Response of soricid populations to repeated fire and fuel reduction treatments in the southern Appalachian Mountains

Fuel hazards have increased in forests across the United States because of fire exclusion during the 20th century. Treatments used to reduce fuel buildup may affect wildlife, such as shrews, living on the forest floor, especially when treatments are applied repeatedly. From mid-May to mid-August 2006 and 2007, we used drift fences with pitfall traps to capture shrews in western North Carolina in 3 fuel reduction treatment areas [(1) twice-burned (2003 and 2006), (2) mechanical understory cut (2002), and (3) mechanical understory cut (2002) followed by 2 burns (2003 and 2006)] and a control. We captured 77% fewer southeastern shrews (Sorex longirostris) in mechanical + twice-burned treatment areas than in mechanical treatment areas in 2006, but southeastern shrew captures did not differ among treatment areas in 2007. Total shrew captures did not differ among treatment areas in either year. Decreases in leaf litter, duff depth, and canopy cover in mechanical + twice-burned treatment areas may have decreased ground-level moisture, thereby causing short-term declines in southeastern shrew captures. Prescribed fire or mechanical fuel reduction treatments in the southern Appalachian Mountains did not greatly affect shrew populations, though the combination of both treatments may negatively affect some shrew species, at least temporarily.     

The response of understory herbaceous plants to nitrogen fertilization in forests of different land-use history

Forests growing on former agricultural land often have reduced frequencies of many native forest herbs compared with forests that were never cleared for agriculture. A leading explanation for this pattern is that many forest herbs are dispersal limited, but environmental conditions may also hinder colonization. We examined the response of six forest herb taxa (Arisaema triphyllum, Cimicifuga racemosa, Disporum lanuginosum, Osmorhiza spp., Polygonatum spp., and Prenanthes altissima) to nitrogen (N) fertilization in forests with and without an agricultural history to investigate how N availability affects plant performance. The study was conducted in the southern Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina, USA. There was a significant interaction between land-use history and N treatment for several species. In A. triphyllum and Osmorhiza spp., N fertilization increased aboveground biomass or leaf area more in the post-agriculture site than in the reference site. However, in the reference site, N fertilization depressed aboveground biomass or leaf area in the same taxa, as well as in C. racemosa. The foliar N concentration of these three taxa was elevated in fertilized plots regardless of land-use history, and there was no indication that the light environment differed among plots. These results suggest that some plants growing in post-agricultural stands may be N limited, whereas undisturbed stands in this region appear to be approaching N saturation. Thus, environmental conditions, and particularly N availability, may be an obstacle to the restoration of forest herb communities.     

Information and Training Needs of Non-Timber Forest Products' Operators in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the training needs of non-timber forest products' (NTFP) operators in Southern Nigeria. One hundred-fifty forest operators in Ondo State, Nigeria were sampled using structured questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed using percentages, mean, Chi-square test, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The results revealed that majority of the forest operators in Southern Nigeria are middle-aged women with low level of education. The need for training is high and significant (P < 0.05), and there is a positive relationship between training/ information received and the operators's productivity.     

赣南地区几种不同油茶种植发展模式的探索

油茶种植是发展油茶产业的基础,其运作模式不是千篇一律,而应该根据各地实际情况,探索不同的油茶种植发展模式。本文针对赣南油茶种植现状、农村经济特点、资源和环境条件等因素,在国内现有油茶发展模式的基础上,提出赣南油茶产业发展过程中可能运作的几种模式,并对不同模式进行比较分析,旨在为赣南油茶产业发展提供一定的参考依据。     

Effect of post treatment temperature and humidity conditions on fixation performance of CCA-C treated red pine and southern pine

introductionWaterbornepreservativesareamajorcomponentofthewood-treatingindustrybecauseoftheireaseofapplication,lowcost,andthecleanappearanceofthewoodattertreatment.Theuseofchromatedcopperarsenate(CCA)preservativesintheUSAhasgrownfroma14%shareofthewoodpreservativesmarketin1977to73%in1987(Micklewright1993).ThisismainlyduetotheincreasinguseofCCAtreatedwoodasdecksandoutdoorstructures.ThewaterbornepreservativeCCAhasbecomeoneofthemosteffectivetreatmentsforNorthAmericanwoodproduCts,usedinapplic…     

南方经济林经营管理策略

根据南方经济林生产现状,分析了南方经济林生产与管理中存在的问题,结合国内外市场对经济林产品需求,提出了保障南方经济林健康,稳定,持续发展的经营管理策略。     

Impact of fixation/drying conditions on fixation rate, teachability and bioefficacy in CCA-C treated red pine and southern pine

Red pine (Pinus resinosia Ait) and southern pine (Pinus spp.) sapwood blocks were pressure treated with CCA-C at retention of 6.4, 2.0, 1.5 kgm^-3 followed by fixation using 11 post-treatment schedules ranging from 50–70 °C and 5 different relative humidity conditions. The effect of these post-treatment schedules on fixation rate, chemical leachability and decay resistant once were evaluated to better understand the effects of fixation/drying conditions on leachability and biodeterioration. Southern pine blocks fixes slightly slower than red pine. Fixation of CCA at high temperature high humidity, essential initially fixation at high humidity for fixation/drying schedules, resulted in lower leaching of chromium and arsenic elements than high temperature low humidity or initially fixation at the high temperature low humidity conditions. Copper leaching was indicated no significant difference under 11 fixation/drying conditions for both species. Weight losses for southern pine byChaetomium globosum was lower than red pine byGloeophyllom trabeum. There were some different capacities of decay resistance for both species under those post treatment conditions.     

南方山丘区困难立地植被恢复与重建研究

南方山丘区雨量充沛且分布不均,以及红壤的结构特性决定的生态脆弱性,使该区域成为仅次于黄土高原的严重水土流失区,其中的严重侵蚀红壤区和石灰岩分布区是该区域植被恢复与重建的困难立地区.本文针对该区域的生态环境特点,提出植被恢复与重建的原则,并从困难立地区的立地特点,提出恢复与重建的关键技术和应用模式.     

富含多糖的转基因石斛基因组DNA提取方法(英文)

在石斛兰转基因研究中,需通过PCR和Southern杂交等手段检测外源基因是否转入并整合到转化植株基因组.由于转化石斛植株生长缓慢,且含有多糖,因此从转化植株中提取高质量的基因组DNA以尽快对转基因苗进行分子检测存在较大困难.本研究旨在通过改良现有的DNA提取法(CTAB法或SDS法1,克服转化石斛植株基因组DNA提取中碰到的产量低,纯度不高而导致难以进行PCR或酶切等问题.在本研究所用的3种改良法中,方法Ⅱ能从少量的转化石斛苗中提取出高产量和高纯度的基因组DNA.研究结果表明方法Ⅱ提取的基因组DNA完全适用于转基因石斛的外源基因PCR扩增,限制性酶切和Southern杂交分析.     

陕南地区主要生态环境问题及其潜在影响初探

阐述了陕南地区目前所存在的水土流失、地质灾害频发,环境污染防治水平低等主要生态环境问题的现状。采用替代市场价值法、影子工程法、恢复费用法和补偿价值法,分别估算了每年因土壤侵蚀的养分损失,河道（水库）清淤费用,退耕还林补偿费以及工程性缺水对该地区发展可能造成的潜在经济损失,并分析了其对我国南水北调中线工程水质的可能影响。在此基础上,提出了加强水土保持,水源地保护等加速地区生态环境建设的方法,实施居民避让搬迁和生态移民工程、环境污染综合治理等解决陕南地区生态环境问题的对策。