Patterns of tree replacement: canopy effects on understory pattern in hemlock-northern hardwood forests

The effect of canopy trees on understory seedling and sapling distribution is examined in near-climax hemlock-northern hardwood forests in order to predict tree replacement patterns and assess compositional stability. Canopy trees and saplings were mapped in 65 0.1-ha plots in 16 tracts of old-growth forests dominated by Tsuga canadensis, Acer saccharum, Fagus grandifolia, Tilia americana, and Betula lutea in the northeastern United States. Seedlings were tallied in sub-plots. Canopy influence on individual saplings and sub-plots was calculated, using several indices for canopy species individually and in total. For each species sapling and seedling distributions were compared to those distributions expected if saplings were located independently of canopy influence. Non-random distributions indicated that sapling and seedling establishment or mortality were related to the species of nearby canopy trees. Hemlock canopy trees discriminate against beech and maple saplings while sugar maple canopy favors beech saplings relative to other species. Basswood canopy discourages growth of saplings of other species, but produces basal sprouts. Yellow birch saplings were rarely seen beneath intact canopy. Since trees in these forests are usually replaced by suppressed seedlings or saplings, canopy-understory interactions should influence replacement probabilities and, ultimately, stand composition. I suggest that hemlock and basswood tend to be self-replacing, maple and beech tend to replace each other, and birch survives as a fugitive by occupying occasional suitable gaps. This suggests that these species may co-exist within stands for long periods with little likelihood of successional elimination of any species. There is some suggestion of geographical variation in these patterns.     

6000 years of forest dynamics in Suserup Skov, a seminatural Danish woodland

• 1 The history of a forest stand over the last 6000 years has been reconstructed by studying pollen, macrofossils and charcoal from a small, wet hollow in Suserup Skov on the island of Sjælland in eastern Denmark.
• 2 The earliest recorded forest was Tilia‐dominated but contained an intimate mixture of many different tree species that included Acer campestre, A. platanoides, Alnus glutinosa, Betula pubescens, Corylus avellana, Frangula alnus, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Populus tremula, Pinus sylvestris, Quercus robur, Q. petraea, Salix spp., Sorbus aucuparia, Tilia cordata and T. platyphyllos. The preserved fruits of T. platyphyllos confirm its hitherto doubtful status as a native member of the Danish flora.
• 3 The present‐day woodland developed after a period of intensive anthropogenic disturbance between ≈ 600 bc and ad 900, during which time open canopy conditions prevailed at Suserup. Fagus sylvatica and Fraxinus excelsior are the dominant trees at present, together with some Quercus robur and Ulmus glabra. 4 Charcoal was present in the sediments from most time periods except at the Ulmus decline. In the last 1000 years of the sequence — the period of Fagus dominance — charcoal counts were consistently low.
• 5 Pinus sylvestris was a natural component of this primarily deciduous forest, and the last macrofossil find dates from c. ad 900. Macrofossil Pinus cone scales recorded c. ad 1800 originate from planted individuals. Prior to Fagus dominance, the forest had an open structure partly caused by frequent, low‐intensity fires associated with the presence of Pinus sylvestris.
• 6 The replacement of Tilia by Fagus in this forest was catalysed by human activity. If the forest had not been so disturbed, the rich diversity of trees would most probably have persisted up to the present time, with only a moderate‐sized Fagus population.

     

紫椴幼苗的叶片运动与光截获*

从水平、垂直方向和叶片的旋转运动等角度对紫椴（Tilia amurensis)幼苗的叶片运动特征进行了描述,并就枝条、叶片空间取向及叶片运动对叶片截获光合有效辐射的影响进行了讨论。结果表明：紫椴幼苗通过叶片运动有效地调节了对光合有效辐射的截获,提高了早、晚叶片光合作用旺盛时间段内的光合有效辐射截获量,在一定程度上减缓了中午强光、高温对叶片生理活动的危害。由于活跃的叶片运动、适度遮荫环境中幼苗的西部叶片所截获的光合有效幅射接近于全光环境中个体各向叶平均截获量,这为该环境中紫椴幼苗叶片在全天保持较旺盛的光合作用提供了能量保障。枝条和叶片的空间取向决定了紫椴幼苗叶片的空间分布;适度遮荫环境中个体的东西向叶片所占比例最高,全光环境中个体次之,强度遮荫个体枝条与叶片的空间分布趋于随机化。这意味着强度遮荫环境中的紫椴幼苗叶片对太阳辐射截获的调节能力较差,这可能是该环境中紫椴个体生产力较低的重要原因之一。     

Breeding ecology of a suburban population of Woodpigeons Columba palumbus in northwest England

Capsule Between 1981 and 2008 population size was stable, but there were negative trends in breeding parameters.

Aims To determine the current status and long‐term population trend of an isolated breeding population of Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus (Corsica, Mediterranean).

Methods The total Bearded Vulture population was monitored between 1981 and 2008.

Results The current effective breeding population size of Bearded Vultures in Corsica is ten pairs/trios with a slight increase of one to two pairs since 1983. The population is currently estimated at 25 individuals. Breeding parameters (laying rate, breeding success and productivity) have decreased significantly over the full 28‐year study period, although the decrease was not significant when the data set was restricted to 1988–2008. A mean of 60.3% (n = 204) of pairs have laid, but this proportion is highly variable between years. Productivity has been very low (0.16 young/pair/year, n = 233). Breeding parameters of the Corsican population of Bearded Vultures are very low compared with those of other western European populations in the Pyrenees.

Conclusions This isolated insular population is of small size (eight to ten pairs/trios) but shows a stability of distribution and numbers, but low (and decreasing) breeding rates, making this insular population one the most threatened in Europe.     

基于RAPD标记的5个南京椴居群遗传多样性分析

采用RAPD标记技术,对分布于江苏省(紫金山、牛首山和宝华山)及安徽省(皇藏峪和琅琊山)的5个南京椴(Tilia miqueliana Maxim.)居群的遗传多样性进行了分析,并采用UPGMA聚类方法研究了5个居群的遗传关系.结果表明:使用10条多态性引物从5个居群的总DNA中扩增出169条带,其中多态性条带151条,多态性条带百分率达89.34％.各居群的多态性条带百分率(PPB)、有效等位基因数(Ⅳe)、Nei's基因多样度(h)和Shannon's多样性指数(I)均有明显差异,其中,宝华山居群的各项指标均最高,紫金山和牛首山居群的PPB值最低,琅琊山居群的Ne值最低,紫金山居群的h和I值均最低.5个居群的I、h和Ⅳe值分别为0.2430～ 0.335 1、0.1544 ～0.218 2和1.248 9～1.362 7;在种水平上的I、h和Ne值分别为0.359 4、0.223 6和1.352 9.居群内变异占总变异的75.95％,居群间变异占总变异的24.05％.居群内和居群间的基因多样度分别为0.218 5和0.173 2,物种水平上的基因分化系数为0.207 5,居群间的基因流为1.909 3.各居群间的遗传距离差异较大;其中,皇藏峪与牛首山居群的遗传距离最近,仅为0.026 5;宝华山与紫金山居群的遗传距离最远,为0.134 4.通过聚类分析可将5个南京椴居群分为3支,宝华山和琅琊山居群各自独立为2支,皇藏峪、紫金山和牛首山居群聚为1支,且可进一步分为2个亚支,皇藏峪居群为1个亚支、紫金山和牛首山居群聚为1个亚支.研究结果表明:南京椴居群内的遗传多样性较高,但居群内的变异占主导地位,居群间存在明显的遗传分化.     

白桦和紫椴树干非结构性碳水化合物的空间变异

以中国东北温带森林两个散孔材树种白桦和紫椴为对象,研究落叶后树干木质部中非结构性碳水化合物(NSC)浓度的空间变异.结果表明: 两种树种的可溶性糖与淀粉的总和(TNC)与可溶性糖浓度均随树干径向深度增加而缓慢下降,淀粉的径向变化不明显,即使在树干径向深处仍存有大量的NSC.两种树种树干的TNC、可溶性糖和淀粉浓度从根颈到胸高降低,之后逐渐升高,最大值出现的高度因树种和TNC组分而异.两种树种树干糖淀粉比值的纵向变化趋势为：白桦随树干升高而增大,紫椴则随之减小.树干NSC储量估算的误差主要来源于NSC浓度的纵向变化,其次是径向变化.喜光树种白桦的树干TNC浓度(1.0%干质量)显著低于耐阴树种紫椴(4.3%干质量),可能与其生活史对策差异有关.采用考虑了树干NSC纵向和径向变化的取样方法,可以有效地降低树木或林分水平上NSC储量估算的不确定性.
     

南京椴HMGR基因的克隆和功能验证

3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶（3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase,HMGR）是植物萜类代谢中甲羟戊酸途径的关键酶,本研究运用cDNA末端快速扩增（RACE）技术,首次从珍稀植物南京椴中克隆出HMGR的全长基因TmiHMGR,其长度为2 160 bp,包含一个1 758 bp的开放阅读框,其推导蛋白TmiHMGR编码585个氨基酸残基,相对分子量为62.9 kD,pI为6.11。将TmiHMGR与其他植物HMGR氨基酸序列构建进化树,结果显示TmiHMGR与苹果的HMGR聚为一枝。采用半定量RT-PCR分析TmiHMGR在根、茎和叶中的表达情况,结果表明该基因在茎中的表达量最高,根和叶中的表达量相对较弱。验证功能的颜色互补实验结果显示,TmiHMGR能够使代谢流明显朝类胡萝卜素合成的方向进行,说明TmiHMGR在萜类产物生物合成中是一个重要因子。     

Influence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lumbricus terrestris</Emphasis> earthworms on the structure of the yeast community of forest litter

The taxonomic structure of yeast communities was studied in forest litter and soil, as well as in substrates transformed by the activity of Lumbricus terrestris earthworms (leaves in heaps, the gut contents, and coproliths). The activity of L. terrestris has a weak effect on the total yeast abundance but results in substantial changes in the community taxonomic composition. The share of ascomycetous yeasts is significantly higher in the substrates associated with the activity of earthworms. The teleomorphic ascomycetes Williopsis saturnus were isolated from the gut contents. The effect of earthworms on the composition of the yeast community in the process of forest litter destruction is more pronounced than seasonal changes.     

长白山森林生态系统中椴树叶分解进程的研究

研究结果表明,椴树叶分解过程适合用指数衰减方程来表达,随海拔和植被类型的上升,在1－5号标准地,椴树叶分解常数分别为－0．391,－0．339,－0．257,－0．198和－0．125,即随海拔升高,分解速度下降,光水条件的实验表明,60％－80％的庇荫条件下,分解较快,浇水多的比浇水少的分解快,在实验区条件下,水分条件比光照条件影响更明显,与红松针叶的分解实验相比,二者规律极为相似,而且分解速率相差甚微。     

主要伴生树种叶粉对紫椴幼苗生长的影响

 紫椴(Tilia amurensis)是我国东北东部山地的重要造林树种之一,常常与红松(Pinus koraiensis)、云杉(Picea koraiensis)及水曲柳(Fraxinus mandshurica)等针阔叶树混生,因此,研究这些针阔叶树种对紫椴生长的影响,对于进一步了解这些树种的化感作用和选择适合营造混交林的搭配树种均具有重要意义。本文是通过大量的盆栽实验,以紫椴、水曲柳、红松和云杉等叶粉混拌火山灰进行培育紫椴幼苗,研究这些树种对紫椴生长的影响。实验表明,红松、云杉等针叶树对紫椴幼苗的生长具有明显的抑制作用,并找出紫椴幼苗高生长与针叶含量的相关性。