樟子松树轮不同组分的稳定碳同位素分析

对大兴安岭北部樟子松树轮中的全木、综纤维素和α纤维素3种组分按早晚材分别测定稳定碳同位素(δ¹³C)值,分析比较早晚材两种材质的3种组分δ¹³C值差异,探讨其对气候环境变化的响应。结果表明:从组分来看,樟子松树轮综纤维素的δ¹³C指标更接近于α纤维素;从材质来看,樟子松树轮晚材不同组分的稳定碳同位素信号对气候环境变化响应的一致性和敏感程度要大于早材。樟子松树轮晚材的综纤维素δ¹³C指标是研究过去气候或环境变化的理想载体,而α纤维素在提取过程中很可能丢失了部分气候信息。     

Overstory Community Composition and Elevated Atmospheric CO2 and O3 Modify Understory Biomass Production and Nitrogen Acquisition

Elevated atmospheric CO₂ and O₃ have the potential to affect the primary productivity of the forest overstory, but little attention has been given to potential responses of understory vegetation. Our objective was to document the effects of elevated atmospheric CO₂ and O₃ on understory species composition and biomass and to quantify nitrogen (N) acquisition by the understory vegetation. The research took place at the aspen free-air CO₂ and O₃ enrichment (FACE) experiment, which has four treatments (control, elevated CO₂, elevated O₃, and elevated CO₂+O₃) and three tree communities: aspen, aspen/birch, and aspen/maple. In June 2003, each FACE ring was uniformly labeled with 15N applied as NH₄Cl. Understory biomass was harvested in June of 2004 for productivity, N, and 15N measurements, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was measured below the canopy. The understory was divided into five species groups, which dominate in this young aggrading forest: Taraxacum officinale (dandelion), Solidago sp. (goldenrod), Trifolium repens and T. pretense (clover), various species from the Poaceae family (grass), and composited minor components (CMC). Understory species composition, total and individual species biomass, N content, and 15N recovery showed overstory community effects, but the direct effects of treatments was masked by the high variability of these data. Total understory biomass increased with increasing light, and thus was greatest under the open canopy of the aspen/maple community, as well as the more open canopy of the elevated O₃ treatments. Species were different from one another in terms of 15N recovery, with virtually no 15N recovered in clover and the greatest amount recovered in dandelion. Thus, understory species composition and biomass appear to be driven by the structure of the overstory community, which is determined by the tree species present and their response to the treatments. However, N acquisition by the understory does not appear to be affected by either the overstory community or the treatments at this point.     

树木年轮对气候变化的响应研究及其应用

树木年轮的宽度、密度、亮度和同位素含量等都与气候因子光、温和湿度等的变化有复杂的相关关系, 对这种相关生理机理的研究也有较大的进展。综述了这方面的研究进展及这些成果在古气候和环境研究、生理生态学、林学、群落学甚至历史社会学等领域的应用。     

气候变化对不同退化程度小叶杨林分生长和内在水分利用效率的调节

小叶杨(Populus simonii)作为中国北方重要防护树种, 其大面积衰退对生态系统健康发展及防护林持续经营产生了严重影响, 探究气候变化背景下小叶杨退化原因可为人工林的管理经营提供参考。该研究调查了张北县3种不同退化程度的小叶杨人工林, 将其胸高断面积增量(BAI)、内在水分利用效率(iWUE)、树轮碳稳定同位素比值和气孔调节策略进行对比, 从而分析了气候变化对小叶杨生长和iWUE的影响。结果显示: 1) CO₂浓度和气温是iWUE变化的主要驱动因素, 在大气CO₂浓度增加、气候变化和生理状况综合影响下, 小叶杨的iWUE呈现明显增加趋势, 不同退化程度小叶杨BAI均呈先增后减趋势。2) 3种不同退化程度小叶杨林分的生长主要受气温影响, 大多数情况下研究区iWUE的增加并不能促进树木生长。3)气候变化背景下, 衰退树木对干旱更为敏感, 干旱胁迫下, 退化程度大的林分采取更为严格的气孔策略。4) CO₂浓度增加及气温上升的促进作用无法抵消干旱胁迫加剧对树木生理机能的不利影响, 长期干旱胁迫可能导致退化树木生长进一步衰退。     

Climate change vulnerability of forest biodiversity: climate and competition tracking of demographic rates

Forest responses to climate change will depend on demographic impacts in the context of competition. Current models used to predict species responses, termed climate envelope models (CEMs), are controversial, because (i) calibration and prediction are based on correlations in space (CIS) between species abundance and climate, rather than responses to climate change over time (COT), and (ii) they omit competition. To determine the relative importance of COT, CIS, and competition for light, we applied a longitudinal analysis of 27 000 individual trees over 6–18 years subjected to experimental and natural variation in risk factors. Sensitivities and climate and resource tracking identify which species are vulnerable to these risk factors and in what ways. Results show that responses to COT differ from those predicted based on CIS. The most important impact is the effect of spring temperature on fecundity, rather than any input variable on growth or survival. Of secondary importance is growing season moisture. Species in the genera Pinus, Ulmus, Magnolia, and Fagus are particularly vulnerable to climate variation. However, the effect of competition on growth and mortality risk exceeds the effects of climate variation in space or time for most species. Because sensitivities to COT and competition are larger than CIS, current models miss the most important effects. By directly comparing sensitivity to climate in time and space, together with competition, the approach identifies which species are sensitive to climate change and why, including the heretofore overlooked impact on fecundity.     

Recent decline in precipitation and tree growth in the eastern Mediterranean

We present evidence of a recent drying in the eastern Mediterranean, based on weather and tree‐ring data for Samos, an island of the eastern Aegean Sea. Rainfall declined rapidly after the late 1970s following trends for the entire Mediterranean and was associated with reduced tree‐ring width in Pinus brutia. The most recent decline led to the lowest annual radial stem increment after the last 100 years (as far as records reach). As moisture availability decreased best correlations of tree growth with rainfall were obtained for progressively longer integration periods (1–2 years in moister periods, 5–6 years during the severe dryness of 20th century's last decades), suggesting increasing dependency in deep soil water. Such long‐term integration periods of tree‐growth responses to precipitation have not been reported before. They may reflect a tree‐rooting pattern adapted to cope with even several successive dry years. In late summer 2000, moisture reserves became exhausted, however, and a substantial fraction of low altitude pines died, including some 80‐year‐old trees, which underlines the exceptional extent this trend had reached. Our findings provide empirical support for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projections derived from global circulation models that the Mediterranean, its eastern basin in particular, should become drier as temperature rises, as was the case in the recent past.     

Growth dynamics in a changing environment — long-term observations

Natural influences as well as human activities have changed forest environments. As a result, growth conditions have changed with time. The annual and periodic growth of needles, shoots, tree rings and volume growth vary considerably over time. The variation in ring width and volume increment of Norway spruce correlates with precipitation and air temperature. High air temperature and low precipitation during the vegetation period reduce growth rate and increase tree mortality even in some areas where average precipitation is high and average air temperature is relatively low.     

树木年轮中不同组分稳定碳同位素含量对气候的响应

通过研究贺兰山油松树轮中全木、综纤维素、α纤维素中占δ^13C值的变化,来探讨树木生长过程中引起其中同位素差别的原因,以及它们对环境变化的响应。研究发现不同组分的占δ^13C值在过去30a中变化并不一致,其中,树轮中α-纤维素中占δ^13C序列含有最强周围环境变化的信息。δ^13C序列和周围大气平均气温和降雨量关系密切,其中和6～8月份的平均气温相关系数为0．427(α=0．05);和2～7月份总降水量的相关系数为(r=-0．514,a=0．01)。分析发现树轮α-纤维素序列和树轮宽度序列呈显著负相关(r=-0．545,α=0．01)。对比树轮各种组分的占δ^13C值和气候之间的相关性及和树木的生长量的关系可以发现,树轮α-纤维素中碳在经历了光合作用的固碳过程中的同位素分馏后,其占δ^13C值就保持了相对稳定,是研究过去环境变化的良好载体。