The biology, ecology and agroforestry potential of the raintree, Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr.

Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr. (syn. Albizia saman (Jacq.) F. v. Muell.) is a large tree, native to tropical America, which has now become widespread throughout the humid and subhumid tropics. Although noted as a promising agroforestry species, there is little specific research that substantiates this potential. On the basis of a review of its biology, ecology and recorded uses, it is concluded that the most appropriate use for S. saman would be in an extensive silvopastoral system for cattle production. The tree provides excellent protective shade, and produces highly palatable pods that are suitable as a dry season feed supplement. Additionally, there are reports of enhanced grass production beneath its canopy indicating a potential role in maintaining or improving the productivity of tropical grasslands. It is concluded that the tree should receive more research attention, focusing particularly on its interaction with the herbaceous understorey and the identification of provenances adapted to a variety of environmental conditions. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Agroforestry in the management of sloping lands in Asia and the Pacific

Steeply sloping lands are widespread in the tropics. An estimated 500 million people practice subsistence agriculture in these marginal areas. Continued population growth has led to the intensified cultivation of large areas of the sloping lands, exacerbating the problem of soil erosion. Although research shows that alley cropping and other contour agroforestry systems can stabilize the sloping lands, these systems have not been widely adopted by farmers. The Framework for Evaluating Sustainable Land Management (FESLM) has been tested in sloping land areas in the Philippines. Sustainable land management must be productive, stable, viable, and acceptable to farmers, while protecting soil and water resources. Farms on which contour hedgerow intercropping has been adopted meet the multifaceted requirements of FESLM, whereas the farmers' current practice does not. Appropriate land management measures for particular locations depend on a complex suite of social, economic, and biophysical factors, and need to be developed in participation with farmers. The role of agroforestry in sustainable management of sloping lands is the subject of networks coordinated by the International Board for Soil Research and Management (IBSRAM) in seven countries in Asia (ASIALAND) and four countries in the Pacific (PACIFICLAND). We review selected outcomes from a wealth of network data. From these results the following conclusions about the sustainability of various agroforestry systems for sloping lands can be drawn: • In the Pacific, soil loss from sloping lands due to water erosion under farmers' current practices is episodic, unpredictable, and possibly not severe; • Agroforestry systems that utilize legume shrubs, fruit trees, coffee (Coffea spp.) or rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) provide useful economic returns, but are not an essential component in terms of soil protection because grass or pineapple (Ananas comosus) planted on the contour are equally effective in reducing erosion; • Agricultural intensification will lead to nutrient mining, reduction of aboveground biomass, declining yields, and less soil protection unless external sources of nutrients are used; • nitrogen can be effectively supplied using legumes; • Cash derived from hedgerow trees and/or shrubs may providean incentive for their adoption by farmers, as well as funds to purchase external inputs such as fertilizers; • Labor may be a major constraint to the adoption of complex agroforestry systems. We also discuss the information management systems required to effectively manage and utilize the extensive sets of experimental and indigenous data being accumulated. We believe such information systems can facilitate technology transfer across and between regions, and improve the efficiency of research into agroforestry and other land-management approaches. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characterization of wood-based multi-material systems under dynamic impact stress

ABSTRACT

Due to its naturally grown properties, wood has played a rather subordinate role as a material for technical applications up to now. In this paper, multi-material systems based on veneers of beech (Fagus sylvatica) with different reinforcing variants were investigated. In addition to the influence of different adhesive systems (urea formaldehyde and polyurethane), the effect of reinforcing by aramid fiber fabric and stainless steel foil in different climates was examined. At the center of the investigations were dynamically sudden loads, in the form of impact bending and dart drop tests (penetration and impact mode). It has been shown that the use of the reinforcing materials leads to a significant improvement in material properties. The penetration energy of the composites reinforced with the aramid fiber fabric could be increased by 43%. The maximum force in the dart drop test (impact mode) could be increased by 29% with the stainless steel foil, the damping decreased by 48%. The aramid fiber reinforcement achieved an increase in impact resistance by 27% in impact bending test, the steel reinforced achieved an increase of 39%. A clear dependency on both, the climate and the adhesive within the composite, could be demonstrated.     

Heat budget and statistical analysis of the relationship between stream temperature and riparian forest in the Toikanbetsu River basin, northern Japan

Riparian forests greatly influence aquatic ecosystems by providing shade cover, which controls water temperature and limits primary production. We examined the relationship between forest cover and summer stream temperature in northernmost Japan. Heat budget and statistical analyses were employed and the results were compared. Heat budget analysis revealed that the water temperature would decrease almost linearly from 29°C to 25°C with an increase in forested reaches along a 3.2 km stretch of the river. Multiple regression analysis by the stepwise method chose only open channel length as a variable to explain the variation in maximum stream temperature. A sharp increase in stream temperature was noted when riparian forest cover was removed in short lengths, of up to 1.0km; this increasing trend gradually flattened as the length of open stretch increased. Thus, even small openings in the riparian canopy resulted in drastic rises in summer stream temperature. The maximum summer temperatures estimated by the two methods were coincided, and can therefore be accurately estimated by regression analysis. Retrospective analysis based on the regression equation showed that the maximum summer temperature in 1947 was 6°C lower than at present, and that a sharp increase occurred from 1947 to 1960, a period of rapid expansion of agricultural land development in the watershed.     

A commentary on current approaches to forest population genetics

Some of the most frequently chosen approaches to forest population genetics as reflected in the present volume are discussed, and some topics possibly deserving more attention are addressed. Among the first are studies of self-fertilization as a characteristic of forest tree mating systems, gene markers as indicators of adaptive or phylogenetic differentiation, and methodological aspects of the measurement of genetic differentiation. The latter mainly concern generalizable methods of analysis and the involvement of gene markers in the determination of mating systems, detection of mechanisms of frequency dependent selection, and the incorporation of genetic profiles (characteristics of frequency distributions of genetic types) into population genetic analysis.     

The dynamic mating systems of conifers

Conifer mating systems vary among species and within species; both ecological variables and genetic variation cause mating systems to be dynamic. Within species, estimates of rates of outcrossing vary among populations, among loci, and among individuals within stands. The level of outcrossing varies with stand density, age, and the abundance of local and foreign pollen. Variation in the mating success of both males and females violates the assumption that populations are randomly mating and at equilibrium, and justifies more quantitative analyses of mating systems. Allelic frequencies in the pollen pool and in the pool of receptive female surfaces may vary through a season and among seasons, producing positively assortative mating in time. Seed and seedling viability selects against homozygotes for lethal alleles and favors heterozygous genotypes, biasing estimates of outcrossing. Particularly fruitful topics of research include the genetic consequences of polyembryony, differential male and female mating success, and associations between specific genotypes and floral phenology.     

Spatially distributed morphological characteristics of macropores in forest soils of Hitachi Ohta Experimental Watershed, Japan

Morphological characteristics of macropores in forest soil profiles were investigated at Hitachi Ohta Experimental Watershed in Japan. Nine individual profiles at different locations (various spatial scales in a catchment) and twenty profiles at one site (a small spatial scale) were excavated to the bedrock to investigate density, origin, diameter, direction, and gradient of macropores. Macropore densities in a soil profile ranged from 3.5 to 29.1 per m and from 5.4 to 75.1 per m², respectively. Subsurface erosion, root channels, and interactions between subsurface erosion and root channels accounted for 36.9, 36.5, and 19.0%, of the described macropores. The mean macropore diameter in organic-rich soil layer (17–20 mm) was larger than in the B horizon (11–14 mm) at both spatial scales. The dominant gradients of all macropores in the organic-rich soil layer and B horizon were at negative oblique angles. Approximately 90% of the macropores in the organic-rich soil layer and approximately 80% of the macropores in the B horizon fell within the range between −50 and 50 degree planar direction. Subsurface flow and root systems are believed to play important roles in determining the morphological characteristics of macropores. These characteristics appear to have variable influences in different soil horizons rather than at different spatial scales. A part of this paper was presented at the 103th (1992) and 105th (1994) Annual Meetings of Japanese Forestry Society.     

建立四川生态旅游统计体系研究

本文讨论了建立生态旅游统计体系的必要性;初步建立了生态旅游统计体系;分别就经营状况和开发状况编制了统计报表;提出了建立生态旅游统计体系的具体建议。     

平欧杂种榛主栽品种需冷量、需热量研究

[目的]揭示平欧杂种榛主栽品种的需冷量和需热量,更好地指导生产做好区域化栽培。[方法]本研究以16个平欧杂种榛主栽品种的1年生枝条为试材,以野生平榛1年生枝条为对照,通过水培观察的方法,首次对平欧杂种榛的雌、雄花序和叶芽进行需冷量和需热量研究。[结果]表明:平欧杂种榛不同器官的需冷量由低到高依次为雄花序336 1 176 h、雌花序504 1 344 h、叶芽672 1 512 h;需热量由低到高依次为雄花序687.0 998.5GDH℃、雌花序998.5 3 496.1 GDH℃、叶芽2 546.5 4 180.3 GDH℃;不同品种、器官在刚满足最低蓄冷要求时需热量最高,随着蓄冷时间的延长,需热量逐渐减少。[结论]首次报道了平欧杂种榛主栽品种雄、雌花序和叶芽的需冷量和需热量数据,其中,达维、平欧48号等品种花器官需冷量较低,辽榛2号、平欧545号等品种花器官需冷量较高;玉坠、平欧69号等品种花器官需热量较低,辽榛1号、辽榛4号等品种花器官需热量较高,上述研究丰富了榛属植物开花和休眠解除方面的数据,可为平欧杂种榛的引种和栽培提供参考。     

关于城市供热计量收费的探讨

本文从我国城市集中供热收费的现状出发,探讨了城市供热计量收费的合理性、可行性及必然趋势。