Sampling downed coarse woody debris in fire-prone eucalypt woodlands

Downed coarse woody debris (DCWD) plays an important role in ecosystem processes and should be considered in land management decisions. Unfortunately accurate quantification of its abundance is difficult, due to its patchy distribution. This is especially problematic in woodland ecosystems where DCWD is relatively scarce, unevenly distributed and smaller in size than in other forest types. This study compared the efficacy of the line intersect and strip plot methods to sample properties of DCWD at woodland sites with differing fire histories. Although measures of abundance using the two methods did not differ statistically, the line intersect method had 20% less variability in the data, was quicker to perform and made it easier to locate individual pieces of DCWD than the strip plot method. The results of this study indicate that transects of 100 m or less are insufficient for estimating DCWD volume in woodlands. An acceptable level of precision was reached at approximately 450 m at very recently burnt sites and 700 m at long unburnt sites when only transect length was considered. However when taking both transect length and number of replicates into account, an acceptable level of precision was reached at 500 m when sampling a minimum of 20 sites. It is therefore recommended that pilot studies should be conducted to determine appropriate sampling intensities in previously unsampled areas as DCWD volume estimates are sensitive to the rate at which variance changes with increasing transect length. This is particularly important when there is variation in the disturbance history of the sites. However, if it is not possible to conduct pilot studies, the requirement would be to sample line intersect transects of at least 500 m, at a minimum of 20 sites in woodland systems.     

Does forest continuity matter in conservation? - A study of epiphytic lichens and bryophytes in beech forests of southern Sweden

The effects of forest continuity at local scale for red-listed and indicator species of epiphytic lichens and bryophytes were investigated in 150 Fagus sylvatica stands in southern Sweden. Stands having forest continuity (n = 106) had continuous forest cover more than 350 years, whereas stands lacking continuity (n = 44) had forest cover less than 160 years. Forest continuity was identified by comparing a sequence of historical maps with a modern survey of beech forests. In the field woody beech substrates were searched for the epiphytes of interest. A number of environmental and spatial variables were inventoried and compiled for each stand. In all 64 species (51 lichens, 13 bryophytes) were found in the stands having continuity, and 21 (14 lichens, 7 bryophytes) in the stands lacking continuity. Controlling for the different number of surveyed stands, stands having continuity had significantly more species of lichens, but not of bryophytes. In the stands lacking continuity we did not find lichens associated with the very late succession stage. The quantity of substrates, stand age and forest continuity were the three most important factors explaining species richness as well as composition of studied epiphytes. The effect of continuity was probably due to a combination of a higher substrate quality, mainly old beeches, and a longer time available for colonization. Also, we found strong positive correlations between number of indicator and red-listed epiphyte species. In short-term conservation old stands having continuity, containing suitable substrates and indicator species are target areas.     

浅析内蒙古科尔沁右翼中旗林地资源可持续经营

林地是国家重要的自然资源和战略资源,是森林赖以生存与发展的根基,在保障木材及林产品供给、维护国土生态安全中具有核心地位。文章通过对科尔沁右翼中旗林地资源及其质量的分析,研究林地资源的保护和发展的措施。     

Soil nitrogen and carbon dynamics in a fragmented landscape experiencing forest succession

Forest fragmentation is an increasingly common feature across the globe, but few studies examine its influence on biogeochemical fluxes. We assessed the influence of differences in successional trajectory and stem density with forest patch size on biomass quantity and quality and N transformations in the soil at an experimentally fragmented landscape in Kansas, USA. We measured N-related fluxes in the laboratory, not the field, to separate effects of microclimate and fragment edges from the effects of inherent biomass differences with patch size. We measured net N mineralization and N₂O fluxes in soil incubations, gross rates of ammonification and nitrification, and microbial biomass in soils. We also measured root and litterfall biomass, C:N ratios, and δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures; litterfall [cellulose] and [lignin]; and [C], [N], and δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of soil organic matter. Rates of net N mineralization and N₂O fluxes were greater (by 113% and 156%, respectively) in small patches than in large, as were gross rates of nitrification. These differences were associated with greater quantities of root biomass in small patch soil profiles (664.2 ± 233.3 vs 192.4 ± 66.2 g m⁻² for the top 15 cm). These roots had greater N concentration than in large patches, likely generating greater root derived organic N pools in small patches. These data suggest greater rates of N cycling in small forested patches compared to large patches, and that gaseous N loss from the ecosystem may be related to forest patch size. The study indicates that the differences in successional trajectory with forest patch size can impart significant influence on soil N transformations in fragmented, aggrading woodlands.     

浅谈加强巴林林业局林地保护的必要性

文章根据巴林林业局林地保护现状和当前的有利条件,阐述了加强林地保护的必要性。     

上林县林地功能分区保护利用措施探讨

该文根据上林县森林资源现状、生态状况、林业产业发展优势和发展布局,在保持行政区域基本完整和地域连片的基础上,按照主导功能和利用方向将上林县林地划分为4个功能区,阐述了各功能区范围及特点,提出了各功能区的保护利用方向、目标与措施。     

基于草莓全基因组SSR标记的开发和应用

基于基因组序列信息,研究了二倍体森林草莓和八倍体栽培草莓染色体上SSR位点的分布特点。利用AutoSSR软件在森林草莓和栽培草莓中分别发掘到153826个和329801个SSR位点,发生频率分别为1.43 kb/SSR和2.44 kb/SSR。SSR重复基序为单核苷酸的数量最多,分别占总数的40.92%和38.94%,其次为二核苷酸类型,分别占22.79%和20.04%。在二倍体草莓和八倍体草莓中分别鉴定到454和479种SSR重复类型,其中A/T重复类型的SSR出现的频率最高,分别占总SSR位点的39.45%和37.08%。二核苷酸重复类型中,二倍体草莓的AT/AT占比最高,为11.61%,其次为AG/CT(8.74%);八倍体草莓中AG/CT重复类型占比最高(9.94%),其次为AT/AT(7.35%)。用Beacon Designer软件设计SSR引物,随机挑选了59对SSR引物在77份草莓材料中进行验证分析。研究结果显示,59对SSR引物共扩增出254个多态性位点,平均扩增4.31个位点,位点的平均多态信息量(PIC)为0.26,介于0.07~0.97之间,其中35个SSR位点PIC≥0.50,为高多态性位点,聚类分析显示品种间的相似系数范围为0.47~0.99。该研究为草莓种质资源的遗传多样性评价、变异分析、分子标记辅助育种等工作提供了技术支持。     

Woodland key habitats evaluated as part of a functional reserve network

Woodland key habitats (WKHs) represent a potentially cost-efficient means to protect biodiversity in managed forests. The Forest Act of Finland defines 13 habitat types of WKHs, which enjoy legal protection. It has been argued that WKHs are too small-sized and scattered in occurrence to be actually important in the maintenance of forest biodiversity. However, from the species’ perspective, WKHs form a network together with nature reserves. We evaluated the value and role of WKHs as a part of the whole reserve network using a graph-theoretical connectivity approach in three areas (ca. 500 km² each) located in Central Finland. The networks were formed separately for different habitat types and dispersal distances (ranging from 200 m to 25 km). We compared networks with and without WKHs, and thereby quantified the contribution of WKHs to overall network connectivity. We also examined the role of WKHs in the networks based on patch importance and network centrality measures. The results showed that the connectivity contributions of WKHs are tightly linked with the dispersal abilities of threatened species: WKHs enhance habitat connectivity, especially for species with an intermediate dispersal ability. For species with a poor dispersal ability, the protection of large set-asides would be a more efficient way to increase habitat connectivity than WKHs. WKH-based conservation seems to improve the connectivity of naturally rare and scattered habitat types relatively more than common habitat types, but in sparse networks a greater dispersal ability is required to gain enhanced connectivity than in dense ones. The connectivity value of WKHs can be understood as an emergent and scale-dependent property, appearing at the level of the entire functional network. Provided that the site characteristics of WKHs can be safeguarded, they can be a valuable and efficient addition to the reserve network.     

Key Habitats in the Norwegian Production Forest: A Case Study

This study investigated the forest history, structural characteristics, the presence of fungal species suggested to indicate ecological continuity in old-growth forest, and the species composition of saproxylic beetles in 30 old forest ''woodland key habitats'' (WKHs), and compared them with production forest in the same age-class in south-eastern Norway. No statistically significant differences in forest characteristics, community of saproxylic beetles or number of red-listed beetles were found between the WKHs and the production forest, probably owing to a combination of profound long-term logging and a lack of will to delineate sufficiently large WKHs in the one area with significantly less forestry impact. The study indicates the advantage of including forest history information in WKH selection where such data exist, and the importance of restoring habitats in heavily exploited forest landscapes.     

基于无人机影像的华南农业大学不同下垫面地表降温效益研究

以华南农业大学校园为研究对象,通过携带热成像传感器的无人机,获取了校园中心区域不同下垫面的热成像图片,分析不同下垫面的日地表温度变化,探讨其地表降温效果的影响因素。结果表明,一天中总体降温幅度从大到小的下垫面依次为水体、林地、乔-灌-草绿地/乔-草绿地、道路、建筑,水体和绿地尤其是林地的地表降温效益显著。林地的周长为0~600 m,面积为0~7000 m^(2)时,与林地的地表降温幅度呈正相关;林地的周长面积比、景观形状指数、分维数与地表降温幅度呈负相关,林地形状和边缘越简单,形状接近圆形,地表降温效益越好。