Hydraulic redistribution and hydrological controls on aspen transpiration and establishment in peatlands following wildfire

In the sub‐humid Western Boreal Plains of Alberta, where evapotranspiration often exceeds precipitation, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) uplands often depend on adjacent peatlands for water supply through hydraulic redistribution. Wildfire is common in the Boreal Plains, so the resilience of the transfer of water from peatlands to uplands through roots immediately following wildfire may have implications for aspen succession. The objective of this research was to characterize post‐fire peatland‐upland hydraulic connectivity and assess controls on aspen transpiration (as a measure of stress and productivity) among landscape topographic positions. In May 2011, a wildfire affected 90,000 ha of north central Alberta, including the Utikuma Region Study Area (URSA). Portions of an URSA glacio‐fluval outwash lake catchment were burned, which included forests and a small peatland. Within 1 year after the fire, aspen were found to be growing in both the interior and margins of this peatland. Across recovering land units, transpiration varied along a topographic gradient of upland midslope (0.42 mm hr^?1) > upland hilltop (0.29 mm hr^?1) > margin (0.23 mm hr^?1) > peatland (0.10 mm hr^?1); similar trends were observed with leaf area and stem heights. Although volumetric water content was below field capacity, P. tremuloides were sustained through roots present, likely before fire, in peatland margins through hydraulic redistribution. Evidence for this was observed through the analysis of oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and hydrogen (δ²H) isotopes where upland xylem and peat core signatures were ?10.0‰ and ?117.8‰ and ?9.2‰ and ?114.0‰, respectively. This research highlights the potential importance of hydraulic redistribution to forest sustainability and recovery, in which the continued delivery of water may result in the encroachment of aspen into peatlands. As such, we suggest that through altering ecosystem services, peatland margins following fire may be at risk to aspen colonization during succession.     

利用天宫一号和Landsat7对地观测数据的森林变化检测

由于自然演替和一些干扰因素的影响,森林覆盖处在不断的变化中.结合云南省西双版纳地区的天宫一号高光谱数据以及Landsat影像,研究了热带森林覆盖制图与变化检测的自动化识别方法.首先分析了每景影像中红光波段的光谱属性,依据直方图提取出纯净森林像元,然后计算影像中各像元与纯净森林像元之间的光谱相似性,从而得到森林指数并以此为依据提取出每景影像对应的森林覆盖图,将多期的森林覆盖专题图进行叠加分析即可得到森林变化专题图.结果表明:(1)使用天宫一号高光谱影像可以进行森林覆盖自动化提取,生成的森林覆盖图合理地反映了森林分布状况;(2)与多期遥感影像结合进行森林变化信息提取,提取结果很好地体现了森林减少和森林恢复情况,对新恢复的未郁闭森林也可以进行有效检测.     

Late‐glacial and Holocene history of the dry forest area in the south Colombian Cauca Valley

Two sedimentary cores with pollen, charcoal and radiocarbon data are presented. These records document the Late‐glacial and Holocene dry forest vegetation, fire and environmental history of the southern Cauca Valley in Colombia (1020 m). Core Quilichao‐1 (640 cm; 3° 6′N, 76° 31′W) represents the periods of 13 150–7720 ¹⁴C yr BP and, following a hiatus, from 2880 ¹⁴C yr BP to modern. Core La Teta‐2 (250 cm; 3° 5′N, 76° 32′W) provides a continuous record from 8700 ¹⁴C yr BP to modern. Around 13 150 ¹⁴C yr BP core Quilichao‐1 shows an active Late‐glacial drainage system and presence of dry forest. From 11 465 to 10 520 ¹⁴C yr BP dry forest consists mainly of Crotalaria, Moraceae/Urticaceae, Melastomataceae/Combretaceae, Piper and low stature trees, such as Acalypha, Alchornea, Cecropia and Celtis. At higher elevation Andean forest comprising Alnus, Hedyosmum, Quercus and Myrica was common. After 10 520 ¹⁴C yr BP the floral composition of dry forest changed, with extensive open grass vegetation indicative of dry climatic conditions. This event may coincide with the change to cool and dry conditions in the second part of the El Abra stadial, an equivalent to the Younger Dryas. From 8850 ¹⁴C yr BP the record from La Teta indicates dry climatic conditions relative to the present, these prevailing up to 2880 ¹⁴C yr BP at Quilichao and to 2720 ¹⁴C yr BP at La Teta. Severe dryness reached maxima at 7500 ¹⁴C yr BP and 4300 ¹⁴C yr BP, when dry forest reached maximum expansion. Dry forest was gradually replaced by grassy vegetation, reaching maximum expansion around 2300 ¹⁴C yr BP. After 2300 ¹⁴C yr BP grassy vegetation remains abundant. Presence of crop taxa (a.o. Zea mays), disturbance indicators (Cecropia) and an increase in charcoal point to the presence of pre‐Columbian people since 2300 ¹⁴C yr BP. After 950 ¹⁴C yr BP, expansion of secondary forest taxa may indicate depopulation and abandonment of previously cultivated land. After 400 ¹⁴C yr BP, possibly related to the Spanish conquest, secondary forest expanded and charcoal concentrations increased, possibly indicating further reduction of cultivated land. During the past century, Heliotropium and Didymopanax became abundant in an increasingly degraded landscape. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variations in snowmelt energy and energy balance characteristics with larch forest density on Mt Iwate,Japan: observations and energy balance analyses

The variation in snowmelt energy and energy components were evaluated with respect to forest density. Surface snowmelt rates, surface evaporation from snow cover and meteorological elements were measured in the open and under sparse (411 trees/ha) and dense (1433 trees/ha) larch canopies. The surface snowmelt rate decreased as the forest density increased. Based on the observations and energy balance analyses, we concluded the following. (1) Albedo decreased while the bulk coefficient for latent heat increased with forest density. (2) The duration of snowmelt increased with forest density because the energy for nocturnal cooling of the snow cover decreased. (3) When comparing the open and forested sites, the changes in snowmelt energy with forest density were caused by sensible heat flux. However, the contribution of net radiation was highest in the forested sites. Therefore, the effects of forest cover on the snowmelt energy were different when comparing both the open and forested sites and the sparse and densely forested sites. (4) The ratio of net radiation to snowmelt energy increased with forest density; although both snowmelt energy and net radiation decreased with increased forest density, the snowmelt energy decreased more rapidly. Sensible heat also decreased as forest density increased. Both albedo and downward long‐wave radiation influenced net radiation. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geochemical Atlas of the Slovak Republic at a scale of 1:1,000,000

The Geochemical Atlas of Slovak Republic (49,036 km²) at a scale of 1 : 1,000,000 was compiled during 1991–1995 together with maps of associated geochemical and ecological features at a scale of 1 :200,000. Investigations were aimed at the evaluation of concentrations and distributions of Al, As, Ba, Be, Ca, Ce, Co, Cd, Cs, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hg, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Th, U, V, W, Y, Zn, Zr in groundwater (16,359 samples), stream sediments (24,422 samples), rocks (3839 samples), soils (9892 samples from 4946 profiles; A and C horizons of each profile were sampled) and forest biomass (the foliage of the forest tree species from 3063 plots was sampled). In groundwater field measurements of temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved O₂, acidity, alkalinity were done. The evaluation was oriented to the natural radioactivity of the Slovak territory as follows: rocks (K, U, Th, U_tot and dose rate, 15,573 reference spectrometric points), radon risk and water (U_nat, ²²⁶Ra, ²²²Rn; 5271 samples). The main objective of the Geochemical Atlas was to construct single-component maps showing concentrations of chemical elements, compounds and measured parameters in the researched media of Slovakia at a scale of 1 : 1,000.000 and to create interactive databases of chemical composition and/or measured parameters of groundwater, biomass, rocks, soils, stream sediments and natural radioactivity, for the entire territory of the Slovak Republic. The single-component maps are not constructed in the part ‘Rocks’, where all the main rocks types of Slovakia are presented in the ‘Map of lithogeochemical rock types of Slovakia at a scale of 1: 500,000’. The edition of six atlases has been planned. In 1997 the first three atlases will appear (Groundwater, Biomass, Natural Radioactivity). Publishing of last three atlases (Rocks, Soils, Stream Sediments) is planned for 1998. Since the analytical works on stream sediments were finished during 1997, it was not possible to present here the results of that part of the Geochemical Atlas.     

激光雷达在森林参数反演中的应用

激光雷达是近年来国际上发展十分迅速的主动遥感技术,在森林参数的定量测量和反演上取得了成功的应用。在林业上,高采样密度激光雷达能够获取单株木3维结构特征,采用不同的数据处理方法,可以得到不同精度的单株木参数。利用激光雷达测量森林参数不仅节省了人力,还提高了工作效率,现在已经成为快速获取树木几何参数的一种有效方法。文中主要介绍了LiDAR工作原理、类型及特点、影响LiDAR数据质量的因素、国内外LiDAR的发展状况及应用领域,重点介绍了国内外利用LiDAR数据反演森林参数(树高、郁闭度、冠幅、林分密度、断面积和蓄积量等)的方法和研究进展,同时对今后LiDAR在森林参数反演方面的研究作了展望。     

西双版纳热带次生林林窗辐射特征初步研究

利用西双版纳不同季节热带次生林林窗、林内及旷地不同波长太阳辐射的实测资料,比较分析了热带次生林窗不同波长辐射特征。分析得出：热带次生林窗中央与北侧林冠下的不同波长太阳辐射量值在中午前后迅速达到最大后又急速下降的现象明显;林窗内不同波长太阳辐射日总量值均大于林内,小于旷地;林窗中央和北侧林冠下相比较。一般是北侧林冠下的各辐射要素总量值高于林窗中央;林窗区域的总辐射日总量在干热季最高,雨季和雨季后期次之,雾凉季时最小;林窗中央和北侧林冠下的红外辐射及可见光在总辐射中所占份额随季节的变化而不同,充分显示了林窗辐射环境的异质性;与旷地和林内相比,林窗内各测点的红外辐射在总辐射中所占份额高于旷地却低于林内,而可见光占总辐射的比值情况正好相反。     

Litterfall,litter and associated chemistry in a dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest and a pine plantation in south-eastern Australia: 1. Litterfall and litter

Litterfall was measured in a dry schlerophyll eucalypt forest and a nearby Pinus radiata plantation of similar tree density and basal area near Canberra in south-eastern Australia. Total annual litterfall for the eucalypts was 329 g m⁻², compared with 180 g m⁻² for the pines, with the bark component being 52 g m⁻² for eucalypts and zero for pines. Barkfall did not occur for the eucalypts during the drought of 1982–1983 but complete bark shedding occurred during the subsequent very wet year when barkfall was 177 g m⁻² for Eucalyptus rossii and 146 g m⁻² for Eucalyptus mannifera (9·3 and 7·6 g m⁻² of basal area, respectively). Barkfall of E. rossii responded to rainfall in the period autumn to early summer, whereas E. mannifera responded to summer rainfall. In the eucalypt forest floor-litter was stratified into a surface layer where the components were substantially intact, and a cohesive layer where the components were fragmented and bound together by fungal hyphae. The amount and residence times of loose and cohesive floor-litter were 1056 g m⁻² and 3·2 years, respectively, for the loose litter layer; and 1164 g m⁻² and 3·5 years for the cohesive layer. The litter biomass represented 17% of the estimated total above-ground biomass of 127 tonnes ha⁻¹. A previous study showed roots to be 25% of total biomass, suggesting a total biomass of 167 tonnes ha⁻¹. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of wildfire on runoff and erosion in native Eucalyptus forest

Wildfires raise concerns over the risk of accelerated erosion as a result of increased overland flow and decreased protection of the soil by litter and ground vegetation cover. We investigated these issues following the 1994 fires that burnt large areas of native Eucalyptus forest surrounding Sydney, Australia. A review of previous studies identifies the fire and rainfall conditions that are likely to lead to increased runoff and accelerated erosion. We then compare runoff and erosion between burnt and unburnt sites for 10 months after the 1994 fires. At the scale of hillslope plots, the 1994 fire increased runoff by enhancing soil hydrophobicity, and greatly increased sediment transport, mainly through the reduced ground cover, which lowered substantially the threshold for initial sediment movement. However, both runoff and sediment transport were very localized, resulting in little runoff or sediment yield after the fire at the hillslope catchment scale. We identify that after moderately intense fires, rainfall events of greater than one year recurrence interval are required to generate substantial runoff and sediment yield. Such events did not occur during the monitoring period. Past work shows that mild burns have little effect on erosion, and it is only after the most extreme fires that erosion is produced from small, frequent storms. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changes in overland flow and infiltration after a rangeland fire in a Mediterranean scrubland

Changes in overland flow and infiltration after a wildfire (summer 1989) in a typical Mediterranean scrubland were measured during the winters of 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1995 by means of simulated rainfall. Infiltration increases gradually from 1990 (sixth months after the forest fire) to 1995 (five and a half years after the forest fire). Overland flow decreases from 45% of rainfall after the forest fire to less than 6% five and a half years later. The reduction in overland flow was greatest in the first two years after the fire because of the quick recovery of vegetation. The steady-state infiltration capacity increased every year after the fire. Runoff and infiltration changes are mainly determined by the gradual recovery of vegetation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.