National assessment of the evolution of forest fragmentation in Mexico

This paper presents assessments of the fragmentation of the temperate and tropical forests in Mexico at the national level for two dates 1993 and 2002. The study was based on land use and vegetation cover data sets scale 1:250,000. Two broad forest types (Temperate Forests and Tropical Forests) and five more specific forest types (Broadleaf Forests, and Coniferous Forests; Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests, Tropical Sub-evergreen Forests, and Tropical Evergreen Forests) were defined to conduct the analyses. FragStats 3.3 was used to estimate nine metrics of the spatial pattern of the forests for each forest type and date considered. The results indicate that the land cover transitions that have occurred between 1993 and 2002 have resulted in more isolated forest patches with simpler shapes in both the Temperate and Tropical Forests. The remaining Tropical Forest patches have become smaller and more numerous. In contrast, the remaining Temperate Forest patches are fewer and on average larger. Of the more specific forest types defined in this study, the Broadleaf Forests have the highest indicators of fragmentation. However these forests are usually embedded or adjacent to Coniferous Forests. Of more concern for conservation purposes are the high values of fragmentation metrics found for the Tropical Evergreen Forests and Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests, because these forest types are usually surrounded by non-forest land covers or anthropogenic land uses.     

Temperature sensitivity of soil CO2 production in a tropical hill evergreen forest in northern Thailand

Tropical forests, like boreal forests, are considered key ecosystems with regard to climate change. The temperature sensitivity of soil CO₂ production in tropical forests is unclear, especially in eastern Asia, because of a lack of data. The year-round variation in temperature is very small in tropical forests such that it is difficult to evaluate the temperature sensitivity of soil CO₂ production using field observations, unlike the conditions that occur in temperate and boreal forests. This study examined the temperature sensitivity of soil CO₂ production in the tropical hill evergreen forest that covers northern Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar; this forest has small temperature seasonality. Using an undisturbed soil sample (0.2 m diameter, 0.4 m long), CO₂ production rates were measured at three different temperatures. The CO₂ production (SR, mg CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹) increased exponentially with temperature (T, °C); the fitted curve was SR = 0.023 e^0.077T, with Q₁₀ = 2.2. Although still limited, our result supports the possibility that even a small increase in the temperature of this region might accelerate carbon release because of the exponential sensitivity and high average temperature.     

Leaf and litter nitrogen and phosphorus in three forests with low P supply

We compared the N and P contents of the main labile components of nutrient cycles in three different forest ecosystems [a tropical evergreen forest (TEF); a tropical dry forest (TDF); and a Mediterranean temperate forest (MTF)] with low P supply. A mass-balance approach was used to estimate mean residence times for organic matter, N and P in the forest floor, and to examine the flexibility of N and P intra-system cycling in the three forest ecosystems. For this purpose, we combined published values of N and P in foliage, litterfall, forest floor litter and mineral soils in these three forest ecosystems. The results of our analysis were consistent with the widely held belief that the N content of leaves (both green and senescent) and litter increases with increasing temperatures. In contrast, the data did not support the hypothesis that leaf P content decreases with increasing temperatures and precipitation: leaf and litterfall P contents were higher in both tropical forests than they were in the temperate forest. The TEF had the highest P content of the three forests studied. The mass-balance analysis indicated that although P mineralization in the TDF can run ahead of litter decomposition stoichiometry when P is in short supply, flexibility is much reduced or absent in the TEF and the MTF. Our analysis provides additional evidence of the importance of climatic factors in forest ecosystem processes and highlights the role of flexibility in ecosystem nutrient cycling, especially for P in ecosystems with a limited P supply.     

Early performance of two tropical dry forest species after assisted migration to pine-oak forests at different altitudes:strategic response to climate change

Assisted migration has been proposed as a strategy for adaptive management of forest species in response to expected effects of climate change,but it is controversial for several reasons.Tropical dry forests are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world.In Mexico,historically,land-use change and deforestation have been decreasing forest cover,and climate change is shifting the potential distribution of different forest types,exacerbating the risk of local extinctions.Assisted altitudinal migration could be a feasible strategy for reducing local extinctions in response to climate change and lack of landscape connectivity.Our objective was to evaluate survival and growth of Albizia plurijuga and Ceiba aesculifolia,two tropical deciduous forests species in Mexico.We transplanted 4-month-old seedlings to experimental raised beds at three altitudes(2100,2400 and 2700 m a.s.l.),exceeding their upper regional limit of distribution(2000 m a.s.l.).We also tested seed germination at each altitude.We monitored the experiment for 10 months.For both species,as altitude increased and cold weather was more prevalent,plant performance declined.Within species,differences in individual growth were significant among altitudes.Overall survival was 18.5% for A.plurijuga and 24.5% for C.aesculifolia.Both species had higher survival and better growth at lower altitude,and no seedling emergence at any altitude.We conclude that assisted migration can be implemented for each species by an upward attitudinal shift within,and not exceeding,400 m beyond their present upper altitudinal limit of distribution.Our results indicate that for many species that show altitudinal gradients at regional scales,unless current climate conditions change,the potential to establish outside their range is minimal.     

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

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

Forest vegetation of Xishuangbanna, south China

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

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

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

我国森林生态系统枯落物现存量研究进展

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

我国主要森林生态系统类型降水截留规律的数量分析

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

Tropical moist forests: Over-exploited and under-utilized?

Tropical moist forests (TMFs) are undergoing three principal types of exploitation — commercial logging, large-scale ranching and small-scale cultivation — that generally amount to unsustainable use. These modes of exploitation, or rather over-exploitation, focus on only a very few of the many products available from the forest ecosystems, resulting in degradation if not destruction for the rest. Through systematic screening of raw materials such as phytochemicals and genetic resources for industry, agriculture, and medicine, we could make expanded use of tropical forests — and the harvesting of these low-volume products need cause little disruption of forest ecosystems. Moreover, tropical forests offer many environmental services, whose value is increasingly apparent as deforestation proceeds. A comprehensive development strategy is required if we are to make best use of these forests, with a shift in emphasis from short-term, narrow-interest exploitation of a few products, to long-term, broad-scale utilization of whatever goods and services can be made available without degradation of the ecosystem.     

Age and growth of a fire prone Tasmanian temperate old-growth forest stand dominated by Eucalyptus regnans, the world's tallest angiosperm

Forests are key components of the global carbon cycle, with deforestation being an important driver of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. Temperate old-growth forests have some of the highest above ground stores of carbon of any forest types on Earth. Unlike tropical forests, the ecology of many temperate forests is dominated by episodic disturbance, such as high intensity fire. An exemplar of a particularly carbon dense temperate forest system adapted to infrequent catastrophic fires is the Eucalyptus regnans forests of south eastern Australia. Knowledge of the growth and longevity of old-growth trees is crucial to understanding the carbon balance and fire regimes of these forest systems. In an old-growth E. regnans stand in the Styx Valley in southern Tasmania we used dendrochronological techniques and radiocarbon dating to determine the age and stem growth of E. regnans and Phyllocladus aspleniifolius, an understorey rainforest conifer. Our analysis revealed that an even-aged cohort of E. regnans and P. aspleniifolius established in 1490–1510AD, apparently after a stand-replacing fire. The stem growth rates of E. regnans in the first 100 years were very rapid compared to the co-occurring P. aspleniifolius. That the longevity of E. regnans is >500 years challenges the suggested 350–450 year timeframe proposed for the widely held model of succession from eucalypt to rainforest. These forests not only have the potential to store vast amounts of carbon, but can also maintain these high carbon densities for a long period of time. Estimates of the capacity of these forests to sequester and store carbon should explicitly consider past harvesting and fire regimes and the potential increases in the risk of fire associated with climate change.     

气候对森林粗木质残体贮量的影响

森林中的粗木质残体（CWD）是生物圈与土壤圈养分配置的中介和纽带,CWD的贮量影响森林中元素的循环。文中通过比较世界各气候带森林系统中CWD的贮量,总结了造成各气候带森林中CWD贮量差异的气候因素。各气候带不同的气温、降水以及气温与降水的时间搭配关系,通过影响森林木材生产力、活立木死亡量及CWD的分解速率,进而影响CWD在林内的贮量。热带雨林、季雨林中CWD的平均贮量最低,仅为19.96～27.71 t/hm2;温带海洋性气候森林中CWD的平均贮量高达205.8～213.2 t/hm2。在全球变暖的大背景下,贮存在CWD中的C元素含量关乎着大气中CO₂含量,故应加强世界各气候带森林中CWD贮量格局的长期监测和系统调研。     

Forest Type,Diversity and Biomass Estimation in Tropical Forests of Western Ghat of Maharashtra Using Geospatial Techniques

Tropical forests are the world’s largest terrestrial storehouses of carbon and are recognized as rich, diverse and highly productive ecosystems. The present study was conducted to characterize the land use, diversity and biomass of tropical forest in Western Ghat of Maharashtra State in India through satellite remote sensing and GIS. The study has been designed and implemented to promote analysis on Western Ghat biodiversity resources including trees, shrubs and herbs based on inventorying, monitoring and mapping. Field measured biomass is integrated with spectral responses of various bands and indices of the Landsat TM satellite image for estimation of above-ground biomass in a 36,046 km² area of relic forest in the Central Western Ghat. The above-ground biomass from field-based inventory varied from 30.2 to 151.1 ton/ha in moist deciduous forest, 9.2–99.1 ton/ha in dry deciduous forest, 42.1–158.6 ton/ha in semi-evergreen forest, and 160.9–271 ton/ha in evergreen forest. The total above-ground biomass of the study area was estimated to be 95.2 M tons. A regression equation between field above-ground biomass and a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was used for spectral modeling to estimate and prepare the above-ground biomass map in the region. A total 120 plant species in 81 genera and 31 families were identified in the study area. This study emphasizes the importance of relic forests for their biodiversity, carbon sequestration and total biomass.     

Gap-Disturbance Regimes in Different Forest Types of Japan

Abstract

In this study, I defined a gap as a small opening formed in a forest canopy (area < 0.1 ha) and tried to synthesize gap-disturbance regimes of primary mature stands in different forest types of Japan, such as warm temperate evergreen broad-leaved (4 stands in 3 localities), cool temperate deciduous broad-leaved (10 in 5) and subalpine evergreen coniferous (3 in 1) forests. Mean percentage of the total gap area within the total forested area (percentage gap area) in each forest type was 17.0% in warm temperate (number of surveyed gaps was 161), 13.8% in cool temperate (278 gaps), and 8.0% in subalpine (100 gaps) forests. Mean gap density (ha^-1) and mean gap size (m²) were 19.5 and 77.1 in warm temperate, 16.4 and 92.0 in cool temperate, and 19.1 and 41.9 in subalpine forests, respectively. These figures indicate that gap density is not substantially different among the forest types, but the mean gap size of subalpine forests is smaller than the other two, resulting in lower percentage gap area of this forest type. The gap size distributions were similar among the forest types; smaller gaps were much more frequent than larger ones, and gaps > 400 rrr were rare in warm temperate and cool temperate forests. In subalpine forests gaps > 200 m² were rare. Gaps formed by multiple gapmakers comprised 19.9% of all gaps in warm temperate, 9.9% in cool temperate, and 44.9% in subalpine forests, which implies that gap formation by simultaneous tree fall or gap enlargement is more frequent in subalpine forests. Canopy trees died less often by uprooting in every forest type; dominant mode for the death of canopy trees was by leaving standing-dead or with broken trunks in every forest type. Since typhoons are obviously a chief agent of forest disturbance in Japan, frequency or magnitude of typhoon disturbance may influence these differences in the gap-disturbance regimes. In addition to the disturbance, tree architectures seem to affect some of these differences; narrower crown size of conifers compared with broad-leaved trees is considered one major cause for smaller gap size of the conifer forest.     

TM影像在热带林林地资源调查中的应用

利用TM影像对滇西南7个地（州）27个县（市）开展了调查，并按2级分类的要求进行目视解译，其结果为研究区热带林覆盖率为46.09%，郁闭林面积占研究区总面积的10.46%，破坏林面积占总面积的35.63%，常绿阔叶林面积占总面积的32.61%，热带雨林和季雨林面积占总面积的0.20%，判读精度81.53%。表明TM影像能满足热带林宏观林地资源调查的需求，既快速，又省力、省钱，具有一定的实用性。     

Effects of climate change on typical forests in northeastern China

By using the forest gap model-FAREAST, we simulated the effects of future climate change on forest composition and forest biomass of typical forests in northeastern China. We selected three different climate change scenarios, developed from GCMs results, of the ECHAM5-OM and HadCM3 models: the current climate, a warmer climate and a state of changing precipitation with higher temperatures. The results are as follows: if the climate does not change, the composition and forest biomass of the northeastern forests will retain their dynamic balance. A warmer climate is detrimental to the major forest types in the northeast. The percentage of major conifers is expected to decrease, along with a proportional increase of some broad-leafed species. The southern treeline of the mixed broad-leafed tree species/Korean pine forest in the temperate zone will tend to move northward. The warmer the climate, the more distinct the transition. If, furthermore, we were to take account of rainfall, the treeline in the northeast will tend to move northward. Rainfall seems to have little effect on the mixed broad-leafed tree species/Korean pine forests in the temperate zone.     

19个地区种子植物区系数量分类的初步研究

运用最小距离聚类法及主成分分析法对全国 19个地区种子植物区系的种类组成和地理成分进行分析 ,结果表明 ,19个地区可划分为 5类 :第 1类是以泛热带植物区成分为主的亚热带常绿阔叶林区系类型 ,包括闽、赣、浙、皖、湘、鄂 6省的15个地区 ;第 2类是山东泰山 ,是以温带落叶阔叶林为主的植物区系 ;广西大瑶山属于第 3类 ,是古热带植物区成分为主的亚热带常绿阔叶林区系类型 ;元谋干热河谷属于第 4类 ,是热带稀树草原—亚热带常绿阔叶林组合的特殊类型 ;长白山归于为第 5类 ,是典型的温带性植物区系类型     

Foliar temperature tolerance of temperate and tropical evergreen rain forest trees of Australia

Australian rain forests extend from tropical climates in the north to temperate climates in the south, providing an opportunity to investigate physiological responses to temperature of both temperate and tropical species within the same forest type. Eight, rain forest canopy tree species were selected to cover the 33 degrees latitudinal range of rain forests in eastern Australia. Temperature tolerance was measured in 6-year-old plants grown in a common environment, by exposing leaves to a series of high temperatures during late summer and a series of freezing temperatures during midwinter. Damage was evaluated based on chlorophyll fluorescence measurements made 2 h after exposure and by visual assessment of leaf damage made a week after exposure. Leaves of the tropical species were more heat tolerant and less frost tolerant than leaves of the temperate species, which is consistent with their climate distributions. In contrast, the temperature tolerance of the photosynthetic apparatus was unrelated to climate in a species' native habitat. However, the tropical species underwent significant photoinhibition during winter. All species maintained the integrity of the photosynthetic apparatus and avoided tissue damage over a similar span of temperatures (about 60 degrees C), reflecting the similar annual temperature ranges in Australia's temperate and tropical rain forests. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements and visual assessment of leaf damage provided different estimates of the absolute and relative temperature tolerances of the species, thus emphasizing the importance of a direct assessment of tissue damage for determining a species' temperature tolerance.     

中国热带次生林分布、类型与面积研究

热带林的保护问题已受到世界各国的高度重视,由于占世界热带林面积约三分之一的热带次生林,其经济和生态效益通常较差,处于相对被忽视的状态,因此也往往被进一步破坏。将次生林经营纳入可持续经营的轨道,是实现热带林可持续经营目标的重要战略。通过对中国热带森林研究、经营和统计资料的分析,结合本项目实施过程的实地调研取得的结果,文章对中国热带地区次生林分布、面积和类型作了阐述。热带森林主要分布在海南、广东、广西、云南、台湾,以及福建和西藏的部分地区,包括124个县市的全部和50个县市的部分地区。据可认可的资料统计,中国热带林地面积（不含台湾省）约1125．66万hm^2。其中有林地面积1074．49万hm^2,次生林面积544万hm^2。次生林占热带地区林地面积的48．33％,占有林地总面积的50．63％。中国热带林地和次生林的实际数字估计要比这一数值大6％以上,因为中国这几年高度重视林业建设,森林植被特别是热带森林植被恢复得很快,林地和次生林一直在不断增加。热带森林类型主要有：热带雨林（包括湿润雨林、山地雨林）;热带季雨林（包括半常绿季雨林、落叶季雨林、石灰岩季雨林）;南海珊瑚岛植被;海岸红树林等。从森林经理的角度,中国热带次生林的类型可分为：（1）次生阔叶林,包括次生常绿阔叶雨林、次生季雨林和次生季风常绿阔叶林;（2）次生灌木林;（3）次生针叶林;（4）次生红树林及次生珊瑚岛林等四大类型。     

中国不同地带性森林乔木叶片热值特征及其影响因素

[Objective]To study the leaf calorific value of different forest types.[Method]This study focused on four common forest types widely distributed across China, including boreal coniferous forest, warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest, subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, and tropical monsoon forest. The leaf calorific values of 175 dominant (or common) tree species were measured. The leaf calorific value characteristics of the trees found in the different forest types were analyzed, and the primary factors affecting leaf calorific value were investigated, including leaf morphological traits, nutrient elements, climate, and soil traits. [Result]The results showed that in these forest types, the leaf calorific values ranged from 14.84 to 21.98 KJ·g^-1, with an overall mean of 19.06 KJ·g^-1. The presence of organisms appeared to affect the leaf calorific value, which differed among forest types as follows: coniferous trees > broadleaf trees or evergreen trees > deciduous trees. [Conclusion]The latitudinal pattern of tree leaf calorific value, ordered from north to south, is as follows: warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest > subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest > tropical mountain rainforest. The mean leaf calorific value of boreal coniferous forest was slightly lower than those of warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest and subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. The leaf calorific values were significantly correlated with leaf carbon content (R²= 0.89, P<0.001). A multiple regression equation was established to describe the relationships among leaf calorific value, leaf carbon content, leaf nitrogen content, and leaf thickness.