Diversity of naturally-regenerated native woody species in forest plantations in the Ethiopian highlands

Woody species diversity and ground layervegetation cover were studied in plantations ofPinus patula, Cupressus lusitanica,Grevillea robusta, and Juniperusprocera, and in surrounding natural forests inWondo Genet, Ethiopia. In the understory of theplantations, a total of 53 naturallyregenerated tree and shrub species belonging to31 families were recorded. Important indigenoustimber species were also represented. Treesaccounted for 72% of all naturally-regeneratedwoody plant species. On the average, 78% ofthe woody species found in plantations werealso found in the natural forest. There was nosignificant variation in understory woodyspecies richness among plantations. C.lusitanica plantations had a significantlyhigher abundance of woody species than those ofP. patula, but the difference wasnot significant in relation to J. procera,G. robusta and the adjacent natural forest.The herbaceous ground cover percentage in G. robusta and P. patula stands wasconsiderably higher than in C. lusitanicaand J. procera stands. Relative toplantations of other species, plantations ofthe native tree species J. procera hadhigher understory species richness, mediumwoody species abundance and low ground cover.Although there was a marked variation inoverstory plantation density, its effect onunderstory species richness and abundance wasnot significant. The density ofnaturally-regenerated woody species inplantations was over three times the usualplanting density in Ethiopia, indicating a highpotential of forest plantations for restoringthe natural forest ecosystems on degraded landsat a comparatively low cost.     

Species diversity and regeneration of old-growth seasonally dry Shorea robusta forests following gap formation

Diversity and regeneration of woody species were investigated in two ecological niches viz. gap and intact vegetation in old-growth seasonally dry Shorea robusta (Gaertn. f.) forests in Nepal. We also related varieties of diversity measures and regeneration attributes to gap characteristics. Stem density of tree and shrub components is higher in the gap than in the intact vegetation. Seedling densities of S. robusta and Terminalia alata (B. Heyne ex Roth.) are higher in the gap than in the intact vegetation, while contrary result is observed for T. bellirica (Gaertn. ex Roxb.) and Syzigium cumini (L. Skeels) in term of seedling density. The complement of Simpson index, Evenness index, and species-individual ratio in the seedling layer are lower in the gap than the intact vegetation. Gap size can explain species richness and species establishment rate. Gaps created by multiple tree falls in different years have higher seedling density of S. robusta than gaps created by single and/or multiple tree falls in the same year. In conclusion, gaps maintain species diversity by increasing seedling density, and favor regeneration of Sal forests. In addition to gap size, other gap attributes also affect species diversity and regeneration. Foundation Project: The study was supported by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).     

Understory plant communities of boreal mixedwood forests in western Canada: Natural patterns and response to variable-retention harvesting

We examined patterns of variation in richness, diversity, and composition of understory vascular plant communities in mixedwood boreal forests of varying composition (broadleaf, mixedwood, conifer) in Alberta, Canada, before and for 2 years following variable-retention harvesting (clearcut, 20 and 75% dispersed green tree retention, control). Broadleaf-dominated forests differed from mixedwood or conifer-dominated forests in that they had greater canopy cover, litter depth, soil nitrogen, warmer soils, as well as greater shrub cover, herb and shrub richness and diversity (plot scale). In contrast, conifer, and to a lesser extent mixedwood, forest had greater β diversity than broadleaf forest. Overall, mixedwood and conifer forests were similar to one another, both differed from broadleaf forest. Several species were found to be significant indicators of broadleaf forest but most of these also occurred in the other forest types. Understory composition was related to canopy composition and edaphic conditions. Variable-retention harvesting had little effect on understory cover, richness, or diversity but resulted in reduced richness and β diversity at a larger scale. The clearcut and 20% treatments affected composition in all forest types. Early successional species and those common in disturbed sites were indicators of harvesting while evergreen, shade-tolerant understory herbs were indicators of the control forest and 75% retention harvest. We conclude that it is important to maintain a range of variation in canopy composition of mixedwood forests in order to conserve the associated understory communities. The presence of conifers in these forests has a particularly important influence on understory communities. The threshold for a lifeboat effect of variable-retention harvesting is between 20 and 75% retention. Examination of richness and β diversity at a variety of scales can provide interesting information on effects of harvesting on spatial reorganization and homogenization of understory plant communities.     

Species Composition,Distribution, and Diversity of Woody Species in a Tropical Dry Forest of India

We investigated the composition of tropical dry forest woody species at adult, sapling, and seedling stages, in terms of plant diversity, distribution, and importance value index (IVI), and identified the dominant and ubiquitous species in the five study sites having variable edaphic properties. Species varied markedly in the composition and IVI at different sites. The semi-evergreen species, Shorea robusta, was dominant at the wettest site at all the three growth stages; at the driest site, highly deciduous species Lannea coromandelica was the dominant adult species and Nyctanthis arbortristis the dominant sapling and seedling species. Soil moisture content (SMC) altered the distribution of about 8% of the adult species. ANOVA indicated significant site-wise differences in the Shannon-Wiener index, Whittaker’s evenness, Margalef’s species richness, and β-diversity for the woody species at all the three stages. The Shannon-Wiener index, Whittaker’s evenness, Margalef’s species richness, and β-diversity were greater in seedlings as compared to adult and saplings of tree species. These variations in species composition and distribution are evidently on account of different levels of SMC as well as habitat heterogeneity as indicated by β-diversity which was independent of SMC.     

Spatial distribution,advanced regeneration and stand structure of Nepalese Sal (Shorea robusta) forests subject to disturbances of different intensities

We investigated the spatial distribution, advanced regeneration and stand structure of five Shorea robusta-dominated forests in 25 1-ha plots subject to disturbances of different intensities. We aim to elucidate the relationships of advanced regeneration and spatial patterns of the tree species with degree of disturbance magnitude. Sixty-seven tree species were recorded in the forest plots; 41 species were found in the least disturbed forests, while only 10 species were found in the heavily disturbed forests. We found 5320 trees with >1.5 cm diameter at breast height, in total, and found that moderately disturbed forests contained the highest advanced regeneration (sapling)/pole densities. No significant differences were observed in stem basal area among forests. The overall stand density changed quadratically across the disturbance gradient. A strong inverse relationship was found between the overall stand density and diameter class in the least disturbed and moderately disturbed forests. Ten species showed variation in their dispersion patterns across the disturbance gradient. Most of the socio-economically important tree species analyzed showed little or no regeneration in the least and most heavily disturbed forests. Individual species showed different responses to disturbance ranging from ‘tolerant’ (Shorea robusta, Lagerstroemia parviflora and Symplocos spp.) to ‘sensitive’ (Trewia nudiflora, Adina cardifolia and Terminalia alata). We concluded that moderate disturbance intensity not only ensures high stand density, but also enhances the advanced regeneration of socio-economically important tree species and affects their dispersion patterns. Future management strategy must balance the consumptive needs of the local community with those of species conservation by allowing regulated access to the forests.     

Tree species diversity and stand structure along major community types in lowland primary and secondary moist deciduous forests in Tripura, Northeast India

Tree species diversity and population structure at different community types were described and analyzed for primary and secondary lowland moist deciduous forests in Tripura.Overall 10,957 individual trees belonging to 46 family,103 genera and 144 species were counted at ≥30 cm DBH(diameter at breast height) using 28 permanent belt transects with a size of 1 ha(10 m × 1000 m).Four different tree communities were identified.The primary forests was dominated by Shorea robusta(mean density 464.77 trees ha-1,105 species) and Schima wallichii(336.25 trees ha-1,82 species),while the secondary forests was dominated by Tectona grandis(333.88 trees ha-1,105 species) and Hevea brasiliensis(299.67 trees ha-1,82 species).Overall mean basal area in this study was 18.01m 2 ·ha-1 ;the maximum value was recorded in primary Shorea forest(26.21 m 2 ·ha-1).Mean density and diversity indices were differed significantly within four different communities.No significant differences were observed in number of species,genera,family and tree basal cover area.Significant relationships were found between the species richness and different tree population groups across the communities.Results revealed that species diversity and density were increased in those forests due to past disturbances which resulted in slow accumulation of native oligarchic small tree species.Seventeen species were recorded with <2 individuals of which Saraca asoka(Roxb.) de Wilde and Entada phaseoloides(L.) Merr.etc.extensively used in local ethno-medicinal formulations.The present S.robusta Gaertn dominated forest was recorded richer(105 species) than other reported studies.Moraceae was found more speciose family instead of Papilionaceae and Euphorbiaceae than other Indian moist deciduous forests.Seasonal phenological gap in such moist deciduous forests influenced the population of Trachypithecus pileatus and capped langur.The analysis of FIV suggested a slow trend of shifting the population of Lamiaceae group by Moraceae species in secondary T.grandis L.dominated community.     

鹰咀界天然林保护区甜槠林群落多样性研究

甜槠林是我国中亚热带地区地带性植被常绿阔叶林的主要类型之一,也是鹰咀界天然林保护区内代表性植被。我们在群落调查的基础上,通过统计计算分析将区内的甜槠林分成3大类别8种群落类型。并分别用物种丰富度指数（Dg1）、Simpson指数（D）、Shannon—Wiener指数（H’）、Pielou均匀度指数（J）、Alatalo均匀度指数（E）对各群落类型进行了物种多样性研究,结论为：群落多样性乔木层、灌木层（不包括乔木幼树、幼苗）〉草本层,但乔木层多样性不一定大于灌木层,灌木层、草本层的分布均匀度较乔木层高,变异系数小。     

桂西南岩溶区不同恢复模式群落生物量及林下植物多样性

[目的]研究桂西南岩溶区不同恢复模式群落的生物量及其林下植物多样性的特点,为该区域的生物多样性保护、生态功能恢复效果评价积累基础数据。[方法]以桂西南岩溶区4种不同恢复模式为研究对象,采用样方法对林下植物多样性进行研究;采用收获法研究灌木层与草本层的地上、地下生物量及凋落物层现存量;采用异速生长模型来估算乔木层的地上生物量,并参考IPCC根茎比来量化乔木的地下生物量。[结果]表明:共调查记录林下植物85种,隶属于46科,81属,其中,灌木植物25科,46属,50种;草本植物21科,35属,35种;不同恢复模式群落生物量的变化趋势为自然恢复林(166.66 t·hm-2)任豆林(48.61 t·hm-2)吊丝竹林(36.54 t·hm-2)灌草坡(0.96 t·hm-2)。[结论]不同恢复模式灌木层物种丰富度差异不显著,最高的为灌草坡(16种),其次为任豆林(15种),最低为自然恢复林(12种);草本层物种丰富度最高的为任豆林(12种),其次为灌草坡(10种),最低为自然恢复林(4种)。自然恢复林乔木不同组分生物量与任豆林、吊丝竹林之间差异显著(P0.05);灌草坡的灌木、草本地上生物量与吊丝竹林、任豆林、自然恢复林之间差异显著(P0.05)。吊丝竹林、任豆林的灌草生物量表现为草本层灌木层,而灌草坡与自然恢复林的灌草生物量则表现为灌木层草本层。     

Forest Structure Under Different Management Regimes in the Western Lowlands of Nepal

ABSTRACT

For landscape level conservation and rural sustenance, forests outside of protected areas are becoming increasingly important. Since most outside forests in the lowlands of Nepal are under government control and utilized as open access resources, their feasibility to achieve these objectives is questionable. We compared forests inside (with three decades of strict protection) and outside of protected areas (under government control and proposed as community forests) to assess the ecological sustainability of outside forests and to provide baseline data on structure of outside forests so that effectiveness of community forestry (after implementation) can be evaluated in the future. Our results indicate that outside forests were in a degraded condition with low tree, sapling and seedling densities and lower species diversity. Trees in lower dbh (diameter at breast height) classes were absent in these forests. Although the canopy layer was not significantly different, the ordination of plots and species showed that species composition of understory and the ground layer were different than protected forests. The present condition of outside forests is not only ecologically unsustainable but also cannot fulfill the demands for forest products of local people. The inefficiency of government to monitor against exploitation has been responsible for present conditions. We recommend that community forestry programs, which are successful in improving conditions of degraded forests in the mountains of Nepal, should be widely implemented in lowland areas (Terai) and proposed community forests should be handed over to local communities as soon as it is practicable.     

Understory succession in post-agricultural oak forests: Habitat fragmentation affects forest specialists and generalists differently

The herbaceous understory forms the richest stratum in temperate broadleaved forests in terms of plant diversity. Understanding the process of understory succession is thus of critical importance for the development of management guidelines for biodiversity restoration in post-agricultural plantation forests.We studied effects of stand age, forest fragmentation, and soil and canopy conditions on species richness and abundance of four species groups in the understory of post-arable oak plantations in southern Sweden: herbaceous forest specialists, habitat generalists and open-land species, and woody species.The group of forest specialists may approach the richness of continuously forested sites after 60-80 years in non-fragmented plantations, but many forest species were sensitive to habitat fragmentation. Open-land species richness decreased during succession, while the richness of woody species and of generalists remained stable, and was not affected by fragmentation. Abundance of generalists gradually decreased in non-fragmented plantations, probably due to competition from colonizing forest specialists. Soil pH in post-arable stands remained consistently higher than in continuously forested stands, which maintained differences in species composition. The development of a shrub layer seemed to imply a competitive advantage for forest specialists compared to generalist species.For successful recovery of a rich understory, we suggest that post-arable plantations should be established on loamy soils of intermediate to high pH proximate to older forest with source populations, and that a continuous overstory canopy cover of 70-80% is maintained by regular light thinnings and promotion of a shrub layer.     

石垟林场省级森林公园常绿阔叶林物种多样性研究

对文成县石垟林场常绿阔叶林的不同样地、不同层次的物种丰富度、物种多样性指数和群落均匀度进行了分析,结果表明:在群落垂直结构中,乔木层第2亚层的物种丰富度、物种多样性指数、群落均匀度显著大于第1亚层.乔木层与灌木层之间多样性各项指标总体无显著差别.乔木层、灌木层的物种丰富度、物种多样性指数均大于草本层,且差异极显著,群落均匀度差异显著.乔木层、灌木层、草本层的多样性各项指标在群落各样地间均有一定的差异,相对而言,灌木层、乔木层的差异较小,草本层的差异较大.     

Response of vascular epiphyte diversity to different land-use intensities in a neotropical montane wet forest

Although vascular epiphytes contribute substantially to the biodiversity of tropical montane forests, it is unclear how their diversity and community composition is affected by forest alteration. We studied the response of vascular epiphyte assemblages to different intensities of land-use in a montane wet forest of northeastern Ecuador: (1) unmanaged mature forest; (2) mature forest with mid- and understorey opened for cattle grazing; and (3) isolated remnant trees in cattle pastures. The numbers of individuals and species of epiphytes per host tree did not differ significantly between land-use types, neither did total epiphyte species richness (n = 30 trees). However, total species richness of pteridophytes was significantly lower on isolated remnant trees compared to unmanaged forest, whereas several taxa rich in xerotolerant species (Bromeliaceae, Orchidaceae, Piperaceae) exhibited the opposite trend. An analysis of floristic composition using ordination (NMS) and randomisation techniques (MRPP) showed that epiphyte assemblages on isolated remnant trees were significantly distinct from unmanaged forest while managed forest was intermediate between those two vegetation types. Ordination analysis further indicated reduced floristic heterogeneity in disturbed habitats. These results suggest considerable, rapid species turnover since land-use change 6 years prior to study, with pteridophytes being replaced by more xerotolerant taxa. We attribute this floristic turnover primarily to changes in microclimate towards higher levels of light and desiccation stress associated with forest disturbance. Our results support the notion that community composition offers a more sensitive indicator of human disturbance than species richness.     

Assessing the relationships between stand development and understory vegetation using a 420-year chronosequence

The large-scale conversion of old forests to tree plantations has made it increasingly important to understand how understory vegetation responds to such landscape changes. For instance, in some forest types a reduction in understory richness and cover is thought to result from the development of canopy closure in plantations, although there is a paucity of empirical data demonstrating this relationship. We used a 420-year forest chronosequence as a case study to assess the relationship between stand age, tree canopy cover and understory vascular plant richness and composition in the Siskiyou Mountains of Oregon. The chronosequence consisted of six young managed (age 7–44) and nine older unmanaged (age 90–427) stands. All stands were similar in underlying geology, slope, elevation, and aspect. We found a non-linear relationship between stand age and richness, in which richness was highest in the youngest stands, reached a low in mid-aged stands (∼55 years), then increased in the oldest stands. We also found that percent tree canopy cover was correlated with total understory cover, richness, diversity, and species composition. In general, young stands were characterized by high shrub and graminoid cover and old stands were characterized by an abundant herb layer. Our work suggests that a major component of our study landscape is currently entering the forest stage (canopy closure) characterized by low levels of vascular plant species richness and cover. We use our results to discuss the potential effects of future forest management on understory plants.     

Understory diversity and composition after planting of teak and mahogany in Yogyakarta,Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Forest rehabilitation is when a desired tree species is planted in degraded forests or lands. Rehabilitation by planting a single tree species is a common way to restore exploited forests to maintain ecological processes. We compared woody and herbaceous understory vegetation between forests rehabilitated by mahogany (N = 12) or teak (N = 12) planted from 1941 until 2003 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Understory vegetation of these areas was compared with that of three native forests. Species richness, species diversity, density of plants and proportion of native plants did not differ between the rehabilitated areas and the native forest. Recently rehabilitated areas were different from the native forests while 41–74 yr after rehabilitation, characteristics of understory vegetation approached those of native forest. We described species composition using ordination, and found it to differ between areas rehabilitated with teak and with mahogany and, particularly, between the rehabilitated areas and the native forests. Time since rehabilitation and tree species planted were important for the species composition of understory vegetation. We conclude that the selection of species for rehabilitation and letting rehabilitated areas mature are important for understory development and species diversity.     

乌拉山自然保护区主要森林群落物种多样性与群落结构研究

乌拉山自然保护区位于典型草原与荒漠草原的交界处,是研究干旱区山地物种多样性的理想区域。利用α多样性指数、β多样性指数以及重要值,对乌拉山主要森林群落（白桦林、油松林）林下灌木层和草本层的物种多样性以及群落结构进行了研究,结果表明：（1）群落草本层α多样性指数明显高于灌木层;（2）群落灌木层、草本层α多样性指数表现为：白桦林〉天然油松林〉人工油松林;天然油松林〉人工油松林〉白桦林〉柄扁桃灌丛;（3）群落β多样性指数表现出同一种森林群落类型之间绝大多数呈轻度相似性;不同森林群落类型之间呈极不相似;生境条件的差异、人为干扰等因素对群落β多样性的影响较为明显;（4）群落物种组成以菊科、蔷薇科植物为主,草本植物以多年生中生、中旱生、旱生植物为主,林下灌木水分生态型以中生为主。     

多伦县沙地云杉混交林物种多样性研究

以多伦县沙地云杉林3条样带的群落调查数据为基础,研究了沙地云杉混交林的物种组成结构,分析了3个典型群落乔木层、灌木层、草本层的物种多样性。结果表明:沙地云杉混交林植物种类丰富,乔木层、灌木层、草本层共有植物71种,群落垂直结构分层明显;多伦县沙地云杉与白桦混交林物种多样性较丰富,在群落梯度上,群落Ⅰ为52种,群落Ⅱ为45种,群落Ⅲ为47种,物种丰富度指数大小顺序为群落Ⅰ>群落Ⅲ>群落Ⅱ;群落的物种多样性指数变化规律大致相同,均为草本层>灌木层>乔木层;3个典型群落的物种均匀度指数变化规律基本一致,为乔木层最大,灌木层其次,草本层最小。通过对多伦县沙地云杉混交林物种多样性的研究,为加强沙地云杉生物多样性的保护和经营管理提供理论依据。     

小陇山不同灌木林地改造模式林分树种多样性研究

生物多样性研究已经成为生态学研究的热点,而维持物种多样性是目前森林经营研究的一个主要内容。本文运用点抽样方法研究了甘肃小陇山5种不同的灌木林地改造模式的树种多样性。结果表明:带状割灌改造模式林分的树种较全面清理割灌模式丰富,Shannon-Wiener指数与Margalef指数较高,林分的树种多样性较高,林分内各树种分配较为均匀,带状割灌改造更有利于提高林分的树种多样性;在3种全面清理割灌改造模式中,改造日本落叶松模式虽然树种数与其它2种相同,但林分内树种分配均匀性差,集中性高。不同的改造模式对林分树种多样性的影响不同,这对提高和保持改造林分的物种多样性具有一定借鉴意义。     

Do mature pine plantations resemble deciduous natural forests regarding understory plant diversity and canopy structure in historically modified landscapes?

We compared the structure of the arboreal layer and the diversity and species composition of the understory vegetation of three types of mature forest communities: oak (Quercus pyrenaica) and beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) plantations. Our main aim was to determine whether differences in these variables existed and were due to the identity of the dominant tree species. We selected four stands or replicates per forest type located geographically close and with relatively similar conditions. We found no differences in the arboreal structure of oak and beech forests, which were characterised by great variability in tree size, while in case of plantations, this variability was lower at both the intra-stand (estimated by the coefficient of variation) and inter-stand (i.e. the four replicates harboured trees of similar sizes) scales. However, the highest variability in the canopy layer of natural forests was not consistently linked to greater understory species richness. Indeed, the lowest plant species richness was found in beech forests, while oak forests harboured the highest value at either the sampling unit (per m²) or stand scales. The greatest negative correlation between plant diversity and the environmental variables measured was found for litter depth, which was the highest in beech forests. The results obtained by the CCA indicated that the four replicates of each forest type clustered together, due to the presence of characteristic species. We concluded that pine plantations did not approach the environmental conditions of native forests, as plantations were characterised by singular understory species composition and low arboreal layer variability, compared to natural woodlands.     

Positive association between understory species richness and a dominant shrub species (Corylus avellana) in a boreonemoral spruce forest

Old growth stands of boreonemoral spruce (Picea abies) forests frequently have a shrub layer dominated by hazel (Corylus avellana) – a species which is generally excluded in intensively managed forests due to clearcutting activities. We sampled understory species composition, richness and biomass, as well as environmental variables beneath these two species and also within forest ‘gaps’ in order to determine the effect of overstory species on understory vegetation. Species richness and biomass of herbaceous plants was significantly greater under Corylus compared with plots under Picea and in forest gaps. Indicator species analysis found that many species were significantly associated with Corylus. We found 45% of the total species found under woody plants occurred exclusively under Corylus. Light availability in spring and summer was higher in gaps than under forest cover but no difference was found between plots under Corylus and Picea. Hence, reductions in light availability cannot explain the differences in species composition. However, Ellenberg indicator values showed that more light demanding species were found under Corylus compared to Picea, but most light demanding species were found in gaps. The litter layer under Picea was three times thicker than under Corylus and this may be an important mechanism determining differences in understory composition and richness between the woody species. The presence of Corylus is an important factor enhancing local diversity and small-scale species variation within coniferous stands. Hence, management should maintain areas of Corylus shrubs to maintain understory species diversity in boreal forests.