Dead wood threshold values for the three-toed woodpecker presence in boreal and sub-Alpine forest

Predicting species' responses to habitat loss is a significant challenge facing conservation biologists. We examined the response of both European three-toed woodpecker subspecies Picoides tridactylus tridactylus and P. tr. alpinus to different amounts of dead wood in a boreal and a sub-Alpine coniferous forest landscape in central Sweden and Switzerland, respectively. Habitat variables were measured by fieldwork in forests with breeding woodpeckers (n=10+12) and in control forests without breeding woodpeckers (n=10+12) in the same landscape. Logistic regression analyses revealed steep thresholds for the amount of dead standing trees and the probability of three-toed woodpecker presence in both Sweden and Switzerland. The probability of the presence of three-toed woodpeckers increased from 0.10 to 0.95 when snag basal area increased from 0.6 to 1.3 m² ha⁻¹ in Switzerland and from 0.3 to 0.5 m² ha⁻¹ in central Sweden. In Switzerland, a high road network density was negatively correlated to the presence of woodpeckers (r=−0.65, p=0.0007). The higher volumes of dead wood in Switzerland, where population trends are more positive, than in central Sweden, where the population is declining, would suggest that the volumes of dead wood in managed forests in Sweden are too low to sustain three-toed woodpeckers in the long-term. In terms of management implications, we suggest a quantitative target of at least 5% of standing trees in older forests being dead over at least 100 ha large forest areas. This corresponds about to ?1.3 m² ha⁻¹ (basal area) or ?15 m³ ha⁻¹ (volume), still depending on site productivity.     

Temporal and spatial variations in nitrogen transformations in deciduous forest ecosystems along an urban-rural gradient

Ecosystem processes such as N transformations have seldom been studied in urban and suburban areas. Here we report the temporal and spatial variations in soil N measured continuously over 16 months in remnant forests dominated by northern red oak (Quercus rubraL.) along a 130 km urban-rural transect in the New York City metropolitan area. Urban, suburban and rural forests all exhibited clear seasonal patterns in soil N concentrations and transformation rates. Concentrations of extractable inorganic N were highest in early spring, while net N mineralization and nitrification rates were highest in summer. Peak N mineralization and nitrification in urban stands tended to occur a month earlier than in rural stands. Daily net N mineralization rates averaged 4.45 mg N kg⁻¹ soil organic matter (SOM) in urban stands, 3.51 in suburban stands, and 2.49 in rural stands. In urban and suburban forests, between 23.2-73.8% of the annual net N mineralized was nitrified, but in rural forests, net nitrification was mostly below the detection limit. Annual net N mineralization rates, expressed on an areal basis (to a depth of 7.5 cm), averaged 11.6 g m⁻² in urban forests, 11.3 g m⁻² in suburban sites, and 7.3 g m⁻² in rural forests. N returns in oak litter fall were 2.15, 1.32, and 1.81 g m⁻² in urban, suburban, and rural stands, respectively. The elevated N transformation rates and nitrate production, in combination with possible pollution constraints on tree growth in urban environments, raises concern that these urban and suburban forests may be approaching an N saturated status.     

Soil respiration associated with forest succession in subtropical forests in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve

This paper reports the results of soil respiration (SR, including heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration), in a presumably successional series (early, middle and advanced) of subtropical forests in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve in Guangdong Province, China. A static chamber method was used to characterize SR in dynamics of diurnal and seasonal patterns. The relationships of SR with soil temperature (ST) at 5 cm depth and with soil moisture (SM) at 0-10 cm depth were studied in order to estimate the annual SR of each of the forests. The annual SR in a climax forest community, monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest (MEBF) was estimated as 1163.0 g C m⁻² year⁻¹ and in its successional communities, coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest (MF) and the Masson pine forest (MPF) were 592.1 g C m⁻² year⁻¹, 1023.7 g C m⁻² year⁻¹, respectively. In addition, removal of surface litter led to the reduction of annual SR by 27-45% in those three forests. Analysis of the results indicated that the annual SR was highly correlated with both ST and SM. Furthermore, ST and SM themselves were highly correlated with each other across season in this study area. Thus for seasonal predictive SR model, either ST or SM could be integrated. However, for SR daily change prediction, both ST and SM were required because of confounding effects of ST and SM on a diurnal time scale. The Q₁₀ values of SR derived from ST dependence function were 2.37, 2.31 and 2.25 in the three forests: MPF, MF and MEBF, respectively, suggesting a decreasing trend of the Q₁₀ with the degree of forest succession.     

Learning from a “benign neglect strategy” in a national park: Response of saproxylic beetles to dead wood accumulation

Increasing demands for firewood owing to rising energy costs have accelerated discussions about the amount of dead wood needed for conservation. A sharp increase in dead wood caused by bark beetles in a German national park provides lessons for management of commercial and protected forests. We investigated the effects of dead wood due to bark beetle infestation as well as tree senility on abundance and richness of saproxylic species of beetles. Increasing amounts of spruce dead wood and opening of the canopy by bark beetles had positive effects on the abundance of host-generalist, conifer-specialist, and red-listed saproxylic beetles. Broadleaf specialists were positively associated with the amount of broadleaf dead wood and negatively associated with canopy openness. Gradient analysis of beetle assemblages revealed two major environmental axes: canopy openness and amount of dead wood. We found a threshold for community divergence at a canopy openness of 23% (confidence interval CI: 11-49) and at an amount of dead wood of 64 m³ ha⁻¹ (CI: 35-160). Critically endangered species served as indicators of dense and open forests, but only when the amount of dead wood was high. Our results suggest that, to maintain saproxylic beetle assemblages, the amount of dead wood in commercial montane forests (at present ≈15 m³ ha⁻¹) needs to be tripled, with a focus on broadleaf wood in dense stands and spruce wood in open stands. For large protected areas in Europe, our data suggest that bark beetle infestation and senescence without active forest management improves habitat conditions for saproxylic beetles.     

Fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O from drained organic soils in deciduous forests

We examined net greenhouse gas exchange at the soil surface in deciduous forests on soils with high organic contents. Fluxes of CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O were measured using dark static chambers for two consecutive years in three different forest types; (i) a drained and medium productivity site dominated by birch, (ii) a drained and highly productive site dominated by alder and (iii) an undrained and highly productive site dominated by alder. Although the drained sites had shallow mean groundwater tables (15 and 18 cm, respectively) their average annual rates of forest floor CO₂ release were almost twice as high compared to the undrained site (1.9±0.4 and 1.7±0.3, compared to 1.0±0.2 kg CO₂ m⁻² yr⁻¹). The average annual CH₄ emission was almost 10 times larger at the undrained site (7.6±3.1 compared to 0.9±0.5 g CH₄ m⁻² yr⁻¹ for the two drained sites). The average annual N₂O emissions at the undrained site (0.1±0.05 g N₂O m⁻² yr⁻¹) were lower than at the drained sites, and the emissions were almost five times higher at the drained alder site than at the drained birch site (0.9±0.35 compared to 0.2±0.11 g N₂O m⁻² yr⁻¹). The temporal variation in forest floor CO₂ release could be explained to a large extent by differences in groundwater table and air temperature, but little of the variation in the CH₄ and N₂O fluxes could be explained by these variables. The measured soil variables were only significant to explain for the within-site spatial variation in CH₄ and N₂O fluxes at the undrained swamp, and dark forest floor CO₂ release was not explained by these variables at any site. The between-site spatial variation was attributed to variations in drainage, groundwater level position, productivity and tree species for all three gases. The results indicate that N₂O emissions are of greater importance for the net greenhouse gas exchange at deciduous drained forest sites than at coniferous drained forest sites.     

Methane fluxes from three ecosystems in tropical peatland of Sarawak, Malaysia

Methane fluxes were measured monthly over a year from tropical peatland of Sarawak, Malaysia using a closed-chamber technique. The CH₄ fluxes in forest ecosystem ranged from −4.53 to 8.40 μg C m⁻² h⁻¹, in the oil palm ecosystem from −32.78 to 4.17 μg C m⁻² h⁻¹ and in the sago ecosystem from −7.44 to 102.06 μg C m⁻² h⁻¹. A regression tree approach showed that CH₄ fluxes in each ecosystem were related to different underlying environmental factors. They were relative humidity for forest and water table for both sago and oil palm ecosystems. On an annual basis, both forest and sago were CH₄ source with an emission of 18.34 mg C m⁻² yr⁻¹ for forest and 180 mg C m⁻² yr⁻¹ for sago. Only oil palm ecosystem was a CH₄ sink with an uptake rate of −15.14 mg C m⁻² yr⁻¹. These results suggest that different dominant underlying environmental factors among the studied ecosystems affected the exchange of CH₄ between tropical peatland and the atmosphere.     

Modelling forest carbon balances considering tree mortality and removal

The determination of ecosystem carbon balances is a major issue in environmental research. Forest inventories and - more recently - Eddy covariance measurements have been set up to guide sustainability assessments as well as carbon accounting. A differentiation between ecosystem compartments of carbon such as soil and vegetation, or above- and belowground storages nevertheless requires further empirical assumptions or model simulations. However, models to estimate carbon balances often do not account for carbon export by management and the direct and indirect impacts of forest management. To overcome this obstacle, we complemented a physiologically based process model (MoBiLE-PSIM) with routines for dimensional tree growth and mortality and evaluated the full model with measurements of water availability, primary production, respiration fluxes and forest development (tree dimensions and numbers per hectare).The model is applied to three forests representing different physiological types and climatic environments: Norway spruce, European beech and Mediterranean holm oak. Simulated carbon balances are presented on a daily, annual and decadal time scale throughout the years 1998-2008 for all three stands. On average, gross primary production is 2.0, 1.7, and 1.4 and net ecosystem production 0.6, 0.6, and 0.3 kg C m⁻² a⁻¹. Export of carbon by thinning is highest in the middle-aged beech stand (0.24 kg C m⁻² a⁻¹) which decreases net ecosystem production by 15% compared with an unthinned stand. Between 46 (spruce) and 72 (oak) % of carbon gained by net ecosystem production is sequestered below ground (incl. roots) - a share that is decreased if a part of the carbon is exported as timber. The role of further impacts, in particular carry-over effects in years that follow intense drought periods, is highlighted and the usefulness of the approach for highly resolved environmental change studies is discussed.     

Long-term biogenic soil mixing and transport in a hilly,loess-mantled landscape: Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington

In soil-mantled landscapes, downslope sediment transport occurs via disturbance-driven processes that vary with climate and vegetation change. To help constrain the long-term (? 10 yr) pattern and rate of soil mixing and transport in forests, we analyzed the distribution of tephra grains in soil along a hillslope transect in the Blue Mountains, SE Washington. Deposited within a loess mantle, tephra associated with Mt. Mazama (7.7 cal. kyr B.P.) serves as a marker bed for estimating erosion and transport rates. Moving downslope, the buried tephra horizon is progressively exhumed and becomes increasingly mixed in the upper soil layer, reflecting disturbance and transport via tree root growth and turnover. This pattern also implies increasing erosion rates downslope and our hillslope transect becomes increasingly convex coincident with progressive exhumation of the tephra layer. This systematic correspondence between topographic form, specifically, local convexity, and surface lowering is consistent with theoretical models for which soil transport rates depend on slope inclination. From our analysis, calibrated coefficients for a linear, slope-dependent transport model are on the order of 10^− 3 m²yr^− 1, consistent with previous work in forested loess-mantled landscapes. In addition, our results reveal both the high degree of soil mixing over millennial timescales and the local variability of mixing in forested landscapes. Furthermore, the results enable us to quantify the amount of energy expended by trees in mixing and transporting soil and the net sediment transport fraction of the net primary productivity NPP of the ecosystem.     

Boreal lichen woodlands: A possible negative feedback to climate change in eastern North America

Because of successive forest fires, closed-canopy black spruce forests are susceptible to a shift towards open lichen-spruce woodlands in parts of the boreal forest of eastern North America. The shift from dark black spruce canopies to pale lichen ground cover offers a dramatic contrast in reflectance that may compensate for the CO₂ emissions from forest fires in terms of radiative forcing. We have therefore looked at the climate change feedback that would result from the generation of lichen woodlands through changes in albedo and in stored carbon. Using albedo estimates based on MODIS imagery and incoming solar radiation for the period between 2000 and 2008 along with forest biomass estimates for eastern Canada, we have estimated that net radiative forcing for the conversion from closed-canopy coniferous forests to open lichen woodlands would be about −0.12 nW m⁻² ha⁻¹, and would therefore generate a cooling effect in the atmosphere. Based on current estimates of area in open lichen woodlands within the closed-canopy black spruce-moss forests of eastern Canada, we estimate that a current net forcing of −0.094 mW m⁻² has already arisen from such conversions. As projections of future climate have been linked to increased probability of forest fires, the generation of open lichen woodlands provides a possible negative feedback to climate change. Results also suggest that carbon sequestration through the afforestation of boreal lichen woodlands may not provide a climate change mitigation benefit.     

Foraging in the fallows: Hunting patterns across a successional continuum in the Peruvian Amazon

Studies comparing hunting between secondary and mature forests are critical to understanding secondary forests’ potential as sustainable hunting grounds. I examined hunting across a successional continuum by surveying 67 households in three communities near the Cordillera Azul National Park, Peru, and analyzing the potential for sustainable hunting. Ninety-nine percent of households surveyed went hunting during the six-month study. Ninety-one species were recorded from seven vertebrate and invertebrate classes, with mammals the most hunted. Five percent of extraction events were species of concern on IUCN’s Red List. Households extracted significantly more, in terms of number of species, number of collection events, and biomass, from older forests (>20 y) than from young secondary (1-5 y) or old secondary forests (5-20 y). However, when extraction is measured per unit area (kg/km² or collection events/km²), households extracted more wildlife from old secondary forest. Households consumed meat at rates below Amazon regional averages. However, because human population densities are well above carrying capacity, current low harvest rates are likely a relic of past overharvests and do not reflect sustainability. Even if management focuses on source-sink dynamics with buffer zone hunting resupplied by protected area populations, long-term sustainability seems doubtful. As more agricultural clearing converts older forests to fields and fallows, the role of secondary forests in resource management plans will increase. The impact of high human population densities in the region means conservation and development programs should focus more on supplying alternative sources of protein and income and limiting immigration into the area.     

Community and ecosystem consequences of giant knotweed (Polygonum sachalinense) invasion into riparian forests of western Washington, USA

The invasive, non-native herb, giant knotweed (Polygonum sachalinense), is becoming increasingly common in riparian corridors throughout North America and Europe. Despite its prevalence, there has been limited study of its ecological impacts. We investigated the effects of knotweed invasion on the abundance and diversity of forest understory plants, and the quantity and nutrient quality of leaf-litter inputs, in riparian forests in western Washington, USA. Among 39 sampling locations, knotweed stem density ranged from 0 to 8.8 m⁻². Richness and abundance (cover or density) of native herbs, shrubs, and juvenile trees (?3 m tall) were negatively correlated with knotweed density. Where knotweed was present (>5.3 stems m⁻²), litter mass of native species was reduced by 70%. Carbon:nitrogen ratio of knotweed litter was 52:1, a value 38-58% higher than that of native woody species (red alder [Alnus rubra] and willow [Salix spp.]). Resorption of foliar N prior to leaf drop was 76% in knotweed but only 5-33% among native woody species. By displacing native species and reducing nutrient quality of litter inputs, knotweed invasion has the potential to cause long-term changes in the structure and functioning of riparian forests and adjacent aquatic habitats.     

Distribution pattern of woodlice (Isopoda) and millipedes (Diplopoda) in four primeval forests of the Western Carpathians (Central Slovakia)

We collected 1605 isopod individuals (eight species) and 671 diplopod individuals (17 species) in four primeval forests of the Western Carpathians, Central Slovakia, by leaf litter extraction. The forests are of different temperate deciduous forest types varying in tree species, aspect, elevation and soil characteristics. The oak forests, established on southwest oriented slopes at an elevation of 280-600 m, were characterized by Hyloniscus riparius, Porcellium conspersum, Enantiulus nanus and Ophioiulus pilosus. The beech forests, established on northeast oriented slopes at an elevation of 700-1100 m, were characterised by Ligidium hypnorum, Trachysphaera costata and Polyzonium germanicum. A remarkable increase of the total number of species and individuals occurred in both forest types adjacent to coarse woody debris (CWD). Woodlice density close to CWD was between 200 and 630 individuals m⁻² (35-130 individuals m⁻² distant from CWD); millipede density close to CWD ranged from 60 to 230 individuals m⁻² (15-75 individuals m⁻² distant from CWD). Species richness of both taxa close to CWD varied from 13 to 16 species m⁻² (7-12 species m⁻² distant from CWD). Thus, CWD has a significant influence on saprophages. However, structural components such as CWD and the amount of leaf litter did not significantly alter species assemblages. Species at sites distant from CWD were a subset of species at sites close to CWD. According to a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), ‘forest type’ and ‘elevation within a slope’, as well as chemistry of the upper soil layer, i.e. ‘acidification’ and ‘nutrition’, strongly influenced species assemblages.     

Controls over pathways of carbon efflux from soils along climate and black spruce productivity gradients in interior Alaska

Small changes in C cycling in boreal forests can change the sign of their C balance, so it is important to gain an understanding of the factors controlling small exports like water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) fluxes from the soils in these systems. To examine this, we estimated WSOC fluxes based on measured concentrations along four replicate gradients in upland black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP) productivity and soil temperature in interior Alaska and compared them to concurrent rates of soil CO₂ efflux. Concentrations of WSOC in organic and mineral horizons ranged from 4.9 to 22.7 g C m⁻² and from 1.4 to 8.4 g C m⁻², respectively. Annual WSOC fluxes (4.5-12.0 g C m⁻² y⁻¹) increased with annual soil CO₂ effluxes (365-739 g C m⁻² y⁻¹) across all sites (R²=0.55, p=0.02), with higher fluxes occurring in warmer, more productive stands. Although annual WSOC flux was relatively small compared to total soil CO₂ efflux across all sites (<3%), its relative contribution was highest in warmer, more productive stands which harbored less soil organic carbon. The proportions of relatively bioavailable organic fractions (hydrophilic organic matter and low molecular weight acids) were highest in WSOC in colder, low-productivity stands whereas the more degraded products of microbial activity (fulvic acids) were highest in warmer, more productive stands. These data suggest that WSOC mineralization may be a mechanism for increased soil C loss if the climate warms and therefore should be accounted for in order to accurately determine the sensitivity of boreal soil organic C balance to climate change.     

Is the soil microbial community related to the basal area of trees in a Scots pine stand?

The main energy sources of soil microorganisms are litter fall, root litter and exudation. The amount on these carbon inputs vary according to basal area of the forest stand. We hypothesized that soil microbes utilizing these soil carbon sources relate to the basal area of trees. We measured the amount of soil microbial biomass, soil respiration and microbial community structure as determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles in the humus layer (FH) of an even-aged stand of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) with four different basal area levels ranging from 19.9 m² ha⁻¹ in the study plot Kasper 1 to 35.7 m² ha⁻¹ in Kasper 4. Increasing trend in basal respiration, total PLFAs and fungal-to-bacterial ratio was observed from Kasper 1 to Kasper 3 (basal area 29.2 m² ha⁻¹). The soil microbial community structure in Kasper 3 differed from that of the other study plots.     

Eight years of continuous carbon fluxes measurements in a Portuguese eucalypt stand under two main events: Drought and felling

This paper reports on results from eddy covariance measurements of carbon uptake and evapotranspiration in the eucalypt site of Espirra in Southern Portugal (38°38′N, 8°36′W). This site was included in the “Carboeurope” European network and is part of a 300 ha eucalypt forest, with about 1100 trees ha⁻¹, intensively managed as a coppice for pulp production and characterized by a 12-month annual growing period. The climate is of Mediterranean type with a long term (1961-1990) annual average precipitation of 709 mm and an annual average air temperature of 15.90 °C. During the measurement period (2002-2009) two main events took place, which changed the annual sink pattern of the forest: a drought period of two years (2004-2005) and a tree felling (October and November 2006). We analyzed the daily, seasonal and inter-annual variation of carbon uptake and evapotranspiration, and their relationships with the events and the variability of the main meteorological variables. Before the felling, annual net ecosystem exchange (NEE) increased from −865.56 g C m⁻² in 2002 to −356.64 g C m⁻² in 2005 together with a deep decrease in rainfall from 748 mm in 2002 to 378.58 mm and 396.64 mm in 2004 and 2005, respectively. For the same period, seasonal patterns of carbon uptake showed maximum values in April and decreased in July-August. The eucalypt stand recovered its carbon sink ability since June 2007 and had a NEE of −209.01 g C m⁻² in 2009. After the felling, the carbon uptake occurred from mid-February to mid-October, following an almost opposite pattern than that of the trees in the term of their productive cycle. A quantitative approach using generalized estimating equations (GEEs) was made for the period before the felling to relate monthly NEE and GPP with accumulated photosynthetic active radiation, water vapour pressure and precipitation. In conclusion, our study showed the relevant effects of water stress and anthropogenic interventions in the daily, seasonal and annual patterns of carbon uptake, under a context of good environmental conditions for carbon sequestration.     

Field characterization of olive (Olea europaea L.) tree crown architecture using terrestrial laser scanning data

Since the introduction of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) instruments, there now exists a means of rapidly digitizing intricate structural details of vegetation canopies using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology. In this investigation, Intelligent Laser Ranging and Imaging System (ILRIS-3D) data was acquired of individual tree crowns at olive (Olea europaea L.) plantations in Córdoba, Spain. In addition to conventional tripod-mounted ILRIS-3D scans, the unit was mounted on a platform (12 m above ground) to provide nadir (top-down) observations of the olive crowns. 24 structurally variable olive trees were selected for in-depth analysis. From the observed 3D laser pulse returns, quantitative retrievals of tree crown structure and foliage assemblage were obtained. Robust methodologies were developed to characterize diagnostic architectural parameters, such as tree height (r² = 0.97, rmse = 0.21 m), crown width (r² = 0.97, rmse = 0.13 m), crown height (r² = 0.86, rmse = 0.14 m), crown volume (r² = 0.99, rmse = 2.6 m³), and Plant Area Index (PAI) (r² = 0.76, rmse = 0.26 m²/m²). With the development of such LiDAR-based methodologies to describe vegetation architecture, the forestry, agriculture, and remote sensing communities are now faced with the possibility of replacing current labour-intensive inventory practices with, modern TLS systems. This research demonstrates that TLS systems can potentially be the new observational tool and benchmark for precise characterization of vegetation architecture for improved agricultural monitoring and management.     

Increased N deposition retards mineralization of old soil organic matter

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of increased N deposition on new and old pools of soil organic matter (SOM). We made use of a 4-yr experiment, where spruce and beech growing on an acidic loam and a calcareous sand were exposed to increased N deposition (7 vs. 70 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and to elevated atmospheric CO₂. The added CO₂ was depleted in ¹³C, which enabled us to distinguish between old and new C in SOM-pools fractionated into particle sizes. Elevated N deposition for 4 yr increased significantly the contents of total SOM in 0-10 cm depth of the acidic loam (+9%), but not in the calcareous sand. Down to 25 cm soil depth, C storage in the acidic loam was between 100 and 300 g C m⁻² larger under high than under low N additions. However, this increase was small as compared with the SOM losses of 600-700 g C g C 0.25 m⁻¹ m⁻² from the calcareous sand resulting from the disturbance of soils during setting up of the experiment. The amounts of new, less than 4 yr old SOM in the sand fractions of both soils were greater under high N deposition, showing that C inputs from trees into soils increased. Root biomass in the acidic loam was larger under N additions (+25%). Contents of old, more than 4 yr old C in the clay and silt fractions of both soils were significantly greater under high than under low N deposition. Since clay- and silt-bound SOM consists of humified compounds, this indicates that N additions retarded mineralization of old and humified SOM. The retardation of C mineralization in the clay and silt fraction accounted for 60-80 g C m⁻² 4 yr⁻¹, which corresponds to about 40% of the old SOM mineralized in these fraction. As a consequence, preservation of old and humified SOM under elevated N deposition might be a process that could lead to an increased soil C storage in the long-term.     

Home range, movement and activity patterns, and bedding sites of Malayan sun bears Helarctos malayanus in the Rainforest of Borneo

Six Malayan sun bears were captured and radio-collared from June 1999 to December 2001 in Ulu Segama Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo to study home-range characteristics, movement patterns, activity patterns, population density, and bedding sites. A total of 343 locations were recorded. Home range sizes, calculated by the 95% adaptive kernel method, averaged 14.8 ± 6.1 (SD) km². Bears were found in both primary and logged forests. Daily movement distances from these bears averaged 1.45 ± 0.24 (SD) km, and were affected by food availability, especially availability of figs. Male Malayan sun bears were primarily diurnal, but a few individuals were active at night for short periods. The majority of the 26 bedding sites consisted of fallen hollow logs. Other bedding sites included standing trees with cavities, cavities underneath fallen logs or tree roots, and tree branches high above the ground. Malayan sun bears exist in primary and logged forests. Well-designed logging practices, maintenance of large trees with cavities, protection of fig trees, and strict control of poaching should be incorporated into forest management practices in logged forests.     

Extent and conservation of tropical dry forests in the Americas

This paper shows the results of an assessment on the current extent of Neotropical dry forests based on a supervised classification of MODIS surface reflectance imagery at 500-m resolution. Our findings show that tropical dry forests extend for 519,597 km² across North and South America. Mexico, Brazil and Bolivia harbor the largest and best-preserved dry forest fragments. Mexico contains the largest extent at 181,461 km² (38% of the total), although it remains poorly represented under protected areas. On the other hand, Brazil and Bolivia contain the largest proportion of protected tropical dry forests and the largest extent in continuous forest fragments. We found that five single ecoregions account for more than half of the tropical dry forests in the Americas (continental and insular) and these ecoregions are: the Chiquitano dry forests, located in Bolivia and Brazil (27.5%), the Atlantic dry forests (10.2%), the Sinaloan dry forests in Mexico (9.7%), the Cuban dry forests (7.1%) and the Bajio dry forests in Mexico (7%). Chiquitano dry forests alone contain 142,941 km² of dry forests. Of the approximately 23,000 km² of dry forest under legal protection, 15,000 km² are located in just two countries, Bolivia and Brazil. In fact, Bolivia protects 10,609 km² of dry forests, where 7600 km² are located within the Chiquitano dry forest ecoregion and protected by a single park. Low extent and high fragmentation of dry forests in countries like Guatemala, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Peru means that these forests are at a higher risk from human disturbance and deforestation.     

Boreal pine forest floor biogenic volatile organic compound emissions peak in early summer and autumn

In boreal forests, canopy-scale emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are rather well characterised, but knowledge of ecosystem-scale BVOC emissions is still inadequate. We used adsorbent tubes to measure BVOCs from a boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forest floor in southern Finland and analysed the compounds with a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The most abundant compound group was the monoterpenes (averaging 5.04 μg m⁻² h⁻¹), in which α-pinene, Δ³-carene and camphene contributed over 90% of the emissions. Emissions of other terpenoids (isoprene and sesquiterpenes) were low (averaging 0.05 and 0.04 μg m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively). BVOC emissions from the forest floor varied seasonally, peaking in early summer and autumn, with most of the compounds following similar patterns. The emission pattern was sustained throughout the measurement period, suggesting that the main sources of the emissions remained more or less stable. We compared the BVOC fluxes with environmental parameters such as temperature, precipitation and PAR, and with fluxes of other trace gases (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O), as well as with ground vegetation photosynthesis and with litter input. Several of these parameters were correlated with the presence of BVOCs. The sources of soil BVOC emissions are very poorly understood, but our results suggest, that changes in litter quantity and quality, soil microbial activity and the physiological stages of plants are linked with changes in BVOC fluxes.