Does Weeding Promote Regeneration of an Indigenous Tree Community in Felled Pine Plantations in Uganda?

The use of plantations to manage extensive tracks of deforested lands in the tropics is a conservation strategy that has recently received considerable attention. Plantation trees can promote seed dispersal by attracting dispersers and creating favorable site conditions, leading to increased germination and establishment of indigenous trees. Subsequently, plantation trees can be harvested for profit or left to senesce, leaving a native tree community. We evaluated the effect of vine, grass, and shrub cutting (weeding) over a 3‐year period on regeneration of indigenous trees subsequent to the removal of plantation softwoods in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Counter to what would be expected if weeding released trees from competition, we found no difference in the total number of stems or in the stems greater than 10 cm diameter at breast height between control and weeded plots; there were more stems greater than 1 cm diameter at breast height in the control plots. For species found in both control and weeded plots, the maximum size of individuals did not differ. At the end of the study, 61 species were found in the control plots and 43 species were found in the weeded plots, and in both types of plots the three most abundant species were the same. The number of species and stems classified as early or middle successional species did not differ between weeded and control plots. The fact that weeding did not promote regeneration of indigenous trees after the removal of plantation trees illustrates the importance of evaluating and field‐testing potential management options.     

Nutrients and mass in litter and top soil of ten tropical tree plantations

The importance of litter to nutrient and organic matter storage and the possible influence of species selection on soil fertility in ten stands each consisting of a separate tree species were examined in this study. The plantations had been grown under similar conditions in an arboretum in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. The species involved were: Anthocephalus chinensis, Eucalyptus × patentinervis, E. saligna, Hernandia sonora, Hibiscus elatus, Khaya nyasica, Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis, P. elliottii var. densa, Swietenia macrophylla, and Terminalia ivorensis. After 26 yr, litter mass ranged from 5 mg ha^-1 in the H. sonora stand to 27.2 Mg ha^-1 in the P. caribaea stand. Nutrients in the litter (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) also varied widely, but stands were ranked in different order when ranked by nutrients in the litter than then ranked according to accumulation of mass. Only E. saligna and A. chinensis stands were ranked similarly in accumulation of both nutrients and mass, and the stand of H. elatus was ranked higher with respect to nutrient accumulation than to accumulation of mass. The nutrient concentration in standing leaf litter generally increased in the order of recently fallen <old intact< fragmented. Nutrient concentration of standing leaf litter appears to increase with age and depth in the litter layer. The amount of nutrients stored in the litter compartment of these plantations was in the same order of magnitude as the quantity of available nutrients in the top 10-cm of mineral soil. Total litter mass was negatively correlated with the mass-weighted concentration of N, K, and Mg. The same relationship was found for Ca in the leaf litter and N in the fine wood litter compartments. In some stands (notably P. caribaea, P. elliottii, and E. saligna), leaf litter derived from species other than the species planted in that particular stand had higher nutrient concentration than leaf litter from the planted species. Soils of the 10 stands were classified in the same soil series and had similar texture (clay soils). However, significantly different chemical characteristics were found. Results obtained by analysis of covariance and by limiting comparisons to adjacent stands with similar soil texture, indicate that different species have had different influences on the concentration of available nutrients in soil.     

Inter-plot competition in yield trials of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) with single-drill plots

An experiment was carried out to assess the significance of inter-plot competition in a yield trial of potato cultivars. Seventeen cultivars were deliberately chosen and assessed for yield in single-drill and four-drill plots. Inter-plot competition for fresh-weight yield was a significant factor in the single-drill plots. It was modelled using a common competition coefficient with a covariate based on neighbour fresh-weight yields. In contrast, there was no statistically significant inter-plot competition for specific gravity. After adjustment for inter-plot competition, varietal ranking in estimated monoculture yield differed little from that based on unadjusted means. However, there was a reduction in the range of yield estimates, and a closer agreement with the observed pure-stand yields from the inner two drills of the four-drill plots. The adjustment for monoculture performance was most pronounced for the higher and lower yielding varieties, as expected from the assumption that the performance of high yielding varieties was enhanced in a competitive environment at the expense of low yielding ones. A general and flexible method of estimating competition coefficients in variety trials, together with a suitable algorithm, was developed and is explained in an appendix. It was used to check for inter-plot competition in a number of potato trials with single-drill plots and a large number of entries. Competition was found in some trials but not in others. Thus, where potato tubers are grown in single-drill plots for assessment of fresh-weight yield, adjustment should be made for inter-plot competition when evidence of inter-drill competition is found.     

Multi-purpose forests on peatland

Current forestry policy has multiple objectives including wood production, nature conservation, landscape, recreation and environment protection. There are about 190 000 ha of planted forest on deep peat and another 315 000 ha on shallower peat. Deep peat covers just over 2 million ha in Britain, so the area planted is some 9.5%. The paper describes how modern silvicultural practices are designed to achieve these multiple benefits of forests on peatland.     

近自然化改造对马尾松和杉木人工林生物量及其分配的影响

近自然化改造作为森林新增碳汇的最有希望的选择之一,将如何通过改变林分结构影响林分生物量和生产力进而影响林分固碳能力和潜力目前尚不清楚,因此,了解近自然化改造对人工林生物量及其分配的影响,对人工林生态系统碳管理具有重要意义。以马尾松近自然化改造林(P(CN))、马尾松未改造纯林(P(CK))、杉木近自然改造林(C(CN))和杉木未改造纯林(C(CK))4种人工林为研究对象,采用样方调查和生物量实测的方法,分析4种林分生物量差异,旨在揭示近自然化改造对马尾松和杉木人工林生物量及其分配的影响。结果表明:马尾松杉木人工林近自然化改造通过调整林分结构显著提升马尾松和杉木人工林生物量和生产力,8a后马尾松和杉木林分生物量分别增加46.71%和37.24%。乔木层生物量在林分生物量总量中占主导地位(95.48%-98.82%),并对林分生态系统总生物量变化起决定性作用。林分生物量和生产力的增加主要因为近自然化改造改变了林分群落结构,进而提高了乔木层生产力。研究结果表明,合理的经营措施不仅可以改善林分结构,提升林分生产力,并可为增强植被固碳能力创造有利条件。     

滇南喀斯特地区灌木群落和人工林土壤元素化学计量特征

在云南喀斯特地区,为提升退化灌木群落的生态系统服务功能,营造了不同树种的人工林分。这些人工林分如何影响土壤化学性质还未得到充分认识。以云南泸西县灌木群落及三种常见人工林(云南松(Pinus yunnanensis)、赤杨(Alnus japonica)和侧柏(Platycladus orientalis))土壤为研究对象探讨喀斯特地区在人工林建造后土壤的13种元素全量、可利用性含量和化学计量学特征变异格局,为喀斯特石漠化治理提供理论依据。结果表明,1)基于判别分析,四种群落土壤化学计量特征可以显著区分。土壤Fe、P、K、Mn全量及交换性Ca、交换性Mg和NH_4~+-N对区分四种群落土壤贡献最大。2)四种群落之间相比,侧柏林土壤C、N、S、Na全量和NO_3~--N含量均低于其他三种群落,土壤肥力较低;赤杨林铵态氮含量最高;云南松林有效Fe、有效Cu含量/N、C素具有显著相关性,占所有元素对数的38.5%,说明该地土壤元素积累的相互依赖性。与灌木群落相比,人工林土壤元素全量和可利用性含量相关性比例均更高。这些研究结果对今后基于适地适树人工林营造、生态系统服务功能提升和经营利用,均具有重要指导意义。     

Rhizosphere soil bacterial communities and nitrogen cycling affected by deciduous and evergreen tree species

Deciduous and evergreen trees differ in their responses to drought and nitrogen (N) demand. Whether or not these functional types affect the role of the bacterial community in the N cycle during drought remains uncertain. Two deciduous tree species (Alnus cremastogyne, an N₂‐fixing species, and Liquidambar formosana) and two evergreen trees (Cunninghamia lanceolata and Pinus massoniana) were used to assess factors in controlling rhizosphere soil bacterial community and N cycling functions. Photosynthetic rates and biomass production of plants, 16S rRNA sequencing and N‐cycling‐related genes of rhizosphere soil were measured. The relative abundance of the phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes was higher, and that of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimondaetes was lower in rhizosphere soil of deciduous trees than that of evergreen. Beta‐diversity of bacterial community also significantly differed between the two types of trees. Deciduous trees showed significantly higher net photosynthetic rates and biomass production than evergreen species both at well water condition and short‐term drought. Root biomass was the most important factor in driving soil bacterial community and N‐cycling functions than total biomass and aboveground biomass. Furthermore, 44 bacteria genera with a decreasing response and 46 taxa showed an increased response along the root biomass gradient. Regarding N‐cycle‐related functional genes, copy numbers of ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and autotrophic ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA), N₂ fixation gene (nifH), and denitrification genes (nirK, nirS) were significantly higher in the soil of deciduous trees than in that of the evergreen. Structural equation models explained 50.2%, 47.6%, 48.6%, 49.4%, and 37.3% of the variability in copy numbers of nifH, AOB, AOA, nirK, and nirS, respectively, and revealed that root biomass had significant positive effects on copy numbers of all N‐cycle functional genes. In conclusion, root biomass played key roles in affecting bacterial community structure and soil N cycling. Our findings have important implications for our understanding of plants control over bacterial community and N‐cycling function in artificial forest ecosystems.     

凋落物的树种多样性与杉木人工林土壤生态功能

通过模拟试验和野外调查对凋落物的树种多样性与杉木人工林土壤生态功能之间关系进行了研究。林分取样调查的结果表明 ,有两个树种凋落物覆盖的几个杉阔混交林土壤脲酶和蔗糖酶活性均明显高于只有杉木凋落物覆盖的杉木纯林土壤 ,酸性磷酸酶活性也呈现相同的变化趋势 ,这 3种土壤酶活性均以具有凋落物种类最多的次生常绿阔叶林土壤最高。除了土壤酶活性升高之外 ,杉阔混交林的土壤有机质和全氮含量也明显高于仅有一种杉木凋落物覆盖的杉木纯林土壤。采用杉木叶凋落物与不同阔叶树种凋落物处理土壤的模拟试验结果表明 ,在凋落物投放量和 (1 5NH4 ) 2 SO4 施用量相同的控制条件下 ,随着投放的凋落物树种组成的增加 ,土壤中 1 5N的残留量也随之增加 ,而其损失量却随之减少 ;土壤中杉木幼树对于 1 5N的吸收量以及杉木幼树的单株鲜重也随着处理凋落物组成树种的增加而增加 ,具有不同树种数量的凋落物处理之间差异显著 (p<0 .0 5 )。可见随着凋落物树种多样性的增加 ,不仅土壤有机质和全氮含量这两个基本的质量指标得到明显改善 ,而且土壤酶活性、土壤养分保蓄功能以及保证幼树良好生长等的生态功能明显改善     

混交对亚热带针叶树根际土壤氮矿化和微生物特性的影响

混交阔叶树是退化红壤区针叶林改造的重要措施之一,土壤养分供应和转化是评价混交效应的重要参数,但混交后针叶树根际土壤氮矿化特征及其影响因素还不清楚。选取退化红壤区马尾松（Pinus massoniana Lamb.）纯林、湿地松（Pinus elliottii Engelmann）纯林及其补植木荷（Schima superba Gardn.et Champ.）形成的马-木混交林和湿-木混交林为研究对象,采集4种林分下针叶树根际土壤,测定速效养分含量、氮矿化速率、氮水解酶活性和微生物磷脂脂肪酸含量,探究混交对针叶树根际土壤氮供应及微生物特性的影响,分析土壤氮矿化和微生物特性间的相关性。结果表明：混交显著增加了针叶树根际土壤铵态氮,矿质氮和有效磷含量,而对硝态氮影响不显著。根际土壤氮矿化以硝化作用为主,混交后针叶树根际土壤氨化速率降低了27.0%,硝化速率增加了55.4%,而最终净氮矿化速率增加了24.1%。两个树种间,马尾松根际土壤矿质氮含量和净氮矿化速率显著高于湿地松。针叶树根际土壤真菌、丛枝菌根真菌,总微生物生物量及真菌/细菌比在混交后显著增加,且马尾松根际土壤总微生物和真菌生物量分别比湿地松高18.9%和27.0%。同时,针叶树根际土壤β-N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶活性在混交后显著增强,且根际土壤硝化速率和净氮矿化速率与微生物指标和酶活性正相关。总的来说,混交阔叶树显著提高了针叶树根际土壤氮供应,以此应对阔叶树混交后带来的养分竞争压力,而马尾松倾向于积极性的应对策略,通过增加土壤氮矿化以适应外界环境改变。