A comparative analysis of spatial, temporal, and ecological characteristics of forest fires in seasonally dry tropical ecosystems in the Western Ghats, India

The Western Ghats in India is one of the 25 global hotspots of biodiversity, and it is the hotspot with the highest human density. This study considers variations in the regional fire regime that are related to vegetation type and past human disturbances in a landscape. Using a combination of remote sensing data and GIS techniques, burnt areas were delineated in three different vegetation types and various metrics of fire size were estimated. Belt transects were enumerated to assess the vegetation characteristics and fire effects in the landscape. Temporal trends suggest increasingly short fire-return intervals in the landscape. In the tropical dry deciduous forest, the mean fire-return interval is 6 years, in the tropical dry thorn forest mean fire-return interval is 10 years, and in the tropical moist deciduous forest mean fire-return interval is 20 years. Tropical dry deciduous forests burned more frequently and had the largest number of fires in any given year as well as the single largest fire (9900 ha). Seventy percent, 56%, and 30% of the tropical moist deciduous forests, tropical dry thorn forests, and tropical dry deciduous forests, respectively have not burned during the 7-year period of study. The model of fire-return interval as a function of distance from park boundary explained 63% of the spatial variation of fire-return interval in the landscape. Forest fires had significant impacts on species diversity and regeneration in the tropical dry deciduous forests. Species diversity declined by 50% and 60% in the moderate and high frequency classes, respectively compared to the low fire frequency class. Sapling density declined by ca. 30% in both moderate and high frequency classes compared to low frequency class. In tropical moist deciduous ecosystems, there were substantial declines in species diversity, tree density, seedling and sapling densities in burned forests compared to the unburned forests. In contrast forest fires in tropical dry thorn forests had a marginal positive effect on ecosystem diversity, structure, and regeneration.     

19个地区种子植物区系数量分类的初步研究

运用最小距离聚类法及主成分分析法对全国 19个地区种子植物区系的种类组成和地理成分进行分析 ,结果表明 ,19个地区可划分为 5类 :第 1类是以泛热带植物区成分为主的亚热带常绿阔叶林区系类型 ,包括闽、赣、浙、皖、湘、鄂 6省的15个地区 ;第 2类是山东泰山 ,是以温带落叶阔叶林为主的植物区系 ;广西大瑶山属于第 3类 ,是古热带植物区成分为主的亚热带常绿阔叶林区系类型 ;元谋干热河谷属于第 4类 ,是热带稀树草原—亚热带常绿阔叶林组合的特殊类型 ;长白山归于为第 5类 ,是典型的温带性植物区系类型     

Soil depth and soil water regime in a catchment where tropical dry evergreen and deciduous forests coexist

In several areas in Northeast Thailand, evergreen and deciduous forests coexist under uniform climatic conditions. To identify the factors that determine the distribution of these different forest types, we compared soil depth and soil physical properties between evergreen and deciduous forests, and monitored soil moisture conditions for a year in both forest types at the Sakaerat Environmental Research Station. The soil was significantly deeper under the evergreen forests (mean 97 cm) than under the deciduous forest (mean 64 cm). The soil under the evergreen forests retained much more water throughout the year than the soil under the deciduous forest, and there was also a clear tendency for the evergreen forests to occur in ravine areas, regardless of soil depth. It is possible that the evergreen trees can maintain transpiration during the dry season on thicker soils or in ravine areas, whereas shallower soils cannot provide enough water for these trees to maintain their evapotranspiration during the dry period. From the present study, we showed that soil water availability could be a significant factor determining the distribution of the deciduous and evergreen forests in our catchments.     

National assessment of the evolution of forest fragmentation in Mexico

This paper presents assessments of the fragmentation of the temperate and tropical forests in Mexico at the national level for two dates 1993 and 2002. The study was based on land use and vegetation cover data sets scale 1:250,000. Two broad forest types (Temperate Forests and Tropical Forests) and five more specific forest types (Broadleaf Forests, and Coniferous Forests; Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests, Tropical Sub-evergreen Forests, and Tropical Evergreen Forests) were defined to conduct the analyses. FragStats 3.3 was used to estimate nine metrics of the spatial pattern of the forests for each forest type and date considered. The results indicate that the land cover transitions that have occurred between 1993 and 2002 have resulted in more isolated forest patches with simpler shapes in both the Temperate and Tropical Forests. The remaining Tropical Forest patches have become smaller and more numerous. In contrast, the remaining Temperate Forest patches are fewer and on average larger. Of the more specific forest types defined in this study, the Broadleaf Forests have the highest indicators of fragmentation. However these forests are usually embedded or adjacent to Coniferous Forests. Of more concern for conservation purposes are the high values of fragmentation metrics found for the Tropical Evergreen Forests and Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests, because these forest types are usually surrounded by non-forest land covers or anthropogenic land uses.     

中国热带次生林分布、类型与面积研究

热带林的保护问题已受到世界各国的高度重视,由于占世界热带林面积约三分之一的热带次生林,其经济和生态效益通常较差,处于相对被忽视的状态,因此也往往被进一步破坏。将次生林经营纳入可持续经营的轨道,是实现热带林可持续经营目标的重要战略。通过对中国热带森林研究、经营和统计资料的分析,结合本项目实施过程的实地调研取得的结果,文章对中国热带地区次生林分布、面积和类型作了阐述。热带森林主要分布在海南、广东、广西、云南、台湾,以及福建和西藏的部分地区,包括124个县市的全部和50个县市的部分地区。据可认可的资料统计,中国热带林地面积（不含台湾省）约1125．66万hm^2。其中有林地面积1074．49万hm^2,次生林面积544万hm^2。次生林占热带地区林地面积的48．33％,占有林地总面积的50．63％。中国热带林地和次生林的实际数字估计要比这一数值大6％以上,因为中国这几年高度重视林业建设,森林植被特别是热带森林植被恢复得很快,林地和次生林一直在不断增加。热带森林类型主要有：热带雨林（包括湿润雨林、山地雨林）;热带季雨林（包括半常绿季雨林、落叶季雨林、石灰岩季雨林）;南海珊瑚岛植被;海岸红树林等。从森林经理的角度,中国热带次生林的类型可分为：（1）次生阔叶林,包括次生常绿阔叶雨林、次生季雨林和次生季风常绿阔叶林;（2）次生灌木林;（3）次生针叶林;（4）次生红树林及次生珊瑚岛林等四大类型。     

贵州麻江森林健康经营项目示范区森林植被类型初步分析

项目示范区的森林属于次生林,调查分析结果表明该示范区的植被类型比较齐全,有西南米槠-黄连木-锈鳞苔草常绿阔叶林、漆树＋美脉琼楠＋大花枇杷-蚊母树＋高丛珍珠梅＋鸢尾常绿落叶阔叶林、白栎＋麻栎＋枫香-芒箕落叶阔叶林、马尾松＋白栎＋枫香＋油桐-白栎针阔混交林、马尾松和杉木针叶林、白栎-金星厥灌丛.     

Comparison of soil depths between evergreen and deciduous forests as a determinant of their distribution, Northeast Thailand

In several areas in Northeast Thailand, evergreen and deciduous forests coexist under uniform terrain and climatic conditions. We compared depth and physical properties of soils between evergreen and deciduous forests in the Sakaerat Environmental Research Station to clarify what factor determines their distribution. The averaged soil depths were 79 ± 27 cm and 135 ± 58 cm in the deciduous and evergreen forests, respectively. The soils in the deciduous forests were relatively coarser in soil texture than those in the evergreen forests, particularly in the surface layers. The average available water capacity of the solum was lower in the deciduous forest soils (78 mm) than in the evergreen forest soils (123 mm). Compared with the evapotranspiration from the evergreen forest in the study area, the available water capacity of the evergreen forest soil was almost the same as the water deficit during the dry season (November–February), while that of the deciduous forest soil was lower and insufficient to maintain the evapotranspiration. These results suggest that the distribution of deciduous and evergreen forests in the study area was associated with soil water availability, which mainly depends on soil depth.     

Contrasting seasonal leaf habits of canopy trees between tropical dry-deciduous and evergreen forests in Thailand

We compared differences in leaf properties, leaf gas exchange and photochemical properties between drought-deciduous and evergreen trees in tropical dry forests, where soil nutrients differed but rainfall was similar. Three canopy trees (Shorea siamensis Miq., Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) W. Theob. and Vitex peduncularis Wall. ex Schauer) in a drought-deciduous forest and a canopy tree (Hopea ferrea Lanessan) in an evergreen forest were selected. Soil nutrient availability is lower in the evergreen forest than in the deciduous forest. Compared with the evergreen tree, the deciduous trees had shorter leaf life spans, lower leaf masses per area, higher leaf mass-based nitrogen (N) contents, higher leaf mass-based photosynthetic rates (mass-based P(n)), higher leaf N-based P(n), higher daily maximum stomatal conductance (g(s)) and wider conduits in wood xylem. Mass-based P(n) decreased from the wet to the dry season for all species. Following onset of the dry season, daily maximum g(s) and sensitivity of g(s) to leaf-to-air vapor pressure deficit remained relatively unchanged in the deciduous trees, whereas both properties decreased in the evergreen tree during the dry season. Photochemical capacity and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of photosystem II (PSII) also remained relatively unchanged in the deciduous trees even after the onset of the dry season. In contrast, photochemical capacity decreased and NPQ increased in the evergreen tree during the dry season, indicating that the leaves coped with prolonged drought by down-regulating PSII. Thus, the drought-avoidant deciduous species were characterized by high N allocation for leaf carbon assimilation, high water use and photoinhibition avoidance, whereas the drought-tolerant evergreen was characterized by low N allocation for leaf carbon assimilation, conservative water use and photoinhibition tolerance.     

Transport,storage and mobilization of nitrogen by trees and shrubs in the wet/dry tropics of northern Australia

Xylem sap from woody species in the wet/dry tropics of northern Australia was analyzed for N compounds. At the peak of the dry season, arginine was the main N compound in sap of most species of woodlands and deciduous monsoon forest. In the wet season, a marked change occurred with amides becoming the main sap N constituents of most species. Species from an evergreen monsoon forest, with a permanent water source, transported amides in the dry season. In the dry season, nitrate accounted for 7 and 12% of total xylem sap N in species of deciduous and evergreen monsoon forests, respectively. In the wet season, the proportion of N present as nitrate increased to 22% in deciduous monsoon forest species. These results suggest that N is taken up and assimilated mainly in the wet season and that this newly assimilated N is mostly transported as amide-N (woodland species, monsoon forest species) and nitrate (monsoon forest species). Arginine is the form in which stored N is remobilized and transported by woodland and deciduous monsoon forest species in the dry season. Several proteins, which may represent bark storage proteins, were detected in inner bark tissue from a range of trees in the dry season, indicating that, although N uptake appears to be limited in the dry season, the many tree and shrub species that produce flowers, fruit or leaves in the dry season use stored N to support growth. Nitrogen characteristics of the studied species are discussed in relation to the tropical environment.     

绥宁花园阁国家湿地公园植物资源现状与分析

绥宁花园阁国家湿地公园植被丰富,为保护湿地生物资源,采用样方调查与样线调查相结合方法,开展植物资源调查。结果表明:湿地公园有维管束野生植物153科,336属,807种;主要森林类型可分常绿落叶阔叶林、落叶阔叶林、针叶林、竹林、灌草果群系、古树及珍贵树木;其中温带成分最多,植物区系成分以温带性质为主,热带成分也有较高的比例,区系成分出现较强的热带亚热带至温带的过渡性质。     

Litter production and decomposition dynamics in moist deciduous forests of the Western Ghats in Peninsular India

A field study was conducted in the moist deciduous forests of the Western Ghats (India) to test the following three hypotheses: (1) Litter production in tropical forests is a function of the floristic composition, density, basal area and disturbance intensity; (2) Decay rate constants of tropical species is an inverse function of the initial lignin/nitrogen ratio; (3) Decomposition rates in tropical forests are faster than temperate forests.

Litter fall was estimated by installing 63 litter traps in the moist deciduous forests of Thrissur Forest Division in the Western Ghats at three sites. Litter fall followed a monomodal distribution pattern with a distinct peak during the dry period from November–December to March–April.Dillenia pentagyna, Grewia tiliaefolia, Macrosolen spp.,Xylia xylocarpa, Terminalia spp.,Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Cleistanthus collinus, Bridelia retusa, andHelicteres isora were the principal litter producing species at these sites. The annual litter fall ranged from 12.18 to 14.43 t ha⁻¹. Structural attributes of vegetation such as floristic composition, basal area, density and disturbance intensity did not directly influence litter fall rates.

Leaf litter decay rates for six dominant tree species were assessed following the standard litter bag technique. One hundred and eight litter bags per species containing 20 g samples were installed in the forest floor litter layer at the same three sites selected for the litter fall quantification exercise. The residual litter mass decreased linearly with time for all species. In general, less disturbed sites and species adapted to higher nitrogen availabilities exhibited relatively higher decay rate coefficients (k). The rapid organic matter turnover observed in comparison with published temperate forest litter decay rates confirms that tropical moist deciduous forest species are characterised by faster decomposition rates.

Mean concentrations of N, P and K in the litter were profoundly variable amongst the dominant species. Initial nitrogen content of the leaf litter varied from 0.65 to 1.6%, phosphorus from 0.034 to 0.077% and potassium from 0.25 to 0.62%.C. collinus, an understorey shrub consistently recorded the lowest litter concentrations for all nutrients. The overriding pattern is one of higher nutrient levels in the overstorey leaf litter and lower concentrations in the understorey litter. Furthermore, as decomposition proceeded, the nitrogen concentration of the residual biomass increased.     

Forest vegetation of Xishuangbanna, south China

1 Introduction The tropical area of southern China is climatically and biogeographically located at the northern edge of tropical Asia, including southeastern Xizang (Tibet, lower valleys of the southern Himalayas), southern Yunnan, southwestern Guangxi, southern Taiwan and Hainan Island. The largest tropical area still covered by forests is in southern Yunnan. Tropical forests of southern Yunnan were little known until the late 1950s because of poor access except for some brief descrip-…     

Anthropogenic disturbances and status of forest and wildlife in the dry deciduous forests of Chhattisgarh state in India

The advent of modern forces and the changes in socioeconomic patterns of forest dwellers have increased the pressures on the forests. In order to mitigate such pressures and also to protect the forests and wildlife the model of protected areas networks has shifted and enhanced such pressures in the unprotected natural forests due to several reasons. Being a low profile category of protected status and continuous human settlements, the present study highlights the case of dry deciduous forests of Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh state of India. The major objectives of this study were to quantify the status of forests and wildlife and also to determine the extent of anthropogenic disturbances faced by the dry deciduous forests of central India. Transect and silent drive count methods were used for sampling wildlife and quadrat method was used for sampling vegetation. Besides, the local uses of various forest produces were also studied in view of understanding the people dependency on forests. The forest vegetation, in the study area, was pre-dominated by Shorea robusta, which had Madhuca indica, Diospyrus melanoxylon and Buchnania lanzan as the major companion species. The forest had either the high girth class mature tree species or the saplings. The low vegetation cover and density were due to the high anthropogenic pressures mainly in the form of heavy livestock grazing and collection of ethnobotanically important species. The study though reveals that the area is not rich in wildlife and the forest is fragmented, the area still supports some important species, which include many rare and endangered plants and animals. The findings of this study have been discussed in view of the management and conservation of the forest and wildlife in the dry deciduous forests.     

Assessing impact of climate change on forest cover type shifts in Western Himalayan Eco-region

Climate is a critical factor affecting forest ecosystems and their capacity to produce goods and services. Effects of climate change on forests depend on ecosystem-specific factors including dimensions of climate (temperature, precipitation, drought, wind etc.). Available information is not sufficient to support a quantitative assessment of the ecological, social and economic consequences. The present study assessed shifts in forest cover types of Western Himalayan Eco-region (700?4500 m). 100 randomly selected samples (75 for training and 25 for testing the model), genetic algorithm of rule set parameters and climatic envelopes were used to assess the distribution of five prominent forest cover types (Temperate evergreen, Tropical semi-evergreen, Temperate conifer, Subtropical conifer, and Tropical moist deciduous forests). Modelling was conducted for four different scenarios, current scenario, changed precipitation (8% increase), changed temperature (1.07°C increase), and both changed temperature and precipitation. On increasing precipitation a downward shift in the temperate evergreen and tropical semi-evergreen was observed, while sub-tropical conifer and tropical moist-deciduous forests showed a slight upward shift and temperate conifer showed no shift. On increasing temperature, an upward shift in all forest types was observed except sub-tropical conifer forests without significant changes. When both temperature and precipitation were changed, the actual distribution was maintained and slight upward shift was observed in all the forest types except sub-tropical conifer. It is important to understand the likely impacts of the projected climate change on the forest ecosystems, so that better management and conservation strategies can be adopted for the biodiversity and forest dependent community. Knowledge of impact mechanisms also enables identification and mitigation of some of the conditions that increase vulnerability to climate change in the forest sector.     

Relationship between annual rainfall and tree mortality in a tropical dry forest: Results of a 19-year study at Mudumalai,southern India

Variability in rainfall is known to be a major influence on the dynamics of tropical forests, especially rates and patterns of tree mortality. In tropical dry forests a number of contributing factors to tree mortality, including dry season fire and herbivory by large herbivorous mammals, could be related to rainfall patterns, while loss of water potential in trees during the dry season or a wet season drought could also result in enhanced rates of death. While tree mortality as influenced by severe drought has been examined in tropical wet forests there is insufficient understanding of this process in tropical dry forests. We examined these causal factors in relation to inter-annual differences in rainfall in causing tree mortality within a 50-ha Forest Dynamics Plot located in the tropical dry deciduous forests of Mudumalai, southern India, that has been monitored annually since 1988. Over a 19-year period (1988–2007) mean annual mortality rate of all stems >1 cm dbh was 6.9 ± 4.6% (range = 1.5–17.5%); mortality rates broadly declined from the smaller to the larger size classes with the rates in stems >30 cm dbh being among the lowest recorded in tropical forest globally. Fire was the main agent of mortality in stems 1–5 cm dbh, elephant-herbivory in stems 5–10 cm dbh, and other natural causes in stems >10 cm dbh. Elephant-related mortality did not show any relationship to rainfall. On the other hand, fire-related mortality was significantly negatively correlated to quantity of rainfall during the preceding year. Mortality due to other causes in the larger stem sizes was significantly negatively correlated to rainfall with a 2–3-year lag, suggesting that water deficit from mild or prolonged drought enhanced the risk of death but only with a time lag that was greater than similar lags in tree mortality observed in other forest types. In this respect, tropical dry forests growing in regions of high rainfall variability may have evolved greater resistance to rainfall deficit as compared to tropical moist or temperate forests but are still vulnerable to drought-related mortality.     

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.     

Biophysical quantification of biodiversity and ecosystems services of forest ecosystems in the Western Ghats: a case study of Uttara Kannada District,India

Biodiversity and ecosystem services play key roles in future economic strategies seeking to promote development and prosperity. This study assesses the status of biodiversity and flow of ecosystem services from selected forest types in the Western Ghats. At the sampling sites, the number of tree species ranged from 16 to 79 per hectare depending on the forest type. The estimates for Shannon–Wiener index for trees in the evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forest plots were 3.02, 2.9 and 1.54, respectively. The total biomass carbon stocks in evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests in the study area was 229, 221 and 189 t C/ha, respectively.Analysis of dependency patterns of local communities on forest resources indicated a high dependency on provisional services such as fuelwood, manure and fodder. The study records the highest dependency rates for fuelwood,ranging between 72 and 100% for the three forest types and indicates that forest ecosystems underpin the well-being of the population dependent directly and indirectly on them.     

广州流溪河常绿阔叶林的植物区系地理分析

常绿阔叶林是亚热带地带性植被类型。在广州流溪河上游流域，分布有少量的保存较好的常绿阔叶林，主要见于海拔200m以下的地区。由于分布面积狭小，因此其植物区系并不丰富。种子植物科、属的地理成分表明，该植被型的区系具有显的热带、亚热带性质，同时具有一定的温带成分，东亚和北美间断分布、泛热带分布和旧世界热带分布对该森林的区系性质影响很大。常绿阔叶林植被及其区系都是在中生代末起源于华夏古陆，其中少量的落叶成分也是干旱促成、华夏起源的。     

中国不同地带性森林乔木叶片热值特征及其影响因素

[Objective]To study the leaf calorific value of different forest types.[Method]This study focused on four common forest types widely distributed across China, including boreal coniferous forest, warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest, subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, and tropical monsoon forest. The leaf calorific values of 175 dominant (or common) tree species were measured. The leaf calorific value characteristics of the trees found in the different forest types were analyzed, and the primary factors affecting leaf calorific value were investigated, including leaf morphological traits, nutrient elements, climate, and soil traits. [Result]The results showed that in these forest types, the leaf calorific values ranged from 14.84 to 21.98 KJ·g^-1, with an overall mean of 19.06 KJ·g^-1. The presence of organisms appeared to affect the leaf calorific value, which differed among forest types as follows: coniferous trees > broadleaf trees or evergreen trees > deciduous trees. [Conclusion]The latitudinal pattern of tree leaf calorific value, ordered from north to south, is as follows: warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest > subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest > tropical mountain rainforest. The mean leaf calorific value of boreal coniferous forest was slightly lower than those of warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest and subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. The leaf calorific values were significantly correlated with leaf carbon content (R²= 0.89, P<0.001). A multiple regression equation was established to describe the relationships among leaf calorific value, leaf carbon content, leaf nitrogen content, and leaf thickness.     

TM影像在热带林林地资源调查中的应用

利用TM影像对滇西南7个地（州）27个县（市）开展了调查，并按2级分类的要求进行目视解译，其结果为研究区热带林覆盖率为46.09%，郁闭林面积占研究区总面积的10.46%，破坏林面积占总面积的35.63%，常绿阔叶林面积占总面积的32.61%，热带雨林和季雨林面积占总面积的0.20%，判读精度81.53%。表明TM影像能满足热带林宏观林地资源调查的需求，既快速，又省力、省钱，具有一定的实用性。