Stockings for protection of containerized conifer seedlings against pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.) damage

The effectiveness of a stocking, constructed of nylon and cotton netting, in protecting containerized conifer seedlings against pine weevil attack was evaluated in field tests on 37 clear‐cut reforestation areas in southern and central Sweden. The stockings significantly reduced pine weevil feeding on treated seedlings as well as seedling mortality. The protective effect of the stockings was similar to that of an insecticide (permethrin) treatment. In most experiments the survival of stocking‐enclosed seedlings was satisfactory from a practical point of view, whereas untreated control seedlings suffered heavy mortality.     

Nutrient‐Release Rates of Controlled‐Release Fertilizers in Forest Soil

Abstract

Nutrient‐release rates of controlled‐release fertilizer (CRF) with four different labeled release periods were evaluated. Samples (30 g) sealed with nylon mesh were buried at a clearcut forest site (Price soil series) in western Oregon, USA, in February 2000 and excavated every 7 weeks for 14 months to determine residual weight and composition. Cool, dry soil conditions apparently prolonged nutrient release beyond labeled rates; the fertilizer with the shortest release period (3–4 months) released approximately 72% of the fertilizer (by weight), whereas that with the longest release period (8–9 months) released 48%. Release varied among individual nutrients [nitrate (NO₃)>ammonia (NH₃)>potassium (K)>sulfur (S)>magnesium (Mg)>phosphorus (P)]. Minimal changes in micronutrient [iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and molybdenum (Mo)] contents were attributed to the formation of insoluble compounds with P. Variable release among individual nutrients demonstrates a limitation toward delivering a full range of nutrients and suggests that further refinement of CRF technology is needed to optimize nutrient availability under realistic field conditions.     

江西省造林再造林碳汇项目发展潜力的评价指标探讨

文章对江西省清洁发展机制造林再造林碳汇项目发展潜力的评价进行分析研究,通过对土地资源、林木生长率、生物多样性、造林成本、农民收入等有关评价指标的分析,表明江西省实施CDM-AR项目具有明显的优势和巨大的潜力。     

Vegetation succession process induced by reforestation in erosion areas

Reforestation is one of the most important and efficient measures of water and soil conservation. Based on field investigations in the Shangyang Soil Conservation and Reforestation Station in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China, we studied the variation in vegetation development, vegetation succession processes and soil erosion. The regional vegetation consists mainly of monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forests (MEBF). The area was deforested and became a denuded hill area with extremely high soil erosion in the 1960s and 1970s. Then, the area was closed in order to allow recovery of the vegetation. Under natural conditions the vegetation development and succession processes were slow during which soil erosion and strong sunshine and evaporation slowed down the development of the vegetation. About 25 years later, the vegetation cover was still merely 35% or so. The dominant vegetation types were heliophilous herbage and shrubs which formed a poorly developed shrub-herbage community and erosion remained high. In contrast, reforestation with selected tree species dramatically speeded up the vegetation succession process. About 12 years after reforestation, vegetation cover of the Acacia auriculiformis plantations in the Shangyang Station was 90% and erosion was under control. After 23 years, understory vegetation, consisting of indigenous species, had developed in the plantations. The planted trees and naturally developing herbage, shrubs, bamboo, local trees and liana formed a complex vegetation community in three layers. It will take 60 years for the vegetation to succeed from bare land to a secondary growth forest under natural conditions. Reforestation may speed up the vegetation succession process. The time may be reduced to 20 years. Reforestation is the most effective measure of vegetation restoration and erosion control in this area. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2006, 26(8): 2558–2565 [译自: 生态学报]     

Predicting Carbon Stocks Following Reforestation of Pastures: A Sampling Scenario‐Based Approach for Testing the Utility of Field‐Measured and Remotely Derived Variables

Reforestation of agricultural lands is an important means of restoring land and sequestering carbon (C). At large scales, the labour and costs of direct measurement of ecosystem responses can be prohibitive, making the development of models valuable. Here, we develop a new sampling scenario‐based modelling approach coupled with Bayesian model averaging to build predictive models for absolute values in mixed‐species woody plantings and differences from their adjacent pasture, for litter stocks, soil C stocks and soil C:N ratios. Modelling scenarios of increasing data availability and effort were tested. These included variables that could be derived without a site visit (e.g. location, climate and management) that were sampled in the adjacent pasture (e.g. soil C and nutrients) or were sampled in the environmental planting (e.g. vegetation, litter properties, soil C and nutrients). The predictive power of models varied considerably among C variables (litter stocks, soil C stocks and soil C:N ratios in tree plantings and their differences to their adjacent pastures) and the model scenarios used. The use of a sampling scenario‐based approach to building predictive models shows promise for monitoring changes in tree plantings, following reforestation. The approach could also be readily adapted to other contexts where sampling effort for predictor variables in models is a major potential limitation to model utilization. This study demonstrates the benefit of exploring scenarios of data availability during modelling and will be especially valuable where the sampling effort differs greatly among variables. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

固原市退耕地甘肃鼢鼠发生特点调查分析

本研究从宁夏固原退耕还林区甘肃鼢鼠Myospalax cansus Lyon持续发生的实际出发,以甘肃鼢鼠发生特点为主要研究内容,采用标准地调查法,经分析表明固原市退耕地甘肃鼢鼠发生面积124 667 hm2,其中重度危害5 867 hm2;主要危害油松Pinus tabulaeformis Garr、华北落叶松Larix prin- cipis-rupprechtii Mayr、沙棘Hippophae rhamnoides L、山杏Prunus armeniaca Linn、山桃Prunus da- vidiana(Carr．)Franch等常规造林树种,且幼林受害严重;发生状况与退耕地坡向、坡度有密切的关系,其中黄土丘陵沟壑区退耕地是鼢鼠发生的重点区域。并对甘肃鼢鼠大规模人工捕打后自然种群的消长规律进行了分析,同时针对固原市的生态条件和林业生产实际,提出了适合宁夏农林业生产实际和鼢鼠生物学、生态学特性的治理方案。     

Ecological Benefit of Reforestation in a Severely Degraded Red Soil Region

Guifeng, Yiyang County, belongs to a seriously degraded red soil region. In 1991, Pinus elliottii and Lespedaza spp. were the species selected for the establishment of a mixed forest in the area. The results of an investigation of the soil system in a 12-year-old forest indicated the following: (1) Organic matter and total nitrogen of the forest soil to a depth of 40 cm were 88.0 and 36.0% higher, respectively, than those of a control plot; total phosphorus and available phosphorus were 40.9 and 22.3% higher than those of the control; available potassium contents were 8.13% lower than those of the control. (2) Soil aeration and the soil air regime improved. (3) Proteinase, catalase, and urease in the forest soil to a depth of 40 cm were usually higher than those in the control plot and decreased with soil depth. Translated from Acta Agriculturae Universitatis Jiangxiensis, 2005, 27(1) (in Chinese)     

Performance and yield of 14 eucalypt species on Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. grassland 3 years after planting

A species trial with 14 eucalypt species with randomized complete blocks design was planted on Imperata cylindrica dominated grassland in South Kalimantan, Indonesia in January 1987. The site was prepared mechanically. No fertilizers were used. At the age of three years E. camaldulensis had clearly the highest survival rate (95%) and mean annual increment (5.9 m³ha^–1a^–1) compared with the other species tried. It was followed by E. urophylla, E. deglupta, E. pellita, E. tereticornis, E. alba, E. torelliana, E. intermedia, E. grandis and E. pilularis. Four other species, E. phaeotricha, E. resinifera, E. cloeziana and E. microcorys died either in the nursery or immediately after planting. All the eucalypts tried had narrow crowns and open canopies. It is suggested that eucalypts are not recommendable for grassland reforestation under minimum plantation tending. Effects of intensive weeding, spacing, fertilizing and performance in second rotation or mixed stands should be tested to elaborate the suitability of eucalypts on grasslands.     

Forest villages: an agroforestry approach to rehabilitating forest land degraded by shifting cultivation in Thailand

The Forest village scheme was introduced by the Forest Industries Organisation (FIO) of Thailand in 1967 as an attempt to stop further spread of the fast increasing shifting cultivation and deforestation in the country. The underlying princple of the scheme is to relate reforestation with social welfare of the people involved. It is essentially a modification of the traditional taungya method of plantation establishment.The salient aspect of the scheme is to induce the shifting cultivators to settle down in villages where each family is given tenure over a plot of land to construct a house and develop a homegarden around it. The farmers are required to help establish and maintain forest plantations, in which they are permitted to raise agricultural crops during the first three years of its establishment. The farmers are also given free medical and educational facilities, and technical advice on crop and livestock husbandry. They can also earn cash rewards for successful plantation establishment.Although the scheme has not achieved its full target in terms of area covered and number of families settled, it is proving to be a successful method of luring people away from destructive shifting cultivation. The approach is applicable to other countries and regions with similar land-use problems and socio-cultural background.The paper also examines the constraints to the effective working of the scheme, provides some simple suggestions for improving its functioning and identies some of the issues that can easily be tackled by research.     

Introduction of ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir to Argentina

Patterns of shoot elongation of 2-yr seedlings from native North American populations of ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir were compared to those of Argentine land races originating from unknown provenances. The comparisons were conducted in Moscow, Idaho (USA), and suggested that the ponderosa pine land race was descended from a California provenance at low or middle elevations but that the growth potential of the land race was only mediocre in comparison to eight native populations. The Douglas-fir land race exhibited a relatively high growth potential in comparison to 19 native provenances and undoubtedly originated from a mild coastal environment. The results provide concrete recommendations for upgrading the growth potential of the Argentine land races by importing germ plasm of specific provenances.