极端干旱对草甸草原优势植物非结构性碳水化合物的影响

植物光合作用产生的非结构性碳水化合物(NSCs)水平可以反映植物和生态系统对环境变化的响应程度。近年来, 草原极端干旱事件的发生频率和持续时间增加趋势明显, 对生态系统结构和功能产生深远影响。该研究以内蒙古呼伦贝尔草甸草原为研究对象, 通过连续4年减少66%生长季降水量的控制实验来模拟极端干旱事件, 分析草原6种优势物种和植物功能群NSCs各组分对极端干旱的响应规律与机制。结果显示, 由于植物生物学、光合特性以及生理生态等特性的差异, 不同物种对干旱胁迫的响应具有明显差异。这表明草地植物NSCs组分及其利用策略对干旱胁迫的响应具有物种特异性, 从而导致其生物量的不同响应。将6种植物分为禾草和非禾草两类, 发现干旱显著增加了禾草的淀粉含量, 但对其可溶性糖含量无显著影响; 相反, 干旱显著增加了非禾草功能群的可溶性糖含量, 对其淀粉含量无显著影响, 表明不同功能群采取了不同的干旱应对策略。禾草选择将光合作用固定的能量进行储存以应对干旱胁迫, 其生物量对干旱响应不敏感; 而非禾草选择将能量以可溶性糖的形式直接供植物生长利用以及抵御干旱胁迫, 其生物量对干旱响应较为敏感。这一发现可为预测在全球气候变化背景下草甸草原生态系统结构与功能对极端干旱的响应提供科学参考。     

Extreme drought effects on nonstructural carbohydrates of dominant plant species in a meadow grassland

植物光合作用产生的非结构性碳水化合物(NSCs)水平可以反映植物和生态系统对环境变化的响应程度。近年来, 草原极端干旱事件的发生频率和持续时间增加趋势明显, 对生态系统结构和功能产生深远影响。该研究以内蒙古呼伦贝尔草甸草原为研究对象, 通过连续4年减少66%生长季降水量的控制实验来模拟极端干旱事件, 分析草原6种优势物种和植物功能群NSCs各组分对极端干旱的响应规律与机制。结果显示, 由于植物生物学、光合特性以及生理生态等特性的差异, 不同物种对干旱胁迫的响应具有明显差异。这表明草地植物NSCs组分及其利用策略对干旱胁迫的响应具有物种特异性, 从而导致其生物量的不同响应。将6种植物分为禾草和非禾草两类, 发现干旱显著增加了禾草的淀粉含量, 但对其可溶性糖含量无显著影响; 相反, 干旱显著增加了非禾草功能群的可溶性糖含量, 对其淀粉含量无显著影响, 表明不同功能群采取了不同的干旱应对策略。禾草选择将光合作用固定的能量进行储存以应对干旱胁迫, 其生物量对干旱响应不敏感; 而非禾草选择将能量以可溶性糖的形式直接供植物生长利用以及抵御干旱胁迫, 其生物量对干旱响应较为敏感。这一发现可为预测在全球气候变化背景下草甸草原生态系统结构与功能对极端干旱的响应提供科学参考。     

中国森林健康生态风险评价

我国森林每年都在遭受诸如过度砍伐、火灾、病虫鼠害、酸雨、气象灾害等各种形式的干扰．这些干扰对我国森林生态系统的健康状况造成很大的威胁．因此,如何有效地管理我国的森林资源,特别是对森林的生态风险管理,提高森林生态系统抵御风险的能力,是森林生态系统健康研究和森林可持续管理的首要任务之一．森林健康生态风险评价是描述和评价人为活动、自然灾害和环境污染等胁迫因子对森林生态系统结构和功能、森林生态系统的健康状况产生不利影响的可能性和危害程度的评估,是森林资源管理的一个重要环节．以我国森林生态系统为例,探讨森林健康生态风险评价的研究方法,并以森林火灾、病虫害和酸雨为生态风险源,运用生态风险评价方法,分析了这些风险源对森林健康的主要危害,对我国森林健康的风险进行了综合评价,并提出不同森林风险区的管理策略．     

森林生态系统硅素循环研究进展

硅是植物生长发育的有益元素,其在生态系统内的迁移转化是维持生态系统结构与功能的决定性因素之一。近年来,陆地生态系统硅循环特别森林生态系统硅循环在全球生物地球化学循环中的重要性,受到越来越多的关注。该文总结了国内外森林生态系统硅循环研究的成果,在综述了硅在森林生态系统中的存在形态、分布、循环过程的基础上,总结了森林生态系统硅循环的特点、作用及其影响因素,并指出典型森林生态系统类型中硅循环规律的研究、森林生态系统与其它生态系统硅循环的比较研究、森林生态系统硅循环对全球气候变化的影响和响应研究和人类干扰对森林生态系统硅循环的影响的研究将是今后开展森林生态系统硅循环研究的重点。     

岷江干旱河谷-山地森林交错带震后生态恢复的关键科学技术问题

作为典型的生态过渡区,岷江干旱河谷-山地森林交错带不仅是藏羌居民生活的重要区域,而且在抑制干旱河谷上延和延伸亚高山森林生态系统的功能等方面具有十分重要的作用。但这种脆弱生态系统极易受到人类活动干扰和自然灾害的损害,使其成为“5．12”汶川大地震中受损程度较高、灾后生态恢复与重建的重点区域之一。基于岷江干旱河谷-山地森林交错带受汶川大地震破坏的特点以及该区的生态重要性和本身的脆弱性,损毁生态系统的快速评估与生态重建规划、生产与生态双赢共建关键技术、震后残存植被保育、水源涵养地植被保护与恢复、震毁植被恢复与重建、耕地生产恢复与重建、边坡综合治理、低效薪炭林改良以及居民聚居点风景林营造等被认为是震后生态恢复的关键科学技术问题。震毁生态系统的生态恢复过程监测与评估、干旱河谷-山地森林交错带生态系统的脆弱性机制及生态学过程、震后生态系统对变化环境的响应与适应机制等可能是未来的重点研究领域。     

森林生态系统碳氮循环功能耦合研究综述

在大气CO2浓度升高和氮沉降增加等全球变化背景下,森林生态系统减缓CO2浓度升高的作用及其对全球变化的响应和反馈存在诸多不确定性.森林生态系统碳氮循环相互作用及功能耦合规律的研究是揭示这些不确定性的基础,也是反映森林生态系统生物产量与养分之间作用规律,涉及林地持久生产力（sustainability of long-term site productivity）的生态学机理问题.森林生态系统碳氮循环的耦合作用表现在林冠层光合作用的碳固定过程,森林植物组织呼吸、土壤凋落物与土壤有机质分解、地下部分根系周转与呼吸等碳释放过程,这些过程存在反馈机理和非线性作用,最终决定森林生态系统的碳平衡.着重在生态系统尺度上,综述了碳氮循环耦合作用研究的一些进展与存在的问题,对今后研究方向进行了展望.     

以昆虫作为指示生物评估森林健康的生物学与生态学基础

昆虫是森林生物多样性的重要组成部分,在森林生态系统主体群落中,昆虫与植物密切关联.森林害虫胁迫及昆虫多样性变动,对于评估森林生态系统健康状况具有重要价值.昆虫多样性可用于对森林生态系统健康的快速评估,如基于昆虫指示生物评价森林生态系统的毒害水平、物种丰富度、多样性水平、靶标昆虫的地位和特有种水平等.针对影响森林环境健康的重要干扰因子,本文阐述了应用昆虫作为指示性生物监测与评估森林健康状况的生物与生态学依据,讨论了昆虫种群,特别是珍稀物种种群在生境破碎干扰下的种群波动,以及大气污染、干旱和二氧化碳浓度升高等对昆虫种群密度与分布的影响等.同时,分析了昆虫作为指示性生物监测与评估森林环境健康所存在的问题.     

中国东北森林生长演替模拟模型及其在全球变化研究中的应用

 NEWCOP模型是一个新的适于模拟东北森林的种类组成动态的林窗类计算机模拟模型,它通过模拟在每一个林分斑块上的每株树木的更新、生长和死亡的全过程来反映森林群落的中长期生长和演替动态。由于 NEWCOP模型是一个由气候变量驱动的生态系统模型,故可用于评价气候变化对东北森林生长和演替的影响。在东北大兴安岭、小兴安岭和长白山地区对NEWCOP模型进行了验证和校准。沿环境梯度对NEWCOP模型的数字模拟实验表明：它能准确地再现顶极森林中树种组成及其在东北地区的垂直分布规律和水平分布规律;能准确地再现大兴安岭、小兴安岭和长白山的主要类型森林的生长和演替规律;在一定的场合NEWCOP还可反映林分的径级结构;NEWCOP模型还具有对现有森林的跟踪模拟能力。应用NEWCOP模型评估了东北森林生态系统对可能气候变化的敏感性。在GFDL 2×CO2和GISS 2×CO2气候变化情景下,东北森林的种类组成将发生很大变化,落叶阔叶树将取代目前长白山、小兴安岭的红松(Pinus koraiensis)和大兴安岭的兴安落叶松(Larix gmelinii)成为东北森林主要树种,而针叶树将在地带性森林中占很小的比重,阔叶树中蒙古栎(Quercus mongolica)将是最重要的树种,它将成为小兴安岭和大兴安岭最主要树种;东北地区适于森林生长的区域将大幅度减少,这些变化主要发生在气候变化过渡期。东北森林对不同的气候变化情景有不同响应。但是,总的趋势是未来东北森林中落叶阔叶树的比重将大幅度增加。这些结论对在全球气候变化背景下,我国东北合理地选择造林树种和制定现有森林的保护经营策略具有一定参考价值。     

森林干扰度评价

干扰普遍存在于森林生态系统,是森林群落演替的驱动力之一。干扰对森林生态系统的影响程度,决定于干扰的频率、强度、空间范围等,过度频繁或不合理的干扰,可能导致森林生态系统的毁灭。森林对干扰的响应表现在多方面,其内在联系十分复杂,因此,很难用森林中某个现象或某几个现象反映森林生态系统对干扰的响应。为了准确、科学地评价现有森林生态系统对干扰的响应程度,本文提出应用森林干扰度（REFD）评价现有森林受干扰的程度。森林干扰度是由于干扰的存在造成森林生态系统结构与功能的改变程度,仅反映干扰后现有森林与目标森林（地带性顶极植被或原有森林等）的距离程度（差距）,不反映干扰的种类、强度、性质等因素;在对森林干扰度内涵进行详细分析的基础上,确定了评价森林干扰度的原则及不同尺度条件下森林干扰度的评价指标。     

干旱对陆地生态系统生产力的影响

该文综述了干旱对陆地生态系统生产力的影响,分析了其影响机制,并总结了植被对干旱的响应与适应及其机理机制。干旱通过抑制光合作用来降低陆地生态系统总初级生产力,干旱还可以降低生态系统的自养呼吸和异养呼吸。同时干旱还可以通过影响其它干扰形式来间接影响陆地生态系统生产力,如增加火干扰的发生频率和强度,增加植物的死亡率,增加病虫害的发生等。在生态系统水平上干旱可以降低碳固定,减弱碳汇功能,甚至把生态系统从碳汇改变成碳源。目前生态系统水平上的干旱影响研究主要通过两种方法实现,一种是模型模拟,另一种就是大型模拟实验。作为陆地生态系统生产力的实现者,在干旱胁迫条件下,植物也会采取积极的适应策略以减弱干旱对生态系统生产力的影响,其适应策略主要分以下3种:在一些周期性发生干旱的地区,植物会调整生长期以避开干旱或通过休眠来减弱干旱所造成的伤害;还有一些植物会通过调节体内的代谢过程,改变一些生理特性来抵御干旱;而长期生活在干旱条件下的植物则通过进化来改变了自身的生理生化代谢过程,形成耐旱机制。目前,植物对干旱响应的分子学机制,以及生态系统水平上对干旱的响应和适应仍然是薄弱的领域,也必然成为未来研究的重点。     

Predicting shifts in the functional composition of tropical forests under increased drought and CO2 from trade‐offs among plant hydraulic traits

Tropical forest responses are an important feedback on global change, but changes in forest composition with projected increases in CO₂ and drought are highly uncertain. Here we determine shifts in the most competitive plant hydraulic strategy (the evolutionary stable strategy or ESS) from changes in CO₂ and drought frequency and intensity. Hydraulic strategies were defined along a spectrum from drought avoidance to tolerance by physiology traits. Drought impacted competition more than CO₂, with elevated CO₂ reducing but not reversing drought‐induced shifts in the ESS towards more tolerant strategies. Trait plasticity and/or adaptation intensified these shifts by increasing the competitive ability of the drought tolerant relative to the avoidant strategies. These findings predict losses of drought avoidant evergreens from tropical forests under global change, and point to the importance of changes in precipitation during the dry season and constraints on plasticity and adaptation in xylem traits to forest responses.     

The impacts of increasing drought on forest dynamics,structure, and biodiversity in the United States

We synthesize insights from current understanding of drought impacts at stand‐to‐biogeographic scales, including management options, and we identify challenges to be addressed with new research. Large stand‐level shifts underway in western forests already are showing the importance of interactions involving drought, insects, and fire. Diebacks, changes in composition and structure, and shifting range limits are widely observed. In the eastern US, the effects of increasing drought are becoming better understood at the level of individual trees, but this knowledge cannot yet be confidently translated to predictions of changing structure and diversity of forest stands. While eastern forests have not experienced the types of changes seen in western forests in recent decades, they too are vulnerable to drought and could experience significant changes with increased severity, frequency, or duration in drought. Throughout the continental United States, the combination of projected large climate‐induced shifts in suitable habitat from modeling studies and limited potential for the rapid migration of tree populations suggests that changing tree and forest biogeography could substantially lag habitat shifts already underway. Forest management practices can partially ameliorate drought impacts through reductions in stand density, selection of drought‐tolerant species and genotypes, artificial regeneration, and the development of multistructured stands. However, silvicultural treatments also could exacerbate drought impacts unless implemented with careful attention to site and stand characteristics. Gaps in our understanding should motivate new research on the effects of interactions involving climate and other species at the stand scale and how interactions and multiple responses are represented in models. This assessment indicates that, without a stronger empirical basis for drought impacts at the stand scale, more complex models may provide limited guidance.     

Forest resilience to drought varies across biomes

Forecasted increase drought frequency and severity may drive worldwide declines in forest productivity. Species‐level responses to a drier world are likely to be influenced by their functional traits. Here, we analyse forest resilience to drought using an extensive network of tree‐ring width data and satellite imagery. We compiled proxies of forest growth and productivity (TRWi, absolutely dated ring‐width indices; NDVI, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) for 11 tree species and 502 forests in Spain corresponding to Mediterranean, temperate, and continental biomes. Four different components of forest resilience to drought were calculated based on TRWi and NDVI data before, during, and after four major droughts (1986, 1994–1995, 1999, and 2005), and pointed out that TRWi data were more sensitive metrics of forest resilience to drought than NDVI data. Resilience was related to both drought severity and forest composition. Evergreen gymnosperms dominating semi‐arid Mediterranean forests showed the lowest resistance to drought, but higher recovery than deciduous angiosperms dominating humid temperate forests. Moreover, semi‐arid gymnosperm forests presented a negative temporal trend in the resistance to drought, but this pattern was absent in continental and temperate forests. Although gymnosperms in dry Mediterranean forests showed a faster recovery after drought, their recovery potential could be constrained if droughts become more frequent. Conversely, angiosperms and gymnosperms inhabiting temperate and continental sites might have problems to recover after more intense droughts since they resist drought but are less able to recover afterwards.     

Tree mortality across biomes is promoted by drought intensity,lower wood density and higher specific leaf area

Drought events are increasing globally, and reports of consequent forest mortality are widespread. However, due to a lack of a quantitative global synthesis, it is still not clear whether drought‐induced mortality rates differ among global biomes and whether functional traits influence the risk of drought‐induced mortality. To address these uncertainties, we performed a global meta‐analysis of 58 studies of drought‐induced forest mortality. Mortality rates were modelled as a function of drought, temperature, biomes, phylogenetic and functional groups and functional traits. We identified a consistent global‐scale response, where mortality increased with drought severity [log mortality (trees trees^?1 year^?1) increased 0.46 (95% CI = 0.2–0.7) with one SPEI unit drought intensity]. We found no significant differences in the magnitude of the response depending on forest biomes or between angiosperms and gymnosperms or evergreen and deciduous tree species. Functional traits explained some of the variation in drought responses between species (i.e. increased from 30 to 37% when wood density and specific leaf area were included). Tree species with denser wood and lower specific leaf area showed lower mortality responses. Our results illustrate the value of functional traits for understanding patterns of drought‐induced tree mortality and suggest that mortality could become increasingly widespread in the future.     

Relationships between soil hydrology and forest structure and composition in the southern Brazilian Amazon

Question: Is soil hydrology an important niche‐based driver of biodiversity in tropical forests? More specifically, we asked whether seasonal dynamics in soil water regime contributed to vegetation partitioning into distinct forest types. Location: Tropical rain forest in northwestern Mato Grosso, Brazil. Methods: We investigated the distribution of trees and lianas ≥ 1 cm DBH in ten transects that crossed distinct hydrological transitions. Soil water content and depth to water table were measured regularly over a 13‐month period. Results: A detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) of 20 dominant species and structural attributes in 10 × 10 m subplots segregated three major forest types: (1) high‐statured upland forest with intermediate stem density, (2) medium‐statured forest dominated by palms, and (3) low‐statured campinarana forest with high stem density. During the rainy season and transition into the dry season, distinct characteristics of the soil water regime (i.e. hydro‐indicators) were closely associated with each vegetation community. Stand structural attributes and hydro‐indicators were statistically different among forest types. Conclusions: Some upland species appeared intolerant of anaerobic conditions as they were not present in palm and campinarana sites, which experienced prolonged periods of saturation at the soil surface. A shallow impermeable layer restricted rooting depth in the campinarana community, which could heighten drought stress during the dry season. The only vegetation able to persist in campinarana sites were short‐statured trees that appear to be well‐adapted to the dual extremes of inundation and drought.     

以地表死可燃物评估八达岭林场森林燃烧性

森林燃烧性是森林火险评估的基础,也是制定营林防火措施的依据.以北京市八达岭林场18种主要森林类型的地表死可燃物为研究对象,分别以死可燃物负荷量、含水率及综合属性为分析依据,结合国内外最新研究成果、林场实际情况和样地调查,分别讨论并对比不同森林类型的燃烧性,并划分等级.研究得出,以地表死可燃物综合属性为分析依据,研究不同森林类型的燃烧性更符合林场实际情况,并以综合属性为依据绘制林场燃烧性等级图,同时,死可燃物负荷量和含水率的分析,可以为营林防火措施的制定提供理论依据.     

Managing red pine stand structure to mitigate drought impacts

Reducing forest stand density through silvicultural thinning has demonstrated potential to mitigate drought impacts on growth; however, less has been studied on how changes in stand structure created by different thinning methods influence forest growth responses to drought. This research examined the growth responses to drought of natural-origin red pine in a long-term study contrasting thinning methods. Dendrochronological methods were used to examine growth responses during several drought events among stands where different thinning methods have been applied since 1950. Growth responses to drought were expressed as resistance (maintaining growth during drought), and resilience (regaining pre-drought growth). Results indicate that periodic thinning from above, which resulted in smaller diameters, has the potential to moderate drought-induced growth reductions. Larger tree diameters negatively influenced tree-level resistance and resilience across all treatments; however, the proportion of dominant trees in a stand had contrasting effects on stand-level drought responses. Stands thinned from above exhibited more complex vertical structure and increased stand-level resistance and resilience to drought-induced growth declines because competition is more stratified among smaller diameter trees. Opposite trends were observed in stands thinned from below, where the larger diameters and monolayered structure create greater competition among trees of similar size and crown position. The results of this study highlight the utility in managing for greater structural diversity to mitigate the negative effects of drought in red pine forest ecosystems.     

Mortality and growth of trees in peat-swamp and heath forests in Central Kalimantan after severe drought

Lowland forests in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, are endangered by land conversion and the increasing frequency of severe drought. Knowledge of the tolerance of tropical trees to drought is urgent for the management of these lowland habitats. The short-term effects of drought on tree demography (mortality and growth) were investigated in an ever-wet riparian peat-swamp forest and a heath forest on coarse sandy soil after the 1997 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event. This drought was unusually severe because little rain fell during the following rainy season. However, forest-wide mortality following the drought (1997–1999) was not critically high in the peat-swamp (6.13% yr^?1) or heath (4.26% yr^?1) forest. In both forests, standing trees frequently died during the dry season following the drought. The riparian peat-swamp forest was not flooded until 1998, after the prolonged drought in 1997. The hummock–hollow microtopography resulted in differential mortality of peat-swamp trees. On tall hummocks, standing death increased two-fold (4.99% yr^?1) during the dry season, whereas uprooting decreased by one-third (0.85% yr^?1) during the following rainy season. In contrast, tree growth was not affected by hummock height. Common canopy species were concentrated on tall hummocks and died standing more often than did understory species found in hollows, indicating species-specific mortality after the drought. The large stand basal area relative to the forest-wide growth rate in diameter suggested less resilience to drought by peat-swamp (45.6 m² ha^?1 and 0.0186 ln[cm] yr^?1) than heath (27.9 m² ha^?1 and 0.0232 ln[cm] yr^?1) forest. A single severe drought did not cause dramatic changes in the peat-swamp and heath forests; however, an increasing frequency of droughts similar in severity to that of the 1997 ENSO event may have the potential to alter the community structure and dynamics, leading to a consistent decline in Bornean lowland forests.     

An ecoclimatic framework for evaluating the resilience of vegetation to water deficit

The surge in global efforts to understand the causes and consequences of drought on forest ecosystems has tended to focus on specific impacts such as mortality. We propose an ecoclimatic framework that takes a broader view of the ecological relevance of water deficits, linking elements of exposure and resilience to cumulative impacts on a range of ecosystem processes. This ecoclimatic framework is underpinned by two hypotheses: (i) exposure to water deficit can be represented probabilistically and used to estimate exposure thresholds across different vegetation types or ecosystems; and (ii) the cumulative impact of a series of water deficit events is defined by attributes governing the resistance and recovery of the affected processes. We present case studies comprising Pinus edulis and Eucalyptus globulus, tree species with contrasting ecological strategies, which demonstrate how links between exposure and resilience can be examined within our proposed framework. These examples reveal how climatic thresholds can be defined along a continuum of vegetation functional responses to water deficit regimes. The strength of this framework lies in identifying climatic thresholds on vegetation function in the absence of more complete mechanistic understanding, thereby guiding the formulation, application and benchmarking of more detailed modelling.     

Contributions of insects and droughts to growth decline of trembling aspen mixed boreal forest of western Canada

Insects, diseases, fire and drought and other disturbances associated with global climate change contribute to forest decline and mortality in many parts of the world. Forest decline and mortality related to drought or insect outbreaks have been observed in North American aspen forests. However, little research has been done to partition and estimate their relative contributions to growth declines. In this study, we combined tree‐ring width and basal area increment series from 40 trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) sites along a latitudinal gradient (from 52° to 58°N) in western Canada and attempted to investigate the effect of drought and insect outbreaks on growth decline, and simultaneously partition and quantify their relative contributions. Results indicated that the influence of drought on forest decline was stronger than insect outbreaks, although both had significant effects. Furthermore, the influence of drought and insect outbreaks showed spatiotemporal variability. In addition, our data suggest that insect outbreaks could be triggered by warmer early spring temperature instead of drought, implicating that potentially increased insect outbreaks are expected with continued warming springs, which may further exacerbate growth decline and death in North America aspen mixed forests.