Multi-scale factors affecting bird use of isolated remnant oak trees in agro-ecosystems

With recent emphasis on sustainable agriculture, conservation of native biota within agricultural systems has become a priority. Remnant trees have been hypothesized to increase biological diversity in agro-ecosystems. We investigated how remnant Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) trees contribute to conserving bird diversity in the agro-ecosystem of the Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA. We compared bird use of isolated oak trees in three landscape contexts - croplands, pastures, and oak savanna reserves - and ranked the relative importance of four factors thought to influence bird use of individual trees: (i) tree architecture; (ii) tree isolation; (iii) tree cover in the surrounding landscape; and (iv) landscape context, defined as the surrounding land use. We evaluated species-specific responses and four community-level responses: (i) total species richness; (ii) richness of oak savanna-associates; (iii) tree forager richness; and (iv) aerial and ground forager richness. We documented 47 species using remnant oaks, including 16 species typically occurring in oak savanna. Surprisingly, landscape context was unimportant in predicting frequency of use of individual trees. Tree architecture, in particular tree size, and tree cover in the surrounding landscape were the best predictors of bird use of remnant trees. Our findings demonstrate that individual remnant trees contribute to landscape-level conservation of bird diversity, acting as keystone habitat structures by providing critical resources for species that could not persist in otherwise treeless agricultural fields. Because remnant trees are rarely retained in contemporary agricultural landscapes in the United States, retention of existing trees and recruitment of replacement trees will contribute to regional conservation goals.     

Elephant-induced structural changes in the vegetation and habitat selection by large herbivores in an African savanna

African elephants can affect the quality of the habitat of other species by breaking or uprooting trees and shrubs in savannas. Their effect on vegetation has been widely studied but less is known about the effects of such vegetation changes on other animals. We studied how changes in the vegetation caused by elephants influence the selection of microhabitats by five African herbivore species (giraffe, kudu, steenbok, impala, and zebra) in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. There was no clear significant effect of overall elephant-induced vegetation changes on microhabitat selection except for the small species (steenbok and impala) that used vegetation modified by elephants preferentially. This is consistent with a medium-term browsing facilitation hypothesis. More subtle possible effects were detected for larger browsers (giraffe and kudu). They selected areas with broken and uprooted plants and avoided coppiced areas. All of the browsers selected sites characterized by plants uprooted and broken by elephants, which were associated with a higher visibility, and ultimately a better probability of detecting an approaching predator, suggesting that perceived predation risk plays an important role in microhabitat selection. These results illustrate how elephants can initiate indirect effects that influence microhabitat selection by other herbivores. Understanding the indirect effects of elephants through changes in food availability and predation risk thus needs further investigation. The results of this study do not provide support for the hypothesis that elephant-induced changes in the structure of habitats have caused the declines in the populations of the other herbivores in the study area.     

Time-course of dinitrogen fixation of promiscuous soybean cultivars measured by the isotope dilution method

 Soybean cultivars capable of nodulating with indigenous Bradyrhizobium spp. have been developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and national programs in Africa in order to avoid artificial inoculation by resource-poor farmers in Africa. The current selection procedure for enhanced N₂ fixation is based on an assessment of nodule formation which does not directly quantify the proportions of crop N derived from the atmosphere. We have monitored N accumulation patterns and N₂ fixation in nine promiscuous soybean cultivars with different maturity periods, using the ¹⁵N dilution technique. Nodule development generally peaked at the early podfill stage for all cultivars except Tgx 1519-1D and Tgx 1447-2D in which it continued to increase. The proportion of crop N derived from fixation (%NDFA) ranged between 51% and 67%, 77% and 84%, and 66% and 73% at full bloom, early podfill, and physiological maturity stages, respectively. Total N accumulation increased in all soybean genotypes with increasing plant age. Significant correlations (P<0.001) were established between nodule weight and %NDFA, even though this did not explain the relationship between nodule development and N₂ fixation in cultivars such as Tgx 1519-1D. Promiscuous soybean cultivars retained between 10% and 19% of total N accumulated at the final harvest, in belowground biomass. Our results indicated that these soybean cultivars can derive substantial proportions of plant N from N₂ fixation in soils where compatible indigenous bradyrhizobia populations are adequate and effective. Also, we have substantiated the claims that qualitative nodulation parameters currently used to select varieties with a high N₂ fixation capacity need to be validated with other measurements of N₂ fixation. Received: 5 November 1998     

浅谈海南草坪植物的种植设计

草坪是园林造景的重要景观元素之一.本文通过综合论述草坪植物的设计原理,草坪植物空间的营造,及疏林草坪、稀树草坪、开阔草坪、草坪边缘植物景观的种植形式等,针对性地探讨海南热带草坪植物种植设计方法与思路.     

Performance of ratio‐based,soil‐adjusted and atmospherically corrected multispectral vegetation indices in predicting herbaceous aboveground biomass in a Colophospermum mopane tree–shrub savanna

Accurate and near‐real‐time estimation of herbaceous aboveground biomass (AGB) at farm level is crucial for monitoring pasture production and proactive management of stock in semiarid rangelands. Despite its importance, remote sensing has been rarely used by range ecologists and managers in Zimbabwe. This study aimed at assessing the performance of classical multispectral vegetation indices (MVIs) when either singly regressed with measured herbaceous AGB or combined with other visible spectral bands in predicting herbaceous AGB in a Colophospermum mopane savannah. Field herbaceous AGB and corresponding Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager visible spectral data were collected during the 2016–2017 rainy season. Relationships between measured AGB and classical MVIs and extended models of MVIs combined with other visible bands were analysed using bootstrapped simple and stepwise multiple linear regression functions. When MVIs were singly regressed with measured AGB, ratio‐based indices yielded the highest r² value of 0.64, followed by soil‐adjusted indices (r² = 0.61), while atmospherically corrected MVIs showed the lowest r² of 0.58 (p = 0.00). A significant improvement in herbaceous AGB estimation was obtained using a combination of MVIs and other visible bands. Soil‐adjusted MVIs showed the greatest increase (44–46%) in r², while atmospherically corrected and ratio‐based MVIs poorly improved (<5%). The findings demonstrate that combining MVIs with Landsat 8 optical bands, especially green band, provides the best models for estimating AGB in C. mopane savanna rangelands. These findings emphasize the importance of testing band‐MVI combinations when developing models for estimating herbaceous AGB.     

中国西南干热河谷植被恢复研究现状与发展趋势

目的探究红河干热河谷人工恢复植被土壤氮、磷、钾化学计量与土壤微生物和酶之间的关系,以期为干热河谷区不同植被恢复模式对土壤特征的影响提供理论依据和参考。方法以红河干热河谷人工恢复植被和稀树灌草丛为研究对象,采用野外样地调查及室内控制试验的方法,分析久树和铁刀木2种人工纯林与以虾子花为主要植被类型的稀树灌草丛的土壤化学性质、酶及微生物之间的相互关系。结果群落中根系土壤与非根系土壤在有机质、全氮、水解性氮、有效磷、速效钾、缓效钾、蛋白酶、脲酶、细菌和真菌含量存在显著差异(P<0.05);3种群落的根系与非根系中放线菌含量差异不显著(P>0.05),3种群落根系土壤酸性磷酸酶含量差异不显著(P>0.05);无论是人工恢复植物群落还是稀树灌草丛,根系土壤的活性都较非根系土壤活性高;通过冗余分析(RDA)表明：细菌、真菌和放线菌与缓效钾、速效钾和酸性磷酸酶呈正相关关系;此外,只有蛋白酶与3种微生物呈负相关,驱动群落变异的主要因子是缓效钾,其次是有效磷、有机质和酸性磷酸酶。结论通过人工植被恢复能够改善红河干热河谷林地的群落环境和土壤理化性质,相较于稀树灌草丛群落,人工恢复群落的土壤营养物质能获得更高效的利用,土壤微生物群落数量和结构得到改善,亦为揭示干热河谷的森林生态系统物质循环提供依据。     

Exploring tree diversity and stand structure of savanna woodlands in southeastern Sudan

Savanna woodlands in Sudan host great biodiversity, provide a plethora of ecosystem goods and services to local communities, and sustain numerous ecological functions. Although the importance of the Acacia trees in these areas is well known, up-to-date information about these woodlands' diversity is limited and changes in their woody vegetation composition, density, diversity and relative frequency are not monitored over time. This study explored tree diversity and stand stage structure in Nuara Reserved Forest, a typical savanna woodland ecosystem in southeastern Sudan. A total of 638 circular sample plots (1000 m² for each) were established using a systematic sampling grid method. The distance between plots was 200 m. In each plot, all living trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥5.00 cm were identified and counted, and their DBH values were recorded. From these data, tree composition, diversity, density and stage structure were assessed. There were 12,259 individual trees representing four species (Acacia seyal, Balanites aegyptiaca, Acacia Senegal and Acacia mellifera) that belong to two families. The dominant species was Acacia seyal. Average tree density was 191 trees/hm² and the Shannon-Weiner index for trees diversity was 0.204. Overall, young trees comprised 86.30% of the forest. The state of tree richness and density in the study area was low compared to other similar environments in the region and around the world. We recommended adoption of a proper management system that includes monitoring of woody vegetation diversity in this forest, and management actions to enhance tree diversity and sustain ecosystem services to local communities. In addition to care for the dominant Acacia seyal stands, more attention and conservation should be devoted to reestablishing Acacia senegal and Acacia mellifera trees because of their high ecological and economic values for local communities.     

琼西热带稀树草原成因初探

海南岛处于热带季风气候区,但其西部出现非地带性的热带稀树草原景观,原因尚有争议。主要从海南岛东西部气候条件的对比分析琼西热带稀树草原的成因。琼西地区旱季时间长达6个月(11～4月)。冬春季(旱季),受琼中山地阻挡,琼西位于冬季风的雨影区,旱季降水量与海南岛其他地区相比较少。春季受干热风的影响,蒸发量较大。另外,该地日照时数长、太阳辐射总量大、风速大等因素,进一步增大旱季蒸发量,加剧该地旱季水分收支不平衡。与海南岛东部相比,琼西地区旱季干旱尤为突出,与热带草原气候相似。这种旱季干旱的气候抑制了木本植物生长,从而在琼西形成稀树草原景观。     

Water utilization patterns around isolated Acacia karroo trees in the False Thornveld of the eastern Cape

The effect of various vegetation treatments on two soil moisture regimes (i.e. the proportion of the experimental period where the soil had sufficient water for: (a) growth, and (b) to keep the plants turgid in the vicinity of experimentally isolated A. karroo trees) was monitored over a two‐year period. Removal of all vegetation had the greatest effect on soil moisture, increasing the moisture regime by around 200%. Grass removal had the next most significant effect, increasing moisture regimes within 9 m of the tree by around 100%. Removal of the tree had the smallest significant effect, increasing the moisture regime by less than 20%. There was no significant difference in the moisture regime surrounding trees with heights ranging between 1,4 m and 2,5 m, or where various combinations of tree and/or grass defoliations were implemented. We conclude that water supply to the trees is enhanced when soil water extraction is reduced (e.g. during winter or when the sward is harmed) and argue that this may be a mechanism of accelerating bush encroachment in semi‐arid savannas.