Stand age plays a crucial role in forest biomass estimation and carbon cycle modeling.Assessing the uncertainty of stand age prediction models and identifying the key driving factors in the modeling process have becom...Stand age plays a crucial role in forest biomass estimation and carbon cycle modeling.Assessing the uncertainty of stand age prediction models and identifying the key driving factors in the modeling process have become major challenges in forestry research.In this study,we selected the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region of Northeast China as the research area and utilized multi-source datasets from the summer of 2019 to extract information on spectral,textural,climatic,water balance,and stand characteristics.By integrating the Random Forest(RF)model with Monte Carlo(MC)simulation,we constructed six regression models based on different combina-tions of features and evaluated the uncertainty of each model.Furthermore,we investigated the driving factors influencing stand age modeling by analyzing the effects of different types of features on age inversion.Model performance and accuracy were assessed using the root mean square error(RMSE),mean absolute error(MAE),and the coefficient of determination(R^(2)),while the relative root mean square error(rRMSE)was employed to quantify model uncertainty.The results indicate that the scenarios with more obvious improve-ment in accuracy and effective reduction in uncertainty were Scenario 3 with the inclusion of climate and water balance information(RMSE=25.54 yr,MAE=18.03 yr,R^(2)=0.51,rRMSE=19.17%)and Scenario 5 with the inclusion of stand characterization informa-tion(RMSE=18.47 yr,MAE=13.05 yr,R^(2)=0.74,rRMSE=16.99%).Scenario 6,incorporating all feature types,achieved the highest accuracy(RMSE=17.60 yr,MAE=12.06 yr,R^(2)=0.77,rRMSE=14.19%).In this study,elevation,minimum temperature,and diameter at breast height(DBH)emerged as the key drivers of stand-age modeling.The proposed method can be used to identify drivers and to quantify uncertainty in stand-age estimation,providing a useful reference for improving model accuracy and uncertainty assessment.展开更多
The dynamics of calcium(Ca)and magnesium(Mg)in the forest floor and topsoil caused by anthropogenic and natural processes continue to be a concern in temperate forests.However,the impacts of abiotic and biotic variabl...The dynamics of calcium(Ca)and magnesium(Mg)in the forest floor and topsoil caused by anthropogenic and natural processes continue to be a concern in temperate forests.However,the impacts of abiotic and biotic variables as well as their interactions remain unclear,especially in areas undergoing long-term forest restoration.In this study,Ca and Mg concentrations in the forest floor and topsoil from 239 forest plots across the Loess Plateau were measured,and the effects of forest types,climate,soil properties,stand characteristics and nitrogen deposition were explored.The results showed significantly higher Ca concentrations in the forest floor(20.68±8.04 mg/g)than in the topsoil(13.28±12.83 mg/g),whereas Mg exhibited the inverse pattern(3.64±1.09 and 10.11±2.51 mg/g,respectively).The effect of forest types was only significant on forest floor Ca,and Ca concentrations were higher in broadleaf and mixed forests than in coniferous forests.Overall,Ca and Mg concentrations in forest floor and topsoil increased with latitudes while decreased with elevations,and the significance of the trends varied among forest types.Forest floor Ca and Mg were mainly influenced by environmental variables aboveground,i.e.,basal area(BA)and mean annual precipitation(MAP),respectively;topsoil Ca and Mg were more affected by soil properties(soil C/N and pH,respectively).Those suggested a depletion of Ca belowground was associated with forest growth and enriched soil nitrogen,and the leaching of mobile Mg was correlated with rainfall and soil acidification.Besides,the impact of environmental variables on Ca-Mg balance(Ca/Mg ratio)belowground was primarily through the regulation of Ca.Elucidating the influence of environmental variables will improve our ability to predict future changes in base cations and thus forest soil health in the greening vegetated Loess Plateau.展开更多
Conservation and enhancement of old-growth forests are key in forest planning and policies.In order to do so,more knowledge is needed on how the attributes traditionally associated with old-growth forests are distribu...Conservation and enhancement of old-growth forests are key in forest planning and policies.In order to do so,more knowledge is needed on how the attributes traditionally associated with old-growth forests are distributed in space,what differences exist across distinct forest types and what natural or anthropic conditions are affecting the distribution of these old-growthness attributes.Using data from the Third Spanish National Forest Inventory(1997–2007),we calculated six indicators commonly associated with forest old-growthness for the plots in the territory of Peninsular Spain and Balearic Islands,and then combined them into an aggregated index.We then assessed their spatial distribution and the differences across five forest functional types,as well as the effects of ten climate,topographic,landscape,and anthropic variables in their distribution.Relevant geographical patterns were apparent,with climate factors,namely temperature and precipitation,playing a crucial role in the distribution of these attributes.The distribution of the indicators also varied across different forest types,while the effects of recent anthropic impacts were weaker but still relevant.Aridity seemed to be one of the main impediments for the development of old-growthness attributes,coupled with a negative impact of recent human pressure.However,these effects seemed to be mediated by other factors,specially the legacies imposed by the complex history of forest management practices,land use changes and natural disturbances that have shaped the forests of Spain.The results of this exploratory analysis highlight on one hand the importance of climate in the dynamic of forests towards old-growthness,which is relevant in a context of Climate Change,and on the other hand,the need for more insights on the history of our forests in order to understand their present and future.展开更多
Urban forests are essential components of green infrastructure,however,rapid urbanization-induced changes in landscape patterns may affect their ecosystem services through complex ecological processes.A total of 184 s...Urban forests are essential components of green infrastructure,however,rapid urbanization-induced changes in landscape patterns may affect their ecosystem services through complex ecological processes.A total of 184 sample plots in the built-up areas of Nanchang,China,were used as research sites.Urbanization intensities were categorized by the rate of impervious surface area,and forest types were classified into landscape and relaxation forest,attached forest(AF),road forest(RF),and ecological public welfare forest.This study aimed to explore the spatial variations in vegetation characteristics and landscape pattern indices of different forest types under rapid urbanization.The results indicated that the largest patch index(LPI),aggregation index(AI),and percentage of landscape(PLAND)in RF and AF were lower than those in the other forest types(p<0.05).With increasing urbanization intensity,the mean perimeter-area ratio increased by 130.84%,whereas the PLAND,LPI,and AI decreased by 22−86%(p<0.05).Redundancy analysis and variation partitioning suggested that the interpretation rate of landscape pattern indices for variations in vegetation characteristics increased from low to heavy urbanization areas.Especially,the landscape shape index,patch connection index,PLAND,and mean patch size were significantly correlated with vegetation characteristics(e.g.,tree richness,herb coverage,and tree height).In the future,appropriate landscape layout superiority cases should be considered in different urbanization areas and forest types;for instance,increasing the patch connection index will beneficially improve the diversity of trees and herbs in heavy urbanization areas and the RF.This study serves as a reference for maximizing the ecosystem services of urban forests.展开更多
The root-to-shoot(R/S)ratio is a critical indicator of the balance between root biomass and shoot biomass,representing the ecological strategies and adaptive responses of plants to environmental conditions.However,the...The root-to-shoot(R/S)ratio is a critical indicator of the balance between root biomass and shoot biomass,representing the ecological strategies and adaptive responses of plants to environmental conditions.However,the patterns of change in community R/S ratios during forest succession and their response to moisture levels across broad geographic gradients remains unclear.Based on forest biomass data from a national field inventory of 5,825 plots conducted across China between 2011 and 2015,this study looked into allocating biomass shoots and roots at the early,middle,and late stages of growth in plantations and succession in natural forests,and evaluated how moisture availability influences this allocation.The results revealed a significant decline in R/S ratios from early to late stages for both plantations and natural forests.Shoot and root biomass in plantations grew isometrically during the early and middle succession stages but shifted to allometric growth in the late stage,with the slope of the log-transformed shoot-root biomass relationship differing significantly across growth stages.Natural forests,in contrast,maintained isometric growth across successional stages,showing no significant variation in the slope of the log-transformed shoot-root biomass relationship.Environmental factors,particularly moisture levels,strongly influenced R/S ratios.Moisture levels significantly affected size-corrected R/S ratios,particularly in the middle stage of plantations and the early and middle stages of natural forests,supporting the hypothesis of optimal allocation.These findings suggest that in water-limited regions,forest management should prioritize drought-tolerant,deep-rooted native species,encourage mixed-species planting in the early stage,and reduce logging intensity in mature plantations.Conserving natural forests to maintain successional dynamics is essential for long-term ecological resilience.These findings emphasize the importance of balancing productivity with ecological sustainability by adapting practices to specific environments and forest types under climate change.展开更多
Soil bacteria are integral to ecosystem functioning,significantly contributing to nutrients cycling and organic matter decomposition,and enhancing soil structure.This research considered the composition and dynamics o...Soil bacteria are integral to ecosystem functioning,significantly contributing to nutrients cycling and organic matter decomposition,and enhancing soil structure.This research considered the composition and dynamics of soil bacterial communities under different vegetation types(native Quercus brantii Lindl.and Amygdalus scoparia Spach,and non-native Pinus eldarica Medw.and Cupressus arizonica Greene.)in Zagros mountain area of Iran.This study involved a comparative analysis of soil culturable heterotrophic bacterial communities in spring(wet season)and summer(dry season)to clarify the effects of seasonal changes and vegetation on the dynamics of soil microorganisms.Soil samples were randomly collected under the canopies of various tree species and a control area,yielding a total of 48 composite samples analyzed for bacterial composition.Results indicated that 11 Gram-negative(e.g.,Citrobacter freundii,Enterobacter cloacae,Escherichia coli,Klebsiella oxytoca,Klebsiella pneumoniae,etc.)and 2 Gram-positive(Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus)bacteria were identified,showing significant seasonal variation.Specifically,53.85%of bacterial species were common to both seasons,with notable shifts in community composition observed between spring and summer,highlighting a higher abundance of Gram-negative species in spring.Bacterial community structure was significantly influenced by vegetation type,with various tree species shaping distinct microbial assemblages.Moreover,Pearson's correlations revealed that soil properties,particularly pH,phosphorus,and moisture content,were critical drivers of bacterial diversity and abundance.Our findings underscore the dynamic nature of soil bacterial communities in response to seasonal and vegetation changes,emphasizing the importance of repeated temporal sampling for accurate assessments of microbial diversity.Understanding these microbial dynamics is essential for improving soil management strategies and enhancing ecosystem resilience,particularly in arid and semi-arid areas where environmental fluctuations play a pivotal role.This research not only confirms our hypotheses but also enhances our understanding of soil biogeochemical processes and informs future vegetation management practices.展开更多
Soil greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions contribute profoundly to global warming;however,how plant detritus input alters GHG emissions is poorly understood.Here,we used detritus input and removal treatments(i.e.,DIRT:control...Soil greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions contribute profoundly to global warming;however,how plant detritus input alters GHG emissions is poorly understood.Here,we used detritus input and removal treatments(i.e.,DIRT:control,CK;double litter,DL;no roots with double litter,NRDL;no litter,NL;no roots,NR;no roots and no litter,NRNL)to assess the effects of litter and root inputs on soil CO_(2),CH_(4),and N_(2)O fluxes in soils in a coniferous(Pinus yunnanensis)and a broad-leaf forest(Quercus pannosa)in a subalpine region in southwestern China.Litter addition increased CO_(2) emissions on average 22.22%,but did not significantly alter CH_(4) uptake and N_(2)O emission compared to the CK.Litter removal(NL and NRNL)significantly reduced CO_(2) emissions on average 30.22%and N_(2)O emissions on average 31.16%from both forest soils,but did not significantly affect soil CH_(4) uptake.Root removal(NR and NRNL)generally decreased these three soil GHG fluxes.Changes inβ-1,4-glucosidase(BG)involved in C and phospholipid fatty acid(PLFAs)biomass were projected to influence CO_(2) emissions,while soil microclimates(temperature and moisture)combined with BG activity mainly regulated CH_(4) uptake.Alterations in dissolved organic nitrogen,microbial biomass nitrogen and BG were mainly responsible for changes in N_(2)O emissions.Interestingly,coniferous forest soil seemed to promote CH_(4) uptake more than the broad-leaf forest soil,but CO_(2) and N_(2)O fluxes were not significantly affected by the forest types.As expected,litter addition significantly increased the warming potential,while litter removal relatively lowered it.These findings revealed the divergent roles of plant detritus input and forest type in shaping soil GHG fluxes,thereby providing insights into forest management and predicting contributions of subalpine forests to global warming.展开更多
Sudden wildfires cause significant global ecological damage.While satellite imagery has advanced early fire detection and mitigation,image-based systems face limitations including high false alarm rates,visual obstruc...Sudden wildfires cause significant global ecological damage.While satellite imagery has advanced early fire detection and mitigation,image-based systems face limitations including high false alarm rates,visual obstructions,and substantial computational demands,especially in complex forest terrains.To address these challenges,this study proposes a novel forest fire detection model utilizing audio classification and machine learning.We developed an audio-based pipeline using real-world environmental sound recordings.Sounds were converted into Mel-spectrograms and classified via a Convolutional Neural Network(CNN),enabling the capture of distinctive fire acoustic signatures(e.g.,crackling,roaring)that are minimally impacted by visual or weather conditions.Internet of Things(IoT)sound sensors were crucial for generating complex environmental parameters to optimize feature extraction.The CNN model achieved high performance in stratified 5-fold cross-validation(92.4%±1.6 accuracy,91.2%±1.8 F1-score)and on test data(94.93%accuracy,93.04%F1-score),with 98.44%precision and 88.32%recall,demonstrating reliability across environmental conditions.These results indicate that the audio-based approach not only improves detection reliability but also markedly reduces computational overhead compared to traditional image-based methods.The findings suggest that acoustic sensing integrated with machine learning offers a powerful,low-cost,and efficient solution for real-time forest fire monitoring in complex,dynamic environments.展开更多
Accurately assessing the relationship between tree growth and climatic factors is of great importance in dendrochronology.This study evaluated the consistency between alternative climate datasets(including station and...Accurately assessing the relationship between tree growth and climatic factors is of great importance in dendrochronology.This study evaluated the consistency between alternative climate datasets(including station and gridded data)and actual climate data(fixed-point observations near the sampling sites),in northeastern China’s warm temperate zone and analyzed differences in their correlations with tree-ring width index.The results were:(1)Gridded temperature data,as well as precipitation and relative humidity data from the Huailai meteorological station,was more consistent with the actual climate data;in contrast,gridded soil moisture content data showed significant discrepancies.(2)Horizontal distance had a greater impact on the representativeness of actual climate conditions than vertical elevation differences.(3)Differences in consistency between alternative and actual climate data also affected their correlations with tree-ring width indices.In some growing season months,correlation coefficients,both in magnitude and sign,differed significantly from those based on actual data.The selection of different alternative climate datasets can lead to biased results in assessing forest responses to climate change,which is detrimental to the management of forest ecosystems in harsh environments.Therefore,the scientific and rational selection of alternative climate data is essential for dendroecological and climatological research.展开更多
As interest in tropical forest restoration accelerates,understanding its hydrological implications is increasingly urgent.While concerns persist that reforestation will reduce annual water yields—particularly in drie...As interest in tropical forest restoration accelerates,understanding its hydrological implications is increasingly urgent.While concerns persist that reforestation will reduce annual water yields—particularly in drier climates—we highlight conditions under which forest landscape restoration(FLR)can improve seasonal water availability,especially during the dry season.We examine the trade-off between increased vegetation water use(“pumping”)and enhanced infiltration and subsurface retention(“sponging”)following forestation of degraded lands,the recovery of vegetation's ability to capture“occult”precipitation(fog)in specific coastal and montane settings,and the role of forest cover in enhancing moisture recycling and transport at multiple scales.A pan-tropical sensitivity analysis shows that in degraded landscapes with deep soils and pronounced rainfall seasonality,infiltration gains following forestation can offset or exceed evaporative losses,thereby supporting groundwater recharge and increasing dry-season flows in approximately 10%of cases,with an additional 8%showing near-neutral(slightly negative)outcomes.These findings challenge the assumption that forestation uniformly reduces water availability and underscore the need to prioritize dry-season flow recovery—rather than annual water yield—as a central hydrological goal of FLR.We call for trans-disciplinary research and long-term monitoring to inform forest restoration strategies,particularly in seasonally dry regions where water scarcity is most acute.展开更多
A better understanding of the structure and dynamics of disturbed forests is key for forecasting their future successional trajectories.Despite vulnerability of subalpine forests to warming climate,little is known as ...A better understanding of the structure and dynamics of disturbed forests is key for forecasting their future successional trajectories.Despite vulnerability of subalpine forests to warming climate,little is known as to how their community composition has responded to disturbances and climate warming over decades.Before the 1970s,subalpine forests on the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau mainly experienced logging and fire,but afterwards they were more impacted by climate warming.Thus,they provide an excellent setting to test whether disturbances and climate warming led to changes in forest structure.Based on the analysis of 3145 forest inventory plots at 4-to 5-year resolution,we found that spruce-fir forests shifted to pine and broadleaved forests since the early 1970s.Such a turnover in species composition mainly occurred in the 1994e1998 period.By strongly altering site conditions,disturbances in concert with climate warming reshuffle community composition to warm-adapted broadleaf-pine species.Thus,moderate disturbances shifted forest composition through a gradual loss of resilience of spruce-fir forests.Shifts in these foundation species will have profound impacts on ecosystem functions and services.In the future,broadleaved forests could expand more rapidly than evergreen needle-leaved forests under moderate warming scenarios.In addition to climate,the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on subalpine forests should be considered in adaptive forest management and in projections of future forest changes.展开更多
A new model was developed to predict forestland demand of China during the years of 2010-2050 in terms of the concept of forest ecosystem services. On the basis of the relationship between forest ecosystem services an...A new model was developed to predict forestland demand of China during the years of 2010-2050 in terms of the concept of forest ecosystem services. On the basis of the relationship between forest ecosystem services and classified forest management, we hypothesized that the ecological-forest provides ecological services, whereas commercial-forest supplies wood and timber production, and the influences of the growth of population, social-economic development target, forest management methods and the technology changes on forest resources were also taken into account. The prediction reveals that the demand of total forestland of China will be 244.8, 261.2 and 362.2 million ha by the year 2010, 2020 and 2050, respectively. The results demonstrated that China will be confronted with a shortage of forest resources, especially with lack of ecological-oriented forests, in the future. It is suggested that sustainable management of forest resources must be reinforced and more attention should be drown no enhancing the service function of forest ecosystem.展开更多
Background: Continuous Cover Forestry(CCF) is a type of forest management that is based on ecological, environmental, and biological principles. Specific definitions of CCF greatly vary and the concept usually include...Background: Continuous Cover Forestry(CCF) is a type of forest management that is based on ecological, environmental, and biological principles. Specific definitions of CCF greatly vary and the concept usually includes a number of tenets or criteria. The most important tenet of CCF is the requirement to abandon the practice of largescale clearfelling in favour of selective thinning/harvesting and natural regeneration methods.Methods: CCF is commonly believed to have its main origin in an academic debate that was conducted through publications in a number of European and North American countries towards the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Our findings are exclusively based on a literature review of the history of CCF and they revealed that the European origins of CCF go much further back to a form of farm forestry that started to be practised in Central Europe in the 17th century. Eventually, this type of farm forestry led to the formation of the single-tree selection system as we know it today. Another influential tradition line contributing to modern CCF is individual-based forest management, which breaks forest stands down into small neighbourhood-based units. The centres of these units are dominant frame trees which form the framework of a forest stand. Consequently, management is only carried out in the local neighbourhood of frame trees. Individual-based forest management also modified inflexible area-control approaches of plantation forest management in favour of the flexible sizecontrol method.Results and conclusions: We found evidence that the three aforementioned tradition lines are equally important and much interacted in shaping modern CCF. Since CCF is an international accomplishment, it is helpful to thoroughly study the drivers and causes of such concepts. Understanding the gradual evolution can give valuable clues for the introduction and adaptation of CCF in countries where the concept is new.展开更多
Background:The heartwood(HW)proportion in the trunk of mature trees is an important characteristic not only for wood quality but also for assessing the role of forests in carbon sequestration.We have for the first tim...Background:The heartwood(HW)proportion in the trunk of mature trees is an important characteristic not only for wood quality but also for assessing the role of forests in carbon sequestration.We have for the first time studied the proportion of HW in the trunk and the distribution of carbon and extractives in sapwood(SW)and HW of 70–80 year old Pinus sylvestris L.trees under different growing conditions in the pine forests of North-West Russia.Method:We have examined the influence of conditions and tree position in stand(dominant,intermediate and suppressed trees)in the ecological series:blueberry pine forest(Blu)–lingonberry pine forest(Lin)–lichen pine forest(Lic).We have analyzed the influence of climate conditions in the biogeographical series of Lin:the middle taiga subzone–the northern taiga subzone–the transition area of the northern taiga subzone and tundra.Results:We found that the carbon concentration in HW was 1.6%–3.4%higher than in SW,and the difference depended on growing conditions.Carbon concentration in HW increased with a decrease in stand productivity(Blu-Lin-Lic).In medium-productive stands,the carbon concentration in SW was higher in intermediate and supressed trees compared to dominant trees.In the series from south to north,carbon concentration in HW increased by up to 2%,while in SW,it rose by 2.7%–3.8%.Conclusions:Our results once again emphasized the need for an empirical assessment of the accurate carbon content in aboveground wood biomass,including various forest growing conditions,to better understand the role of boreal forests in carbon storage.展开更多
Forest ecosystems are critical to ecological stability,yet their functionality is increasingly threatened by the growing frequency of drought,particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.While afforestation enhances for...Forest ecosystems are critical to ecological stability,yet their functionality is increasingly threatened by the growing frequency of drought,particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.While afforestation enhances forest cover in these areas,the capacity of planted forests to adapt to climate change is poorly understood.This study examines the drought resistance and adaptive capacity of planted and naturally growing Schrenk spruce(Picea schrenkiana Fisch.&C.A.Mey.)in the Ili River Basin,Xinjiang,China using tree-ring analysis.The results indicate that natural stands have a stronger correlation with meteorological factors than plantations.Over the past 50 years,significant growth declines occurred during 1995-1997,2007-2009,and 2012-2014,with natural forests showing a greater frequency and severity of declines compared to plantations.Planted stands demonstrated greater resistance to drought,whereas natural forests had higher resilience and recovery.Over time,natural forests have shown declining resistance to drought but increased resilience and recovery.Conversely,plantations showed declines in resistance and recovery but an increased capacity for recovery.Older natural forests are more prone to growth decline,while structurally simpler planted forests show stronger drought resistance.However,following periods of drought,natural forests demonstrated a stronger capacity for recovery.These findings provide valuable insights into the response of P.schrenkiana to climate change and offer support for the sustainable management and conservation of forest ecosystems in the Xinjiang region of China.展开更多
Anthropogenic activities have significantly contributed to the loss and fragmentation of primary forests across the globe,which has accelerated biodiversity decline,particularly among highly specialised species depend...Anthropogenic activities have significantly contributed to the loss and fragmentation of primary forests across the globe,which has accelerated biodiversity decline,particularly among highly specialised species dependent on unique forest structures.Nevertheless,comparative studies between primary and managed forests are scarce,despite their importance for effective monitoring and conservation planning.To address this knowledge gap,we conducted a comparative study using a unique dataset of permanent study plots established across some of the best-preserved,mixed-beech primary forests and their adjacent managed counterparts in the Western Carpathian Mountains.We assessed the effects of forest structure and tree age—determined through extensive dendrochronological reconstructions—on contemporary lichen communities.Lichen species richness and the richness of red-listed species were 26%and 50%higher in primary forests than in managed forests,respectively,highlighting the outstanding conservation importance of primary forests.Generalised least squares(GLS)modelling demonstrated that in managed forests,lichen species richness was strongly associated with structural attributes:It increased with maximum tree age and the diameter of standing deadwood,and decreased with higher basal area(BA)of living trees,likely due to reduced understory light.In contrast,no structural variables significantly explained richness in primary forests,likely due to structural saturation and widespread microhabitat availability.Elevation emerged as the sole variable with significant explanatory strength.These findings underscore the critical role of structural complexity in supporting lichen diversity under different management regimes and provide a robust evidence base for promoting elements such as old trees,deadwood—especially large standing deadwood—and reduced canopy density.At the same time,they reaffirm the irreplaceable value of primary forests as biodiversity refuges and highlight the need for landscape-level conservation strategies that integrate both intact primary and structurally enriched managed forests.展开更多
As the impact of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance continues to intensify around the world,the ecological integrity(EI)of forest ecosystems is compromised in various ways.This study aims to quantify ecologi...As the impact of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance continues to intensify around the world,the ecological integrity(EI)of forest ecosystems is compromised in various ways.This study aims to quantify ecological integrity,explore its latitudinal patterns,and identify the potential determinants behind it.We selected 15 indicators of forest composition,structure,and function and used two approaches to quantify ecological integrity.The results show a significant negative correlation between forest ecological integrity and increasing latitude.Climate emerged as the main driver of the latitudinal pattern compared to anthropogenic and other influencing factors.Our study offers a new approach to quantifying ecological integrity based on a set of indicators that may help assess the contribution of forest ecosystems in conservation,restoration,and ecosystem services.展开更多
Increasing human activity is altering the struc-ture of forests,which affects the composition of communi-ties,including birds.However,little is known about the key forest structure variables that determine the richnes...Increasing human activity is altering the struc-ture of forests,which affects the composition of communi-ties,including birds.However,little is known about the key forest structure variables that determine the richness of bird communities in European temperate oak forests.We,there-fore,aimed to identify key variables in these habitats that could contribute to the design of management strategies for forest conservation by surveying 11 oak-dominated forest sites throughout the mid-mountain range of Hungary at 86 survey points to reveal the role of different compositional and structural variables for forest stands that influence the breeding bird assemblages in the forests at the functional group and individual species levels.Based on decision tree modelling,our results showed that the density of trees larger than 30 cm DBH was an overall important variable,indi-cating that large-diameter trees were essential to provide diverse bird communities.The total abundance of birds,the foliage-gleaners,primary and secondary cavity nest-ers,residents,and five specific bird species were related to the density of high trunk diameter trees.The abundance of shrub nesters was negatively influenced by a high density of trees over 10 cm DBH.The density of the shrub layer positively affected total bird abundance and the abundance of foliage gleaners,secondary cavity nesters and residents.Analysis of the co-dominant tree species showed that the presence of linden,beech,and hornbeam was important in influencing the abundance of various bird species,e.g.,Eur-asian Treecreeper(Certhia familiaris),Marsh Tit(Poecile palustris)and Wood Warbler(Phylloscopus sibilatrix).Our results indicated that large trees,high tree diversity,and dense shrub layer were essential for forest bird communities and are critical targets for protection to maintain diverse and abundant bird communities in oak-dominated forest habitats.展开更多
Forest structural complexity influences arthropod communities by shaping habitat availability,microclimatic conditions,and resource distribution.However,the extent to which structural complexity and specific structura...Forest structural complexity influences arthropod communities by shaping habitat availability,microclimatic conditions,and resource distribution.However,the extent to which structural complexity and specific structural components drive arthropod abundance and biomass remains poorly understood in temperate forests.This study examined how local and landscape-scale forest characteristics influence arthropod communities across vertical strata(forest floor(FF),herb layer(HL),and shrub layer(SL))in 19 temperate deciduous forests in Belgium,dominated by pedunculate oak,European beech,or Canadian poplar.At the local scale,we assessed dominant tree species identity,overall forest structural complexity,and its components(vertical and horizontal structure,woody layer,herbal layer,and deadwood).At the landscape scale,we evaluated forest area,edge length,forest cover,and vegetation greenness(normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)).Contrary to expectation,arthropod biomass and abundance did not consistently increase with higher structural complexity.Instead,woody layer complexity,dominant tree species,and NDVI emerged as key drivers,with effects varying by context and stratum.Arthropod abundance and biomass were the highest in oak-and poplar-dominated forests and the lowest in beech forests,likely due to differences in litter quality,microhabitat availability,and understory development.Woody layer complexity positively influenced forest floor arthropods in poplar forests but had a negative effect in oak forests.At the landscape scale,NDVI unexpectedly showed negative relationships with arthropod abundance across strata and with arthropod biomass in the herb layer,likely reflecting dense canopy suppression of understory productivity.Arthropod biomass on the forest floor increased with forest cover,while abundance in the shrub layer decreased with forest cover but increased with forest area.These findings highlight the complex interplay between forest structural attributes,dominant tree species,and landscape factors in shaping arthropod communities.By identifying the key drivers of arthropod abundance and biomass,this study contributes to a better understanding of biodiversity patterns in temperate forests and their ecological dynamics.展开更多
基金Under the auspices of the Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32371875,32001249)。
文摘Stand age plays a crucial role in forest biomass estimation and carbon cycle modeling.Assessing the uncertainty of stand age prediction models and identifying the key driving factors in the modeling process have become major challenges in forestry research.In this study,we selected the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region of Northeast China as the research area and utilized multi-source datasets from the summer of 2019 to extract information on spectral,textural,climatic,water balance,and stand characteristics.By integrating the Random Forest(RF)model with Monte Carlo(MC)simulation,we constructed six regression models based on different combina-tions of features and evaluated the uncertainty of each model.Furthermore,we investigated the driving factors influencing stand age modeling by analyzing the effects of different types of features on age inversion.Model performance and accuracy were assessed using the root mean square error(RMSE),mean absolute error(MAE),and the coefficient of determination(R^(2)),while the relative root mean square error(rRMSE)was employed to quantify model uncertainty.The results indicate that the scenarios with more obvious improve-ment in accuracy and effective reduction in uncertainty were Scenario 3 with the inclusion of climate and water balance information(RMSE=25.54 yr,MAE=18.03 yr,R^(2)=0.51,rRMSE=19.17%)and Scenario 5 with the inclusion of stand characterization informa-tion(RMSE=18.47 yr,MAE=13.05 yr,R^(2)=0.74,rRMSE=16.99%).Scenario 6,incorporating all feature types,achieved the highest accuracy(RMSE=17.60 yr,MAE=12.06 yr,R^(2)=0.77,rRMSE=14.19%).In this study,elevation,minimum temperature,and diameter at breast height(DBH)emerged as the key drivers of stand-age modeling.The proposed method can be used to identify drivers and to quantify uncertainty in stand-age estimation,providing a useful reference for improving model accuracy and uncertainty assessment.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42401054)Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province(D2024205019)Science and Technology Project of Hebei Education Department(BJ2025014).
文摘The dynamics of calcium(Ca)and magnesium(Mg)in the forest floor and topsoil caused by anthropogenic and natural processes continue to be a concern in temperate forests.However,the impacts of abiotic and biotic variables as well as their interactions remain unclear,especially in areas undergoing long-term forest restoration.In this study,Ca and Mg concentrations in the forest floor and topsoil from 239 forest plots across the Loess Plateau were measured,and the effects of forest types,climate,soil properties,stand characteristics and nitrogen deposition were explored.The results showed significantly higher Ca concentrations in the forest floor(20.68±8.04 mg/g)than in the topsoil(13.28±12.83 mg/g),whereas Mg exhibited the inverse pattern(3.64±1.09 and 10.11±2.51 mg/g,respectively).The effect of forest types was only significant on forest floor Ca,and Ca concentrations were higher in broadleaf and mixed forests than in coniferous forests.Overall,Ca and Mg concentrations in forest floor and topsoil increased with latitudes while decreased with elevations,and the significance of the trends varied among forest types.Forest floor Ca and Mg were mainly influenced by environmental variables aboveground,i.e.,basal area(BA)and mean annual precipitation(MAP),respectively;topsoil Ca and Mg were more affected by soil properties(soil C/N and pH,respectively).Those suggested a depletion of Ca belowground was associated with forest growth and enriched soil nitrogen,and the leaching of mobile Mg was correlated with rainfall and soil acidification.Besides,the impact of environmental variables on Ca-Mg balance(Ca/Mg ratio)belowground was primarily through the regulation of Ca.Elucidating the influence of environmental variables will improve our ability to predict future changes in base cations and thus forest soil health in the greening vegetated Loess Plateau.
基金supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation project GREEN-RISK(Evaluation of past changes in ecosystem services and biodiversity in forests and restoration priorities under global change impacts-PID2020-119933RB-C21)A.C.received a pre-doctoral fellowship funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation(PRE2021-099642).
文摘Conservation and enhancement of old-growth forests are key in forest planning and policies.In order to do so,more knowledge is needed on how the attributes traditionally associated with old-growth forests are distributed in space,what differences exist across distinct forest types and what natural or anthropic conditions are affecting the distribution of these old-growthness attributes.Using data from the Third Spanish National Forest Inventory(1997–2007),we calculated six indicators commonly associated with forest old-growthness for the plots in the territory of Peninsular Spain and Balearic Islands,and then combined them into an aggregated index.We then assessed their spatial distribution and the differences across five forest functional types,as well as the effects of ten climate,topographic,landscape,and anthropic variables in their distribution.Relevant geographical patterns were apparent,with climate factors,namely temperature and precipitation,playing a crucial role in the distribution of these attributes.The distribution of the indicators also varied across different forest types,while the effects of recent anthropic impacts were weaker but still relevant.Aridity seemed to be one of the main impediments for the development of old-growthness attributes,coupled with a negative impact of recent human pressure.However,these effects seemed to be mediated by other factors,specially the legacies imposed by the complex history of forest management practices,land use changes and natural disturbances that have shaped the forests of Spain.The results of this exploratory analysis highlight on one hand the importance of climate in the dynamic of forests towards old-growthness,which is relevant in a context of Climate Change,and on the other hand,the need for more insights on the history of our forests in order to understand their present and future.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32460380,42007042)State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture(SKLSSKF2023-06)+2 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province(20242BAB25389)National Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program(202410410029X)Jiangxi Province Graduate Student Innovation Special Fund Project(YC2024-S330).
文摘Urban forests are essential components of green infrastructure,however,rapid urbanization-induced changes in landscape patterns may affect their ecosystem services through complex ecological processes.A total of 184 sample plots in the built-up areas of Nanchang,China,were used as research sites.Urbanization intensities were categorized by the rate of impervious surface area,and forest types were classified into landscape and relaxation forest,attached forest(AF),road forest(RF),and ecological public welfare forest.This study aimed to explore the spatial variations in vegetation characteristics and landscape pattern indices of different forest types under rapid urbanization.The results indicated that the largest patch index(LPI),aggregation index(AI),and percentage of landscape(PLAND)in RF and AF were lower than those in the other forest types(p<0.05).With increasing urbanization intensity,the mean perimeter-area ratio increased by 130.84%,whereas the PLAND,LPI,and AI decreased by 22−86%(p<0.05).Redundancy analysis and variation partitioning suggested that the interpretation rate of landscape pattern indices for variations in vegetation characteristics increased from low to heavy urbanization areas.Especially,the landscape shape index,patch connection index,PLAND,and mean patch size were significantly correlated with vegetation characteristics(e.g.,tree richness,herb coverage,and tree height).In the future,appropriate landscape layout superiority cases should be considered in different urbanization areas and forest types;for instance,increasing the patch connection index will beneficially improve the diversity of trees and herbs in heavy urbanization areas and the RF.This study serves as a reference for maximizing the ecosystem services of urban forests.
基金supported by the China National Science Foundation(No.42130506,42071031)the Special Technology Innovation Fund of Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality in Jiangsu Province(BK20231515)+1 种基金the Spanish Government grant PID2022-140808NB-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033the Catalan Government grants SGR 2021-1333 and AGAUR2023 CLIMA 00118.
文摘The root-to-shoot(R/S)ratio is a critical indicator of the balance between root biomass and shoot biomass,representing the ecological strategies and adaptive responses of plants to environmental conditions.However,the patterns of change in community R/S ratios during forest succession and their response to moisture levels across broad geographic gradients remains unclear.Based on forest biomass data from a national field inventory of 5,825 plots conducted across China between 2011 and 2015,this study looked into allocating biomass shoots and roots at the early,middle,and late stages of growth in plantations and succession in natural forests,and evaluated how moisture availability influences this allocation.The results revealed a significant decline in R/S ratios from early to late stages for both plantations and natural forests.Shoot and root biomass in plantations grew isometrically during the early and middle succession stages but shifted to allometric growth in the late stage,with the slope of the log-transformed shoot-root biomass relationship differing significantly across growth stages.Natural forests,in contrast,maintained isometric growth across successional stages,showing no significant variation in the slope of the log-transformed shoot-root biomass relationship.Environmental factors,particularly moisture levels,strongly influenced R/S ratios.Moisture levels significantly affected size-corrected R/S ratios,particularly in the middle stage of plantations and the early and middle stages of natural forests,supporting the hypothesis of optimal allocation.These findings suggest that in water-limited regions,forest management should prioritize drought-tolerant,deep-rooted native species,encourage mixed-species planting in the early stage,and reduce logging intensity in mature plantations.Conserving natural forests to maintain successional dynamics is essential for long-term ecological resilience.These findings emphasize the importance of balancing productivity with ecological sustainability by adapting practices to specific environments and forest types under climate change.
文摘Soil bacteria are integral to ecosystem functioning,significantly contributing to nutrients cycling and organic matter decomposition,and enhancing soil structure.This research considered the composition and dynamics of soil bacterial communities under different vegetation types(native Quercus brantii Lindl.and Amygdalus scoparia Spach,and non-native Pinus eldarica Medw.and Cupressus arizonica Greene.)in Zagros mountain area of Iran.This study involved a comparative analysis of soil culturable heterotrophic bacterial communities in spring(wet season)and summer(dry season)to clarify the effects of seasonal changes and vegetation on the dynamics of soil microorganisms.Soil samples were randomly collected under the canopies of various tree species and a control area,yielding a total of 48 composite samples analyzed for bacterial composition.Results indicated that 11 Gram-negative(e.g.,Citrobacter freundii,Enterobacter cloacae,Escherichia coli,Klebsiella oxytoca,Klebsiella pneumoniae,etc.)and 2 Gram-positive(Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus)bacteria were identified,showing significant seasonal variation.Specifically,53.85%of bacterial species were common to both seasons,with notable shifts in community composition observed between spring and summer,highlighting a higher abundance of Gram-negative species in spring.Bacterial community structure was significantly influenced by vegetation type,with various tree species shaping distinct microbial assemblages.Moreover,Pearson's correlations revealed that soil properties,particularly pH,phosphorus,and moisture content,were critical drivers of bacterial diversity and abundance.Our findings underscore the dynamic nature of soil bacterial communities in response to seasonal and vegetation changes,emphasizing the importance of repeated temporal sampling for accurate assessments of microbial diversity.Understanding these microbial dynamics is essential for improving soil management strategies and enhancing ecosystem resilience,particularly in arid and semi-arid areas where environmental fluctuations play a pivotal role.This research not only confirms our hypotheses but also enhances our understanding of soil biogeochemical processes and informs future vegetation management practices.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32130069)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2024YFF1306700)the Scientific Research Foundation of Education Department of Yunnan Province(2024Y004).
文摘Soil greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions contribute profoundly to global warming;however,how plant detritus input alters GHG emissions is poorly understood.Here,we used detritus input and removal treatments(i.e.,DIRT:control,CK;double litter,DL;no roots with double litter,NRDL;no litter,NL;no roots,NR;no roots and no litter,NRNL)to assess the effects of litter and root inputs on soil CO_(2),CH_(4),and N_(2)O fluxes in soils in a coniferous(Pinus yunnanensis)and a broad-leaf forest(Quercus pannosa)in a subalpine region in southwestern China.Litter addition increased CO_(2) emissions on average 22.22%,but did not significantly alter CH_(4) uptake and N_(2)O emission compared to the CK.Litter removal(NL and NRNL)significantly reduced CO_(2) emissions on average 30.22%and N_(2)O emissions on average 31.16%from both forest soils,but did not significantly affect soil CH_(4) uptake.Root removal(NR and NRNL)generally decreased these three soil GHG fluxes.Changes inβ-1,4-glucosidase(BG)involved in C and phospholipid fatty acid(PLFAs)biomass were projected to influence CO_(2) emissions,while soil microclimates(temperature and moisture)combined with BG activity mainly regulated CH_(4) uptake.Alterations in dissolved organic nitrogen,microbial biomass nitrogen and BG were mainly responsible for changes in N_(2)O emissions.Interestingly,coniferous forest soil seemed to promote CH_(4) uptake more than the broad-leaf forest soil,but CO_(2) and N_(2)O fluxes were not significantly affected by the forest types.As expected,litter addition significantly increased the warming potential,while litter removal relatively lowered it.These findings revealed the divergent roles of plant detritus input and forest type in shaping soil GHG fluxes,thereby providing insights into forest management and predicting contributions of subalpine forests to global warming.
基金funded by the Directorate of Research and Community Service,Directorate General of Research and Development,Ministry of Higher Education,Science and Technologyin accordance with the Implementation Contract for the Operational Assistance Program for State Universities,Research Program Number:109/C3/DT.05.00/PL/2025.
文摘Sudden wildfires cause significant global ecological damage.While satellite imagery has advanced early fire detection and mitigation,image-based systems face limitations including high false alarm rates,visual obstructions,and substantial computational demands,especially in complex forest terrains.To address these challenges,this study proposes a novel forest fire detection model utilizing audio classification and machine learning.We developed an audio-based pipeline using real-world environmental sound recordings.Sounds were converted into Mel-spectrograms and classified via a Convolutional Neural Network(CNN),enabling the capture of distinctive fire acoustic signatures(e.g.,crackling,roaring)that are minimally impacted by visual or weather conditions.Internet of Things(IoT)sound sensors were crucial for generating complex environmental parameters to optimize feature extraction.The CNN model achieved high performance in stratified 5-fold cross-validation(92.4%±1.6 accuracy,91.2%±1.8 F1-score)and on test data(94.93%accuracy,93.04%F1-score),with 98.44%precision and 88.32%recall,demonstrating reliability across environmental conditions.These results indicate that the audio-based approach not only improves detection reliability but also markedly reduces computational overhead compared to traditional image-based methods.The findings suggest that acoustic sensing integrated with machine learning offers a powerful,low-cost,and efficient solution for real-time forest fire monitoring in complex,dynamic environments.
基金supported by the International Partnership program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(170GJHZ2023074GC)National Natural Science Foundation of China(42425706 and 42488201)+1 种基金National Key Research and Development Program of China(2024YFF0807902)Beijing Natural Science Foundation(8242041),and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2025M770353).
文摘Accurately assessing the relationship between tree growth and climatic factors is of great importance in dendrochronology.This study evaluated the consistency between alternative climate datasets(including station and gridded data)and actual climate data(fixed-point observations near the sampling sites),in northeastern China’s warm temperate zone and analyzed differences in their correlations with tree-ring width index.The results were:(1)Gridded temperature data,as well as precipitation and relative humidity data from the Huailai meteorological station,was more consistent with the actual climate data;in contrast,gridded soil moisture content data showed significant discrepancies.(2)Horizontal distance had a greater impact on the representativeness of actual climate conditions than vertical elevation differences.(3)Differences in consistency between alternative and actual climate data also affected their correlations with tree-ring width indices.In some growing season months,correlation coefficients,both in magnitude and sign,differed significantly from those based on actual data.The selection of different alternative climate datasets can lead to biased results in assessing forest responses to climate change,which is detrimental to the management of forest ecosystems in harsh environments.Therefore,the scientific and rational selection of alternative climate data is essential for dendroecological and climatological research.
文摘As interest in tropical forest restoration accelerates,understanding its hydrological implications is increasingly urgent.While concerns persist that reforestation will reduce annual water yields—particularly in drier climates—we highlight conditions under which forest landscape restoration(FLR)can improve seasonal water availability,especially during the dry season.We examine the trade-off between increased vegetation water use(“pumping”)and enhanced infiltration and subsurface retention(“sponging”)following forestation of degraded lands,the recovery of vegetation's ability to capture“occult”precipitation(fog)in specific coastal and montane settings,and the role of forest cover in enhancing moisture recycling and transport at multiple scales.A pan-tropical sensitivity analysis shows that in degraded landscapes with deep soils and pronounced rainfall seasonality,infiltration gains following forestation can offset or exceed evaporative losses,thereby supporting groundwater recharge and increasing dry-season flows in approximately 10%of cases,with an additional 8%showing near-neutral(slightly negative)outcomes.These findings challenge the assumption that forestation uniformly reduces water availability and underscore the need to prioritize dry-season flow recovery—rather than annual water yield—as a central hydrological goal of FLR.We call for trans-disciplinary research and long-term monitoring to inform forest restoration strategies,particularly in seasonally dry regions where water scarcity is most acute.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42030508)the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research(STEP)program(2019QZKK0301)the Key technology research and development projects in Xizang Autonomous Regions(XZ202101ZY0005G).
文摘A better understanding of the structure and dynamics of disturbed forests is key for forecasting their future successional trajectories.Despite vulnerability of subalpine forests to warming climate,little is known as to how their community composition has responded to disturbances and climate warming over decades.Before the 1970s,subalpine forests on the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau mainly experienced logging and fire,but afterwards they were more impacted by climate warming.Thus,they provide an excellent setting to test whether disturbances and climate warming led to changes in forest structure.Based on the analysis of 3145 forest inventory plots at 4-to 5-year resolution,we found that spruce-fir forests shifted to pine and broadleaved forests since the early 1970s.Such a turnover in species composition mainly occurred in the 1994e1998 period.By strongly altering site conditions,disturbances in concert with climate warming reshuffle community composition to warm-adapted broadleaf-pine species.Thus,moderate disturbances shifted forest composition through a gradual loss of resilience of spruce-fir forests.Shifts in these foundation species will have profound impacts on ecosystem functions and services.In the future,broadleaved forests could expand more rapidly than evergreen needle-leaved forests under moderate warming scenarios.In addition to climate,the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on subalpine forests should be considered in adaptive forest management and in projections of future forest changes.
基金the National Key Technologies R&D Program of China (2006BAD03A09)the National Science Fund of China (40841001)
文摘A new model was developed to predict forestland demand of China during the years of 2010-2050 in terms of the concept of forest ecosystem services. On the basis of the relationship between forest ecosystem services and classified forest management, we hypothesized that the ecological-forest provides ecological services, whereas commercial-forest supplies wood and timber production, and the influences of the growth of population, social-economic development target, forest management methods and the technology changes on forest resources were also taken into account. The prediction reveals that the demand of total forestland of China will be 244.8, 261.2 and 362.2 million ha by the year 2010, 2020 and 2050, respectively. The results demonstrated that China will be confronted with a shortage of forest resources, especially with lack of ecological-oriented forests, in the future. It is suggested that sustainable management of forest resources must be reinforced and more attention should be drown no enhancing the service function of forest ecosystem.
基金supported by the Swedish Government Research Council for Sustainable Development(Formas)grant#2023-00994.
文摘Background: Continuous Cover Forestry(CCF) is a type of forest management that is based on ecological, environmental, and biological principles. Specific definitions of CCF greatly vary and the concept usually includes a number of tenets or criteria. The most important tenet of CCF is the requirement to abandon the practice of largescale clearfelling in favour of selective thinning/harvesting and natural regeneration methods.Methods: CCF is commonly believed to have its main origin in an academic debate that was conducted through publications in a number of European and North American countries towards the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Our findings are exclusively based on a literature review of the history of CCF and they revealed that the European origins of CCF go much further back to a form of farm forestry that started to be practised in Central Europe in the 17th century. Eventually, this type of farm forestry led to the formation of the single-tree selection system as we know it today. Another influential tradition line contributing to modern CCF is individual-based forest management, which breaks forest stands down into small neighbourhood-based units. The centres of these units are dominant frame trees which form the framework of a forest stand. Consequently, management is only carried out in the local neighbourhood of frame trees. Individual-based forest management also modified inflexible area-control approaches of plantation forest management in favour of the flexible sizecontrol method.Results and conclusions: We found evidence that the three aforementioned tradition lines are equally important and much interacted in shaping modern CCF. Since CCF is an international accomplishment, it is helpful to thoroughly study the drivers and causes of such concepts. Understanding the gradual evolution can give valuable clues for the introduction and adaptation of CCF in countries where the concept is new.
基金carried out within the framework of the most important innovative project of state importance“Development of a system of ground-based and remote monitoring of carbon pools and greenhouse gas fluxes on the territory of the Russian Federation,…”(No.123030300031-6)in the northern taiga subzone and on the border of tundra and taiga under the state assignment of the Forest Institute of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences(FMEN-2021-0018)with the partial financial support from RSF(grant no.21-14-00204)。
文摘Background:The heartwood(HW)proportion in the trunk of mature trees is an important characteristic not only for wood quality but also for assessing the role of forests in carbon sequestration.We have for the first time studied the proportion of HW in the trunk and the distribution of carbon and extractives in sapwood(SW)and HW of 70–80 year old Pinus sylvestris L.trees under different growing conditions in the pine forests of North-West Russia.Method:We have examined the influence of conditions and tree position in stand(dominant,intermediate and suppressed trees)in the ecological series:blueberry pine forest(Blu)–lingonberry pine forest(Lin)–lichen pine forest(Lic).We have analyzed the influence of climate conditions in the biogeographical series of Lin:the middle taiga subzone–the northern taiga subzone–the transition area of the northern taiga subzone and tundra.Results:We found that the carbon concentration in HW was 1.6%–3.4%higher than in SW,and the difference depended on growing conditions.Carbon concentration in HW increased with a decrease in stand productivity(Blu-Lin-Lic).In medium-productive stands,the carbon concentration in SW was higher in intermediate and supressed trees compared to dominant trees.In the series from south to north,carbon concentration in HW increased by up to 2%,while in SW,it rose by 2.7%–3.8%.Conclusions:Our results once again emphasized the need for an empirical assessment of the accurate carbon content in aboveground wood biomass,including various forest growing conditions,to better understand the role of boreal forests in carbon storage.
基金supported by the Tianshan Talent Program of Xinjiang(2022TSYCCX0003,2024TSYCCX0041)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42375054)+1 种基金the Desert Meteorological Science Research Foundation of China(Sqj2021018)the Young Meteorological Talent Program of China Meteorological Administration and Youth Innovation Team of China Meteorological Administration(CMA2023QN08)。
文摘Forest ecosystems are critical to ecological stability,yet their functionality is increasingly threatened by the growing frequency of drought,particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.While afforestation enhances forest cover in these areas,the capacity of planted forests to adapt to climate change is poorly understood.This study examines the drought resistance and adaptive capacity of planted and naturally growing Schrenk spruce(Picea schrenkiana Fisch.&C.A.Mey.)in the Ili River Basin,Xinjiang,China using tree-ring analysis.The results indicate that natural stands have a stronger correlation with meteorological factors than plantations.Over the past 50 years,significant growth declines occurred during 1995-1997,2007-2009,and 2012-2014,with natural forests showing a greater frequency and severity of declines compared to plantations.Planted stands demonstrated greater resistance to drought,whereas natural forests had higher resilience and recovery.Over time,natural forests have shown declining resistance to drought but increased resilience and recovery.Conversely,plantations showed declines in resistance and recovery but an increased capacity for recovery.Older natural forests are more prone to growth decline,while structurally simpler planted forests show stronger drought resistance.However,following periods of drought,natural forests demonstrated a stronger capacity for recovery.These findings provide valuable insights into the response of P.schrenkiana to climate change and offer support for the sustainable management and conservation of forest ecosystems in the Xinjiang region of China.
基金Funding for this research was provided by the TAČR SS06010420the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague(grant no.IGA A_13_23).
文摘Anthropogenic activities have significantly contributed to the loss and fragmentation of primary forests across the globe,which has accelerated biodiversity decline,particularly among highly specialised species dependent on unique forest structures.Nevertheless,comparative studies between primary and managed forests are scarce,despite their importance for effective monitoring and conservation planning.To address this knowledge gap,we conducted a comparative study using a unique dataset of permanent study plots established across some of the best-preserved,mixed-beech primary forests and their adjacent managed counterparts in the Western Carpathian Mountains.We assessed the effects of forest structure and tree age—determined through extensive dendrochronological reconstructions—on contemporary lichen communities.Lichen species richness and the richness of red-listed species were 26%and 50%higher in primary forests than in managed forests,respectively,highlighting the outstanding conservation importance of primary forests.Generalised least squares(GLS)modelling demonstrated that in managed forests,lichen species richness was strongly associated with structural attributes:It increased with maximum tree age and the diameter of standing deadwood,and decreased with higher basal area(BA)of living trees,likely due to reduced understory light.In contrast,no structural variables significantly explained richness in primary forests,likely due to structural saturation and widespread microhabitat availability.Elevation emerged as the sole variable with significant explanatory strength.These findings underscore the critical role of structural complexity in supporting lichen diversity under different management regimes and provide a robust evidence base for promoting elements such as old trees,deadwood—especially large standing deadwood—and reduced canopy density.At the same time,they reaffirm the irreplaceable value of primary forests as biodiversity refuges and highlight the need for landscape-level conservation strategies that integrate both intact primary and structurally enriched managed forests.
基金funded by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2023YFF1304001-01)the Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32371870)。
文摘As the impact of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance continues to intensify around the world,the ecological integrity(EI)of forest ecosystems is compromised in various ways.This study aims to quantify ecological integrity,explore its latitudinal patterns,and identify the potential determinants behind it.We selected 15 indicators of forest composition,structure,and function and used two approaches to quantify ecological integrity.The results show a significant negative correlation between forest ecological integrity and increasing latitude.Climate emerged as the main driver of the latitudinal pattern compared to anthropogenic and other influencing factors.Our study offers a new approach to quantifying ecological integrity based on a set of indicators that may help assess the contribution of forest ecosystems in conservation,restoration,and ecosystem services.
基金supported part ia l l y by LIFE4Oak Forests Project LIFE16NAT/IT/000245)the RRF 2.3.121202200008 projectthe MERLiN project funded under the European Commission H2020 Programme(101036337 MERLiN H2020 LC GD 2020)。
文摘Increasing human activity is altering the struc-ture of forests,which affects the composition of communi-ties,including birds.However,little is known about the key forest structure variables that determine the richness of bird communities in European temperate oak forests.We,there-fore,aimed to identify key variables in these habitats that could contribute to the design of management strategies for forest conservation by surveying 11 oak-dominated forest sites throughout the mid-mountain range of Hungary at 86 survey points to reveal the role of different compositional and structural variables for forest stands that influence the breeding bird assemblages in the forests at the functional group and individual species levels.Based on decision tree modelling,our results showed that the density of trees larger than 30 cm DBH was an overall important variable,indi-cating that large-diameter trees were essential to provide diverse bird communities.The total abundance of birds,the foliage-gleaners,primary and secondary cavity nest-ers,residents,and five specific bird species were related to the density of high trunk diameter trees.The abundance of shrub nesters was negatively influenced by a high density of trees over 10 cm DBH.The density of the shrub layer positively affected total bird abundance and the abundance of foliage gleaners,secondary cavity nesters and residents.Analysis of the co-dominant tree species showed that the presence of linden,beech,and hornbeam was important in influencing the abundance of various bird species,e.g.,Eur-asian Treecreeper(Certhia familiaris),Marsh Tit(Poecile palustris)and Wood Warbler(Phylloscopus sibilatrix).Our results indicated that large trees,high tree diversity,and dense shrub layer were essential for forest bird communities and are critical targets for protection to maintain diverse and abundant bird communities in oak-dominated forest habitats.
基金supported by the UGent GOA project“Forest biodiversity and multifunctionality drive chronic stress-mediated dynamics in pathogen reservoirs(FORESTER)”(No.BOF20/GOA/009).
文摘Forest structural complexity influences arthropod communities by shaping habitat availability,microclimatic conditions,and resource distribution.However,the extent to which structural complexity and specific structural components drive arthropod abundance and biomass remains poorly understood in temperate forests.This study examined how local and landscape-scale forest characteristics influence arthropod communities across vertical strata(forest floor(FF),herb layer(HL),and shrub layer(SL))in 19 temperate deciduous forests in Belgium,dominated by pedunculate oak,European beech,or Canadian poplar.At the local scale,we assessed dominant tree species identity,overall forest structural complexity,and its components(vertical and horizontal structure,woody layer,herbal layer,and deadwood).At the landscape scale,we evaluated forest area,edge length,forest cover,and vegetation greenness(normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)).Contrary to expectation,arthropod biomass and abundance did not consistently increase with higher structural complexity.Instead,woody layer complexity,dominant tree species,and NDVI emerged as key drivers,with effects varying by context and stratum.Arthropod abundance and biomass were the highest in oak-and poplar-dominated forests and the lowest in beech forests,likely due to differences in litter quality,microhabitat availability,and understory development.Woody layer complexity positively influenced forest floor arthropods in poplar forests but had a negative effect in oak forests.At the landscape scale,NDVI unexpectedly showed negative relationships with arthropod abundance across strata and with arthropod biomass in the herb layer,likely reflecting dense canopy suppression of understory productivity.Arthropod biomass on the forest floor increased with forest cover,while abundance in the shrub layer decreased with forest cover but increased with forest area.These findings highlight the complex interplay between forest structural attributes,dominant tree species,and landscape factors in shaping arthropod communities.By identifying the key drivers of arthropod abundance and biomass,this study contributes to a better understanding of biodiversity patterns in temperate forests and their ecological dynamics.
