黄土高原马栏林区辽东栎更新特性研究

研究了黄土高原马栏林区主要植被类型中的辽东栎幼苗的数量特征,更新层幼苗、幼树的实生和萌生特性及其辽东栎在垂直结构上的数量分布。结果表明:(1)辽东栎幼苗在黄土高原马栏林区分布广泛且数量充足。不同的植被类型中辽东栎种群表现出不同的大小级结构,在油松—辽东栎混交林、油松林和辽东栎林中辽东栎种群的幼苗、幼树和成树均占一定的比例,而在油松—白桦混交林、白桦林、山杨林和山杨—白桦混交林中辽东栎种群则以幼苗和幼树为主。表明辽东栎种群在该地区植被的发展过程中将产生重要的作用。(2)辽东栎在这一地区是由实生和萌生的个体混合组成的。在各种植被类型中实生植株的密度都高于萌生植株,辽东栎种群的更新在该地区可能主要是通过实生植株来完成的,即辽东栎实生植株在更新过程中起重要的作用。但萌生植株作为辽东栎顺利通过瓶颈的一种手段,作为辽东栎种群繁衍和稳定的一种途径,在辽东栎种群的更新中也起着一定的作用。     

Forest History as a Basis for Ecosystem Restoration—A Multidisciplinary Case Study in a South Swedish Temperate Landscape

Basic knowledge of the previous forest types or ecosystem present in an area ought to be an essential part of all landscape restoration. Here, we present a detailed study of forest and land use history over the past 2,000 years, from a large estate in southernmost Sweden, which is currently undergoing a restoration program. In particular, the aim was to identify areas with long continuity of important tree species and open woodland conditions. We employed a multidisciplinary approach using paleoecological analyses (regional and local pollen, plant macrofossil, tree ring) and historical sources (taxation documents, land surveys, forest inventories). The estate has been dominated by temperate broad‐leaved trees over most of the studied period. When a forest type of Tilia, Corylus, and Quercus started to decline circa 1,000 years ago, it was largely replaced by Fagus. Even though extensive planting of Picea started in mid‐nineteenth century, Fagus and Quercus have remained rather common on the estate up to present time. Both species show continuity on different parts of the estate from eighteenth century up to present time, but in some stands, for the entire 2,000 years. Our suggestions for restoration do not aim for previous “natural” conditions but to maintain the spatial vegetational pattern created by the historical land use. This study gives an example of the spatial and temporal variation of the vegetation that has historically occurred within one area and emphasizes that information from one methodological technique provides only limited information about an area’s vegetation history.     

Quantitative analysis of a stand of Pinus densiflora undergoing succession to Quercus mongolica ssp. crispula : II. Growth and population dynamics of Q. mongolica ssp. crispula under the P. densiflora canopy

We report here the results of an 8-year study of the growth and population dynamics of Quercus mongolica ssp. crispula in a Pinus densiflora stand in a state of succession. In 1998, there were 169 Q. mongolica ssp. crispula individuals in a 400-m² plot under the P. densiflora canopy. This number remained nearly constant between 1998 and 2005. Mean recruitment of new individuals was 11 year⁻¹, while mean mortality was 12 year⁻¹. Of the 35 individuals ≥60 cm in height existing in 1998, 30 were still surviving in 2005. We were able to represent the height growth of Q. mongolica ssp. crispula individuals as H=30 [1+21.96 exp(−0.0839t)]⁻¹, with t = years since 1998 and H = height in meters. Using this equation we predict that by 2015 the mean height of Q. mongolica ssp. crispula trees in the stand will exceed those of understory trees, such as Rhus trichocarpa and Prunus maximowiczii. Once above the understory stratum, the Q. mongolica ssp. crispula trees can be expected to grow more rapidly due to the better light conditions, thereby rapidly reaching the canopy stratum of the P. densiflora stand.     

Acclimation to light in seedlings of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus petraea</Emphasis> (Mattuschka) Liebl. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus pyrenaica</Emphasis> Willd. planted along a forest-edge gradient

Photosynthetic acclimation of two co-occurring deciduous oaks (Quercus petraea and Quercus pyrenaica) to a natural light gradient was studied during one growing season. In the spring of 2003, 90 seedlings per species were planted along a transect resulting from a dense Pinus sylvestris stand, an adjacent thinned area and a 10-m-wide firebreak (16.5–60.9% Global Site Factor (GSF)). In two dates of the following summer, we measured leaf gas exchange, carboxylation efficiency (CE), chlorophyll and nitrogen content, light–response curves of chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters, and leaf mass per area (LMA). Summer was mild, as evidenced by leaf predawn water potential (Ψ_pd), which reduced the interactive effect of water stress on the response of seedlings to light. Q. pyrenaica had higher LMA, CE, stomatal conductance (g _{s max}) and photosynthesis per unit area than Q. petraea at all growth irradiances. , LMA, g _{s max} and electron transport rate (ETR) all increased with light availability (GSF) in a similar fashion in both species. Light had also a clear effect on the organization of Photosystem II (PS II), as deduced by chlorophyll a fluorescence curves. Chlorophyll concentration (Chl_m) decreased with increasing light availability in Q. pyrenaica but it did not in Q. petraea. Seedlings of Q. petraea acclimated to higher irradiances showed a greater non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) than those of Q. pyrenaica. This suggests a higher susceptibility to high light in Q. petraea, which would be consistent with a better adaptation to shade, inferred from the lower LMA or the lower rate of photosynthesis.     

Tree growth,mortality, and above-ground biomass accumulation in a holm oak forest under a five-year experimental field drought

A holm oak forest was exposed to an experimental drought during 5 years to elucidate the growth responses of the dominant species Quercus ilex, Arbutus unedo and Phillyrea latifolia. Soil water availability was partially reduced, about 15% as predicted for this area for the next decades by GCM and ecophysiological models, by plastic strips intercepting rainfall and by ditch exclusion of water runoff. The stem diameter increment was highly correlated with annual rainfall in all species, and drought treatment strongly reduced the diameter increment of Q. ilex (41%) and specially of A. unedo (63%), the species showing higher growth rates. Stem mortality rates were highly correlated with previous stem density, but drought treatment increased mortality rates in all species. Q. ilex showed the highest mortality rates (9% and 18% in control and drought plots, respectively), and P. latifolia experienced the lowest mortality rates (1% and 3% in control and drought plots, respectively). Drought strongly reduced the increment of live aboveground biomass during these 5 years (83%). A. unedo and Q. ilex experienced a high reduction in biomass increment by drought, whereas P. latifolia biomass increment was insensitive to drought. The different sensitivity to drought of the dominant species of the holm oak forest may be very important determining their future development and distribution in a drier environment as expected in Mediterranean areas for the next decades. These drier conditions could thus have strong effects on structure (species composition) and functioning (carbon uptake and biomass accumulation) of these Mediterranean forests.     

A new positive relationship between pCO2 and stomatal frequency in Quercus guyavifolia (Fagaceae): a potential proxy for palaeo-CO2 levels

Background and Aims The inverse relationship between atmospheric CO₂ partial pressure (pCO₂) and stomatal frequency in many species of plants has been widely used to estimate palaeoatmospheric CO₂ (palaeo-CO₂) levels; however, the results obtained have been quite variable. This study attempts to find a potential new proxy for palaeo-CO₂ levels by analysing stomatal frequency in Quercus guyavifolia (Q. guajavifolia, Fagaceae), an extant dominant species of sclerophyllous forests in the Himalayas with abundant fossil relatives.Methods Stomatal frequency was analysed for extant samples of Q. guyavifolia collected from17 field sites at altitudes ranging between 2493 and 4497 m. Herbarium specimens collected between 1926 and 2011 were also examined. Correlations of pCO₂–stomatal frequency were determined using samples from both sources, and these were then applied to Q. preguyavaefolia fossils in order to estimate palaeo-CO₂ concentrations for two late-Pliocene floras in south-western China.Key Results In contrast to the negative correlations detected for most other species that have been studied, a positive correlation between pCO₂ and stomatal frequency was determined in Q. guyavifolia sampled from both extant field collections and historical herbarium specimens. Palaeo-CO₂ concentrations were estimated to be approx. 180–240 ppm in the late Pliocene, which is consistent with most other previous estimates.Conclusions A new positive relationship between pCO₂ and stomatal frequency in Q. guyavifolia is presented, which can be applied to the fossils closely related to this species that are widely distributed in the late-Cenozoic strata in order to estimate palaeo-CO₂ concentrations. The results show that it is valid to use a positive relationship to estimate palaeo-CO₂ concentrations, and the study adds to the variety of stomatal density/index relationships that available for estimating pCO₂. The physiological mechanisms underlying this positive response are unclear, however, and require further research.     

秦岭南坡锐齿栎次生林空间结构特征分析

该研究采用坐标定位方法对秦岭南坡不同坡向锐齿栎次生林样地内胸径DBH≥5cm的乔木进行调查,记录树种名称、坐标、胸径、高度、冠幅、生长状况等因子,运用角尺度、大小比数和混交度3个指数分析不同坡向锐齿栎次生林的空间结构,探寻不同坡向锐齿栎林空间结构的形成和差异。结果显示:(1)调查样地内物种多样性丰富,锐齿栎重要值最大,长势良好,占据主要生态空间。(2)两种坡向中,角尺度取值为0.5的个体数均过半,表明随机分布是锐齿栎次生林的主要分布方式。(3)优势木、亚优势木、中庸木、劣态木和绝对劣态木所占比重均为20%左右,表明林木大小差异不明显,在空间结构单元中,林木较稳定,阳坡优势木个体数高于阴坡。(4)两种坡向中,混交度取值大于0.5林木个体分别为84%和73%,表明多数林木个体处于中度、强度和极强度混交状态。研究表明,秦岭南坡锐齿栎次生林聚集度不高、混交良好、分化程度较高,锐齿栎种群优势度明显,林分整体暂时处于相对稳定状态。     

华北低丘山区栓皮栎生态系统氧同位素日变化及蒸散定量区分

利用稳定同位素技术对华北低丘山区栓皮栎生态系统氧同位素日变化及蒸散定量区分进行研究,为华北低丘山区森林生态系统水汽交换研究提供基础。试验采用离轴积分腔输出光谱技术(OA-ICOS)连续测定生态系统不同高度水汽浓度和δ18O值,同时采用真空提取和液态水同位素分析仪测定枝条和土壤的δ18O值。结果显示,4个晴天中大气水汽浓度日变化复杂,变化趋势差异大,而δ18O日变化均成高-低-高的"V"型变化,最小值出现在12:00—18:00。Keeling方程在10:00—12:00的相关系数R2均大于0.71,方程达到极显著水平,表明此时段蒸腾速率较高,满足植物蒸腾的同位素稳定态假设。利用Keeling方程估算的栓皮栎生态系统δET值有相似的低-高-低日变化,与大气的δv值变化趋势相反。同位素分割结果显示栓皮栎生态系统中蒸腾占蒸散比例日变化呈现低-高-低的趋势,10:00—14:00蒸腾占蒸散比例达到90%以上,尽管6:00—10:00和14:00—18:00的蒸腾占蒸散比例下降,但平均值仍高达69.38%,表明华北低丘山区栓皮栎生态系统的蒸散主要来源于植物蒸腾。     

Tree mineral nutrition is deteriorating in Europe

The response of forest ecosystems to increased atmospheric CO₂ is constrained by nutrient availability. It is thus crucial to account for nutrient limitation when studying the forest response to climate change. The objectives of this study were to describe the nutritional status of the main European tree species, to identify growth‐limiting nutrients and to assess changes in tree nutrition during the past two decades. We analysed the foliar nutrition data collected during 1992–2009 on the intensive forest monitoring plots of the ICP Forests programme. Of the 22 significant temporal trends that were observed in foliar nutrient concentrations, 20 were decreasing and two were increasing. Some of these trends were alarming, among which the foliar P concentration in F. sylvatica, Q. Petraea and P. sylvestris that significantly deteriorated during 1992–2009. In Q. Petraea and P. sylvestris, the decrease in foliar P concentration was more pronounced on plots with low foliar P status, meaning that trees with latent P deficiency could become deficient in the near future. Increased tree productivity, possibly resulting from high N deposition and from the global increase in atmospheric CO₂, has led to higher nutrient demand by trees. As the soil nutrient supply was not always sufficient to meet the demands of faster growing trees, this could partly explain the deterioration of tree mineral nutrition. The results suggest that when evaluating forest carbon storage capacity and when planning to reduce CO₂ emissions by increasing use of wood biomass for bioenergy, it is crucial that nutrient limitations for forest growth are considered.     

Differential field response of two Mediterranean tree species to inputs of sewage sludge at the seedling stage

Land degradation and desertification is a common feature in Mediterranean landscapes due to extensive and intensive land use and natural or man induced disturbances. The ecosystem may need external inputs to recover its composition and function as soils are often impoverished and vegetal key stone species lost. We evaluated the effects of the application of fresh and air-dried biosolids in the establishment and morphological and physiological performance of seedlings of Pinus halepensis and Quercus ilex under dry Mediterranean field conditions. Seedling survival was not affected by biosolid treatments in any of the studied species both two and ten years after planting. During the first two years, growth was enhanced by the two biosolid treatments in relation to control, although the change in the biomass allocation pattern differed between species. Rooting depth was significantly enhanced by liquid biosolid in Q. ilex and marginally reduced in P. halepensis as well as the exploration of soil. As a consequence, root-to-shoot ratio reduced significantly with dry and liquid sludge due to promoted aboveground growth while maintaining and even reducing belowground fractions. An improvement of the nutritional status, of fertilized seedlings especially of phosphorus, is the explanation for the better field performance. Vector analysis revealed an important phosphorus limitation for both species that was overcome with the application of liquid (both species) and air-dried biosolid (pine). The higher growth of pine seedlings attained in the liquid biosolid treatment was coupled with a significant decrease in foliar δ¹³C, suggesting lower water use efficiency. The significant increase in foliar δ¹⁵N in the biosolid treatments in both species suggested that a large proportion of the total nitrogen uptake came from the applied biosolids. Instead, with regard to the low biosolid application rate used in the study, treatments had an overall positive effect as a restoration tool by improving nutritional status and promoting growth of planted seedlings.