Drought tolerance and rainforest tree growth on a North Queensland rainfall gradient

Three instrumented sites were established in 1985 along a 160-km transect from coastal evergreen rainforest on lowlands near Cairns, through rainforest on the Atherton Tableland, to semideciduous vine forest southwest of Mount Garnet. Mean annual rainfall graded from 2800 mm at coastal site (1), through 1400 mm on Atherton Tableland (2), to 760 mm at inland site (3). Each site was equipped with scaffold towers to provide regular access to upper and middle canopy.

Two shade-intolerant rainforest tree species which occurred at all three sites were used to compare tree growth and water relations; these were Acacia aulacocarpa (brown salwood) which was evergreen, and Melia azederach var. australasica (white cedar) which was leafless during onset of drought. Drought responses from coastal to inland sites were qualitatively different between Acacia and Melia. While Acacia foliage endured persistent low-moisture status, the deciduous habit of Melia provided a means of drought-avoidance.

Mean minimum leaf water-potential for deciduous Melia varied from −1.7 MPa to −2.3 MPa across all sites and seasons. By contrast, evergreen Acacia experienced increasing seasonal drought stress from coast to inland, reducing dry-season water-potentials from −2.1 Mpa to −6.4 Mpa, respectively.

Annual patterns of growth in stem cross-sectional area also varied according to species and site. For Acacia, current annual increment ( ) was 54.1 and 56.9 cm² year⁻¹ for coastal and tableland sites respectively. Acacia at the inland site was only 3.1 cm² year⁻¹.

Present results are relevant to species selection criteria in the tropics, where establishment of rainforest species can be limited by seasonal drought.     

Microclimate and nutrient dynamics in a silvopastoral system of semiarid northeastern Brazil

There is little available information on nutrient cycling and the controls of ecosystem processes in land use systems of dry neotropical regions. In this study, we conducted field and glasshouse experiments to investigate the influence of Ziziphus joazeiro and Prosopis juliflora trees on microclimate and nutrient dynamics in pastures ofCenchrus ciliaris in semiarid northeastern Brazil. We found that soil moisture was lower under the crowns of P. juliflora trees during early season in comparison to patches ofC. ciliaris (grass patches), but the presence of Z. joazeiro had no effect on soil moisture. Soil and air temperatures were lower under Z. joazeiro in comparison to grass patches but P. juliflora had little effect on temperature. Losses of P from all litter types were lower under the crowns of Z. joazeiro trees, but losses of biomass and N from litter were not consistently affected by the presence of trees. Soil net N mineralized was greater under both tree species, in comparison to grass patches. However, net soil N mineralized per gram of total soil N was greater under the crowns of the potentially N₂ fixing P. juliflora, in comparison to grass patches, while there were no significant differences betweenZ. joazeiro crowns and grass patches. In the glasshouse study, plant biomass and nutrient uptake was greater in soil collected under the crowns of both tree species, in comparison to soil from grass patches. Our results indicate that the preservation of native trees or introduction of exotic tree species in C. ciliaris pastures in semiarid northeastern Brazil significantly affects microclimate and the dynamics of litter and soil nutrients, and may contribute to increases in the cycling rate of nutrients in these systems. Index terms: buffel grass, caatinga, nitrogen mineralization, Prosopis juliflora, Ziziphus joazeiro.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of artificial afforestation and successional stage on a lowland forest bird community in southern China

To examine the relationship between forest succession after severe logging forestry practices and the composition of avian communities, we investigated how forest bird composition and guild structure change as a function of structural properties along a successional gradient, including a climax mature forest (>400 years), a rehabilitated mixed forest (50-70 years), and a disturbed Masson pine forest (70 years) of the Dinghushan Nature Reserve, Guangdong Province, China. Of a total of 51 resident species recorded, mixed forests hosted the highest numbers of individuals and species, reflecting the high species richness of both forest and non-forest species. For forest-dependent species, however, mature stands had the highest observed and estimated species richness. Of 6 habitat-use guilds identified, vertical-profile generalists and understory-birds formed the two dominant guilds, accounting for 54.0% and 38.7% of all individuals respectively. The results of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) clearly showed that most forest-dependent species were associated with high proportions of native canopy cover and the mean density of dead trees and large trees, which are characteristic of old-growth mature forests (horizontal heterogeneity) at stand level. Accordingly, conservation efforts should focus on the specialized requirements of the most habitat-restricted species in the future, especially for understory insectivores (Babblers) and large-tree users in mature subtropical monsoon forests of southern China. Moreover, since regenerating mixed forests are very similar to mature forests in both vegetation structure and bird community composition, we recommend that logging cycles (>50 years) be increased to a minimum of 50 years in southern China, so that a balance between economic and ecological interest can be reestablished.     

Degrading uplands in the rainforest region of Madagascar: Fallow biomass,nutrient stocks,and soil nutrient availability

Soil fertility restoration depends on natural fallows in the slash-and-burn system of eastern Madagascar. In the Beforona-Vohidrazana study zone, none of the fallow species are able to withstand the slashing, burning and cropping frequencies of 3–5 years. Eventually soils are abandoned for agriculture. Along the degradation sequence, this study quantifies fallow biomass, nutrient stocks and soil nutrient availability of four dominant fallow species Trema orientalis, Psiadia altissima, Rubus moluccanus, and Imperata cylindrica. At 3 years, the shrubs Psiadia and Rubus were more productive (11–14.4 t/ha aboveground biomass or AGB) than the tree species Trema (8.5 t/ha). Only after 5 years did tree productivity (24.7 t/ha) exceed that of shrubs (17–20 t/ha). Imperata’s biomass stagnated at 5.5 t/ha after 3 years. A sharp decline in fallow productivity was observed with advancing fallow cycles after deforestation. While Psiadia produced highest AGB in the second fallow cycle (C2) being 100%, C1 achieved 89% of that, C3 74%, and C4 only 29%. With the ability to propagate vegetatively and to accumulate important amounts of nutrients in roots, Rubus and Imperata, both exotic and invasive species, showed improved adaptation mechanisms towards frequent disturbances compared to the two indigenous species Trema and Psiadia. Available soil nutrients P, K, Mg were highest under forest and declined rapidly with increasing fallow cycles. Ca and pH rose momentarily in the first fallow cycle before declining with advanced soil use. Al concentrations increased steadily with time. As lengthened fallow periods are not practical, there is a need to intensify upland systems based on improved nutrient cycling, targeted inputs, fire-less land management, and land use diversification. Allowing regrading tree and bush fallows to accumulate biomass (above- and belowground carbon) will significantly improve Madagascar's greenhouse gas mitigation contribution.     

Tree regeneration and seedling survival patterns in old-growth lowland tropical rainforest in Namdapha National Park, north-east India

The tree structure and regeneration was studied in the buffer zone area comprising lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen forests in the Namdapha National Park, one of the largest remaining tract of pristine rainforests in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot in India. The investigations were conducted in the three forest stands, viz. Altingia-mixed species, Shorea-Dipterocarp, and Albizia forests that are most dominant forest types in the lowland areas of the park. A total of 98, 54 and 20 species have been recorded at tree stratrum, while 87, 44 and 15 species at regeneration stratum for three stands, respectively. The cumulative regenerating density (seedlings + saplings) was estimated 17,648, 16,110 and 768 individual ha⁻¹ for respective stands. It was interesting to note that of the total regenerating species, 44–47% species were new to different stands, which mainly comprised middle storey species. Low-dominant and rare species also contributed significantly in the regeneration of the forest stands. The expanding population structure of forest stands indicated higher survival of the mid- and the low-canopy species than the top-canopy species. The data revealed that the future composition of these stands will highly depended on the potential regenerative status of species in each of the stand and such information would be crucial for forest management. Since the park contributed significantly to the regional biodiversity by depicting species assemblages for both wet evergreen and semi-evergreen biomes, such last remnants of rainforest should be integrally protected from anthropogenic disturbances.     

Response of water and nutrient fluxes to improvement fellings in a tropical montane forest in Ecuador

Management of natural forests might be one option to reduce the high deforestation rate in Ecuador. We therefore evaluated the response of water and nutrient cycles in a natural tropical montane forest to improvement fellings with the aim of favoring economically valuable target trees which will later be harvested with additional ecosystem impacts not considered here.     

Spatio-temporal dynamics of gross rainfall partitioning and nutrient fluxes in shaded-cocoa (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Theobroma cocoa</Emphasis>) systems in a tropical semi-deciduous forest

Land-use change from forest to cocoa agroforestry and other tree-based farming systems alters the structure of forest stands and influences the magnitude of canopy water fluxes and subsequent bio-element inputs to the forest floor. The partitioning of incident rainfall (IR) into throughfall (TF), stemflow (SF) and canopy interception loss (IL_C) and their associated nutrient element concentrations and fluxes was examined along a replicated chrono-sequence: forest, 3, 15 and 30-year-old smallholder shaded-cocoa systems in Ashanti Region, Ghana. Mean annual precipitation during the 2-year observational period (2007 and 2008) was 1376.2 ± 93.8 mm. TF contributed between 76.5–90.4%, and SF between 1.4–1.7% of the annual IR to the forest floor. There were significant differences in IR, TF and SF chemistry. While TF and SF were enriched in phosphorus (1.33–5.67-fold), potassium (1.1–5.69 fold), calcium (1.35–2.65 fold) and magnesium (1.4–2.68 fold) relative to IR, total N (NH₄ ⁺+NO₃ ^?) declined (0.5–0.91) of IR values in TF and SF in forest and shaded cocoa systems. Incident rainfall was significantly more acidic than TF and SF in both forest and shaded-cocoa systems. Mean annual total N, P, K, Ca and Mg inputs to the forest floor through IR were 5.7, 0.14, 13.6, 9.43 and 5.6 kg ha^?1year^?1 respectively. Though an important source of available nutrients for plant growth, incident rainfall provides only a small percentage of the annual nutrient requirements. With declining soil fertility and pervasive low cocoa yields, possible effects of the reported nutrient fluxes on nutrient budgets in cocoa systems merit further investigation. Against the background of increased TF and decreased IL_C following forest conversion to shaded-cocoa, it is also recommended that more studies be carried out on rainfall partitioning and its impact on ground water recharge as a way of establishing its influence on the availability of moisture for agriculture in these systems.     

Landscape pattern changes over 25 years across a hotspot zone in southern Brazil

Forest fragmentation caused by human activities has many implications for natural landscapes, such as habitat reduction and the loss of biodiversity. This study investigated the temporal fragmentation process of forest remnants in a strongly agro-industrialised region in southern Brazil over 25 years. The studied watershed area hosts two important typologies of the Atlantic Forest biome as well as Quaternary remnants of the Brazilian Savanna biome, which are considered hotspots of biodiversity and reflect the intense process of forest fragmentation caused by Brazilian urban and agro-industrial development. Thus, studies encompassing multitemporal scales are paramount to understanding changes in forest patterns and are fundamental for trend predictions of landscape dynamics. To perform the calculation of the mean normalised difference vegetation index, Landsat satellite images from 1991 to 2016 were processed using SPRING® software. Subsequently, FRAGSTATS® software was used to calculate landscape metrics. A reduction in the number of forest fragments since 1991 was observed, with a maximum amount of 5 243 fragments in 1993 that declined to 4 015 fragments in 2016. Although the number of fragments in the watershed decreased, the mean area increased by 72.9% and the mean of the shape index increased from 1.3 in 1991 to 1.5 in 2016. In addition, there was a 64.7% increase in the edge density and a reduction of 35.6 m in the isolation between the nearest neighbours. The degree of isolation of the fragments underwent a process of expansion and reduction when compared to 1991, presenting results that support the hypothesis that the Atlantic Forest is in a process of stabilisation and forest restoration.     

Deforestation and forest degradation monitoring and assessment of biomass and carbon stock of lowland rainforest in the Analanjirofo region, Madagascar

Madagascar is currently developing a policy and strategies to enhance the sustainable management of its natural resources, encouraged by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and REDD. To set up a sustainable financing scheme methodologies have to be provided that estimate, prevent and mitigate leakage, develop national and regional baselines, and estimate carbon benefits. With this research study this challenge was tried to be addressed by analysing a lowland rainforest in the Analanjirofo region in the district of Soanierana Ivongo, North East of Madagascar. For two distinguished forest degradation stages: “low degraded forest” and “degraded forest” aboveground biomass and carbon stock was assessed. The corresponding rates of carbon within those two classes were calculated and linked to a multi-temporal set of SPOT satellite data acquired in 1991, 2004 and 2009. Deforestation and particularly degradation and the related carbon stock developments were analysed. With the assessed data for the 3 years 1991, 2004 and 2009 it was possible to model a baseline and to develop a forest prediction for 2020 for Analanjirofo region in the district of Soanierana Ivongo. These results, developed applying robust methods, may provide important spatial information regarding the priorities in planning and implementation of future REDD+ activities in the area.     

南北五加营养器官比较

刺五加（Acanehopanax senticosus)、短梗五加（A.sessiliflorus)、五加（A.gracilistylus)皆为五加科（Araliaceae)植物，前二个种主要分布在我国小兴安岭-长白山一带，五加产于我国南方。都是名贵中药材，不仅“扶正固本”，而且还被誉为“滋补上品”，如制成“五加酒”、“刺五加茶”等。极具开发价值。它们外部形态相似，但药用价值却不完全相同。为此，对它们的营养器官（根、茎、叶）进行比较解剖，为生药显微鉴定提供解倍依据，以避免药物混杂。     

日本北海道北部寒温带森林流域林冠层凋落物及其养分归还量的景观格局(英文)

Within a forested watershed at the Uryu Experimental Forest of Hokkaido University in northern Hokkaido, overstory litterfall and related nutrient fluxes were measured at different landscape zones over two years. The wetland zone covered with Picea glehnii pure stand. The riparian zone was deciduous broad-leaved stand dominated by Alnus hirsuta and Salix spp., while the mixture of deciduous broadleaf and evergreen conifer dominated by Betula platyphylla, Quercus crispula and Abies sachalinensis distributed on the upland zone. Annual litterfall averaged 1444, 5122, and 4123 kg.hm^-2·a^-1 in the wetland, riparian and upland zones, respectively. Litterfall production peaked in September-October, and foliage litter contributed the greatest amount （73.4%-87.6 %） of the annual total litterfall. Concentrations of nutrients analyzed in foliage litter of the dominant species showed a similar seasonal variation over the year except for N in P glehnii and A. hirsuta. The nutrient fluxes for all elements analyzed were greatest on riparian zone and lowest in wetland zone. Nutrient fluxes via litterfall followed the decreasing sequence： N （11-129 kg.hm-2.aq） 〉 Ca （9-69） 〉 K （5-20） 〉 Mg （3-15） 〉 P （0.4-4.7） for all stands. Significant differences were found in litterfall production and nutrient fluxes among the different landscape components. There existed significant differences in soil chemistry between the different landscape zones. The consistently low soil C：N ratios at the riparian zone might be due to the higher-quality litter inputs （largely N-fixing alder）.     

Understanding bark thickness variations for Araucaria angustifolia in southern Brazil

This study aimed to understand bark thickness variations of Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze trees growing in natural forest remnants in southern Brazil,and their relationship with quantitative and qualitative attributes.Bark thickness must be accurately estimated in order to determine timber volume stocks.This is an important variable for the sustainable management and conservation of araucaria forests.In spite of its importance and visibility,bark thickness variations have not been evaluated for this key species in southern Brazil.A total of 104 trees were selected,and their qualitative and quantitative attributes such as diameter at breast height (D _(BH)),height (H),crown base height (C _(BH)),crown length (C _L),social position (S _P),stoniness (S _T),position on the relief (P _R),vitality(V _T) and branch arrangement (B _A) were measured.The trees were categorized into two groups:red bark or gray bark.Regression analysis and artificial neural networks(ANN) were used for modelling bark thickness.The results indicate that:(1) bark thickness showed good correlation to D _(BH),with 0.76 as coefficient of determination (R ~2),0.540 as Mean Absolute Error (M _(AE)) and 22.4 root-meansquare error in percentage (R _(MSE%));(2) the trend changed according to bark colour,with significant differences for the intersection (_0–PrF:p=0.0124) and slope (_1–PrF:p=0.0126) of bark thickness curves between groups;(3) the highest correlation of bark thickness was found with:D _(BH )(ρ=0.88),H (ρ=0.58),C _(BH )(ρ=0.46),S _(P )(ρ=-0.52),and B _(A )(ρ=-0.32);(4) modelling with ANN confirmed high adjustment (R ~2=0.99) and accuracy(R _(MSE%)=3.0) of the estimates.ANN is an efficient and robust technique for the modelling of various qualitative and quantitative attributes commonly used in forest mensuration.The effective use of ANN to estimate araucaria bark in natural forests reinforces its potential,besides the possibility of application for other forest species.     

Tree structure and diversity of lowland Atlantic forest fragments: comparison of disturbed and undisturbed remnants

This study describes the tree community structure of three moist lowland Atlantic Forest fragments in Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil. Two fragments were disturbed and an undisturbed one was used as reference. Our hypothesis was that disturbed fragments show distinct structural patterns in comparison with undisturbed stands due to past disturbance practices and forest fragmentation. Four 100 ×5 m sampling plots were demarcated in each fragment and all live and dead trees with DBH C 5 cm were located, measured and identified. The results supported our hypothesis, due to the high values found for standing dead trees, an increase of dominance of a few pioneer species, lower values of large trees and species richness in disturbed fragments in comparison with the undisturbed one. The advanced fragmentation process in the Southern Brazilian lowland areas and the high species richness in undisturbed areas highlight these forest fragments as priority areas for conservation and management.     

Distribution and fluxes as macrodetritus of phosphorus in red mangroves, Sepetiba Bay, Brazil

The distribution and dynamics of phosphorus have been studied in the mangroves of Sepetiba Bay, Brazil. Leaf fall contributes 3.0 kg P ha=¹yr=¹to the sediment. The total above ground biomass of the R. mangle stand was about 65.3 t ha=¹, the P accumulation was 3.9 kg P ha=¹where 63% of the total P-biomass was accumulated in the leaves. The biomass of below ground roots was about 8.2 tha=¹ and accumulated 16% of total P-biomass. Sediment contained 452 kg P ha=¹ where P combined with calcium (P-Ca) was the main fraction (260 kg ha=¹). The annual flux of P as litter fall was small (< 1%) compared to total P in the sediment reservoir. The annual export of P by macrodetritus corresponds to 0.05% of the total sediment reservoir.     

Dendrochronology and climatic signals in the wood of Nectandra oppositifolia from a dense rain forest in southern Brazil

Nectandra is one of the most representative genera of Lauraceae in the subtropical Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The objective of this work was to study the dendrochronological potential of Nectandra oppositifolia Nees and Mart. from two sites in Santa Catarina State in southern Brazil. A tree-ring chronology of 34 trees was developed. The time span ranged from 1843 to 2013. The oldest and youngest trees were 171 and 47 years-old and the average length of the series was 103 years. Average diameter and annual increment were 20.64 cm and0.74 mm a-1; diameter and age were unrelated. The species has good dendrochronological potential with an intercorrelation of 0.61 between sites, indicating the existence of a synchronous pattern in the development of the trees. The climate response of the species could be seen by negative tree growth effects for previous hot and current rainy growth seasons.     

Decomposition and nutrient release in leaves of Atlantic Rainforest tree species used in agroforestry systems

Aiming to support the use of native species from the Atlantic Rainforest in local agroforestry systems, we analysed chemical and biochemical components related to leaf decomposition of Inga subnuda, Senna macranthera, Erythrina verna, Luehea grandiflora, Zeyheria tuberculosa, Aegiphila sellowiana, and Persea americana. These tree species are native (except for P. americana) and commonly used in agroforestry systems in the Atlantic Rainforest. For the three first species (Fabaceae), we also analysed the remaining dry matter and released nutrients from leaves, using litter bags, and biological nitrogen fixation, using Bidens pilosa and Brachiaria plantaginea as references of non-N₂-fixing plants. Leaves from I. subnuda, L. grandiflora, and P. americana had a lower decomposition rate than the other species, exhibiting negative correlations with lignin/N and (lignin+polyphenol)/N ratios. The percentages of remaining dry matter after 1 year were 69 % (I. subnuda), 26 % (S. macranthera) and 16 % (E. verna). Higher nutrient release was found in decreasing order from residues of E. verna, S. macranthera, and I. subnuda. The percentages of nitrogen fixation were 22.6 % (E. verna), 20.6 % (I. subnuda) and 16.6 % (S. macranthera). Diversification of tree species in agroforestry systems allows for input of diversified organic material and can contribute to maintaining and improving soil functions resulting in improvements of soil quality.     

中国亚热带地区不同发育阶段杉木林生物量、凋落物及养分流

杉木生长快、产量高、材质好,是中国亚热带地区最重要的造林树种之一,在中国南方人工林经营中占有重要地位。对8、14和24年生杉木人工林生物量、凋落物及其养分流进行的研究结果表明:杉木人工林具有很高的生物生产力和50%-70%的树干生物量积累比例。杉木是低养分归还的针叶树种,凋落量少,而且针叶凋落前养分发生一定程度的转移,凋落物养分含量低,短轮伐期连栽收获制度造成的养分损失是导致杉木人工林地力衰退的原因之一。图1表7参22。     

Deposition pattern of precipitation and throughfall in a subtropical evergreen forest in south-central China

The effects of dry deposition, canopy leaching, precipitation ion concentration, and precipitation H⁺ concentration on net throughfall flux (NTF, throughfall minus bulk precipitation) were evaluated on a seasonal basis by using a multiple regression analysis approach based on an observation period of 4 years in Shaoshan subtropical mixed evergreen forest, south-central China. Regression analysis results indicated that the estimated canopy exchange flux was the dominant factor regulating the NTF and the calculated dry deposition was a minor term. The seasonal dry deposition of base cations accounted for 15%–43% of the NTF. The NTF analysis showed that K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, and weak acids in throughfall were derived from foliar leaching and the canopy uptakes of H⁺, NH₄ ⁺, and NO₃ ⁻ were from precipitation. The retention rate of proton (H⁺ and NH₄ ⁺) in the canopy was close to the canopy leaching rate of base cations when corrected for weak acids because weak acid-induced canopy leaching did not exchange with protons, which suggested that the canopy leaching processes neutralized acid precipitation in Shaoshan forest.     

Genetic diversity and structure of Drimys brasiliensis in southern Brazil:insights for conservation

Population genetics studies are widely recognized for generating useful knowledge for biodiversity conservation.To date,however,little is known about the levels and distribution of genetic diversity of Drymis brasiliensis(Miers LC),a tree species from the Atlantic Rainforest.Therefore,in this study,we investigated how genetic diversity is distributed within and among populations of D.brasiliensis from southern Brazil using allozyme markers to genotype reproductive trees(8 populations) and seedlings(3 populations).Furthermore,in two populations,we established two permanent plots(5.1 and 1 ha) to analyze fine-scale genetic structure(FSGS).Studied populations presented low levels of genetic diversity(reproductive=0.085;seedlings=0.054) and high fixation indexes(reproductive=0.396;seedlings=0.231).Genetic divergence among populations was equal to 0.05,which is significant,signaling that few populations can conserve large portions of the species total genetic diversity.FSGS was only detected for one population,when reproductive individuals were separated by less than40 m.Low genetic diversity combined with high fixation indexes clearly signal a risk of losing diversity.Therefore,conservation efforts should be aimed at enhancing gene flow within the studied populations.