NEOSQUIRREL: a data set of ecological knowledge on Neotropical squirrels

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Atlantic Forest topsoil nutrients can be resistant to disturbance and forest clearing

Human impacts can affect the soil properties through erosion and leaching, the ecosystem functions and, consequently, the capacity of a forest to regenerate. Here, we determine the effects of forest disturbance and succession on selected soil chemical properties using two different approaches, before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) and space‐for‐time (SFT) substitution, and the threatened Atlantic Forest biome as model. We assessed with BACI the long‐term (37‐year) effects of clear cutting on soil properties by comparing data from two topsoil surveys (1978–2017) divided into two treatments: a preserved old growth forest (control) and an adjacent forest that was experimentally cleared with full tree removal (clear‐cut). We examined with SFT the relationship between stand age and soil properties using soil data from three old growth and 13 s growth forests ranging from 7 to 33 years. We found no significant differences between treatments for any soil property or significant changes in phosphorus, potassium, and calcium + magnesium over time. In contrast, pH increased and aluminum decreased in both areas. No relation was found between forest age and most of soil properties, with the exception of potassium which returned to old growth forest levels after 20 years of natural succession, and pH. BACI indicated that deforestation of old growth forest caused no significant effects on soil chemical properties after 37 years of regeneration. SFT demonstrated that soil properties did not change significantly during forest regeneration on formerly disturbed lands. Our findings indicate that natural nutrient‐depleted lowland forests were overall resistant to deforestation followed by passive regeneration at landscape scale. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.     

Determinants of local abundance and range size in forest vascular plants

Aim For a large set of forest herbs we tested: (1) whether there is a positive relationship between local abundance and geographical range size; (2) whether abundance or range size are affected by the niche breadths of species or niche availability; and (3) whether these are affected by the species life‐history traits. Location Northwestern Germany. Methods We measured abundance as mean density in 22 base‐rich deciduous forests and recorded range size as area of occupancy on four different spatial scales (local to national). Niche breadth was expressed in terms of habitat specificity (specialists, generalists) and of the ability to grow across a broad range of soil pH. The species’ pH niche position was used as a measure of the importance of habitat availability. As life‐history traits we used diaspore mass and number, plant height, seed longevity, lifespan/clonality, pollination mode, dispersal capability and flowering time. Results There were mainly no positive relationships between the abundance of species and their range size, as tested across species and across phylogenetically independent contrasts. Forest specialists were generally distributed less widely than generalists, but habitat specificity was not related to local abundance. Species with a broader pH niche breadth were more common, but the positive relationships between niche breadth and abundance or range size disappeared when accounting for sample size effects. Clonal species with few and heavy diaspores were most abundant, as well as early‐flowering species and those lacking dispersal structures. Local and regional range size were determined largely by habitat availability, while national range was positively affected by plant height and diaspore mass. Main conclusions Different processes determine the local density of species and their range size. Abundance within habitat patches appears to be related mainly to the species life histories, especially to their capacity for extensive clonal reproduction, whereas range size appears to be determined strongly by the availability of suitable habitat.     

Implications of Livelihood Dependence on Non-Timber Products in Peruvian Amazonia

The present and future well-being of the world’s forest dwelling populations depends on their ability to gain livelihood resources from their immediate environment. Sustainable extraction of non-timber forest products has been promoted by conservationists and development agencies as a feasible strategy for forest dwellers that does not compromise the resource base. Yet surveys of actual resource use suggest that for poorer resource-dependent communities without access to markets, non-timber forest products can only ever represent a safety-net activity and a supplementary income source. Others argue that resource availability, in terms of the diversity and productivity of the forest, is the key parameter in realizing a contribution of forest products to well-being. This paper examines the scope and heterogeneity of forest product use to reveal whether resource availability necessarily provides the context for significant contributions to well-being of forest dwellers. We present data from an area of tropical rainforest, close to Iquitos in Peru, which was previously shown to have high potential value. We find, through a census survey of households within a forest reserve area, that non-timber forest products provide only a relatively small portion of income and that only a small proportion of available products are actually commercialized, despite apparent market availability. We show that the low rates of commercialization can be explained by unequal access capital assets used for extraction, to natural resources themselves, and to product markets. They are also explained by the concentration of capital-poor households on subsistence gathering activities. The value of destructive uses of forests, both logging and agriculture, remain higher than returns from non-timber products. This research demonstrates that although non-timber forest products are an important livelihood source, market integration and commercialization is not everywhere an appropriate or realistic strategy.     

Fire Severity in Conifer Forests of the Sierra Nevada, California

Natural disturbances are an important source of environmental heterogeneity that have been linked to species diversity in ecosystems. However, spatial and temporal patterns of disturbances are often evaluated separately. Consequently, rates and scales of existing disturbance processes and their effects on biodiversity are often uncertain. We have studied both spatial and temporal patterns of contemporary fires in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA. Patterns of fire severity were analyzed for conifer forests in the three largest fires since 1999. These fires account for most cumulative area that has burned in recent years. They burned relatively remote areas where there was little timber management. To better characterize high-severity fire, we analyzed its effect on the survival of pines. We evaluated temporal patterns of fire since 1950 in the larger landscapes in which the three fires occurred. Finally, we evaluated the utility of a metric for the effects of fire suppression. Known as Condition Class it is now being used throughout the United States to predict where fire will be uncharacteristically severe. Contrary to the assumptions of fire management, we found that high-severity fire was uncommon. Moreover, pines were remarkably tolerant of it. The wildfires helped to restore landscape structure and heterogeneity, as well as producing fire effects associated with natural diversity. However, even with large recent fires, rates of burning are relatively low due to modern fire management. Condition Class was not able to predict patterns of high-severity fire. Our findings underscore the need to conduct more comprehensive assessments of existing disturbance regimes and to determine whether natural disturbances are occurring at rates and scales compatible with the maintenance of biodiversity.     

Base Cation Cycling in a Pristine Watershed of the Canadian Boreal Forest

In forest ecosystems the single largest respiratory flux influencing net ecosystem productivity (NEP) is the total soil CO₂ efflux; however, it is difficult to make measurements of this flux that are accurate at the ecosystem scale. We examined patterns of soil CO₂ efflux using five different methods: auto-chambers, portable gas analyzers, eddy covariance along and two models parameterized with the observed data. The relation between soil temperature and soil moisture with soil CO₂ effluxes are also investigated, both inter-annually and seasonally, using these observations/results. Soil respiration rates (R _soil) are greatest during the growing season when soil temperatures are between 15 and 25 °C, but some soil CO₂ efflux occurs throughout the year. Measured soil respiration was sensitive to soil temperature, particularly during the spring and fall. All measurement methods produced similar annual estimates. Depending on the time of the year, the eddy covariance (flux tower) estimate for ecosystem respiration is similar to or slightly lower than estimates of annual soil CO₂ efflux from the other methods. As the eddy covariance estimate includes foliar and stem respiration which the other methods do not; it was expected to be larger (perhaps 15–30%). The auto-chamber system continuously measuring soil CO₂ efflux rates provides a level of temporal resolution that permits investigation of short- to longer term influences of factors on these efflux rates. The expense of building and maintaining an auto chamber system may not be necessary for those researchers interested in estimating R _soil annually, but auto-chambers do allow the capture of data from all seasons needed for model parameterization.     

城市林地与非林地大气SO２季节动态变化

SO2作为主要的大气污染物之一,对人体与环境具有严重危害,导致酸雨后危害更大,尤其是长江以南省区污染严重。对长沙和株洲市区内2种类型区域———城市林地与城市非林地空气SO2浓度通过近1a(2004-01~2005-01)的同时进行对比定位观测,用甲醛吸收副玫瑰苯胺分光光度法分析,结果表明:从两市2种类型采样地空气SO2浓度水平总体与分别来看,SO2浓度年内变化均具有明显季节性波动特征(p=0·001),冬季最高,秋季最低;除冬季二者SO2浓度较为接近外,其他各季株洲非林地观测区SO2浓度均高于同季节长沙非林地观测区SO2浓度。空气SO2浓度季节性变化与当地的地理环境、气候条件、采暖期与工业生产布局等因素有较大的关系。其中,燃煤、降水、风速风向和气温是影响空气SO2浓度变化主要的污染源与气候条件因素。空气SO2浓度水平还与所在地有无林木覆盖关系密切。无林地空气SO2浓度年均值(0·18±0·08)mg/m3,有林地空气SO2浓度年均值(0·09±0·07)mg/m3,二者间存在极其显著差异(p=0·001)。林木生理活性季节性变化对植物调节空气SO2浓度季节变化的能力有一定的影响。按林地SO2浓度减缓效应大小排序,依次是夏季(55·4%)>冬季(54·1%)>秋季(49·3%)>春季(29·6%)。城市森林作为一种有效的生物措施在控制和治理城市大气SO2污染实践中具有重要作用,不失为一种经济可行、高效的环境保护措施,应着力提高城市森林覆盖率。     

火灾恢复年限对大兴安岭森林乔灌草多样性及优势种影响

林火是大兴安岭地区森林生态系统的重要影响因子,研究火灾对植物多样性和优势种多度长期影响,有助于火灾区域森林生态系统重建与管理。本研究以大兴安岭不同火烧年限（1~5、5~10、10~20、20~30、30~40和40~50年）48对配对样地（火烧样地与邻近未火烧对照样地）为研究对象,利用二者差值变化来探讨森林恢复年限对植物多样性指数影响,通过对乔灌草相对多度变化确认火灾恢复对优势种的影响。研究结果表明：（1）火烧与对照间乔木多样性和丰富度差值先降后升趋势,在10年左右最低,而恢复30~40年后与对照样地相当或更高。灌木与乔木变化趋势相似,但是变化趋势多达到统计学显著（P<0.05）,灌木Shannon-wiener多样性指数和丰富度差值随年限增加而线性上升。草本Simpson多样性指数随火烧年限增加而直线下降,但是均匀度与丰富度没有出现线性变化。（2）乔灌草优势种变化趋势为：乔木层白桦（Betula platyphylla）在火烧5~30年占比均超过30%,在30年后占比不超过15%,同时兴安落叶松（Larix gmelinii）在30~40年占比超过50%;灌木层在0~30年均是越桔（Vaccinium vitis-idaea）占比最大,30年之后变为榛子（Corylus heterophylla）,草本层5~30年均是小叶章（Deyeuxia angustifolia）占比最大,30年之后变为其他物种。对照样地乔木层主要是兴安落叶松,占比超过50%,灌木层主要是越桔（Vaccinium vitis-idaea）,草本层主要是小叶章（Deyeuxia angustifolia）。整体来看,乔木火后恢复需要更长的时间,而灌木和草本火后恢复更快。植物多样性及优势种变化是研究其对生态服务功能（如碳汇）影响的基础,我们研究结果为天保工程后续实施及科学管理大兴安岭森林生态系统提供数据支撑。