The influence of soil cover organization on the floristic and structural heterogeneity of a Guianan rain forest

The impact of soil cover organization on the forest community has been studied in a 19-ha tract at Piste de St Elie station in French Guiana. 195 species each represented by at least 10 individuals were chosen from records of the position, diameter at breast height (dbh) and precise identification by botanical sampling of 12104 ligneous plants (dbh 10 cm).Spatial variations in the soil were mapped using the method proposed by Boulet et al. (1982). The soil mapping units correspond to the successive stages of evolution of a currently unbalanced ferralitic cover. These stages describe firstly the thinning by erosion of the microaggregated upper horizon and secondly the mineralogical changes under more or less extended hydromorphic conditions. The degree of evolution of ferralitic cover is also related to the hydrodynamic functioning and chemical properties of the soil. Geological substrate, topography and slope have also been taken into account.Analysis of the influence of environmental variables on plant cover has been performed using the Ecological Profiles method and Correspondence Analysis (CA) of the table of ecological profiles.The forest community seems to be dependent on the soil and the topographical features that govern it. There are significant, exclusive soil-species links for each soil functioning mapping unit. However, the highest proportion of significant positive links is connected with a thick microaggregated horizon (25%). Several species are of real value as indicators and more particularly enable differentiation between the forest stands of typical ferralitic soil and the ones of thinned out, transformed and hydromorphic soils. The CA of the species by environmental variables matrices reveals two significant factorial axes. The first can be associated with the drainage mainly related to the thinning of the soil and the second with the hydromorphic conditions related to the topography. The vegetation ordination of the stands ( 0.25 ha) delimited in the various soil domains clearly shows that changes in ferralitic cover and in particular the transition from soil with deep vertical drainage to soil with superficial lateral drainage is accompanied by substantial changes in the forest community.     

探索景观异质性的热力学基础和信息论

探索景观异质性的热力学基础和信息论ＭｉｃｈｅｌＧｏｄｒｏｎ,ＪａｃｑｕｅｓＢａｕｄｒｙＲｉｃｈａｒｄＴ．Ｔ．Ｆｏｒｍａｎ）ＴｈｅｒｍｏｄｙｎａｍｉｃＦｏｕｎｄａｔｉｏｎａｎｄＩｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎＴｈｅｏｒｙｉｎＵｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄｉｎｇＬａｎｄｓｃ...     

Changes in a Sudano-Sahelian rodent community after slash-and-burn farming (Gonsé Forest, Burkina Faso)

This study describes the recolonization by a Sudano‐Sahelian rodent community of an area slashed and burned in the middle of the dry season (Gonsé Forest in Burkina Faso). A series of abundance cycles occurred. The first began with the wet season and the arrival of a succession of four species: Taterillus gracilis, Tatera guineae, Nannomys sp. and Mastomys erythroleucus. Taterillus gracilis appeared to be the least demanding species. It was sexually active whatever the season and took advantage of reduced competition among species on the burned tracts. Tatera guineae also extended its spatial distribution but failed to reproduce. Nannomys sp. rapidly increased after the first rains. Although generally held to be the most prolific and opportunistic of the species involved, M. erythroleucus only found conditions amenable to its colonization late on. The timing of the disruption and whether or not it coincides with the reproductive period and the mobility phase of each species are decisive factors. This information is useful for a clearer understanding of the dynamics of each species and for evaluating the risk and probable locations of outbreaks of certain species.