Distribution patterns of tree species in an evergreen broadleaved forest in eastern China

Ecological assembly rules in evergreen broad-leaved forest are far from clear understanding. Spatial dispersion of individuals in a species is central in ecological theory. We analyzed the spatial patterns as well as associations between adult and juvenile of each tree species in a 5-ha subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest plot in eastern China. Out of the 74 species occurring with more than 10 individuals, 88.4% of these species are aggregated. Most of them are aggregated from small to large scales. Spatial distributions of some species correspond with topography. Many bad dispersed species in the Baishanzu exhibit a highly aggregated distribution at small scales. These suggest that environmental heterogeneity and/or dispersal limitation may be the most important mechanisms that control the distribution patterns of these species. Our observations of the aggregations of abundant species basically support the hypothesis that dispersal limitation decreases as the number of reproductive trees increases. The rest species are randomly distributed, with less than 10 individuals. For most common species, spatial aggregation is weaker in larger diameter classes, and the distance between adults is larger than that between juveniles and adults, suggesting that density-dependence works on loosing aggregation and excluding conspecific juveniles away from adult trees. However, the density-dependent effect is not strong enough to eliminate all seedlings near adult trees and to result in a regular distribution of trees; thus the density dependence is usually masked by the refuge effect.     

Distribution patterns of tree species in an evergreen broadleaved forest in eastern China

Ecological assembly rules in evergreen broad-leaved forest are far from clear understanding. Spatial dispersion of individuals in a species is central in ecological theory. We analyzed the spatial patterns as well as associations between adult and juvenile of each tree species in a 5-ha subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest plot in eastern China. Out of the 74 species occurring with more than 10 individuals, 88.4% of these species are aggregated. Most of them are aggregated from small to large scales. Spatial distributions of some species corre-spond with topography. Many bad dispersed species in the Baishanzu exhibit a highly aggregated distribution at small scales. These suggest that environmental heterogeneity and/or dispersal limitation may be the most important mechanisms that control the distribution patterns of these species. Our observations of the aggregations of abundant species basically support the hypothesis that dispersal limitation decreases as the number of reproductive trees increases. The rest species are randomly distributed, with less than 10 individuals. For most common species, spatial aggregation is weaker in larger diameter classes, and the distance between adults is larger than that between juveniles and adults, suggesting that density-dependence works on loosing aggregation and excluding conspecific juveniles away from adult trees. However, the density-dependent effect is not strong enough to eliminate all seedlings near adult trees and to result in a regular distribution of trees; thus the density dependence is usually masked by the refuge effect.     

Habitat specialization and phylogenetic structure of tree species in a coastal Brazilian white-sand forest

Aims The coastal Brazilian rainforest on white-sand (restinga) ranks among the most fragmented forest types in the tropics, owing to both the patchy distribution of sandy soils and widespread coastal development activities. Here we study the environmental and evolutionary determinants of a forest tree assemblage at a single restinga forest in Southeastern Brazil. We also explore the ability of competing hypotheses to explain the maintenance of species diversity in this forest type, which includes contrasting extremes of edaphic conditions associated with flooding stress.Methods The study was conducted in a white-sand forest permanent plot of 10.24 ha on the coastal plain of Southeastern Brazil. This plot was divided into 256 quadrats of 20×20 m, which were classified into two main edaphic habitats (flooded and drained). Trees with a diameter ≥1cm at breast height were identified. We assembled DNA sequence data for each of the 116 morphospecies recognized using two chloroplast markers (rbcL and matK). A phylogenetic tree was obtained using the maximum likelihood method, and a phylogenetic distance matrix was produced from an ultrametric tree. We analyzed similarity in floristic composition and structure between habitats and related them to cross-plot distances using permutation procedures. Null model torus shift simulations were performed to obtain a statistical significance level for habitat association for each species. The phylogenetic structure for the two habitats and for each 20×20 m quadrat was calculated using the mean phylogenetic distance weighted by species abundance and checked for significance using the standardized effect size generated by 5000 randomizations of phylogenetic tip labels.Important findings Our results indicate that partitioning among edaphic habitats is important for explaining species distributions and coexistence in restinga forests. Species distributions within the plot were found to be non-random: there was greater floristic similarity within than between habitats, and>40% of the more abundant species were positively or negatively associated with at least one habitat. Patterns of habitat association were not independent of phylogenetic relatedness: the community was overdispersed with respect to space and habitat type. Closely related species tended to occur in different habitats, while neighboring trees tended to belong to more distantly related species. We conclude that habitat specialization is important for the coexistence of species in restinga forests and that habitat heterogeneity is therefore an essential factor in explaining the maintenance of diversity of this unique but fragile and threatened type of forest.     

Distribution patterns of tree species in a Malaysian tropical rain forest

Abstract. Spatial patterns of tree species were studied in a 50-ha tropical rain forest plot in the Pasoh forest, Malaysia. This forest is characterized by a high diversity and very high number of rare species. Out of the 745 species occurring with > five individuals, 80.4 % had an aggregated distribution, 19.5% were randomly distributed and one species had a regular distribution. The spatial patterns of rare vs. common species, juvenile vs. adult trees, and coarse vs. fine scales were compared. Rare species are generally less aggregated than common ones and most of the randomly distributed species are rare. Spatial patterns shift from high clumping to looser intensity or random distribution when moving from juveniles to adults for the same species. No adult tree species display a regular pattern, however. Regular distributions were rarely found; this is probably due to intraspecific competition at a local scale. There is a negative correlation between per capita death rate and population density. This study suggests that the Pasoh forest and its high diversity are subjected to multiple controlling factors, e.g., topography, spacing effect, density-dependent processes and species rarity. The importance of any factor changes across spatial and temporal scales.     

沿海防护林四个树种根系分布对盐胁迫的响应

研究盐分胁迫下植物根系的分布及生长特性对沿海防护林树种的筛选具有重要意义。以8年生女贞(Ligustrum lucidum)、洋白蜡(Fraxinus pennsylvanica)、木麻黄(Casuarina equiestifolia)和墨西哥落羽杉(Taxodium mucronatum)等4个亚热带沿海防护林树种为对象,对其根系生长特性与土壤盐度关系、根系生物量分配格局、功能根的分布特征以及根系的比根长和根长密度进行了比较。结果表明:1)土壤盐分对植物根系垂直生长与分布具有强烈的制约作用,根系的水平伸展能力与树种根系垂直生长呈负相关;2)不同树种适应盐分胁迫能力不同,导致各自功能根的生物量分配格局差异;3)根径级越小,其吸收水分和营养物质的能力越强;根径级越大,固定和支持植株的能力越强;4)墨西哥落羽杉盐分阈值0.45%,根系垂直分布在0～95cm的土层中,具有良好的抗台风和耐盐土能力;木麻黄和洋白蜡2个树种的主根系长度分别为25cm和29cm,支撑根的比例分别为87.2%和56.3%,因此也具有一定的抗台风能力,可以栽植在盐度0.36%的沿海滩涂上;女贞盐分阈值0.21%,垂直根系为20cm,支撑根比例51.0%,不适合栽植于高盐分的台风分布地理区域。     

祁连山水源区主要树种耐旱性研究

应用P-V技术对祁连山水源涵养林主要树种水分参数进行测定分析.结果表明,不同水分参数在树种上的变化规律各异,反映了植物耐旱机理的复杂性;对10项水分参数的主成分分析结果显示,以|φπ₁₀₀-φπ₀ |、RCV、ROWC₀和ε_max分析植物的耐旱性能具有可靠性.用两种几何数学方法的分析结果表明,按照耐旱性大小可将供试树种分为耐旱性强树种(青海云杉和千里香杜鹃)、耐旱性较强树种(祁连圆柏、烈香杜鹃、头花杜鹃和青海杜鹃)、耐旱性较弱树种(金露梅、绣线菊和红桦)和耐旱性弱树种(青杨).苗木清晨叶水势与土壤含水率间变化趋势可以用双曲线方程、幂函数式(或指数函数式)取得满意的拟合.通过逐步聚类分析,按照树种主要耐旱机理可分为高水势延迟脱水耐旱树种(红桦和青海杜鹃)、亚高水势延迟脱水型树种(青海云杉、千里香杜鹃和头花杜鹃)、亚低水势忍耐脱水耐旱树种(祁连圆柏)与低水势忍耐脱水型耐旱树种(金露梅、绣线菊和烈香杜鹃).     

Diurnal patterns of respiration in the leaves of four forest tree species

Respiration along the cyanide-sensitive, cytochrome pathway and the cyanide-in-sensitive, alternative pathway was monitored over a 24-h period in the leaves of Acerrubrum, Betula papyrifera, Populus tremuloides and Quercus rubra excised in the field. Populus displayed the greatest rate of total respiration, followed by Betula, Quercus and Acer . All species displayed the capacity for the alternative pathway as well as some engagement of the pathway, although the level of engagement in Acer was very low. In all species investigated there were no marked diurnal trends in any respiration variable measured. Leaf soluble sugar levels remained at a relatively constant level throughout the sampling period. It is concluded that respiration did not show diurnal fluctuations because substrate supply in the leaf was maintained at a constant level.     

长白山北坡椴树阔叶红松林群落主要树种分布格局的研究

应用方差 /均值比检验、波松分布的X2 检验及负二项分布的X2 检验 3种方法 ,对比不同的取样样方 ,研究了椴树阔叶红松林群落主要树种的分布格局 ,并根据 1hm2 样地的定位图进行检验 .研究结果表明 ,乔木树种的合适取样样方为 5m× 5m ,其中红松、椴树、水曲柳、山槐、白牛子属于聚集型分布 ,蒙古栎、春榆属于随机分布 .     

Community structure of arboreal caterpillars within and among four tree species of the eastern deciduous forest

Abstract.  1. A seasonally replicated experimental design was used to address the question of how differences within and among host tree species affect arboreal caterpillar communities.
2. Seasonal variation influenced caterpillar community composition most significantly, and the similarity among caterpillar assemblages did not necessarily follow the pattern of phylogenetic relatedness among host trees.
3. Species richness and abundance of caterpillars were higher on oaks and maples than on American beech. Diversity partitioning models revealed that β diversity was only occasionally greater or less than expected by chance alone.
4. When β diversity was significant, values tended to be greater than expected by chance among replicate trees within each species and lower than expected by chance among the four tree species.
5. Differences among trees appeared important for determining patterns of species presence/absence for rare species and influencing patterns of species dominance within caterpillar assemblages. Differences among tree species had a significant effect on overall lepidopteran community composition and mean species diversity (i.e. α diversity).
6. Because β diversity of caterpillars among host trees was lower than expected by chance, host specificity within the Lepidoptera may be less prevalent than thought previously.     

长白山次生林乔木树种空间分布格局

应用RipleyK函数,分析了长白山一个5．2hm^2次生林样地内乔木树种的空间分布以及主要乔木树种的幼树、小树、大树的空间分布和空间关系。结果表明：共调查到34种乔木,其中常见种27种,少见种7种,共计15688株;在27个常见种中,有23个种在空间上主要呈聚集分布,另外4个种主要表现为随机分布;在7个少见种中,均主要表现为随机分布;簇毛槭、假色槭、水曲柳、臭松和红松随着种群发育（幼树→小树→大树）聚集强度逐渐减弱,直至趋向于随机分布,其他树种的空间分布随种群发育未表现出明显的变化规律;在10个主要树种组成的45个种对中,有11个种对表现出显著正相关,1个种对为显著负相关。     

Influences of forest structure, climate and species composition on tree mortality across the eastern US

Few studies have quantified regional variation in tree mortality, or explored whether species compositional changes or within-species variation are responsible for regional patterns, despite the fact that mortality has direct effects on the dynamics of woody biomass, species composition, stand structure, wood production and forest response to climate change. Using bayesian analysis of over 430,000 tree records from a large eastern US forest database we characterised tree mortality as a function of climate, soils, species and size (stem diameter). We found (1) mortality is U-shaped vs. stem diameter for all 21 species examined; (2) mortality is hump-shaped vs. plot basal area for most species; (3) geographical variation in mortality is substantial, and correlated with several environmental factors; and (4) individual species vary substantially from the combined average in the nature and magnitude of their mortality responses to environmental variation. Regional variation in mortality is therefore the product of variation in species composition combined with highly varied mortality-environment correlations within species. The results imply that variation in mortality is a crucial part of variation in the forest carbon cycle, such that including this variation in models of the global carbon cycle could significantly narrow uncertainty in climate change predictions.     

沈阳城市森林主要树种叶片形态生态特征与生长规律

利用统计和多元分析方法研究了沈阳城市森林10个主要树种叶片的形态生态特征和生长规律.结果表明,影响树木叶片生长发育节律的主要气象因子是≥5 ℃积温、累积日照时数和各物候期中旬平均温度.不同物候期树木所需要的气象因子有所变化,树木萌动期要求低温和寒冷指数,而在生长期需要一定的温暖指数和湿润指数.10个树种的叶片形态数量特征差异较大,按叶形指数依次为短序胡枝子＞华北丁香＞国槐＞银白杨＞红瑞木＞金银忍冬＞水腊＞水曲柳＞稠李＞黄菠萝;按叶面积依次为华北丁香＞银白杨＞黄菠萝＞稠李＞水曲柳＞红瑞木＞短序胡枝子＞金银忍冬＞国槐＞水腊.在10个树种叶长度与宽度、周长、叶面积之间相互关系中,基本属于异速生长类型,符合y=ax^k模型,但在叶长度与宽度之间关系中,除银白杨k＞1外,其它9个树种均k＜1;在叶长度与周长关系中,黄菠萝k＞1, 银白杨k≈1,呈线性关系,其它树种均k＜1;在叶长度与叶面积关系中,10个树种k＞1,而 银白杨k=2.1028,叶面积增长速率近似于叶长的2倍.建立了10个树种的叶面积最优回归估测模型,并对模型进行了估测检验.     

Distinct roles of savanna and forest tree species in regeneration under fire suppression in a Brazilian savanna

Questions: Has fire suppression relaxed barriers to the exchange of species between savanna and forest? Do all species or a subset of species participate in this exchange? Would current vegetation structure persist if fire suppression were to cease? Location: A gallery forest edge in the Cerrado region of central Brazil that burned only once in the past 35 years. Methods: Density of tree seedlings, saplings and adults, leaf area index (LAI), tree basal area and diameter were surveyed in 12, 10 m × 70 m transects centred on and perpendicular to the forest–savanna boundary. Community composition was assessed using non‐metric multi‐dimensional scaling (NMDS). Results: Basal area and LAI declined substantially from forest to savanna, with an associated shift in species composition. Savanna tree species were nearly absent in the forest, but accounted for the majority of stems in the savanna. In contrast, forest species comprised 14% of adults and more than one‐third of juveniles in the savanna. Despite the high diversity of trees (85 species) in the forest, five species play a particularly large role in this initial phase of forest expansion. Reintroduction of fire, however, would result in widespread topkill of juveniles and the majority of adult forest trees, thereby interrupting the succession towards forest. Conclusions: After 35 years during which the site burned only once, the savanna still remains dominated by savanna species. Nevertheless, the dominance of forest juveniles in border and savanna tree communities suggests that with a continued policy of fire suppression, the forest will continue to expand.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of seed predation on three tree species in an oak-pine forest

We experimentally examined spatial and temporal patterns of seed predation on three tree species in an oak-pine forest in southern Maine. USA, Rodents were the principal seed predators. Rates of seed loss varied with tree species and exposure to three different suites of potential seed predators (all vertebrate seed predators, medium-sized rodents [primarily squirrels] and small rodents [primarily mice and voles]), Acer rubrum seeds were removed more slowly (mean of 17.7% within 2 d across all habitats and treatments in 1991) than seeds of either Quereus rubra or Pinus strobus (e,g., > 99% removed within 2 d across all habitats and treatments for each species in 1991), Levels of final removal (cumulative removal at final census) varied with year but not with microhabitat; i.e., seed predation in four types of forest gap was not significantly different than in intact forest. Both field data and experimental feeding trials with captive Peromyscus leucopus and Clethrionomys gapperi suggest that a significant proportion of while pine seeds is eaten at time of detection, while red oak acorns are more likely to be cached. Captive Peromyscus leueopus cached and ate significantly more red oak acorns than Clethrionomys gapperi. These results suggest that red oak mast may be more important in overwintering success in Feromyscus than in Clethrionomys. Nevertheless, both species did consume red oak acorns, suggesting that in southern Maine these species are not substantially inhibited by high tannin levels in red oak acorns, as has been suggested by researchers elsewhere.     

Differential diameter-size effects of forest management on tree species richness and community structure: implications for conservation

In this paper we tested the hypothesis that logging effects in the adult tree community reverberate upon the regeneration contingent. We examined the differences on the tree community between forest reserves and 10 year-old logged areas in the Yucatan Peninsula. We used a paired design in three independent sites to estimate the effects of logging on tree species richness, diversity, composition and structure. Analyses were conducted differentiating individuals of four diameter-size classes: 1–5, 5–10, 10–25, and >25 cm DBH. We found out that there were differential effects by size. Species richness in the smaller and larger diameter-size classes was significantly lower in logged areas. Floristic composition was also different between logged and unlogged areas, with a trend towards more secondary forest associated species and less primary forest associated species in logged areas, and a higher density of species represented by a single individual in unlogged reserves. In terms of structure, trees DBH <10 cm, lianas, and re-sprouting stumps were more abundant in logged areas. Our findings suggest that 10 years after logging, harvested areas show alterations in structure, and potentially a reduction in species richness. We suggest that to make timber extraction and forest conservation compatible at this site, it is necessary to gain a better understanding of the ecology and regeneration requirements of the less abundant species, and to assess whether current logging practices might hinder their permanence in the study area.     

Demographic synthesis for global tree species conservation

Conserving the tree species of the world requires syntheses on which tree species are most vulnerable to pressing threats, such as climate change, invasive pests and pathogens, or selective logging. Here, we review the population and forest dynamics models that, when parameterized with data from population studies, forest inventories, or tree rings, have been used for identifying life-history strategies of species and threat-related changes in population demography and dynamics. The available evidence suggests that slow-growing and/or long-lived species are the most vulnerable. However, a lack of comparative, multi-species studies still challenges more precise predictions of the vulnerability of tree species to threats. Improving data coverage for mortality and recruitment, and accounting for interactions among threats, would greatly advance vulnerability assessments for conservation prioritizations of trees worldwide.