Estimation of biomass and carbon stocks in plants,soil and forest floor in different tropical forests

An accurate characterization of tree carbon (TC), forest floor carbon (FFC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) in tropical forest plantations is important to estimate their contribution to global carbon stocks. This information, however, is poor and fragmented. Carbon contents were assessed in patula pine (Pinus patula) and teak (Tectona grandis) stands in tropical forest plantations of different development stages in combination with inventory assessments and soil survey information. Growth models were used to associate TOC to tree normal diameter (D) with average basal area and total tree height (H_T), with D and H_T parameters that can be used in 6–26 years old patula pine and teak in commercial tropical forests as indicators of carbon stocks. The information was obtained from individual trees in different development stages in 54 patula pine plots and 42 teak plots. The obtained TC was 99.6 Mg ha⁻¹ in patula pine and 85.7 Mg ha⁻¹ in teak forests. FFC was 2.3 and 1.2 Mg ha⁻¹, SOC in the surface layer (0–25 cm) was 92.6 and 35.8 Mg ha⁻¹, 76.1 and 19 Mg ha⁻¹ in deep layers (25–50 cm) in patula pine and teak, respectively. Carbon storage in trees was similar between patula pine and teak plantations, but patula pine had higher levels of forest floor carbon and soil organic carbon. Carbon storage in trees represents 37 and 60% of the total carbon content in patula pine and teak plantations, respectively. Even so, the remaining percentage corresponds to SOC, whereas FFC content is less than 1%. In summary, differences in carbon stocks between patula pine and teak trees were not significant, but the distribution of carbon differed between the plantation types. The low FFC does not explain the SOC stocks; however, current variability of SOC stocks could be related to variation in land use history.     

Growth,forest floor,and soil chemical analysis comparison between two management practices in chestnut forests of Greece

The effects of management mode and intensity both on growth parameters (diameter and height of sprouts) and soil fertility were studied in experimental plots in coppice chestnut forests of Athos and Pelion mountains – Greece. The empirical management practice applied in Athos is intensive with a rotation period every 20–22 years, including removal of timber products during selective loggings and final clear-cut loggings. The management type applied in Pelion by the Forest Service is more flexible (much longer rotation period) with remaining in situ of plant residues. The soils of both areas were originated by the same parent material (gneiss), they have loamy texture, similar bulk density values, and they are acidic. Higher values of diameter and height of sprouts were observed in Athos compared to Pelion (statistically significant differences). Pelion soils presented higher levels of soil fertility, i.e., in forest floor higher organic matter and nutrients content (significant differences for P, Ca, Na, Cu, and Mn), and in soil higher levels of N, Ca, Na, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn and organic matter (significant differences for N, Cu, Mn, and organic matter). The findings of this work could be an important tool to the perspective of chestnut forests management practices.     

喜玛拉雅嘎瓦耳地区的坡向对温带自然森林的森林成分,群落结构和土壤特性的影响

在喜玛拉雅嘎瓦耳（Garhwal Himalaya）地区,选择7种温带（1500 to 3100 m,a.s.l.）森林类型,研究不同坡面（东北,西北,东南,西南）对自然森林的森林成分、群落结构和土壤特性的影响。在每种森林中自由采样。为了阐明研究不同坡面（东北、西北、东南、西南）对天然森林的森林成分、群落结构和土壤特性的影响,利用标准统计软件计算多种指标,如,重要价值指标、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、优势辛普森浓度、辛普森多样性指数、种均匀度和物种丰富度指数。在每种森林中采集复合土壤样品,分析土壤的物理化学特性、水分含量、持水量、pH、有机碳、磷、钾和有效氮含量。结果表明,北坡森林的总基盖度（高山栎林Quercus semecarpifolia为74.4 m2·ha-1）、优势度（长叶松林Pinus roxburghii为0.85）和树种多样（石斛蟹Quercus floribunda为1.81）均高于其他坡位森林,北坡森林土壤中的水分含量（白橡树Quercusleucotrichophora为40.8%）、持水量（藏柏Cupressus torulos为48.9%）、有机碳（雪松Cedrus deodara为3.8%）、磷（白橡树Quercus leucotrichophora为31.9 kg·ha-1）和氮（西藏长叶松林Pinus roxburghii为1.0%）均比其他坡位土壤值高。因此,北坡森林的生产力较高。     

Long-term changes in forest floor processes in southern Appalachian forests

Soil nutrient concentrations decreased in an aggrading southern Appalachian forest over a 20-year period. Construction of nutrient budgets showed significant nutrient sequestration aboveground including increased forest floor mass. We hypothesized that the changes in forest floor mass resulted from decreased litter decomposition rates because of decreased litter quality. In 1992 and 1993, we repeated a litter decomposition experiment conducted in 1969 and 1970 to test this hypothesis. In addition, we examined microarthropod populations and functional groups as litter decomposed. For four of the five species tested, first-year decomposition rates were about the same in both experiments. Initial litter nutrient concentrations of P were lower in all tree species in the most recent sampling. N, Ca, and Mg concentrations also declined in some species. These declines often resulted in decreased nutrient release rates during decomposition. Microarthropod populations differed significantly among litter species, as well as between years (probably resulting from differences in growing-season rainfall). For some litter species we found significant relationships between microarthropod populations and nutrient concentration (primarily C and N); however, most r²-values were low. Data suggest that changes in forest floor mass probably resulted from decreased litter quality and that those changes may have an effect on microarthropod populations.     

Harvest impacts on soil carbon storage in temperate forests

Forest soil carbon (C) storage is a significant component of the global C cycle, and is important for sustaining forest productivity. Although forest management may have substantial impacts on soil C storage, experimental data from forest harvesting studies have not been synthesized recently. To quantify the effects of harvesting on soil C, and to identify sources of variation in soil C responses to harvest, we used meta-analysis to test a database of 432 soil C response ratios drawn from temperate forest harvest studies around the world. Harvesting reduced soil C by an average of 8 ± 3% (95% CI), although numerous sources of variation mediated this significant, overall effect. In particular, we found that C concentrations and C pool sizes responded differently to harvesting, and forest floors were more likely to lose C than mineral soils. Harvesting caused forest floor C storage to decline by a remarkably consistent 30 ± 6%, but losses were significantly smaller in coniferous/mixed stands (−20%) than hardwoods (−36%). Mineral soils showed no significant, overall change in C storage due to harvest, and variation among mineral soils was best explained by soil taxonomy. Alfisols and Spodosols exhibited no significant changes, and Inceptisols and Ultisols lost mineral soil C (−13% and −7%, respectively). However, these C losses were neither permanent nor unavoidable. Controls on variation within orders were not consistent, but included species composition, time, and sampling depth. Temporal patterns and soil C budgets suggest that forest floor C losses probably have a lesser impact on total soil C storage on Alfisols, Inceptisols, and Ultisols than on Spodosols, which store proportionately large amounts of C in forest floors with long C recovery times (50–70 years). Mineral soil C losses on Inceptisols and Ultisols indicate that these orders are vulnerable to significant harvest-induced changes in total soil C storage, but alternative residue management and site preparation techniques, and the passage of time, may mitigate or negate these losses. Key findings of this analysis, including the dependence of forest floor and mineral soil C storage changes on species composition and soil taxonomic order, suggest that further primary research may make it possible to create predictive maps of forest harvesting effects on soil C storage.     

Water holding effect of subalpine dark coniferous forest soil in Gongga Mountain, China

由于土壤性质和腐殖质含量的不同,土壤的含水量并不能很好地说明是否适宜植物的生长。本研究以土壤PF(表示土壤的水分状态,与植物的生长发育有密切关系的数值)为主要研究依据,将土壤含水率和PF联系起来,定量研究了贡嘎山地区亚高山暗针叶林不同演替阶段土壤的含水率与PF值之间的相互作用关系。研究结果表明:①在相同的PF时,随着暗针叶林演替的进展,土壤腐殖质层的含水率逐渐增加,即过熟林>成熟林>中龄林>幼龄林。②随着土层深度的增加,土壤容重增加,含水率减小,但各植被演替阶段之间土壤含水率差异并不显著。③植被不同演替系列主要是通过提高其土壤有机质含量,改善土壤结构,降低土壤容重和增加土壤毛管孔隙度等土壤物理特性,改善土壤的蓄水和持水性能。④本区暗针叶林土壤腐殖质层涵养水源作用最为明显。图1表2参15。     

Compression and overlap of unique vegetation system of subtropical mountain resembling tropical and temperate forests along elevation

The purpose of this study was to investigate how forests on subtropical mountains, which resembled tropical and temperate forests, were assembled, and to examine the compression and overlap of vegetations. We established 344 sample plots (400 m²) located at different altitudinal gradients ranging from 16 to 3,500 m above sea level (ASL) in Hsueshan Range northern Taiwan. Vegetation types were classified by TWINSPAN and the results of DCA were used to analyze the changes in vegetation types along elevation. Vegetation I was composed of the species of Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, and Rubiaceae, which were taxa of tropical floristic elements, and the extent of this vegetation was limited below 1,500 m ASL. Vegetation II was defined into two subtypes, which were distributed from 1,000 to 2,500 m ASL, and were composed predominantly of Chamaecyparis and Tsuga, respectively. Our data also revealed that vegetation II contained co-dominants of species from families Lauraceae and Fagaceae. Moreover, evergreen broadleaved trees similar to tropical mountain forests were found to have narrower altitudinal ranges on subtropical mountains, whereas coniferous forests resembled temperate areas and were characterized by endemic conifer species. Vegetation III, from 2,500 to 3,500 m ASL, was characterized by endemic conifer species, Abies and Tsuga. Interestingly, deciduous forest was almost absent in this area and Fagus was the only tree type on a small mountain ridge. Data obtained from this study will help in raising conservation awareness for subtropical mountains since unique patterns of compression and overlap characteristics of tropical and temperate resembling forests were evident.     

亚热带常绿阔叶林结构、树种多样性和土壤特性的研究(英文)

采用样地调查法,对日本冲绳岛北部的亚热带常绿阔叶林的林分结构,树种组成以及土壤特性等进行了调查分析。结果表明,该亚热带林具有林冠低矮、小径木多等特点。林分的平均林冠高度仅10m,平均立木密度达5400株·hm2(≥3.0cmDBH),其中胸径小于10cm的立木占64%。林分胸高断面积为54.4m2·hm-2。30个调查样地共出现树种数(≥3.0cmDBH)达80种,分属31个科。根据树种的重要值,Castanopsis sieboldii和Schima wallichii分别为优势树种和亚优势树种。树种多样性指数(H’)平均达3.63,均衡度指数(J’)为0.71,丰富度指数(S’)为4.72。这些多样性指数都随着优势树种重要值的增加而显著降低。土壤养分测定结果表明,该森林的土壤肥力低,异质性大,并可能存在Al毒害。由相关分析知,林分密度和优势树高均与土壤pH值呈显著正相关关系;多样性指数则与土壤交换性K ,Ca2 以及Ca2 /Al3 比呈显著的正相关,而与土壤有机碳,全氮和磷呈显著的负相关。这些结果说明土壤性质是影响冲绳亚热带常绿阔叶林林分结构和树种组成多样性的重要因素。图3表4参38。     

A novel empirical approach for determining the extension of forest development stages in temperate old-growth forests

In the analysis of old-growth forest dynamics, the continuous process of tree aging and forest structural change is split up into several distinct forest development stages. The criteria for distinguishing the stages vary among the different approaches. In most of them, vertical canopy heterogeneity is only coarsely addressed and horizontal forest structure is quantified at spatial scales far exceeding the size of conventional forest inventory plots. In order to describe and analyze the complex mosaic structure of temperate old-growth forests with objective and quantitative measures in the context of forest inventories, we propose the Development Stage Index I _DS . It employs two easily measured stand structural parameters (stem density and basal area) for quantifying the abundance of trees in three conventionally recognized tree diameter classes (premature ?<?40 cm; mature 40–70 cm; and over-mature?≥?70 cm) in plots of 500 m² size, systematically distributed in the forest. This allows quantifying the spatial extension of the Initial, Optimum and Terminal stages of forest development at plot, stand and landscape levels. Based on thorough stand structural analyses in three virgin beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests in Slovakia, we demonstrate that I _DS is a promising tool for (1) quantifying the proportion of the three stages on different scales, (2) visualizing the complex mixing of stages, and (3) analyzing dynamic changes in old-growth forest structure. We conclude that the Development Stage Index has the potential to improve the empirical foundation of forest dynamics research and to allow this discipline to proceed to more rigorous hypothesis testing.     

Floristic and structural patterns along a chronosequence of secondary forest succession in Argentinean subtropical montane forests

We studied forest structure and composition along a chronosequence of secondary forest succession in Northwest Argentina's montane forests (‘Yungas’) at 27°S, between 700 and 900 m. Early herbaceous stages, forested stages of 11, 25, 45, and 50 years after abandonment, and old-growth forests were surveyed. Secondary forests included stands that originated in abandoned herbaceous crops and in abandoned fruit orchards. Basal area and species composition differed between 50-year-old secondary forests and old-growth forests. In contrast, tree density and species diversity were similar in the 50-year-old and in the old-growth forests. The previous use (herbaceous crops or fruit orchards) was an important influence on secondary forest composition. Whereas stands originating in herbaceous fields were dominated by wind-dispersed native species such as Heliocarpus popayanensis, Tecoma stans, Parapiptadenia excelsa, and Tipuana tipu, fruit-orchard-originated stands were dominated by animal-dispersed species. Among the animal-dispersed species, the exotic tree Morus alba was the most abundant, and its abundance in secondary forests seems to slow the succession toward old-growth forest composition. Overall, after accounting for differences attributable to pre-abandonment conditions, secondary forest succession showed a trend toward compositional convergence, with the rate of succession apparently regulated by the demography of long-lived pioneer species.     

蒙古栎林在温带落叶阔叶林群落分级中的地位

为清楚阐明蒙古栎林的群落分级及其在温带落叶阔叶林群落分级中的地位，我们收集了东北亚201个蒙古栎林和日本的153个栎林的资料．将其综合于一个简表中．并应用Braun—Blanquet方法对这些森林植被进行了比较。结果表明：在温带落叶阔叶林的群落分级系统中。蒙古栎林与水青冈纲占据着同等重要的地位，它们共同构成温带落叶阔叶林纲群(Class-group)。不同生境下的蒙古栎的20个群集或群落被归纳成为2个目、3个群团和3个亚群团。     

Edge effects on soil seed banks and understory vegetation in subtropical and tropical forests in Yunnan,SW China

Human-induced forest edges are common in many forest landscapes throughout the world. Forest management requires an understanding of their ecological consequences. This study addressed the responses of three ecological groups (non-forest species, secondary forest species and primary forest species) in edge soil seed banks and edge understory vegetation, and explored the relationship between the invasion of non-forest species in edge understory vegetation and the accumulation of their seeds in edge soil seed banks. The soil seed banks and understory vegetation were sampled along transects established at the edges of a continuous subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest tract (Lithocarpus xylocarpus forest) bordering anthropogenic grasslands and three tropical seasonal rain forest fragments (Shorea wantianshuea forest) bordering fallows. Species composition in both soil seed banks and understory vegetation showed great difference among edge sites. In soil seed banks, the dominance (relative abundance and relative richness) of each ecological group did not change significantly along the edge to interior gradient. In understory vegetation, the invasion of non-forest species concentrated on the first several meters along the edge to interior gradient. The dominance of secondary forest species decreased with distance from the edge, while the dominance of primary forest species increased with distance from the edge. In forest edge zones, the invasion of a majority of non-forest species in understory vegetation lags behind the accumulation of their seeds in soil seed banks. Forest edges do not act as a good barrier for the penetration of non-forest species seeds. The lack of non-forest species in understory vegetation must then be due to conditions that are not appropriate for their establishment. Therefore, to prevent germination and survival of non-forest species further into the forest, management should focus on maintaining interior forest conditions.     

Lichen diversity in temperate montane forests is influenced by forest structure more than climate

Although the effect of forest management on lichens in temperate forests has been widely examined, little is known about the influence of management-related factors on their biodiversity relative to factors that cannot be altered by management. Here we determined whether forest structure or climate determines lichen diversity in the Bavarian Forest National Park in southeastern Germany, taking spatial variables into account. We investigated 517 single tree stems along 4 transects in 113 pre-stratified plots (8 m in diameter) in this montane forest. We grouped environmental variables into three sets: climate (macroclimate, non-manageable), forest structure (manageable), and space. The explanatory powers of these sets of variables for lichen diversity were compared using variance partitioning for the lichen community, species density, and threatened species density. The relationships of single characteristics of forest structure with lichen species diversity were analyzed using generalized linear models (GLM). Lichen diversity was better explained by stand structures than by climate. Spatial effects influenced the number of species per plot. Among the structural features, the availability of dead wood and sycamore maple as well as forest continuity were most important for the enhancement of lichen diversity. Open canopy structures affected the total diversity positively. Although the availability of large trees was not an influential factor in the GLM at the plot level, high diversity levels were generally associated with large stem diameters at the level of single stems. We provide recommendations for sustainable forest-management practices that aim at specifically enhancing lichen diversity in temperate areas experiencing low levels of air pollution.     

Carbon storage dynamics of subtropical forests estimated with multi-period forest inventories at a regional scale:the case of Jiangxi forests

Temperate and high-latitude forests are carbon sinks and play pivotal roles in offsetting greenhouse gas emissions of CO_2.However,uncertainty still exists for subtropical forests,especially in monsoon-prevalent eastern Asia.Earlier studies have depended on remote sensing,ecosystem modeling,carbon fluxes,or single period forest surveys to estimate carbon sequestration capacities,and the results vary significantly.This study was designed to utilize multi-period forest survey data to explore spatial-dynamics of biomass storage in subtropical forests of China.Jiangxi province,a region with over 60% subtropical forest cover,was selected as the case study site and is located in central east China.Based on forest inventory data 1984-2013,and the stock-difference and biomass expansion factor methods,the carbon storage and density,of arboreal forests,economic forests,bamboo forests,woodlands and shrubberies were estimated.The results show that carbon storage increased from 159.1 Tg C in 1988 to 276.1 TgC in 2013,making up 3.1-3.8% of carbon stored throughout China.Among the four types of forests,the amount of carbon stored was as follows:arboreal forest economic forest bamboo forest woodland and shrubbery.Arboreal forests accounted for 64.0-79.4% of the total.Forest carbon density increased from 21.2 Mg C ha~(-1) in 1984 to26.2 Mg C ha~(-1) in 2013,equal to 61.2-70.2% of the average carbon density of China's forests in the same period.Forest carbon storage in Jiangxi will reach 355.5 Tg C and 535.8 Tg C in 2020 and 2030,respectively,and forest carbon density is predicted to be 31.9 Mg C ha~(~-1)and 46.4 Mg C ha~(-1),respectively.As one of the few studies using multi-period data tracking biomass dynamics in Jiangxi province,the findings of this study may be used as a reference for other research.Using Jiangxi as a case study underlies the fact that subtropical forests in China have great carbon sequestration potential and have fundamental significance to offset global environmental change effects.