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.     

Linking forest history and conservation efforts: Long-term impact of low-intensity timber harvest on forest structure and wood-inhabiting fungi in northern Sweden

Throughout the northern hemisphere old forests with high abundance of dead wood are rare features in most landscapes today, and the loss of dead wood constitutes a serious threat to the existence of many species. This study, using field surveys and dendrochronology, examines the relationship between wood-inhabiting fungi and past forest utilisation along a gradient of early logging activity. Data were collected in three late-successional Scots pine forests in northern Sweden. Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling (NMS) was then used to assess differences in species composition among the forests. Our results show that minor forest logging (22-26 cut stumps ha⁻¹) carried out a century ago may have continuing effects on forest characteristics, including dead wood dynamics and the wood-inhabiting fungal community - especially the abundance of red-listed species. The most important effects are lower numbers of logs in early and intermediate stages of decomposition. Additionally, numbers of species (including red-listed species) can be high in forests that have been subject to low levels of logging. Overall, the high species numbers recorded in this study (n = 60-87) show that old, low-productivity pine forests harbour a considerable fraction of the total diversity of Basidiomycetes in northern Fennoscandian boreal forests. We conclude that the formation of a framework linking forest history and environmental data is vital for understanding the ecology and formulating goals for future management of these forests.     

Habitat use of the three-toed woodpecker in central Europe during the breeding period

Considerable differences observed in the home-range size of individual three-toed woodpeckers (Picoides tridactylus) may be linked to variation in resource availability. We used radio-telemetry to test this hypothesis in an alpine mountain forest in southeastern Germany between 1994 and 2000. Stepwise backward multiple-regression showed that adaptive kernel home-range size using 95% use distribution (n=24 woodpeckers) was positively related to forest extent and tree-species diversity. Conversely, we found smaller home ranges with increasing density of potential cavity trees, and with increasing dbh-range of trees at breast height. The habitat variables shown to effect home range selection were attributes of mature boreal forests. This implied that maintaining a boreal-like habitat (i.e. spruce-dominated autochthonous forests including their natural disturbance regime) would be the best option for successful conservation of the alpine subspecies of the three-toed woodpecker.     

Specialised woodpeckers and naturalness in hemiboreal forests – Deriving quantitative targets for conservation planning

In many parts of the world’s forests, intensive management has resulted in habitat loss for several species. Among these, specialised woodpeckers (Aves: Picidae) have been affected negatively due to their high requirements for resources that are scarce in managed forests. We used the gradient of anthropogenic impact on forests in northern Europe’s Baltic Sea region to (1) assess the relationship between the presence of four focal woodpecker species and forest naturalness and (2) quantify their requirements regarding specific resources in four different areas (south-central Sweden, southern Sweden, Lithuania and northeastern Poland). This study focused on specialised woodpecker species of the Dendropicini tribe: the three-toed (Picoides tridactylus), middle spotted (Dendrocopos medius), white-backed (Dendrocopos leucotos) and lesser spotted (Dendrocopos minor) woodpeckers. The occurrence of these species in landscape units of 100 ha was generally related positively to the degree of forest naturalness and to the amounts of resources considered critical for the suitability of their respective habitats. For the middle spotted woodpecker, basal areas 1.0 m²/ha of large-diameter deciduous trees (DBH  40 cm) were associated with a high probability of occurrence (0.9). For the white-backed woodpecker, the same probability of occurrence was found for basal areas 1.4 m²/ha of deciduous snags (DBH  10 cm). Relationships between the occurrence of the three-toed and lesser spotted woodpeckers and snag abundance were more variable among study areas. The results suggest that specialised woodpeckers would benefit from an increase in the area of forest with natural properties. Moreover, they allow defining tentative quantitative targets for sustainable forest management.     

Using glomalin as an indicator for arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphal growth: an example from a tropical rain forest soil

Glomalin concentrations of extra-radical arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) hyphae were estimated by deploying hyphal in-growth cores containing glomalin-free sand in field soils in a tropical forest and in pot cultures. In field soils, glomalin was 0.044±0.013 μg m⁻¹ hyphae. In pot cultures glomalin concentrations were lower (range 0.0068-0.036 μg m⁻¹), and varied significantly among species. Using this technique, preliminary estimates of extraradical AM hyphal production on Inceptisols were 1.91 Mg ha⁻¹yr⁻¹ and on Oxisol were 1.47 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, but they could range between 0.9-5.7 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. These rates of hyphal production are approximately 10% (range 5-33%) of estimated above ground primary production of the forest.     

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.     

Woodpeckers as reliable indicators of bird richness, forest health and harvest

Woodpeckers (family Picidae) show promise as indicators of avian diversity in forests because their populations can be reliably monitored, and their foraging and nesting activities can positively influence the abundance and richness of other forest birds. A correlation between woodpecker richness and richness of forest birds is known to exist at the landscape scale, but uncertainty remains whether this correlation occurs at the smaller stand-level spatial scales where forest management activities take place. We used data collected under a diverse range of forest types, harvest treatments, and forest health conditions during a long-term study of bird communities in interior British Columbia, Canada, to examine two basic questions: (1) at the level of individual forest stands, is woodpecker richness correlated with bird richness (measured as richness of all other bird species)? and (2) do woodpecker richness and bird richness have similar habitat correlates? Bird richness was positively correlated with woodpecker richness (β = 0.59, SE = 0.22, 95% CI = [0.14 1.03]). Richness of both woodpeckers and all other birds were positively correlated with tree species richness and negatively correlated with density of pines, and the effect for forest harvest type was similar for both measures of avian richness (uncut < partial harvest < clearcut with reserves). The effect of density of lodgepole pines killed by mountain pine beetles differed between the two richness measures, being positive for woodpecker richness and negative for forest bird richness. We conclude that the richness of woodpeckers is indeed correlated with the richness of other birds at the stand-level, and can serve as a reliable indicator of overall bird richness in most forest stands and conditions, except during insect outbreaks when differential responses by woodpeckers and the rest of the avian community may decouple the relationship between bird richness and woodpecker richness.     

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.     

Activated carbon amendments to soil alters nitrification rates in Scots pine forests

The influence of charcoal on biotic processes in soils remains poorly understood. Charcoal is a natural product of wildfires that burned on a historic return interval of ∼100 years in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests of northern Sweden. Fire suppression and changes in forest stand management have resulted in a lack of charcoal production in these ecosystems. It is thought that charcoal may alter N mineralization and nitrification rates, however, previous studies have not been conclusive. Replicated field studies were conducted at three late-succession field sites in northern Sweden and supporting laboratory incubations were conducted using soil humus collected from these sites. We used activated carbon (AC), as a surrogate for natural-occurring fire-produced charcoal. Two rates of AC (0 and 2000 kg ha⁻¹), and glycine (0 and 100 kg N as glycine ha⁻¹) were applied in factorial combination to field microplots in a randomized complete block pattern. Net nitrification, N mineralization, and free phenol concentrations were measured using ionic and non-ionic resin capsules, respectively. These same treatments and also two rates of birch leaf litter (0 and 1000 kg ha⁻¹) were applied in a laboratory incubation and soils from this incubation were extracted with KCl and analyzed for NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻. Nitrification rates increased with AC amendments in laboratory incubations, but this was not supported by field studies. Ammonification rates, as measured by NH₄⁺ accumulation on ionic resins, were increased considerably by glycine applications, but some NH₄⁺ was apparently lost to surface sorption to the AC. Phenolic accumulation on non-ionic resin capsules was significantly reduced by AC amendments. We conclude that charcoal exhibits important characteristics that affect regulating steps in the transformation and cycling of N.     

Long-term soil organic carbon dynamics in a subhumid tropical climate: C data in mixed C3/C4 cropping and modeling with ROTHC

Scanty information on long-term soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics hampers validation of SOC models in the tropics. We observed SOC content changes in a 16-year continuously cropped agroforestry experiment in Ibadan, south-western Nigeria. SOC levels declined in all treatments. The decline was most pronounced in the no-tree control treatments with continuous maize and cowpea cropping, where SOC levels dropped from the initial 15.4 to 7.3-8.0 Mg C ha⁻¹ in the 0-12 cm topsoil in 16 years. In the two continuously cropped alley cropping (AC) systems, one with Leucaena leucocephala and one with Senna siamea trees, SOC levels dropped to 10.7-13.2 Mg C ha⁻¹. Compared to the no-tree control treatments, an annual application of an additional 8.5 Mg ha⁻¹ (dry matter) of plant residues, mainly tree prunings, led to an extra 3.5 Mg C ha⁻¹ (∼0.2% C) in the 0-12 cm top soil after 11 years, and 4.1 Mg C ha⁻¹ after 16 years. The addition of NPK fertilizer had little effect on the quantities of above-ground plant residues returned to the soil, and there was no evidence that the fertilizer affected the rate of SOC decomposition. The fact that both C₃ and C₄ plants returned organic matter to the soil in all cropping systems, but in contrasting proportions, led to clear contrasts in the ¹³C abundance in the SOC. This ¹³C information, together with the measured SOC contents, was used to test the ROTHC model. Decomposition was very fast, illustrated by the fact that we had to double all decomposition rate constants in the model in order to simulate the measured contrasts in SOC contents and δ¹³C between the AC treatments and the no-tree controls. We hypothesized (1) that the pruning materials from the legume trees and/or the extra rhizodeposition from the tree roots in the AC treatments accelerated the decomposition of the SOC present at the start of the experiment (true C-priming), and/or (2) that the physical protection of microbial biomass and metabolites by the clay fraction on this site, having a sandy top soil in which clay minerals are mainly of the 1:1 type, is lower than assumed by the model.     

Below ground carbon turnover and greenhouse gas exchanges in a sub-arctic wetland

Here we present results from a field experiment in a sub-arctic wetland near Abisko, northern Sweden, where the permafrost is currently disintegrating with significant vegetation changes as a result. During one growing season we investigated the fluxes of CO₂ and CH₄ and how they were affected by ecosystem properties, i.e., composition of species that are currently expanding in the area (Carex rotundata, Eriophorum vaginatum and Eriophorum angustifolium), dissolved CH₄ in the pore water, substrate availability for methane producing bacteria, water table depth, active layer, temperature, etc. We found that the measured gas fluxes over the season ranged between: CH₄ 0.2 and 36.1 mg CH₄ m⁻² h⁻¹, Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) −1000 and 1250 mg CO₂ m⁻² h⁻¹ (negative values meaning a sink of atmospheric CO₂) and dark respiration 110 and 1700 mg CO₂ m⁻² h⁻¹. We found that NEE, photosynthetic rate and CH₄ emission were affected by the species composition. Multiple stepwise regressions indicated that the primary explanatory variables for NEE was photosynthetic rate and for respiration and photosynthesis biomass of green leaves. The primary explanatory variables for CH₄ emissions were depth of the water table, concentration of organic acid carbon and biomass of green leaves. The negative correlations between pore water concentration and emission of CH₄ and the concentrations of organic acid, amino acid and carbohydrate carbon indicated that these compounds or their fermentation by-products were substrates for CH₄ formation. Furthermore, calculation of the radiative forcing of the species expanding in the area as a direct result of permafrost degradation and a change in hydrology indicate that the studied mire may act as an increasing source of radiative forcing in future.     

Chemical composition, or quality, of agroforestry residues influences N2O emissions after their addition to soil

Emissions of N₂O were measured following addition of ¹⁵N-labelled (2.6-4.7 atom% excess ¹⁵N) agroforestry residues (Sesbania sesban, mixed Sesbania/Macroptilium atropurpureum, Crotalaria grahamiana and Calliandra calothyrsus) to a Kenyan oxisol at a rate of 100 mg N kg soil⁻¹ under controlled environment conditions. Emissions were increased following addition of residues, with 22.6 mg N m⁻² (124.4 mg N m⁻² kg biomass⁻¹; 1.1 mg ¹⁵N m⁻²; 1.03% of ¹⁵N applied) emitted as N₂O over 29 d after addition of both Sesbania and Macroptilium residues in the mixed treatment. Fluxes of N₂O were positively correlated with CO₂ fluxes, and N₂O emissions and available soil N were negatively correlated with residue lignin content (r=−0.49;P<0.05), polyphenol content (r=−0.94;P<0.05), protein binding capacity (r=−0.92;P<0.05) and with (lignin+polyphenol)-to-N ratio (r=−0.55;P<0.05). Lower emission (13.6 mg N m⁻² over 29 d; 94.5 mg N m⁻² kg biomass⁻¹; 0.6 mg ¹⁵N m⁻²; 0.29% of ¹⁵N applied) after addition of Calliandra residue was attributed to the high polyphenol content (7.4%) and high polyphenol protein binding capacity (383 μg BSA mg plant⁻¹) of this residue binding to plant protein and reducing its availability for microbial attack, despite the residue having a N content of 2.9%. Our results indicate that residue chemical composition, or quality, needs to be considered when proposing mitigation strategies to reduce N₂O emissions from systems relying on incorporation of plant biomass, e.g. improved-fallow agroforestry systems, and that this consideration should extend beyond the C-to-N ratio of the residue to include polyphenol content and their protein binding capacity.     

Influence of earthworm activity on aggregate-associated carbon and nitrogen dynamics differs with agroecosystem management

Earthworms are known to be important regulators of soil structure and soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics, however, quantifying their influence on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stabilization in agroecosystems remains a pertinent task. We manipulated population densities of the earthworm Aporrectodea rosea in three maize-tomato cropping systems [conventional (i.e., mineral fertilizer), organic (i.e., composted manure and legume cover crop), and an intermediate low-input system (i.e., alternating years of legume cover crop and mineral fertilizer)] to examine their influence on C and N incorporation into soil aggregates. Two treatments, no-earthworm versus the addition of five A. rosea adults, were established in paired microcosms using electro-shocking. A ¹³C and ¹⁵N labeled cover crop was incorporated into the soil of the organic and low-input systems, while ¹⁵N mineral fertilizer was applied in the conventional system. Soil samples were collected during the growing season and wet-sieved to obtain three aggregate size classes: macroaggregates (>250 μm), microaggregates (53-250 μm) and silt and clay fraction (<53 μm). Macroaggregates were further separated into coarse particulate organic matter (cPOM), microaggregates and the silt and clay fraction. Total C, ¹³C, total N and ¹⁵N were measured for all fractions and the bulk soil. Significant earthworm influences were restricted to the low-input and conventional systems on the final sampling date. In the low-input system, earthworms increased the incorporation of new C into microaggregates within macroaggregates by 35% (2.8 g m⁻² increase; P=0.03), compared to the no-earthworm treatment. Within this same cropping system, earthworms increased new N in the cPOM and the silt and clay fractions within macroaggregates, by 49% (0.21 g m⁻²; P<0.01) and 38% (0.19 g m⁻²; P=0.02), respectively. In the conventional system, earthworms appeared to decrease the incorporation of new N into free microaggregates and macroaggregates by 49% (1.38 g m⁻²; P=0.04) and 41% (0.51 g m⁻²; P=0.057), respectively. These results indicate that earthworms can play an important role in C and N dynamics and that agroecosystem management greatly influences the magnitude and direction of their effect.     

A reciprocal decomposition experiment of Scots pine needles 19 yr after wood ash fertilization

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) needle litter originating from control plots and plots that had received a wood ash fertilization (3 t ha⁻¹) 19 yr earlier were allowed to decompose in a reciprocal experimental design to detect the effects of ash fertilization and needle litter origin on the decomposition rate. The experimental design was repeated in two Scots pine forest stands of different fertility and the litterbags were harvested after 4 and 16 months. Ash fertilization resulted in a higher needle litter decomposition rate but the needle origin did not influence the results. Stand fertility correlated positively to the decomposition rate.     

Changes in mineral nitrogen, phosphorus availability and salt-extractable aluminium following the application of green manure residues in two weathered soils of South Vietnam

Phosphorus deficiency and aluminium toxicity in weathered soils can be amended by applying organic residues. Nitrogen mineralization, changes in P-availability and changes in salt-extractable Al following the incorporation of residues of various green manures (Flemingia congesta, Mucuna pruriens, Pueraria phaseoloides, Tithonia diversifolia) were quantified in a field core incubation experiment. Dried residues were added at an application rate of 45 kg P ha⁻¹ to two soils representative for the main soil groups of the South Vietnamese uplands, set up in incubation cores in an experimental field near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.Decomposition of the residues proceeded at high rates. Mineralized nitrogen from the residues was recovered mainly as ammonium during the first 2 weeks of incubation. Nitrogen release from Tithonia residues with the highest lignin content and lignin:N ratio occurred more gradually compared to the three legumes. Resin-extractable P was significantly increased by residue treatments. Largest and sustained increases in resin-extractable P (0.67 and 2.06 mg P kg⁻¹ in the two soils) were observed in samples amended with Tithonia, which was related to the large P-content (0.37%) and small C:P ratio (110) of the residues. The P-concentration in the residues, rather than the total amount of P applied through the residues, affected the increase in P-availability. The increase in resin-extractable P was correlated to the P-content (R=0.64) and C:P ratio (R=−0.65) of the residues. Salt-extractable Al-concentrations were considerably reduced by the organic amendments, up to 70 and 50% in the two soils. At the rate of 45 kg P ha⁻¹, no significant differences between the residue treatments to reduce soil acidity were observed.As such, the application of high quality residues that are rich in P, in particular T. diversifolia, may enhance crop production by creating favourable soil conditions during the initial stages of plant development of the main crop.     

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.     

Indicator species among resident forest birds - A cross-regional evaluation in northern Europe

In European forests, plants, fungi and invertebrates have been proposed as indicator species for assessing conservation value at the stand scale. To cover larger spatial scales, wide-ranging vertebrates could be added to that set of species. For resident forest birds, we (1) explored whether the occurrence of some species could be used to indicate high species richness and abundances, and (2) compared the results among four regions in the Baltic Sea drainage basin with a common species pool but different forest management intensities and varying proportions of deciduous and coniferous trees (south-central and southern Sweden, south-central Lithuania and northeastern Poland). Assemblages of deciduous forest birds in 100-ha landscape units were generally nested, suggesting that species richness within that group may be predicted based on the presence of a few species. Birds of coniferous forests, however, showed poorer conformity to nestedness in Sweden. Specialised species such as the middle spotted (Dendrocopos medius) and lesser spotted woodpeckers (D. minor) in deciduous forest and the three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) in coniferous forest generally figured among the best indicators. In deciduous forest, there was high cross-regional consistency in the identity of the best indicators. Moreover, the sites where the best indicator was present also harboured higher relative abundances of most background species. For coniferous forest, however, such a relationship was not found. We conclude that an indicator species approach may be useful for resident birds of deciduous forests in hemiboreal Europe, emphasising that it should constitute one of many complementary tools for conservation management.     

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.     

Grazing intensity alters soil respiration in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan plateau

Grazing intensity may alter the soil respiration rate in grassland ecosystems. The objectives of our study were to (1) determine the influence of grazing intensity on temporal variations in soil respiration of an alpine meadow on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau; and (2) characterise the temperature response of soil respiration under different grazing intensities. Diurnal and seasonal soil respiration rates were measured for two alpine meadow sites with different grazing intensities. The light grazing (LG) meadow site had a grazing intensity of 2.55 sheep ha⁻¹, while the grazing intensity of the heavy grazing (HG) meadow site, 5.35 sheep ha⁻¹, was approximately twice that of the LG site. Soil respiration measurements showed that CO₂ efflux was almost twice as great at the LG site as at the HG site during the growing season, but the diurnal and seasonal patterns of soil respiration rate were similar for the two sites. Both exhibited the highest annual soil respiration rate in mid-August and the lowest in January. Soil respiration rate was highly dependent on soil temperature. The Q₁₀ value for annual soil respiration was lower for the HG site (2.75) than for the LG site (3.22). Estimates of net ecosystem CO₂ exchange from monthly measurements of biomass and soil respiration revealed that during the period from May 1998 to April 1999, the LG site released 2040 g CO₂ m⁻² y⁻¹ to the atmosphere, which was about one third more than the 1530 g CO₂ m⁻² y⁻¹ released at the HG site. The results suggest that (1) grazing intensity alters not only soil respiration rate, but also the temperature dependence of soil CO₂ efflux; and (2) soil temperature is the major environmental factor controlling the temporal variation of soil respiration rate in the alpine meadow ecosystem.     

Seasonal and diurnal CO2 efflux from red wood ant (Formica aquilonia) mounds in boreal coniferous forests

Organic mounds of the red wood ants (Formica rufa group; RWA) have been shown to be “hot spots” of carbon dioxide (CO₂) efflux from the European forest soils. However, little information is available on the variability of CO₂ effluxes from RWA mounds and on the factors regulating CO₂ efflux. We assessed the seasonal and diurnal changes in CO₂ effluxes, temperatures and volumetric water contents from mounds of Formica aquilona, the important RWA of the boreal forests in Finland. The daily average CO₂ efflux from RWA mounds ranged 1.1-6.9 g CO₂ m⁻² h⁻¹ during the active ant season (May-September), and from 0.2 to 1.1 g CO₂ m⁻² h⁻¹ during their dormant period (October-April). Mound CO₂ efflux from May to September was 3.6-6.0 times higher than from the surrounding forest floors, and most likely came from RWA respiration. Seasonal changes in mound CO₂ effluxes were significantly correlated with mound temperature, but not with volumetric water content (7% on average). The high CO₂ efflux associated with increased volumetric water content (up to 34%) after a RWA mound was abandoned indicated that these dry mound conditions restrict microbial decomposition of mound organic matter. CO₂ effluxes were highest at night and lowest during the day, which is likely due to an increased ant activity or numbers in the mound at night. Diurnal changes in mound CO₂ efflux were negatively correlated with air temperature, and positively correlated with the difference between the mound and air temperature. This suggests that thermal convection of warmer mound air to the colder outside air at night might be also a cause of the diurnal changes. We conclude that seasonal and diurnal variations in mound CO₂ effluxes are dependent on RWA activities and fluctuation in RWA mound and outside temperatures.