利用半球图像法提取植被冠层结构特征参数

植被冠层结构深刻地影响着植物群落与环境的相互作用,对植被冠层结构的研究是深入理解植被生态系统格局、过程及其运作机制的重要基础。冠层结构特征参数的快速测量方法是植被冠层结构研究的前提,目前测量方法主要是基于实际测量的地面法,地面法一般费时费力,受人为因素影响较大,因此本文探索利用半球图像法获取植被冠层结构特征参数。通过对半球图像进行几何纠正并建立参数图层,与分类后的植被冠层图层进行运算提取植被冠层结构特征参数。将该方法应用于祁连山旺腰沟流域青海云杉冠层结构特征参数的提取,包括植被冠幅、冠层面积、冠层周长等,结果显示：半球图像法能够较好的提取植被冠层结构特征参数,该方法具有简单、客观、可重复等优点,也可作为植被冠层结构变化的监测方法。     

三种人工林分的冠层结构参数与林下光照条件

以样方法为基础,用半球面影像技术测定了桉树林、湿地松林和混交林（木荷+青冈+银木荷）3种人工林分的冠层结构(叶面积指数LAI和林冠孔隙度CO)和林下光照条件(林下直射光TransDir和林下散射光TransDif),并分析了冠层结构与林下光照条件之间的关系.测定结果表明,桉树林、湿地松林和混交林的LAI平均值分别是1....     

车八岭山地常绿阔叶林冰灾后土壤微生物群落功能多样性

研究了我国南方冰灾后常绿阔叶林林冠开度及土壤养分的空间异质性对土壤微生物功能多样性的影响.在受冰灾影响的粤北车八岭山地常绿阔叶林2 hm2固定样地中按照冠层受损程度选取16个20 m×20 m的样方,用半球面影像技术获取林冠开度,并取0～20 cm的表层土壤混合样品分析土壤的理化性质,同时应用Biolog技术分析微生物功能多样性.按林冠开度梯度对各样方土壤微生物群落利用单一碳源的分析发现,林冠开度大的样方土壤微生物的活性、丰富度、多样性和均匀度都较低,反之则较高.聚类分析的结果与林冠开度的梯度有高度的一致性.主成分分析表明各样方土壤微生物功能多样性具有显著差异(第一轴p<0.005;第二轴p<0.001),其结果与聚类结果基本吻合.冗余分析揭示了土壤全磷、全钾、全氮、速效氮、有机碳、容重、总孔隙度和林冠开度的综合作用对土壤微生物功能多样性有显著影响(p<0.005),其中林冠开度与土壤微生物群落功能多样性的关系最密切.土壤微生物功能多样性受土壤养分的影响,具体表现为:与土壤有机碳呈明显的正相关;与全氮正相关;与速效氮、全磷负相关.研究说明冰灾所造成林冠开度和土壤养分的空间异质性会影响到土壤微生物功能多样性,而土壤微生物功能多样性可用于对生境恢复的指示和评价.     

Methods for estimating understory light conditions using crown projection maps and topographic data

Four types of indices of canopy characteristics were compared to estimate understory light conditions using crown projection maps and topographic data. Crown area (CA) was formulated from the crowns in a focal sub-block (20 m×20 m). Canopy shade index (CSI) was formulated from the crowns in a focal sub-block and the surrounding sub-blocks with topographic effect. Site shade index (SSI) incorporated the shade of the slopes into CSI and represented the total physical closure of the site. Site light index (SLI) incorporated the azimuth of the site into SSI and evaluated the light condition of the understory. We tested the methods using the data on steep old-growth Cryptomeria japonica forests on Yakushima Island and the three-dimensional canopy structures of the forests were digitized on a geographic information system. The results were validated by the basic indices obtained by hemispherical photographs: canopy openness (CO) and gap light index (GLI). The three-dimensional structure of the surrounding canopies and topography had significant effects on the understory light conditions. CA had no significant correlation with CO, whereas CSI and SSI had significant negative correlations with CO. Although SLI had the highest negative correlation with GLI (R²=0.69), CSI had practical utility in the estimation of GLI (R²= 0.65). Our method is applicable to past crown projection maps that have been recorded at many forest research sites, thus making it possible to reconstruct past understory light conditions and to compare them with present conditions.     

粤北山地常绿阔叶林自然干扰后冠层结构与林下光照动态

以粤北车八岭2008年受冰灾破坏的山地常绿阔叶林为研究对象,设置2 hm2固定样地开展连续3a(2008—2010年)的群落调查,并采用半球面影像技术(Hemispherical photography)获取冠层结构和林下光照指标,分析灾后森林演替过程中冠层结构和林下光照的动态。研究发现:1)灾后森林恢复过程中,样地林下光照(直射光、散射光和总光照)均随林冠开度的减少、叶面积指数的增加而减少;2)从2008到2010年,各年度冠层结构和林下光照的差异均极显著(P<0.0001),但年间差异程度有逐年减少的趋势;3)灾后森林恢复前3a,林下直射光对林下总光照的贡献大于散射光,其时空波动性也大于散射光;4)林冠开度对冠层结构的反映程度比叶面积指数高,冠层结构对林下散射光的影响比对直射光大。灾后林木先是迅速生长然后生长速度缓慢下来并逐渐稳定,随森林逐渐郁闭林下光照也随之减少,其中林冠开度用于评价冠层结构动态的效果更佳,林下直射光比散射光的时空变化更复杂。     

利用半球图像反演祁连山区青海云杉(Picea crassifolia)林盖度

青海云杉是祁连山森林生态系统的主要建群种,具有重要的生态水文功能.冠层盖度是评估生态环境的一个重要参数, 但目前缺乏有效评估手段.半球摄影技术在估算林冠盖度方面已显示出潜在优势,但它受到环境条件例如天气的影响仍然没有报道.在祁连山排露沟流域利用半球摄影技术反演冠层盖度,界定不同天气条件对阈值的影响,评估与传统方法估算林冠盖度的差别,结果表明:分类阈值受天气状况的影响较大,阴天的最佳阈值为118,晴天的最佳阈值为149;另外传统观测与半球图像法获得的林冠盖度有一定的差异,其中最大差值17.88%,最小差值5.34%.该项研究对青海云杉林盖度估算提供新的方法,为生态水文过程模型提供有价值的输入参数.     

Solar radiation transmission in and around canopy gaps in an uneven-aged <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nothofagus betuloides</Emphasis> forest

The transmission of direct, diffuse and global solar radiation in and around canopy gaps occurring in an uneven-aged, evergreen Nothofagus betuloides forest during the growing season (October 2006–March 2007) was estimated by means of hemispherical photographs. The transmission of solar radiation into the forest was affected not only by a high level of horizontal and vertical heterogeneity of the forest canopy, but also by low angles of the sun’s path. The below-canopy direct solar radiation appeared to be variable in space and time. On average, the highest amount of transmitted direct solar radiation was estimated below the undisturbed canopy at the southeast of the gap centre. The transmitted diffuse and global solar radiation above the forest floor exhibited lower variability and, on average, both were higher at the centre of the canopy gaps. Canopy structure and stand parameters were also measured to explain the variation in the below-canopy solar radiation in the forest. The model that best fit the transmitted below-canopy direct solar radiation was a growth model, using plant area index with an ellipsoidal angle distribution as the independent variable (R ² = 0.263). Both diffuse and global solar radiation were very sensitive to canopy openness, and for both cases a quadratic model provided the best fit for these data (R ² = 0.963 and 0.833, respectively). As much as 75% and 73% of the variation in the diffuse and global solar radiation, respectively, were explained by a combination of stand parameters, namely basal area, crown projection, crown volume, stem volume, and average equivalent crown radius.     

The importance of canopy complexity in shaping seasonal spider and beetle assemblages in saltmarsh habitats

1. Habitat structure, including vegetation structural complexity, largely determines invertebrate assemblages in semi‐natural grasslands. The importance of structural complexity to the saltmarsh invertebrate community, where the interplay between vegetation characteristics and tidal inundation is key, is less well known. 2. It was hypothesised that canopy complexity would be a more important predictor of spider and beetle assemblages than simple vegetation attributes (e.g. height, community type) and environmental variables (e.g. elevation) alone, measured in two saltmarsh regions, south‐east (Essex) and north‐west (Morecambe Bay) U.K. Canopy complexity (number of non‐vegetated ‘gaps’ in canopy ≥ 1 mm wide) was assessed using side‐on photography. Over 1500 spiders and beetles were sampled via suction sampling, winter and summer combined. 3. In summer, saltmarshes with abundant spider and beetle populations were characterised by high scores for canopy complexity often associated with tussocky grass or shrub cover. Simple vegetation attributes (plant cover, height) accounted for 26% of variation in spider abundance and 14% in spider diversity, rising to 46% and 41%, respectively, with the addition of canopy complexity score. Overwintering spider assemblages were associated with elevation and vegetation biomass. Summer beetle abundance, in particular the predatory and zoophagous group, and diversity were best explained by elevation and plant species richness. 4. Summer canopy complexity was identified as a positive habitat feature for saltmarsh spider communities (ground‐running hunters and sheet weavers) with significant ‘added value’ over more commonly measured attributes of vegetation structure.     

间伐对杨桦次生林冠层结构及林下光照的影响

自然或人为干扰产生的森林冠层结构和林下光照差异是造成林下环境异质性、物种多样性的主要原因,对森林生态系统的结构、过程与格局具有重要作用.以桃山林场2块50 m×50 m的杨桦次生林固定样地为研究对象,分别作为间伐和对照样地,于2012—2016年、2018年获取样地冠层影像,通过方差分析、马尔科夫模型等方法分析其冠层结构、林下光照动态及间伐后林冠的恢复规律.结果表明: 间伐措施能显著调整冠层结构和林下光照,并能持续较长的作用时间,但调整效果随时间逐渐降低;间伐后冠层结构及林下光照的变化速度随时间推移而降低,间伐后前3年林冠恢复速度较快,3年后恢复速度降低并趋于平缓;林下光照与林冠开度呈显著正相关,与叶面积指数呈显著负相关,其中林下散射辐射与冠层结构参数的相关性最大,且间伐样地冠层结构与林下光照的相关性大于对照样地;间伐后冠层的恢复速度与林冠开度大小有关,林冠开度越大,林冠恢复越快,向更小林冠开度转移的时间越早.马尔科夫模型能够模拟冠层结构分布的变化,可用来预测冠层结构动态.     

Winners and losers in the wilderness: response of biodiversity to the abandonment of ancient forest pastures

Large areas of formerly oak-dominated woodlands are currently managed for timber products, and if they are used in a conservation-oriented way, they are often abandoned and left to become wilderness. We focused on the situation when an oak woodland is still partly managed as an ancient game park and partly abandoned as a nature conservation amendment. We studied this effect using a multi-taxa approach with lichens, fungi and beetles and investigated their response to the changing patterns in canopy openness, dead wood distribution and host tree conditions. The study was done in the Hradec Králové region of the Czech Republic. We found that the maintenance of canopy openness, as determined by management, was the primary driver influencing species composition. Canopy closure led to homogenization of the beetle and lichen communities and the loss of species. Fungi were mainly driven by the amount of dead wood, and abandonment favored their species richness. The creation of a new wilderness was only profitable for fungi, and the maintenance of canopy openness was an important driver for most of the studied taxa (i.e., biodiversity maintenance). Canopy openness and the presence of veteran trees could be used as an indicator of a management history that helps conserve biodiversity. Appropriate conditions for all taxa studied could be fulfilled using wood pasturing or game keeping in combination with dead tree retention.     

林窗内光照强度的测量方法

林窗内光强存在复杂的时空变化,对植物更新和生长有着重要影响,因此,林窗光照强度的快速测量方法是生态学家十分关注的问题.目前,测量林窗光强的方法可分为3类:(1)直接测量法采用光量子探头等仪器直接测量光强,但测量林窗光强异质性时十分费时费力.(2)模型估测法通过几何计算可快速估测林窗任意位置光强,但模型估测法将林窗简化为圆柱体或椭圆柱体,并忽略了许多林窗光强的影响因素,这极大影响了它的测量精度.(3)相片法采用半球面影像等相片间接计算相片拍摄点的光强,但测量林窗光强异质性时需要在林窗内拍摄大量相片;相片法具有较高精度,可区分直射光和散射光,其中,基于半球面影像的林窗光指数(gap light index)精度最高,使用广泛;基于几何计算的林窗光指数不仅具有较高精度,且可以快速测量林窗任意位置光强,该方法适用于林窗光强水平分布格局、垂直结构以及光组成成分(直射光和散射光)特征研究.     

应用全天空照片估计林分透光孔隙度(郁闭度)

林分结构通过影响林内环境与生物因子,决定森林生态系统服务功能发挥;同时,通过调整林分结构亦可达到森林合理经营的目标。林分透光孔隙度(郁闭度)是决定林分结构的重要因子之一,它可以用来表征光、水等环境因子通过林冠进入林内的再分布状况。因此,合理、精确地确定林分内的郁闭状况,无论在森林经营与管理,还是在森林生态精细研究中,都显得十分重要。本文在以往研究的基础上,详细介绍了应用全天空照片(Hemispherical photograph/whole sky photograph)确定林分内一定高度(通常为1 m)的林分郁闭度或林分透光孔隙度(两者互补)的方法与步骤,重点讨论了在应用全天空照片确定林分郁闭度/透光孔隙度时选择的有效范围和应注意的实际问题。     

车八岭山地常绿阔叶林冰灾后土壤节肢动物群落的多样性

2008年初车八岭山地常绿阔叶林受到中国南方80年一遇的冰灾的重创。为了揭示灾后林冠开度的梯度对土壤节肢动物多样性与分布的影响, 在受冰灾影响的车八岭山地常绿阔叶林设置2 ha固定样地, 按照冠层受损程度选取17个20 m×20 m的样方, 用半球面影像技术获取林冠开度, 并分凋落物层、0–10 cm和10–20 cm的矿质土层采集凋落物及土壤样品, 分析土壤节肢动物多样性。利用双向聚类分析(two-way cluster analysis)对凋落物层的土壤节肢动物和样地进行聚类, 以典范对应分析(canonical correspondence analysis)研究冠层开度、土壤有机质、电导率以及自然含水量与0–10 cm表土层土壤节肢动物的关系。结果表明土壤节肢动物的多度、丰富度和多样性随土壤层的加深而下降, 具有明显的表聚性; 林冠开度与凋落物层的土壤节肢动物类群数量呈负相关; 甲螨亚目、中气门亚目和前气门亚目动物对光照的适应范围广; 膜翅目、鞘翅目幼虫、综合纲和伪蝎目动物具有明显的避光性; 土壤节肢动物类群的分布与林冠开度、土壤自然含水量、电导率和有机质关系密切。因此可以推论, 冰灾对车八岭山地常绿阔叶林冠层的破坏及土壤因子的变化会进一步影响土壤节肢动物群落的组成和分布。本项研究还表明, 土壤节肢动物群落能有效地表征它们所栖息的生态系统的特点, 可用于监测冰灾后森林恢复和演替动态。而双向聚类分析和典范对应分析对于揭示土壤节肢动物的空间异质性及其与环境因子的相互关系具有理想的效果。     

粤北山地常绿阔叶林自然干扰后冠层结构空间异质性动态

以受2008年冰灾破坏的广东始兴车八岭山地常绿阔叶林为研究对象,采用半球面影像技术、地统计学的空间异质性和空间自相关分析方法,连续3年(2008-2010年)对林冠结构空间异质性动态进行了检测研究.结果表明:(1)从2008到2010年,林冠开度的平均值、标准差、变异系数、最大值、最大值和最小值的差值以及林冠结构的空间异质性均在逐渐减小,且后两年较为接近;(2)受灾当年冠层结构由随机因素造成,其半方差拟合函数属纯块金模型,后两年冠层结构则由结构性因素引起,其半方差拟合函数属球状模型;(3)受灾当年冠层结构不存在空间自相关;随着时间推移其空间自相关越来越强.说明冰灾后常绿阔叶林冠层结构在没有人为干预的情况下会逐渐恢复到灾前水平,体现出天然的空间分布状况.     

Can we use photography to estimate radiation interception by a crop canopy?

Accuracy of determining radiation interception, and hence radiation use efficiency, depends on the method of measuring photosynthetically active radiation intercepted. Methods vary, from expensive instruments such as Sunfleck ceptometers to simple methods such as digital photography. However, before universal use of digital photography there is need to determine its reliability and compare it with conventional, but expensive, methods. In a series of experiments at Lincoln, New Zealand, canopy development for barley, wheat, white clover and four forage brassica species was determined using both digital photographs and Sunfleck ceptometer. Values obtained were used to calculate conversion coefficient (Kf/Ki) ratios between the two methods. Digital photographs were taken at 45° and 90° for barley, wheat and white clover and at only 90° for brassicas. There was an interaction of effects of crop and cultivar for the cereal crops. Barley closed canopies earlier than wheat, and ‘Emir’ barley and ‘Stettler’ wheat had consistently higher canopy cover than ‘Golden Promise’ and ‘HY459′, respectively. Canopy cover was consistently larger at 45° than 90° for cereals. However, for white clover, the angle of digital photography was not important. There was also an interaction between effects of species and method of determining canopy cover for brassicas. Photographs gave higher cover values than ceptometer for forage rape and turnip, but the relationship was variable for forage kale and swede. Kf/Ki ratios of 1.0–1.10 for cereals, white clover and forage rape and turnip show that digital photographs can be used to estimated radiation interception, in place of Sunfleck ceptometer, for these crops.     

Estimating photosynthetic rate and annual carbon gain in conifers from specific leaf weight and leaf biomass

Summary Canopy photosynthesis is difficult to measure directly or to predict with complex models demanding knowledge of seasonal variation in environmental and physiological properties of the canopy. Trees in particular offer a challenge with their large, aerodynamically rough and seasonally-changing canopy properties. In this paper we assess the possibility of using specific leaf weight to predict seasonal and annual net photosynthetic rate in deciduous (Larix sp.) and evergreen (Picea abies) conifers.Annual photosynthetic rate and specific leaf weight of different positions of the crown in both species were highly correlated (r ²=0.930). Annual carbon uptake by different segments in a mature P. abies crown was closely related to leaf biomass. The relationship was improved by adjusting the leaf biomass of each segment in regard to its specific leaf weight relative to the maximum found in the canopy. The adjustment accounted for associated differences in photosynthetic activity. This combined structural index (leaf biomassxrelative specific leaf weight) could, when calibrated, predict the total annual carbon uptake by different parts of the crown. If direct measurements of photosynthesis are not available, the combined structural index may still serve as a comparative estimator of annual carbon uptake.     

Stream-bank shade and larval distribution of the Philippine malaria vector Anopheles flavirostris

The principal malaria vector in the Philippines, Anopheles flavirostris (Ludlow) (Diptera: Culicidae), is regarded as 'shade-loving' for its breeding sites, i.e. larval habitats. This long-standing belief, based on circumstantial observations rather than ecological analysis, has guided larval control methods such as 'stream-clearing' or the removal of riparian vegetation, to reduce the local abundance of An. flavirostris. We measured the distribution and abundance of An. flavirostris larvae in relation to canopy vegetation cover along a stream in Quezon Province, the Philippines. Estimates of canopy openness and light measurements were obtained by an approximation method that used simplified assumptions about the sun, and by hemispherical photographs analysed using the program HEMIPHOT. The location of larvae, shade and other landscape features was incorporated into a geographical information system (GIS) analysis. Early larval instars of An. flavirostris were found to be clustered and more often present in shadier sites, whereas abundance was higher in sunnier sites. For later instars, distribution was more evenly dispersed and only weakly related to shade. The best predictor of late-instar larvae was the density of early instars. Distribution and abundance of larvae were related over time (24 days). This pattern indicates favoured areas for oviposition and adult emergence, and may be predictable. Canopy measurements by the approximation method correlated better with larval abundance than hemispherical photography, being economical and practical for field use. Whereas shade or shade-related factors apparently have effects on larval distribution of An. flavirostris, they do not explain it completely. Until more is known about the bionomics of this vector and the efficacy and environmental effects of stream-clearing, we recommend caution in the use of this larval control method.     

Estimating Canopy Structure in an Amazon Forest from Laser Range Finder and IKONOS Satellite Observations1

Canopy structural data can be used for biomass estimation and studies of carbon cycling, disturbance, energy balance, and hydrological processes in tropical forest ecosystems. Scarce information on canopy dimensions reflects the difficulties associated with measuring crown height, width, depth, and area in tall, humid tropical forests. New field and spaceborne observations provide an opportunity to acquire these measurements, but the accuracy and reliability of the methods are unknown. We used a handheld laser range finder to estimate tree crown height, diameter, and depth in a lowland tropical forest in the eastern Amazon, Brazil, for a sampling of 300 trees stratified by diameter at breast height (DBH). We found significant relationships between DBH and both tree height and crown diameter derived from the laser measurements. We also quantified changes in crown shape between tree height classes, finding a significant but weak positive trend between crown depth and width. We then compared the field‐based measurements of crown diameter and area to estimates derived manually from panchromatic 0.8 m spatial resolution IKONOS satellite imagery. Median crown diameter derived from satellite observations was 78 percent greater than that derived from field‐based laser measurements. The statistical distribution of crown diameters from IKONOS was biased toward larger trees, probably due to merging of smaller tree crowns, underestimation of understory trees, and overestimation of individual crown dimensions. The median crown area derived from IKONOS was 65 percent higher than the value modeled from field‐based measurements. We conclude that manual interpretation of IKONOS satellite data did not accurately estimate distributions of tree crown dimensions in a tall tropical forest of eastern Amazonia. Other methods will be needed to more accurately estimate crown dimensions from high spatial resolution satellite imagery.     

Effects of native and invasive macroalgal canopies on composition and abundance of mobile benthic macrofauna and turf-forming algae

We examined the effects of native kelps, Laminaria longicruris de la Pylaie and L. digitata (Hudson) Lamouroux, and of the invasive alga, Codium fragile ssp. tomentosoides (Van Goor) Silva, on the composition and abundance of mobile benthic macrofauna and of turf algae by measuring the response of these assemblages to experimental removal of the respective macroalgal canopy. From June 2003 to November 2004, we censused macrofauna and measured canopy cover within 4 × 10 m strips of alternating Canopy Intact (control) and Canopy Removed treatments in both a Codium- and a Laminaria-dominated habitat in the rocky subtidal zone of a semi-protected embayment on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Macroalgal canopy cover fluctuated seasonally, peaking in September/October (69% cover in 2003; 55% cover in 2004) for Codium and in May 2004 (70% cover) for kelps, and with both canopy types reaching a winter minimum in January 2004 (22 and 28% cover, respectively). In both Codium and Laminaria habitats, significant effects of canopy removal on the overall macrofaunal assemblage were evident only during periods in which canopy cover in the Canopy Intact treatment was ≥ 50%. In the Codium habitat, 4 out of 11 characteristic taxa were more abundant in the Canopy Intact treatment, where taxonomic diversity also was higher. In contrast, 4 out of 11 characteristic taxa in the Laminaria habitat were more abundant in the Canopy Removed treatment and diversity was similar between treatments. Turf algae were sampled in November 2004 and, despite between-treatment differences in the light regime, there was no significant effect of canopy removal. Our results indicate that selection of algal habitats by mobile macrofauna is likely determined by the different shelter and foraging opportunities offered by these morphologically dissimilar ecosystem engineers.     

Spatial and temporal variations in the light environment in a primary and selectively logged forest long after logging in Peninsular Malaysia

Key message

We could show long-term effects of logging operation in a Malaysian forest. A forest selectively logged about 50 years ago had a longer sunfleck time and a less heterogeneous light spatially than primary forests.

Abstract

We compared forest light environments between a primary lowland tropical rainforest and a rainforest selectively logged 50 years ago in the Pasoh Forest Reserve, Peninsular Malaysia using two different approaches to assess forest light environments, hemispherical canopy photographs and continuous measurements of forest photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and showed clear evidence of the long-term impact of selective logging on forest light environments. The selectively logged forest canopy consisted of shorter and smaller crowns with less variations of height and crown area than the primary forest. From the canopy structural characteristics of the selectively logged forest, we predicted that the selectively logged forest has brighter and more homogeneous forest light than the primary forest. Both hemispherical canopy photographs and measurements of PPFD showed that the selectively logged forest had more open canopies and longer sunfleck time than the primary forest. A significantly smaller variance of canopy openness and a shorter autocorrelation range in the selectively logged forest than in the primary forest were found, indicating that the selectively logged forest had a less heterogeneous light environment spatially than the primary forest. Therefore our predictions were confirmed. The results suggest that different light environments for the primary forest and forest after logging might promote different forest dynamics between them.