The contribution of ozone to forest decline

More than 10 years of intensive research into forest decline in Germany has ascertained that the full extent of the visible damage cannot be explained by just one of the current hypotheses on forest decline. One of the prominent hypotheses is that chronic exposure of forest trees to ozone is probably one of the primary causes of forest decline. The aim of this paper is the critical review of a number of recent results dealing with the ozone hypothesis from a plant physiological point of view. The synopsis focusses on the effects of ozone on conifers because the most extensive data are available for coniferous trees, especially for spruce ( Picea sp.) and pine ( Pinus sp.) trees.     

Will genomics guide a greener forest biotech?

Forest biotechnology has been increasingly associated with wood production using plantation forestry, and has stressed applications that use pedigreed material and transgenic trees. Reasons for this emphasis include limitations of available technologies to conform to underlying genetic features of undomesticated forest tree populations. More recently, genomic technologies have rapidly begun to expand the scope of forest biotechnology. Genomic technologies are well suited to describe and make use of the abundant genetic variation present in undomesticated forest tree populations. Genomics thus enables new research and applications for conservation and management of natural forests, and is a primary technological driver for new research addressing the use of forests trees for carbon sequestration, biofuels feedstocks, and other 'green' applications.     

Phylogenetic Structure of Tree Species across Different Life Stages from Seedlings to Canopy Trees in a Subtropical Evergreen Broad-Leaved Forest

Investigating patterns of phylogenetic structure across different life stages of tree species in forests is crucial to understanding forest community assembly, and investigating forest gap influence on the phylogenetic structure of forest regeneration is necessary for understanding forest community assembly. Here, we examine the phylogenetic structure of tree species across life stages from seedlings to canopy trees, as well as forest gap influence on the phylogenetic structure of forest regeneration in a forest of the subtropical region in China. We investigate changes in phylogenetic relatedness (measured as NRI) of tree species from seedlings, saplings, treelets to canopy trees; we compare the phylogenetic turnover (measured as β_NRI) between canopy trees and seedlings in forest understory with that between canopy trees and seedlings in forest gaps. We found that phylogenetic relatedness generally increases from seedlings through saplings and treelets up to canopy trees, and that phylogenetic relatedness does not differ between seedlings in forest understory and those in forest gaps, but phylogenetic turnover between canopy trees and seedlings in forest understory is lower than that between canopy trees and seedlings in forest gaps. We conclude that tree species tend to be more closely related from seedling to canopy layers, and that forest gaps alter the seedling phylogenetic turnover of the studied forest. It is likely that the increasing trend of phylogenetic clustering as tree stem size increases observed in this subtropical forest is primarily driven by abiotic filtering processes, which select a set of closely related evergreen broad-leaved tree species whose regeneration has adapted to the closed canopy environments of the subtropical forest developed under the regional monsoon climate.     

Biosafety in Populus spp. and other forest trees: from non-native species to taxa derived from traditional breeding and genetic engineering

Forest trees are fundamental components of our environment, mainly due to their long lifetime and important role in forest ecology. In the past, some non-native tree species and taxa from traditional breeding have induced severe environmental impacts such as biological invasion, changes in the ‘gene pool’, and spread of diseases in forestry. Genetically modified trees obtained in different research groups worldwide are particularly confronted with increased concerns regarding biosafety issues. In the light of current biosafety research worldwide, various threats facing forests and natural tree populations are evaluated in this review: biological invasions, horizontal gene transfer, vertical gene transfer and effects on other organisms. Results available from groups working in biosafety research and risk avoidance using forest trees, with emphasis on transgenic trees, are reviewed. Independent biosafety research as well as the establishment of biosafety research programs for forest trees financed by national and international authorities is now more important than ever before. Biosafety problems detected in the past clearly show the importance of a prior case-by-case evaluation of non-native species, new taxa and also genetically modified trees according to the precautionary principle before their release to avoid risks to the environment and human health.     

Tree Mortality and Collecting Botanical Vouchers in Tropical Forests1

There is growing concern about the potential impact of reseatchers on tropical forest ecology, but few data. The aim of this paper is to examine the effects of collecting botanical specimens from tropical forest trees on their subsequent survivorship, using mortality data from plots in Amazonian Peru that were established in 1989 and reinventoried in 1994. In total, 2017 trees were originally tagged and collections were made from 948 trees. Making voucher collections always involved using unsterilized telescopic plant collecting poles to cut representative small branches, and sometimes also involved using iron-spiked tree-climbing gear to gain access to the canopy. Annual mortality in the four plots averaged 1.99 percent. Among the whole population of dicotyledenous trees, there was no detectable difference between the mortality rate of collected trees (1.96%) and noncollected trees (2.29%). We conclude that in spite of the physical damage caused to collected trees, collecting voucher specimens from tropical moist forest trees may not affect their survivorship, at least in the short-term. Further studies are needed to fully evaluate the potential impacts of research activities on petmanent forest plots in the tropics.     

Fate of transgenes in the forest tree genome

During the last two decades, genetic engineering (GE) has been progressing at a steady pace in the forest trees. Transgenic trees carrying a variety of different transgenes have been produced, and are undergoing confined field trials in the world. However, there are questions regarding stability of transgene expression, and transgene escape that need to be addressed in the long-lived forest trees. Although relatively stable transgene expression has been reported for several target traits, including herbicide resistance, insect resistance, and lignin reduction in the vegetative propagules of several forest tree species, there were still unintended unstable events in transgenic plants. Long-term stability of transgene expression involved in these traits and others affecting yield (impacting growth) would be desirable in the vegetative propagules, and also in the generative progeny of the forest trees. Transgene escape through pollen, seed, and vegetative propagules from GE trees to native forest populations, although inevitable, remains an important regulatory issue. However, it may be possible to manage/minimize the risk of transgene spread via isolation in confined areas, and use of incompatible genotypes of feral tree populations in the vicinity of transgenic forest trees. Therefore, it is desirable to produce genetically stable transgenic trees, and have biocontainment measures in place for testing and deployment of the GE forest trees. Toward these goals (transgene stability and containment), innovative biotech strategies are being actively pursued, with reasonable success, in forest trees.     

Nest Selection by Cavity-nesting Birds in Subtropical Montane Forests of the Andes: Implications for Sustainable Forest Management

Development of sustainable forestry has been hampered in tropical countries by a scarcity of research on the ecological effects of logging. We focused on cavity-nesting birds, a group known to be sensitive to logging. Cavities used for nesting were not a random subset of all available suitable cavities. Birds selected cavities that were relatively high above the ground, had smaller entrances, and were excavated by woodpeckers. The use of tree species was also not random: Calycophyllum multiflorum , Blepharocalyx gigantea , and Podocarpus parlatorei were disproportionately important. Cavity nests were also more likely to be found in areas with trees with high mean diameter at breast height. This study emphasizes the need to maintain some unlogged forest patches within logging areas and retain certain species of trees. This study has implications for forest management in Argentina, where a new law mandates the sustainable use of forest resources and where many landowners are interested in forest certification.     

杨树——林木基因组学研究的模式物种

林木植物是大多数生态系统中的主要生命形式, 在所有陆地生态系统中具有最大的生物量和生物生产力, 因此它具有重要的经济及生态价值。林木植物特有的多年生习性使其生物学研究相对困难, 因此需要寻找一种适用于遗传学及分子生物学方法做精细分析的模式植物。杨属(Populus)植物作为林业研究的模式植物, 具有优良的实验特性: 容易进行种间杂交和无性繁殖; 生长迅速, 并已建立完善的遗传转化系统; 基因组相对较小, 约450～550 Mbp; 易于进行遗传研究; 适应性强, 生长速度快, 丰产性强。自2002年起, 美国能源部与多家研究机构正式启动了杨属植物基因组计划, 目前已接近完成。本文综述了模式植物杨树及其基因组学的研究进展。     

天然更新的檫木林的生物量和生产力

通过对标准木的测定,建立相对生长方程,了福建省建阳书坊林场天然更新的檫木（Sassafras tzumu）林分的生物量和生产力,结果表明：20年生檫木林分平均现存生物量为58693kghm^-2,平均年生产力为4259kghm^-2,檫木生物量与胸径间存在极显著回归关系,大部分生物量集中于树体中下部,生物量的径级分布以20cm径级积累值最大。这些结果对阔叶林的营造及其生态系统结构与功能的研究具有现实意义。     

Forestry's fertile crescent: the application of biotechnology to forest trees

Relative to crop plants, the domestication of forest trees is still in its infancy. For example, the domestication of many crop plants was initiated some 10,000 years ago in the so-called 'Fertile Crescent' of the Middle East. By contrast, the domestication of forest trees for the purposes of producing more fibre began in earnest in the last half century. The application of biotechnology to forest trees offers a great potential to hasten the pace of tree improvement for desirable end uses. This review outlines some of the progress that has been made in the application of biotechnology to forest trees, and considers the prospects for biotechnologically based tree improvement in the future.     

杨树--林木基因组学研究的模式物种

林木植物是大多数生态系统中的主要生命形式,在所有陆地生态系统中具有最大的生物量和生物生产力,因此它具有重要的经济及生态价值。林木植物特有的多年生习性使其生物学研究相对困难,因此需要寻找一种适用于遗传学及分子生物学方法做精细分析的模式植物。杨属（Populus）植物作为林业研究的模式植物,具有优良的实验特性：容易进行种间杂交和无性繁殖;生长迅速,并已建立完善的遗传转化系统;基因组相对较小,约450～550Mbp;易于进行遗传研究;适应性强,生长速度快,丰产性强。自2002年起,美国能源部与多家研究机构正式启动了杨属植物基因组计划,目前已接近完成。本文综述了模式植物杨树及其基因组学的研究进展。     

Cryobiotechnology of forest trees: recent advances and future prospects

Globally, forests are of great economic importance and play a vital role in maintaining friendly ecological environments, sustainability of eco-systems, and biodiversity. Harsh environments, human activities and climate warming have long threatened the diversity of forest genetic resources. Among all conservation strategies, cryopreservation is at present time considered an ideal means for long-term conservation of plant genetic resources. To date, studies on cryopreservation of forest trees have been far behind agricultural and horticultural crops. The present review provides a comprehensive and update information on recent advances in cryopreservation of shoot tips, somatic embryogenic callus and seeds of forest trees. Assessments of genetic stability in the regenerants following cryopreservation were also analyzed and addressed. Further studies on cryopreservation of forest trees are proposed and needed. By doing so, we expect to re-evoke research interests and promote further developments in forest tree cryobiotechnology, thus assisting to ensure maintenance of biodiversity of genetic resources of forest trees.     

Ambient ozone effects on forest trees of the eastern United States: a review

Tropospheric ozone can affect crop yield and has been reported to cause reductions in growth and biomass of forest tree species in laboratory and glasshouse studies. However, linkages between growth and ambient ozone concentrations in the field are not well established for forest trees. Ambient ozone concentrations have been shown to cause foliar injury on a number of tree species throughout much of the eastern USA. Symptom expression is influenced by endogenous and exogenous factors and, therefore, ozone-exposure/tree-response relationships have been difficult to confirm. Clearly defined, cause-effect relationships between visible injury and growth losses due to ozone have not been validated. Generalizations of sensitivity of forest trees to ozone are complicated by tree development stage, microclimate, leaf phenology, compensatory processes, within-species variation and other interacting stresses. In general, decreases in above-ground growth at ambient ozone levels in the eastern USA appear to be in the range of 0–10% per year. However, these conclusions are based on a small number of tree species, with the vast majority of studies involving individual tree seedlings in a non-competitive environment. Comparative studies of small and large trees indicate that seedlings are not suitable surrogates for predicting responses of mature trees to ozone. Process-level modelling is a promising methodology that has been recently utilized to assess ozone effects on a stand to regional scale, indicating that ozone is affecting forest growth in the eastern USA. The extent and magnitude of the response is variable and depends on many edaphic and climatic factors. It is imperative when conducting assessment exercises, however, that forest biologists constantly keep in mind the tremendous variability that exists within natural systems. Scaling of single site/physiological response phenomena from an individual tree to an ecosystem and/or region necessitates further research.     

外生菌根缓解植物酸雨胁迫的机理研究进展

森林作为陆地生态系统的主体,是酸雨污染的主要受体,酸雨对生态系统产生着巨大的影响。菌根是菌根真菌与植物营养根的共生体。外生菌根真菌与宿主植物间互惠互利,在森林生态系统中,外生菌根在维持生态系统的养分平衡和改善树木营养等方面有重要的作用。本文综述了国内外关于菌根和酸雨关系的研究,酸雨能抑制外生菌根的形成,降低其活力;但另一方面,外生菌根能够缓解酸雨造成的植物危害,提高植株对酸雨的耐受力。外生菌根主要通过以下几方面缓解酸雨胁迫:(1)菌根形态结构的物理屏蔽作用;(2)增加养分吸收,增加御酸能力;(3)增强酶活性,提高植物生存能力;(4)产生有机酸或其他物质。     

A climate change‐induced threat to the ecological resilience of a subtropical monsoon evergreen broad‐leaved forest in Southern China

Recent studies have suggested that tropical forests may not be resilient against climate change in the long term, primarily owing to predicted reductions in rainfall and forest productivity, increased tree mortality, and declining forest biomass carbon sinks. These changes will be caused by drought‐induced water stress and ecosystem disturbances. Several recent studies have reported that climate change has increased tree mortality in temperate and boreal forests, or both mortality and recruitment rates in tropical forests. However, no study has yet examined these changes in the subtropical forests that account for the majority of China's forested land. In this study, we describe how the monsoon evergreen broad‐leaved forest has responded to global warming and drought stress using 32 years of data from forest observation plots. Due to an imbalance in mortality and recruitment, and changes in diameter growth rates between larger and smaller trees and among different functional groups, the average DBH of trees and forest biomass have decreased. Sap flow measurements also showed that larger trees were more stressed than smaller trees by the warming and drying environment. As a result, the monsoon evergreen broad‐leaved forest community is undergoing a transition from a forest dominated by a cohort of fewer and larger individuals to a forest dominated by a cohort of more and smaller individuals, with a different species composition, suggesting that subtropical forests are threatened by their lack of resilience against long‐term climate change.     

西双版纳石灰岩山森林植被

石灰岩山森林是组成西双版纳地区植被的主要类型之一,由于石灰岩山的特殊生境,绝大部分石灰岩山森林与非石灰岩山森林有着显著的区别。本文通过样方调查,将本区现存的石灰岩山原生植被分为３个主要的植被类型：即热带季节性雨林,热带季节性湿润林和热带山地矮树林。石灰岩山的季节性雨林是热带雨林的一个类型,仅分布于潮湿的沟谷和阴坡,森林高达３０ｍ以上,乔木层具有３层结构。根据生境和乔木层落叶树种的多寡,可将其分为湿性季节性雨林和干性季节性雨林２种类型。湿性季节性雨林以番龙眼为标志,落叶树在乔木种类和重要值上均低于１０％。干性季节性雨林以毛麻楝,轮叶戟为标志,落叶树在种类和重要值上均占１０％～３０％。本文认为,本区石灰岩山的季节性雨林在性质上与非石灰岩季节性雨林相同,尽管二者在群落的区系组成上有所差异。热带季节性湿润林主要分布于山坡中部,森林高度通常为２０～２５ｍ,乔木层具有２层结构。根据落叶树种的多寡可将其分为热带季节性常绿湿润林和热带季节性半常绿湿润林等２个类型。季节性常绿湿润林高约２０ｍ,森林常绿或有少量落叶树种,以多脉桂花,易武栎及尖叶闭花木为标志和优势。季节性半常绿湿润林高２０～２５ｍ,落叶树在乔木种类上占３０％～６?     

Habitat isolation changes the beta diversity of the vascular epiphyte community in lower montane forest,Veracruz, Mexico

Habitat isolation is one of the most important factors endangering the biodiversity, but little research has been done with vascular epiphytes. In order to understand the effect of isolation on the epiphyte community, we studied epiphyte diversity on three plots in a forest fragment, two riparian forest fragments, and in isolated pastureland trees. We found 118 vascular epiphyte species. On forest plots, both epiphyte richness per tree (S_tree) and species turnover rate within trees (β_tree) registered the highest values, although the lowest S_tree diversity was also found there; additionally inside the forest were host species with clearly different epiphyte community. S_tree and β_tree diversities of riparian fragments behaved similarly to those of the forest. Isolated trees had the second highest S_tree diversity, although their β_tree diversity was the lowest. In the forest plots were both, the highest and lowest expected accumulated richness (α diversity); on riparian fragments it was intermediate, and the second lowest α diversity was registered for isolated trees. Species turnover rate among plots (β) was high and was associated with both, isolation and a distance gradient from permanent water sources. The epiphyte community on isolated trees was clearly different to the other habitats. Results suggest that deforestation eliminated dry areas and specific hosts that were important for the maintenance of epiphyte species richness. In pastureland trees the epiphyte β_tree diversity diminished, suggesting a simplification of the environment for epiphytes and causing a low α diversity.     

Growth physiology,propagation, and replacing the tropical forests

Summary

Three apparently disparate topics are brought together to focus on ways in which science and even technology have often been insulated from pressing human needs. A notable example is the 20th Century's down-grading of the value of tropical trees in practice, before rediscovering it in theory. A series of brief, general guide-lines is developed that questions policy misapprehensions, charts mental blocks and encourages clear thinking and choice. Examples are cited of the author's research on forest trees that has direct or indirect practical potential as well as adding a little to our as yet sketchy understanding of their physiology. These include studies of factors affecting shoot growth and branching, flowering and phase-change. Vegetative propagation is stressed as a hitherto under-used tool for direct genetic improvement of forest trees, many of which are still ‘undomesticated’. If opportunities for exchange of ideas and techniques are fostered, and obvious pitfalls are avoided, biodiversity could be maintained and sufficient improved trees planted to counter the present rapid loss of tropical forests.     

The Enemy of My Enemy Hypothesis: Why Coexisting with Grasses May Be an Adaptive Strategy for Savanna Trees

Savannas are characterized by the coexistence of trees and flammable grasses. Yet, tree–grass coexistence has been labeled as paradoxical—how do these two functional groups coexist over such an extensive area, despite being generally predisposed to excluding each other? For instance, many trees develop dense canopies that limit grass growth, and many grasses facilitate frequent/intense fires, increasing tree mortality. This study revisits tree–grass coexistence with a model of hierarchical competition between pyrogenic grasses, “forest trees” adapted to closed-canopy competition, and “savanna trees” that are inferior competitors in closed-canopy communities, but more resistant to fire. The assumptions of this model are supported by empirical observations, including a systematic review of savanna and forest tree community composition reported here. In general, the model simulations show that when savanna trees exert weaker competitive effects on grasses, a self-reinforcing grass community is maintained, which limits forest tree expansion while still allowing savanna trees to persist (albeit as a subdominant to grasses). When savanna trees exert strong competitive effects on grasses, savanna trees cover increases initially, but as grasses decline their inhibitory effect on forest trees weakens, allowing forest trees to expand and exclude grasses and savanna trees. Rather than paradoxical, these results suggest that having weaker competitive effects on grasses may be advantageous for savanna trees, leading to greater long-term abundance and stability. We label this the “enemy of my enemy hypothesis,” which might apply to species coexistence in communities defined by hierarchical competition or with species capable of generating strong ecological feedbacks.