A soil seed bank in a mature conifer plantation and establishment of seedlings after clear-cutting in southwest Japan

Compositions and spatial distribution patterns of buried viable seeds, and demographic transition from buried viable seeds to seedlings after clear-cutting were examined in a 75-year-old conifer plantation in southwest Japan. A part of the plantation was cleared in December 1997 and study plots were set up on a cleared site and a preserved site. Soil samples (a total of 105 l for the preserved plot and 90 l for the cleared plot) were collected from surface soils in spring 1998 and were incubated in a greenhouse for 120 days. There were an estimated 1064 buried viable seeds per square meter from 67 species in the preserved plot and 1754 seeds/m² from 53 species in the cleared plot. The soil seed bank was from mostly low density species with some high density species, and contained many pioneer species that were absent in the floor vegetation. Buried viable seeds were clumped together, especially in gravity-dispersal species. Although plenty of buried viable seeds were pooled in the soil, few seedlings emerged on the forest floor. In contrast, a number of seedlings, including many pioneer species, emerged in the cleared plots, showing a positive correlation between seed weight and germination rate. It is assumed that dominance of the seedlings established after clear-cutting depends on germination rates and/or growth rates of the seedlings rather than the initial density of buried viable seeds. These results suggest strong contribution of the soil seed bank to the establishment of the secondary vegetation after disturbance in a mature conifer plantation.     

Broad-leaf species composition in Cryptomeria japonica plantations with respect to distance from natural forest

To address the pressing need to evaluate how conifer plantations can serve biodiversity functions in addition to other economic and social roles they play, we assessed the diversity of broad-leaf seedlings and saplings in Cryptomeria japonica plantations in Ogawa, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan at increasing distances (0–1000 m) from old growth natural forest edge. For saplings, there was no overall significant trend in the frequency, species richness, and Shannon index with respect to distance. Seedlings on the other hand showed a decrease in frequency and species richness with increasing distance from the old growth forest, implying that should recruitment limitation occur in the plantations, it will be stronger at the seed-to-seedling transition than at the seedling-to-sapling transition. Assigning species into groups based on functional traits that are associated with recruitment and regeneration was more revealing. Relative frequency of species that are moderately shade-tolerant, are shrubs, have small seeds, and are frugivore-dispersed increased in the plantations. In comparison, species that are tall trees, have large seeds and are gravity-dispersed decreased in the plantations. Multi-trait analysis showed that propagule size was the trait that could best explain the difference in the distribution of broad-leaf species in the plantations. Based on our results, we suggest to policy-makers that plantation sizes be kept to within a few hundred meters wide, and should ideally be within dispersal distance of species from natural forests that could potentially be seed sources of broad-leaf species. Otherwise, steps must be taken to drive succession such that potentially recruitment-limited species may be able to overcome barriers to regeneration.     

新西兰林业分类经营的再认识

新西兰是林业分类经营和私有化的成功典范.新西兰特殊的地理,人口分布,天然林的不可及和脆弱性,辐射松的农作物特性是林业分类经营的自然原因;而商用林业和环保运动的斗争与妥协又是促成分类经营和私有化的社会原因.新西兰的经验对我国当前林业的改革和发展具有重要的参考价值,文中着重分析两国的地理和社会差异,从而指出在借鉴时应注意的问题.     

Estimation of annual suspended sediment yield from a Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) plantation considering antecedent rainfalls

Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) is one of the most common plantation species in Japan. In most Japanese cypress plantations, closure of the forest canopy hinders understory growth because of insufficient management practices. Thus leaf litter barely covers the soil surface. Such plantations are vulnerable to surface erosion triggered by rainfalls, and could yield large amounts of suspended sediment (SS). However, few studies have investigated the annual SS yield. This study aimed to develop a modified model of SS yields, and to accurately estimate and characterize the annual SS yield from a Japanese cypress plantation. For this, hydrological surveys were conducted for 5 years, and stream water was sampled weekly as well as sequentially at 15–60 min intervals in each of 14 rain events in a small forested watershed of Japanese cypress. The root mean square error (RMSE) and the annual SS yield estimates were obtained using three different equations: the rating curve derived from instantaneous SS concentration versus stream discharge relationship (SSC − Q equation); the rating curve derived from cumulative SS yield versus cumulative specific discharge relationship (∑SS − ∑Q equation); and the multiple regression of cumulative SS yield expressed as functions of cumulative specific discharge and antecedent rainfalls (∑SS − ∑Q × AR equation). The ∑SS − ∑Q × AR equation is a modified model considering the effects of antecedent rain history on the SS yield. The parameters in each equation were determined by a nonlinear least square method. Of the three equations, the RMSE was the highest using the SSC − Q equation. Although the ∑SS − ∑Q equation and the ∑SS − ∑Q × AR equation gave similar RMSE values, the SS yields extrapolated by the ∑SS − ∑Q equation would be overestimated. Thus, the 5-year average of annual SS yield estimated by the ∑SS − ∑Q equation was three times larger than that estimated by the ∑SS − ∑Q × AR equation. These results indicate that the ∑SS − ∑Q × AR equation more accurately estimates the annual SS yield, compared with the other two equations. The results also suggest that antecedent rain history, as well as stream discharge, should be considered for appropriately estimating the annual SS yield. The annual SS yield estimated by the ∑SS − ∑Q × AR equation was the largest among 25 undisturbed forested watersheds, except for two watersheds dominated by sandstone. Our results suggest that the annual SS yield is greater from a Japanese cypress plantation under current management practices than from other undisturbed forests.     

移栽兴安落叶松枝条水势初步研究

不同种源兴安落叶松枝条水势对气候暖化响应的研究结果表明,生长季内塔河、带岭、黑河和松岭兴安落叶松枝条清晨、午间水势变化趋势相似。生长季塔河、松岭、黑河和带岭种源清晨枝条平均水势分别为-0.30、-0.35、-0.37和-0.39MPa,枝条中午平均水势分别为-1.43、-1.51、-1.59和-1.78MPa。生长季塔河、松岭、黑河和带岭水势差均值分别为1.13、1.16、1.22、1.39MPa。     

最低成膜梯度板检测仪研究

介绍了最低成膜梯度板检测仪的试验方法及工作原理。通过市场分析,该检测仪符合我国家具企业生产的需求。     

非等温条件下木片碎料中的水分迁移特性

实验表明,木片碎料中的水分迁移量与温度梯度场相似。从而应用最小二乘法拟合求算了两物理量场的相似倍数,建立了质流率与温度梯度间的通量关系式,揭示了温度梯度是水分迁移的主要推动力。其机理是通过湿空气在气相的自然对流和相伴产生的蒸发-凝结过程进行的。本文建立的水迁移通量关系式简化了现有的理论模型,为分析非等温条件下木片碎料中的水分迁移提供了新的理论思路,简化的理论模型可为实际应用带来方便。     

历史时期中国竹林分布对气候变化的响应

气温是决定植被分布的一个重要因素。通过研究我国历史上各个时期竹林分布范围的变动状况表明 ,历史上我国的气候条件经历了温暖和寒冷的几度波动 ,竹林的分布范围也相应地发生着变化。在气候较温暖的秦汉时期、隋唐时期和元朝时期 ,竹林分布到较高纬度的地方 ;在气候较寒冷的魏晋南北朝时期、南宋时期及明清时期 ,竹林的分布北界则向南移动。在温室效应引起的全球气候变暖的前景下 ,未来我国竹林的分布北界将可能会逐步北移。     

Advances of study on atmospheric methane oxidation （consumption） in forest soil

Next to CO2, methane (CH4) is the second important contributor to global warming in the atmosphere and global atmospheric CH4 budget depends on both CH4 sources and sinks. Unsaturated soil is known as a unique sink for atmospheric CH4 in terrestrial ecosystem. Many comparison studies proved that forest soil had the biggest capacity of oxidizing atmospheric CH4 in various unsaturated soils. However, up to now, there is not an overall review in the aspect of atmospheric CH4 oxidation (consumption) in forest soil. This paper analyzed advances of studies on the mechanism of atmospheric CH4 oxidation, and related natural factors (Soil physical and chemical characters, temperature and moisture, ambient main greenhouse gases concentrations, tree species, and forest fire) and anthropogenic factors (forest clear-cutting and thinning, fertilization, exogenou saluminum salts and atmospheric deposition, adding biocides, and switch of forest land use) in forest soils. It was believed that OH4 consumption rate by forest soil was limited by diffusion and sensitive to changes in water status and temperature of soil.CH4 oxidation was also particularly sensitive to soil C/N, Ambient CO2, CH4 and N2O concentrations, tree species and forest fire.In most cases, anthropogenic disturbances will decrease atmospheric CH4 oxidation, thus resulting in the elevating of atmos-pheric CH4. Finally, the author pointed out that our knowledge of atmospheric CH4 oxidation (consumption) in forest soil was insufficient. In order to evaluate the contribution of forest soils to atmospheric CH4 oxidation and the role of forest played in the process of global environmental change, and to forecast the trends of global warming exactly, more researchers need to studiesfurther on CH4 oxidation in various forest soils of different areas.     

Behavioral intentions toward afforestation and carbon reduction by the Taiwanese public

Global warming has become a worldwide environmental issue in recent years. With implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, reducing emissions of carbon dioxide is the common goal of everyone. Afforestation and carbon reduction have become important forestry policies of the Taiwanese government. Attitudes and behavioral intentions of the domestic public towards afforestation and carbon reduction will play important roles in the effectiveness of forestry policies. In this study, the theory of planned behavior was applied to better understand the relationships among domestic public attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls, and behavioral intentions. Data were obtained by a mail survey. The domestic public's behavioral intention model was verified by a structural equation model. This study found that older people not only had a positive attitude towards the concept of afforestation for carbon reduction but were also willing to participate in related activities. Significant reference groups also had greater influence on these people, but for the question of whether a person had better means to participate in afforestation activities for carbon reduction, the level of monthly income emerged as the factor of main consideration. It shows that even though an overall positive attitude towards afforestation activities for carbon reduction increases people's willingness to participate, actual participation is still determined by the level of the participant's ability to control difficulties during the related activities. The policy implication of this study is that when setting into action the carbon reduction policies or programs, the Taiwanese government should take into account the claim from significant reference groups, and enhance the visibility of those groups' positive points of view towards the policies. In addition, the government should enhance the promotion of the high-income and the older people's participation in carbon reduction programs, because our results show their high intention to participate.     

Wood density in forests of Brazil's ‘arc of deforestation’: Implications for biomass and flux of carbon from land-use change in Amazonia

Wood density is an important variable in estimates of forest biomass and greenhouse-gas emissions from land-use change. The mean wood density used in estimates of forest biomass in the Brazilian Amazon has heretofore been based on samples from outside the “arc of deforestation”, where most of the carbon flux from land-use change takes place. This paper presents new wood density estimates for the southern and southwest Brazilian Amazon (SSWA) portions of the arc of deforestation, using locally collected species weighted by their volume in large local inventories. Mean wood density was computed for the entire bole, including the bark, and taking into account radial and longitudinal variation. A total of 403 trees were sampled at 6 sites. In the southern Brazilian Amazon (SBA), 225 trees (119 species or morpho-species) were sampled at 4 sites. In eastern Acre state 178 trees (128 species or morpho-species) were sampled at breast height in 2 forest types. Mean basic density in the SBA sites was 0.593 ± 0.113 (mean ± 1 S.D.; n = 225; range 0.265–0.825). For the trees sampled in Acre the mean wood density at breast height was 0.540 ± 0.149 (n = 87) in open bamboo-dominated forest and 0.619 ± 0.149 (n = 91) in dense bamboo-free forest. Mean wood density in the SBA sites was significantly higher than in the bamboo dominated forest but not the dense forest at the Acre site. From commercial wood inventories by the RadamBrasil Project in the SSWA portion of the arc of deforestation, the wood volume and wood density of each species or genus were used to estimate average wood density of all wood volume in each vegetation unit. These units were defined by the intersection of mapped forest types and states. The area of each unit was then used to compute a mean wood density of 0.583 g cm⁻³ for all wood volume in the SSWA. This is 13.6% lower than the value applied to this region in previous estimates of mean wood density. When combined with the new estimates for the SSWA, this gave an average wood density of 0.642 g cm⁻³ for all the wood volume in the entire Brazilian Amazon, which is 7% less than a prior estimate of 0.69 g cm⁻³. These results suggest that current estimates of carbon emissions from land-use change in the Brazilian Amazon are too high. The impact on biomass estimates and carbon emissions is substantial because the downward adjustment is greater in forest types undergoing the most deforestation. For 1990, with 13.8 × 10³ km² of deforestation, emissions for the Brazilian Amazon would be reduced by 23.4–24.4 × 10⁶ Mg CO₂-equivalent C/year (for high- and low-trace gas scenarios), or 9.4–9.5% of the gross emission and 10.7% of the net committed emission, both excluding soils.     

广东桉树林土壤物理性质及其影响因子分析

研究了广东省桉树人工林土壤体积质量、孔隙度、水分含量现状、各指标之间的相关关系以及海拔、坡度和土壤有机质对上述物理性质的影响。结果表明:广东省桉树人工林土壤A层总孔隙度、毛管持水量、全容水量、吸湿水含量显著高于B层,A层体积质量显著小于B层;不同区域土壤A层体积质量、总孔隙度、非毛管孔隙度和全容水量存在显著差异;除了非毛管孔隙度仅与全容水量(A层)、毛管持水量和毛管孔隙度(B层)显著相关外,土壤其他物理性质之间均呈显著或极显著相关性;土壤体积质量与毛管孔隙度、毛管持水量、全容水量的最佳回归方程分别为对数方程、一元二次方程和指数方程;海拔和坡度显著影响表层土壤的物理性质,对B层影响不显著;有机质对土壤A、B层物理性质均有显著影响。     

Carbon uptake by secondary forests in Brazilian Amazonia

Estimating the contribution of deforestation to greenhouse gas emissions requires calculations of the uptake of carbon by the vegetation that replaces the forest, as well as the emissions from burning and decay of forest biomass and from altered emissions and uptakes by the soil. The role of regeneration in offsetting emissions from deforestation in the Brazilian Legal Amazon has sometimes been exaggerated. Unlike many other tropical areas, cattle pasture (rather than shifting cultivation) usually replaces forest in Brazilian Amazonia. Degraded cattle pastures regenerate secondary forests more slowly than do fallows in shifting cultivation systems, leading to lower uptake of carbon. The calculations presented here indicate that in 1990 the 410 × 10³ km² deforested landscape was taking up 29 × 10⁶ t of carbon (C) annually (0.7 t C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). This does not include the emissions from clearing of secondary forests, which in 1990 released an estimated 27 × 10⁶ t C, almost completely offsetting the uptake from the landscape. Were the present land-use change processes to continue, carbon uptake would rise to 365 × 10⁶ t annually (0.9 t C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) in 2090 in the 3.9 × 10⁶ km⁶ area that would have been deforested by that year. The 1990 rate of emissions from deforestation in the region greatly exceeded the uptake from regrowth of replacement vegetation.     

Climate Change Effects on Mediterranean Forests and Preventive Measures

This paper synthesizes and reviews literature concerning climate change effects on Mediterranean forest ecology and management as well as the restorative techniques necessary to maintain forest health, forest yield and biodiversity. Climate change compounded with trends of rural abandonment are likely to diminish forested areas within the Mediterranean basin that will be replaced by fire prone shrub communities. This could be favoured by outbreaks of pathogens, fire and other large-scale disturbances. Landscape fragmentation is expected to impede species migration. Annual increments and subsequent income from forests are expected to decrease. Reafforestations are necessary to ensure the presence of propagules of forest species and their site-specific varieties best adapted to future climatic conditions even though they may be different from the present forest-plant community. Current challenges in biodiversity conservation can only be met by afforestations whose main objective is to maintain ecosystem functioning. A new silviculture must emerge encompassing these habitat displacement and economic concerns while maximizing carbon sequestration.     

马尾松人工林土壤碳氮磷生态化学计量学特征的纬度变化

目的

探讨马尾松人工林土壤碳、氮、磷养分及其生态化学计量学特征的纬度变化,为马尾松人工林的可持续经营和生产力提高提供科学依据。

方法

通过对亚热带地区东南至西北8个研究点马尾松人工林0～20 cm矿质土层土壤有机碳、全氮、全磷含量的测定,利用回归分析法探索土壤碳、氮、磷含量及其生态化学计量学特征的纬度变化趋势,利用Pearson相关法和冗余分析法分析气候因子（年均气温和年均降水量）、林分特征（年龄、密度和胸径）和土壤性质（pH值与黏粒含量）对其纬度变化的影响,采用方差分解法分析气候、林分和土壤因子对其纬度变化的相对贡献率。

结果

（1）土壤有机碳、全氮、全磷的平均含量分别为16.02、1.22、0.35 g·kg⁻¹,土壤碳氮比、碳磷比、氮磷比的平均值分别为14.18、47.01、3.59;（2）土壤有机碳和全氮含量均随纬度的升高而显著降低（P<0.01）,全磷含量无明显的纬度变化;（3）土壤碳氮比随纬度的升高而显著增大（P<0.05）,碳磷比和氮磷比却显著下降（P<0.01）;（4）土壤有机碳和全氮含量与年均气温、年均降水量、胸径呈显著正相关（P<0.05）,与土壤pH值呈显著负相关（P<0.05）;土壤碳磷比和氮磷比与年均气温、年均降水量、胸径、土壤黏粒含量呈显著正相关（P<0.05）,与林分年龄呈显著负相关（P<0.05）;（5）气候因子、林分特征和土壤性质总体上解释了63.8%土壤有机碳、全氮和全磷含量及其生态化学计量学特征的变化,相对贡献率表现为气候因子（46.3%）>林分特征（43.3%）>土壤性质（35.5%）。

结论

在马尾松人工林中,土壤碳氮比、碳磷比和氮磷比表现出明显的纬度变化,年均气温、年均降水量、林分年龄、林分密度、胸径、土壤pH值、土壤黏粒含量是其驱动因素,这些因素的交互效应大于单独效应。