Projected long-term response of Southeastern birds to forest management

Numerous studies have explored the influence of forest management on avian communities empirically, but uncertainty about causal relationships between landscape patterns and temporal dynamics of bird communities calls into question how observed historical patterns can be projected into the future, particularly to assess consequences of differing management alternatives. We used the Habplan harvest scheduler to project forest conditions under several management scenarios mapped at 5-year time steps over a 40-year time span. We used empirical models of overall avian richness, richness of selected guilds, and probability of presence for selected species to predict avian community characteristics for each of the mapped landscapes generated for each 5-year time step for each management scenario. We then used time series analyses to quantify relationships between changes in avian community characteristics and management-induced changes to forest landscapes over time. Our models of avian community and species characteristics indicated habitat associations at multiple spatial scales, although landscape-level measures of habitat were generally more important than stand-level measures. Our projections showed overall avian richness, richness of Neotropical migrants, and the presence of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Eastern Wood-pewees varied little among management scenarios, corresponding closely to broad, overall landscape changes over time. By contrast, richness of canopy nesters, richness of cavity nesters, richness of scrub-successional associates, and the presence of Common Yellowthroats showed high temporal variability among management scenarios, likely corresponding to short-term, fine-scale changes in the landscape. Predicted temporal variability of both interior-forest and early successional birds was low in the unharvested landscape relative to that in the harvested landscape. Our results also suggested that early successional species can be sensitive to both availability and connectivity of habitat on the landscape. To increase or maintain the avian diversity, our projections indicate that forest managers need to consider landscape-scale configuration of stands, maintaining a spatially heterogeneous distribution of age classes. Our findings suggest which measures of richness or species presence may be appropriate indicators for monitoring effects of forest management on avian communities, depending on management objectives.     

Can small-scale altitudinal gradients predict spatial and temporal patterns in tropical forests?

In tropical montane forests,compositional and structural changes are commonly driven by broad-scale altitudinal variation.Here,given the lack of knowledge on small-scale vegetation changes and temporal dynamics,we address the effects of small-scale variations in soil and altitude on tree community structure,temporal dynamics and phylogenetic diversity in a semi-deciduous tropical forest of the Atlantic Forest Domain,southeastern Brazil.In 2010 and 2015 we sampled thirty plots of 400 m~2,set up along an altitudinal gradient between 1000 and 1500 m a.s.I..In each plot,we collected soil samples for chemical and textural analyses.We fitted linear models to test the effects of altitude and soil on community dynamics and phylogenetic parameters.Altitude and soil explained the spatial variation in number of individuals and phylogenetic diversity metrics.From lower to higher altitudes,we found decreasing fertility,increasing tree density and decreasing phylogenetic diversity.Altitude significantly influenced the increases in total biomass(from 240.9 to 255.4 t ha~(-1)) and individual biomass(from 0.15 to 0.17 t) recorded in the interval.And while community temporal dynamics had rates of 1.96% for mortality,1.02% for recruitment,1.61% for biomass loss and 2.81% for biomass gain,none of them were explained by altitude or soil.Temporal species substitution averaged0.1 in the interval.Altogether,these results suggest that the small-scale variations in altitude and soil likely determine the conditions and resources that drive community assembly and structure,which are expressed by spatial variations along the altitudinal gradient.At the same time,temporal patterns were not influenced by altitude-related environmental variation,resulting in a similar dynamic behaviour across the gradient,suggesting that broad-scale factors may play a more important role than local ones.     

Natural reforestation is changing spatial patterns of rural mountain and hill landscapes: A global overview

The present landscape structure and function is the result of centuries of changes produced both by natural processes and human driving forces. For centuries many mountain and hillside areas have been the subject of deforestation to create space for agriculture and grazing, although the abandonment of traditional mountain agriculture has produced a natural forest recovery in many regions of the world. The physical changes imposed on the landscape by the development of secondary woodland have brought both positive and negative consequences, depending on the geographical and economic context and on the scale of the sites. Among the ecological problems caused by natural reforestation, one of great interest is the reduction of open spaces resulting in a loss of landscape heterogeneity and mosaic features. This review paper focused its attention on landscape metrics or indices that are frequently used to assess the structural characteristics of the landscape and to monitor changes in land use: mean patch size (MPS), connectivity (CONN), boundary length (BL) and the patch number (NP). Through the analysis of 52 selected papers and 53 case studies, we identified the main gaps in current knowledge, providing directions for further research. Most of the reviewed studies focused only on a portion of the spatial attributes that we were interested in and only 32 case studies reported accurate data both on forest expansion rate and time range analyzed in the study area. We conclude that the study of changes in all the spatial attributes considered within the same case study is a key to explain ecological consequences in mosaic cycles or in stochastic dynamic landscapes that emerged from the interplay of several processes, and to predict and explain their spatial and temporal characteristics. The current knowledge of how changing spatial attributes affect biodiversity, habitats, and ecosystem functions is limited by the scarcity of studies that explicitly consider the shifting in time of the four spatial attributes together.     

Phenology and pollination of Manilkara zapota in forest and homegardens

Knowledge on reproductive phenology and pollination biology are basic elements that should be considered in the management and exploitation of plant species that offer non-timber products. The tropical tree Manilkara zapota is a species from which non-timber products have been obtained for centuries by Mayan communities in Mexico. Nevertheless, there are no quantitative reports on its reproductive biology and the factors that limit fruit production. The present study describes the reproductive phenology, breeding system and pollination of this species in two contrasting environments: medium-height, subdeciduous forest, and homegardens (“solares”) in a Mayan community in the state of Yucatan. Significant differences were found between environments both in the temporal distribution of flower and mature fruit production, as well as in the proportion of mature fruits. Homegarden trees showed the greatest fruit production, although flower production did not differ between environments. Mature fruits were of better quality (i.e., greater fresh weight) in homegardens. Hand pollination experiments showed that M. zapota is self-compatible, and that there is pollinator limitation for fruit production in trees that grow in homegardens. We propose that water and soil nutrients are the main factors limiting M. zapota fruit production in forests, while in homegardens the main factor appears to be pollinator availability.     

Potential effects of climate change on insect herbivores in European forests—General aspects and the pine processionary moth as specific example

The nature of “climate change” will differ with geographical regions and its final impact on ecosystems vary with the extent of temperature increase, changes in irradiance and levels of UVB, amount and patterns of precipitation and humidity, and alterations in the incidence and nature of abiotic disturbances. Despite many uncertainties, there is consensus in the fact that global warming already has and will have impact on the temporal and spatial dynamics of insect herbivores. Ectothermic organisms are affected by the changes in environmental conditions directly in dispersal, reproduction, development and mortality, and indirectly through altered plant nutritional quality, resistance and via community interactions. Ambiguous consequences are to be expected depending on the individual host plant and herbivore species, probably involving altered incidence and intensity of pest outbreaks and changes in distributional ranges. Regions that represent northern or upper limits of occurrence, such as the Alps or the boreal zone, are likely to be affected most by an increase in stability and population density of certain pest species, such as defoliating insects or bark beetles. At the same time, temperature increase and drought will render areas of distribution in southern and continental parts of Europe less suitable for heat susceptible species, which will probably not only result in northwards shifts, but range contractions. The review is based on chapters of the “Study on impacts of climate change on European forests and options for adaptation” led by the European Forest Institute (Efi) and on results of the EU project “PROMOTH - Global change and pine processionary moth: a new challenge for integrated pest management”. Thaumetopoea pityocampa serves as illustrative example for insect herbivores whose latitudinal and altitudinal distribution is mainly controlled by temperature and already modified by global warming.     

Improving controlled pollination methodology for breeding <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia mangium</Emphasis> Willd.

Acacia mangium is a major plantation species for the pulp and paper industry in south-east Asia and there are a number of active breeding programs. The species is predominantly outcrossing, but with a demonstrated capacity to set selfed seed where outcross pollen is limited, with consequent inbreeding depression in the progeny. Current controlled pollination methods therefore include a time-consuming emasculation step. We used microsatellite genotyping of seedlings to determine the consequences of outcross pollination with and without emasculation. Only 1 of 3 mother trees set a small amount (5%) of selfed seed. Using whole inflorescences from the male parent as the pollen applicator rather than sieved pollen reduced outcross contamination rates from 19.1 to 8.7% and substantially increased worker productivity. Application of sugar solution to the female flowers immediately prior to pollination increased yield of sound seeds per spike. Additional improvements to the pollination protocols are discussed.     

森林冠层结构与功能及其时空变化研究进展*

林冠是森林与外界环境相互作用最直接和最活跃的界面层 ,同时 ,它本身又承载了森林生物多样性的主体部分。森林冠层研究的方法和技术在近些年取得了长足发展 ,从而促进了有关林冠结构与功能的研究。这些研究深化了人们对于林冠结构与光能截获以及群落干物质积累之间关系的认识 ,同时 ,对于森林冠层的物质循环和能量传输以及冠层内各营养级之间相互关系动态也有了更为深入的理解。考察森林冠层的结构与功能及其时空变化是深入理解整个森林生态系统的格局、过程及其运作机制的重要基础。     

湛江市林地景观演变及其功能评价研究

利用RS和G IS技术分析了湛江市1996—2007年林地数量和其景观格局的变化,定量评价了其对区域生态系统服务功能的影响。结果表明:在12年中,湛江市林地景观总面积显著增加;斑块破碎程度增大,空间格局变得更为复杂;湛江林地景观的格局演变主要受人类活动的干扰影响,林地生态系统服务功能显著增强的结果与其景观空间格局的变化有密切相关性。最后提出了湛江今后的林地保护和发展策略的建议。     

地理信息系统在林业中的应用、问题及前景(英文)

森林经营决策必须建立在现在和未来森林资源的时空分布信息基础上 ,而跟踪和获得森林资源信息的变化极具挑战性 ,因为森林资源是一个处于持续不断变化的动态生态系统 ,它的不定性和复杂性决定了森林经营需要更有用的和更及时的信息 ,因此时空信息是进行有效森林决策的基石 .现有的传统技术已满足不了大规模的森林规划和经营的需求 .地理信息系统是基于计算机基础之上的分析工具 ,能为森林经理提供复杂的空间信息 ,并建立定量模型 .本文综述了地理信息系统在森林经营方面的应用 ;指出了地理信息系统在林业中的效益、问题和局限 ;分析了地理信息系统在同其它空间技术如遥感、全球定位系统、人工智能建模、决策支持系统等方面的最新进展与发展方向     

城市绿化植物滞尘效益及滞尘影响因素研究概述

总结城市绿化植物滞尘效益的研究现状,系统阐述不同主体下植物滞尘量的高低以及时空角度下城市绿化植物的滞尘规律.不同植物种在滞尘量方面存在很大差异,从群落角度来看,多层次的植物群落结构能够发挥最大滞尘效益.从时空变化上来看植物的滞尘过程是一个复杂的动态平衡过程.植物滞尘量的大小主要受到植物叶片特性、树冠枝叶结构密度、叶面倾角以及气象等因素的影响.同时,植物粉尘抗性、地被植物和垂直绿化植物滞尘效益、植物滞尘机理研究以及城市绿地滞尘总量估算可能成为今后研究的主要内容.     

生态景观林带建设的主要生态学理论与应用

文章论述生态景观林带建设的主要生态学理论及其应用。在广东省生态景观林带建设中应该以群落生态演替的观点进行生态景观带（面）的建设,应用基于演替原理得出的生态恢复参照系来指导;按群落学的观点进行景观节点（点）建设,依据群落学和生物多样性原理,建立多乔木、灌木、草本、藤本等植物组成的景观节点群落,以作为景观线带物种的补偿地;以生态关学与生物多样性的观点进行绿化景观林带（线）的建设,利用群落的时间格局进行绿化景观林带生态关学的构建,利用群落的空间格局进行绿化景观林带的生物多样性构建;可应用边缘效应原理和种间相互作用原理来构建与管理生态景观林带。     

Biogeochemical cycling in forest soils of the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains,USA

We review some of the unique features of biogeochemical cycling in forests of the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, USA. As is the case for most arid and semi-arid ecosystems, spatial and temporal variability in nutrient contents and fluxes are quite high. “Islands of fertility” are common in these forests, a result of spatial variations in both litterfall and decomposition rates. Dry summer conditions greatly inhibit biological activity in the O horizon, and thus most annual litter decomposition takes place beneath the snowpack when moisture is available. Snowmelt duration is shortened near tree boles because of local warming, resulting in earlier drying of the O horizon, significantly lower decomposition rates, and increased O horizon mass. Water and nutrient fluxes vary spatially because of snowdrift in winter and surface runoff over hydrophobic soils in summer and fall. Moisture variability in the vertical as well as the horizontal dimension has significant consequences for nutrient fluxes. Because of the very dry summers, rooting in the O horizons is absent in these forests, and thus competition between microbes and trees for nutrients in that horizon is non-existent. Nutrients mineralized from the O horizon and not taken up by plants enrich runoff through the O horizons over hydrophobic mineral soils, resulting in very high concentrations of inorganic N and P in runoff waters. Substantial temporal variations in water and nutrient fluxes occur on a seasonal (with snowmelt being the dominant hydrologic event of the year), annual, and decadal basis. The most significant temporal variation is due to periodic fire, which we estimate causes annualized N losses that are two orders of magnitude greater than those associated with leaching and runoff. We hypothesize that fire suppression during the 20th century may have contributed to the deterioration of nearby Lake Tahoe by allowing buildups of N and P in O horizons which could subsequently leach from the terrestrial ecosystem to the Lake in runoff. In general, we conclude that biogeochemical cycling in these forests is characterized by greater spatial and temporal variability than in more mesic forest ecosystems.     

荒漠化地区土壤水分时空格局及其动态规律研究

本文应用长期定位研究方法对甘肃民勤荒漠化地区土壤水分时空格局及其动态规律进行了研究。研究结果表明：（1）荒漠化地区红柳群落与白刺群落土壤水分年际变化不明显，流动沙兵年际差异较大，最高达2.538%；（2）根据土壤水分季节变化特点，划分为土壤水分积累期、土壤水分消耗期与土壤水分稳定期；（3）土壤水分含量垂直变化规律是由表层到深层依次递增，受植被、气象、人为等外界因素影响，各群落土壤水分垂直变化范围差异很大；（4）不同坡位土壤水分差异很大，一般下坡位土壤含水量明显高于上坡位与中坡位土壤含水量，前者约是后两者的2倍，最高达到15．408％。     

关于山水林田湖草系统运行效率的理论思考

在我国不断深化生态保护修复战略部署的过程中,山水林田湖草生命共同体系统保护修复的重要性越发凸显。基于山水林田湖草生命共同体的科学内涵,文中剖析了山水林田湖草生命共同体的时空演变动态运行机理,构建了其运行效率分析框架;此外,还从山水林田湖草生命共同体的时间演化和空间差异2个维度构建了运行效率评价体系,明确其运行效率提升的实现路径。对山水林田湖草生命共同体运行效率进行理论机理阐释和评价体系构建有助于为我国生态保护修复工程实践提供丰富的理论依据,为推进区域生态与经济协调发展提供参考。     

Effects of variable retention logging in the boreal forest on the bumble bee-influenced pollination community,evaluated 8–9 years post-logging

Boreal forests are currently facing intensified logging pressures, yet we know little about impacts of logging on the pollination community. This study extends research done immediately before and after logging, to consider its longer term effects. We censused bumble bee and flower communities 8–9 years after experimental variable retention logging. Harvest treatments left 0%, 10–20%, 50–75%, or 100% of the original trees after logging. Total bumble bee and floral abundances were increased by all forms of logging; however the floral community in retention cuts (i.e., 10–20% and 50–75% of trees remaining) was more similar to undisturbed controls than was the community in clearcuts. Bumble bees in low-retention treatments (i.e. 10–20%) were in an ideal free distribution (IFD) with their floral resources, which allows for equal per-flower rate of visitation, regardless of local flower density. In clearcuts (i.e. 0%) and high-retention areas (i.e. 50–75%) bees were at an IFD with respect to the density of their floral resources, but undermatched (in 50–75% treatments) or were resource-independent (in 0% treatments) with respect to the energetic value of their floral resources. Bees in unlogged forest controls (i.e., 100%) deviated from an IFD by undermatching. Overall, low-retention logging (10–20%) was an improvement over clearcutting, because there was less change to the floral community, while still allowing for the achievement of an ideal free distribution. However, unlogged forest appeared to be negatively affected (in the lack of an IFD) by the presence of adjacent logged forests: numerical responses of bees to flowers were altered, with implications for bee foraging success and plant pollination service. Forest reserves should therefore incorporate buffer zones when adjacent to logged forest, to preserve the inter-relationships in their bee-influenced pollination community.     

Water content and bark thickness of Norway spruce (Picea abies) stems: phloem water capacitance and xylem sap flow

To determine the relationship between phloem transport and changes in phloem water content, we measured temporal and spatial variations in water content and sucrose, glucose and fructose concentrations in phloem samples and phloem exudates of 70- and 30-year-old Norway spruce trees (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Large temporal and spatial variations in phloem water content (1.4-2.6 mg mg(dw)(-1)) and phloem total sugar concentration (31-70 mg g(dw)(-1)) paralleled each other (r(2) = 0.83, P < 0.0001 for the temporal profile and r(2) = 0.96, P < 0.008 for the spatial profile), indicating that phloem water content depends on the total amount of sugar to be transferred. Changes in phloem water content were unrelated to changes in bark thickness. Maximum changes in phloem water content calculated from dendrometer readings were only 8-11% of the maximum measured changes in phloem water content, indicating that reversible changes in bark thickness did not reflect changes in internal water relations. We also studied the relationship between xylem sap velocity and changes in bark thickness in 70-year-old trees during summer 1999 and winter 1999-2000. Sap flow occurred sporadically throughout the winter, but there was no relationship between bark shrinkage or swelling and sap velocity. In winter, mean daily xylem sap velocity was significantly correlated with mean daily vapor pressure deficit and air temperature (P < 0.0001, in both cases). Changes in bark thickness corresponded with both short- and long-term changes in relative humidity, in both winter and summer. Under controlled conditions at > 0 degrees C, changes in relative humidity alone caused changes in thickness of boiled bark samples. Because living bark of Norway spruce trees contains large areas with crushed and dead sieve cell zones-up to 24% of the bark is air-filled space-we suggest that this space can compensate for volume changes in living phloem cells independently of total tissue water content. We conclude that changes in bark thickness are not indicative of changes in either phloem water capacitance or xylem sap flow.     

Spatial and temporal patterns in structure and diversity of Mediterranean forest of Quercus pyrenaica in relation to fire

The main objective of this work is to analyze the spatial and temporal response of Q. pyrenaica community to fire. In order to do so, an ecological characterization of 15 forests in different succession stages (5 Initial: 0–20 years, 5 Medium: 20–60 years and 5 Mature: over 60 years), paying special attention to structural and diversity features, was carried out. The results show that temporal changes are very important, and particularly affect the structure and relative abundance of the vegetation. The main differences consist in the change from a homogenous structure, with high cover and overlayering of woody species, at Initial stage, to a more pluristratified, complex and organized structure, with lower cover and overlayering of woody species at Mature stage. The changes in abundances showed a decrease in shrubby species, such as the Erica australis, Genista florida and Erica arborea at Initial stage, and the incorporation of tree species, such as Crataegus monogyna, Acer pseudoplatanus and Alnus glutinosa at Mature stage. However, there are no significative differences between stages for specific richness and diversity values. Spatial heterogeneity is high and similar in all three defined stages.     

Root reinforcement in plantations of Cryptomeria japonica D. Don: effect of tree age and stand structure on slope stability

The role of vegetation in preventing shallow soil mass movement is now fairly well understood, particularly at the individual plant level. However, how soil is reinforced on a larger scale and the influence of changes in vegetation over time has rarely been investigated. Therefore we carried out a study on the temporal and spatial changes within stands of Cryptomeria japonica D. Don, growing in the Sichuan province of China, an area where shallow landslides are frequent.     

杉木林地土壤微生物研究进展

杉木是我国主要造林树种之一,具有生长快、产量高、材质好的优点。土壤微生物与杉木林地土壤理化性质、土壤肥力以及植物根系之间有密切的关联。文中概述了不同林分条件下杉木林地土壤微生物的群落特征及其与土壤质量之间的响应机制,尤其是与植物根系共生关系方面的研究进展,以期为实现杉木林质量的精准提升提供理论参考。天然林和阔叶林较杉木人工林有更丰富的微生物群落,在杉木林生长发育过程中,中龄阶段各微生物指标最低。杉木林土壤微生物群落组成、生物量和活性等均与土壤酸碱性、通气状况、养分含量等存在密切的响应关系。杉木林菌根真菌主要属于球囊霉属,国内对杉木林下菌根真菌的研究仍处于初级阶段。未来土壤微生物的研究热点包括土壤微生物的时空演变规律、土壤微生物在提升土壤肥力上的机理和途径、菌根真菌在土壤养分高效利用中的机制等。     

Empowering fall webworm surveillance with mobile phone-based community monitoring: a case study in northern China

Recent advances in information and communication technologies, such as mobile Internet and smartphones, have created new paradigms for participatory environment monitoring. The ubiquitous mobile phones with capabilities such as a global positioning system,camera, and network access, offer opportunities to establish distributed monitoring networks that can perform a wide range of measurements for a landscape. This study examined the potential of mobile phone-based community monitoring of fall webworm(Hyphantria cunea Drury).We built a prototype of a participatory fall webworm monitoring system based on mobile devices that streamlined data collection, transmission, and visualization. We also assessed the accuracy and reliability of the data collected by the local community. The system performance was evaluated at the Ziya commune of Tianjin municipality in northern China, where fall webworm infestation has occurred. The local community provided data with accuracy comparable to expert measurements(Willmott's index of agreement0.85). Measurements by the local community effectively complemented remote sensing images in both temporal and spatial resolution.