Change in spatial characteristics of forest openings in the Klamath Mountains of northwestern California,USA

Change in the spatial characteristics of forest openings was investigated in three forested watersheds in north-western Siskiyou County, California totalling approximately 24,600 hectares. Watersheds with minimal human disturbance were chosen for study. However, fire suppression has been pervasive throughout. Characteristics of forest openings (area, perimeter, distance between neighboring openings) were measured on aerial photographs taken 41 years apart. An index of regional form was determined for the landscape. Shape complexity for each opening was calculated using two indices based upon fractals. Significant differences were found using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample test between the perimeters, areas, distance from sample point to nearest opening, and distance between neighboring openings. The perimeters and areas became smaller, and the distances from the sample point to the nearest opening and between neighboring openings became greater over the 41 years between aerial photo sets. The estimated area occupied by openings decreased from 25.8 % to 15.6 % of the study area. No significant difference was found in the shape of the openings except as the shape indices were influenced by changes in size of the openings.This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and it is therefore in the public domain and not subject to copyright.     

试论福建省国营林场分类管理

本文分析了福建省110个国营林场的类型、目前管理体制、管理办法及存在的问题。指出了目前国营林场管理办法中存在着种种弊端,跟深化林业改革很不适应,必须改革和完善国营林场管理机制,理顺“省办地管县监督”的管理体制,实行分类指导。本文就分类管理的依据,原则和实施办法进行了探讨,并提出了一些建议。     

Designating a greenbelt around the city of Riga, Latvia

Latvian legislation demands that forest protection belts are established around all cities and towns. The main goal of a protection belt is to provide suitable opportunities for recreation to urban dwellers and to minimise any negative impacts caused by urban areas on the surrounding environment. Legislation states the main principles to be adopted, which include the maximum area of protection belts, their integration in territorial development plans and restrictions placed on forest management activities. The largest part of the forest area around Riga is owned by the municipality of Riga, which, as a result, has two competing interests: to satisfy the recreational needs of the inhabitants of Riga, and to maximise the income from its property. In order to compile sufficient background information to solve this problem, the Board of Forests of Riga Municipality initiated the preparation of a proposal for the designation of a new protection belt.The proposal was based on the development and application of a theoretical framework developed during the 1980s. The analysis of the recreational value of the forest (5 classes of attractiveness) was carried out based on categories of forest type, dominant tree species, dominant age, stand density, distance from urban areas and the presence of attractive objects. Information was derived from forest inventory databases, digital forest maps and topographic maps. Additional information was digitised and processed using ArcView GIS 3.2. Local foresters were asked about the recreation factors unique to different locations, such as the number of visitors and the main recreation activities. From a recreational point of view and taking into account legal restrictions and development plans for the Riga region, it was proposed to create three types of zones in the forest: a protection belt, visually sensitive areas and non-restricted areas.     

Growth response of Ficus benjamina to limited soil volume and soil dilution in a skeletal soil container study

The interactive effects of rooting volume and nutrient availability in a skeletal soil medium designed to meet street tree and pavement needs were observed in a containerized experiment. Benjamin fig (Ficus benjamina L.) was grown in a stone-soil blended skeletal soil material (CU-Soil™) and compared to a loam soil. The same topsoil used as the soil component in the skeletal soil material was used as the sole component in the comparison soil-only treatment.Plants grown in the skeletal soil material had reduced leaf tissue N content and depressed growth compared with plants grown in non-diluted soil. No other mineral deficiencies were found. Leaf number, chlorophyll concentration, shoot weight, and root characteristics were all affected.Reduced growth from soil dilution could be offset by the provision of an enlarged rooting volume for root development. Large containers of skeletal soil were observed to have smaller root systems compared to equivalent net volumes of loam soil at the first two harvest dates of the study. By the end of the study, the large containers of skeletal soil were observed to have developed larger root systems compared to equivalent net volumes of loam soil; resulting in comparable leaf N levels and total plant dry matter. Plants in skeletal soil had lower shoot: root ratios at the end of the study. Investing resources to further root growth in times of nutrient shortages is a probable plant reaction as evidenced by differences in specific root length between treatments. The study allowed a method for directly partitioning the containerization effect by having equivalent amounts of soil over two volumes.     

Carbon storage by urban tree cultivars, in roots and above-ground

Urban trees can favorably affect factors underlying global warming by storing carbon and by reducing energy needs for cooling and heating buildings. To estimate carbon stored in roots and above-ground portions of trees, data was collected consisting of whole tree sampling of Amelanchier, Malus, Pyrus, and Syringa cultivars. Roots were excavated using an Air-Spade^™. Regression analysis resulted in two equations for predicting total carbon storage based on height and diameter of trees up to 20 cm dbh: Y = 0.05836 (dbh²) for root carbon storage, and Y = 0.0305 (dbh² × h)^0.9499 for above-ground carbon storage, explaining 97% and 96% of the variation, respectively. Average carbon stored in roots of various cultivars ranged from 0.3 to 1.0 kg for smaller trees, those 3.8 to 6.4 cm dbh, to more than 10.4 kg for trees 14.0 cm to 19.7 cm dbh. Average total carbon stored by cultivars ranged from 1.7 to 3.6 kg for trees less than 6.4 cm dbh to 54.5 kg for trees larger than 14.0 cm. The data from these equations apply mainly to trees in nurseries and recently transplanted trees. Comparisons showed that above-ground estimates from previous studies using a sampling technique overestimated values obtained from actual above-ground weights.     

基于不同尺度的干旱区城市景观生态研究--以陕西榆林市为例

从区域与城市两个尺度水平 ,对毛乌素沙漠南缘的榆林市城市景观进行研究认为 :在大尺度水平上 ,区域景观生态特征对城市景观特征具有一定的控制作用 ,而城市景观强大的功能流对区域景观产生干扰作用。城市景观的空间扩展与演化 ,既受区域景观特征的影响 ,也是区域景观演化的一个有机构成部分 ;在小尺度空间上 ,景观功能区、景观斑块与廊道的格局与功能 ,对城市景观格局动态以及维持城市景观多样的生态功能具有重要意义。在不同的利益追求下形成的景观文化 ,将深刻地影响到区域与城市景观演化的方向与过程。     

Integrated Pest Management in Cocoa Agroforests in Southern Cameroon: Constraints and Overview

Imports of pesticides have long been subsidised for use in the cocoa agroforests of the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon. With the liberalisation of the cocoa and pesticides sectors and the devaluation of the local currency (CFA franc), farmers are facing fluctuations in the price paid for cocoa and the high cost of farm inputs. Without the support of the extension services, they themselves have developed traditional integrated control methods based on the use of plant extracts mixed with conventional pesticides. From a survey of 300 cocoa farmers, the study assesses the farmers' command of these methods, the pests controlled, the problems encountered and the institutional constraints in the definition and dissemination of integrated control methods. The study concludes with recommendations for research and development towards the better definition and dissemination of integrated control methods. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

以固氮树种发展食用菌专用林的建议

许多固氮树种速生丰产，萌生能力强，叶片，木屑含氮率较高，可为食用菌栽培提供理想原料，而且固氮树种在绿花荒山，保持水土，提高地力方面作用显著，以固氮树种发展短轮伐期食用菌专用林，具有较高的经济效益和生态效益，本文介绍了银合欢，黑荆，大叶相思，银荆，桤木，南洋楹和马占相思等在食用菌栽培上的应用概况，各地可因地制宜栽培合适的固氮树种作为食用菌专用林。     

新疆淡水藻类研究：乌鲁木齐南山八一林场绿藻初报

本文首镒报道乌鲁木齐南山八一林场山区的绿藻１１属，１２种，其中１０属，１０种为新疆新记录。这些结果是对１９９１年７月采集的２０号标本经鉴定后获得的。     

晋西昕水河流域生态经济型防护林体系景观格局动态分析

本文以晋西昕水河流域为典型实例，概述了流域生态经济型防护林体系建设背景。依据流域内各类型区在不同时段的土地利用结构和生态经济特征，进行流域生态经济型防护林体系景观格局变化分析，表明了流域内景观多样性和异质性不断增加的发展趋势，以及确定各区主要发展方向，实行综合开发与治理的必要性，并提出了相应的流域生态经济型防护林体系动态调控途径。