Mapping species density of trees,shrubs and vines in a tropical forest,using field measurements,satellite multiespectral imagery and spatial interpolation

We estimated the number of species in a tropical forest landscape in Quintana Roo, Mexico, based on the relationship between reflectance values of satellite imagery and field measurements of plant species density (mean number of species per plot). Total species density as well as that of tree, shrub and vine species were identified from 141 sampling quadrats (16543 individuals sampled). Spatial prediction of plant diversity was performed using universal kriging. This approach considered the linear relationship between plant species density and reflectance values of Thematic Mapper™, as well as the spatial dependence of the observations. We explored the linear relationships between spectral properties of TM bands and the species density of trees, shrubs and vines, using regression analysis. We employed Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) to select a set of candidate models. Based on Akaike weights, we calculated model-averaged parameters. Linear regression between number of species and reflectance values of TM bands yielded regression residuals. We used variogram analysis to analyze the spatial structure of these residuals. Results show that accounting for spatial autocorrelation in the residual variation improved model R² from 0.57 to 0.66 for number of all species, from 0.58 to 0.65 for number of tree species, from 0.26 to 0.41 for number of shrub species and from 0.13 to 0.17 for species density of vines. The empirical models we developed can be used to predict landscape-level species density in the Yucatan Peninsula, helping to guide and evaluate management and conservation strategies.     

基于多光谱影像的森林树种识别及其空间尺度响应

当前,不同空间分辨率卫星影像对森林类型识别结果中普遍存在的尺度效应,而且纹理参量对不同尺度下树种识别精度的影响仍缺乏广泛认知.本研究以中国东北旺业甸林场为研究区,采用观测时相同步、地理坐标匹配的GF-1 PMS、GF-2 PMS、GF-1 WFV,以及Landsat-8 OLI卫星传感器数据组成空间尺度观测序列(1、2、4、8、16、30 m),并结合支持向量机(SVM)模型,探讨了区域内5种优势树种遥感识别结果的尺度变化规律及其纹理特征参数的影响,同时检验了基于尺度上推转换影像的树种识别结果差异.结果表明: 影像空间分辨率对区域树种识别结果具有显著影响,其中,研究区森林树种识别的最佳影像分辨率为4 m,当分辨率降低至30 m时,树种识别结果最差.在1～8 m影像分辨率范围内,增加纹理信息能够显著提高不同优势树种的识别精度,使总分类精度提升了2.0%～3.6%,但纹理信息对16～30 m影像的识别结果没有显著影响.与真实尺度卫星影像相比,基于升尺度转换影像的树种识别结果及其尺度响应特征存在显著差异,表明在面向多个空间尺度的遥感观测和应用研究中,需要采用真实分辨率影像以确保结果的准确性.     

Relationships between landscape patterns and species richness of trees,shrubs and vines in a tropical forest

The present study aims to identify and characterize the relationships among landscape structure and plant diversity in a tropical landscape forest in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Total species richness as well as that of trees, shrubs and vines species were identified from 141 sampling quadrats (16,543 individuals sampled). Based on vegetation classes obtained from multi-spectral satellite image classification, I constructed plant diversity maps of the landscape under study using stratified kriging. I calculated the mean number of species in individual patches as the average values of kriging estimates inside of each patch. I then explored the relationships between landscape pattern metrics and the species richness of trees, shrubs and vines, as well as all groups combined using regression analysis. I employed Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) to select a set of candidate models. Based on akaike weights, I calculated model-averaged parameters. Results show that plant diversity of the patches depends on both the quality of the surrounding habitats and the proximity of surrounding patches (i.e., patch isolation).     

Climber species composition, abundance and relationship with trees in a Nigerian secondary forest

Climbers play different roles in forest biology and ecology and are the first to be eliminated during forest clearing but little is known about the species composition, distribution and relationship with tree species of this group of plants of tropical forest. This study thus investigated the species composition, abundance and tree relationship of climbers along altitudinal gradient in four 0.06 ha plots in a secondary forest at Ile‐Ife, Nigeria. All trees ≥10 cm g.b.h were examined for the presence of climbers in the plots. There were 49 climber species consisting of 35 liana and fourteen vine species distributed over 41 genera and 28 families in the forest. Lianas contributed 34% and vines 13.7% of the plant species in the forest. Climber basal area, density, number of species, genera and families increased with altitude. Forty‐two per cent (42%) of the trees in the forest carried climbers. There was significant positive correlation (P ≤ 0.05) between girth sizes of host trees of 31–50 cm with the girths of climbers on them indicating that trees of these girth sizes are highly susceptible to climber infestation. Tree species host density and size are important factors in determining the presence of climbers on a tree.     

西双版纳热带山地雨林群落乔木树种多样性研究

根据块样地资料对西双版纳热带山地雨林树种多样性特征进行了分析.结果表明,在2 500m²的样地上,随着起测胸径递增,各样地乔木个体数和树种丰富度均表现为依次递减;低海拔带上(850～1000 m)的山地雨林(1、2号样地)的各指数值无一定变化规律,较高海拔带上(1200～2000 m)的山地雨林(3～6号样地)的Shannon-Wiener指数和Simpson指数均表现为依次递减,而Pielou均匀度指数则呈依次递增的趋势.较高海拔带上的山地雨林在较小乔木起测胸径(≥2 cm、≥5 cm、≥10 cm)的树种丰富度、多样性和均匀度指数均要明显大于低海拔带上的山地雨林,而两者在较大乔木起测胸径(≥20 cm、≥30 cm、≥50 cm)的各指数值无明显差异.随着取样面积的递增,各样地树种丰富度、多样性和均匀度指数在取样面积递增到2 000m²处均已趋于平缓.     

Classification of Pinus massoniana and secondary deciduous tree species in northern subtropical region based on high resolution and hyperspectral remotely sensed data

Aims Using remote sensing data for tree species classification plays a key role in forestry resource monitoring, sustainable forest management and biodiversity research.Methods This study used integrated sensor LiCHy (LiDAR, CCD and Hyperspectral) to obtain both the high resolution imagery and the hyperspectral data at the same time for the natural secondary forest in south Jiangsu hilly region. The data were used to identify the crown and to classify tree species at multiple levels. Firstly, tree crowns were selected by segmenting high-resolution imagery at multiple scales based on edge detection; secondly, characteristic variables of hyperspectral images were extracted, then optimization variables were selected based on the theory of information entropy. Tree species and forest types were classified using either all characteristic variables or optimization variables only. Finally, tree species and forest types were reclassified along with the tree crowns information, and the accuracy of classification was discussed. Important findings Based on all available characteristic variables, the overall accuracy for four typical tree species classification was 64.6%, and the Kappa coefficient was 0.493. The overall accuracy for forest types classification was 81.1%, and the Kappa coefficient was 0.584. Based on optimization variables only, the overall accuracy for four typical tree species classification dropped to 62.9%, and the Kappa coefficient was 0.459. The overall accuracy for forest types classification was 77.7%, and the Kappa coefficient was 0.525. Obtaining both high resolution image and hyperspectral data at the same time by integrated sensor can increase overall accuracy in classifying forest types and tree species in northern subtropical forest.     

Mapping tree species diversity of a tropical montane forest by unsupervised clustering of airborne imaging spectroscopy data

With the ongoing global biodiversity loss, approaches to measuring and monitoring biodiversity are necessary for effective conservation planning, especially in tropical forests. Remote sensing has much potential for biodiversity mapping, and high spatial resolution imaging spectroscopy (IS) allows for direct prediction of tree species diversity based on spectral reflectance. The objective of this study was to test an approach for mapping tree species alpha diversity that takes advantage of an unsupervised object-based clustering. Tree species diversity of a tropical montane forest in the Taita Hills, Kenya, was mapped based on spectral variation of high spatial resolution IS data.Airborne IS data and species data from 31 field plots were collected in the study area. Species diversity measures were obtained from the IS data by clustering spectrally similar image segments representing tree crowns. In order to do this, the image was segmented to objects that represented tree crowns. Three measures of species diversity were calculated based on the field data and on the clustering results, and the relationships were statistically analyzed.According to the results, the approach succeeded well in revealing tree species diversity patterns. Especially, tree species richness was well predicted (RMSE = 3 species; r² = 0.50) directly based on the clustering results. The optimal number of clusters was found to be close to the estimated number of tree species in the forest. Minimum tree size was an important determinant of the relationships, because only part of the trees are visible to the airborne sensor in the multi-layered closed canopy forest.In general, the object-based approach proved to be a viable alternative to a pixel-based clustering. The approach takes advantage of the capability of IS to detect spectral differences among tree crowns, but without the need for spectral training data, which is expensive to collect. With further development, the approach could be applied also for estimating beta diversity.     

基于高分辨率与高光谱遥感影像的北亚热带马尾松及次生落叶树种的分类

利用遥感数据开展森林资源树种的分类对森林资源的监测、森林可持续经营及生物多样性研究都有重要意义。该文以江苏南部丘陵地区的北亚热带天然次生林为研究对象, 利用LiCHy (LiDAR、CCD、Hyperspectral)集成传感器同期获取的高分辨率和高光谱数据, 进行冠幅识别和多个层次的树种分类: 首先, 对高分辨率影像进行基于边缘检测的多尺度分割, 提取出单木冠幅; 其次, 对高光谱影像进行特征变量提取, 并对提取出的特征变量利用信息熵原理选取优化特征变量; 然后, 分别利用全部特征变量和经优化的重要特征变量对森林树种及森林类型进行预分类; 最后, 在预分类结果中加入单木冠幅信息对森林树种及森林类型进行重分类, 并分析分类结果的精度。研究表明: 1)利用全部特征变量进行4个典型树种分类时, 总体精度为64.6%, Kappa系数为0.493; 而针对森林类型的分类精度为81.1%, Kappa系数为0.584。2)利用选取的优化特征变量分类精度略低于利用全部特征变量的分类精度, 其中对4个典型树种分类时, 总体精度为62.9%, Kappa系数为0.459; 而针对森林类型的分类精度为77.7%, Kappa系数为0.525。通过集成传感器同期获取的高分辨率和高光谱数据可以有效地进行北亚热带森林的树种分类及森林类型的划分。     

Mapping the biomass of Bornean tropical rain forest from remotely sensed data

The biomass and biomass dynamics of forests are major uncertainties in our understanding of tropical environments. Remote sensing is often the only practical means of acquiring information on forest biomass but has not always been used successfully. Here the conventional approaches to the estimation of forest biomass from remotely sensed data were evaluated relative to techniques based on the application of artificial neural networks. Together these approaches were used to estimate and map the biomass of tropical forests in north‐eastern Borneo from Landsat TM data. The neural networks were found to be particularly suited to the application. A basic multi‐layer perceptron network, for example, provided estimates of biomass that were strongly correlated with those measured in the field (r = 0.80). Moreover, these estimates were more strongly correlated with biomass than those derived from 230 conventional vegetation indices, including the widely used normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI).     

Oxygen-dependent electron transport and protection from photoinhibition in leaves of tropical tree species

The roles of photorespiration and the Mehlerperoxidase pathway in sustaining electron transport and protection from photoinhibition were studied in outer canopy leaves of two species of tropical trees: the drought-deciduous Pseudobombax septenatum (Jacq.) Dug. and the evergreen Ficus insipida Willd. Ficus had a higher photosynthetic capacity than Pseudobombax and also a greater capacity for light-dependent electron transport under photorespiratory conditions (in the absence of CO₂). As a consequence, in the absence of CO₂, Ficus was able to maintain a largely oxidized electron-transport chain at higher photon flux densities than Pseudobombax. Under the same light conditions, photoinhibition (reduction in F_v/F_m) was always greater in Pseudobombax than Ficus, was increased when leaves were exposed to 2% O₂ in nitrogen compared to 21% O₂ in CO₂-free air, but was not increased by the absence of CO₂. Rates of electron transport due to the Mehler-peroxidase pathway (assessed in 2% O₂ in nitrogen) ranged between 16–40 mol · m^–2·s^–1 in both species. As the dry season approached and Pseudobombax neared leaf senescence there was a decline in the capacity for photorespiratory flux to maintain electron transport in Pseudobombax, but not in Ficus. Ratios of light-dependent electron transport to net CO₂ fixation for Pseudobombax, Ficus and two other species in the field, Luehea seemannii Tr. & Planch, and Didymopanax morototoni (Aubl.) Dec. & Planch., ranged from 6.2 (Ficus) to 16.7 (Pseudobombax). High in-situ rates of photorespiration combined with the decreased capacity of Pseudobombax for photorespiratory flux as the dry season approached indicates a decreased capacity to protect against photooxidative damage. This may contribute to the promotion of leaf senescence in Pseudobombax during the transition from wet to dry season.Abbreviations F_v/F_m ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll a fluorescence - NPQ nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching - PFD photon flux density - Q_A primary electron acceptor of PSII This research was supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation. We thank Monica Mejia and Juan Posada for assisting with the fluorescence measurements and Aurelio Virgo for assisting with the field CO₂-exchange measurements.     

Water status and development of tropical trees during seasonal drought

Summary Bud break, shoot growth and flowering of trees involve cell expansion, known to be inhibited by moderate water deficits. In apparent contradiction to physiological theory, many trees flower or exchange leaves during the 6 month-long, severe dry season in the tropical dry forest of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. To explore this paradox, changes in tree water status during the dry season were monitored in numerous trees. Water potential of stem tissues (_stem) was obtained by a modification of the pressure chamber technique, in which xylem tension was released by cutting defoliated branch samples at both ends. During the early dry season twigs bearing old, senescent leaves generally had a low leaf water potential (_leaf), while _stem varied with water availability. At dry sites, _stem was very low in hardwood trees (<–4 MPa), but near saturation (>–0.2 MPa) in lightwood trees storing water with osmotic potentials between –0.8 and –2.1 MPa. At moist sites trees bearing old leaves rehydrated during drought; their _stem increased from low values (<–3 MPa) to near saturation, resulting in differences of 3–4 MPa between _stem and _leaf. Indirect evidence indicates that rehydration resulted from osmotic adjustment of stem tissues and improved water availability due to extension of roots into moist subsoil layers. In confirmation of physiological theory, elimination of xylem tension by leaf shedding and establishment of a high solute content and high _stem were prerequisites for flowering and bud break during drought.     

Growth and mortality of trees in Amazonian tropical rain forest in Ecuador

Abstract. Structural changes are analysed in four samples representing 4 ha, two line transects and two hectare plots, of Amazonian tropical lowland rain forest in northern Ecuador. Only trees with a DBH ≥ 10 cm were included. A sample of floodplain forest in Añangu represents the largest turnover found in tropical forests (stand half-life = 23 yr). The line transect and hectare plot both of tierra firme forest in Añangu have the same turnover (37 yr) and were balanced for death and in-growth of both individuals and wood (basal area). The 1-ha tierra firme sample in Cuyabeno had a turnover of 67 yr and was in a growing phase. The floodplain line transect in Añangu was in a phase of structural breakdown. However, the floodplain line transect had the largest growth of basal area per tree (23.4 cm²/yr). The tierra firme samples had a growth of 9.6, 10.1, and 13.6 cm²/yr. Most of the dead trees fell with some uprooting in three of the four samples. However, no significant difference in the distribution of mode of death was found between the four samples. Death was independent of topography and the dead trees were randomly distributed. As the trees grow up they occupy more space and larger trees (DBH ≥ 15 cm) become more uniformly distributed, whereas smaller trees (DBH ≤ 15 cm) were randomly distributed. Our study confirms that plots of 1 ha are not sufficient to include representative samples of different stages of forest structure.     

Effect of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae on seedling growth of four tree species from the tropical deciduous forest in Mexico

The influence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae on the growth of seedlings of Caesalpinia eriostachys, Cordia alliodora, Ipomoea wolcottiana and Pithecellobium mangense was investigated in a greenhouse experiment conducted at the Biological Station of Chamela on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Dry biomass production, relative growth rate, root/shoot ratio and mycorrhizal dependency were quantified for 75-day-old seedlings. With the exception of the pioneer species I. wolcottiana, mycorrhizal infection resulted in increases in biomass production, relative growth rate and leaf area. The root/shoot ratios attained for the species, however, did not show a consistent trend with infection. Nevertheless, all species had root/shoot ratios below 1 with infection and only one, Cordia alliodora, had a ratio greater than 1 without infection. The two late successional species from the mature part of the forest, Caesalpinia eriostachys and P. mangense, showed a larger mycorrhizal dependency than the two associated with disturbed environments.     

Root system analysis of seedlings of seven tree species from a tropical dry forest in Mexico

Summary Root attributes of tree seedlings of seven species from the tropical deciduous forest along the Pacific Coast of Mexico are described using morphometirc root system analysis. Mean relative growth rate, root/shoot ratios, specific root length, root density, mean number of roots tips and root length/leaf area ratio were determined in seedlings grown for 35 days inside growth chambers. All the species had low relative growth rates, low root/shoot ratios and low root densities (<0.5 cm/cm³). The species associated with disturbed habitats, in contrast to the species characteristic of undisturbed areas, presented small seeds, a dichotomous root branching pattern and large specific root length. No relationship was found between seed size and mean relative growth rate among the species studied.     

Tree species richness complementarity, disturbance and fragmentation in a Mexican tropical montane cloud forest

Tropical montane cloud forest exhibits great heterogeneity in speciescomposition and structure over short geographic distances. In central Veracruz,Mexico, the conservation priority of seven cloud forest fragments was assessedby considering differences in woody plant species richness and complementarityof species among sites, forest structure, tree mortality, and timber andfirewood extraction as indicators of anthropogenic disturbance. Densities oftrees 5 cm dbh (360–1700 trees/ha) weredifferent among the sites, but basal area (35.3–89.3m²/ha) did not differ among fragments. The number of dead trees rangedfrom 10–30 to 170–200 trees/ha. The fragments'species composition was different but complementary. The Morisita–Hornindex indicated low similarity between fragments. A non-parametric estimator ofspecies richness indicated that more sampling effort would be necessary tocomplete the inventory (15 additional trees and two understory shrub species).Unfortunately, most of the fragments are threatened with deforestation. The numberof cut trees was similar among sites (0–15 cut trees/0.1 ha).Sites with immediate need for conservation were close to settlements, with highnumbers of cut trees and no legal protection. The selected sites represent thevariety of situations that exist in the region. Given the high complementarityobserved between fragments, a regional conservation approach will be required topreserve the last repositories of part of the tremendous biodiversity of theonce continuous forest in this region.     

Diversity,composition, and structure of tropical dry forests in Central America

Tropical dry forests have been reduced to less than 0.1% of their original expanse on the Pacific side of Central America and are considered by some to be the most endangered ecosystem in the lowland tropics. Plots 1000 m² were established in seven tropical dry forests in Costa Rica and Nicaragua in order to compare levels of species richness to other Neotropical dry forest sites and to identify environmental variables associated with species richness and abundance. A total of 204 species and 1484 individuals 2.5 cm were encountered. Santa Rosa National Park was the richest site with the highest family (33), genera (69), and species (75) diversity of all sites. Species richness and forest structure were significantly different between sites. Fabaceae was the dominant tree and shrub family at most sites, but no species was repeatably dominant based on number of stems in all fragments of tropical dry forest. Central American dry forests had similar species richness when compared to other Neotropical forests. There was no correlation between forest cover within reserves, or precipitation and plant species richness. There was a significant correlation between anthropogenic disturbance (intensity and frequency of fire, wood collection, grazing) and total species richness, tree and shrub species richness, and liana abundance. These results suggest controlling levels on anthropogenic disturbance within reserves should be a high priority for resource managers in Central America. Further research in forest fragments which examine individual and a combination of disturbance agents would help clarify the importance of anthropogenic disturbance on species richness and abundance.     

Assessing fragmentation and disturbance of west Kenyan rainforests by means of remotely sensed time series data and landscape metrics

Biodiversity in tropical rainforests is heavily influenced by land use/cover change (LUCC), but so far there have been few LUCC studies conducted in Africa. We present several methods that make use of remotely sensed data and landscape metrics and allow for assessment of the development of land cover and thus forest fragmentation and disturbance over a substantial period of time. The study covers Kakamega Forest and its associated forest areas in western Kenya, over the last 30 years. The accuracy of a supervised multispectral classification of Landsat time series data encompassing seven time steps between 1972 and 2001 is numerically assessed using ground truth reference data considering the 2001 time step. Here, buffering the forest areas by 1 km, highest user's accuracies for the forest classes ‘near natural + old secondary forest’ (87.50%), ‘secondary forest’ (80.00%) and ‘bushland/shrubs’ (81.08%) are revealed. Images of a spatially distributed fragmentation index derived from the land cover time series by applying a three by 3 pixel‐sized moving window to determine forest pixels’ adjacency, highlight trends in forest fragmentation, e.g. the splitting into two separate forests along the Yala/Ikuywa corridor. Calculations of mean fragmentation indices for the Biodiversity Monitoring Transect Analysis in Eastern Africa (BIOTA‐East Africa) focus research areas are used to evaluate the fragmentation index and to demonstrate its potential to extrapolate (e.g. biological) field findings in space and time. Here we argue for a correlation of the fragmentation indices results not only with forest management regimes, but with population distribution and accessibility (e.g. by roads). A cluster analysis applying the isodata‐algorithm on the classification results of all seven times steps allows for a rapid visual assessment of the distinct pattern of typical land cover development trends since 1972. This reveals that parts of Kakamega Forest have experienced severe forest loss while others, especially in the north‐east, show signs of succession.     

喀斯特常绿落叶阔叶混交林物种多度与丰富度空间分布的尺度效应

物种多样性的空间分布格局及其尺度效应是生态学研究的重点,对于理解物种多样性的形成和维持机制以及生物多样性的管理和保护均具有重要意义。以贵州茂兰国家级自然保护区分布的亚热带原生性喀斯特常绿落叶阔叶混交林为研究对象,分析了2个1hm2(100m×100m)样地中物种多度和丰富度的空间分布特征及其与取样尺度的关系,采用方差和变异系数描述多度和丰富度在5个尺度(5m×5m,10m×10m,20m×20m,25m×25m,50m×50m)上的空间变异性。结果表明:(1)两个样地的物种多度和丰富度具有尺度依赖性特征;(2)由于多度具有叠加性,物种多度的方差随着尺度的增加呈线性增加,而变异系数呈线性下降;(3)丰富度的方差随尺度的增加表现出单峰分布的特征,在25 m×25 m尺度上达到最大值,变异系数则随取样尺度的增加而呈线性下降。研究表明,物种多度具有尺度推演规律,而丰富度却没有,因此,应慎重进行物种丰富度的尺度推演。在分析喀斯特森林物种多样性时,应注重尺度效应带来的影响。