Fire as a tool in the management of a savanna/dry forest reserve in Madagascar

Abstract. The possible use of fire for the management of the Ankarafantsika Reserve in the northwest of Madagascar and of its surrounding area is studied. Within this savanna landscape large parts of the remaining dry forests still exist with a unique biotic diversity, both in terms of total number of species and endemism. Unfortunately, mainly man-induced uncontrolled fires threaten these forests. Actual and former fire regimes of the local communities are analysed. The use of fire is an integrated part of land use and is also governed by socio-cultural traditions. The impact of fire on the dynamics of dry forests and grass savannas is studied considering the specifics of different fire regimes. We propose that a deliberate and controlled use of fire respecting the vegetation stage and the defined objectives could be an appropriate management tool. The strategy of a fire management is elaborated considering both the conservation of biodiversity and improvement of the livelihood of the local population depending upon the Reserve's resources. Obviously, a sustainable management of the natural resources requires a substantial participation of the community.     

景观健康概念、特征及其评价

景观健康是近年来出现景观生态学与新兴的生态系统健康学领域的一个新的生态学概念,旨在探讨人类强烈活动干扰下遭受严重污染与退化,甚至会逐渐消失的景观生态系统的健康问题。本文针对目前所存在的有关景观健康的基本概念,景观健康的特征与标准进行了详细介绍,并就景观健康评价指标的确立,评价时空尺度与等级以及评价方法分别进行了探讨。最后,还强调了在进行景观健康评价时应运用比较的,综合的以及发展的观点开展研究。     

黄山亚热带常绿阔叶林的群落特征

黄山是我国东部高山之一, 处于亚热带季风气候区, 属南北植物区系交替的过渡带, 是第四纪冰期动植物的避难所。其地带性植被为常绿阔叶林, 植被垂直分布明显, 是中国生物多样性保护优先区域, 也是世界文化与自然遗产地以及享誉全球的风景名胜区。2014年, 我们在黄山建立了10.24 ha的森林动态监测样地, 并完成了首次调查。本文从物种组成、区系特征、径级结构和空间分布格局等方面分析了样地中植物的群落特征。结果表明: 样地内有维管植物59科129属191种, 其中乔木层内胸径≥ 1 cm的木本植物46科97属153种; 热带性质的科、属分别占总科、属数的65.79%和45.36%, 温带性质的科、属分别占34.21%和51.55%。样地内珍稀濒危物种较多, 其中国家II级重点保护野生植物6种、《中国生物多样性红色名录——高等植物卷》中的近危物种7种、《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》(CITES)附录II物种1种以及64种中国特有种, 这些物种具有较高的保护和研究价值。当取样面积小于2,150 m²时, 物种数随着面积的增加而急剧增加; 其后增加速率明显降低; 但大于57,950 m²时, 增加速率又略变大。稀有种69种, 占总树种数的45.10%。壳斗科和杜鹃花科的重要值占一半以上。建群种甜槠(Castanopsis eyrei)的重要值达26.25%, 其次分别为细齿叶柃(Eurya nitida) (7.63%)、马银花(Rhododendron ovatum) (7.60%)、马尾松(Pinus massoniana) (6.29%)和檵木(Loropetalum chinense) (4.83%)。样地平均胸径为4.10 cm, 小径木的数量占较大优势。乔木层可分为两个亚层, 甜槠在两个亚层的个体数量均最多, 马尾松数量也比较多。甜槠、细齿叶柃、马银花、马尾松等均呈较显著的聚集分布。     

次生常绿阔叶林的群落结构与物种组成:基于浙江乌岩岭9 ha森林动态样地

常绿阔叶林是我国亚热带地区的地带性植被, 但由于长期的人为干扰, 目前仅有少量分布且主要以次生常绿阔叶林的形式存在。因此, 了解次生常绿阔叶林的物种共存机制对于保护森林生物多样性非常重要。基于大型动态监测样地对森林的物种组成及群落结构进行研究, 是揭示生物多样性维持机制的重要手段。按照美国史密森研究院热带森林科学研究中心(Center for Tropical Forest Science, CTFS)大型森林动态样地建设标准, 于2011-2012年在浙江省乌岩岭国家级自然保护区内建立了1个9 ha森林动态监测样地。通过对样地内胸径≥ 1 cm木本植物的物种组成(如重要值)、群落结构(如区系组成和径级结构等)以及空间分布的分析发现: (1)样地有木本植物存活个体47科92属200种71,396株, 其中壳斗科、樟科、山茶科、冬青科、杜鹃花科和山矾科等占优势; (2)在区系组成上, 热带成分略多于温带成分; (3)群落径级结构接近倒“J”型, 表明群落更新良好, 其中优势种径级结构呈倒“J”型、偏常态型和波动型等各种形态, 且并未表现出种群衰退的趋势; (4)优势种表现出明显的生境偏好和聚集分布格局, 暗示生境异质性可能是影响亚热带次生常绿阔叶林物种空间分布的重要因素。     

基于景观镶嵌度指数的森林破碎化模式动态——以美国俄勒冈州为例

有效的景观模式特征评价及其变动预测是合理调控和管理森林景观、维持景观安全格局的基本前提.利用3期美国国家土地覆盖数据库(1992、2001和2006年),采用景观镶嵌度指数与马尔科夫模型相结合的方法,分析了美国俄勒冈州的森林破碎化模式及森林与其他土地利用类型空间交互特征的变化.结果表明: 景观镶嵌度模型中,开发主导的景观镶嵌类型(D)转变为单一的开发类型(DD)的概率最大,为0.319,说明城市化是推动区域景观格局变化的主要动力;森林安全度模型中,主要为农业和开发景观镶嵌类型(ad)的森林损失率最高,表明在城市与农业占主导的景观上森林被吞噬的可能性最大;稳态分布表明,森林破碎化趋势日益加剧,到稳定状态时森林占总区域的面积比例不到50%,空间分布趋向于混合型的景观格局.景观镶嵌度模型2006年模拟值与实际值Kappa系数达到0.82,模型精度较高;森林安全度模型Kappa系数为0.21,模型精度较差.     

中越边境西隆山(中国部分)的山地苔藓林

报道了西隆山中国部分的植被,详细地记述了山地苔藓常绿阔叶林和山顶苔藓矮林的群落组成。该两种植被类型的优势类群分别以金缕梅科红花荷属和石楠科杜鹃属的多种植物为特征。比较研究显示该地区的两种苔藓林与云南西北部的有一定的相关性。     

浙江省常绿阔叶生态公益林生物量

由解析木资料用维量分析法建立浙江省各地区样木的D2H与地上生物量(B)的回归方程在浙江全省具有普适性。根据模型及样地调查结果发现50林龄前的浙江省常绿阔叶生态公益林群落生物量基本随林龄线性增加。与其他同区域的类似林型比较发现,常绿阔叶林在80林龄前群落生物量与林龄正相关,100a后则增长十分缓慢。根据浙江省公益林大多为幼中龄林的现状,预测当前的常绿阔叶林生物量在未来30a中将呈线性增加。随着多幼中龄林的常绿阔叶生态公益林的发展成熟,我省森林将是一个潜在的巨大碳汇。与针阔混交生态公益林比较,常绿阔叶生态公益林生物量在10~25a阶段没有明显优势,到25~50a则明显高于针阔混交生态公益林。由此可见亚热带的地带性植被常绿阔叶林作为生态公益林在碳积累方面具有优势。常绿阔叶林作为高碳储量森林,将会是浙江省甚至整个亚热带东部地区的森林碳储量的主要贡献者。     

Seasonal changes in soil arthropod abundance in the dry evergreen forest of north-east Thailand,with special reference to collembolan communities

A soil arthropod community was studied in a dry evergreen forest over a 3-year period from May 1998 to April 2001. Population abundance, species composition, and community structure were investigated over the 3-year study period. The soil arthropods consisted of Acari (75.38%), Collembola (16.11%), and others (8.51%), and their abundances showed a clear difference between the rainy and dry seasons. Population abundance of Collembola and Acari were low during drought conditions. The humidity was the most important factor determining distribution, abundance, and survival of soil Collembola in this tropical forest. High predation and low accumulation of organic matter caused low population abundance of Collembola in the tropical habitat. The collembolan community was dominated by a few dominant species over the study period. The pattern of seasonal changes in numbers of Collembola was similar over the 3-year study period. The species composition of the collembolan community was constant and persistent throughout a 3-year study period. Thus, the collembolan community showed constancy in its species composition with seasonal variability over the 3-year study period.     

Stable forest–savanna mosaic in north‐western Tanzania: local‐scale evidence from δ13C signatures and 14C ages of soil fractions

Aim The spatio‐temporal dynamics of dry evergreen forest patches in the savanna biome of the Kagera region (north‐western Tanzania) are largely unknown owing to a lack of pollen and macrofossil evidence. Our aims were to reconstruct local‐scale shifts of the forest–savanna boundary in order to determine whether the forests have been expanding or retreating on a centennial and millennial time‐scale. Location The Kagera region of north‐western Tanzania, East Africa. Methods The vegetation reconstruction was based on analysing δ¹³C signatures in soils along a transect spanning both C₄ open savanna and C₃ forest vegetation. Furthermore, we fractionated soil organic matter (SOM) according to density and chemical stability to analyse δ¹³C values of soil fractions with distinct radiocarbon ages. Results We found sharp changes in δ¹³C signatures in bulk SOM from the forest to the savanna, within a few metres along the transect. The forest soil profiles carried a persistent C₃‐dominated signature. Radiocarbon dating of the oldest, most recalcitrant forest soil fraction yielded a mean age of 5500 cal. yr bp , demonstrating that the forest has existed since at least the mid‐Holocene. The savanna sites showed a typical C₄ isotopic signature in SOM of topsoils, but subsoils and more recalcitrant SOM fractions also contained signals of C₃ plants. The dense soil fraction (ρ > 1.6 g cm^?3) carrying a pure C₄ label had a mean age of c. 1200 cal. yr bp , indicating the minimum duration of the dominance of grass vegetation on the savanna site. At the forest edge, the older C₄ grass signature of SOM has steadily been replaced by the more negative δ¹³C fingerprint of the forest trees. As this replacement has occurred mainly in the 10‐m‐wide forest–savanna ecotone over the last c. 1200 years, the forest expansion must be very slow and is very likely less than 15 m century^?1. Main conclusions Our results suggest that forest patches in the Kagera savanna landscape are very stable vegetation formations which have persisted for millennia. During the last millennium, they have been expanding very slowly into the surrounding savanna at a rate of less than 15 m century^?1.     

Rain forest invasion of eucalypt-dominated woodland savanna, Iron Range, north-eastern Australia: II. Rates of landscape change

Aim To explore rates of rain forest expansion and associated ecological correlates in Eucalyptus‐dominated woodland savanna vegetation in north‐eastern Australia, over the period 1943–91. Location Iron Range National Park and environs, north‐east Queensland, Australia. This remote region supports probably the largest extent of lowland (< 300 m) rain forest extant in Australia. Rainfall (c. 1700 mm p.a.) occurs mostly between November and June, with some rain typically occurring even in the driest months July–October. Methods Interpretation of change in lowland rain forest vegetation cover was undertaken for a 140 km² area comprising complex vegetation, geology and physiography using available air photos (1943, 1970 and 1991). A GIS database was assembled comprising rain forest extent for the three time periods, geology, elevation, slope, aspect, proximity to streams and roads. Using standard GIS procedures, a sample of 6996 10 × 10 m cells (0.5% of study area) was selected randomly and attributed for vegetation structure (rain forest and non‐rain forest), and landscape features. Associations of rain forest expansion with landscape features were examined with logistic regression using the subset of cells that had changed from other vegetation types to rain forest, and remained rain forest over the assessment period, and comparing them with cells that showed no change from their original, non‐rain forest condition. Results Rain forest in the air photo study area increased from 45 km² in 1943 to 78.1 km² by 1970, and to 82.6 km² by 1991. Rainfall (and atmospheric CO₂ concentration) was markedly lower in the first assessment period (1943–70). Modelled rates of rain forest invasion differed predominantly with respect to substrate type, occurring faster on substrates possessing better moisture retention properties, and across all elevation classes. Greatest expansion, at least in the first assessment period, occurred on the most inherently infertile substrates. Expansion was little constrained by slope, aspect and proximity to streams and roads. On schist substrates, probability of invasion remained high (> 60%) over distances up to 1500 m from mature rain forest margins; on less favourable substrates (diorite, granites), probability of expansion was negligible at sites more than 400 m from mature margins. Main conclusions (i) Rain forest expansion was associated primarily with release from burning pressure from c. the 1920s, following major disruption of customary Aboriginal lifestyles including hunting and burning practices. (ii) Decadal‐scale expansion of rain forest at Iron Range supports extensive observations from the palaeoecological literature concerning rapid rain forest invasion under conducive environmental conditions. (iii) The generality of these substrate‐mediated observations requires further testing, especially given that landscape‐scale rain forest invasion of sclerophyll‐dominated communities is reported from other regions of north‐eastern Australia.     

基于阈值法的山区森林常绿、落叶特征遥感自动识别方法——以贡嘎山地区为例

森林的常绿、落叶特征是土地覆被产品的重要属性。由于山区地形复杂,地表遥感辐射信号地形效应明显,导致山区森林常绿、落叶特征遥感自动识别一直是难点。提出了一种基于阈值法的山区森林常绿、落叶特征遥感自动识别简单实用方法。该方法利用多源、多时相遥感影像,选择归一化植被指数(NDVI)为指标,通过统计参考样本的NDVI在生长季和非生长季的差异,自动找出区分常绿、落叶特征的阈值,基于判别规则识别山区森林常绿、落叶特征。以贡嘎山地区为例,分别以多时相Landsat TM影像(简称TM)、多时相环境减灾卫星影像(简称HJ)为单源数据,多时相的HJ、TM组合影像为多源数据,验证该方法的有效性。实验结果表明,该方法能够有效识别山区森林常绿、落叶特征,总体精度达到93.87%,Kappa系数为0.87。该方法适用于山区大面积森林常绿、落叶特征遥感自动提取,已被成功应用于"生态十年"专项西南地区土地覆被数据的生产。     

Vegetation,environment, and time: The origination and termination of ecosystems

Terrestrial ecosystems originate when particular plant species attain dominance at specific locations under specific environmental regimes. Ecosystems terminate, gradually or abruptly, when the dominant species or functional types are replaced by others, usually owing to environmental change or severe and irreversible disturbance. Assessing whether current ecosystems are sustainable in the face of future environmental change can be aided by examining the range of environmental variation those ecosystems have experienced in the past, and by determining the environmental conditions under which those ecosystems arose. The range of environmental variation depends on the time scale at which it is assessed. A narrow time span (e.g. 200–300 years) may underestimate the range of variation within which an ecosystem is sustainable, and it may also underestimate the risk of major transformation or disruption of that ecosystem by environmental change. Longer time spans (e.g. 1000–2000 years) increase the range of variation, by encompassing a larger sample of natural variability as well as non‐stationary variability in the earth system. Most modern ecosystems disappear when the time span is expanded to 10000–15 000 years owing to secular changes in earth's climate system. Paleo‐ecological records can pinpoint the time of origination of specific ecosystems, and paleo‐environmental records can reveal the specific environmental changes that led to development of those ecosystems and the range of environmental variation under which those ecosystems have maintained themselves in the past. This information can help identify critical environmental thresholds beyond which specific modern ecosystems can no longer be sustained.     

武夷山中亚热带常绿阔叶林样地的群落特征

武夷山保存了典型的中亚热带原生性森林生态系统。由于以往研究的空间和时间尺度较小, 方法规范性不强, 该地区尚缺少大型的、规范的综合性观测和研究平台。本文依托环境保护部南京环境科学研究所等单位按照CTFS调查技术规范建立的武夷山中亚热带常绿阔叶林9.6 ha动态监测样地开展植物群落调查, 从物种组成、区系特征、径级结构和空间分布格局等方面分析了其群落特征。结果表明: 样地内有维管植物68科135属232种, 其中乔木层内胸径≥ 1 cm的植物有44科86属171种。热带性质的科和属分别占总科数和总属数的68.58%和58.83%, 热带特征明显。珍稀濒危物种较多, 有4种国家II级重点保护野生植物、2种《中国生物多样性红色名录——高等植物卷》中的“近危”物种、1种《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》(CITES)附录II物种以及72种中国特有物种, 具有较高的保护和研究价值。稀有种29种, 占总树种数的16.96%。重要值最大的科是壳斗科和山茶科, 二者的重要值之和大于40%。米槠(Castanopsis carlesii)、毛锥(C. fordii)、甜槠(C. eyrei)和少叶黄杞(Engelhardtia fenzlii)的重要值较大, 但没有明显的优势种。小径木较多, 所有个体的平均胸径为5.10 cm, 整体径级分布呈倒J形。乔木层可分为两个亚层, 米槠、毛锥、甜槠等在第I亚层中占优势。米槠和毛锥呈均匀分布, 甜槠、少叶黄杞、赤楠(Syzygium buxifolium)和木荷(Schima superba)呈聚集分布。     

浙江省生态公益林植被恢复过程中物种组成及多样性的变化

在浙江省生态公益林区域的现状植被中分析了6种主要群落类型的物种组成和多样性的变化格局,包括演替系列中的2种灌丛、松优势林、2种混交林和常绿阔叶林。结果表明含松较多的灌丛和松优势林常分布在环境退化较严重(土层瘠薄)的生境中,其中灌木层主要由阳性的映山红、木、白栎等组成,常绿阔叶林优势种木荷、青冈、苦槠、甜槠等在其中偶见,因此推断其自然恢复为常绿林的速度慢;含常绿阔叶树较多的灌丛及含松较少的混交林分布在土层较厚处,木荷、青冈、苦槠、甜槠等的频度和重要值都较大,较容易自然恢复为常绿阔叶林。各种群落中物种多样性指数——Gleason、Shannon-Wiener、Simpson指数基本上以常绿阔叶林为最高,其次是含松较少的混交林,含松较多的灌丛和松优势林各种多样性指数最低。本研究显示我国中亚热带东部森林植被恢复途径有3条:(1)灌草丛→针叶林(松)→针(松)阔混交林→常绿阔叶林;(2)灌草丛→针(松)阔混交林→常绿阔叶林;(3)灌草丛→常绿阔叶林。这意味着本区域的常绿阔叶林恢复可以不必经历松林阶段,在生境条件较好的地方通过人工干预、补种常绿阔叶树可以加速常绿阔叶林恢复。     

Population structure and dynamics of Pinus massoniana Lamb. on mount Jinyun,Sichuan, China

Masson Pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) is a pioneer in forest succession in the subtropics of East Asia. However, the species persits, though with decreasing abundance, throughout the various successional phases. Agestructure, spatial pattern, density, population biomass, and their dynamics are described for a population in Sichuan, China, on the basis of a census of all individuals in the population while substituting space with time. In the course of succession, the population density increases and its rate of growth decreases until self-thinning starts; during the phase of self-thinning density decrease and continues to decrease even afterwards, but the rate of growth increase markedly after self-thinning has stopped. The development of population biomass (Bp) during the early succession from shrub-grassland to the early stages of mixed pine and broad-leaved forest can be described by a logistic equation. Later, Bp decrease rapidly. These changes are governed partly by inherent biological features of P. massoniana and partly by the invasion, establishment and development of shade-tolerant evergreen broad-leaved trees. Both self- and alien-thinning occur. Soil conditions affect the rates of these processes.     

4种不同演替阶段森林群落物种组成和多样性的比较研究

通过空间变化代替时间差异和样方法等手段,对浙江省马尾松林针叶（针叶林）、马尾松针阔叶混交林、中龄常绿阔叶林和近熟常绿阔叶林4种不同演替阶段森林群落的物种组成和多样性、群落间相似性进行了研究。结果表明,23个样地共记录维管植物53科105属170种。随着演替的进行,群落物种数、各层次的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数基本上呈现先下降后上升的趋势,并以针阔叶混交林最低,估计跟先锋物种的消失和后期物种的出现这一更替有关。随着演替的进行,各群落间的Jaccard相似性系数逐渐降低,其中针阔叶混交林和中龄常绿阔叶林之间的相似性系数最高,马尾松与近熟常绿阔叶林之间的相似性系数最低。群落主成分分析也得出相似的结果。群落之间的差异主要体现在物种组成尤其是乔木层的组成上;针阔叶混交林是物种丰富度和物种多样性较低的一个群落,但它与其它群落间的相似性较高,并已储存了常绿阔叶林中的大部分物种,对演替起着承前启后的作用。     

Long-term landscape changes in vegetation structure: fire management in the wetlands of KwaMbonambi,South Africa

In wetlands the effects of fire on vegetation dynamics are somewhat uncertain. A change detection analysis in the herbaceous wetlands of KwaMbonambi, South Africa, which were subject to frequent fires, revealed that in 1937 the study area comprised grassland (69%), herbaceous wetland (25%), indigenous swamp forest (4%) and tree plantations (1%). However, by 1970, tree plantations occupied 78% of the landscape and grasslands and herbaceous wetlands had declined to 9% and 6%, respectively, whereas indigenous swamp forest had increased to 6%. By 2009 tree plantations had been removed from the wetland areas. Despite this opportunity for herbaceous wetlands to recover their historical extent, they decreased to only 2%, mostly changing to indigenous swamp forest or to an herbaceous/fern (Stenochlaena tenuifolia)/woodland mosaic. Fire records showed suppression of fire to be an important contributing factor, particularly in wetlands that had been disturbed by tree plantations, although subsequently removed. A pilot burning experiment revealed that S. tenuifolia did not inhibit fire. It is therefore practicable to increase fire frequency to prevent the mosaic developing into forest. A conceptual model of the influence of fire regime on wetland vegetation type is presented and priorities for further research on wetlands and fire are recommended.     

鼎湖山季风常绿阔叶林木本植物个体死亡动态

采用永久样地生物多样性长期监测的方法,在对1hm^2永久样地DBH≥1cm的植物进行4次测定的基础上,研究了鼎湖山季风常绿阔叶林植物个体死亡的动态及其成因,并对不同物种和不同径级植物死亡率的格局差异进行了分析。结果表明,从1992年到2004年,12a内该样地DBH≥1cm的植物共死亡2411株,为该样地现有活立木的69．34％。共有92种木本植物发生了个体死亡,占样地108种木本植物的85．19％,其中乔木70种,灌木22种;年平均死亡株数呈直线上升;死亡涉及木本植物种数也呈上升趋势;样地内种群数量最多的云南银柴（Aporosa yunnanensis）和柏拉木（Blastus cochinchinensis）死亡株数也最多（分别为445株和440株）,分别占所有死亡株数的18．46％、18．25％;优势树种黄果厚壳桂由于受虫害的影响,种群死亡率达90．83％;小径级树木死亡较多,其中DBH≤5cm死亡株数占样地死亡总株数的79．22％。自疏作用、灾害性天气、虫害和人为干扰直接影响到样地内植物个体的死亡动态。     

哀牢山中山湿性常绿阔叶林木径向生长季节动态及其对气候因子的响应

研究采用树木生长环在哀牢山中山湿性常绿阔叶林持续9年(2009—2017年)监测了2个常绿树种(厚皮香,Ternstroemia gymnanthera;南亚枇杷,Eriobotrya bengalensis)和2个落叶树种(西桦,Betula alnoides;珍珠花,Lyonia ovalifolia)的树干月生长量,采用逻辑斯蒂生长模型(Logistic model)模拟树木径向生长量和物候参数,并分析了年、季尺度上径向生长与主要气候因子的关系。结果表明:1)4个树种年平均生长量为6.3 mm,落叶树种年平均生长量(10.6 mm/a)显著高于常绿树种(3.0 mm/a);2)雨季(5—10月)是哀牢山中山湿性常绿阔叶林树木生长的主要时期,4个树种雨季平均生长量为5.9 mm,占全年总生长量的93%,其中落叶树种雨季生长量占全年的96%,而常绿树种雨季生长量占全年的86%;3)常绿树种生长季长度为169天,长于落叶树种(137天),而落叶树种最大生长速率(0.14 mm/d)显著高于常绿树种(0.03 mm/d),最大径向生长速率能很好地预测树种年生长量;4)低温、雾日和光合有效...