Soil and foliar phosphorus as indicators of sustainability for Pinus radiata plantation forestry in New Zealand

We investigated how multiple-crop forestry has influenced the magnitude and variability of soil and plant phosphorus (P) fertility and site disturbance. Kinleith Forest, on Mamaku Plateau, covers >100,000 ha and comprises mainly plantation Pinus radiata. Three study areas in the forest were chosen to represent natural state (native forest), first crop of P. radiata (24 years growth), and second crop of P. radiata (4 years growth of second crop). The adjacent areas have similar relief and climate, and the soils are all the same age, being predominantly Andic Haplohumods developed in 1770 calendar-year-old non-welded tephra (Taupo Ignimbrite, ca. 0.5–0.8 m in thickness) and overlying a buried paleosol on earlier tephric material.

Soil properties were compared using a random geometric sampling scheme stratified in a 40-m grid. Soil samples (0–20 cm) were taken at 1.5, 4.5 and 13 m spatial intervals in random directions away from each primary node, providing 192 sample sites for each study area. Additionally at selected sites, samples of the current year's foliage from the upper crowns were collected, the thickness of Taupo Ignimbrite (i.e. depth to buried paleosol) was recorded by augering, and site disturbance was assessed using a new six-point scale based on change relative to a modal soil profile. Geostatistics and geographical information systems (GIS) were used to assess variability and effects of forest management on the measured properties. Soil Bray-2 P concentrations were below guidelines for satisfactory growth (12 mg kg⁻¹) at all sites, and no differences were recorded between the different management areas. However, the amount of within-site variability in Bray-2 P increased with the number of crops. Foliar P concentrations were only marginally deficient in both the first and second crops, indicating that P is currently not significantly limiting growth. The lack of difference in foliar P between first and second crops indicates no crop-to-crop decline in foliar P status and suggests that no site P fertility decline has occurred. The soils have an unusual ability to continue releasing P through successive sequential extractions in the Bray-2 P test, indicating a strong buffering capacity, and this may explain the apparent lack of deficiency even with Bray-2 P values of <12 mg kg⁻¹. The site disturbance index increased and the spatial distribution of P data became increasingly variable with crop rotation.

GIS, inverse-distance weighting and kriging proved useful in illustrating the trends between crops. The spatial variability of results indicated that there was no obvious pattern to the variability and that more site-specific forest management in the region would be difficult. However, there was some evidence that less disturbance during harvesting may minimise variability of soil P supply.     

Multiscale spatial variation of the bark beetle Ips sexdentatus damage in a pine plantation forest (Landes de Gascogne,Southwestern France)

Bark beetles are notorious pests of natural and planted forests causing extensive damage. These insects depend on dead or weakened trees but can switch to healthy trees during an outbreak as mass-attacks allow the beetle to overwhelm tree defences. Climatic events like windstorms are known to favour bark beetle outbreaks because they create a large number of breeding sites, i.e., weakened trees and for this reason, windthrown timber is generally preventively harvested and removed. In December 1999, the southwest of France was struck by a devastating windstorm that felled more that 27 million m³of timber. This event offered the opportunity to study large-scale spatial pattern of trees attacked by the bark beetle Ips sexdentatus and its relationship with the spatial location of pine logs that were temporally stored in piles along stand edges during the post-storm process of fallen tree removal. The study was undertaken in a pure maritime pine forest of 1300 ha in 2001 and 2002. We developed a landscape approach based on a GIS and a complete inventory of attacked trees. During this study more than 70% of the investigated stands had at least one tree attacked by I. sexdentatus  . Spatial aggregation prevailed in stands with n≥15$n\ge 15$ attacked trees. Patches of attacked trees were identified using a kernel estimation procedure coupled with randomization tests. Attacked trees formed patches of 500–700 m² on average which displayed a clumped spatial distribution. Log piles stemming from the sanitation removals were mainly distributed along the large access roads and showed an aggregated spatial pattern as well. The spatial relationship between patches of attacked trees and log pile storage areas was analyzed by means of the Ripley’s statistic that revealed a strong association at the scale of the studied forest. Our results indicated that bark beetle attacks were facilitated in the vicinity of areas where pine logs were stored. The spatial extent of this relationship was >1000 m. Similar results were obtained in 2001 and 2002 despite differences in the number and spatial distribution of attacked trees. The presence of a strong “facilitation effect” suggests that log piles should be removed quickly in order to prevent outbreaks of bark beetles.     

Modeling spatial variability in the life-cycle costs of low-volume forest roads

Cost estimation is probably the most decisive factor in the process of computer-aided, preliminary planning for low-volume road networks. However, the cost of construction is normally assumed to be route-independent for a specific project area, resulting in sub-optimal layouts. This is especially true for mountainous terrain and in areas with unstable subsoil. Here, we present a model for more accurately estimating spatial variability in road life-cycle costs, based on terrain surface properties as well as geological properties of the subsoil. This parametric model incorporates four structural components: embankment, retaining structures, pavement, and drainage and stream-crossing structures. It is linked to a geo-database that allows users to derive location-specific parameter values as input. In applying this model, we have demonstrated that variability in costs ranges widely for mountainous areas, with the most expensive construction being approximately five times greater there than on more favorable sites. This variability strongly affects the optimal layout of a road network. First, when location-specific slope gradients are considered, costs are reduced by about 17% from those calculated via currently available engineering practices; when both slope gradient and geotechnical formations are included, those costs are decreased by about 20%. Second, the length of the road network is increased by about 4% and 10% respectively, compared with current practices.     

张家沟集水区林木竞争指数空间分布的探讨

对张家沟集水区内的树木,运用Visual foxpro编写程序计算树木的竞争指数,并对树木所受到的竞争强度的平均值进行统计,根据结果分析树木竞争指数的分布格局。     

云南松毛虫越冬代幼虫自然种群空间分布型的研究

通过样方调查计算，采用聚集度指标法，测定云南松毛虫越冬代幼虫的空问分布型，建立了最适抽样数关系式，并对其进行了序贯抽样分析。结果表明：云南松毛虫越冬代幼虫种群在林内呈聚集分布，其Iwao回归方程为m*=5．2181 1．0207x^-、复相关系数R=0．9918；最适抽样株数为：N=621．81/x^- 2．07。     

武夷山风景名胜区景观空间格局研究

景观结构又称景观空间格局 ,是大小和形状不一的景观嵌块体在景观空间上的排列 (伍业钢等 ,1992 )。景观结构决定着景观功能 ,而功能的改变最终将从结构的变化中反映出来 ,因此 ,景观空间格局研究是景观生态学三大核心问题的核心 (贾宝全等 ,2 0 0 1)。景观异质性是景观最重要的属性之一 (Formanetal .,1986 ;Risseretal.,1984 ;Turner,1987) ,而景观空间格局既是景观异质性的具体体现者 ,同时又是多种生态过程在不同尺度上作用的最终结果 (贾宝全等 ,2 0 0 1)。景观空间格局及其变化和发展是自然、生物和社会要素相互作用的结果 ,影响着…     

Sur un cas de variabilité chez Sphaeropsis sapinea

A case of variability in Sphaero sis sapinea . Two isolates (type I and type II) of Sphaeropsis sqinea were isolated from the co lar of a declining Cedrus deo daa in the South of France. Cultural characteristics on PDA and MEA as well as conidial dimensions were compared with those of types A and B of S. sapinea described to occur in North America. Type II was similar to type A in respect to cultural aspects and growth but distinctly different in conidial dimensions. Slower growing type I was similar to type B. However, type I grew faster on PDA, had smaller conidia and lacked microconidia. Single-conidia isolates obtained from the four types showed stability of these characteristics.     

杭州次生湿地中早园竹林的种子库特征

实验通过野外调查和萌发试验对杭州西溪湿地经济竹林的种子库特征进行研究。结果,经济竹林种子库中共出现14科26种植物,其中以十字花科、大戟科、玄参科、菊科和禾本科为主。种子库密度的垂直分布呈下降趋势。其种子库中有劣性杂草如一年蓬和蒲公英,并占有优势。竹林地10~15 cm土壤的板结和贫瘠是种子量稀少的主要原因,竹林大部分是在干扰和干旱生境下萌发的草本和灌木种子库,亦有永久种子库的贡献。     

基于GIS的森林资源遥感调查方法研究

在试验研究的基础上 ,提出了在GIS支持下的遥感数据预处理 样地调查 前期调查信息叠合 -图象判读 -调查因子估测的技术路线 ,充分利用前期调查图面信息、小班属性数据信息进行遥感图象判读和小班调查因子估测的技术方法 ,有效地提高了判读的正判率和调查因子的估计精度 ,并产出了 1∶1万小班基本图 ,提高了调查成果的实用性     

Branch mortality and potential litterfall from Douglas-fir trees in stands of varying density

Forest floor characteristics influence nutrient cycling and energy flow properties of forest ecosystems, and determine quality of habitat for many forest plants and animals. Differential crown recession and crown development among stands of differing density suggest that an opportunity may exist to control the input of fine woody litter into the system by manipulating stand density. The objective was to measure the rate of branch mortality among stands of differing density and to estimate the range in total per hectare necromass inputs. Although litter traps are reliable for estimating per hectare rates of litterfall, branch mortality dating on sectioned stems uniquely allows assessment of several other litterfall components: (1) individual tree contributions to total litterfall; (2) the amount of branch material released by mortality, regardless of whether the branches are shed to the forest floor; (3) the distribution of basal diameters characterizing the litterfall from a given tree and stand. Twenty-four trees were felled and sectioned on permanent plots that were part of a silvicultural study of stand density regimes in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco.). Whorl branches were dissected out of bole sections to determine the dates of mortality, and a branch biomass equation was applied to estimate potential rate of litterfall. Periodic annual rates were expressed in four ways: (1) number of branches per tree; (2) mass of branches per tree; (3) mass of branches per unit of crown projection area; (4) mass of branches per hectare. For the growth periods investigated, larger trees and trees growing on denser plots tended to release a greater necromass through branch mortality. Average branch basal diameter generally decreased with increasing stand density. Annual branch mortality ranged from 33 to 430 g m⁻² crown projection area for individual trees, and from 236 to 1035 kg ha⁻¹ for individual plots. These rates approached the low end of the range of previously published fine litterfall rates for Douglas-fir. Rates on these plots were relatively low owing to the temporary delay in crown recession imposed by artificial thinning. A conceptual model of branch litter dynamics is presented to depict consistencies with crown development among stands managed under different density regimes.