Coarse woody debris mass and nutrients in forest ecosystems of Korea

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is an essential component of forests. However, quantification of both the mass and nutrient content of CWD within a given environment tends to be a fairly labor-intensive proposition that requires long-term studies to be conducted for viable data to be obtained. As a result, various aspects of CWD in forest ecosystems remain somewhat poorly understood. In this review, we have compiled all available estimates of CWD mass and nutrients from both coniferous and deciduous forests in Korea. The CWD mass data varied substantially by forest type, age, location, and sampling time, ranging from 1.5 to 24.5 Mg ha⁻¹, and for the amount (kg ha⁻¹) of nutrients in the CWD, ranging from 3.5 to 23.6 for nitrogen (N), 0.8 to 4.7 for phosphorus (P), 3.9 to 13.3 for potassium (K), 25.9 to 30.9 for calcium (Ca), 1.4 to 4.2 for magnesium (Mg), and 0.1 to 0.6 for sodium (Na). The mass of CWD transferred from live trees to the forest floor ranged between 0.1 and 4.9 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, and these values were roughly equivalent to 26–42% of the annual litterfall inputs (2.5–10.8 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) for mixed Quercus spp. forests within the relevant region. Annual nutrients inputs (kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) through CWD decomposition were 0.7–1.6 for N, 0.04–0.3 for P, 0.3–1.0 for K, 1.7–3.1 for Ca, and 0.1–0.3 for Mg. Consequently, these results revealed that the ecological value of CWD for C and nutrient cycling was relatively insignificant. However, only a limited number of studies have been conducted on CWD in different coniferous or mixed deciduous forests in the region. As a direct result of this paucity of data, further long-term studies on CWD mass and nutrients in a variety of forest types are required in order to be able to evaluate accurately the ecological value of CWD on biodiversity and physical properties in Korean forest ecosystems.     

Low stocks of coarse woody debris in a southwest Amazonian forest

The stocks and dynamics of coarse woody debris (CWD) are significant components of the carbon cycle within tropical forests. However, to date, there have been no reports of CWD stocks and fluxes from the approximately 1.3 million km² of lowland western Amazonian forests. Here, we present estimates of CWD stocks and annual CWD inputs from forests in southern Peru. Total stocks were low compared to other tropical forest sites, whether estimated by line-intercept sampling (24.4 ± 5.3 Mg ha⁻¹) or by complete inventories within 11 permanent plots (17.7 ± 2.4 Mg ha⁻¹). However, annual inputs, estimated from long-term data on tree mortality rates in the same plots, were similar to other studies (3.8 ± 0.2 or 2.9 ± 0.2 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, depending on the equation used to estimate biomass). Assuming the CWD pool is at steady state, the turnover time of coarse woody debris is low (4.7 ± 2.6 or 6.1 ± 2.6 years). These results indicate that these sites have not experienced a recent, large-scale disturbance event and emphasise the distinctive, rapid nature of carbon cycling in these western Amazonian forests.     

温带森林生态系统粗死木质物动态研究——以中美两个温带天然林生态系统为例

通过对我国长白山自然保护区红松针阔混交林和美国Andrews试验林异叶铁杉林的林木死亡量、粗死木质物(CWD)贮量、分解速率和它们在生态系统养分循环等方面动态研究表明,CWD是温带天然林生态系统的重要组成部分,它们在生态系统功能方面的重要性,因森林类型的不同而不尽相同,CWD在针叶林中比针阔混交林中更为重要。CWD在生态系统养分循环中的一个重要作用,很可能在于系统遭受重大外界扰动后,起到贮藏养分,增加系统稳定性的作用。未来全球森林凋落物C贮量估测时,应该包括CWD,否则将低估全球森林凋落物C贮量2.0—16×10~(13)kg,系统相对误差达2—10％。     

森林粗死木质残体的概念及其分类

森林粗死木残体 (Coarse woody debris,CWD)在不同的文献中有不同的定义 ,没有通用而确切的概念用来描述 CWD,对研究结果的比较造成了很大障碍。 2 0世纪 90年代以来 ,随着景观生态学的发展 ,以及对 CWD生态功能的深入研究 ,国外的森林管理和研究机构 (例如 USDA Forest Service和 L TER)为了把 CWD放在区域以及景观尺度上进行比较 ,对 CWD的概念等进行了统一 ,将其直径标准由原来的≥ 2 .5 cm调整到≥ 10 cm,但是我国在此方面还没有与国际接轨 ,仍采用旧标准 (≥ 2 .5 cm ) ,这样的研究结果难于和国外进行比较 ,不利于我国 CWD的长期深入研究。另外 ,有关 CWD的分类一直以来也没有形成一个完整的分类系统 ,我国也缺少 CWD分类方法的介绍。鉴于以上情况 ,综合国内外近年来在 CWD方面的研究动态 ,综述了 CWD的概念和分类情况 ,并初步提出较综合的 CWD概念及其分类系统 ,以供相关研究者讨论和参考 ,为我国的 CWD研究起到推动作用     

Pollination biology in a lowland dipterocarp forest inSarawak, Malaysia. I. Characteristics of the plant-pollinator communityin a lowland dipterocarp forest

Flowerings and flower visitors were observed continuously in alowland dipterocarp forest in Sarawak, Malaysia, for 53 mo in1992-1996. Flower visitors of 270 plant species were observed orcollected, and pollinators were assessed by observing body contact tostigmas and anthers. We recognized 12 categories of pollination systems.Among them, plants pollinated by social bees included the largest numberof species (32%) and were followed by beetle-pollinated species(20%). Pollination systems were significantly related with somefloral characters (flowering time of day, reward, and floral shape), butnot with floral color. Based on the relationships between pollinatorsand floral characters, we described pollination syndromes found in alowland dipterocarp forest. The dominance of social bees and beetlesamong pollinators is discussed in relation to the general floweringobserved in dipterocarp forests of West Malesia. In spite of high plantspecies diversity and consequent low population densities of lowlanddipterocarp forests, long-distance-specific pollinators were uncommoncompared with theNeotropics.     

岷江上游高山森林溪流木质残体碳、氮和磷贮量特征

森林溪流木质残体是森林生态系统与水域之间物质循环和能量流动的主要联结之一,其碳、氮和磷贮量不仅可影响森林与溪流生态系统的结构和功能,而且与下游水体环境密切相关。因此,于2013年8月雨季以岷江上游典型高山森林为研究对象,调查了12条森林溪流木质残体的碳、氮和磷贮量分配特征,并汇算了研究区域内碳、氮和磷在溪流中单位面积的总贮量。结果表明,高山森林溪流木质残体碳、氮和磷的溪流单位面积总贮量分别为312.1 g/m2、809.5 mg/m2和110.9 mg/m2;在溪流中,木质残体碳、氮和磷贮量以径级为1—2.5 cm和2.5—5 cm的木质残体分布居多,分别共占碳、氮和磷总贮量的86.71%、87.20%和84.55%;木质残体碳、氮和磷贮量以Ⅴ腐烂级分配最多,分别共占碳、氮和磷总贮量的65.86%、67.86%和60.31%;尽管溪流各项特征与碳、氮和磷元素贮量的相关性不显著,但基本达到中度相关关系。这些结果为认识森林生态系统中以木质残体为载体的碳、氮和磷输出潜力提供了基础数据。     

Surface area of woody organs of an evergreen broadleaf forest tree in Japan and Southeast Asia

Architecture of evergreen broadleaf trees in evergreen warm-temperate and tropical forests was analyzed with a ratio (U/Ac) of total surface area of aboveground woody organs to leaf area (one-sided surface area) of each felled tree. The ratio,U/Ac, tended to decrease with the increasing ofdbh. There was little difference in a range of the ratio at eachdbh class between a warmtemperate forest and a tropical rainforest. The ratios of larger trees correlated with their relative growth rates ofdbh among similar sized trees. Canopy trees tended to stop their growth at some value of a ratio, a threshold value being about 1.5, irrespective of forest types. The threshold value showed the critical condition that annual respiration of woody organs of a tree consumed nearly all surplus production. On the basis of the pipe model, an ideal maximum tree height was considered with the ratio, and was estimated at 110 m and 70 m in a tropical rainforest and a warm-temperate forest, respectively.     

The influence of nitrogen on rain forest dipterocarp seedlings exposed to a large increase in irradiance

Dipterocarps dominate the canopy of lowland tropical rain forest in South‐east Asia. Seedlings of these species form diverse assemblages on the forest floor where low irradiance severely limits their growth. Further growth depends largely upon the increased irradiance that can occur with the creation of canopy gaps. However, the response of dipterocarp seedlings to increased irradiance and their subsequent establishment in the canopy may be influenced by the availability of other resources, such as nutrient availability. We investigated the influence of nitrogen supply on aspects of the photosynthetic physiology and growth of seedlings of four dipterocarp species (Shorea leprosula, Shorea johorensis, Shorea oleosa and Dryobalanops lanceolata) growing under low irradiance, during transfer from low to high irradiance, and during subsequent growth at high irradiance. All four species increased growth and photosynthetic capacity in response to N‐supply at high irradiances but not at low irradiance approximating that which can be expected to occur in the forest understorey. When seedlings grown at low irradiances and varying N‐supply were exposed to a large increase in irradiance, all species showed some degree of initial photodamage (measured through chlorophyll fluorescence), the extent of which was similar between species but differed markedly depending on the pre‐exposure growth irradiance and N‐supply. Greater photodamage occurred in seedlings grown at lower compared with higher N‐supply and irradiance. Despite these initial difference in the extent of this photodamage, all seedlings demonstrated a similar capacity to recover from damage. However, the alterations in the photosynthetic physiology of leaves during this recovery differed between species and depended on N‐supply. Under high N‐supply all species apart from S. oleosa increased photosynthetic capacity per unit chlorophyll following exposure to high irradiance by increasing photosynthetic capacity per unit leaf area while, under low N‐supply, an increase in photosynthetic capacity per unit leaf only occurred in D. lanceolata. Our results suggest that variations in N‐availability may have a much greater impact on the relative competitiveness of dipterocarp seedlings during the regenerative phase following canopy gap formation than physiological differences between seedlings. Our results demonstrate a potentially significant role for N‐availability in the regeneration dynamics and distribution of canopy‐dominating dipterocarp species.     

地形对小兴安岭阔叶红松(Pinus koraiensis)林粗木质残体分布的影响

以小兴安岭典型阔叶红松林大面积固定样地(9hm2)为对象,分析不同地形下粗木质残体(CWD)的数量、存在形式、腐烂程度,探讨其与主要地形因子的相互关系.随着坡位的上升,CWD的密度和胸高断面积逐渐增加;从阴坡、半阴、半阳到阳坡,CWD的密度、胸高断面积和体积都呈现递减的趋势;CWD的数量分布随着样方坡度的增加没有呈现出明显的趋势.对不同地形下CWD的分布进行x2检验,各地形因子对CWD密度分布均差异显著,山脊、阴坡和坡度16～25°分别是CWD易发生的地形.在不同的地形中,CWD主要以干基折断、干中折断和枯立木3种形式存在.从谷地到山脊以拔根倒存在的CWD密度、胸高断面积和体积呈逐渐减少的趋势,而干中折断、根桩、枯立木和干基折断的密度大体上表现出增加的趋势;拔根倒的密度随坡度的上升逐渐减少,而枯立木则增加;由阳坡到阴坡枯立木的密度逐渐减少.不同存在形式的倒木,其树倒方向与坡向和风向均没有显著的相关性(p>0.05).不同地形下的各腐烂等级的CWD大致呈正态分布,且主要分布在2、3腐烂等级上,说明阔叶红松林不同地形的CWD输入和输出相对稳定.     

Impacts of dry and hazy weather in 1997 on a tropical rainforest ecosystem in West Sumatra, Indonesia

An equatorial rainforest in the coastal region of West Sumatra suffered a long period of dry and hazy weather in 1997. Canopy trees with higher growth rates before the event had reduced growth rates during the 8 months from June 1997 to an average of 23% of their 1996 growth rate. The size-dependency of growth depression in forest trees greater than 5 cm in stem diameter could be observed during this period. The weather induced defoliation, and high litterfall rates of leaves continued throughout the period. The impacts of the weather on growth rates were analyzed by using Saekis mathematical model for community production. This model suggested that the great reduction in growth-rates of active canopy trees would be caused mainly by the interacting effects of potential photosynthetic rate and leaf biomass because of their sensitive responses to drought. In the severe weather conditions, these variables were estimated to have decreased to more than 50% of their 1996 values.     

丰林自然保护区阔叶红松林粗木质残体研究

粗木质残体(CWD)是森林生态系统的重要组成部分,对维持森林生态系统健康具有不可忽视的贡献.采用典型取样法在黑龙江丰林国家级自然保护区设置了17块20×20m的标准样地,拟对保护区内阔叶红松林中粗木质残体的贮量、形态组成、直径、长度及腐烂度等特征进行研究.研究结果表明:(1)CWD总贮量为75.1m³·hm^-2,其中倒木,枯立木和树桩的贮量分别为.24 m³·hm^-2,2.03m³·hm^-2和7.34m³ ·hm^-2.(2)倒木和枯立木的优势径级范围分别为11cm～20cm(占CWD总数的4%)和0-10cm(45%);倒木和枯立木的优势长度范围分别为0-5m (%)和m-10m(49%).(3)CWD腐烂度呈近正态分布,且主要分布在Ⅱ(28%),Ⅲ(35%)和Ⅳ(2%)腐烂等级上.     

高山森林粗木质残体附生苔藓植物的重金属吸存特征

粗木质残体及其附生苔藓植物是高山森林生态系统中两个相互联系的基本组成部分,二者的相互作用可能影响森林生态系统重金属循环,但有关不同类型和不同腐解等级粗木质残体对附生苔藓植物重金属吸存特征尚不清楚。因此,于2015年7月在川西高山森林调查了岷江冷杉(Abies faxoniana)原始林内不同类型和不同腐解等级的粗木质残体附生苔藓镉、铅、铜和锌浓度与吸存特征。结果表明:高山森林粗木质残体附生苔藓植物Cd、Pb、Cu和Zn的总吸存量依次为4700mg/hm~2、21236mg/hm~2、6179mg/hm~2和2622mg/hm~2。粗木质残体附生苔藓的4种重金属吸存量都表现为倒木大枯枝枯立木根桩;倒木附生苔藓Cd、Pb、Cu和Zn吸存量分别占高山森林粗木质残体总吸存量的54.53%、66.08%、51.13%和66.30%,根桩附生苔藓重金属吸存量不足总吸存量的3%。粗木质残体的类型和腐解等级都会影响附生植物重金属吸存特征。随着腐解等级的增加,倒木和大枯枝附生苔藓中Cd和Pb呈现"积累-释放"的变化特征,其浓度和吸存量在第Ⅱ、Ⅲ腐解等级较高。附生苔藓Cu和Zn浓度和吸存量在不同腐解等级粗木质残体间的差异均不明显。这些结果表明,粗木质残体附生苔藓对重金属元素具有明显的吸存作用,为认识高山森林生态系统重金属元素循环及其迁移过程提供了新的思路,也为进一步了解粗木质残体在高山森林生态系统中的重要作用提供了新的角度。     

Habitat use by a primate community in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Danum Valley,Borneo

Knowledge of niche partitioning with respect to habitat is indispensable to understand the mechanism of coexistence of multiple species. Among primates, however, data are still deficient because repeated survey for a sufficiently long time, covering seasonal changes over a large area, is the only way to clarify habitat segregation within a seasonally fluctuating environment. Southeast Asia is particularly interesting because of the supra-annual, highly unpredictable seasonality in fruiting known as mast fruiting. We conducted repeated route census, habitat monitoring, and group tracking for 25 months in two study sites (ca. 10 km apart) in the largely primary lowland dipterocarp forest of the Danum Valley Conservation Area, eastern Sabah, northern Borneo, Malaysia. The five species of diurnal primates (Bornean orangutan Pongo pygmaeus, Müeller's gibbon Hylobates muelleri, red leaf monkey Presbytis rubicunda, long-tailed macaque Macaca fascicularis, and southern pig-tailed macaque M. nemestrina) did not show horizontal spatial segregation. Red leaf monkeys showed preferences for places with short tree height, but their distribution was not confined to such places. In response to the fruiting peak observed once during the study period, orangutans increased their numbers simultaneously in the two study sites. The average tree height used by the five species was different, but their range overlapped substantially. Compared with other primate communities, the lack of horizontal spatial segregation and the suggested long-distance movement of orangutans seem to be unique characteristics in Borneo, although the use of different forest strata is a widespread phenomenon among primate communities throughout the world.     

小兴安岭阔叶红松林粗木质残体空间分布的点格局分析

采用点格局分析方法对小兴安岭典型阔叶红松林9hm2(300m×300m)固定样地内粗木质残体(CWD)的空间分布格局进行了研究。结果表明:固定样地内CWD的总密度为368.8株/hm2,径级结构呈现明显的正态分布,各径级密度差别较大。花楷槭(27.8株/hm2)和枫桦(26.1株/hm2)是阔叶CWD的主要组成树种。红松(41.6株/hm2)是针叶CWD的主要组成树种,针叶树种CWD的数量随着径级的增大而增加,呈典型的J型分布。在150m的空间尺度内,CWD总体在较小尺度上表现为集群分布,在40m尺度上聚集强度最大(0.40),随着尺度的增加,CWD趋于均匀分布。不同径级组在不同规模尺度聚集,随着径级的增加,聚集强度呈下降趋势。不同物种CWD在各径级下的空间分布格局有所不同,具体表现为集群分布和由集群分布向随机分布发展两种形式。不同存在形式的CWD在研究尺度内随着尺度的增加,由集群分布向随机分布发展。随着CWD腐烂等级的增高,其聚集强度和聚集尺度均增大。CWD的空间分布格局是阔叶红松林群落与其自然环境长期作用的结果,从某种程度上也反映了该林型天然更新的格局和机制。     

Contribution of woody debris to trout habitat modification in small streams in secondary deciduous forest, northern Japan

Field studies to examine the influence of woody debris on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) abundance through habitat modification were conducted in two small streams, the Horonai and Uenae streams, running through secondary deciduous forest in south-western Hokkaido, northern Japan. Reach-based woody debris volume (total woody debris volume per 100 m² of study reach) was significantly correlated with the total basal area of riparian stands along the margins of the Horonai stream, but no significant relationship was evident between them for the Uenae stream. This inconsistency between the streams was considered to be a result of the difference in stream size (width, depth and discharge). Woody debris was the principal agent for pool formation, although it had a far smaller volume than that found in streams draining old-growth coniferous forest in North America, where most of the previous studies have been carried out. Untransported debris pieces of larger volume more effectively contributed to pool formation than smaller transported pieces. The volume of individual debris scour pools was positively correlated with the volume of woody debris associated with each. Similarly, reach-based pool volume increased with total woody debris volume, but the relationship was less clear in the Uenae stream, having more abundant transported woody debris than the Horonai stream. The biomass of rainbow trout in individual pools, which were regarded as the most preferred habitat type for stream salmonids, was correlated with pool volume. A positive relationship also existed between reach-based standing crop and pool volume. These results revealed that secondary deciduous forest, like old-growth coniferous forest, plays an important role in enhancing the carrying capacity for rainbow trout by supplying woody debris which promoted preferred habitat formation.     

Leaching of dissolved organic carbon,dissolved organic nitrogen,and other solutes from coarse woody debris and litter in a mixed forest in New York State

Coarse woody debris (CWD) may play a role in nutrient cycling in temperate forests through the leaching of solutes, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), to the underlying soil. These fluxes need to be considered in element budget calculations, and have the potential to influence microbial activity, soil development, and other processes in the underlying soil, but studies on leaching from CWD are rare. In this study, we collected throughfall, litter leachate, and CWD leachate in situ at a young mixed lowland forest in NY State, USA over one year. We measured the concentrations of DOC, DON, NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, dissolved organic sulfur, SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, Al, Ca, K, Mg, Na, and P, estimated the flux of these solutes in throughfall, and measured the cover of CWD to gain some insight into possible fluxes from CWD. Concentrations of DOC were much higher in CWD leachate than in throughfall or litter leachate (15 vs. 0.7 and 1.6 mM, respectively), and greater than reported values for other leachates from within forested ecosystems. Other solutes showed a similar pattern, with inorganic N being an exception. Our results suggest that microsite scale fluxes of DOC from CWD may be An high relative to throughfall and litter leaching fluxes, but since CWD covered a relatively small fraction (2%) of the forest floor in our study, ecosystem scale fluxes from CWD may be negligible for this site. Soil directly beneath CWD may be influenced by CWD leaching, in terms of soil organic matter, microbial activity, and N availability. Concentrations of some metals showed correlations to DOC concentrations, highlighting the possibility of complexation by DOM. Several solute concentrations in throughfall, including DOC, showed positive correlations to mean air temperature, and fewer showed positive correlations in litter leachate, while negative correlations were observed to precipitation, suggesting both biological and hydrologic control of solute concentrations.     

Spiders (Araneae) associated with downed woody material in a deciduous forest in central Alberta, Canada

1 Spiders (Araneae) were collected on and near downed woody material (DWM) in a Populus‐dominated forest to determine if spiders utilize wood surfaces, and to ascertain the importance of DWM habitat and wood elevation for spider assemblages. 2 Over 10 000 spiders representing 100 species were collected. Although more spiders were collected on the forest floor, spider diversity was higher in traps located on wood surfaces than on the forest floor, and 11 species were collected more frequently on wood surfaces. 3 Spiders utilized DWM at different stages in their development. Female Pardosa mackenziana (Keyserling) (Lycosidae) carrying egg sacs were caught most often on the surface of DWM, possibly to sun their egg sacs. Additionally, the proportion of immature spiders was higher on the wood surface than on the forest floor. 4 Spiders collected on logs with and without bark were compared to assemblages collected on telephone poles to assess what features of DWM habitat may be important. Web‐building species were seldom collected on telephone poles, suggesting that they depend on the greater habitat complexity provided by DWM. In contrast, hunting spiders did not distinguish between telephone poles and logs. 5 Fewer spiders and a less diverse fauna utilized elevated compared to ground‐level wood. Additionally, Detrended Correspondence Analysis revealed that the spider community from elevated wood was distinguishable from the spider community from ground‐level wood, and from the forest floor spider community.     

DNA barcoding herbaceous and woody plant species at a subalpine forest dynamics plot in Southwest China

Although DNA barcoding has been widely used to identify plant species composition in temperate and tropical ecosystems, relatively few studies have used DNA barcodes to document both herbaceous and woody components of forest plot. A total of 201 species (72 woody species and 129 herbaceous species) representing 135 genera distributed across 64 families of seed plants were collected in a 25 ha CForBio subalpine forest dynamics plot. In total, 491 specimens were screened for three DNA regions of the chloroplast genome (rbcL, matK, and trnH‐psbA) as well as the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA. We quantified species resolution for each barcode separately or in combination using a ML tree‐based method. Amplification and sequencing success were highest for rbcL, followed by trnH‐psbA, which performed better than ITS and matK. The rbcL + ITS barcode had slightly higher species resolution rates (88.60%) compared with rbcL + matK (86.60%) and rbcL + trnH‐psbA (86.01%). The addition of trnH‐psbA or ITS to the rbcL + matK barcode only marginally increased species resolution rates, although in combination the four barcodes had the highest discriminatory power (90.21%). The situations where DNA barcodes did not discriminate among species were typically associated with higher numbers of co‐occurring con‐generic species. In addition, herbaceous species were much better resolved than woody species. Our study represents one of the first applications of DNA barcodes in a subalpine forest dynamics plot and contributes to our understanding of patterns of genetic divergence among woody and herbaceous plant species.     

Callus and cell suspension cultures of Rudgea jasminoides,a tropical woody Rubiaceae

Rudgea jasminoides is a woody Rubiaceae that produces phytoalexins in response to fungal inoculation, the response being dependent of the seasonal conditions. With the aim of studying phytoalexin induction under controlled conditions, callus cultures were established from petiole explants of R. jasminoides on a modified basal MS medium supplemented with picloram alone or in combination with kinetin. The highest frequency of callus formation was observed in solid medium containing 2.22 M kinetin and 2.07 M picloram. Development of fast-growing friable white callus was achieved in the absence of kinetin, in cultures supplemented only with 8.28 M picloram. Cell suspension cultures were established from this friable callus by transferring pieces directly to the same medium without agar. Preliminary experiments revealed that cell suspension cultures of R. jasminoides represent a useful system to analyse induced defensive metabolites produced by this Rubiaceae species.     

Changes in aboveground primary production and carbon and nitrogen pools accompanying woody plant encroachment in a temperate savanna

When woody plant abundance increases in grasslands and savannas, a phenomenon widely observed worldwide, there is considerable uncertainty as to whether aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and ecosystem carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools increase, decrease, or remain the same. We estimated ANPP and C and N pools in aboveground vegetation and surface soils on shallow clay and clay loam soils undergoing encroachment by Prosopis glandulosa in the Southern Great Plains of the United States. Aboveground Prosopis C and N mass increased linearly, and ANPP increased logarithmically, with stand age on clay loam soils; on shallow clays, Prosopis C and N mass and ANPP all increased linearly with stand age. We found no evidence of an asymptote in trajectories of C and N accumulation or ANPP on either soil type even following 68 years of stand development. Production and accumulation rates were lower on shallow clay sites relative to clay loam sites, suggesting strong edaphic control of C and N accumulation associated with woody plant encroachment. Response of herbaceous C mass to Prosopis stand development also differed between soil types. Herbaceous C declined with increasing aboveground Prosopis C on clay loams, but increased with increasing Prosopis C on shallow clays. Total ANPP (Prosopis+herbaceous) of sites with the highest Prosopis basal area were 1.2 × and 4.0 × greater than those with the lowest Prosopis basal area on clay loam and shallow clay soils, respectively. Prosopis ANPP more than offset declines in herbaceous ANPP on clay loams and added to increased herbaceous ANPP on shallow clays. Although aboveground C and N pools increased substantially with Prosopis stand development, we found no corresponding change in surface soil C and N pools (0–10 cm). Overall, our findings indicate that Prosopis stand development significantly increases ecosystem C and N storage/cycling, and the magnitude of these impacts varied with stand age, soil type and functional plant traits