Short‐term response of the Ca cycle of a montane forest in Ecuador to low experimental CaCl2 additions

The tropical montane forests of the E Andean cordillera in Ecuador receive episodic Sahara‐dust inputs particularly increasing Ca deposition. We added CaCl₂ to isolate the effect of Ca deposition by Sahara dust to tropical montane forest from the simultaneously occurring pH effect. We examined components of the Ca cycle at four control plots and four plots with added Ca (2 × 5 kg ha^–1 Ca annually as CaCl₂) in a random arrangement. Between August 2007 and December 2009 (four applications of Ca), we determined Ca concentrations and fluxes in litter leachate, mineral soil solution (0.15 and 0.30 m depths), throughfall, and fine litterfall and Al concentrations and speciation in soil solutions. After 1 y of Ca addition, we assessed fine‐root biomass, leaf area, and tree growth. Only < 3% of the applied Ca leached below the acid organic layer (pH 3.5–4.8). The added CaCl₂ did not change electrical conductivity in the root zone after 2 y. In the second year of fertilization, Ca retention in the canopy of the Ca treatment tended to decrease relative to the control. After 2 y, 21% of the applied Ca was recycled to soil with throughfall and litterfall. One year after the first Ca addition, fine‐root biomass had decreased significantly. Decreasing fine‐root biomass might be attributed to a direct or an indirect beneficial effect of Ca on the soil decomposer community. Because of almost complete association of Al with dissolved organic matter and high free Ca²⁺ : Al³⁺ activity ratios in solution of all plots, Al toxicity was unlikely. We conclude that the added Ca was retained in the system and had beneficial effects on some plants.     

基于RS和GIS的川西天然林保护区土壤侵蚀动态研究

利用1989,1999年的TM和2007年SPOT5遥感影像,运用RS和GIS技术对四川省甘孜州道孚县甲斯孔林场土壤侵蚀状况进行了动态监测研究。结果表明,天然林保护工程实施前(1989-1999年),研究区轻度侵蚀区和强度侵蚀区面积不断增加,说明土壤状况整体上处于恶化趋势;实施天然林保护工程后(1998-2007年),强度侵蚀区面积下降,中度侵蚀区面积上升,表明水土保持状况趋于好转,土壤状况恶化趋势得到反转,但改善幅度不够明显。天然林保护工程在促进植被恢复和提高水土保持功能等方面有着积极的作用。     

武夷山风景区不同林地类型土壤水分物理性质及土壤水库特性

对武夷山风景区6种林地类型的土壤容重、孔隙度、持水量及土壤水库容等性能进行了研究,结果表明,（1）0—60 cm土层土壤容重为杉木林〉马尾松林〉灌木林〉针阔混交林〉竹林〉常绿阔叶林。（2）6种林地土壤总孔隙度和最大持水量为常绿阔叶林〉竹林〉针阔混交林〉灌木林〉马尾松林〉杉木林;毛管孔隙度和田间持水量为竹林〉常绿阔叶林〉针阔混交林〉灌木林〉马尾松林〉杉木林;非毛管孔隙度为常绿阔叶林〉针阔混交林〉灌木林〉马尾松林〉杉木林〉竹林;毛管持水量为竹林〉常绿阔叶林〉灌木林〉针阔混交林〉马尾松林〉杉木林。（3）在0—60 cm土层内,常绿阔叶林和竹林的土壤总库容最大,针阔混交林、灌木林、马尾松林次之,杉木林的最小。竹林的储水库容最大,而通透库容最小。在相同的立地条件下,常绿阔叶林的土壤特性优于其它林分,最有利于涵养水源。     

Grass-dominated vegetation, not species-diverse natural savanna, replaces degraded tropical forests on the southern edge of the Amazon Basin

Changes in land-uses, fire regimes, and climate are expected to promote savanna expansion in the Amazon Basin, but most studies that come to this conclusion fail to define “savanna” clearly or imply that natural savannas of native species will spread at the expense of forest. Given their different conservation values, we sought to differentiate between species-diverse natural savannas and other types of fire-maintained grass-dominated vegetation that replaced tropical forests between 1986 and 2005 in 22,500 km² of eastern lowland Bolivia. Analysis of Landsat TM and CBERS-2 satellite imagery revealed that, in addition to 1200 km² (7.1%) of deforestation for agriculture and planted pastures, 1420 km² (8.4%) of forest was replaced by derived savannas. Sampling in 2008 showed that natural savannas differed from forest-replacing derived savannas floristically, in soil fertility, and in fuel loads. Natural savannas typically occurred on sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soils whereas most derived savannas were on comparatively fertile soils. Fuel loads in derived savannas were twice those of natural savannas. Natural savannas supported a diversity of grass species, whereas derived savannas were usually dominated by Guadua paniculata (native bamboo), Urochloa spp. (exotic forages), Imperata brasiliensis (native invasive), Digitaria insularis (native ruderal), or the native fire-adapted herb Hyptis suaveolens (Lamiaceae). Trees in derived savannas were forest species (e.g., Anadenanthera colubrina) and fire-tolerant palms (Attalea spp.), not thick-barked species characteristic of savanna environments (e.g., Curatella americana). In addressing tropical vegetation transitions it is clearly important to distinguish between native species-diverse ecosystems and novel derived vegetation of similar structure.     

退化第四纪红粘土重建森林恢复27年后群落多样性及稳定性研究

以严重退化第四纪红粘土为研究对象,选择7种模式重建森林恢复27a后的群落多样性及稳定性进行研究,结果表明不同重建模式27a后群落Marglef丰富度指数R为封育马尾松林分>谷坊马尾松林分>竹节沟湿地松林分>种草竹节沟马尾松林分>无谷坊马尾松林分>竹节沟马尾松林分>强烈干扰马尾松林分,而Shannon-Wiener多样性指数H、Simpson优势度指数P和Pielou均匀度指数J均表现为封育马尾松林分、种草竹节沟马尾松林分、竹节沟湿地松林分较大,而竹节沟马尾松林分、谷坊马尾松林分、无谷坊马尾松林分较小。群落稳定性大小顺序为竹节沟马尾松林分>无谷坊马尾松林分>谷坊马尾松林分>封育马尾松林分>种草竹节沟马尾松林分>竹节沟湿地松林分。     

Influence of vegetation types and soil properties on microbial biomass carbon and metabolic quotients in temperate volcanic and tropical forest soils

Abstract

There is limited knowledge about the differences in carbon availability and metabolic quotients in temperate volcanic and tropical forest soils, and associated key influencing factors. Forest soils at various depths were sampled under a tropical rainforest and adjacent tea garden after clear-cutting, and under three temperate forests developed on a volcanic soil (e.g. Betula ermanii and Picea jezoensis, and Pinus koraiensis mainly mixed with Tilia amurensis, Fraxinus mandshurica and Quercus mongolica), to study soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) concentration and metabolic quotients (qCO₂, CO₂-C/biomass-C). Soil MBC concentration and CO₂ evolution were measured over 7-day and 21-day incubation periods, respectively, along with the main properties of the soils. On the basis of soil total C, both CO₂ evolution and MBC concentrations appeared to decrease with increasing soil depth. There was a maximal qCO₂ in the 0–2.5 cm soil under each forest stand. Neither incubation period affected the CO₂ evolution rates, but incubation period did induce a significant difference in MBC concentration and qCO₂ in tea soil and Picea jezoensis forest soil. The conversion of a tropical rainforest to a tea garden reduced the CO₂ evolution and increased the qCO₂ in soil. Comparing temperate and tropical forests, the results show that both Pinus koraiensis mixed with hardwoods and rainforest soil at less than 20 cm depth had a larger MBC concentration relative to soil total C and a lower qCO₂ during both incubation periods, suggesting that microbial communities in both soils were more efficient in carbon use than communities in the other soils. Factor and regression analysis indicated that the 85% variation of the qCO₂ in forest soils could be explained by soil properties such as the C:N ratio and the concentration of water soluble organic C and exchangeable Al (P < 0.001). The qCO₂ values in forest soils, particularly in temperate volcanic forest soils, decreased with an increasing Al/C ratio in water-soluble organic matter. Soil properties, such as exchangeable Ca, Mg and Al and water-soluble organic C:N ratio, were associated with the variation of MBC. Thus, MBC concentrations and qCO₂ of the soils are useful soil parameters for studying soil C availability and microbial utilization efficiency under temperate and tropical forests.     

SOIL ATTRIBUTES AFTER THE CONVERSION FROM FOREST TO PASTURE IN AMAZON

The conversion from forest to grassland is drastically changing soil characteristics in Amazon, leading to land degradation when it is poorly managed. Chemical and physical changes of a Typic Hapludox were evaluated as a function of the conversion (by means of fire) from forest to Brachiaria brizantha cultivation. Samples from the remaining forest were also sampled. Treatments were made to pastures eight (P8), thirteen (P13) and fifteen (P15) years after conversion, and to land under continuous grazing, and to a remaining forest area (control). The forest soil was more acidic than the pasture soils. Soil density and Ca⁺² increased after the conversion, regardless of the period of grazing. Carbon stocks varied from 31·2 t ha⁻¹ in the forest soil to 37·4 (P8), 33·5 (P13) and 30·7 t ha⁻¹ (P15). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

COLONIZATION PATTERNS OF WOODY SPECIES ON LANDS MINED FOR COAL IN SPAIN: PRELIMINARY INSIGHTS FOR FOREST EXPANSION

In this study, we combined the analysis of a coenocline with Huisman–Olff–Fresco (HOF) modelling of species behaviour to describe colonization patterns of woody species on reclaimed coal wastes in northern Spain. We hypothesize that fine‐scale variation in abiotic factors along the forest‐grassland gradient that appears after mining restoration affects colonization pattern of woody species. To understand these factors, we analysed changes in floristic composition and abundance of the main woody colonizers according to the spatial distance from forest limit, as well as the spatial variability of some edaphic and microclimatic parameters. Our results showed how the primary coenocline extracted from DCA1 reflected a gradient in environmental conditions influencing the species composition of the woody plant communities, from the more shade, moist and dense forest on acid and rich soils to the open, dry and oligotrophic grassland. The colonization pattern of woody species is affected by fine‐scale variations in abiotic factors, such as the increase in pH, P, light, and the decrease in K, N, C/N, organic matter and soil moisture, from the forest to the restored mine. Most species HOF modelled showed monotone responses with decreasing trends along the environmental gradient from forest to mine, being Quercus petraea the species clearly dominant in the forest. On the contrary, Cytisus scoparius and Genista florida colonize intensely in the mine area, reaching the maximum abundance around 15 and 10 m distance from the forest limit, respectively. We conclude that the composition of woody species in the forest is not a good predictor of the colonizing intensity, not even of the species composition in the mine area. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Public and Private Employers’ Perceptions of the Competence of Botswana College of Agriculture Graduates

A large sample size technique was used to select 30 employers each from the private and public sector to examine their perception of the competence of agricultural graduates. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and analyzed using means, standard deviation, and t test. The results show that, for 16 crop production tasks, public agroemployers were favorably disposed to competence in 4 tasks, while private employers were not favorably disposed to competence in any tasks. Both public and private employers were not favorably disposed to competence in farm engineering tasks. The Botswana College of Agriculture curriculum should be overhauled to better prepare graduates for employment.