Regeneration processes of a boreal forest in Kamchatka with special reference to the contribution of sprouting to population maintenance

We studied regeneration patterns of three tree species Picea ajanensis, Betula platyphylla and Populus tremula from 1998 to 2000 in the Central Depression of the Kamchatka Peninsula. We paid special attention to the contribution of sprouting to their regeneration. P. ajanensis was the only species that regenerated by seedling. In a 40 × 40 m study plot, the density of P. ajanensis saplings < 2.0 cm in diameter at basal area (DBH) was 1132, and this was the highest among the three species studied. The number of saplings 2 cm in DBH declined sharply with size class. The spatial distribution of P. ajanensis saplings (< 2 cm in DBH) showed a significant positive correlation with that of adult trees and a negative correlation with that of gaps. These trends were not changed after re-measurement in 2000, although nearly half of the juveniles had died or been injured during the two years. These results suggest that small Picea saplings prefer habitats under the canopy of adult trees rather than in gaps for establishment. Most small individuals of B. platyphylla were produced from sprouts. The number of saplings in the smallest size class (< 2 cm in DBH) was much less than that of P. ajanensis, although the number of larger individuals did not decrease remarkably. The spatial distribution of B. platyphylla saplings showed a positive correlation with that of adult trunks and a negative correlation with that of canopy trees of P. ajanensis. These results suggest an effective contribution of sprouts to the regeneration of B. platyphylla. P. tremula was the only species that could invade big gaps and produce many root suckers efficiently. There were 181 suckers of P. tremula in the smallest size class (< 2 cm in DBH) in the study plot, although the number of saplings 2 cm in DBH declined abruptly. The spatial distribution of saplings of this species showed a slight positive correlation with that of gaps, and negative correlation with that of adult trees of B. platyphylla, P. ajanensis, and P. tremula. The root suckering strategy of P. tremula might be adaptive under severe conditions in high-latitude regions. Our data suggest, however, that it does not necessarily contribute to regeneration in mature forests. The three component species in this forest did not seem to utilize canopy gaps for regeneration; we suggest that gap dynamics do not work in this forest. The sparse canopy, which is a typical character of forests in high-latitude regions, might be a consequence of high mortalities of seedlings and root suckers inside gaps.     

Succession after stand replacing disturbances by fire,wind throw,and insects in the dark Taiga of Central Siberia

The dark taiga of Siberia is a boreal vegetation dominated by Picea obovata, Abies sibirica, and Pinus sibirica during the late succession. This paper investigates the population and age structure of 18 stands representing different stages after fire, wind throw, and insect damage. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the forest dynamics of the Siberian dark taiga is described quantitatively in terms of succession, and age after disturbance, stand density, and basal area. The basis for the curve–linear age/diameter relation of trees is being analyzed. (1) After a stand-replacing fire Betula dominates (4,000 trees) for about 70 years. Although tree density of Betula decreases rapidly, basal area (BA) reached >30 m²/ha after 40 years. (2) After fire, Abies, Picea, and Pinus establish at the same time as Betula, but grow slower, continue to gain height and eventually replace Betula. Abies has the highest seedling number (about 1,000 trees/ha) and the highest mortality. Picea establishes with 100–400 trees/ha, it has less mortality, but reached the highest age (>350 years, DBH 51 cm). Picea is the most important indicator for successional age after disturbance. Pinus sibirica is an accompanying species. The widely distributed “mixed boreal forest” is a stage about 120 years after fire reaching a BA of >40 m²/ha. (3) Wind throw and insect damage occur in old conifer stands. Betula does not establish. Abies initially dominates (2,000–6,000 trees/ha), but Picea becomes dominant after 150–200 years since Abies is shorter lived. (4) Without disturbance the forest develops into a pure coniferous canopy (BA 40–50 m²/ha) with a self-regenerating density of 1,000 coniferous canopy trees/ha. There is no collapse of old-growth stands. The dark taiga may serve as an example in which a limited set to tree species may gain dominance under certain disturbance conditions without ever getting monotypic.     

Variation in basal sprouting in co-occurring shrubs: implications for stand dynamics

Abstract. Sources of basal sprouting for five shrub species representing five plant families common to the Tamaulipan biotic province were quantified, following four intensities of top removal. Among undisturbed shrubs, Celtis pallida and Zanthoxylum fagara were somewhat arborescent, with one or two dominant primary stems per plant. Aloysia gratissima, Ziziphus obtusifolia and Schaefferia cuneifolia were fruticose in architecture, with more and smaller stems. Following top removal, each species exhibited a distinct regenerative hierarchy whereby shoot production following disturbance was primarily from structures immediately subtending the removed tissues, even though more distal tissues had the capacity for shoot production. Thus, removal of stems to a 5 cm residual increased the contribution of primary stems from stem bases, whereas stem removal to ground line typically induced regeneration from root crowns. Schaefferia, Zanthoxylum and Ziziphus were capable of producing shoots from root tissue, yet regeneration from roots was not stimulated until tissues were removed to below root crowns. Field observations indicate that most woody species in the subtropical thorn woodlands of southern Texas, USA, are highly persistent in the face of natural and anthropogenic disturbance, owing to their ability to regenerate vegetatively. Alternative sources of stem replacement contribute to the high resilience of these shrubs following disturbance and may help explain or predict patterns of secondary succession and plant persistence following various intensities of disturbance.     

What window traps can tell us: effect of placement, forest openness and beetle reproduction in retention trees

The use of flight interception traps (window traps) has been criticized for catching too many species without affinity to the immediate surroundings. We study aspen retention trees left for conservation reasons in a boreal forest in south-eastern Norway, and investigate how placement of window traps affects the beetle species assemblage, abundance of habitat specialists, saproxylic species and vagrant species. We also test the correlation between beetle trappings and beetle exit holes in wood. The window traps clearly responded to the immediate surroundings of the trap. Traps located on tree trunks had a different species assemblage than traps hanging freely. Traps mounted on trees caught more aspen associated beetles and less vagrant species than their free-hanging counterparts. The differences were larger when trees were dead than alive. There was a significant positive correlation between presence of individuals in the trunk-window traps and presence of exit holes for three aspen associated species. Thus, the trapping results indicated successful reproduction, showing that aspen associated beetles are not only attracted to but also utilise aspen retention trees/high stumps left in clear-cuts. This indicates that this conservation measure in forest management can have positive, alleviating effects concerning the dead wood deficit in managed boreal forest.     

山西文峪河上游河岸林的土壤种子库与树种更新特征

以山西文峪河上游13种典型的河岸林为研究对象,通过土壤种子库和树种更新研究,分析群落种子库与林下更新随演替进展的变化趋势,以及该区河岸树种的繁殖对策。结果表明：13种群落的土壤种子库密度间于1290±103～3950±154粒/m2,63.5%的种子留存于0～5 cm的层次;种子库包含49种植物,以多年生草本为主,存在耐干扰种和湿地植物的种子;处于相同或相邻演替阶段的群落,种子库相似性较高;随演替进展,种子库密度、丰度、Shannon-Wiener指数及种子库与地上植被的相似性均呈降低趋势;处于演替后期的青杄Picea wilsonii林存在丰富的＂青杄幼苗库＂;先锋种白桦Betula platyphylla的种子存在于演替各阶段的群落中,储量丰富,其更新主要依赖于风媒种子,并存在少量萌蘖;青杄、白杄P.meyeri、华北落叶松Larix principis-rupprechtii、油松Pi-nus tabulaeformis和辽东栎Quercus liaotongensis的种子库损耗严重,没有或仅存少量种子,其中云杉和油松的更新幼苗幼树多,属持久幼苗库更新;华北落叶松幼苗幼树少,且仅出现于林缘或林窗等开阔地,属植被空隙中季节性更新;辽东栎主要依赖丰富的幼苗库进行更新,同时存在一定的萌蘖;青杨Populus cathayana以大量风媒种子更新结合营养扩展。     

In situ survival of forest bryophytes in small‐scale refugia after an intense forest fire

Question: Species can persist in landscapes with recurring disturbances either by migrating to places suitable for the moment or by enduring the threatening conditions. We investigated to what extent boreal forest bryophytes survived an intense forest fire in situ and whether bryophytes had started to recolonize the area 7‐8 years later. Location: Tyresta National Park, eastern Sweden. Methods: We recorded bryophytes in 14 burnt and 12 forest reference plots (50 × 50 m). In each plot we investigated 15 random 1‐m² micro‐plots. In plots in the burnt area we also examined micro‐plots at locations of all fire refugia, and in case of the forest references, of 10 potential refugia. Results: We found on average three small refugia per 50 × 50‐m plot; each containing on average 4.8 forest bryophytes, a level similar to that of micro‐plots in the references, but significantly higher than in random micro‐plots in the burnt plots (1.5 species). Many refugia were located in rocky areas, but few were in wet sites. The burnt area remained dominated by a few fire‐favoured species, even if recolonization of forest bryophytes had begun. There was, however, no significant correlation between number of refugia and number of forest species in random micro‐plots, leaving open the question of the importance of refugia as regulators of early succession. Conclusion: We conclude that small‐scale refugia can also occur for sensitive species such as forest bryophytes, and that the refugia in our case were frequently found on rocky or mesic rather than wet sites. The role of such refugia in recolonization, however, warrants further investigation.     

Recovery of late-seral vascular plants in a chronosequence of post-clearcut forest stands in coastal Nova Scotia,Canada

We investigated the impacts of clearcutting on the ground vegetation of remnant late-successional coastal Acadian forests in southwestern Nova Scotia. Vegetation was sampled in 750 1-m² quadrats established in 16 stands belonging to different recovery periods since clearcutting (3–54 years) and 9 late-successional forests (100–165 years) with no signs of significant human disturbance. Our objectives were to: i) describe the changes in species richness, diversity, and abundance of ground vegetation after clearcutting; ii) examine the responses of residual species (i.e., late-successional flora) to clearcutting; and iii) determine whether any forest species were restricted to or dependent upon the late-successional stages of stand development for maximal frequency and/or abundance. Although clearcutting had no immediate impact on overall alpha richness or diversity, the richness and diversity of residual plants declined after canopy removal and showed no evidence of recovery over 54 years of secondary succession. Consequently, compositional differences between secondary and late-seral stands persisted for many decades after clearcutting. Several understory herbs (e.g., Coptis trifolia (L.) , Oxalis montana (L.), Monotropa uniflora (L.)) were restricted to or attained their highest frequency and abundance in late-seral forests. These results suggest that the preservation of remnant old stands may be necessary for the maintenance of some residual plants in highly disturbed and fragmented forest landscapes in eastern Canada.     

鄂东南枫香(Liquidambar formosana)林、马尾松(Pinus massoniana)-枫香林群落结构及更新

长江中下游低山丘陵地区是一个植被曾经受到破坏的生态脆弱区,枫香林和马尾松枫香林是该地区的重要植被类型,对于维持该地区的生态安全具有重要意义.对地处鄂东南低山丘陵地区的枫香林和马尾松枫香林的群落结构及其主要乔木的实生更新进行了研究,结果表明:(1)该地区枫香林和马尾松枫香林群落的乔木和灌木层物种组成存在差异;(2)枫香林中的枫香种群不能实现持续地实生更新;马尾松枫香林的马尾松是一个年龄为25～30a的同生群,而枫香则为一个增长种群;(3)对马尾松、枫香、化香、合欢4种主要乔木实生幼苗的种间关联、生长发育规律、空间分布格局的分析表明:①在4种幼苗形成的6个种对中,只有马尾松和化香间呈显著的负关联(p≤0.01),其它种对间不存在明确的关联关系.②马尾松、枫香、化香、合欢的幼苗均呈聚集分布,其中枫香幼苗在高生长过程中趋向于随机分布.③ 4种幼苗的高生长速率表现出不同的规律,其中马尾松和枫香呈\"J\"型加速增长;化香和合欢幼苗的高生长速率分别在d、e级幼苗出现拐点,其幼苗高生长为\"S\"型增长.该地区的植被演替呈现枫香为主的落叶阔叶树种取代马尾松的趋势,但是枫香林的演替趋势还有待进一步研究.     

中国寒温带森林与温带森林之间过渡边缘的检测

 根据1995年黑龙江省森林资源调查的固定样地数据,以多个树种的信息为分类因子,采用1994年Fortin 提出的二维数据边缘检测的方法并考虑树种垂直分布对边缘确定的影响,对我国寒温带针叶林与温带阔叶混交林的过渡中心边缘进行了科学定位,并对所获得的边缘的显著性进行了检验,为进一步研究其结构和功能提供了基础数据。结果表明,寒温带针叶林与温带针阔混交林的边缘大致位于48°30′ N,南北浮动10′,126°～130° E之间,行政区划上属于北安_乌伊岭_嘉荫一线,基本是沿小兴安岭山体的北缘。该边缘与目前天然红松