Young conifer stands form a deer browsing refuge for an oak admixture: silvicultural implications for forest regeneration under herbivore pressure

There is little knowledge how ungulate pressure on forest regeneration may be mitigated by silvicultural methods. The knowledge is especially needed for artificially regenerated, deciduous tree species. We studied factors affecting browsing incidence by deer in the Pisz Forest District in Poland, an area where 10,000 ha of forest was damaged by a 2002 hurricane. In 2006, we established three experimental plots (in total, 22.6 ha), in which the main species was Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) admixed with pedunculate oak (Quercus robur). The data on browsing were collected in 2008–2015. In general, oak browsing incidence was unrelated to oak planting density. On a plantation scale, it was significantly affected by the pine age. Although in each variant all the oaks were browsed for four consecutive years (2009–2012), in 2013 browsing incidence began to decrease. When the pines grew higher and formed a physical barrier, it was harder for deer—roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and moose (Alces alces)—to move through and locate the oaks. Moreover, within plantations, oak browsing incidence was higher in the patches with shorter pines. Browsing of individual saplings or small groups of saplings was also negatively affected by the height of neighbouring pine saplings. Oak density influenced deer selectivity depending on the tree height. In a low oak tree density, browsing incidence was unrelated to oak height, while in higher tree density, deer selected oaks of the height between 40 and 100 cm. We postulate that deciduous admixture in a coniferous (unattractive) stand can be planted with a few year delay. Older coniferous trees should impede locating of attractive tree species by deer and the browsing incidence.     

Analytical Approximation of Subsurface Total Drainage Quantity in Non-Steady State Drainage Flow, and its Verification in Heavy Soils

The subsurface total drainagequantity is one of the most importantindicators for the drainage policy of watermanagement. The methods of estimationof the subsurface total drainage quantityunder unsteady state drainage flow maybe different in consideration of the timeduration of the process and in relation tothe type, quality and quantity of the data used.Simple analytical approximation of thesubsurface total drainage quantity, whichwas developed by the operation of asubsurface pipe drainage system insaturated soil under unsteady statedrainage flow, is viewed in this paper.Derivation of the formula for subsurfacetotal drainage quantity is based onthe subsurface flow to drains with anapproximately horizontal impervious layer,where the Dupuit's assumptions and Darcy'slaw are applied. It is assumed that duringthe drainage process there will be no rechargeto the groundwater table.This analytical approximation of thesubsurface total drainage quantity at acertain time t was formed into a singleexponential equation. The correctness andapplicability of the analyticalapproximation of the subsurface totaldrainage quantity was verified with the help ofthe field measurements on the heavy soilsof an experimental watershed area of theResearch Institute for Soil and WaterConservation (RISWC) Prague-Zbraslav, CzechRepublic. The shape and the parameters ofthis subsurface total drainage quantityequation were also proved by nonlinearregression analysis, with application of themethod of Marquardt.This analytical approximation should serveas an elementary tool of water engineeringpractice for an immediate estimation of thevalues of subsurface total drainagequantities from field pipe drainagesystems in saturated soils. It shouldalso serve as a tool with only a minimumamount of information (the basic soilhydrology data and drainage system basicdesign parameters) and its application to awide range of drainage policies ispossible.     

Redistribution of organic pollutants in river sediments and alluvial soils related to major floods

Background, Aims, and Scope  More frequent occurrence of stronger floods in Europe as well as in other parts of the world in recent years raises major concern about the material damages, but also an important issue of contamination of the affected areas through flooding. The effects of major floods on levels and distribution of contamination with hydrophobic organic pollutants were examined from the continuous set of data for floodplain soils and sediments from a model industrial area in the Czech Republic where a 100-year flood occurred in 1997. The goal of this study was to evaluate the risk related to contamination associated with such extensive natural events and characterize the spatial and temporal distribution and dynamics of pollutants related to a major flooding shortly after the floods and also in the time period several years after floods. Methods  Sediments and alluvial soils from fourteen sites each were repeatedly sampled during the period from 1996 until 2005. The sampling sites represented five regions. Collected top-layer sediment and soil samples were characterized and analyzed for hydrophobic organic pollutants PCBs, OCPs and HCB using GC-ECD and PAHs using a GC-MS instrument. Spatial and temporal differences as well as the relative distribution of the pollutants were examined in detail by statistical analysis including multivariate methods with special emphases placed on the changes related to floods. Results  The organic pollutants levels in both alluvial soils and sediments exceeded the safe environmental limits at numerous sites. Pollutants concentrations and relative distribution as well as organic carbon content in both sediment and floodplain soils were significantly affected by the flooding, which resulted in a decrease of all studied contaminants in sediments and significant rise of the PAH pollution in the flooded soils. There was a unique and highly conserved PAH pattern in soils regardless of the floods and greater changes in PAH pattern in sediments related to floods. The relative distribution of individual PAHs reflected a combustion generated PAH profile. PAH levels in the river sediments rose again at the sites with continuous sources several years after floods. Discussion  The results showed different dynamics of PAHs and PCBs during the floods when PAHs were redistributed from the sediments to alluvial soils while PCBs have been washed out of the study regions. The data reveal longer contamination memory and consistent contamination pattern in soils, whereas sediments showed more dynamic changes responding strongly to the actual situation. The stable PAH pattern within the regions also indicates that a relative amount of all compounds is comparable across the samples and, thus, that the sources at different sites have similar character. Conclusions  Sediments have the potential to function as a secondary source of contamination for the aquatic ecosystem, but also for the floodplain soils and other flooded areas. The floods served as a vector of PAHs contamination from sediments to soils. The reloading of river sediments in time, namely with PAHs, due to present sources increases their risk as a potential source in the next bigger flood event both to the downstream river basin and affected alluvial soils. Recommendations and Perspectives  The results stress the importance of including the floodplain soil contamination in the risk assessment focused on flood effects. Floodplain soils have stable long-term environmental memory related to contamination levels, pattern and distribution, whereby they can provide relevant information on the overall contamination of the area. The sediments will continue to serve as a potential source of contaminants and alluvial soils as the catchment media reflecting the major flood events, especially until effective measures are taken to limit contamination sources. ESS-Submission Editor: Dr. Henner Hollert (Hollert@uni-heidelberg.de) This article is openly accessible!     

Spatially structured populations: how much do they match the classic metapopulation concept?

In the classic metapopulation concept a specific range of animal movements is assumed, not too large and not too small. Thus, knowledge of animal mobility is necessary to determine the degree to which a given population matches a specific metapopulation model. It seems that usually small mammal mobility is underestimated, and this has important consequences for the way we view metapopulation dynamics. Data on small mammal movements (Clethrionomys glareolus and Apodemus flavicollis) are presented in this paper. The material was collected in a two year study in western Poland using a set of six woodlots of different sizes and degree of isolation, located among agricultural fields. Various methods were used in the study: colored bait, live-trapping, and radio-telemetry. It is suggested that the populations under study match the concept of patchy population (sensu Harrison 1991), being poorly isolated in individual patches and with the range of animal movements encompassing the whole set of patches. Moreover, the use of patches changes between seasons according to changing needs and/or resource abundance in the woodlots. Density and composition of local populations may be influenced both by the patch area and its isolation, and also by the filtering effect of the matrix that depends on the season. In this context it is pointed out that more attention should be paid to the matrix, both in research practice and conservation as it is a factor influencing population functioning in quantitative and qualitative ways. It is suggested that any generalizations about population spatial organization may be impossible without more detailed knowledge of long distance movements of focal animals and their use of matrix.     

Large-scale permafrost degradation as a primary factor in Larix sibirica forest dieback in the Khentii massif,northern Mongolia

The objective of this study is to investigate the potential causes of widespread Larix sibirica Ledeb.mortality observed in the Khentii massif of northern Mongolia.The ratio of deadwood to living trees in affected stands in the Goricho region,the southernmost study site situated close to the Gobi Desert,was as high as 3.6:1.Moisture fluctuations monitored over 2 years using electrical impedance spectrometry revealed that the Goricho study site had higher soil moisture levels than the two less affected sites Barun Bayan and Dzun Bayan.High soil moisture was recorded in an area characterized by highly skeletal soils,ones with more than 35%by volume of rock fragments,and comparatively shallow soil horizons,from valley to mountains.The layer of permafrost influencing hydrogeological processes is much deeper in the Goricho region compared to the undisturbed study sites.Redundancy analysis confirmed a significant number of dead L.sibirica on sites with developed soils.Live forest stands,however damaged,grow in this region on well-drained scree slopes or on rocky bastions.The mass mortality observed for L.sibirica may be directly linked to accelerated permafrost thaw in the area bordered by the Tuul and the Terelj Rivers.Our assumption is that L.sibirica root system necrosis occurred as a result of long-term waterlogging of developed soils with high spatial heterogeneity,normally able to absorb high quantities of groundwater.The areas unaffected were scree fields and rocky bastions characterized by adequate drainage.All of our findings support the primary stages of large-scale permafrost thaw,i.e.,correlating increases in soil moisture with increasing permafrost active layer thickness.     

Siah regulation of Pard3A controls neuronal cell adhesion during germinal zone exit

The brain's circuitry is established by directed migration and synaptogenesis of neurons during development. Although neurons mature and migrate in specific patterns, little is known about how neurons exit their germinal zone niche. We found that cerebellar granule neuron germinal zone exit is regulated by proteasomal degradation of Pard3A by the Seven in Absentia homolog (Siah) E3 ubiquitin ligase. Pard3A gain of function and Siah loss of function induce precocious radial migration. Time-lapse imaging using a probe to measure neuronal cell contact reveals that Pard3A promotes adhesive interactions needed for germinal zone exit by recruiting the epithelial tight junction adhesion molecule C to the neuronal cell surface. Our findings define a Siah-Pard3A signaling pathway that controls adhesion-dependent exit of neuronal progenitors or immature neurons from a germinal zone niche.     

Factors influencing steel tool wear when milling wood

The wear of high speed steel cutting tools after milling wood of four selected wood species was studied. For the experiments wood specimens were chosen with very different silica contamination, wood density, and high temperature corrosivity (HTC) of wood towards tool material. Analyses performed show that the silica content and wood density display poor linear correlation with the cutting tools wear, while the correlation of the HTC appeared very good. The silica contamination and the HTC effects overshadow each other. Thus, a theoretical multivariable simulation of the cutting edge wearing process, employing all experimental variables, was applied, providing a very good explanation of the analyzed problem.     

The critical rotational speed of circular saw: simple measurement method and its practical implementations

Operation safety during sawing operations as well as dimensional accuracy and surface roughness depend on circular saw dynamic features among other factors such as circular saw blade accuracy and static/dynamic properties of the machine tool. Manufacturers of saw blades have an obligation to mark tools with a value stating the maximum allowed rotational speed for each saw. However, in some cases the value indicated on the saw corresponds to the critical rotational speed or is dangerously close to this critical value. Saw operation at the critical rotational speed is inadvisable and may result in serious injury or depreciation of product quality. This report outlines a simple methodology for evaluation of circular saw critical rotational speed. The assessment was conducted with a camera vision technique on the basis of an impulse test. Results are compared with theoretically calculated critical rotational speeds and the marks on saw blades.