Age estimation of different tree species using a special kind of an electrically recording resistance drill

The determination of tree age is an important issue for urban green planning, forestry and dendrology; finding non-destructive and quasi-non-destructive methods for this purpose is of great theoretical and practical importance. The resistance drilling method is quasi-non-destructive because the average diameter of an opening that remains after drilling does not exceed 3 mm. Do electrically recording resistance drills allow precise assessment of tree age? The aim of this study is to assess the accuracy of determining the number of tree rings based on an examination of this special kind of drilling resistance profiles for three tree species, the pine Pinus sylvestris L., the oak Quercus robur L., and the birch Betula pendula ROTH. In 2015 and 2016, 15 pine trees, 15 oak trees, and 15 birch trees were randomly selected. For each studied tree, a measurement was conducted using the electrically recording resistance drill IML-Resi E400 with a flat-tipped 1.5/3 mm steel needle (research sample), and an increment core was taken (reference sample). The drill used was not a real Resistograph^®. The analysis of the E400-profiles underestimated the number of tree rings; the mean bias error (MBE) values were –6.5, –2.5, and –6.0 years for pine, oak, and birch, respectively. The proportion of investigated trees with less than five years difference between the research and reference samples varied from 38.4 (birch) to 66.7 (oak) percent. The accuracy of tree age determination was lowest for birch and highest for oak. The binomial generalised linear model (GLM) revealed that the most accurate tree age assessments were obtained from tree rings wider than 2 mm. The measurements clearly showed that the electrically recording resistance drill IML-Resi E400 enables a quick, although approximate, tree age assessment. Future research should concentrate on electronically regulating and recording drills, providing a higher spatial and signal resolution, and a stronger correlation to wood density.     

农业信息：传统与现代的耦合

近年来，国家投资建设大量信息基础设施，以保证农业信息能更好的被农户采用。而现实中，农户并不通过网络、电视和报刊等现代信息手段获得农业信息，相反，基于地缘和血缘的熟人网络和以盈利为目的的商人成了农业信息传播的主要媒介。在这种传播方式下，农户的利益常遭侵害，农业科技难以广泛有效的传播，甚至一些假信息让农户失去了对“科技”的信赖。针对目前存在的种种问题，笔者兼顾现实与未来，提出了相关对策。     

东北地区外来针叶树种引种现状及发展策略

介绍了东北林区主要针叶树种引种现状及取得的成就，分析了东北三省针叶树种引种工作中存在的问题，提出了建立较为科学的引种网络体系和发展策略，并提供了可能在干旱、半干旱区引种成功的针叶树种名     

林木抗旱性生理指标及其在干旱区造林中应用研究

<正> 中国干旱半干旱区面积占全国面积的52.5%,半壁河山是以水分胁迫为主导限制因子的特殊生态区。为了提高这一地区的造林质量,选择旱生和抗旱性强的树种造林是主要造林技术之一。对于如何评价和比较林木的抗旱性,传统方法多采用对林木生态环境因子及对林木生     

菇木年龄对香菇产量和营养成份含量的影响

用南酸枣、秃瓣杜英、马褂木、麻栎、锥栗、枫香、银荆等7个优良菇木树种的不同年龄树木木屑作为栽培基质，选用126香菇品种做供试菌株，通过香菇总产量、冬菇产量、香菇营养物质含量的对比试验，结果表明，这7种菇木林树种7年树龄木屑栽菇香菇的性能优于或不低于15年成年树龄，用南酸枣、秃瓣杜英、马褂木、麻栎、锥栗、枫香、银荆作为经营短轮伐期菇木林树种是可行的。     

Landscape patterns as habitat predictors: building and testing models for cavity-nesting birds in the Uinta Mountains of Utah,USA

The ability to predict species occurrences quickly is often crucial for managers and conservation biologists with limited time and funds. We used measured associations with landscape patterns to build accurate predictive habitat models that were quickly and easily applied (i.e., required no additional data collection in the field to make predictions). We used classification trees (a nonparametric alternative to discriminant function analysis, logistic regression, and other generalized linear models) to model nesting habitat of red-naped sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus nuchalis), northern flickers (Colaptes auratus),tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), and mountain chickadees (Parus gambeli) in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah, USA. We then tested the predictive capability of the models with independent data collected in the field the following year. The models built for the northern flicker, red-naped sapsucker, and tree swallow were relatively accurate (84%, 80%, and 75% nests correctly classified,respectively)compared to the models for the mountain chickadee (50% nests correctly classified). All four models were more selective than a null model that predicted habitat based solely on a gross association with aspen forests. We conclude that associations with landscape patterns can be used to build relatively accurate, easy to use, predictive models for some species. Our results stress, however, that both selecting the proper scale at which to assess landscape associations and empirically testing the models derived from those associations are crucial for building useful predictive models. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

小兴安岭天然林不同树种的树高曲线模型

选用10种树高曲线模型作为候选模型,以决定系数(R~2)、残差平方和(S_(se))和均方差(M_(se))作为模型优劣的评价指标,对小兴安岭天然林中的云杉(Picea asperata)、红松(Pinus koraiensis)、水曲柳(Fraxinus mandschurica)、椴树(Tilia tuan)4种树种的树高曲线模型进行优选。结果表明:云杉、红松和椴树的最优模型均为Logistic模型,水曲柳的最优模型为抛物线模型;云杉和红松两种针叶树种,最优模型的优势不明显,水曲柳和椴树两种阔叶树种最优模型的优势较明显;比较R~2的大小,得出较适合小兴安岭云杉和红松两种针叶树种的树高曲线模型(R~20.8),对小兴安岭阔叶树种的适用程度不具有普遍性,对椴树的适用性好(R~2最大达0.94),对水曲柳的适用性较差(R~20.8)。对水曲柳的树高进行分段研究得出:水曲柳在树高低于9 m时,树高曲线模型较适宜(R~20.8),其中抛物线模型为最优模型;树高较高时,没有适用的树高曲线模型。     

Random point sampling to detect gain and loss in tree canopy cover in response to urban densification

Urban tree canopy cover (UTC) is a simple, and common, measure of urban forest resource. Urban infill development is likely to lead to losses in UTC under private tenure, at a time when local governments are setting ambitious targets to increase UTC overall. Simple, statistically rigorous methods are required to benchmark and track change in UTC, whilst identifying which land-use types or tenures experience change.We estimated UTC in six Melbourne suburbs in 2010 and 2015 by randomly sampling 2000 points across public land, public streetscapes and private land. We were able to detect a net change in UTC of <2% over five years to a 95% level of confidence. A significant net decrease in UTC (−2.4%) was only detected in one of the six suburbs. Two suburbs had a net increase in UTC by +2.7% over five years. On private land, there was often areas of UTC loss, but this was generally offset by canopy gain in other areas of the private realm as well as in streetscapes and public land. Losses in UTC on private land were mainly due to tree removal, with or without subsequent construction works.This study describes a simple, but statistically rigorous, method to quantify UTC change and the drivers of change in different land-use types and tenure. Despite studying two suburbs will high rates of infill development, only one suburb showed evidence of net UTC decrease. The ‘dynamic equilibrium’ in UTC, whereby canopy losses area approximately offset by concurrent canopy gain, means that ambitious targets being set by local governments to increase UTC may be difficult to achieve without changes in tree protection and infill development policy and planning.     

A conceptual model of farmers' decision-making process for nitrogen fertilization and irrigation of durum wheat

With a 2 millions of tons production, France is the second country in the European Union to produce durum wheat. Durum wheat production requires high grain nitrogen concentration. Irrigation and nitrogen fertilization must be managed simultaneously to maximize grain yield and also avoid low protein concentration and environmental impacts. To help advisors and farmers to better manage together these two agricultural operations and to develop innovative managements, developing a biodecisional model is an interesting possibility. However, knowledge is still missing on how farmers already managed these operations and how these two operations are linked. We developed the conceptual model for the decision part of this computer model. We performed a survey of 28 farmers conducted over the five French production areas investigating a diversity of growing conditions to identify the set of possible constraints and farmers' decision rules. To analyze the survey, we first used a general inductive approach on individual cases and then built a conceptual model of the decision with a bottom-up approach. We identified four decision sequences for fertilization (N splitting, choice of N fertilizer, rate of application, fertilization triggering) and five for irrigation (irrigation period, anticipated number of irrigation cycles, irrigation cycles organization, irrigation triggering and irrigation cycle specificities). For each operation, the first three decision sequences refer to strategic decisions. The other decision sequences refer to tactical decisions. Coupling this model with a crop model could provide guidelines for managing durum wheat in the current climatic and economic changing context.     

Using indicators to assess the environmental impacts of wine growing activity: The INDIGO® method

Environmental assessment methods are needed by agronomists working on the enhancement of cropping systems to meet the demand for more sustainable farming practices. A growing number of operational methods based on a set of indicators have been designed, more for arable crops and livestock than for perennial crops like viticulture. Among them, the INDIGO^® method, originally developed for arable crops, offers a compromise between feasibility and predictive quality. Here we present a modified and expanded version of INDIGO^® for viticulture. The development of new indicators specific to viticulture and the adaptation of existing ones followed a five step approach: (i) preliminary definition of the objectives and identification of the end-users, (ii) construction of the indicator, (iii) selection of a reference value, (iv) sensitivity analysis and (v) validation. Stakeholders from professional institutions and winegrower organizations were closely associated with step (i) to define the framework and step (ii) to supply technical databases. We designed INDIGO^® indicators with all available scientific and expert knowledge which was aggregated into expert systems associating fuzzy subsets or, when possible, quantitative equations.Four indicators; pesticides, nitrogen, energy and soil organic matter, were directly adapted from the initial INDIGO^® method, whereas soil cover and frost protection management were new indicators. Potentialities of their use are highlighted by examples of implementation on different scales and for various purposes.