Rich deciduous forests in Bia owie a as a dynamic mosaic of developmental phases: premises for nature conservation and restoration management

The Bia owie a Primeval Forest, Poland, is the only forest area in temperate Europe where large tracts of natural forest communities have been conserved. The concept of silvatic mosaic [Oldeman, R.A.A., 1990. Forests: Elements of Silvology. Springer, Berlin] was applied in order to characterise the structure of stands representing oak–lime–hornbeam forest in both, the restricted area of Bia owie a National Park (BNP) and the commercial forests (CF), as well as to indicate a holistic approach towards protection and restoration of natural areas.Six developmental phases of stands were distinguished and defined: regeneration, young, pole, late pole, optimal, and terminal. Compositional and structural differences between the first five phases were also evaluated and visualised. Moreover, the considerable differences between analogous phases in BNP and CF were found. The uniform stand patches were mapped into two plots in BNP (25 ha each) and two in CF (25 and 20 ha), with a resolution of 10 m× 10 m pixels.The mosaic composition of natural communities indicates close-to-the equilibrium stage: the biostatic optimal phase occupies 33–40% of the area, while aggradational younger phases share nearly the same portion of the area as the senescent phase does. Although small, 0.01–0.04 ha eco-units dominate in BNP, there is a considerable portion of intermediate and large patches, indicating a complex character of factors responsible for the mosaic structure of natural stands in BNP. Both, composition and texture analyses indicate that the area of 25 ha is close to the minimum structure area specific for the communities studied.The comparison of natural and managed stands revealed large deficits of the optimal phase (only 19%) and a total absence of the terminal one in the managed area (20–35% in natural forest). Also the mosaic texture of CF plots was simplified because of standardisation of the management unit size. The modification of developmental phases, mosaic composition, and structure must lead to changes in the dynamics of the entire community. The present study demonstrates that the natural forest should be considered as a dynamic supersystem, covering a sufficient area to allow the developmental phases to perform in correct proportions. Because of differences in the durability of various phases, the natural cycle of forest development has an asynchronous and highly unpredictable character. Indeed, the applicability of multipurpose forestry rules as a tool of nature conservation has been questioned. An absolute ban on cutting in the remaining old-growth stands should be a basic rule for the restoration management.     

The influence of forest cover on mule deer habitat selection, diet, and nutrition during winter in a deep-snow ecosystem

Recent research in western North America suggests that open forage areas are a greater limiting factor to mule deer abundance than closed conifer forests. However, much of this work was conducted in ecosystems prone to fire and low snow depths compared to the limits of mule deer range such as the Columbia Mountains, British Columbia, where snow is deep and fires are rare. We used snow track surveys as a measure of habitat use and fecal nitrogen as an index of dietary quality to compare the relative value to mule deer of open deciduous canopies to closed coniferous canopies in a wet ecosystem with deep snow and few fires. Deciduous canopies contain higher levels of understory forage compared to dense coniferous canopies, which are better at intercepting snow. We also evaluated food habits across landscapes with contrasting forest canopies. Results corroborated previous work in that foraging areas such as deciduous stands were strongly selected by deer, despite deeper snow relative to closed coniferous stands. Deer consumed fewer understory shrubs in coniferous-dominated stands, suggesting lower nutritional intake in these stands. Finally, deer appeared to derive a nutritional benefit in landscapes that had a higher proportion of open deciduous canopies, as indexed by fecal nitrogen. However, not all open canopy stands were of equal value to deer – deciduous-dominated stands were selected, whereas clearcuts were avoided. Similarly, not all closed coniferous stands were equally selected: cedar–hemlock stands were avoided whereas Douglas-fir stands were selected and indeed contained the highest proportion of deer tracks. We suggest that winter foraging areas have been underrepresented in management policy in British Columbia, but that snow-interception cover provided by coniferous stands still plays a role in winter deer ecology in deep-snow ecosystems.     

Herb-layer diversity in deciduous forests: Raised by tree richness or beaten by beech?

Where natural production capacity permits, modern silvicultural management in Central Europe frequently aims at the development of mixed broadleaved stands, instead of pure European beech (Fagus sylvatica) stands. It is crucial to study the effects of these tree-layer diversity variations on herb-layer vegetation, since herb-layer vegetation contributes significantly to ecosystem functioning in forests. In Hainich National Park (Thuringia, Germany), we conducted observational research in deciduous stands to investigate whether herb-layer diversity was related to canopy-layer diversity, and to ascertain possible causal mechanisms. We found that herb-layer vegetation of deciduous forest stands rich in canopy species appeared to be more diverse than herb-layer vegetation of beech-dominated stands. We surmise that herbaceous understorey diversity was indirectly influenced by canopy tree species through the medium of the altered environmental factors soil pH and litter layer thickness. Apparently, lower beech proportion had a more profound effect than the number of secondary tree species. There were no correlations between herb-layer diversity and light transmissibility of the canopy layer, indicating that the light factor was not crucial for herb-layer diversity. At least for the Hainich research sites, our results indicated that small-scale light and soil heterogeneity is insignificant for herb-layer diversity. We found several herb-layer species whose occurrence was particularly correlated with tree-layer diversity and environmental factors. Remarkably, all species positively correlated with soil pH were important for the phytosociological classification of the research sites. Beech-dominated research sites showed high tree-layer volumes, whereas research sites with high tree-layer diversity tended to feature lower tree-layer volumes. These findings could be the result of differing former silvicultural systems and varying soil clay contents affecting tree species composition. In contrast, herb-layer biomass was positively correlated with tree-layer diversity. Herb-layer productivity might be promoted in more diverse research sites by increased nutrient supply and base saturation. It is also possible that greater beech proportion interfered with herb-layer productivity. However, herb-layer biomass was also positively correlated with herb-layer diversity. Hence, our study hints that positive diversity-functioning relationships might occur in the herb-layer of the deciduous forest under investigation.     

激素处理对杜鹃花自交与杂交种子萌发的影响

杜鹃花种子细小且发芽率低,为探索有效促进种子萌发的方法,选用杜鹃花主栽品种春鹃紫蝴蝶自交种子为材料,通过蒸馏水浸种、GA₃浸种和无菌播种添加NAA、KT、ZT及GA₃的处理方式,比较不同处理对杜鹃花自交种子萌发时间、发芽率等指标的影响。结果表明,蒸馏水浸种处理以24 h浸种的效果最佳,发芽率达43%;无菌播种结合2.0 mg·L^-1 GA₃+0.05 mg·L^-1 NAA处理的效果最佳,发芽率达75%;GA₃浸种以1 600 mg·L^-1 GA₃处理24 h的效果最佳,发芽率可达82%,是对照组的1.82倍。以GA₃浸种法处理杜鹃花2个杂交组合的杂交种子,发现其各项发芽指标均优于对照,其中29号杂交种子的最适GA₃处理为1 200 mg·L^-1浸种24 h,发芽率达96%;59号杂交种子最适GA₃处理为1 600 mg·L^-1浸种24 h,发芽率可达95%,二者发芽率分别比对照提高20%和71%,萌发时间分别提早2和8 d。因此,适宜浓度尤其是高浓度GA₃浸种处理能有效促进杜鹃花自交和杂交种子的萌发。     

落叶栎林对森林火灾的影响分析

根据落叶栎林的特点,着重分析了落叶栎林与森林火灾的关系,结果表明,落叶栎林不仅存在着较强的潜在地表火,而且存在着潜在树冠火危险,是栎林火灾的最大隐患之一。同时还简要分析了栎类由于长期的自然适应而对森林火灾产生的抗火机制。     

落叶果树氮素营养研究进展

氮素作为养分与信号对果树的生长发育及产量品质的形成有重要影响。近年来有关果树的施氮效应、需氮特性、诊断技术、精准施氮技术的研究取得了许多进展,在保证果树优质丰产的前提下,为降低氮肥施用量,提高氮肥利用率,减少环境污染提供了施氮的原理与技术。     

Bryophyte species richness on boulders: relationship to area, habitat diversity and canopy tree species

Bryophytes growing on siliceous boulders (diameter 50-200 cm) were studied in two forests in east-central Sweden to investigate the influence of different canopy tree species on the bryophyte species richness. Granite boulders lying below crowns of Ulmus glabra (elm), Fraxinus excelsior (ash), Acer platanoides (maple), Quercus robur (oak), Betula pendula (birch), and Picea abies (Norway spruce) were studied in two mixed stands. Both boulder area and within-boulder habitat diversity were positively related to species richness. Boulders below the base-rich deciduous trees F. excelsior, U. glabra and A. platanoides held roughly twice as many species as those below P. abies, with Q. robur and B. pendula as intermediates. The rank order among trees was as expected from bark pH and litter decomposability in the literature. We also used sample plots to investigate species richness at a smaller scale. Within plots, intermediate levels of litter, inclination and exposed rock promoted species richness, and also the covering tree species had an effect. Individual plots were on average not more species-rich on large boulders than on small ones. This leads us to conclude that population extinctions on the plot-level, and re-colonisations from other parts of the boulder, are less important for species richness than within-boulder habitat diversity. Since species richness was lower under P. abies it is important to favour a diversity of tree species and to include base-rich deciduous trees in otherwise homogeneous Picea forests.     

常见落叶果树果实矿质营养的研究现状

矿质营养是果树生长发育、产量和品质形成的物质基础,对产量的形成和品质的改善有重大影响。本文主要综述了北方常见落叶果树果实矿质营养的变化规律、不同矿质元素及叶片、土壤矿质元素对果实产量和质量的影响,为今后果树矿质营养研究提供一定的理论依据。     

苏南地区主要落叶果树的需冷量

连续2年对苏南地区主要落叶果树的需冷量进行研究。结果表明:梨的需冷量最低,油桃次之,杏较高,葡萄最高。有些品种(如美人酥梨、华光油桃等)年际间有差异,不同地区间差异更大。用犹他模型统计的落叶果树需冷量年际间差异较小,地区间也较稳定,可作为苏南地区落叶果树需冷量的主要统计方法。     

落叶果树芽自然休眠诱导的研究进展

落叶果树芽的自然休眠诱导是一个理论和实践上都很重要但至今还未弄清楚的问题。重点阐述了自然休眠诱导和冷适应的关系、诱导休眠的自然环境因素、激素与休眠诱导的关系、休眠诱导期间芽与邻近组织的竞争、休眠诱导期间顶端分生组织的动力学及休眠诱导期间发生的某些重要的生理活动和休眠诱导的分子生物学等方面的内容,并指出了今后休眠诱导研究的重点问题。