Succession Features and Dynamic Simulation of Subalpine Forest in the Gongga Mountain, China

The Gongga Mountain of eastern Tibet Plateau is a representative of the alpine regions with high peaks and deep valleys. Climate change over the last thousand years has controlled the dynamics of glacier and debris flow occurrence, which resulted in substantial changes in the mountainous environment. The authors surveyed the community structure of primary forests in Gongga Mountain and forest successign processes in woodland plots. The changing features in the subalpine environment are discussed in this paper. Tree species and sizes between the glacier shrinking areas and debris flow fans in Hailuogou Valley are compared. The pioneer species that settle in debris flow fans and the glacier shrinking areas are Salix spp. and Populus purdomii. Abies fabri and Picea brachytyla are the climax tree species. The succession process of primary vegetation in Hailuogou (2700 ～ 3200 m) can be divided into four stages:     

Rebirth after death: forest succession dynamics in response to climate change on Gongga Mountain,Southwest China

Global climate change is having long-term impacts on the geographic distribution of forest species. However, the response of vertical belts of mountain forests to climate change is still little known. The vertical distribution of forest vegetation(vertical vegetation belt) on Gongga Mountain in Southwest China has been monitored for 30 years. The forest alternation of the vertical vegetation belt under different climate conditions was simulated by using a mathematical model GFSM(the Gongga Forest Succession Model). Three possible Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) climate scenarios(increase of air temperature and precipitation by 1.8℃/5%, 2.8℃/10% and 3.4℃/15% for B_1, A_1B and A_2 scenarios, respectively) were chosen to reflect lower, medium and higher changes of global climate. The vertical belts of mountainous vegetation will shift upward by approximately 300 m, 500 m and 600 m in the B_1, A_1B and A_2 scenarios, respectively, according to the simulated results. Thus, the alpine tree-line will move to a higher altitude. The simulation also demonstrated that, in a changing climate, the shift in the vegetation community will be a slow and extended process characterized by two main phases. During the initial phase, trees of the forest community degrade or die, owing to an inability to adapt to a warmer climate. This results in modest environment for the introduction of opportunistic species, consequently, the vegetation with new dominant tree species becomes predominant in the space vacated by the dead trees at the expense of previously dominated original trees as the succession succeed and climate change advance. Hence, the global climate change would dramatically change forest communities and tree species in mountainous regions because that the new forest community can grow only through the death of the original tree. Results indicated that climate change will cause the change of distribution and composition of forest communities on Gongga Mountain, and this change may enhance as the intensity of climate change increases. As a result, the alternation of death and rebirth would finally result in intensive landscape changes, and may strongly affect the eco-environment of mountainous regions.     

Structure and regeneration dynamics of three forest types at different succession stages of spruce – fir mixed forest in Changbai Mountain,northeastern China

Analyzing and understanding the structure and growth dynamics of forests at different stages is helpful to promote forest succession, restoration and management. Three spots representing three succession stages of spruce-fir mixed forest(SF: polar-birch secondary forest, MF: spruce-fir mixed forest and PF: spruce-fir near primary forest) were established. Structure, growth dynamics during two growth seasons for dominant tree species, regeneration were examined, and a univariate O-ring function statistic was used to analyze the spatial patterns of main regeneration tree species. Results showed that,(1) composition of tree species, periodic annual increment(PAI) of the diameter at breast height(DBH), basal area for overstory trees and of ground diameter(DGH) for saplings, were significantly different with the succession;(2) the current species composition and regeneration dynamics of SF suggested a development towards spruce-fir mixed forests. Pioneer species like Betula platyphyllaa will gradually disappear while climax species, such as Abies nephrolepis, Pinus koraiensis, Picea koraiensis and Tilia amurensis will dominate forest stands;(3) Despite the highest volume occurring in PF, and saplings in it grew better than in the others, this forest type is unstable because of its unsustainable structure of DBH class and insufficient regeneration; and(4) MF had the most reasonable distribution of DBH class for adult trees(DBH 5.0 cm) and DGH class for saplings(H ≥30 cm and DBH ≤5 cm), as well as an optimal volume increment. Limiting canopy opening size can lessen the physiological stress and promote the growth and competitive status of regeneration. Management implications for increasing the gaps and thus creating better growth conditions for understory saplings and facilitating forest succession were discussed.     

Ecological consequences of land use change: Forest structure and regeneration across the forest-grassland ecotone in mountain pastures in Nepal

The ecotone, the spatial transition zone between two vegetation communities, is claimed to have more species than the adjoining communities. However, empirical studies do not always confirm higher richness at the ecotone. The ecotone position and structure are dynamic over time and space and it is driven by the changes in climate, land use or their interaction. In this context, we assessed the forest- grassland ecotone of temperate mountains in central Nepal by i） comparing species composition and richness across the ecotone, ii） analyzing if the forestgrassland ecotone is shifting towards the grassland center by colonizing them with trees, and iii） discussing the consequence of changed disturbance regime in the dynamics of this ecotone and the surrounding grasslands. We analyzed vegetation data sampled from belt transects laid across the forest- grassland ecotone in semi-natural grassland patches. Vegetation data consisting of species richness and composition, and size structure and regeneration of the two most dominant tree species, namely Rhododendron arboreum and Abies spectabilis, from the transects, were used to analyze the trend of the forest-grassland ecotone. Forest and grasslands were different in terms of floristic composition and diversity. Vascular plant speciesrichness linearly increased while moving from forest interior to grassland center. Spatial pattern of tree size structure and regeneration infers that forest boundary is advancing towards the grasslands at the expense of the grassland area, and tree establishment in the grasslands is part of a suceessional process. Temporally, tree establishment in grasslands started following the gradual decline in disturbance. We argue that local processes in terms of changed land use may best explain the phenomenon of ecotone shift and consequent forest expansion in these grasslands. We underpin the need for further research on the mechanism, rate and spatial extent of ecotone shift by using advaneed tools to understand the process indepth.     

Assessing the influence of the minimum measured diameter on forest spatial patterns and nearest neighborhood relationships

Forest structure analysis is important for understanding the properties and development of a forest community,and its outcomes can be influenced by how trees are measured in sampled plots.Although there is a general consensus on the height at which tree diameter should be measured[1.3 m:diameter at breast height(DBH)],the minimum measureddiameter(MMD)often varies in different studies.In this study,we assumed that the outcomes of forest structure analysis can be influenced by MMD and,to this end,we applied g(r)function and stand spatial structural parameters(SSSPs)to investigate how different MMDs affect forest spatial structure analysis in two pine-oak mixed forests(30 and 57 years old)in southwest China and one old-growth oak forest(120years old)from northwest China.Our results showed that 1)MMD was closely related to the distribution patterns of forest trees.Tree distribution patterns at each observational scale(r=0-20 m)tended tobecome random as the MMD increased.The older the community,the earlier this random distribution pattern appeared.2)As the MMD increased,neighboring trees became more regularly distributed around a reference tree.In most cases,however,nearest neighbors of a reference tree were randomly distributed.3)Tree species mingling decreased with increasing diameter,but it decreased slowly in older forests.4)No correlations can be found between individual tree size differentiation and MMD.We recommend that comparisons of spatial structures between communities would be more effective if using a unified MMD criterion.     

Soil microbial population dynamics along a chronosequence of moist evergreen broad-leaved forest succession in southwestern China

Little is known about whether soil microbial population dynamics are correlated with forest succession.To test the hypotheses that(1) soil microbial composition changes over successional stages,and(2) soil microbial diversity is positively correlated with plant species diversity,we determined the soil microbial populations,community composition,and microflora diversity in evergreen broad-leaved forests along a chronosequence of vegetation succession from 5 to 300 years in southwestern China.The soil microbi...     

生长模型驱动的单株杉木三维动态模拟

虚拟植物是一种潜在、有力的植物分析辅助工具,而单株木生长模拟是森林生态系统模拟的基础。为了动态模拟杉木生长发育过程,提出了参数化单株木三维形态结构建模和与距离无关的单木生长模型的集成方法,其主要过程为：首先,根据杉木的形态结构特征,采用参数化建模方法建立特定生长阶段的三维静态模型;其次,根据生长模型预测不同年龄杉木的树高、胸径、枝下高和分枝轮数,并与树木三维静态模型几何描述参数建立联动;最后,采用参数曲线调整干径和枝径变化、枝条长度、分枝角等形态结构参数,使模型形态随树龄增长而变化。在自主研发的ParaTree系统上,扩展杉木动态生长模拟模块,并以福建省漳平五一林场的二类调查数据为例,动态模拟了杉木的生长过程。模拟结果表明,本方法可直观表达林分中林木个体平均生长状况和大体形态结构特征。树木三维模型描述参数与传统树木统计生长模型结合,有利于重用林业领域淀积大量的生长模型。     

Quantitative division of succession and spatial patterns among different stand developmental stages in Changbai Mountains

Broadleaf-Korean pine forests exhibit high species richness and distinctive species composition, which are currently becoming more dominant among natural forests in Changbai Mountains of northeastern China. Understanding the ecological process of restored vegetation is quite important for ecosystem reconstruction. Distinguishing stand development stages and analyzing the dynamic spatial patterns could provide insights into significant community coexistence mechanisms. In the present study, eight permanent study areas were established according to the substituting space for time method in Changbai Mountains of north-eastern China. The optimal division method was used to quantify the successional series into different stand development stages, and the point pattern analysis method(L(r) function) was used to analyse the dynamic changes in spatial patterns and interspecific associations. Our results suggested that:(1) The stand development process was divided into five stages: the first three stages were poplar-birch secondary forests in different stages of recovery, the fourth stage was thespruce-fir mixed forest, and the last stage was the primary broadleaf-Korean pine forest;(2) The spatial pattern showed an aggregated distribution at a small scale and changed to a random distribution as the scale increased in poplar-birch secondary forests, but the spatial pattern appeared to be randomly distributed in spruce-fir mixed forest and broadleafKorean pine forest;(3) The interspecific associations between pioneer species and climax species changed from negative to positive among the different stand stages, and environmental resources were shared among these species. Interspecific differences in shade tolerance among the tree species were key determinants of forest dynamics and structure. Our study is vital to the understanding of the forest development; thus, the spatial change features should receive greater attention when forest management is being planned and restoration strategies are being developed for the Changbai Mountains.     

集成虚拟森林环境与景观指数计算模型的森林景观格局分析

森林景观格局分析是森林景观优化配置与实施规划的基础。本文以森林资源二类调查数据为基础,采用森林景观定量空间分析方法,在自主开发而成的森林景观可视化系统VisForest支持下,利用VS2008开发平台、ArcEngine组件与OSG图形渲染引擎,集成景观指数计算模型和地理信息系统的分析方法,形成森林景观格局分析与景观三维可视化模拟系统,实现了景观格局分析的定量化和景观可视化;并以闽侯县白沙国有林场2013年的数据为例,按优势树种划分森林景观类型,计算分析了景观组成结构、斑块特征和景观异质性等。结果表明,杉木林、马尾松林、湿地松林、木荷林、非林地是白沙林场的优势景观类型,总体景观类型丰富、景观异质性较高;木荷作为隔离带树种,以小面积狭长斑块居多,其形状指数和分形维数最大,斑块形状复杂而不规则;森林景观的三维可视化模拟为研究景观格局提供了一个直观、交互的展示平台。     

Alternative stable states in mountain forest ecosystems: the case of European larch(Larix decidua) forests in the western Alps

European larch(Larix decidua) forests of the western Alps form extensivecultural landscapes whose resilience to global changes is currently unknown. Resilience describes the capacity of ecological systems to maintain the same state, i.e., the same function, processes, structure, and composition despite disturbances, environmental changes and internal fluctuations. Our aim is to explore the resilience of larch forests to changes in climate and land use in the western Italian Alps.To do so, we examined whether larch forests can be described as an alternative stable state in mountain forest ecosystems. We used tree basal area data obtained from field forest inventories in combination with topography, forest structure, land use, and climate information. We applied three different probabilistic methods: frequency distributions, logistic regressions, and potential analyses to infer the resilience of larch forests relative to that of other forest types.We found patters indicative of alternative stable states: bimodality in the frequency distribution of the percent of larch basal area, and the presence of an unstable state, i.e., mixed larch forests, in the potential analyses. We also found:(1) high frequency ofpurelarchforestsathighelevation,(2)the probability of pure larch forests increased mostly with elevation, and(3) pure larch forests were a stable state in the upper montane and subalpine belts.Our study shows that the resilience of larch forests may increase with elevation, most likely due to the altitudinal effect on climate. Under the same climate conditions, land use seems to be the main factor governing the dominance of larch forests. In fact, subalpine larch forests may be more resilient, and natural succession after land abandonment, e.g., towards Pinuscembra forests, seems slower than in montane larch forests. In contrast, in the upper montane belt only intense land use regimes characterized by open canopies and forest grazing may maintain larch forests.We conclude that similar approaches could be applied in other forest ecosystems to infer the resilience of tree species.     

Forest carbon storage and tree carbon pool dynamics under natural forest protection program in northeastern China

The Natural Forest Protection(NFP) program is one of the Six Key Forestry Projects which were adopted by the Chinese Government since the 1980s to address important natural issues in China. It advanced to protecting and restoring the structures and functions of the natural forests through sustainable forest management. However, the role of forest carbon storage and tree carbon pool dynamics since the adoption of the NFP remains unknown. To address this knowledge gap, this study calculated forest carbon storage(tree, understory, forest floor and soil) in the forest region of northeastern(NE) China based on National Forest Inventory databases and field investigated databases. For tree biomass, this study utilized an improved method for biomass estimation that converts timber volume to total forest biomass; while for understory, forest floor and soil carbon storage, this study utilized forest type-specific mean carbon densities multiplied by their areas in the region. Results showed that the tree carbon pool under the NFP in NE China functioned as a carbon sink from 1998 to 2008, with an increase of 6.3 Tg C/yr, which was mainly sequestrated by natural forests(5.1 Tg C/yr). At the same time, plantations also acted as a carbon sink, reflecting an increase of 1.2 Tg C/yr. In 2008, total carbon storage in forests covered by the NFP in NE China was 4603.8 Tg C, of which 4393.3 Tg C was stored in natural forests and 210.5 Tg C in planted forests. Soil was the largest carbon storage component, contributing 69.5%–77.8% of total carbon storage; followed by tree and forest floor, accounting for 16.3%–23.0% and 5.0%–6.5% of total carbon storage, respectively. Understory carbon pool ranged from 1.9 to 42.7 Tg C, accounting for only 0.9% of total carbon storage.     

The potential contribution of wildlife sanctuary to forest conservation: A case study from binsar wildlife sanctuary

Forest vegetation of a protected area(Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary) in Kumaun region(west Himalaya) was analysed for structure,composition and representativeness across three different altitudinal belts,lower(1,600-1,800 m a.s.l.),middle(1,900-2,100 m a.s.l.) and upper(2,200-2,400 m a.s.l.) during 2009-2011 using standard phytosociological methods.Four aspects(east,west,north and south) in each altitudinal belt were chosen for sampling to depict maximum representation of vegetation in the sanctuary.Population structure and regeneration behaviour was analysed seasonally for two years to show the establishment and growth of tree species.A total of 147 plant species were recorded from the entire region of which 27 tree species were selected for detailed study.Highest number was recorded at upper(18 species),and lowest at lower altitudinal belt(15 species).The relative proportion of species richness showed higher contribution of tree layer at each altitudinal belt.The population structure,based on the number of individuals,revealed a greater proportion of seedling layer at each altitudinal belt.The relative proportion of seedlings increases significantly along altitudinal belts(p<0.05) while opposite trends were observed in sapling and tree layers.The density of sapling and seedling species varied non-significantly across seasons(p>0.05).The density values decreased in summer and increased during rainy season.As far as the regeneration status is concerned,middle and upper altitudinal belts showed maximum number of species with fair regeneration as compared to lower altitudinal belt.Overall density diameter distribution of tree species showed highest species density and richness in the smallest girth class and decreased in the succeeding girth classes.This study suggests that patterns of regeneration behaviour would determine future structural and compositional changes in the forest communities.It is suggested that the compositional changes vis-à-vis role of ‘New’ and ‘Not regenerating’ species need priority attention while initiating conservation activities in the sanctuary.This study calls for exploring other less explored Wildlife Sanctuaries in the Himalaya and across the world,to achieve overall biodiversity status in these protected areas and thus to justify their role in conserving biodiversity in the region.     

Simulating net carbon budget of forest ecosystems and its response to climate change in northeastern China using improved FORCCHN

As dominant biomes,forests play an important and indispensable role in adjusting the global carbon balance under climate change.Therefore,there are scientific and political implications in investigating the carbon budget of forest ecosystems and its response to climate change.Here we synthesized the most recent research progresses on the carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems,and applied an individual-based forest ecosystem carbon budget model for China(FORCCHN) to simulate the dynamics of the carbon fluxes of forest ecosystems in the northeastern China.The FORCCHN model was further improved and applied through adding variables and modules of precipitation(rainfall and snowfall) interception by tree crown,understory plants and litter.The results showed that the optimized FORCCHN model had a good performance in simulating the carbon budget of forest ecosystems in the northeastern China.From 1981 to 2002,the forests played a positive role in absorbing carbon dioxide.However,the capability of forest carbon sequestration had been gradually declining during the the same period.As for the average spatial distri-bution of net carbon budget,a majority of the regions were carbon sinks.Several scattered areas in the Heilongjiang Province and the Liaoning Province were identified as carbon sources.The net carbon budget was apparently more sensitive to an increase of air temperature than change of precipitation.     

Metagenomic approach revealed effects of forest thinning on bacterial communities in the forest soil of Mt. Janggunbong,South Korea

The soil microbiome that plays important ecological roles in mountains and forests is influenced by anthropogenic and natural causes. Human activity, particularly harvesting or thinning, affects the soil microbiome in forests by altering environmental conditions, such as vegetation, microclimate, and soil physicochemical properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on forest thinning on the diversity and composition of the soil bacterial community. From next-generation sequencing results of the 16S rRNA gene, we examined differences in soil bacterial diversity and community composition before and after thinning at Mt. Janggunbong, South Korea. We identified 40 phyla, 103 classes, 192 orders, 412 families, 947 genera, and 3,145 species from the soil samples. Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria were the most dominant bacterial phyla in the forest soil of Mt. Janggunbong. Soil bacterial diversity measures (richness, Shannon diversity index, and evenness) at the phylum level increased after thinning, whereas species-level taxonomic richness decreased after thinning. Thinning provided new opportunities for bacterial species in Chloroflexi, Verrucomicrobia, Nitrospirae, and other nondominant bacterial taxa, especially for those not found in Mt. Janggunbong before thinning, to settle and adapt to the changing environment. Our results suggested that thinning affected the diversity and composition of soil bacterial communities in forests and mountains.     

Alternative stable states in mountain forest ecosystems: the case of European larch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Larix decidua</Emphasis>) forests in the western Alps

European larch (Larix decidua) forests of the western Alps form extensive cultural landscapes whose resilience to global changes is currently unknown. Resilience describes the capacity of ecological systems to maintain the same state, i.e., the same function, processes, structure, and composition despite disturbances, environmental changes and internal fluctuations. Our aim is to explore the resilience of larch forests to changes in climate and land use in the western Italian Alps. To do so, we examined whether larch forests can be described as an alternative stable state in mountain forest ecosystems. We used tree basal area data obtained from field forest inventories in combination with topography, forest structure, land use, and climate information. We applied three different probabilistic methods: frequency distributions, logistic regressions, and potential analyses to infer the resilience of larch forests relative to that of other forest types. We found patters indicative of alternative stable states: bimodality in the frequency distribution of the percent of larch basal area, and the presence of an unstable state, i.e., mixed larch forests, in the potential analyses. We also found: (1) high frequency of pure larch forests at high elevation, (2) the probability of pure larch forests increased mostly with elevation, and (3) pure larch forests were a stable state in the upper montane and subalpine belts. Our study shows that the resilience of larch forests may increase with elevation, most likely due to the altitudinal effect on climate. Under the same climate conditions, land use seems to be the main factor governing the dominance of larch forests. In fact, subalpine larch forests may be more resilient, and natural succession after land abandonment, e.g., towards Pinus cembra forests, seems slower than in montane larch forests. In contrast, in the upper montane belt only intense land use regimes characterized by open canopies and forest grazing may maintain larch forests. We conclude that similar approaches could be applied in other forest ecosystems to infer the resilience of tree species.     

Initial floristic composition of rehabilitated gullies through bioengineering in the Mixteca Region,Sierra Madre del Sur,Mexico

Re-vegetation plays a fundamental role for erosion control and plant recovery in lands affected by gully erosion. Bioengineered practices facilitate the gullies rehabilitation. Objectives of the research were: 1) Identify taxonomically the pioneer vegetation on each gully section; 2) Characterize vegetation distribution preferences and 3) Assess structural/functional traits to recognize erosion control key species. Bioengineering was applied in a watershed belonging to Sierra Madre del Sur, at Oaxaca, Mexico, on eight gullies, with local support and minimal investment. "La Mixteca" is a poor ecological and socio-economic region, comparable to other regions of the world. The Initial Floristic Composition(IFC) inventory is the baseline of the successional process. The transect method was used to determine the colonization of species. Cover abundance of registered species was estimated using the semi-quantitative scale of Braun-Blanquet. This procedure was repeated in five different positions(floor, hillslopes and tops), in the cross section of the gully. Throughcorrespondence analysis and clustering, the distribution of species was analyzed. Adequate responses were obtained in soil retention(quantity) and plant cover(existence and diversity); as measurable indicators of the bioengeneering works efficiency. Occupation of soil by native species from the Tropical Deciduous Forest was favored using live barriers. We detected species guilds with spatial distribution preferences in the gullies cross section. Plant cover characterization includes: native colonizer species, herbaceous, shrubby and trees of the forest community bordering the gully area, with cover abundance and structural/functional traits, useful to protect degraded areas. This spatial occupation process of plants responds to a secondary succession in gullies, where the proposed IFC model is correctly represented through bioengineering. Natural establishment of plants was successful by traits of species such as extensive root system and sexual/vegetative reproduction.     

顾及单木三维形态的无人机立体影像单木识别算法

单木参数对当前的森林资源管理、生态研究以及生物多样性保护等具有重要意义。无人机立体影像数据与单木识别算法为单木参数的低成本、自动化获取提供了基础。现有研究表明,常用的基于局部最大值搜索的单木识别算法面对密集林分时存在严重的漏识别问题,影响了参数提取的精度,因此本文提出了顾及单木三维形态的无人机立体影像单木识别新算法。算法首先综合利用无人机立体影像的高程与RGB光谱信息,通过随机森林分类进行林冠区的提取;然后利用形态学的多层腐蚀、膨胀与连通区标记进行树冠相连单木的分离与树冠中心点的提取,从而实现单木自动化识别。本文选取内蒙古大兴安岭林区和四川王朗林区的4块样地进行验证,以目视解译数据为参考,分别与基于高程值的局部最大值搜索算法（算法A）、基于RGB光谱亮度值的局部最大值搜索算法（算法B）进行比较。结果显示：本文提出的算法在4个样地的平均F1-score为94.17%,与算法A和算法B相比分别提高了15.85%和9.37%;而对于密集样地,本文提出的算法在查全率上相比算法A和算法B分别提高51.79%和35.64%。结果表明本文提出的算法在不同林区均能够实现较好的单木识别效果,特别是能够有效避免密集林分下的漏识别问题,为基于无人机立体影像的单木识别研究提供了一种新的思路。     

Simulating Carbon Sequestration and GHGs Emissions in Abies fabric Forest on the Gongga Mountains Using a Biogeochemical Process Model Forest-DNDC

The process-oriented model Forest-DNDC describing biogeochemical cycling of C and N and GHGs (greenhouse gases) fluxes (CO2, NO and N2O) in forest ecosystems was applied to simulate carbon sequestration and GHGs emissions in Abies fabric forest of the Gongga Mountains at southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. The results indicated that the simulated gross primary production (GPP) of Abies fabric forest was strongly affected by temperature. The annual total GPP was 24,245.3 kg C ha-1 yr-1 for 2005 and 26,318.8 kg C ha-1 yr-1 for 2006, respectively. The annual total net primary production (NPP) was 5,935.5 and 4,882.2 kg C ha-1 yr-1 for 2005 and 2006, and the annual total net ecosystem production (NEP) was 4,815.4 and 3,512.8 kg C ha-1 yr-1 for 2005 and 2006, respectively. The simulated seasonal variation in CO2 emissions generally followed the seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation. The annual total CO2 emissions were 3,109.0 and 4,821.0 kg C ha-1 yr-1 for 2005 and 2006, the simulated annual total N2O emissions from forest soil were 1.47 and 1.36 kg N ha-1 yr-1 for 2005 and 2006, and the annual total NO emissions were 0.09 and 0.12 kg N ha-1 yr-1 for 2005 and 2006, respectively.     

Impacts of reforestation on woody species composition,species diversity and community structure in dry-hot valley of the Jinsha River,southwestern China

To understand the impacts of reforestation on woody species composition, species diversity and community structure, seven plantation forests in dry-hot valley of the Jinsha River in Southwest China were investigated, with adjacent wastelands, natural shrub grassland and a natural forest as references. Species importance value, species richness, species heterogeneity and Sorenson similarity index between plantations and the natural forest were analyzed. Results indicated that compared to wastelands and natural shrub grassland, reforestation improved species diversity and community structure, and more forest woody species found suitable habitats in plantations. Species diversity in understory of plantations and Sorenson similarity index were significantly negatively correlated with stem density in mature plantations (26-31 years old). Higher species diversity and Sorenson similarity index existed in mature sparse plantations due to lower stem density and more tree species planted initially. In contrast, reference natural forest, with species heterogeneity of 2.28 for shrub layer, showed the highest species diversity. It would take a long time for species composition and diversity to recover through reforestation in a dry-hot valley. Therefore, it was essential to protect remnant natural forests strictly and reforest with suitable management such as lower stem density and increasing genetic diversity of trees planted.     

Composition,diversity and distribution of tree species in response to changing soil properties with increasing distance from water source – a case study of Gobind Sagar Reservoir in India

Construction of big dams on rivers develops artificial lakes or water reservoirs which conceive alterations in soil properties of the upstream catchment area. An undulating topography and freckly soil properties cause ups and downs in tree diversity, composition and distribution. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of Gobind Sagar reservoir on soil properties relative to the distance from it and assess its effect on tree diversity, evenness and their distribution in tropical and subtropical forests. Based on data analysis it was found that the soil moisture and organic carbon decreased along with increasing distance from the reservoir. It played a significant role in varying tree diversity. The sites distributed within0-2 km showed significantly higher α and β-diversity indices. Tree species richness and diversity indices showed a strong correlation(p 0.05) with soil moisture and organic carbon content. Simpson's and Mc Intosh evenness indices showed a strong negative correlation with soil bulk density. Indirect Detrended Correspondence Analysis(DCA) identified soil moisture and soil organic carbon as two major environmental gradients that influenced tree diversity and their distribution in five tropical and four subtropical forests in an upstream catchment of the reservoir. Mixed forests inhabited moist sites andAcacia-Pinus forests showed an inclination to dry areas. Canonical Correspondence Analysis(CCA)revealed that the tree species in tropical forests were mainly affected by driving forces such as soil moisture,organic carbon and bulk density whereas, in subtropical forest tree species were influenced by elevation, soil p H, EC and clay content.