Landscape Structural Complexity of High‐Mountain Polylepis australis Forests: A New Aspect of Restoration Goals

Forest restoration efforts should aim at creating landscapes with a balanced array of forest stands at varying successional stages, thus providing habitat for a wealth of species and multiple ecosystem services. In most high‐mountain ecosystems of South America, long‐term livestock rearing activities that include fires, browsing, and trampling have delayed or stopped forest succession resulting in simplified landscapes. To determine appropriate restoration goals for Polylepis australis mountain forests of Central Argentina, we established 146 plots of 900 m² plots throughout five river basins with different historic livestock stocking rates. In each plot, we measured tree heights, canopy cover, estimated age of oldest tree, volume of standing and fallen dead wood, fern cover, and abundance of shade tolerant Maytenus boaria trees. K‐means cluster analysis using tree heights and canopy cover as classificatory variables yielded four biologically meaningful clusters. Clusters 1, 2, 3, and 4 comprising 68, 10, 13, and 9% of the plots, respectively, showed increasing amounts of standing and fallen dead wood, fern cover, and abundance of shade tolerant M. boaria trees. Plots in clusters 1 and 2 were proportionally more abundant in basins with high human impact and at the altitudinal extremes of P. australis distribution, whereas plots in clusters 3 and 4 were relatively more abundant in well‐preserved basins and at the optimum of their altitudinal distribution. We interpret clusters 1, 2, 3, and 4 as degraded, regenerating, young, and mature forests, respectively. Restoration goals should focus on attaining an even distribution of forest types similar to that found in our best‐preserved basins.     

论滩地灭螺林的概念与应用

根据“兴林灭螺”产生背景,发展现状和重要影响,阐述滩地灭螺林与其他林种之间的区别,滩地灭螺林除具有灭螺防病的功能之外,还有其特殊的地理环境,特定的树咎构成,特异的营造技术和林相结构;总结滩地灭螺林的经营原则是超强度集约经营,短周期经营,规模经营和综合经营,因此滩地灭螺林在林业生产中应划分为一个新的林种,提出长江中下游沿江地区新的林种结构是滩地灭螺林、防护林,经济林与景观游憩林,并就如何加快发展滩地     

沿海基干林带结构调控对林分冠层结构参数及林地土壤的影响

以上海浦东沿海水杉基干林带为研究对象,分析水杉林分间伐以及间伐后林下套种其他树种构建复层林2种结构调控措施下林分冠层及林地土壤的变化。结果表明:间伐和复层林构建可显著促进上层乔木树高和胸径的生长,也有助于林下乔灌木和草本植物的发育;未间伐水杉林带LAI最高,其次为复层林带,间伐林分最低。各林分林隙分数的分布特征与LAI相反;3种林分土壤全N、全P和速效K含量差异不显著,而间伐林和复层林土壤速效P、水解N和有机质含量比未间伐林有进一步改善,但间伐林分和复层林带之间土壤养分状况没有显著差异;林分结构调控增加了0～50cm土壤有机碳储量,其中以0～15cm土层有机碳密度最高。复层林带和间伐林土壤呼吸速率比未间伐林分别提高了42%和33%。     

Natural Regeneration in Plantations of Native Trees in Lowland Brazilian Atlantic Forest: Community Structure,Diversity, and Dispersal Syndromes

Plantations of native‐tree species are often recommended for ecological restoration, but the understanding of how these techniques catalyze natural ecological processes is limited. We investigated natural regeneration in five plantations of native trees in the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve (PABR) in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The plantations were 9–11 years old, and contained 8–14 native‐tree species with different compositions and relative density of species. We analyzed floristic composition, structure (density and basal area) of overstory and understory strata, as well as other ecological attributes (dispersal syndromes, fruit or seed size, and the availability of fruit for frugivores). Zoochorous species comprised 77% of the community, with a prevalence of the two smallest size classes of propagules (< 0.6 and 0.6–1.6 cm) in natural regeneration. The density of zoochorous plants in the understory was positively correlated with their density in the overstory, indicating their influence on natural regeneration (r² = 0.36; p < 0.0002). Fruit availability for frugivores (density and richness of plants fruiting during the year) was also positively correlated with the density of stems in the understory. Therefore, attributes such as dispersal syndrome and fruiting season should be considered in selecting species to be planted. The differences in natural regeneration observed in each of the native‐tree plantations indicated that the performance of plantations as a restoration strategy may differ, depending on initial species composition, planting density, and site conditions.     

小良试验站三种生态系统能量平衡的研究

１９８１年－１９９０年对混交林,桉树林,裸地三种生态系统进行了连续观测,对其能量平衡问题进行了对比研究,结果表明对太阳辐射的反射率以及混交林的最小,桉树林次之,裸地的最大;裸地的净辐射值是桉树林和混交林第二作用层的１．５７倍,这反映出林冠对太阳辐射进入林内了阻碍;混交林,桉树林和裸地的蒸散耗热分别占净辐射的９５％,５９％和７０％,土壤导热率在不同的林分和不同的季节中有所变化,但其变化的规律不明显,     

Effect of Host Tree Traits on Epiphyte Diversity in Natural and Anthropogenic Habitats in Ecuador

Vascular epiphytes represent a highly diverse element of tropical rain forests, but they depend strongly on the structure and taxonomic composition of their tree communities. For conservation planning, it is therefore critical to understand the effect of host tree characteristics on epiphyte species richness in natural and anthropogenically transformed vegetation. Our study compares the effect of human land‐use on epiphyte diversity based on 220 study plots in a lowland rain forest and an Andean cloud forest in western Ecuador. We evaluate the relevance of host tree size and taxonomic identity for epiphyte species richness in contiguous primary forests, forest fragments, isolated remnant trees (IRTs), and secondary forests. At both study sites, epiphyte diversity was highest in primary forests, and it was lowest on IRTs and in secondary forests. Epiphyte species numbers of forest fragments were significantly reduced compared with the contiguous primary forest at the lowland study site, but not in the cloud forest area. Host tree size was a core predictor among secondary forests, but it had less significance within other habitat types. Taxonomic identity of the host trees also explained up to 61 percent of the variation in epiphyte diversity, especially for IRTs. The structural and taxonomic composition of the tree community in anthropogenically transformed habitat types proved to be fundamental to epiphyte diversity. This highlights the importance of deliberate selection of tree species for reforestation in conservation programs and the possible negative effects of selective logging in primary forests. Abstract in Spanish is available at http://www.blackwell‐synergy.com/loi/btp .     

Conversion of hardwood forests to spruce and pine plantations strongly reduced soil methane sink in Germany

Well‐drained forest soils are thought to be a significant sink for atmospheric methane. Recent research suggests that land use change reduces the soil methane sink by diminishing populations of methane oxidizing bacteria. Here we report soil CH₄ uptake from ‘natural’ mature beech forests and from mature pine and spruce plantations in two study areas of Germany with distinct climate and soils. The CH₄ uptake rates of both beech forests at Solling and Unterlüß were about two–three times the CH₄ uptake rates of the adjacent pine and spruce plantations, indicating a strong impact of forest type on the soil CH₄ sink. The CH₄ uptake rates of sieved mineral soils from our study sites confirmed the tree species effect and indicate that methanotrophs were mainly reduced in the 0–5 cm mineral soil depth. The reasons for the reduction are still unknown. We found no site effect between Solling and Unterlüß, however, CH₄ uptake rates from Solling were significantly higher at the same effective CH₄ diffusivity. This potential site effect was masked by higher soil water contents at Solling. Soil pH (H₂O) explained 71% of the variation in CH₄ uptake rates of sieved mineral soils from the 0–5 cm depth, while cation exchange capacity, soil organic carbon, soil nitrogen and total phosphorous content were not correlated with CH₄ uptake rates. Comparing 1998–99, annual CH₄ uptake rates increased by 69–111% in the beech and spruce stands and by 5–25% in the pine stands, due primarily to differences in growing season soil moisture. Cumulative CH₄ uptake rates from November throughout April were rather constant in both years. The CH₄ uptake rates of each stand were separately predicted using daily average soil matric potential and a previously developed empirical model. The model results revealed that soil matric potential explains 53–87% of the temporal variation in CH₄ uptake. The differences between measured and predicted annual CH₄ uptake rates were less than 10%, except for the spruce stand at Solling in 1998 (17%). Based on data from this study and from the literature, we calculated a total reduction in the soil CH₄ sink of 31% for German forests due in part to conversion of deciduous to coniferous forests.     

Carbon Stocks in Silvopastoral Systems: A Study from Four Communities in Southeastern Ecuador

Agriculture, particularly pasture, is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from tropical regions. Silvopastoral systems may increase carbon pools in pastures while maintaining productivity. Adding trees to pasture provides carbon sinks in woody biomass, and may improve degraded soils and increase the stability of soil carbon pools. In this study we quantified the biomass carbon stored in spontaneous silvopastoral systems in southeastern Ecuador. We compared the stem density, basal area, aboveground biomass, and organic carbon in the top 20 cm of soil in 100 pastures, ranging from 3 to 250 hectares, in four different communities. Aboveground live woody biomass, calculated using allometric equations and two different wood densities, varied from 10.99 to 66.1 Mg per hectare. Soil organic carbon pools ranged from 85.0 to 97.6 Mg per hectare. Stem density, basal area, and aboveground live biomass all positively correlated with pasture age. We found no relationship between pasture age or stem density and soil organic carbon pools. We measured live woody biomass carbon pools of 34–1070 Mg of carbon per farm in these silvopastoral systems. We found no effects on productivity of the herbaceous layer, suggesting that having a low density of trees in pastures could substantially increase the number of trees and the associated carbon sequestration without affecting cattle production.     

Four centuries of forest clearance and regeneration in the hinterland of a large city

In the last 350 years, forests of eastern North America have experienced widespread clearance and regrowth with local variation in timing and extent determined by patterns of human land use. This paper describes the history of forest in the hinterland of a large city (Wilmington, Delaware) surrounded by fertile soils and having access to a navigable estuary. Forests were cleared between 1650 and 1780 to accommodate shifting cultivation of cereal crops and to provide fuelwood for nearby cities. Proximity to urban markets supported a vigorous agricultural economy through the 19th century and delayed widespread forest regeneration. Reforestation began on a large scale following the local decline of agriculture 1920–1940. In the late 20th century, forest competes for land with suburban housing. Although a similar sequence has occurred throughout eastern North America, the study area is unique in that a larger proportion of original forest was cleared and reforestation began much later than in other regions. Today, the history of land use is evident in the high proportion of young, successional forest and the very small area of long-established forest.     

科尔沁沙地不同造林类型对土壤动物多样性的影响

为深入认识流沙生境中种植人工林对土壤动物多样性的影响,选择科尔沁流动沙地及其周围灌木林和乔木林地(生长年龄均为30年左右)为研究样地,对土壤动物群落与土壤环境进行调查,分析了土壤动物群落结构对流动沙地种植人工林的响应及影响因素.结果表明:流动沙地种植人工林对土壤性状产生显著影响,尤其是灌木林覆盖流动沙地显著改善了土壤环境,增加了土壤水分,提高了土壤营养条件.在3种林地中共捕获土壤动物485只、11个类群.优势类群为蜱螨目和弹尾目,常见类群为啮目,其他8个类群为稀有类群.从流动沙地到灌木林地和乔木林地,土壤动物密度减少,类群数和Shannon指数增加,而均匀度指数下降.但土壤动物密度、类群数、Shannon指数和均匀度指数在3种样地间均无显著性差异.土壤电导率是影响土壤动物类群数分布的重要因素.在科尔沁沙地,流动沙地种植人工林能够改善土壤环境和影响土壤动物多样性,但以30年的人工林研究其对流动沙地土壤动物群落的影响存在局限性.     

张家界国家森林公园土地利用格局变化

借助地理信息系统（GIS）技术对张家界国家森林公园1990～2000年土地利用格局变化进行了研究。结果表明：（1）1990～2000年问,张家界国家森林公园保护效果显著。近成过熟林面积基本稳定,1990年97．57％的阔叶近成过熟林、96．77％的马尾松近成过熟林和77．92％的杉木近成过熟林至2000年仍保存良好;未利用地恢复较好、灌木林保护较好,25．38％的未利用地、30％以上的灌木林分别转变为阔叶林、马尾松林或杉木林;中龄林、幼龄林保护较好,很大一部分中龄林、幼龄林分别转变为近成过熟林和中龄林。建议继续强化管理,落实《张家界国家森林公园森林经营方案》,避免重经济利益轻生态环境保护现象发生;（2）森林砍伐、农田侵占现象仍然存在。2000年,100％的马尾松幼龄林由1990年马尾松中龄林转变而来,74．06％杉木幼龄林由杉木近成过熟林转变而来,将近10％未利用地由阔叶近成过熟林或阔叶中龄林转变而来。2000年,11．19％居民点及道路与34．82％经济林均由农田转变而来。建议引导社区积极参与生态旅游,通过开展生态旅游切实提高农民收入,减小社区居民对森林公园的胁迫作用;同时注重耕地资源的保护。     

增温与氮添加对杉木幼苗细根化学计量学的影响

全球气候变暖与氮沉降是两个同时存在的全球变化主要因素,但目前关于二者的研究多以单因子为主。细根碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)浓度影响着森林生态系统生产力与碳汇,然而目前关于气候变暖与N沉降对细根化学组成元素的影响尚不清楚。本研究在福建三明森林生态系统与全球变化研究站陈大观测点开展增温(W,+4℃)与N添加(N,+40 kg N·hm-2·a-1)双因子试验,探讨增温与N添加对杉木细根C、N、P化学计量学的影响。结果表明:(1)增温提高了春季细根N浓度,对细根C与P浓度则无显著影响;增温降低了春季细根C∶N,对细根N∶P无显著影响。(2) N添加提高了细根C浓度与春季细根N浓度,对细根P浓度则无显著影响; N添加降低了春季细根C∶N,提高了春季细根N∶P。(3)增温与N添加的交互作用对春季1～2 mm径级细根C浓度有显著影响,但对0～1 mm径级细根C浓度无显著影响,并且增温与N添加的交互作用对细根N与P浓度均无显著影响。本研究表明,增温与N添加会促进亚热带森林生态系统养分循环,N添加并未改变亚热带杉木人工林N限制现状;增温与N添加的交互作用对细根C、N、P元素的影响并不一致,受苗木C投资...     

Where are Europe’s last primary forests?

Aim

Primary forests have high conservation value but are rare in Europe due to historic land use. Yet many primary forest patches remain unmapped, and it is unclear to what extent they are effectively protected. Our aim was to (1) compile the most comprehensive European‐scale map of currently known primary forests, (2) analyse the spatial determinants characterizing their location and (3) locate areas where so far unmapped primary forests likely occur.

Location

Europe.

Methods

We aggregated data from a literature review, online questionnaires and 32 datasets of primary forests. We used boosted regression trees to explore which biophysical, socio‐economic and forest‐related variables explain the current distribution of primary forests. Finally, we predicted and mapped the relative likelihood of primary forest occurrence at a 1‐km resolution across Europe.

Results

Data on primary forests were frequently incomplete or inconsistent among countries. Known primary forests covered 1.4 Mha in 32 countries (0.7% of Europe’s forest area). Most of these forests were protected (89%), but only 46% of them strictly. Primary forests mostly occurred in mountain and boreal areas and were unevenly distributed across countries, biogeographical regions and forest types. Unmapped primary forests likely occur in the least accessible and populated areas, where forests cover a greater share of land, but wood demand historically has been low.

Main conclusions

Despite their outstanding conservation value, primary forests are rare and their current distribution is the result of centuries of land use and forest management. The conservation outlook for primary forests is uncertain as many are not strictly protected and most are small and fragmented, making them prone to extinction debt and human disturbance. Predicting where unmapped primary forests likely occur could guide conservation efforts, especially in Eastern Europe where large areas of primary forest still exist but are being lost at an alarming pace.     

典型喀斯特森林土壤的抗蚀性

喀斯特地区生态脆弱,极易发生土壤侵蚀。受地表要素空间异质性的影响,目前相关研究仍无法完全反映出喀斯特地区不同植被类型土壤抗蚀性的特征。通过野外调查,了解样地植被群落类型及其组成等基本情况,并以"S形布点法"实地采样;通过酒精烘烤法、环刀法等方法,获取土壤含水量、土壤容重、土壤有机质、土壤团聚体、土壤微团聚体及土壤机械组成、土壤抗蚀指数等土壤抗蚀指标值。结果表明,除有机质外的其他抗蚀指标表现出0—10cm土层内与10—20cm土层内的变化规律均和抗蚀指数一致。在土壤深度0—10cm范围内,土壤抗蚀指数表征的土壤抗蚀能力强弱为:阔叶林灌丛针叶林;在10—20cm土层范围为:灌丛针叶林阔叶林。0—10cm土层内各指标表征土壤抗蚀能力的显著程度为:有机质含量、水稳性团聚体、结构破坏率、团聚状况和团聚度较显著,10—20cm土层内为有机质含量、干筛团聚体、团聚度较为显著,水稳性团聚体次之。通过综合两个土层的情况,可认为有机质含量、水稳性团聚体、团聚度能较好地表征喀斯特林地土壤抗蚀性强弱。在喀斯特地区如果以防治土壤侵蚀为目的,应考虑种植阔叶树种,避免针叶树种。     

Recovery of soil phosphorus on former bauxite mines through tropical forest restoration

Soil phosphorus (P) is a major driver of forest development and a critically limited nutrient in tropical soils, especially when topsoil is removed by mining. This nutrient can be present in soils in the form of different fractions, which have direct consequences for P availability to plants and, consequently, for restoration success. Therefore, understanding how the stocks of different soil P fractions change over the restoration process can be essential for guiding restoration interventions, monitoring, and adaptive management. Here, we investigated the recovery of soil P fractions by forest restoration interventions on bauxite mine sites in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We assessed the concentration of different fractions of soil organic and inorganic P at (1) a bauxite mine prepared for restoration; (2) two former bauxite mines undergoing forest restoration for 6 and 24 years; and (3) an old‐growth forest remnant. Overall, restored areas recovered levels of labile organic P (P_o‐NaHCO₃) at 5–40 cm and of moderately labile organic P (P_o‐NaOH) at different depths, exhibiting concentrations similar to those found in a conserved forest. The use of P‐rich fertilizers and forest topsoil may have greatly contributed to this outcome. Some other fractions, however, recovered only after 24 years of restoration. Other inorganic P fractions did not differ among mined, restored, and conserved sites: nonlabile P_i (residual P and P‐HCl), labile P_i (P_i‐NaHCO₃), and moderately labile P_i (P_i‐NaOH). Forest restoration was able to promote efficient recovery of important soil P fractions, highlighting the value of restoration efforts to mitigate soil degradation by mining.     

Land use and forest habitat distribution in the hinterland of(r)a large city

The cumulative effect of many local forest disturbances can be estimated from an analysis of forest distribution at the scale of the entire landscape. To gauge the regional impact of forest clearance and regeneration, a history of forest cover was compiled for the twentieth century in the hinterland of a large city (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.). Forest distribution and character were described by point sampling of historical aerial photographs. Environmental features were measured on visits to sample points in the field. Regional forest coverage has grown from c . 5% in 1890 to 22% in 1990. Most modern stands are <60 years old; only 2.5% of the modern landscape is in forest more than 100 years old. Since 1890, patterns of clearance and regeneration have caused a proportional shift in forest cover from uplands to lowlands and flood plains. Older stands are found on rock fields and steep slopes, indicating abandonment from agriculture according to the quality of local sites. Residential development has been concentrated in uplands, precluding regeneration of forest in that landscape position. In general, land use turnover reflects the character of the local site; there is no evidence of region-wide gradients of regeneration or clearance. Modern forest is concentrated along steep-sided stream valleys and away from roads. The great majority of forest lies within 50 m of a forest margin placing it in the microclimatic and vegetational edge zone. Although most forest is within 200 m of a residence, pedestrian traffic appears to have had only a minor impact in the biological community. By contrast, widespread species impoverish- ment is suggested by the overwhelming youthfulness of modern forest and the low degree of connectedness of forest within the landscape. Management for biological conservation should focus on protection of remnant primary forest, rather than relying on succession to restock secondary stands.     

The underpinnings of land-use history: three centuries of global gridded land-use transitions, wood-harvest activity, and resulting secondary lands

To accurately assess the impacts of human land use on the Earth system, information is needed on the current and historical patterns of land‐use activities. Previous global studies have focused on developing reconstructions of the spatial patterns of agriculture. Here, we provide the first global gridded estimates of the underlying land conversions (land‐use transitions), wood harvesting, and resulting secondary lands annually, for the period 1700–2000. Using data‐based historical cases, our results suggest that 42–68% of the land surface was impacted by land‐use activities (crop, pasture, wood harvest) during this period, some multiple times. Secondary land area increased 10–44 × 10⁶ km²; about half of this was forested. Wood harvest and shifting cultivation generated 70–90% of the secondary land by 2000; permanent abandonment and relocation of agricultural land accounted for the rest. This study provides important new estimates of globally gridded land‐use activities for studies attempting to assess the consequences of anthropogenic changes to the Earth's surface over time.     

Tree demography suggests multiple directions and drivers for species range shifts in mountains of Northeastern United States

Climate change is expected to lead to upslope shifts in tree species distributions, but the evidence is mixed partly due to land‐use effects and individualistic species responses to climate. We examined how individual tree species demography varies along elevational climatic gradients across four states in the northeastern United States to determine whether species elevational distributions and their potential upslope (or downslope) shifts were controlled by climate, land‐use legacies (past logging), or soils. We characterized tree demography, microclimate, land‐use legacies, and soils at 83 sites stratified by elevation (~500 to ~1200 m above sea level) across 12 mountains containing the transition from northern hardwood to spruce‐fir forests. We modeled elevational distributions of tree species saplings and adults using logistic regression to test whether sapling distributions suggest ongoing species range expansion upslope (or contraction downslope) relative to adults, and we used linear mixed models to determine the extent to which climate, land use, and soil variables explain these distributions. Tree demography varied with elevation by species, suggesting a potential upslope shift only for American beech, downslope shifts for red spruce (more so in cool regions) and sugar maple, and no change with elevation for balsam fir. While soils had relatively minor effects, climate was the dominant predictor for most species and more so for saplings than adults of red spruce, sugar maple, yellow birch, cordate birch, and striped maple. On the other hand, logging legacies were positively associated with American beech, sugar maple, and yellow birch, and negatively with red spruce and balsam fir – generally more so for adults than saplings. All species exhibited individualistic rather than synchronous demographic responses to climate and land use, and the return of red spruce to lower elevations where past logging originally benefited northern hardwood species indicates that land use may mask species range shifts caused by changing climate.