Effects of adjacent stand characteristics and boundary distance on density and volume of mapped land units in the boreal forest

The possibility that forest characteristics on one side of a stand boundary will be related to the characteristics of the forest type on the other side of the boundary was examined in this study for the boreal forest in Quebec, Canada. It was found that alone, due to uncertainty in the photo-interpretation process, forest density and height – as identified by photo-interpreters – explained only about 10% of the variability inherent in total forest volume, balsam fir volume, or percentage balsam fir volume. The addition of boundary-related variables improved this to about 15% of variability explained. This led to the conclusion that the volume at any given location in the forest is related to the distance of the location from its stand boundary, as well as the characteristics of the forest type on the other side of the boundary. However, it was concluded that the relatively small improvement in R² does not justify using boundary-related information for additional forest stratification in the planning of (for example) forest inventories. Nonetheless, this work has implications for all ecosystem sampling that is based on maps derived from manual interpretation of natural phenomena.     

A simple multivariate analysis to assess diversity in a complex long-term managed forest area in central Italy

Today wood and nonwood forest resources management meets and often clashes with environment and biological diversity protection. A main problem is to understand relationships between the different roles of forest biodiversity, site, and management parameters. A multivariate statistical analysis has been carried out in order to interpret relationships between some forest biodiversity components and forest inventory data. Several indices of floristic diversity, species abundance, and structural heterogeneity at stand level have been calculated. The different components of forest biodiversity were separated by principal components analysis. Relations between forest biodiversity indices and site and management attributes have been investigated by two multivariate statistical techniques: bivariate correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. Results showed a high correlation between all the investigated components of forest biodiversity and some topographic and/or forest management attributes. Results also gave ancillary information to define sustainable forest management criteria.     

Regional analysis of drought and heat impacts on forests: current and future science directions

Accurate assessments of forest response to current and future climate and human actions are needed at regional scales. Predicting future impacts on forests will require improved analysis of species‐level adaptation, resilience, and vulnerability to mortality. Land system models can be enhanced by creating trait‐based groupings of species that better represent climate sensitivity, such as risk of hydraulic failure from drought. This emphasizes the need for more coordinated in situ and remote sensing observations to track changes in ecosystem function, and to improve model inputs, spatio‐temporal diagnosis, and predictions of future conditions, including implications of actions to mitigate climate change.     

天保工程转移支付的森林生态效益及其影响机制

天保工程政策对天然林资源保护恢复工作具有重要意义,但是如何发挥天保工程转移支付对森林生态效益的作用机制目前还没有确切答案。本研究基于2011—2017年《中国林业统计年鉴》的面板数据,以森林管护面积和森林抚育面积作为衡量森林生态效益的指标,采用空间滞后模型和中介效应模型分析重点国有林区天保工程转移支付资金对森林生态效益的影响机制。结果表明: 二期天保工程中重点国有林区的森林资源生态效益状况逐年变好,并且各森林工业分局的森林资源生态效益存在显著的空间溢出效应;天保工程转移支付资金对重点国有林区的森林资源生态效益具有显著的促进作用,其中人力资本水平的提升和一线管护站的建设存在部分中介效应。因此,建议中央加大对天保工程转移支付资金的投入,并且林业管理部门应在提升人力资本水平与建设一线管护站两方面提高资金使用比例。     

Genetic epidemiology of the Sudden Oak Death pathogen Phytophthora ramorum in California

A total of 669 isolates of Phytophthora ramorum, the pathogen responsible for Sudden Oak Death, were collected from 34 Californian forests and from the ornamental plant-trade. Seven microsatellite markers revealed 82 multilocus genotypes (MGs) of which only three were abundant (>10%). Iteratively collapsing based upon minimum Φ_ST, yielded five meta-samples and five singleton populations. Populations in the same meta-sample were geographically contiguous, with one exception, possibly explained by the trade of infected plants from the same source into different locations. Multidimensional scaling corroborated this clustering and identified nursery populations as genetically most distant from the most recent outbreaks. A minimum-spanning network illustrated the evolutionary relationships among MGs, with common genotypes at the centre and singletons at the extremities; consistent with colonization by a few common genotypes followed by local evolution. Coalescent migration analyses used the original data set and a data set in which local genotypes were collapsed into common ancestral genotypes. Both analyses suggested that meta-samples 1 (Santa Cruz County) and 3 (Sonoma and Marin Counties), act as sources for most of the other forests. The untransformed data set best explains the first phases of the invasion, when the role of novel genotypes may have been minimal, whereas the second analysis best explains migration patterns in later phases of the invasion, when prevalence of novel genotypes was likely to have become more significant. Using this combined approach, we discuss possible migration routes based on our analyses, and compare them to historical and field observations from several case studies.     

Mating patterns and gene flow in the neotropical epiphytic orchid, Laelia rubescens

Understanding mating patterns and gene movement in plant populations occupying highly disturbed landscapes is essential for insights into their long-term survival. We used allozyme genetic markers to examine mating patterns and to directly measure pollen flow in the Central American epiphytic orchid, Laelia rubescens. Study populations were located in disturbed, seasonally dry tropical forest in Costa Rica. Every flowering individual within 15 populations and 12-18 seedlings from each maternal individual were genotyped over two reproductive seasons. Strict correlated mating by orchids produces full-sib progeny arrays from which the multilocus diploid genotype of the pollen parent can be inferred. These paternity analyses produced detailed quantitative estimates of pollen movement within and among populations of this species. Although our data illustrate that mating patterns vary spatially and temporally among trees, among pastures, and between years, overall patterns were surprisingly consistent. Thirty-four per cent of the capsules produced in both years resulted from gene flow events. Where pollen parents were identified, pollen moved mean distances of 279 m and 519 m in 1999 and 2000 respectively and a maximum documented distance of 1034 m. A substantially larger floral display in 2000 corresponded to a marked increase in pollen dispersal distances. Smaller populations, which more closely resembled those in undisturbed forest, had higher rates of gene flow than the large populations that characterize disturbed sites. We predict the occurrence of greater gene flow between low-density populations occupying undisturbed habitats.     

长白山林区森林生物量变化定量驱动分析

根据研究区单木生物量模型及森林资源清查资料计算样地生物量,采用试验精度较高的遥感模型进行4期遥感数据的森林生物量估算,获得区域单位面积生物量变化值,并利用bootstrap方法对引起这种变化的气象因素、森林经营活动因素和社会经济因素等驱动因子进行变量筛选,利用偏最小二乘算法建立不同时间段的森林生物量变化驱动模型,计算变量投影重要性指标（VIP）定量刻画各因素对森林生物量变化的影响重要程度.结果表明：目前人为因素对长白山林区森林生物量变化的影响程度（VIP值）已经小于自然因素,说明国家对林区的森林保护政策已经起到了明显的效果.本文拓宽了森林生物量变化驱动分析的内容,引入了VIP值对森林生物量的变化驱动因子进行定量刻画,为定量分析森林生物量的变化提供了一条新的途径.     

关帝山寒温性针叶林土壤营养状况与林下更新关系研究

通过野外调查与实验室分析相结合的方法,对关帝山山地寒温性针叶林下更新幼苗数量与土壤pH值、氨态氮、有效磷、速效钾进行了调查和分析测定,对华北落叶松和云杉林下更新幼苗数量与土壤因子的关系进行相关分析,并对林下更新与其主要影响因子之间的对应关系进行了分析。结果表明,在调查分析的土壤营养状况范围内,华北落叶松林下更新幼苗数量与土壤pH值、氨态氮含量呈负相关,与有效磷、速效钾含量呈正相关,4个因子对华北落叶松幼苗更新的影响强度为:土壤pH值>氨态氮>速效钾>有效磷,土壤pH值和氨态氮是影响其林下更新的主要因子,华北落叶松的适宜林下更新的土壤pH值为6.5～6.7,土壤氨态氮含量为9.3～11.5mg·L-1;云杉林下更新幼苗数量与林下土壤pH值呈负相关,与氨态氮、有效磷、速效钾含量均呈正相关,4个因子对云杉林下更新的影响强度为:有效磷>速效钾>氨态氮>土壤pH值,有效磷和速效钾是影响林下更新的主要因子,云杉更新适宜的有效磷含量为14.0～16.0mg·L-1,速效钾含量为119～153mg·L-1。在此基础上就今后研究应解决的主要问题提出了建议。     

森林景观恢复过程中景观要素空间分布格局及其动态研究

在ARC/INFO支持下,应用空间趋势面分析法,采用统一网络样点取样法,通过对关帝山天然次生林区从1959年到1992年4个时期景观要素空间分布趋势的定量化分析,从高度异质和变化的复杂景观中,揭示了一些不随时间发生根本变化的森林景观空间分布格局及其主要控制因素,研究结果表明,以海拔,坡向和坡度为主要因素形成的立地条件空间格局和人为干扰的空间格局,共同控制着森林景观恢复过程及其空间格局;高海拔带上的森林恢复过程主要受立地条件格局的控制,景观要素的生态潜力高,而较低海拔和沟谷地段的森林恢复过程受人为活动的影响较强,景观要素生态潜力较低;不同海拔带上,坡度和坡向的作用有明显差异;总的来说,研究范围内随着海拔的降低,坡向的作用增强,但在低海拔带上由于人为干扰的作用增强,植被类型分布格局的变化较复杂。坡度对植被类型空间分布的作用以中高海拔带上最强,高海拔带上的作用不明显,中海拔带上的作用也有所下降,而在低海拔带上,由于坡度对人为干扰格局的显著作用和坡度对坡向效应的加强,出现坡度大森林植被分布多的情况,控制人为干扰的强度和曼延是森林景观恢复和建设规划中不容忽视的重要内容。     

黄土高原主要森林类型自然性的灰色关联度分析

为了解陕西黄土高原子午岭林区主要森林类型的自然性,以油松林、辽东栎林、白桦林、山杨林和侧柏林等5种森林类型为研究对象,通过0-1型变量聚类,较为客观地提出了森林群落各个演替阶段的植物组成,并计算出了各自的群落顶极适应值;采用层次分析的方法,得到群落特征指标权重,然后利用灰色关联分析方法,得到了各个森林群落的灰色关联度。研究结果表明,黄土高原不同森林类型的群落顶极适应值由大到小依次为辽东栎林(Quercus wutaishanica)8.37,油松林(Pinus tabulaefomis)8.16,山杨林(Populus davidiana)7.89,侧柏林(Platycladus orientalis)6.88,白桦林(Betula platyphylla)6.87;关联度由大到小依次为油松林1.143、辽东栎林1.085、侧柏林0.893、白桦林0.849、山杨林0.789。油松林和辽东栎林的灰色关联度较高,是这一地区较为稳定的理想森林类型,侧柏林和白桦林的关联度居中,山杨林最小。辽东栎林和油松林属于该地区的顶极和亚顶极群落类型,白桦林和侧柏林属于演替过渡类型,山杨林为演替阶段较低的森林类型。用灰色关联度的方法能够定量地分析森林群落的自然性,研究结果对森林近自然经营、林分改造有一定的应用价值和科学意义。     

Characterization of 10 microsatellite markers for the understorey Amazonian herb Heliconia acuminata

We characterized 10 microsatellite loci for the plant Heliconia acuminata from the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (Manaus, Brazil). Markers were screened in 61 individuals from one population and were found to be polymorphic with an average of eight alleles per locus. We found moderate to high levels of polymorphic information content, and observed and expected heterozygosities. All 10 markers are suitable for spatial genetic structure and parentage analyses and will be used for understanding H. acuminata dynamics across a fragmented landscape.     

Structural analysis of the Chambura Gorge forest (Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda)

The Chambura Gorge, part of the Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP), is completely covered by a forest which so far has not been exploited and whose species, composition and structure are barely known. It was therefore of interest to analyse this area as a typical example of a primary natural forest and as a peculiar habitat inside the QENP ecosystem. The forest cover has a typical structure, distributed into layers, but the lower layer is locally poor of saplings belonging to a possible cohort of regeneration. This process is likely to be observable on a wider scale of analysis. None of the species reach their potential maximum height, as measured in other areas and in a typical rain forest. However, the vegetation of Chambura Gorge is very representative of the local edaphic conditions and microclimate. In the structural analysis no relationships were found between the diameters and heights of the observed trees, if considered all together. If considered individually, only the most abundant species, Cleistopholis patens, showed any relationship between diameter and height.     

西双版纳季风常绿阔叶林植物区系初步分析

基于西双版纳地区季风常绿阔叶林的植被调查资料,统计西双版纳季风常绿阔叶林种子植物区系组成,记录有种子植物95科223属351种(包括变种和亚种)。种子植物科的分布区类型中以泛热带分布科最多,达41个,占总科数的43.16%。属的分布类型中,热带分布属共计187个,占总属数的83.86%。在热带分布属中,又以泛热带分布属最多,达61个,占总属数的27.35%;其次为热带亚洲分布属,计有47个,占总属数的21.08%。种的分布类型中,各类热带分布的种最多,占总种数的70.37%,其中又以热带亚洲成分占优势。分布区类型的分析表明西双版纳季风常绿阔叶林种子植物区系具热带亚洲植物区系的特点,属马来西亚植物区系的一部分。进一步分析表明此区系具热带北缘的性质,但同时也呈现出向亚热带植物区系的过渡。     

Epiphytic bryophytes growing on Laurus azorica (Seub.) Franco in three laurel forest areas in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

We examined bryophyte species growing on Laurus azorica, in three localities of the laurel forest in Tenerife (Canary Islands), in order to determine differences in species composition, richness and cover, that depend on variations in mist frequency and density. Among the 35 bryophyte species found (26 liverworts and nine mosses), 16 occurred in all three locations while nine species occurred in only one location. Detrended correspondence analysis and canonical correspondence analysis revealed that the epiphyte–phorophyte relationship varied in terms of cover, richness and bryophyte composition, depending on the humidity conditions (related to mist frequency and plot height) and tree age. In spite of differences in the dominant species found at each locality, the community types have many species in common and may be seen as a natural unit of the communities involved. Variation in the dominant species at each locality is mainly related to a trade off between humidity conditions and tree diameter, and the speed of the successional processes. Plot aspect was the only variable among those considered with no significant influence, which might be related to the closed canopy conditions. Variation in cover, richness and bryophyte composition related to plot height and tree diameter increased in the drier location. Cover was positively related to species richness in all analyses. This is related to low diversity during initial colonization and the fact that the highest biomass species, related to later successional stages, also occur on younger trees, especially in the more humid areas.     

森林有害生物松突圆蚧的危险性分析

参照国际上有害生物危险性分析（Pest Risk Analysis,简写PRA）方法,从有害生物的国内分布状况、潜在的危害性、寄主植物的经济重要性、传播扩散的可能性以及危险性的管理难度等几个方面进行定性和定量分析,对松突圆蚧的危险性做出综合评价。评价结果表明松突圆蚧在我国属于高度危险性的森林有害生物。     

Morphometric analysis and taxonomic revision of the Vriesea paraibica complex (Bromeliaceae)

The species related to Vriesea paraibica (Bromeliaceae, Tillandsioideae) have controversial taxonomic limits. For several decades, this group has been identified in herbarium collections as V. × morreniana, an artificial hybrid that does not grow in natural habitats. The aim of this study was to assess the morphological variation in the V. paraibica complex through morphometric analyses of natural populations. Two sets of analyses were performed: the first involved six natural populations (G1) and the second was carried out on taxa that emerged from the first analysis, but using material from herbarium collections (G2). Univariate ANOVA was used, as well as discriminant analysis of 16 morphometric variables in G1 and 18 in G2. The results of the analyses of the two groups were similar and led to the selection of diagnostic traits of four species. Lengths of the lower and median floral bracts were significant for the separation of red and yellow floral bracts. Vriesea paraibica and V. interrogatoria have red bracts; these two species are differentiated by the widths of the lower and median portions of the inflorescence and by scape length. These structures are larger in the former and smaller in the latter. Of the species with yellow floral bracts, V. eltoniana is distinguished by longer leaf blades and scapes and V. flava is characterized by its shorter sepal lengths. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 159 , 163–181.     

Seasonal Dynamics of Atmospheric Methane Oxidation in Gray Forest Soils

Seasonal fluctuations in the methane fluxes in the soil–atmosphere system were determined for gray forest soils of Central Russia. Consumption of atmospheric methane was found to exceed methane emission in gray forest soils under forest and in the agrocenosis. The average annual rates of atmospheric methane consumption by the soil under forest and in the agrocenosis were 0.026 and 0.008 mg C-CH₄/(m² h), respectively. The annual rate of atmospheric methane oxidation in the gray forest soils of Moscow oblast was estimated to be 0.68 kton. Seasonal fluctuations in the methane oxidation activity were due to changes in the hydrothermal conditions and in the reserves of readily decomposable organic matter and mineral nitrogen, as well as to changes in the activity of methane oxidizers.