The future of tropical species in secondary forests: A quantitative review

Deforestation and degradation of tropical old-growth forests has the potential to cause catastrophic species extinctions. In this review, we assess whether regenerating secondary forests (SF) can support species typically found in old-growth forest (OG) and so prevent extinctions. We review 65 studies that compare faunal diversity in SF and corresponding OG, and compare the similarity of species composition both within and between these two forest types using the Sorensen, Morisita-Horn and Sorensen-Chao indices. Comparisons between traditional similarity indices and Sorensen-Chao, which minimizes sampling biases, indicated that limited sampling effort consistently reduced apparent similarity between SF and OG and that similarity between SF and OG is actually higher than previously appreciated. Similarity, which ranges from 0 to 1, varied from 0.49 to 0.92 between replicate OG sites and was correlated with similarity between SF and OG. This correlation might be an artefact of variation among studies in sampling effort, especially for vertebrates where small samples reduce apparent similarity across all comparisons, as well as a real effect of variation among studies in landscape heterogeneity and the presence of species with patchy distributions. Therefore, similarity between SF and OG cannot be interpreted without an understanding of background variation in OG. Similarity between different SF sites provided no evidence that disturbance specialists dominate SF. Similarity to OG increased rapidly with SF age; when SF was contiguous with OG; when SF was growing in small clearings; and after low intensity land uses including clearing only, shifting agriculture and tree plantations. This describes the most frequently observed tropical SF; isolated from roads and on hilly terrain unsuitable for mechanized agriculture. Thus, our analyses indicate that tropical SF can play an important role in biodiversity conservation particularly when OG forests are nearby. An important caveat remains, however. Abundance, geographic range and levels of habitat specialization are often related. Widespread, abundant, habitat generalists might dominate similarity analyses even when relatively rare OG specialists are present. Additional species-level analyses of habitat specialization will be needed before the conservation value of tropical SF is fully understood.     

Management of cruciferous cover crops by mowing for soil and water conservation in southern Spain

In recent years, the use of cover crops in Mediterranean olive orchards has increased due to serious soil erosion problems and surface water contamination by herbicides. In these areas, the annual precipitation regime is strongly seasonal, with dry summers that require killing the cover crop before it competes with the trees for water. Cruciferous species are being introduced as cover crops in southern Spain, and their management by mowing could reduce the use of herbicides. However, the use of mowing as a management system requires an understanding of the phenology of these species to identify the most suitable mowing date to derive the greatest possible soil water content. The aims of this study were the following: (1) to assess the susceptibility of cruciferous species to mowing, their regrowth ability and the persistence of their residues on the soil surface after mowing, and (2) to identify the best mowing date for the cover crops in relation to the soil moisture content in the environmental conditions of southern Spain. For these purposes, the emergence, ground cover, biomass and regrowth after two mowing dates of common mustard (Sinapis alba L. subsp. mairei), rocket (Eruca vesicaria), radish (Raphanus sativus) and Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) were evaluated in field trials during 2001/2002. In addition, during 2002/2003 and 2003/2004, the moisture content of soil sowed with common mustard and rocket cover crops was assessed at different mowing dates and compared with a bare soil control. Common mustard was the most favourable species for management by mowing due to its lack of regrowth after mowing. Early mowing (March 10th) reduced soil moisture due to the regrowth of the cover crop, fast decomposition of cover residues and weed proliferation. Late mowing (April 24th) led to little or no regrowth of the cover crops, large biomass and high persistence of cover residues, which provided effective soil ground cover, avoided the emergence of spring-summer weeds and helped retain soil moisture, reaching a similar water content to bare soil. These results suggest that cruciferous cover crops killed by mowing in late April can be used to replace no-tillage bare soil management systems to reduce the use of herbicides and preserve soil and water quality.     

Vegetation structure influences the vertical stratification of open- and edge-space aerial-foraging bats in harvested forests

Heavy logging leads to regrowth of dense forest, which may adversely affect the flight and foraging activities of bats. We compared insectivorous bat activity and insect abundance at three heights (understorey, subcanopy and canopy), two locations (forest and track) and three time periods (evening, night and dawn), in old and young regrowth sites in south-eastern Australia (456 detector-hours). We measured activity levels of all bats and four echolocation guilds—one open-space and three edge-space aerial-foraging guilds. Mean bat activity in the subcanopy and canopy was up to 11 times that in the understorey of forests, a pattern opposite to that of insect abundance. However, bat activity in the two upper strata was lower in young regrowth than in old regrowth. Vegetation was more cluttered in young regrowth at these upper heights (closer stems and less vertical space in the subcanopy). Mean activity on the track was 2–5 times higher than in the forest, particularly at understorey level (17 times higher for all bats), where vegetation was less cluttered (more distant understorey trees and shrubs, and less cover of ground vegetation). Time of night had little effect on bat activity. The negative response of bat guilds to increased clutter was strongest in the open-space guild and weakest in the edge-space guild with the highest frequency calls. There was an interaction between insect abundance and an index of vegetation openness, with high values of both variables producing high bat activity levels for all bats and the two highest frequency call guilds. Our results highlight the need for management practices in logged forests that increase or preserve the amount of flight and foraging space available to bats.     

刈割强度对高加索三叶草再生性及地下器官的影响

使用T型容器法来观察高加索三叶草根系生长状况,并通过不同留茬高度的刈割来模拟不同利用强度下再生产草量和再生速度以及根重、根长、根系含水量和根蘖生长状况。结果表明,高加索三叶草根系从0 cm至70 cm的日平均生长速度为1.59 cm,在栽后34d,日生长量达最大值,为3.29 cm。刈割处理使地上干物质量较不刈割显著增加(p<0.05),各次刈割后,再生草量以第2次大于第3次。各次刈割平均再生速度均随留茬高度的增加而降低。刈割对根系影响显著,根系重量和根系长度在不刈割时最大,随着留茬高度降低而减小,根系含水量随着留茬高度降低而增大。仅不刈割与各留茬处理间差异显著(p<0.05),各留茬之间均差异不显著(p>0.05)。根蘖数目与根蘖长度总体变化趋势一致,0 cm留茬时均最小,在9 cm留茬时均最大。     

Crown reaction and acclimation to cyclical V-trimming of city trees: An analysis using terrestrial laser scanning

Trimming is an important practice for reducing potential contact between trees and power lines. V-trimming occurs when a tree is located directly under the electrical wires and results in the formation of a bilateral crown, but not much is known about a tree’s reaction and acclimation to such a repeated stress in an urban context.Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), we present a study that focuses on documenting (i) short term effect of V-trimming on the tree structure, through the quantification and analysis of the dispersion of trimming induced branch loss and subsequent growth reaction, and, (ii) long term acclimation (i.e. changes in biomass location) of tree structure to repeated unidirectional trimming. A voxelisation method was used to derive space exploration metrics from TLS data based on explored volume quantification and voxels dispersion within the tree crown.Our results show that V-trimming induces a significant decrease in explored crown space volume (12.8% on average) but that this loss is regained by trimmed trees within only 1 year following trimming thanks to a rapid regrowth rate. This was supported by an analysis of radial growth that showed that the growth of trimmed trees was greater than non-trimmed trees although this tendency was not statistically significant. In our study this regrowth was achieved without suckering; instead the regrowth mainly occurred within the crown periphery. We also observed that trimming had a significant influence on the way trees explore space with their crowns. While non-trimmed trees explored space preferentially toward a South direction, trimmed trees explored space in directions perpendicular to the wires (East and West). We also observed that crown biomass was located more in the extreme crown periphery in trimmed trees compared to non-trimmed trees.     

刈割和放牧后牧草碳氮动态研究进展

牧草被利用后生物量和品质的形成取决于再生,刈割或放牧后牧草能否顺利再生、能否形成较优的生物量和品质与残茬和根系中的物质含量变化和分配息息相关.刈割或放牧后,牧草前期再生中需要的碳、氮主要来自 体内贮藏的碳水化合物和含氮物质,后期需要的碳、氮则主要依靠残茬光合碳同化和根系氮吸收来供应.对前人有关刈割或放牧后牧草残茬和根系中的贮藏碳、氮含量和生理功能变化的相关研究进行了综述,试图从牧草被利用后物质含量变化和分配的角度阐述牧草再生机制,并对牧草再生研究的可能方向进行了展望.     

Evolution and Development of a Code for Private Native Forestry in New South Wales,Australia

Until recently the focus of forestry regulations in New South Wales (NSW) was on public rather than private lands. This paper describes the process of developing legislation to control where and how private native forestry takes place. To date, the lead agency in attempting to formulate a clear policy has been the Department of Natural Resources. First, through a series of committee meetings of representatives of key stakeholder groups, a draft private native forestry code was devised and was released for public comment. After a period of intense negative reaction from both those in favour of continuing timber production in native forests and those in favour of requiring that private lands be managed as nature reserves, the draft code was withdrawn and a government-appointed committee then began again the process of drawing up a code acceptable to most stakeholders.     

不同放牧强度对环湖地区高寒草原地上净初级生产量与再生量的影响

通过放牧实验探讨放牧强度对环湖地区高寒草原地上净初级生产量与再生量的影响。结果表明：①不同放牧强度下牧草的总净初级生产量在2.29只/hm2的放牧强度下出现最大值232.01g/m^2,各放牧小区的净初级生产量均小于对照区,不存在超补偿性生长,极重放牧与对照的差异显著（P〈0.05）;②牧草生长季节地上净初级生产量随放牧强度的增加呈先增后减的趋势,而且极重放牧（4.01只/hm^2）条件下地上净初级生产量最大值的形成日期提前出现;③适宜的放牧强度有利于增加牧草的再生量,在放牧强度为2.29只/hm^2时牧草再生量达到最大。     

放牧强度对牧草再生性能的影响

在华北农牧交错带地区研究放牧强度对3种人工草地再生性能的影响.结果表明,无芒雀麦和新麦草的再生性能最好,杂花苜蓿次之,扁穗冰草最差.放牧强度不同牧草的再生性能各异,其中新麦草和无芒雀麦在重牧区再生草产量最高,而杂花苜蓿和扁穗冰草则在轻牧区最高.牧草的再生性能与放牧季节有关,第1次放牧后的再生性能高于第2次.     

高温刈割时期对非秋眠紫花苜蓿再生的影响

为探讨高温期非秋眠紫花苜蓿的生长状态以及高温期刈割对紫花苜蓿再生产量及品质的影响。采用双因素随机区组设计,3 个非秋眠紫花苜蓿品种在8 月上中旬分别进行4 次刈割试验。结果表明：‘WL656’、‘WL712’和‘WL903’在高温条件下保持较好生长状态,植株高度、鲜重显著增长;高温期刈割后可正常生长,但刈割当天气温会影响再生植株长势;8 月1 日和8 月5 日刈割处理的紫花苜蓿再生速度显著慢于8 月10 日和8 月15 日刈割处理;品种间再生速度趋势基本一致。刈割时期和苜蓿品种对苜蓿粗蛋白、酸性洗涤纤维和中性洗涤纤维含量均有显著或极显著影响。总体来看,‘WL656’、‘WL712’和‘WL903’属于较耐热型品种,夏季产量和品质可维持在较好的状态。