowth of remotely sensed mediterranean vegetation with percolation-based methods

ABSTRACT

Mediterranean landscapes are characterized by high stability to fire since regeneration of pre-existing spatial relationships among distinctive vegetation patches is quite rapid. The aim of this paper is to introduce a method based on percolation theory to quantitatively estimate structural variations in remotely sensed biomass data linked to post-fire dynamics of Mediterranean vegetation. The ability of the proposed method to estimate fire-induced variations in Mediterranean vegetation patterns made it appropriate to the monitoring of post five vegetation regrowth in Mediterranean landscapes at the Landsat TM scale.     

Caratteristiche bioclimatiche della Sicilia

Abstract

The results of a bio-climatic study regarding the Sicilian territory is given. On the basis of thermometric and pluviometric data, some indexes proposed by Rivas-Martinez have been produced for 61 localities of the island. In particular, the indexes utilized for the bio-climatic classification are the following: It (index of thermicity), Iov (ombro-thermic index) and Iovc (compensated ombro-thermic index). Besides, for the individuation and delimitation of the bio-climatic belts and relative thermo-types and ombro-types other data, as average annual temperatures, average annual precipitation, geomorphology and relative climax vegetation, have been considered. On the whole, the bio-climatic belts occurring in Sicily are: inframediterranean, thermomediterranean, mesomediterranean, supramediterranean, oromediterranean and crioromediterranean. The correlations between the vegetation and bio-climate are examined too.