Structure and floristic composition of the lowland rain forest of Los Tuxtlas,Mexico

Physiognomy, structure and floristic composition of one hectare of lowland tropical rain forest was studied in detail at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. Physiognomically, the Los Tuxtlas forest should be classified as lowland tropical high evergreen rain forest. The forest showed a closed canopy at 30–35 m. Of all woody, non-climbing species with a DBH1.0 cm 89.4% (94.5% of all individuals) were evergreen, 25.4% (59.5% of the individuals) had compound leaves, and over 80% of species (and individuals) had leaves in the notophyll and mesophyll size classes. The forest structure was characterized by a low density (2976 individuals with a DBH1.0 cm, 346 individuals with a DBH10.0 cm, per ha, excluding vines) with an average basal area (38.1 m², DBH1.0 cm, 34.9 m², DBH10.0 cm, per ha, excluding vines). This was attributed to the relative maturity of the forest on the study plot. The study plot contained 234 species (11 208 individuals with a height 0.5 m), of which 55.1% (34.8% of individuals) were trees, 9.4% (6.8%) shrubs, 3.4% (44.3%) palms, 20.1% (5.2%) vines, 6.8% (8.7%) herbs and 5.1% (0.3%) of unknown lifeform. Furthermore, 58 species of epiphytes and hemi-epiphytes were found. Diversity of trees, shrubs and palms with a DBH1.0 cm was calculated as Shannon-Wiener index (4.65), Equitability index (0.65), and Simpson index (0.10). The dominance-diversity curve showed a lognormal form, characteristic for tropical rain forest. The community structure was characterized by a relative dominance of Astrocaryum mexicanum in the understorey, Pseudolmedia oxyphyllaria in the middle storeys, and Nectandra ambigens in the canopy. Species population structures of 31 species showed three characteristic patterns, differentiated by recruitment: continuously high, discontinuously high, and continuously low recruitment. Height/diameter and crown cover/diameter diagrams suggested a very gradual shift from height growth to crown growth during tree development. Forest turnover was calculated as 138 years. Compared to other tropical rain forests the Los Tuxtlas forest had 1. similar leaf physiognomical characteristics, 2. a lower diversity, 3. a lower density, 4. an average basal area, and 5. a slow canopy turnover.     

A field study on the fate of 15N-ammonium to demonstrate nitrification of atmospheric ammonium in an acid forest soil

To demonstrate the contribution of atmospheric ammonium to soil acidification in acid forest soils, a field study with¹³N-ammonium as tracer was performed in an oak-birch forest soil. Monitoring and analysis of soil solutions from various depths on the¹³N-ammonium and¹⁵N-nitrate contents, showed that about 54% of the applied¹⁵N-ammonium was oxidized to nitrate in the forest floor. Over a period of one year about 20% of the¹⁵N remained as organic nitrogen in this layer. The percentage¹⁵N enrichment in ammonium and nitrate were in the same range in all the forest floor percolates, indicating that even in extremely acid forest soils (pH < 4) nitrate formation from ammonium can occur. Clearly, atmospheric ammonium can contribute to soil acidification even at low soil pH.     

青甘边区黑河流域森林植被带及其昆虫区系的组成

黑河发源于青海、甘肃交界的祁连山区,是甘肃河西走廊最大的内陆河水系之一,水源丰富,流量稳定,这不仅取决于祁连山区大气降水和冰川融水,更重要的是与上游森林植被密不可分。但是,由于森林害虫猖獗成灾,严重威胁着这一地域森林的生存。近几年我们在森林昆虫普查的基础上,对黑河流域森林昆虫     

模拟酸雨对主要酸性土壤中铝的溶出及形态的影响

本文研究了模拟酸雨对主要酸性土壤中铝的溶出及形态变化的影响。结果表明,模拟酸雨对土壤酸化的影响较小,但对土壤铝的溶出却影响明显,尤其在pH<4.0时;模拟酸雨对不同类型土壤的影响是不同的,其中以高度风化的酸性土壤较为敏感。模拟酸雨对土壤游离铝形态的影响是重要的,酸处理后,交换性铝略有增加,无定形活性铝增加较多,而有机络合态铝有减少的趋势。这表明在酸雨的长期作用下,铝终将转化为交换性铝和水溶性铝而进入环境并危害生态系统。     

The effect of cropping and fertiliser nitrogen rates on nitrogen balance in soil

Summary Fertilizer/soil N balance of cropped and fallow soil has been studied in a pot experiment carried out with grey forest soil (southern part of Moscow region) at increasing rates of¹⁵N labelled ammonium sulfate (0; 8; 16; 32 mg N/100 g of soil). The fertilizer¹⁵N balance has been shown to depend upon its application rate and the presence of growing plants. Fertilizer N uptake efficiency was maximum (72.5%) and gaseous losses-minimum (12.5%) at the application rate of 16 mg N/100 g of soil. Fertilizer N losses from the fallow soil were 130–220% versus those from the cropped soil. At the application of fertilizer N the plant uptake of soil N was 170–240% and the amount of soil N as N–NH₄ exchangeable + N–NO₃ in fallow was 350–440% as compared to the control treatment without nitrogen (PK).After cropping without or with N fertilizer application at the rates of 8 and 32 mg N/100 g of soil, a positive nitrogen balance has been found which is likely due to nonsymbiotic (associative) N-fixation. It has been shown that biologically fixed nitrogen contributes to plant nutrition.     

The nitrogen cycle in lodgepole pine forests,southeastern Wyoming

Storage and flux of nitrogen were studied in several contrasting lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta spp.latifolia) forests in southeastern Wyoming. The mineral soil contained most of the N in these ecosystems (range of 315–860 g · m^–2), with aboveground detritus (37.5–48.8g · m^–2) and living biomass (19.5–24.0 g · m^–2) storing much smaller amounts. About 60–70% of the total N in vegetation was aboveground, and N concentrations in plant tissues were unusually low (foliage = 0.7% N), as were N input via wet precipitation (0.25 g · m^–2 · yr^–1), and biological fixation of atmospheric N (<0.03 g · m^–2 · yr^–1, except locally in some stands at low elevations where symbiotic fixation by the leguminous herbLupinus argenteus probably exceeded 0.1 g · m^–2 · yr^–1).Because of low concentrations in litterfall and limited opportunity for leaching, N accumulated in decaying leaves for 6–7 yr following leaf fall. This process represented an annual flux of about 0.5g · m^–2 to the 01 horizon. Only 20% of this flux was provided by throughfall, with the remaining 0.4g · m^–2 · yr^–1 apparently added from layers below. Low mineralization and small amounts of N uptake from the 02 are likely because of minimal rooting in the forest floor (as defined herein) and negligible mineral N (< 0.05 mg · L^–1) in 02 leachate. A critical transport process was solubilization of organic N, mostly fulvic acids. Most of the organic N from the forest floor was retained within the major tree rooting zone (0–40 cm), and mineralization of soil organic N provided NH₄ for tree uptake. Nitrate was at trace levels in soil solutions, and a long lag in nitrification was always observed under disturbed conditions. Total root nitrogen uptake was calculated to be 1.25 gN · m^–2 · yr^–1 with estimated root turnover of 0.37-gN · m^–2 · yr^–1, and the soil horizons appeared to be nearly in balance with respect to N. The high demand for mineralized N and the precipitation of fulvic acid in the mineral soil resulted in minimal deep leaching in most stands (< 0.02 g · m^–2 · yr^–1). These forests provide an extreme example of nitrogen behavior in dry, infertile forests.