Considering and comparing regeneration in natural and man-made stands in northern Iran

In this study the regeneration diversity of Syahkal forests afforestated and natural stands in north of Iran was studied and compared from the point of view of evenness and diversity index.In order to accomplish this study two natural and man-made stands that almost are located in the same height above the sea level were chosen.The area of each stand was 30 ha and the inventory was done by the random-systematic method with a 5R land measurement(500 m2)selected.Also,in order to study the regeneration in the center of each sample piece 125 square meters micro plots were formed.The results show that regeneration diversity index in natural stands is more than that in man-made stands which in this case Mc-Arthur index with 2.41 has the most amount while Simpson index with 0.543 has the least amount.But the evenness indexes in man-made stands are more than that in natural stand which the main reason is the purity of the man-made stand.     

Effects of livestock exclusion on tree regeneration in church forests of Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, forests near churches, are the last remnant forest patches. These forests are currently under threat, probably due to diminishing areas of the forest itself and repeated grazing for extended periods by cattle. We assessed the effect of livestock exclusion on the regeneration of four indigenous tree species in two church forests. The four species have a high abundance and socioeconomic value, but limited regeneration in the two forests. We investigated the effect of grazing and trampling on seed germination, seedling survival, and seedling growth. Livestock grazing had a strong negative effect on germination, seedling growth and mortality. In fenced plots, more seeds germinated, seedling survival was higher and seedlings grew faster. Seed germination was higher inside the forest than in the adjacent open area for all species. Seedling survival was not different between forest interior and open fields, except for unfenced plots in the open fields where survival was lower because of the higher grazing pressure. In unfenced plots, no seedlings survived until the end of the year, indicating that grazers destroyed the seedling bank in and around the forest. The significant interaction between fencing and species on seed germination and seedling survival revealed that the magnitude of damage due to grazing can vary with species.     

A comparison of biodiversity values in boreal forest regeneration areas before and after forest certification

Abstract

In this study, 236 regeneration areas (mostly clear-cuts) in southern Norway were selected by random stratified selection: 118 of the study units were cut before and 118 after the introduction of forest certification in 1998. The degree of compliance with biodiversity measures established in the prevailing certification standard (ISO 14001 and the Norwegian standard “Living Forests”) was compared in a field study, and the differences were analysed. In some aspects, a clear difference could be seen, most clearly in an increasing number of green retention trees and an increasing mean width of buffer-strips left along rivers, bogs and lakes in the postcertification units compared with the precertification units. Even though there was a significant increase in the mean number of retention trees, as much as 21% of the postcertification regeneration areas still did not have sufficient retention trees to comply with the certification standard and 41% had either too few retention trees or too few spruce trees according to the standard. Concerning the management of small swamp forests, and the damage done to terrain and prelogging coarse dead wood by off-road transport, little improvement was seen. The discussion examines whether it is probable that the changes seen are a result of forest certification in Norway.     

Effects of selection cutting on the forest structure and species diversity of evergreen broa-leaved forest in northern Fujian, southern China

The short-term effects of selection cutting of different intensities on the forest structure and species diversity of evergreen broad-leaved forest in northern Fujian Province were investigated and analyzed. The results showed that selection cutting of low and medium intensities caused little variation in the forest structure. After cutting, the dominant species retained their leading status in the community. However, the community structure changed significantly following selection cutting of high and extra-high intensities; the status of the dominant species of the community declined dramatically. Some tree species began to disappear from the sampling plots. Except for extra-high intensity cutting, the diversity of tree species did not change significantly for the other three cutting intensities. However, the evenness of the stands was very different among the four kinds of cutting plots. For low and medium intensity selection cutting, the evenness declined slightly. For extra-high intensity selection cutting, the evenness increased to some extent, which might be due to a more even distribution of tree species after cutting. Cutting operations resulted in some adverse reactions to development of arborous species diversity of evergreen broad-leaved forest, particularly serious damage to the forest canopy. But the rational selection cuttings, which may benefit the restoration and maintenance of species diversity over a long period and may come about from the variations in environmental factors such as sunlight, temperature and humidity.     

Effects of selection cutting on the forest structure and species diversity of evergreen broad-leaved forest in northern Fujian, southern China

The short-term effects of selection cutting of different intensities on the forest structure and species diversity of evergreen broad-leaved forest in northern Fujian Province were investigated and analyzed. The results showed that selection cutting of low and medium intensities caused little variation in the forest structure. After cutting, the dominant species retained their leading status in the community. However, the community structure changed significantly following selection cutting of high and extra-high intensities;the status of the dominant species of the community declined dramatically. Some tree species began to disappear from the sampling plots. Except for extra-high intensity cutting, the diversity of tree species did not change significantly for the other three cutting intensities. However, the evenness of the stands was very different among the four kinds of cutting plots. For low and medium intensity selection cutting, the evenness declined slightly. For extra-high intensity selection cutting, the evenness increased to some extent,which might be due to a more even distribution of tree species after cutting. Cutting operations resulted in some adverse reactions to development of arborous species diversity of evergreen broad-leaved forest, particularly serious damage to the forest canopy. But the rational selection cuttings, which may benefit the restoration and maintenance of species diversity over a long period and may come about from the variations in environmental factors such as sunlight, temperature and humidity.     

A forest of grazing and logging: Deforestation and reforestation history of a boreal landscape in central Sweden

Detailed spatial changes in foreststructure in a central Swedish landscape were examinedusing geographic information system techniques. First,the influence of grazing and burning on forest densityand structure in the 19th century landscape wereanalyzed. Then, the development of the landscapeduring the 20th century, together with the impactof modern forest management methods on foreststructure, were analyzed using historical sources. In1907, over 20% of the 2200 hectare study site wassparsely-wooded (12 m³ ha^–1) with old trees.These areas have been reforested with single-storiedmiddle-aged and old pine stands (66 m³ ha^–1in 1989) during the 20th century. Firesuppression and changes in land use from subsistence-to-industrialforestry, facilitated Norway spruceregeneration as undergrowth in open Scots pine standsafter logging. This natural regeneration has, to alarge extent, been cut down and replaced by pineafforestation. During the second half of the 20thcentury, the standing timber volume has steadilyincreased, while the mean age of the forest hasdecreased. Today's young dense forests will result inhigher timber values in the coming decades, but theforest has lost a range of ecological niches.     

白石山林业局天然中幼龄林抚育问题的探讨

本文简要介绍了吉林省白石山林业局的森林资源状况,重点对天然中幼龄林抚育存在的问题进行了分析,从编制执行森林经营方案、资金倾斜、增加珍贵珍稀树种、合理密度、完善技术规程、加强抚育作业管理和质量监督检查等方面提出了建议与措施。     

Effects of uprooting tree on herbaceous species diversity, woody species regeneration status and soil physical characteristics in a temperate mixed forest of Iran

We conducted a study to examine the pattern of development of herbaceous plant species, woody species regeneration and soil physical characteristics after tree uprooting in 20-ha areas of Experimental Forest Station of Tarbiat Modares University located in a temperate forest of Mazandaran province in the north of Iran. Soil bulk density, soil texture and moisture from pit and mound (PM) were measured in the laboratory. Results show that the soil bulk density was most in soil deeper layers at mound top, and the soil moisture content was most in soil deeper layers at Pit bottom. Our study supports that the micro-topography of PM (pit and mound) topography will create a mosaic of environmental conditions. This environmental heterogeneity could be responsible for the diversity of herbaceous plant species and regeneration of woody species. It is recommend that the fallen trees with PM structure should remain in the protected area without clearing as the best option for forest restoration. This information can be useful for forest management that attempts to emulate natural processes.     

Genetic variation of Prunus cerasoides D. Don,a framework tree species in northern Thailand

Prunus cerasoides D. Don has been identified as an excellent framework tree species for restoring evergreen forest in seasonally dry tropical forestlands. Here we describe the level of microsatellite variation in P. cerasoides trees within and among three National Parks in northern Thailand: Doi Suthep-Pui, Doi Inthanon and Doi Ang Khang, using published primers developed for peach, sweet cherry and sour cherry. The five microsatellite loci employed detected a total of 41 alleles, with the average number of alleles per locus per study site ranging from 2.7 to 8.0 (n = 82). The value of F _ST over the three sites was 0.115, indicating that while the majority of genetic diversity may be contained within sites, they should be considered as genetically distinct. The implications of this for seed collection of this species for forest restoration are discussed.     

Structure and species diversity of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in northern Okinawa Island, Japan

The structure and tree species diversity of a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in northern Okinawa Island, Japan, were studied. Enumeration of the six sampling plots revealed an average density of 5,580 individuals with DBH≧3.0 cm/ha, having an average basal area of 55 m². The large-size trees of DBH≧20 cm contributed 10% of the total individuals, and 49% of the total basal area. The forest showed a high diversity of tree species, which is comparable to some tropical rain forests. A total of 54 over-story species of 24 families and a total of 63 understory species of 26 families were identified in the six sampling plots. Fagaceae and Theaceae were the most important families;Castanopsis sieboldii, Schima wallichii andDistylium racemosum were the most important species. The diversity index and equitability index of species were 4.15 and 0.72 for the overstory plots, and 4.72 and 0.79 for the understory subplots, respectively. The diversity index for the overstory was significantly correlated to the total basal area of trees over 20 cm DBH (p<0.05) and the importance value ofC. sieboldii (p<0.001), while for understory, the diversity index was not correlated to the structural parameters (allp>0.16). The size distribution pattern and age structure indicated differences in regeneration strategies for canopy dominants. In population dynamics of the succession process,C. sieboldii andD. racemosum were self-maintaining types, andS. wallichii was a gap- or opening-dependent type. This study was made possible by support from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Sciences, Sports and Culture, which provided a Monbusho scholarship to X.N. Xu.     

Regeneration of commercial tree species in a logged forest in the Selva Maya, Mexico

One of the main threats to the sustainability of community forestry in the Selva Maya is insufficient regeneration of commercial tree species. We evaluated the regeneration status of 22 commercial tree species in a managed semideciduous tropical rain forest in Southern Mexico. The study was carried out in six harvesting areas along a 16-year chronosequence. In each area, 10 transects (1000 m²) were established and all trees >50 cm height and <10 cm diameter were recorded. We evaluated the relationships between seedling and sapling abundance, and canopy cover and disturbance condition (closed forest, canopy gap, log landing, skid road, primary road and secondary road). The area occupied by closed forest canopy increased with age of harvesting area (65–91% of sampled area), while the area occupied by canopy gaps decreased (22–9%). Log landings occupied less than 1% of the sampled area. The predominant canopy cover was 75–80% in all harvesting areas, even in the most recently harvested areas. The highest densities of seedlings and saplings, of both shade tolerant and intolerant species, were found in log landing and skid trails, followed by secondary roads. Even Simarouba glauca, a shade tolerant species, displayed higher densities in sites with ≤65% of canopy cover. Our results support previous findings and indicate that the levels of disturbance caused by existing harvesting procedures may be inadequate to promote sufficient regeneration of not only light demanding desirable species but also for some of the evaluated shade tolerant species of commercial interest. Seedling and sapling densities exhibited by Swietenia macrophylla, for example, are insufficient to support current harvesting rates. The application of a spatial mixed system with patch-cuts of different sizes, a consequence of group felling, could be applied to provide the necessary conditions for the regeneration of the main commercial species.     

Effects of selective logging on tree diversity and some soil characteristics in a tropical forest in southwest Ghana

We investigated the effects of selective logging disturbances on tree diversity and soil characteristics in the Bia Conservation Area in southwest Ghana.The study was conducted in unlogged,29-35 years post-logged and swamp forests using ten 25 m×25 m plots.In total,we identified 310 individual trees belonging to 87 species.Mean ShannonWeiner index was highest in the post-logged forest but there were no significant differences in tree density,dominance,or DBH size class distributions between these forests.Soil physical properties such as pH and bulk density up to 30 cm depth were similar in the two of forests In terms of soil nutrient status,available P,exchangeable K and total N contents were all similar in the unlogged and post-logged forests.Our findings suggest that the effects of logging on tree diversity are comparatively long-term,in contrast to its short-term effects on some top soil physical and chemical characteristics.     

桉树人工林和邻近天然林内土著的木本植物再生状况比较(英文)

本文调查了桉树人工林和邻近天然林内土著的木本植物多样性、密度和物种组成。桉树人工林和邻近天然林内分别圈画出20个20m×20m样地,记录下每块样地内的物种名称、物种丰富度、植株直径和高度以及采集亚样方(4m2)内幼苗数目。本试验中,记录人工林内木本植物46种,邻近天然林内52种,分别来自36个科。人工林内,物种多样性(H’)为2.19,林下木本植物密度为3842株/hm2,幼苗密度为4151株/hm2;而天然林内的物种多样性、林下树木密度和幼苗密度分别为2.74,4122株/hm2和8101株/hm2。两种林分的木本植物物种组成相似性较高。研究还表明,桉树人工林适合于Millitia ferruginia和小果咖啡生长和再生,而对下层木本则不适合。     

林木无性繁殖及其在林业生产中的应用进展

在对无性繁殖的特点进行总结的基础上，综述了无性繁殖在无性系林业、林木遗传改良、林木复幼等方面应用的最新进展。     

Long-term effect of fire on herbaceous species diversity in oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) forests in northern Iran

We studied the long-term impacts of natural burning on herbaceous species diversity 37 years after a fire occurred in the Roudbar forests of Guilan Province, northern Iran. Numerous studies have examined short-term changes in understory vegetation following wildfire; however, very few long-term studies are available or changes inferred from retrospective studies based on chronosequences. For this study, 170 ha of forest (85 ha, burned areas; 85 ha, unburned areas) were surveyed. Because the 1000 m 2 plots were too large for detailed measurements of herbaceous species, we determined a sub-sample size according to the Whittaker’s nested plot sampling protocol and minimal areas method. Hence, sub-plots of 32 m 2 were used for herbaceous species measurements, which consisted of percent cover of each species based on the Domin criterion. We measured plant diversity (Shannon-Wiener index), species richness (Margalef’s index), and evenness (Smith-Wilson index). Mean percent cover, together with diversity, richness and evenness, increased markedly in burned areas compared to unburned controls. This suggests that the biodiversity of these forests could be restored within 37 years after fire. However, the abundance of invasive species such as Rubus fruticosus and Bromus benekenii increased significantly in burned areas, but these could be controlled by relevant silvicultural operations.     

Effects of species and tree size diversity on recruitment in the Alaskan boreal forest: A geospatial approach

This study empirically evaluates and maps the relationships between recruitment and species and tree size diversity, as measured with the Shannon’s index, within mixed poplar/birch and mixed spruce stands across the boreal forest of Alaska. Data were collected from 438 permanent sample plots re-measured at a 5-year interval. Significant explanatory factors of recruitment, including species and tree size diversity were first identified using hierarchical partitioning. The effects of tree diversity on recruitment were then studied using generalized linear models and universal kriging to account for non-spatial factors and for spatial autocorrelation. We found a consistent positive relationship between recruitment and species diversity and a general negative relationship between recruitment and tree size diversity, indicating a tradeoff between species diversity and tree size diversity in affecting recruitment. These relationships however were not uniform across the landscape, presumably because they were subject to strong spatial autocorrelation attributable to natural disturbances and environmental stressors. In general, diversity had least effect on recruitment in stressful environments where stress, rather than competition, most likely governed recruitment.     

Effects of diversity of tree species and size on forest basal area growth,recruitment, and mortality

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship, or lack thereof, between growth and diversity of tree species and size in conifer stands of western North America. Growth was measured by net basal area growth and its components: survivor growth, recruitment, and mortality. The analysis used inventory data from permanent plots in the Douglas-fir/western hemlock forest type in Oregon and Washington, and in the mixed-conifer forest type in California. The methods consisted of generalized least square regression with spatial autocorrelation, controlling for the effect of other stand characteristics. Other things being equal, in the two forest types under study there was a strong positive relationship between net basal area growth and tree-species diversity. This effect was associated with higher recruitment in stands of higher tree-species diversity. Neither mortality nor growth of survivors was related to tree-species diversity. The relationship between growth and tree-size diversity was less clear. For Douglas-fir/western hemlock, net basal area growth was negatively correlated with tree-size diversity, essentially because recruitment was lower on plots of high tree-size diversity. For mixed conifers, net basal area growth tended also to be lower in plots of high tree-size diversity, but this was mostly because mortality was higher in plots of higher tree-size diversity.     

Effect of livestock grazing and human uses on herbaceous species diversity in oriental beech （Fagus orientalis Lipsky） forests,Guilan, Masal,northern Iran

Plant diversity plays key ecological roles in forest ecosystems, including influencing succession, resilience and nutrient cycling. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of livestock grazing and human uses on herbaceous species diversity. We surveyed 50 ha of protected area and 50 ha of unprotected area to evaluate herbaceous species diversity in oriental beech （Fagus orientalis Lipsky） forests in northern Iran. We calculated and compared three indices each of diversity and evenness, and species richness between the two areas. Herbaceous cover was higher in the unprotected area while leaf litter depth and tree canopy cover were higher in the protected area. The diversity indices, H （Shan- non-Wiener index ）, N~ （McArthur index）, N2 （Hill＇s index）, EQ （Modified Nee index）, E,ar （Smith-Wilson index）, E5 （modified index of Hill） and R=S （species richness） and species richness R=S were greater in the protected area than in the unprotected area, suggesting that protection from grazing results in increased numbers of plants and species. The effect of land protection on plant diversity was more pronounced for evenness than for species richness and the positive correlation between diversity and evenness indices was higher than that between diversity and richness.     

德宏州大娘山地区森林植被类型及多样性研究

依据对铜壁关自然保护区大娘山地区进行线路调查及典型样地调查的基础上,将大娘山地区的植被类型划分为以下9个群系：薄片青冈林、多变石栎林—瘤足蕨林、多变石栎—云南铁杉林、多变石栎—玉山竹林、多变石栎—箭竹林、毛脉青冈林、粗枝杜鹃—粗毛箭竹矮林、革叶杜鹃—银灰杜鹃—粗毛箭竹灌丛、花楸灌丛、藨草草甸、玉龙薹草—粉竹草甸、香箐草甸。并从不同类型、层次的丰富度、均匀度和物种多样性指数等方面对大娘山地区植物群落多样性进行了分析。     

Analysis of the potential of small-scale enterprises of artisans and sawyers as instruments for sustainable forest management in Puerto Rico

Small-scale forest enterprises have been recognized as a potential instrument for sustainable development. In particular, the production of handicrafts is a major form of cultural expression and a significant source of income in several developing countries. In this study, we characterize the local handicraft sector in Puerto Rico to identify essential elements for fostering small-scale forest enterprises. Artisans and sawyers were home-based microenterprises that harvested, processed, and traded a wide variety of local forest products, including 125 types of wood and several non-wood forest products. Nonetheless, severe competition from cheaper imported crafts, low demand, and high product variability hamper the development of the local handicraft sector. Despite globalization, sawyers and artisans in Puerto Rico, as part of the U.S., have access to the largest markets of tropical woods and home accessories in the world. But, to participate in these markets, they must increase competitiveness. Lack of institutional effectiveness is a major constraint for the success of the artisan development program in Puerto Rico. Therefore, cooperation and linkages between all support organizations, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and associations of artisans, need to be enhanced to provide effective technical assistance, marketing, and financial services to artisans.