A comparative analysis of spatial, temporal, and ecological characteristics of forest fires in seasonally dry tropical ecosystems in the Western Ghats, India

The Western Ghats in India is one of the 25 global hotspots of biodiversity, and it is the hotspot with the highest human density. This study considers variations in the regional fire regime that are related to vegetation type and past human disturbances in a landscape. Using a combination of remote sensing data and GIS techniques, burnt areas were delineated in three different vegetation types and various metrics of fire size were estimated. Belt transects were enumerated to assess the vegetation characteristics and fire effects in the landscape. Temporal trends suggest increasingly short fire-return intervals in the landscape. In the tropical dry deciduous forest, the mean fire-return interval is 6 years, in the tropical dry thorn forest mean fire-return interval is 10 years, and in the tropical moist deciduous forest mean fire-return interval is 20 years. Tropical dry deciduous forests burned more frequently and had the largest number of fires in any given year as well as the single largest fire (9900 ha). Seventy percent, 56%, and 30% of the tropical moist deciduous forests, tropical dry thorn forests, and tropical dry deciduous forests, respectively have not burned during the 7-year period of study. The model of fire-return interval as a function of distance from park boundary explained 63% of the spatial variation of fire-return interval in the landscape. Forest fires had significant impacts on species diversity and regeneration in the tropical dry deciduous forests. Species diversity declined by 50% and 60% in the moderate and high frequency classes, respectively compared to the low fire frequency class. Sapling density declined by ca. 30% in both moderate and high frequency classes compared to low frequency class. In tropical moist deciduous ecosystems, there were substantial declines in species diversity, tree density, seedling and sapling densities in burned forests compared to the unburned forests. In contrast forest fires in tropical dry thorn forests had a marginal positive effect on ecosystem diversity, structure, and regeneration.     

Biophysical quantification of biodiversity and ecosystems services of forest ecosystems in the Western Ghats: a case study of Uttara Kannada District,India

Biodiversity and ecosystem services play key roles in future economic strategies seeking to promote development and prosperity. This study assesses the status of biodiversity and flow of ecosystem services from selected forest types in the Western Ghats. At the sampling sites, the number of tree species ranged from 16 to 79 per hectare depending on the forest type. The estimates for Shannon–Wiener index for trees in the evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forest plots were 3.02, 2.9 and 1.54, respectively. The total biomass carbon stocks in evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests in the study area was 229, 221 and 189 t C/ha, respectively.Analysis of dependency patterns of local communities on forest resources indicated a high dependency on provisional services such as fuelwood, manure and fodder. The study records the highest dependency rates for fuelwood,ranging between 72 and 100% for the three forest types and indicates that forest ecosystems underpin the well-being of the population dependent directly and indirectly on them.     

绥宁花园阁国家湿地公园植物资源现状与分析

绥宁花园阁国家湿地公园植被丰富,为保护湿地生物资源,采用样方调查与样线调查相结合方法,开展植物资源调查。结果表明:湿地公园有维管束野生植物153科,336属,807种;主要森林类型可分常绿落叶阔叶林、落叶阔叶林、针叶林、竹林、灌草果群系、古树及珍贵树木;其中温带成分最多,植物区系成分以温带性质为主,热带成分也有较高的比例,区系成分出现较强的热带亚热带至温带的过渡性质。     

Litterfall, litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in a subtropical natural oak forest and managed plantation in northeastern India

In northeastern India, subtropical forests are over-exploited for timber, fuel wood and common agricultural practice like shifting cultivation, which are responsible for the degradation of natural forest. In degraded areas, large-scale plantations of different species of Quercus have been raised since 1980 for the production of economic Tasar silk. Conversion of natural forest into plantation affects the process of nutrient cycling due to management practices. Thus, it would be of importance to study the litterfall, litter decomposition process and the factors regulating the rate of litter decay in these ecosystems to improve recommendations for their management and conservation. We recorded litterfall by using litter traps and decomposition of leaf litter by nylon net bag technique to understand the amount of organic matter and nutrient return and their release in soils of forest and plantation in Manipur, northeast India. Total litterfall was 419.9 g m⁻² year⁻¹ in plantation and 547.7 g m⁻² year⁻¹ in forest. Litter decomposition rate was faster at plantation site than the forest in the early stage of litter decomposition whereas the reverse was observed at later stages of decomposition. Stepwise regression analysis showed the significant role of relative humidity and mean temperature on mass loss rates in the forest. Relative humidity, maximum temperature, population of fungi and actinomycetes were the best predictor variables for mass loss rates in plantation. Nutrient retranslocation efficiency and the immobilization of N and P in forest litter were higher than plantation. This suggests that Q. serrata growing in natural ecosystem in oligotrophic condition adapted strong nutrient conservation mechanisms to compete with the other plant species for the meager soil nutrients. The same species in plantation loses these adaptive capabilities because of exogenous supply of nutrients and in the absence of intense competition with other plant species. Thus, the optimization of organic and chemical fertilizer input in plantation is recommended for maintaining the soil fertility level to produce quality leaf for silkworm by conserving essential nutrients in the system.     

Forest vegetation of Xishuangbanna, south China

1 Introduction The tropical area of southern China is climatically and biogeographically located at the northern edge of tropical Asia, including southeastern Xizang (Tibet, lower valleys of the southern Himalayas), southern Yunnan, southwestern Guangxi, southern Taiwan and Hainan Island. The largest tropical area still covered by forests is in southern Yunnan. Tropical forests of southern Yunnan were little known until the late 1950s because of poor access except for some brief descrip-…     

Roads, fire and aggressive competitors: Determinants of bird distribution in subtropical production forests

Forestry practices such as fuel-reduction burning and maintenance of road networks can negatively impact avian assemblages, both directly by changing habitat structure and indirectly by creating conditions favorable for predators or competitors. The Brigalow Belt forests include some of the largest contiguous areas of native forest in the temperate and sub-humid zones of eastern Australia. Over 1 million ha of these forests are proposed to be converted from forestry to conservation tenure, yet the impacts on the avifauna of current and potential future forest management practices are not known. We investigated the influence of road edges and habitat type and structure on the avifauna of a 356 000 ha forest. Survey sites were either <50 m or >300 m from a road, and in either cypress pine Callitris glaucophylla forest, spotted gum Corymbia citriodora forest with a regenerating cypress pine/buloke Allocasuarina luehmannii understorey or spotted gum forest with an open understorey due to fuel-reduction burning. The avifauna differed significantly among vegetation types but not with proximity to a road, with the greatest differences between cypress pine and both types of spotted gum forest. The noisy miner Manorina melanocephala, an aggressive avian competitor, appears to be the factor mediating these assemblage-level differences. Noisy miners were rare in cypress pine forest but were three times more numerous than any other species in spotted gum forest. Spotted gum forest with a regenerating understorey had fewer noisy miners. Although total bird abundance was highest in open spotted gum forest, the species richness and abundance of passerines smaller than noisy miners was significantly lower in this forest type. Abundance of small passerines was eight times higher in sites where <3 noisy miners were recorded. Only one species, the eastern yellow robin, was influenced by proximity to a road edge. Cypress pine forest is potentially an important refuge for smaller birds. The results suggest that burning regimes that reduce regeneration of the cypress pine and buloke subcanopy in spotted gum forest potentially are exacerbating the problem of noisy miner domination of the avifauna.     

缙云山常绿阔叶林凋落动态及组成

[目的]从组成群落的主要树种角度研究森林凋落物生产与物候的关系,分析群落尺度上的凋落物产量、组成、季节动态、分布及主要树种的叶凋落节律,探讨缙云山常绿阔叶林凋落物的基本特征和凋落高峰的形成原因,为其保护、恢复及管理经营提供科学参考,同时也为亚热带常绿阔叶林生态系统的物质循环和功能及维持生物多样性机制等研究提供基础资料。[方法]以研究地1 hm²常绿阔叶林群落固定监测样地为平台,通过均匀交叉布设173个凋落物收集器,每月对收集到的凋落物进行分类、鉴定、称量。[结果]表明:1)2013—2014年的年凋落量为5 310.52 kg·hm^-2,其中叶凋落量(3 814.01 kg·hm^-2)最多,占年总凋落量的71.82%(常绿树叶90.95%,落叶树叶9.05%),枝条占12.51%,花果等繁殖器官占8.74%,树皮碎屑占1.00%,杂物占6.04%。2)1 a内,凋落物收集器内共收集到36种树木的凋落叶,占样地内树种总数(43种)的83.72%。3)不同收集器之间凋落量存在较大差异,55个收集器中的凋落量在250~300 g,4个收集器的凋落量超过400 g;单个收集器全年最多可收集到24种树种的凋落叶,收到14种凋落叶种数的收集器最多(29个)。[结论]1)全年凋落量月动态呈明显双峰型,叶凋落量月动态与凋落总量变化相同。栲(Castanopsis fargesii Franch)、润楠(Machilus pingii (Oliv.) Hemsl)、薯豆(Elaeocarpus japonicus Sieb. et Zucc)三者落叶量之和为落叶总量的55.89%,是凋落叶的主要来源。2)主要树种均具有明显的叶凋落节律,根据其节律特点可分为2类:单峰型和双峰型。根据其出现时间可分为4类:在春末夏初和秋季均出现落叶高峰的常绿树;仅在春末夏初出现高峰的常绿树;仅在夏末秋初出现高峰的常绿树;以及在秋冬季出现高峰的落叶树。叶凋落高峰主要受物候的影响。     

Successional patterns and gap phase dynamics of a humid tropical forest of the Western Ghats of Kerala, India: ground vegetation, biomass, productivity and nutrient cycling

The population dynamics of the ground vegetation and its energetics such as biomass accumulation and net primary productivity, and the nutrient cycling patterns in the humid tropical forest of the Western Ghats in India are largely determined by gap age and by whether gaps are formed naturally or through selection felling. Responses of plant categories such as herbs, shrubs, tree seedlings and saplings also vary depending upon gap type and age. An exotic species such as Chromolaena odorata occurred only in selection-felled gaps ((9 ± 3)−(49 ± 4) individuals (100 m)⁻²). Nilgirianthus ciliatus, a dominant shrub, plays a key role in the gaps in determining population dynamics of others. The net primary productivity of the ground vegetation, which is about 31.17 ± 4.26 kg (100 m)⁻² year⁻¹ in an undisturbed site, increased a year after gap formation to 102.82 ± 6.46 kg (100 m)⁻² year⁻¹ in natural gaps and to 71.82 ± 2.36 kg (100 m)⁻² year⁻¹ in selection-felled gaps. Five years after gap formation, net primary productivity of the ground vegetation declined considerably, this being related to decline in fast-growing shrub and secondary tree species in the vegetation and gap closure. A similar trend was also recorded for the rates of nutrient uptake and nutrient accumulation in the vegetation.

In natural gaps the soil nutrient level increased gradually with gap age. This could be attributed to slow release of nutrients from the fallen trunks and nutrient storage in the rapidly recovering vegetation. In contrast, in selection-felled gaps, the quantities of soil nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium were higher in 1-year-old gaps than in undisturbed sites, owing to the release of these nutrients from leaf litter and wood debris which were deposited in larger quantities within the gap itself, and owing to sparse ground vegetation resulting from the greater disturbance of the soil, in the first 1 or 2 years. The fractional annual turnover rates of elements of the ground vegetation and the soil were higher in 1-year-old gaps and declined with gap age. The significance of these results for forest management is discussed.     

Insights into seasonal variation of litter decomposition and related soil degradative enzyme activities in subtropical forest in China

We used a litterbag method to investigate litter decomposition and related soil degradative enzyme activities across four seasons in a broad-leaved forest and a coniferous forest on Zijin Mountain in s...     

我国森林生态系统枯落物现存量研究进展

在参考大量相关文献的基础上,对我国森林生态系统枯落物现存量研究进展进行了归纳总结。我国枯落物现存量的研究主要集中在亚热带和温带,热带相对较少;枯落物现存量的研究主要采用收获法,但取样样方的布设、面积、数量及取样时间等尚没有统一的规定;在大区域尺度上,气候是影响森林枯落物现存量变化的主导因子,不同气候带森林枯落物现存量的大小顺序为温带>亚热带>热带;森林枯落物现存量还受林分起源、群落组成和结构、群落发育阶段、土壤、地形条件及干扰的影响。文中还针对全球变化背景下我国森林枯落物现存量研究中存在的问题及今后的研究方向进行了探讨。     

滇东北4种典型筇竹林凋落物的持水性

以滇东北4种典型筇竹林为研究对象,对比分析不同类型筇竹林凋落物储量及持水性能,从而为滇东北筇竹林生态可持续经营提供理论依据和实践指导。研究结果表明,凋落物储量为人工筇竹-黄皮树混交林（7.61 t/hm²） > 天然筇竹-人工黄皮树混交林（6.61 t/hm²） > 天然筇竹-人工厚朴混交林（5.73 t/hm²） > 天然筇竹纯林（5.23 t/hm²）。凋落物最大持水量为天然筇竹-人工厚朴混交林（3.45 t/hm²） > 人工筇竹-黄皮树混交林（3.22 t/hm²） > 天然筇竹-人工黄皮树混交林（2.89 t/hm²） > 天然筇竹纯林（2.69 t/hm²）。4种类型筇竹林凋落物吸水速率均随着浸泡时间延长而逐渐趋于一致,筇竹混交林凋落物吸水速率高于筇竹纯林。凋落物的总有效拦蓄量为人工筇竹-黄皮树混交林（9.74 t/hm²） > 天然筇竹-人工厚朴混交林（8.95 t/hm²） > 天然筇竹-人工黄皮树混交林（7.73 t/hm²） > 天然筇竹纯林（6.23 t/hm²）。     

Compression and overlap of unique vegetation system of subtropical mountain resembling tropical and temperate forests along elevation

The purpose of this study was to investigate how forests on subtropical mountains, which resembled tropical and temperate forests, were assembled, and to examine the compression and overlap of vegetations. We established 344 sample plots (400 m²) located at different altitudinal gradients ranging from 16 to 3,500 m above sea level (ASL) in Hsueshan Range northern Taiwan. Vegetation types were classified by TWINSPAN and the results of DCA were used to analyze the changes in vegetation types along elevation. Vegetation I was composed of the species of Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, and Rubiaceae, which were taxa of tropical floristic elements, and the extent of this vegetation was limited below 1,500 m ASL. Vegetation II was defined into two subtypes, which were distributed from 1,000 to 2,500 m ASL, and were composed predominantly of Chamaecyparis and Tsuga, respectively. Our data also revealed that vegetation II contained co-dominants of species from families Lauraceae and Fagaceae. Moreover, evergreen broadleaved trees similar to tropical mountain forests were found to have narrower altitudinal ranges on subtropical mountains, whereas coniferous forests resembled temperate areas and were characterized by endemic conifer species. Vegetation III, from 2,500 to 3,500 m ASL, was characterized by endemic conifer species, Abies and Tsuga. Interestingly, deciduous forest was almost absent in this area and Fagus was the only tree type on a small mountain ridge. Data obtained from this study will help in raising conservation awareness for subtropical mountains since unique patterns of compression and overlap characteristics of tropical and temperate resembling forests were evident.     

National assessment of the fragmentation, accessibility and anthropogenic pressure on the forests in Mexico

Forest managers and policy makers increasingly demand to have access to estimates of forest fragmentation,human accessibility to forest areas and levels of anthropogenic pressure on the remaining forests to integrate them into monitoring systems,management and conservation plans.Forest fragmentation is defined as the breaking up of a forest unit,where the number of patches and the amount of expose edge increase while the amount of core area decreases.Forest fragmentation studies in Mexico have been limited to local or regional levels and have concentrated only on specific forest types.This paper presents an assessment of the fragmentation of all forest types at the national level,their effective proximity to anthropogenic influences,and the development of an indicator of anthropogenic pressure on the forests areas.Broadleaf forests,tropical evergreen forests and tropical dry deciduous forests show the greatest fragmentation.Almost half(47%) of the tropical forests are in close effective proximity to anthropogenic influences and only 12% of their area can be considered isolated from anthropogenic influences.The values for the temperate forests are 23% and 29% respectively.Anthropogenic pressure in the immediate vicinity of anthropogenic activities is much higher in the tropical forests(75 in a scale 0-100) than in the temperate forests(30).When considering these results jointly,the tropical forests,and more specifically,the tropical evergreen forests and tropical dry deciduous forests are under the greatest pressure and risks of degradation.     

湖北恩施二蹬岩林麝、猕猴自然保护区维管植物区系及植被群落分析

二蹬岩林麝、猕猴自然保护区位于湖北省恩施市,是1个以保护林麝、猕猴为主的省级专类保护区。保护区共有维管植物121科309属504种。其中:包含国家级保护植物6种。保护区植物区系成分复杂,维管植物属的分布类型有14个。其中:温带属144种、热带属115 种。植物区系具温带特性,具有热带向温带过渡的性质。多心皮、古老孑遗植物的存在表明, 该植物区系起源古老。保护区的植被群落可以划分为5种类型:常绿阔叶林、落叶阔叶林、常绿针叶林、灌草丛林及竹林,植物群落的多样性给林麝、猕猴的生存提供了良好的条件。     

Floristic attributes of small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton) growing areas in the Western Ghats of peninsular India

A field study was conducted in the Western Ghats of peninsular India to test the following two hypotheses: (1) lower floristic diversity for the cardamom hill reserves (CHR —a traditional agroforestry system of the tropics) compared to undisturbed evergreen forests and (2) a truncated vegetation structure for shade trees in the cardamom areas. The experimental sites involved three CHRs and an evergreen forest site.The CHRs, regardless of their locations, were characterized by lower floristic diversity and density than the evergreen forest site. The undisturbed forest site at Ayyappancoil registered the highest floristic richness and diversity (Simpson's floristic diversity index, D=0.93), followed by the well-managed CHR site, suggesting that managerial interventions may have a strong bearing on the floristic diversity of CHRs. The current suite of species in the CHRs included both heliophilic as well as shade-tolerant components. However, dominant tree species, their density and relative abundance exhibited marked variations among the CHR sites, albeit about one-third of the species were common at all sites.Stand physiognomy was characterized by the dominance of a single layer of trees in the CHRs, while the wet evergreen forest exhibited a multilayered canopy structure. Some of the lower height classes were poorly represented in the cardamom areas, whereas the evergreen forests depicted an inverse J shaped height distribution pattern. Implicit in the truncated stand structure of the CHR is the poor regeneration status, due to systematic removal of the lower size classes.     

Forest composition,leaf litter,and songbird communities in oak- vs. maple-dominated forests in the eastern United States

Within the eastern deciduous forest region, forest composition varies, with some areas dominated by a mix of oaks (Quercus spp.) and other areas dominated by a mix of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and other tree species. Prescribed fire is being used on an experimental basis to assess its effectiveness in restoring and maintaining oak-dominated forests. Maple-dominated forests are susceptible to invasion by non-native earthworms, such as Lumbricus terrestris, given the palatability of leaf litter and suitable soil conditions, especially in northern parts of the region. What are the implications of this variation on leaf litter availability and habitat for ground-nesting songbirds? We investigated this question by comparing forest composition, leaf litter, and songbird communities in maple-dominated forests in west-central Indiana and oak-dominated forests, recently burned and unburned, in southeastern Ohio. We also assessed abundance of earthworms and decomposition rates of different types of leaves in the maple-dominated forests in Indiana. Leaf litter and ground-nesting bird species were abundant in unburned oak-dominated forests, but were absent or nearly absent in recently burned oak-dominated forests and in maple-dominated forests. The lack of leaf litter and absence of ground-nesting bird species in maple-dominated forests may be due to the combination of abundant non-native earthworms, alkaline and calcium-rich soils, palatable leaves, and rapid leaf litter decomposition rates. Effects of burning on leaf litter and ground-nesting bird species in oak-dominated forests are probably temporary, as long as prescribed fires are not applied on a frequent or widespread basis. Our study is the first one to show a correlation between forest composition, leaf litter availability, earthworm abundance, and songbird populations. Many researchers are investigating effects of non-native earthworm invasions on ecosystem properties in eastern deciduous forests. We recommend that researchers should also monitor songbird populations to assess whether declines in ground-nesting bird populations are occurring in response to these changes.     

氮沉降对凋落物分解的影响研究进展

过去几十年的人类活动增加了陆地生态系统的氮输入量,对凋落物分解的影响有促进、抑制和没有影响3种情况。凋落物的基质质量影响凋落物的分解,其中木质素、纤维素、酚类物质、N浓度、P浓度、C/N比、C/P比、木质素/N比具有重要作用。人类活动引起的全球变化,如CO₂增加、温度上升和降水变化,影响了氮沉降的速率和凋落物分解。未来氮沉降对凋落物分解的研究热点包括加强氮沉降对热带与亚热带森林凋落物和阔叶树种凋落物分解影响的研究,氮沉降对凋落物分解影响研究的长期化,采用13C同位素研究凋落物分解,注重凋落物分解对氮沉降与大气CO₂浓度升高、气候变暖、降水变化、紫外线辐射增强、P沉降交互作用响应的研究。     

我国主要森林生态系统类型降水截留规律的数量分析

通过对大量林林生态系统水文生态功能研究资料的分析，从林冠层、枯枝落叶层和土壤三个森林水文生态功能的发挥最主要的层次出发，比较分析了我国主要森林生态系统类型的降水截留规律。     

Managing forest complexity through application of disturbance–recovery knowledge in development of silvicultural systems and ecological rehabilitation in natural forest systems in Africa

How can we accommodate the diversity in tree species and sizes in mixed-species/size/age stands in the sustainable management of natural forests and woodlands in Africa for diverse timber and non-timber forest products and services, and during rehabilitation of degraded forests? The evergreen moist tropical to warm-temperate forests, from the equator to 34°S, generally function through relative shade tolerance. The tropical, strongly seasonal, drier deciduous woodlands generally function through adaptation to fire and/or grazing/browsing. Silvicultural systems, when implemented, are often not aligned with the ecological characteristics of the particular forest systems or the specific targeted species. This paper presents the concept of using the basic disturbance–recovery processes, with recovery development via stand development stages, as the basis for the development of silvicultural systems suitable for maintenance of forest complexity. Grain analysis and stem diameter distributions, analysed from resource inventories, are used to determine the specific shade- or fire-tolerance characteristics of key economical and ecological tree species. The gained knowledge of the ecosystem and species characteristics (including modes of regeneration, i.e. from seed or vegetative regrowth) and processes is used to simulate the ecological disturbance–recovery processes through the development of mixed silvicultural systems, such as a single-tree selection system, a group felling system and a coppice management system in the same forest. Very similar concepts are used to develop rehabilitation strategies to recover the processes towards regrowth stands of diverse species and structure: through stands of introduced plantations and invader tree species; and through early regrowth stages in deciduous woodlands and evergreen forests, after fire, slash-and-burn traditional agriculture, charcoal production or open-cast mining.