Obituaries

H. R. Wilkinson 1916—2000. By Derek Spooner
George Colin Lawder Bertram 1911—2001. By Charles Swithinbank
Theodore Monod 1902—2000. By David N Hall     

Soil seed flora, germination and regeneration pattern of woody species in an Acacia woodland of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia

The objectives of this study were to determine the composition, density and spatial distribution of the soil seed bank of woody species, as well as their regeneration pattern in two different land use systems, controlled (ranch) and open grazing, in an Acacia woodland of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. We also compared the species composition of the soil seed bank and the above-ground vegetation to find out if differences exist in the soil seed bank and advance regeneration between the two land use systems. The germination requirements of seeds of the woody species were also investigated under laboratory conditions. Acacia senegal, Acacia seyal, Acacia tortilis, Dichrostacys cinerea and Balanites aegyptiaca were encountered in the above-ground vegetation in both systems. Seeds of only A. tortilis (90±32 seeds m⁻²) from the ranch, and A. senegal (5±3 seeds m⁻²) and A. tortilis (72±34 seeds m⁻²) from the open system were found in the soil seed bank along transects with patchy horizontal pattern. The two systems were not significantly different in density of soil seed banks of A. senegal andA. tortilis . Jaccard's similarity index showed that only a few woody species were common in the soil seed flora and above ground vegetation. However, all of the species accumulated seeds (58±43–331±130 seeds m⁻²) in/on the soil under the canopy. Very large numbers of seeds of A. tortilis (19382±9722 seeds m⁻²) and D. cinerea (1278±494 seeds m⁻²) were also found in barns. Most of the seeds recovered from the soil samples (60–80%) were found in the litter layer. Acid and mechanical scarification improved legume germination (36–99% and 60–99%, respectively) over boiling water (0–48%). Treatment means differed significantly for all the legumes (p<0·001) but not for Balanites. Height and diameter class distribution of regeneration of A. tortilis and D. cinerea in both systems and A. senegal in the open system had a negative exponential correlation (r_s=−0·5, −0·25 and −0·86, respectively). A. seyal and B. aegyptiaca showed poor regeneration. Horizontal distribution of advance regeneration of all the species was patchy. Advance regeneration of A. seyal, A. tortilis and B. aegyptiaca were not significantly different, while that of A. senegal and D. cinerea were significantly different between the two systems. Poor representation of species in the soil seed bank along transects and in the different height and diameter classes may be attributed to the low density of mature trees as well as the mode and strategy of seed dispersal. Ungulate and wind dispersed species (e.g. A. senegal, A. tortilis and D. cinerea) were highly favoured. Patchiness in the distribution of seeds and advance regeneration was also a result of endozoochory. Dispersal of non-ungulate dispersed seeds (A. senegal, A. seyal and B. aegyptiaca) was restricted to the canopy zone. Piles of seeds ofA. tortilis and D. cinerea that were found in barns were a result of consumption of their pods by cattle. High concentration of seeds in the litter layer may be due to low soil disturbance and larger size of seeds. The height and diameter class distribution of A. senegal (in the open system), A. tortilis and D. cinerea also indicated that the species have good regeneration. Results from the germination tests indicated that seeds of the legumes require pre-sowing treatments to give a rapid, uniform and improved germination. Intervention through artificial regeneration should be employed to improve the density and regeneration capacity of those species with hampered regeneration at both systems.     

Lake catchment based studies of erosion and denudation in the merevale catchment,Warwickshire, U.K.

Sediment yields estimated from contemporary stream monitoring of suspended sediment in the Merevale forested catchment, North Warwickshire, were compared with the sediment yield record obtained from analysis of lake sediment in the downstream reservoir. Total sediment volume and mass for nine periods since 1861 were calculated by extrapolation of synchronous levels in 54 cores, identified from magnetic susceptibility and other magnetic measurements, and by using ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs analysis to provide an absolute sediment chronology. Sediment yield estimated from the two methods show comparable but low (50-200 kg ha^?1 yr^?1) levels of sediment loss. While suggesting that lake sediments can be a useful means for extending the period over which contemporary monitoring exists, the study stresses the need for detailed historical records of land use and climate against which long term sediment yield records can be evaluated.     

Phytolith indices as proxies of grass subfamilies on East African tropical mountains

The main objective of this paper is to provide researchers that investigate fossil phytolith assemblages and model/data comparisons a new tool for estimating C₃/C₄ grass composition over time. We tested the reliability of modern soil phytolith assemblages and phytolith indices for tracing the dominance of different grass subfamilies and tree cover density. We analyzed modern soil phytolith assemblages from sites over elevation gradients on Mount Kenya (Kenya), Mount Rungwe and around Lake Masoko (southern Tanzania). These data were compared with available botanical data. A phytolith index named Ic, proved to be an effective proxy of the proportions of Pooideae, Arundinoideae and Bambusoideae grasses (mainly C₃ grasses) versus Panicoideae grasses (mainly C₄ grasses), increasing with elevation in East-Africa. When tropical mountains are covered by open habitats (e.g. grasses and shrublands), Ic should be a reliable proxy of the C₃/C₄ grass composition. These results highlight the value of the phytolith index Ic, when interpreting paleo-environmental records from tropical mountains, to: 1) better understand past local and regional C₃/C₄ grass distributions and associated climatic changes and 2) increase the set of C₃/C₄ data available for model/data comparisons.     

Does litter decomposition vary between the foraging pits of two soil‐disturbing mammal species?

Soil‐disturbing animals play a critical role in many ecosystem processes. The loss of native soil‐foraging mammals (e.g. greater bilby Macrotis lagotis; burrowing bettong, Bettongia lesueur) throughout vast areas of Australia has altered fundamental soil processes such as decomposition. Little is known about whether surviving native soil‐disturbing animals (e.g. short‐beaked echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus) produce soil disturbances that are functionally equivalent to those of locally‐extinct native animals. We used a litter bag study to compare abiotic and biotic mechanisms of decomposition within the foraging pits of two native mammal species. We compared decomposition rates between landforms, which we used as a surrogate for soil texture; grass species Austrostipa scabra subsp. scabra and Triodia scariosa subsp. scariosa, which we used as our substrates; and the effects of chemically excluding fungi and/or termites. There were initial differences in the organic mass loss between echidna and bilby/bettong foraging pits, with bilby/bettong pits losing more over 30 days, and echidnas losing more over 63 days. However, over 396 days there was no significant difference between the two pit types. Landform (soil texture) and chemical exclusion of termites and fungi did not affect our measures of decomposition until the final stage of the study. The two grass species lost significantly different amounts of organic material at each collection interval, with Austrostipa losing more at 30, 63 and 130 days and Triodia losing more at the final 396 day collection. This provided the most consistent effect on decomposition. Our results highlight the temporal idiosyncrasies in the various drivers of decomposition in this dune‐swale system. Overall, this study provides evidence that the foraging pits of the short‐beaked echidna do not differ markedly from those of the locally extinct greater bilby and burrowing bettong in terms of their capacity to maintain rates of decomposition at an annual scale. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

陕北吴起县退耕还林（草）成效的遥感监测分析

利用GIS综合解译分析NOAA/AVHRR、TM和DEM数据,揭示吴起县退耕还林（草）生态建设工程所取得的实效。1998—2003年NOAA/AVHRR遥感监测表明,吴起县域版图在遥感影像上凸现,这就是该县通过实施退耕还林（草）工程留在大地上的绿色印记,表明吴起县植被状况正在逐年改善,而且植被恢复情况明显好于周围区域。退耕前后的LANDSAT TM影像解译结果对比分析说明,吴起县近年来退耕还林（草）的成绩是显著的,生态环境有了明显的改善。与1997年相比,到2004年该县有81.31%耕地不再耕种,退出的耕地主要变为草地、林地和果园;林草覆盖度增加显著,由1997年的37.06%提高到2004年的83.63%;高坡度耕地绝大部分实现退耕,大于25°的坡耕地89.36%实现了退耕;低植被覆盖度的土地面积在大幅度减少,植被覆盖度小于10%的面积减少了90.91%。土壤侵蚀强度总体上降低,但土壤侵蚀状况仍然严重,需要继续加强治理。     

海南蚂蟥岭流域桉树人工林土壤动物生态地理特征

海南蚂蟥岭流域土壤动物生态地理类群的调查,共获得土壤动物样本2036只,隶属3门7纲18个类目,说明蚂蟥岭流域土壤动物生态地理类群并不丰富。比较流域内5种不同土地利用方式中的土壤动物生态地理类群时发现:桉树人工林地对应尚未开发的原生灌木丛地,其土壤动物生态地理类群的Jaccard相似性系数仅为0.375;土壤动物类群与个体数量分别减少了53.33%与62.74%;土壤动物群落复杂性指数(C_j)下降了1.056;土壤动物群落密度-类群指数(DG)降低了4.620。研究结果还进一步表明:桉树人工林土壤动物多样性的减少,损伤了土壤生态系统中土壤动物分解者的生态功能,造成了桉树人工林种植地枯枝落叶滞留、物质循环功能受阻、肥力下降,流域内土壤生态系统日趋恶化。     

基于"3S"技术的林地资源可持续管理

通过对我国林地资源管理现状的分析,认为我国林地资源的管理主要存在一些领导干部思想素质不高、林地资源管理体系不健全、林地产权不清、缺乏科学的林地资源价格评估体系和森林资源的调查与监测手段落后等方面的问题。分析了“3S”技术在林地资源管理中的作用;提出了应用“3S”技术,通过建立林地资源的监测信息系统、管理信息系统、数据库系统、估价信息系统和决策支持系统等来促进林地资源可持续管理的对策。