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.     

Growth–climate responses of high-elevation conifers in the central Hengduan Mountains,southwestern China

Improved understanding of tree-growth responses to climate is needed to model and predict forest ecosystem responses to current and future climatic variability. We applied dendroclimatological techniques to assess the effects of inter-annual climate variations on radial growth of high-elevation conifers in the central Hengduan Mountains, southwestern China. Eight tree-ring width chronologies of the major tree genera Abies and Picea that are aligned along an elevation gradient from 3200 to 4200 m a.s.l. were developed. Correlation and principal component analyses for the eight chronologies identified three groups of sites, representing different patterns of growth–climate relationships. Correlation and redundancy analyses with regional climate data revealed that radial growth of fir growing at high-elevation sites is enhanced by normal or warm summer temperatures (June and July) during the current growing season. In addition, radial growth of trees growing from high to middle elevations is sensitive to low temperatures during winter season. At low-elevation sites, trees display low sensitivity to temperature variation. However spring moisture availability becomes crucial for radial growth regardless of tree species. High- to middle-elevation conifers in the central Hengduan Mountains may benefit from the current climate warming, especially from rising winter temperatures.     

How pollution legacies and land use histories shape post-communist forest cover trends in the Western Carpathians

Forests that encompass the border triangle of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia currently suffer from centuries of inadequate forest management strategies, including overexploitation during the countries’ respective communist regimes and high stress levels due to airborne emissions from heavy industry. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, each country has approached forest monitoring, protection and the improvement of forest conditions in its own way. Spaceborne remote sensing of forest changes across country borders offers great potential for better understanding the underlying drivers of change and for developing comparable indicators between countries.     

济南市破损山体恢复治理的调查研究

自然生态破坏是我国当前环境质量恶化的重要原因之一,已成为我国经济、社会可持续发展的严重障碍。20世纪90年代以来,随着国家对石质资源需求的迅速增长以及该行业经济的迅猛发展,山体开采而造成的生态环境破坏问题也日趋严重,不但影响自然景观、造成污染环境,而且还会诱发山体滑坡,造成水土流失等地质灾害。该项调查研究是以济南市高新区大山坡破损山体为对象,制定相应的治理措施。     

秦岭-黄淮平原交界带中东部近50年气候变化特征与趋势

20世纪后期,全球增暖趋势明显,受此影响,秦岭-黄淮平原交界带的气候也受到不同程度地影响。选取了其中东部1961～2006年的5个代表站点气温、降水量资料,通过计算趋势系数等现代统计诊断方法,对秦岭-黄淮平原交界带中东部近50年气温和降水变化进行分析,找出其变化趋势,为敏感的交界带自然资源开发利用、自然灾害防御以及制定区域发展规划提供科学依据。结果表明,近50年交界带中东部气温呈不显著上升趋势（0.09 ℃/10年）,其中长葛的气候倾向率为0.18 ℃/10年,是年平均气温倾向率的2倍。夏季气温呈负趋势,秋季正处于较暖时期,冬季气候从冷干型逐渐转向暖湿型。年降水量倾向率为15.9 mm/10年,趋势系数为0.16,降水量增加的趋势呈现出从西向东递增的格局。夏、冬季降水表现为正趋势,而春、秋季降水呈负趋势。     

土壤水分和覆土厚度对油松种子萌发和幼苗出土的影响

研究了子午岭林区内油松种子的萌发和幼苗出土对土壤水分和覆土深度的响应机理.结果表明:油松种子萌发适宜的土壤含水量范围是20%~30%,最适含水量为25%;在土壤含水量低于10%时,种子发芽率低于61.33%;当土壤含水量超过40%时,发芽率下降到59.33%.种子出苗适宜的土壤含水量是25%~35%,在土壤含水量达到30%时,出苗效果最好;土壤含水量高于40%或低于10%时,幼苗出苗率均降低到20%以下.油松幼苗出土与覆土厚度有密切关系,当土层厚度为0.5 cm时,出苗率最高,可达到94.67%.随着覆土厚度的增加,出苗率逐渐降低;当覆土厚度超过2.5 cm后,几乎不能出苗.在油松人工林中,油松种子的萌发在林分中优于林窗中,出苗在林窗中优于林分中.种子萌发和幼苗出土效果在覆土条件下优于覆盖枯落物.种子经过预处理(室温下蒸馏水浸泡24 h)后种子萌发和幼苗出土效果优于未处理条件下.     

长白山4种森林凋落物分解过程中养分动态变化

于2003年5月至2004年9月,在长白山自然保护区北坡垂直植被带的4种林分(阔叶红松林、红松云冷杉林、岳桦云冷杉林和岳桦林)内,利用凋落物原位减少法对凋落物分解过程中的养分动态变化进行了研究.结果表明:4种森林凋落物分解过程中C质量分数变化幅度不大,N和P质量分数都是先上升后下降;K质量分数呈逐渐降低的趋势;阔叶红松林、红松云冷杉林、岳桦云冷杉林和岳桦林凋落物的养分年释放总量依次为1380.80、1145.46、418.74和599.91kg·hm-2·a-1.     

新疆阜康荒漠植被指数特征和时空过程分析

研究天山北坡典型荒漠区草地植被覆盖变化,对于荒漠区草畜平衡及畜牧业可持续发展具有重要现实意义。采用1990,1999和2008年同时相TM/ETM+遥感影像,经辐射校正和几何校正后,基于荒漠植被指数特征和垂直地带性特征,进行了专家知识决策树分类,研究了阜康市典型荒漠草地、农田等地物近20年间的归一化植被指数(NDVI)和面积变化特征。结果表明,1) 经辐射校正后的NDVI与实际地物情况更接近,大致呈高山草甸>农田>温性草甸>平原荒漠>山前荒漠的规律;2)近20年间农区面积大量占用平原荒漠草地和山前荒漠,新增农田面积296.3 km²,是1990年耕地总面积的1.54倍;3)高山冰盖消融随即转变成为高山草甸类型的趋势明显,20年间减少冰雪区74.7 km²,是1990年冰雪区总面积的0.345倍,这也印证了近20年来全球变暖的说法。     

秦巴山区铁路增建二线的水土流失影响分析

以秦巴山区的3条铁路增建二线工程为例,通过水土流失影响指数评价模型来定量分析、评判山区铁路增建工程的水土流失影响程度.结果表明:襄安线、西康线和安渝线增建二线工程的水土流失影响指数分别为0.240,0.184,0.202,均低于全国铁路建设项目水土流失影响指数的平均值,这说明与新建铁路工程相比,增建二线工程造成的水土流失影响程度相对较小.其主要原因是工程平均占地面积较小(2.54hm²/km)、工程总土石方量(6.99万m³/km)较轻、工程水土流失总量(9 028t/km)不大.在施工过程中,可通过移挖作填、减少弃方、控制施工影响范围、缩短施工期等措施来进一步减弱山区铁路增建工程的水土流失影响,更好地保护山区铁路沿线的生态环境.     

大兴安岭林火点烧对土壤有机碳和微生物量碳的即时影响

在大兴安岭北部寒温带针叶林区,进行了严密监控下的野外林火点烧试验.通过样地网格布点和火烧前后对比监测,研究了林火对土壤表层(0～10 cm)有机碳质量分数、微生物量碳及其空间格局的即时影响.结果显示:①火后土壤有机碳、微生物量碳平均下降了4.1%、16.6%,成对数据t检验结果均达显著水平.②在几米至几十米空间尺度上,...