The ecological implications of insect resistance in conifers are rarely discussed. It is however a fairly straightforward plant-insect interaction and should be treated as such, making use of the increasing amount of information in this field. Work on tree breeding is usually carried out by silviculturalists who, not surprisingly, rarely consider the insect component of the environment in which the treess are growing. In all fairness, it must be stated that many entomologists, fail to consider the plant component of the interaction. Clonal forestry will almost certainly result in the loss of genetic variability. The use of clonal material has already been cited as a possible source for the diminution of the resistance against pests and diseases and if particular resistance mechanisms against forest pests are sought in the future the reduction in genetic material caused by clonal selection could have serious consequences. The ethics of clonal forestry have been questioned as have the ethics of biotechnological advances in the area of recombinant DNA molecules. The potential of both these techniques should be publicized and brought to the attention of the general public and the scientific community at large and evaluated. To improve our forest environment and to protect the environment as a whole, entomologists, geneticists, physiologists and silviculturalists must work together to produce better trees that require little, if any, chemical aid, be it insecticides, herbicides, fungicides or fertilizers. An increasing awareness of the environmental problems generated by large-scale insecticide applications to forest plantations, coupled with an increasingly chemophobic work-force and the difficulty in obtaining pesticide registration for use in forest environments, means that the forest industry world-wide must look to the use of integrated control measures with more diligence than has been shown in the past. Many recent outbreaks of pests and diseases have been linked with particular seed origins of tree crops. Host plant resistance as part of a suite of other proposed integrated control tools is thus an obvious candidate for development. Despite this, scientists concerned with tree improvement continue to select largely for silvicultural traits rather than for resistance to pests and disease. The different avenues open to plant breeders are examined and the potential of breeding trees resistant to insect attack highlighted. Using resistant trees as part of an integrated pest management system has five very important properties. Firstly, there is no additional pest control cost to the grower, secondly, it operates at all levels of insect incidence and not just when the pest is at high population levels, thirdly, it reduces the insect population cumulatively, fourthly it avoids toxic residues and environmental pollution and, finally, it usually interacts well with the other integrated pest management strategies in existence. 相似文献
After analysis on the current situation of international forestry, this paper proposes that integration, coordination and sustainable development will be the general developing trend of forest in China, and commercial forest, ecological forest and community forest should be organically combined with integrative development and sustainable development in rural areas. This paper focuses especially on clarifying the importance of community forest to the social development or rural areas, and emphasizes that the key point of forestry should be turned from biological and technical aspects to humane and social aspects. 相似文献
Efforts at mitigating global biodiversity loss have often focused on preserving large, intact natural habitats. However, preserving biodiversity should also be an important goal in the urban environment, especially in highly urbanized areas where little natural habitat remains. Increasingly, research at the city/county scale as well as at the landscape scale reveals that urban areas can contain relatively high levels of biodiversity. Important percentages of species found in the surrounding natural habitat, including endangered species, have been found in the urban forest.
This contribution concisely highlights some examples of urban biodiversity research from various areas of the world. Key issues involved in understanding the patterns and processes that affect urban biodiversity, such as the urban–rural gradient and biotic homogenization, are addressed. The potential for urban areas to harbor considerable amounts of biodiversity needs to be recognized by city planners and urban foresters so that management practices that preserve and promote that diversity can be pursued. Management options should focus on increasing biodiversity in all aspects of the urban forest, from street trees to urban parks and woodlots. 相似文献
Urban forestry is generally defined as the art, science and technology of managing trees and forest resources in and around urban community ecosystems for the physiological, sociological, economic, and aesthetic benefits trees provide society. First mentioned in the United States as early as in 1894, the concept underwent a revival during the 1960s as a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the specific challenges related to growing trees in urban environments. Later, urban forestry evoked the interest of scientists and practitioners in other parts of the world. However, harmonization of urban forestry terminology has been complicated by, for example, the involvement of different disciplines and translation difficulties. In many European languages, for example, the direct translation of ‘urban forestry’ relates more to forest ecosystems than to street and park trees. Efforts in North America and Europe defining ‘urban forest’, ‘urban forestry’ and related terms are introduced. A comparative analysis of selected urban forestry terminology in both parts of the world shows that urban forestry has a longer history in North America, based on traditions of shade tree management. Moreover, urban forestry has become more institutionalized in North America. Urban forestry in Europe has built strongly on a century-long tradition of ‘town forestry’. In both parts of the world, definitions of urban forestry and urban forest have become more comprehensive, including all tree stands and individual trees in and around urban areas. Agreement also exists on the multifunctional and multidisciplinary character of urban forestry. These similarities offer opportunities for international harmonization of terminology. 相似文献
While the cumulative effects of the actions of multiple owners have long been recognized as critically relevant to efforts
to maintain sustainable forests at the landscape scale, few studies have addressed these effects. We used the HARVEST timber
harvest simulator to predict the cumulative effects of four owner groups (two paper companies, a state forest and non-industrial
private owners) with different management objectives on landscape pattern in an upper Michigan landscape managed primarily
for timber production. We quantified trends in landscape pattern metrics that were linked to Montreal Process indicators of
forest sustainability, and used a simple wildlife habitat model to project habitat trends. Our results showed that most trends
were considered favorable for forest sustainability, but that some were not. The proportion of all age classes and some forest
types moved closer to presettlement conditions. The trend for the size of uneven-aged patches was essentially flat while the
average size of patches of the oldest and youngest age classes increased and the size of patches of the remaining age classes
decreased. Forest fragmentation generally declined, but edge density of age classes increased. Late seral forest habitat increased
while early successional habitat declined. The owners use different management systems that cumulatively produce a diversity
of habitats. Our approach provides a tool to evaluate such cumulative effects on other landscapes owned by multiple owners.
The approach holds promise for helping landowner groups develop and evaluate cooperative strategies to improve landscape patterns
for forest sustainability. 相似文献
Urban dwellers experience conflicting thoughts and feelings about urban woodlands; valued for their natural qualities, the relief they provide from the stress of modern urban living and the opportunities they afford for children's play and exploration. At the same time the seclusion inherent in this type of urban greenspace seems fraught with risk from crime, vandalism and abuse. Whilst many of these characteristics are well-researched, less is known about the differing perceptions of particular social groups. This study aimed to explore the ways in which age affects urban dwellers’ aspirations, values and fears concerning the woods, and woodland accessibility, focusing on the views of elderly people (aged over 65). This pilot study was based in Norfolk Heritage Park, an urban park containing a variety of woodland settings located in Sheffield, UK. The questionnaire survey (participantsn=97) revealed that although walking is the most popular leisure activity, most respondents did not visit urban parks as often as they would like, regardless of age. Whilst many of the meanings associated with urban woodland (“relaxation”, “peacefulness”, “seasonal change”, “scenery” and “education”) were shared amongst age groups, it seemed that the elderly respondents particularly valued the woods for their links with the past, and opportunities for immersion in the natural world. Some respondents from all age groups had fears about their personal security in the woodland, and the concerns of the elderly were heightened by their perceived frailty, reduced mobility and sense of vulnerability; this age group had a corresponding need for particular measures to alleviate these problems. The study provides preliminary evidence for the idea that adults of different ages have differing perceptions and requirements in relation to urban woodlands. Due to the small sample size and other methodological issues, further research is needed to confirm and develop the findings. 相似文献