Background:Large-scale afforestation can significantly change the ground cover and soil physicochemical properties,especially the soil fertility maintenance and water conservation functions of artificial forests,which...Background:Large-scale afforestation can significantly change the ground cover and soil physicochemical properties,especially the soil fertility maintenance and water conservation functions of artificial forests,which are very important in semi-arid mountain ecosystems.However,how different tree species affect soil nutrients and soil physicochemical properties after afforestation,and which is the best plantation species for improving soil fertility and water conservation functions remain largely unknown.Methods:This study investigated the soil nutrient contents of three different plantations(Larix principis-rupprechtii,Picea crassifolia,Pinus tabuliformis),soils and plant-soil feedbacks,as well as the interactions between soil physicochemical properties.Results:The results revealed that the leaves and litter layers strongly influenced soil nutrient availability through biogeochemical processes:P.tabuliformis had higher organic carbon,ratio of organic carbon to total nitrogen(C:N)and organic carbon to total phosphorus(C:P)in the leaves and litter layers than L.principis-rupprechtii or P.crassifolia,suggesting that higher C:N and C:P hindered litter decomposition.As a result,the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia plantation forests significantly improved soil nutrients and clay components,compared with the P.tabuliformis plantation forest.Furthermore,the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia plantation forests significantly improved the soil capacity,soil total porosity,and capillary porosity,decreased soil bulk density,and enhanced water storage capacity,compared with the P.tabuliformis plantation forest.The results of this study showed that,the strong link between plants and soil was tightly coupled to C:N and C:P,and there was a close correlation between soil particle size distribution and soil physicochemical properties.Conclusions:Therefore,our results recommend planting the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia as the preferred tree species to enhance the soil fertility and water conservation functions,especially in semi-arid regions mountain forest ecosystems.展开更多
Rosa arabica Crép.is a perennial shrub belonging to the family Rosaceae.It is endemic to the high mountain area of St.Catherine Protected Area(SCPA)in southern Sinai,Egypt,and is listed as one of the most 100 thr...Rosa arabica Crép.is a perennial shrub belonging to the family Rosaceae.It is endemic to the high mountain area of St.Catherine Protected Area(SCPA)in southern Sinai,Egypt,and is listed as one of the most 100 threatened plants in the world.Recently,it has been listed as critically endangered by IUCN Red List due to its small extent of occurrence and tiny population size.We reported the continuous decline in habitat quality for this species and the urgent need to carry out on-ground conservation actions.So,this research aims to conserve Rosa arabica through in situ practices by implementing the following steps,respectively:a)evaluate the current conservation status through IUCN Red List to extract the environmental factors controlling the species’distribution necessary for establishing the recovery program,b)determine the potential species habitat suitability under the current climate conditions using Maxent,and c)based on the previous two steps,the translocation process for R.arabica in the suitable habitat will be done after the simple layering process as one of the most effective traditional vegetative methods for wild cultivation for this species.These steps aimed to reduce the impact of threats and the risk of extinction through increasing the population size,the Extent of Occurrence(EOO),and the Area of Occupancy(AOO).We extracted the environmental factors controlling the target species’distribution and habitat suitability range using the IUCN Red List assessment and Species Distribution Model(SDM).The most suitable habitat for R.arabica is predicted in the middle northern parts of SCPA,with the highest suitability in the High Mountains.Precipitation of driest quarter,precipitation of wettest month,precipitation of coldest quarter,and aspect are the highest mean contributors determining the distribution of R.arabica in SCPA.Rosa arabica potential distribution covers 324.4 km^(2)(7.46%)of the total SCPA area(4350 km^(2)).This area is divided into:18.1 km^(2)high probability,124.3 km^(2)moderate probability,and 182 km^(2)low probability.After one year of the simple layering process,ten branches rooted and were translocated into three sites that had been previously identified to cover three habitat suitability ranges(high,moderate,and low suitability).After a year of translocation in the wild,the survival rate ranged from 66%to 100%,the geographical range increased by 65%,and the population size by 6.8%.Therefore,if the new individuals continue to grow and adapt it may lead to the expansion of other environmental factors such as climatic and topographical factors that probably increase the resilience of the global population of the species to adverse events.Detailed information is provided in this research about the recovery program,from planning to implementation and monitoring,and recommendations for best practices.展开更多
Phosphorus(P),as a limiting nutrient,plays a crucial role in the mountainous ecosystem development.Its biogeochemical cycle in mountainous ecosystems determines the bioavailability and sustainable supply of P,and thus...Phosphorus(P),as a limiting nutrient,plays a crucial role in the mountainous ecosystem development.Its biogeochemical cycle in mountainous ecosystems determines the bioavailability and sustainable supply of P,and thus becomes a crucial process which needs to be fully understood and described for ecological and environmental conservation.However,most of research about P biogeochemical processes has been carried out in aquatic environment and agronomic field,but rare researches have been done in mountain ecosystem.In the present review,we summarize researches on P biogeochemical cycle concerning mountain ecosystem in recent decades,including rock weathering,the release,transformation and bioavailability of P,interactions between the P biological cycle and microbial and plant life,as well as the development of models.Based on the state of art,we propose the future work on this direction,including the integration of all these research,the development of a practical model to understand the P biogeochemical cycle and its bioavailability,and to provide a reference for ecological and environmental conservation of mountainous ecosystems and lowland aquatic systems.展开更多
Up to date, tropical mountainous ecosystems still lack in depth information on soil and environmental characteristics which are major factors limiting optimum crop production. The objective of this work was to study s...Up to date, tropical mountainous ecosystems still lack in depth information on soil and environmental characteristics which are major factors limiting optimum crop production. The objective of this work was to study soil characteristics and to evaluate the land capability level for the production of some common tropical crops in mountainous ecosystem soils of North West Cameroon. Soil sampling was done following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications for three topographic positions (upslope, midslope and footslope) and at two depths (0 - 20 cm and 20 - 100 cm). It was completed by standard laboratory analyses. The fertility capability classification (FCC) system enabled to identify soil limitations and to classify soils into FCC units. Land and climate were evaluated by simple limitation and parametric methods. Globally, the soils were dark-colored, sandy clayey to clayey, compact and very acidic (pHH2O = 4.3 - 5.8). The organic matter (3.7% - 5.1% dry matter), total nitrogen (0.08% - 0.56%) and available phosphorus (22.1 to 30.9 mg?kg?1) recorded for the 0 - 20 cm depth then reduced with depth but midslope values were also lower. The C/N ratio varied between 9 and 45. Low C/N values appeared mostly in 0 - 20 cm depth at the upslope and downslope soils and subsurface soils of midslope position. Exchangeable Ca was very low to low (1.43 - 3.6 cmol + kg?1), Mg was very low to low (0.39 - 1.5 cmol + kg?1), K was low to medium (0.2 - 0.54 cmol + kg?1) and Na was very low (?1). The sum of exchangeable bases was very low (3.02 - 5.19 cmol + kg?1), cation exchange capacity was low to moderate (8.60 - 25.6 cmol + kg?1) and base saturation was very low to low (19.27% - 36.97%). Leaching of bases under heavy rainfall is a major cause of soil acidification under humid topical ecosystems. The Ca/Mg/K ratio was unbalanced and Mg was the most relatively concentrated base in all the soils. There was a clear variation of most of the soil properties along the slope and with depth. The soils were classified in the FCC system as aek for the upslope soils, Caek for the midslope soils and Cagk for the footslope soils. The principal limitations to production of huckleberry, beans, maize and potatoes were heavy rainfall, wetness, steep slope, soil texture/structure and low soil fertility. These constraints might be overcome by farming at the end of the raining season, contour ploughing, terracing, fertilization and liming.展开更多
Using energy analysis,the quantifying evaluation and study method on production, living and ecology functions and their sustainability of rural settlement ecosystem in mountain area is established with these energy in...Using energy analysis,the quantifying evaluation and study method on production, living and ecology functions and their sustainability of rural settlement ecosystem in mountain area is established with these energy index such as export of labor and products, export of water resource, internal energy reserve, energy consumption for human living, net energy of ecosystem function and net internal reserve. Taking rural settlement Raosi Village in Hengduan Mountains as a case study, and on the basis of the synthetic research into the ecological process of the complex ecosystem, the study shows that energy costs of production, human living and ecology functions are separately taking 1.36%, 13.59% and 85. 05% of the gross ecosystem functions, and the exertions of production and human living functions are close to a high-point state on the present using level of energy in the settlement. The study also shows that the most important function of a rural settlement in mountain area is its ecological rather productive function.展开更多
The carbon cycle of forest ecosystems plays a key role in regulating CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Research on carbon storage estimation of forest ecosystems has become a major research topic. However, carbon ...The carbon cycle of forest ecosystems plays a key role in regulating CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Research on carbon storage estimation of forest ecosystems has become a major research topic. However, carbon budgets of subtropical forest ecosystems have received little attention. Reports of soil carbon storage and topographic heterogeneity of carbon storage are limited. This study focused on the Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve as an example of a mid-subtropical forest and evaluated soil and vegetation carbon storage by field sampling combined with GIS, RS and GPS technology. We classified the forest into nine forest types using ALOS high-resolution remote sensing images. The evergreen broad-leaved forest has the largest area, occupying 26.5% of the total area, followed by coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests and warm temperate coniferous forest, occupying 24.2 and 22.9%, respectively. The vegetation and soil carbon storage of the whole forest ecosystem were 1,692,344 and 5,514,707 t, with a carbon density of 7.4 and 24.2 kg/m^2, respectively, which suggests that the ecosystem has great carbon storage capacity. The topographic heterogeneity of the carbon storage was also analysed. The largest vegetation storage and soil storage is at 700–800 and 1000–1100 m, respectively. The vegetation carbon storage is highest in the southeast, south and southwest.展开更多
According to differences in vegetation types and their coverage, combining the latest research, using theory and method on the value of vegetation ecosystem services, this paper not only calculated goods...According to differences in vegetation types and their coverage, combining the latest research, using theory and method on the value of vegetation ecosystem services, this paper not only calculated goods produced by different types of vegetation but also estimated the value of various vegetation ecosystem services and set up database, GIS and eco-account of vegetation ecosystem. The result was as follows: the value of vegetation's primary productivity, soil and fertility conservation, water conservation, CO 2 fixation and O 2 release was 199.6 billion yuan/a, 22.64 billion yuan/a, 22.66 billion yuan/a, 352.24 billion yuan/a and 374.19 billion yuan/a, respectively. The total value of ecosystem services was 968.33 billion yuan/a. The temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest had the highest contribution rate, accounting for 16.42%. The result of value can reflect regional reality more exactly.展开更多
We selected a dark coniferous forest ecosystem of Gongga Mountain in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River as our research area to study the preferential flow and solute preferential transport by adding the tracers K...We selected a dark coniferous forest ecosystem of Gongga Mountain in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River as our research area to study the preferential flow and solute preferential transport by adding the tracers KNO3 and KBr to the self-made soil column equipment in different ways to examine density and volume changes of inflows and outflows of a mass input （impulse input） and a stable, well-distributed input （step input））. The results showed that this dark coniferous forest ecosystem of Gongga Mountain is a typical area of preferential flow and solute preferential transport, a process that can be classified into five parts. A great amount of solute was transported at high speed as the result of preferential flow in the soil and caused the density of the solute in both deep water and in groundwater to rise rapidly, which definitely increased pollution in the deep soil layer.展开更多
Soil incubation experiments were conducted in lab to delineate the effect of soil temperature and soil water content on soil respirations in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest (mountain dark brown forest soil), dark coni...Soil incubation experiments were conducted in lab to delineate the effect of soil temperature and soil water content on soil respirations in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest (mountain dark brown forest soil), dark coniferous forest (mountain brown coniferous forest soil) and erman's birch forest (mountain soddy forest soil) in Changbai Mountain in September 2001. The soil water content was adjusted to five different levels (9%, 21%, 30%, and 43%) by adding certain amount of water into the soil cylinders, and the soil sample was incubated at 0, 5, 15, 25 and 35°C for 24 h. The results indicated that in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest the soil respiration rate was positively correlated to soil temperature from 0 to 35°C. Soil respiration rate increased with increase of soil water content within the limits of 21% to 37%, while it decreased with soil water content when water content was over the range. The result suggested the interactive effects of temperature and water content on soil respiration. There were significant differences in soil respiration among the various forest types. The soil respiration rate was highest in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest, middle in erman's birch forest and the lowest in dark coniferous forest. The optimal soil temperature and soil water content for soil respiration was 35°C and 37% in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest, 25°C and 21% in dark coniferous forest, and 35°C and 37% in erman's birch forest. Because the forests of broad-leaved/Korean pine, dark coniferous and erman's birch are distributed at different altitudes, the soil temperature had 4–5°C variation in different forest types during the same period. Thus, the soil respiration rates measured in brown pine mountain soil were lower than those in dark brown forest and those measured in mountain grass forest soil were higher than those in brown pine mountain soil. Key words Soil temperature - Soil water content - Soil respiration - The typical forest ecosystem in Changbai Mountain CLC number S7118.51 Document code A Foundation item: This study was supported by grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30271068), the grant of the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZ-CX-SW-01-01B-12) and the grant from Advanced Programs of Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences.Biography: WANG Miao (1964-), male, associate professor in Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016, P. R. China.Responsible editor: Song Funan展开更多
Presently concepts and methods related to water resources conservation of mountain rivers are seriously insufficient,and its level is far from being adaptable to the development of a harmonious society.As mountain eco...Presently concepts and methods related to water resources conservation of mountain rivers are seriously insufficient,and its level is far from being adaptable to the development of a harmonious society.As mountain ecosystems play a key role in water resources conservation of mountain rivers,and the characteristics of mountain ecosystems and hydrologic features of mountain river follow strong temporal and spatial distribution,partition theory can be applied to the water resources conservation of mountain river.This theory observes the following partition principles:regional relativity,spatial continuity,integralcounty,meeting management needs,hierarchical principle,and comparability principle.And it lays equal emphasis on both water resources conservation and environmental protection,on both water quality conservation and water quantity protection,on the combination of water features,water cycle and water pollution.In the partition methods,index method and map superposition method will be applied in region partition.The example of region partition of water resources conservation in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River shows that the partition theory is practicable in water resources conservation of mountain rivers,and it provides a platform for future study in water resources conservation.展开更多
A checklist of the macrolichens (foliose, fruticose & squamulose) of Barluk Mountain National Nature Reserve located in northwestern China is presented. It was derived from 47 inventories of preserved and undevelo...A checklist of the macrolichens (foliose, fruticose & squamulose) of Barluk Mountain National Nature Reserve located in northwestern China is presented. It was derived from 47 inventories of preserved and undeveloped areas which yielded more than 670 collections containing 102 taxa (99 species, 1 subspecies, 2 varieties). Eight species were found that were new to Xinjiang, China. Twenty-eight species and 2 varieties were found on rock, 31 species on bark of deciduous and coniferous trees, 26 species on soil and 14 species and 1 subspecies over mosses. Foliose lichens were dominant with 76 species, followed by 16 species of squamulose lichens and 7 species of fruticose lichens.展开更多
Mountains are rich in biodiversity,and butterflies are species-rich and have a good ecological and evolutionary research foundation.This review addresses the potential and progress of studying mountain biodiversity us...Mountains are rich in biodiversity,and butterflies are species-rich and have a good ecological and evolutionary research foundation.This review addresses the potential and progress of studying mountain biodiversity using butterflies as a model.We discuss the uniqueness of mountain ecosystems,factors influencing the distribution of mountain butterflies,representative genetic and evolutionary models in butterfly research,and evolutionary studies of mountain biodiversity involving butterfly genetics and genomics.Finally,we demonstrate the necessity of studying mountain butterflies and propose future perspectives.This review provides insights for studying the biodiversity of mountain butterflies as well as a summary of research methods for reference.展开更多
Forest-grassland mosaics comprise a major component of tropical landscapes,hosting invaluable biodiversity and providing essential ecosystem services to hundreds of millions of people worldwide.While open biomes often...Forest-grassland mosaics comprise a major component of tropical landscapes,hosting invaluable biodiversity and providing essential ecosystem services to hundreds of millions of people worldwide.While open biomes often benefit from disturbance,forests can particularly be susceptible to structural changes resulting from such disruptions.Here we evaluate the influence of fire on the structure and landscape properties within natural forest islands immersed in a matrix of megadiverse montane grasslands.We conducted this study in 15 forest islands located in southeastern Brazil,assessing its fire frequency,intensity,and post-fire time over an eleven-year period from January 2012 to December 2022.Our results show that fire frequency is linked to soil characteristics and the percentage of herbaceous cover within the forest islands.We also found that the post-fire time is related to the percentage cover of the forest islands’associated herbs and shrubs.However,neither fire frequency,intensity,nor post-fire time was connected to significant changes in plant species richness,abundance,or in the upper vegetation strata(tree species richness and abundance,and canopy cover)in the interior of the forest islands.Furthermore,these fire-related variables did not result in temporal changes in the forest island’s canopy variation or landscape metrics.Our results underscore a low fire frequency and intensity within our study area,potentially explaining the limited fire-associated impact,and primarily on the lower vegetation strata.Despite acknowledging the relative stability of these forest islands under current fire regimes,we suggest further studies that can experimentally manipulate not only fire but also other anthropic disturbances for understanding the temporal dynamics of the forest islands and,consequently,their preservation.This perspective is indispensable for comprehensively understanding the ecological consequences of anthropogenic disturbances in natural forest islands.展开更多
High-elevation,snow-dependent,semiarid ecosystems across southwestern United States are expected to be vulnerable to climate change,including drought and fi re,with implications for various aspects of the water cycle....High-elevation,snow-dependent,semiarid ecosystems across southwestern United States are expected to be vulnerable to climate change,including drought and fi re,with implications for various aspects of the water cycle.To that end,much less is known about the dynamics of transpiration,an important component of the water cycle across this region.At the individual-tree scale,transpiration is estimated by scaling mean sap fl ux density by the hydroactive sapwood area(SA).SA also remains a key factor in eff ectively scaling individual tree water-use to stand level.SA across large spatial scales is normally established by relating SA of a few trees to primary size measures,e.g.,diameter at breast height(DBH),tree height(H),or canopy diameter(CD).Considering the importance of SA in scaling transpiration,the primary objective of this study was therefore to establish six species-specifi c(aspen,maple,white fi r,ponderosa pine,Douglas fi r,Englemann spruce)allometric relationships between SA and three primary size measures(DBH,CD,or H)across two high-elevation,snow-dependent,semiarid ecosystems in New Mexico and Arizona.Based on multiple statistical criteria(coeffi cient of determination,index of agreement,Nash–Sutcliff e effi-ciency)and ease of measurement in the forest,we identifi ed DBH as the primary independent variable for estimating SA across all sites.Based on group regression analysis,we found allometric relationships to be signifi cantly(p<0.05)diff erent for the same species(ponderosa pine,Douglas-fi r)across diff erent sites.Overall,our allometric relationships provide a valuable database for estimating transpiration at diff erent spatial scales from sap fl ow data in some of our most vulnerable ecosystems.展开更多
Mountain ecosystem provides numerous vital ecosystem services(ESs)to the people residing within or near the mountains worldwide.The mountains provide services such as timber,fibre,fodder,fuelwood,medicine,aesthetic,re...Mountain ecosystem provides numerous vital ecosystem services(ESs)to the people residing within or near the mountains worldwide.The mountains provide services such as timber,fibre,fodder,fuelwood,medicine,aesthetic,recreation,ritual,and religion,and many other services that are vital for the maintenance of the ecosystem.The mountains of Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions in Kargil District are much familiar for their ESs supply,and the residents have utilized these services for years.The present study was focused on the provisioning ESs.We used a random sample approach for household selection and data collection regarding the pre-prepared questionnaire;the number of households was obtained from government census data.The primary ESs(identified by more than 40%of the respondents)were assessed through the direct market valuation method.The direct market valuation method produced an overwhelming value,specifically for grazing and fodder services in both regions of the study area.Results showed that grazing service was valued at 482,346.43 USD/a for Barsoo region and 1,458,099.04 USD/a for Tai-Suru region.Similarly,fodder service of Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions corresponded to values of 69,833.61 and 110,886.06 USD/a,respectively.On the other hand,food service of Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions was valued at 2601.04 and 2969.90 USD/a,respectively,and medicinal service was valued at 757.39 and 4430.94 USD/a in Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions,respectively.In addition,the regions were economically backwards,and the resident’s survival and well-being relied on the mountain ESs.Therefore,it is not possible for the residents to pay services replacement costs if the services need to replace by other means.Unfortunately,such mountain ecosystem is highly prone to climate change and other human activities that would negatively impact the ecosystem functions.Therefore,this study would be helpful for the policymakers of the region to draft any developmental plan/framework by integrating the value of ESs that would be the key to achieving sustainable development.展开更多
In Europe, very small forest areas can be considered to be old-growth, and they are mainly located in Eastern Europe. The typical structures of old growth forests infrequently occur in Mediterranean mountainous enviro...In Europe, very small forest areas can be considered to be old-growth, and they are mainly located in Eastern Europe. The typical structures of old growth forests infrequently occur in Mediterranean mountainous environments, since they have been affected by human activities for centuries. This study focused on a remote and almost pure Italian maple stand located in southern Italy, which has not been managed for long time due to its inaccessibility. The effects of natural evolution on the forest stand were evaluated through the analysis of the spatial and chronological structure and the regeneration patterns, then estimating the amounts and quality of deadwood occurrence. Across the whole stand, all the trees with DBH （diameter at breast height） larger than 50 cm （LLT, large living trees） were measured （DBH and height） and age was also determined through a dendrochronological approach. The diameters observed ranged between 50 and 145 cm with ages of 12o to ~5o years. The Latham index calculated for trees within the sample plot highlighted a multilayered canopy with a dominant layer of largeliving trees （age 〉 120 years）. The size-class distribution of stems had a reverse-J shape, and basal area was 52 m2 ha-1. Deadwood was exclusively constituted by standing dead trees and CWD and its volume was on average 31 m3 ha-1. Pure Italian maple forests are generally rare in Europe, and it was unexpected to find a forest stand characterized by a so complex structure with old growth attributes. The study of complex forest stand, even if small, could give precious information on the forest evolution, clarifying also diverse auto-ecological traits of tree species that usually are not common in our forests.展开更多
In order to identify the species of bryophytes in Sygara Mountain in Tibet,2390 samples in the area were collected,identified and analyzed. The results show that bryophytes of Sygara Mountain have 26 families,70 gener...In order to identify the species of bryophytes in Sygara Mountain in Tibet,2390 samples in the area were collected,identified and analyzed. The results show that bryophytes of Sygara Mountain have 26 families,70 genera and 134 species; among them,25 families,69 genera and 133 species are mosses,and only one is liverwort,namely Conocephalum conicum( L.) Dum. 4 dominant families are in the descending order of Bryaceae,Dicranaceae,Pottiaceae,Polytrichaceae respectively,and the dominant genera are Hypnum,Brachythecium,Plagiomnium,Racomitrium and Dicranodontium.展开更多
In forest science and practice, the total tree height is one of the basic morphometric attributes at the tree level and it has been closely linked with important stand attributes. In the current research, sixteen nonl...In forest science and practice, the total tree height is one of the basic morphometric attributes at the tree level and it has been closely linked with important stand attributes. In the current research, sixteen nonlinear functions for height prediction were tested in terms of their fitting ability against samples of Abies borisii regis and Pinus sylvestris trees from mountainous forests in central Greece. The fitting procedure was based on generalized nonlinear weighted regression. At the final stage, a five-quantile nonlinear height-diameter model was developed for both species through a quantile regression approach, to estimate the entire conditional distribution of tree height, enabling the evaluation of the diameter impact at various quantiles and providing a comprehensive understanding of the proposed relationship across the distribution. The results clearly showed that employing the diameter as the sole independent variable, the 3-parameter Hossfeld function and the 2-parameter N?slund function managed to explain approximately 84.0% and 81.7% of the total height variance in the case of King Boris fir and Scots pine species, respectively. Furthermore, the models exhibited low levels of error in both cases(2.310m for the fir and 3.004m for the pine), yielding unbiased predictions for both fir(-0.002m) and pine(-0.004m). Notably, all the required assumptions for homogeneity and normality of the associated residuals were achieved through the weighting procedure, while the quantile regression approach provided additional insights into the height-diameter allometry of the specific species. The proposed models can turn into valuable tools for operational forest management planning, particularly for wood production and conservation of mountainous forest ecosystems.展开更多
Element cycling in the dominant plant communities including Rh. aureum, Rh. redowskianum and Vaccinium uliginosum in the Alpine tundra zone of Changbai Mountains in northeast China was studied. The results indicate th...Element cycling in the dominant plant communities including Rh. aureum, Rh. redowskianum and Vaccinium uliginosum in the Alpine tundra zone of Changbai Mountains in northeast China was studied. The results indicate that the amount of elements from litter decomposition was less than that of the plant uptake from soil, but that from plant uptake was higher than that in soil with mineralization process released. On the other hand, in the open system including precipitation input and soil leaching output, because of great number of elements from precipitation into the open system, the element cycling(except N, P) in the Alpine tundra ecosystem was in a dynamic balance. In this study, it was also found that different organ of plants had significant difference in accumulating elements. Ca, Mg, P and N were accumulated more obviously in leaves, while Fe was in roots. The degree of concentration of elements in different tissues of the same organ of the plants also was different, a higher concentration of Ca, Mg, P and N in mesophyll than in nerve but Fe was in a reversed order. The phenomenon indicates (1) a variety of biochemical functions of different elements, (2) the elements in mesophyll were with a shorter turnover period than those in nerve or fibre, but higher utilization rate for plant. Therefore, this study implies the significance of keeping element dynamic balance in the alpine tundra ecosystem of Changbai Mountains.展开更多
Riparian areas are unique although often small component of the overall watershed landscape. The structure of riparian forests along Erdaobai River on the north slope of Changbai Mountain were investigated by using fi...Riparian areas are unique although often small component of the overall watershed landscape. The structure of riparian forests along Erdaobai River on the north slope of Changbai Mountain were investigated by using field data collected from eight sampling transects perpendicular to the Erdaobai River channel. Two kinds of species-area saturation curves were used to examine the relationship between species number and minimum sampling area. The results showed that riparian gymnosperms accounted for a high proportion of all gymnosperms in the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve while riparian ferns and angiosperms accounted for a relatively low proportion. The average minimum sampling areas of riparian forest that included 60%, 80%, and 90% of the community species pool were about 85, 185, and 328 m 2 , respectively; while those for nonriparian forest were about 275, 390, and 514 m 2 , correspondingly.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA20100101)a Major Special Science and Technology Project of Gansu Province(18ZD2FA009)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(31522013).
文摘Background:Large-scale afforestation can significantly change the ground cover and soil physicochemical properties,especially the soil fertility maintenance and water conservation functions of artificial forests,which are very important in semi-arid mountain ecosystems.However,how different tree species affect soil nutrients and soil physicochemical properties after afforestation,and which is the best plantation species for improving soil fertility and water conservation functions remain largely unknown.Methods:This study investigated the soil nutrient contents of three different plantations(Larix principis-rupprechtii,Picea crassifolia,Pinus tabuliformis),soils and plant-soil feedbacks,as well as the interactions between soil physicochemical properties.Results:The results revealed that the leaves and litter layers strongly influenced soil nutrient availability through biogeochemical processes:P.tabuliformis had higher organic carbon,ratio of organic carbon to total nitrogen(C:N)and organic carbon to total phosphorus(C:P)in the leaves and litter layers than L.principis-rupprechtii or P.crassifolia,suggesting that higher C:N and C:P hindered litter decomposition.As a result,the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia plantation forests significantly improved soil nutrients and clay components,compared with the P.tabuliformis plantation forest.Furthermore,the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia plantation forests significantly improved the soil capacity,soil total porosity,and capillary porosity,decreased soil bulk density,and enhanced water storage capacity,compared with the P.tabuliformis plantation forest.The results of this study showed that,the strong link between plants and soil was tightly coupled to C:N and C:P,and there was a close correlation between soil particle size distribution and soil physicochemical properties.Conclusions:Therefore,our results recommend planting the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia as the preferred tree species to enhance the soil fertility and water conservation functions,especially in semi-arid regions mountain forest ecosystems.
基金the Rufford Foundation for their financial support。
文摘Rosa arabica Crép.is a perennial shrub belonging to the family Rosaceae.It is endemic to the high mountain area of St.Catherine Protected Area(SCPA)in southern Sinai,Egypt,and is listed as one of the most 100 threatened plants in the world.Recently,it has been listed as critically endangered by IUCN Red List due to its small extent of occurrence and tiny population size.We reported the continuous decline in habitat quality for this species and the urgent need to carry out on-ground conservation actions.So,this research aims to conserve Rosa arabica through in situ practices by implementing the following steps,respectively:a)evaluate the current conservation status through IUCN Red List to extract the environmental factors controlling the species’distribution necessary for establishing the recovery program,b)determine the potential species habitat suitability under the current climate conditions using Maxent,and c)based on the previous two steps,the translocation process for R.arabica in the suitable habitat will be done after the simple layering process as one of the most effective traditional vegetative methods for wild cultivation for this species.These steps aimed to reduce the impact of threats and the risk of extinction through increasing the population size,the Extent of Occurrence(EOO),and the Area of Occupancy(AOO).We extracted the environmental factors controlling the target species’distribution and habitat suitability range using the IUCN Red List assessment and Species Distribution Model(SDM).The most suitable habitat for R.arabica is predicted in the middle northern parts of SCPA,with the highest suitability in the High Mountains.Precipitation of driest quarter,precipitation of wettest month,precipitation of coldest quarter,and aspect are the highest mean contributors determining the distribution of R.arabica in SCPA.Rosa arabica potential distribution covers 324.4 km^(2)(7.46%)of the total SCPA area(4350 km^(2)).This area is divided into:18.1 km^(2)high probability,124.3 km^(2)moderate probability,and 182 km^(2)low probability.After one year of the simple layering process,ten branches rooted and were translocated into three sites that had been previously identified to cover three habitat suitability ranges(high,moderate,and low suitability).After a year of translocation in the wild,the survival rate ranged from 66%to 100%,the geographical range increased by 65%,and the population size by 6.8%.Therefore,if the new individuals continue to grow and adapt it may lead to the expansion of other environmental factors such as climatic and topographical factors that probably increase the resilience of the global population of the species to adverse events.Detailed information is provided in this research about the recovery program,from planning to implementation and monitoring,and recommendations for best practices.
基金funded by Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant Nos. KZCX2-YW-BR-21 and KZZD-EW-TZ-06)Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41272200)
文摘Phosphorus(P),as a limiting nutrient,plays a crucial role in the mountainous ecosystem development.Its biogeochemical cycle in mountainous ecosystems determines the bioavailability and sustainable supply of P,and thus becomes a crucial process which needs to be fully understood and described for ecological and environmental conservation.However,most of research about P biogeochemical processes has been carried out in aquatic environment and agronomic field,but rare researches have been done in mountain ecosystem.In the present review,we summarize researches on P biogeochemical cycle concerning mountain ecosystem in recent decades,including rock weathering,the release,transformation and bioavailability of P,interactions between the P biological cycle and microbial and plant life,as well as the development of models.Based on the state of art,we propose the future work on this direction,including the integration of all these research,the development of a practical model to understand the P biogeochemical cycle and its bioavailability,and to provide a reference for ecological and environmental conservation of mountainous ecosystems and lowland aquatic systems.
文摘Up to date, tropical mountainous ecosystems still lack in depth information on soil and environmental characteristics which are major factors limiting optimum crop production. The objective of this work was to study soil characteristics and to evaluate the land capability level for the production of some common tropical crops in mountainous ecosystem soils of North West Cameroon. Soil sampling was done following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications for three topographic positions (upslope, midslope and footslope) and at two depths (0 - 20 cm and 20 - 100 cm). It was completed by standard laboratory analyses. The fertility capability classification (FCC) system enabled to identify soil limitations and to classify soils into FCC units. Land and climate were evaluated by simple limitation and parametric methods. Globally, the soils were dark-colored, sandy clayey to clayey, compact and very acidic (pHH2O = 4.3 - 5.8). The organic matter (3.7% - 5.1% dry matter), total nitrogen (0.08% - 0.56%) and available phosphorus (22.1 to 30.9 mg?kg?1) recorded for the 0 - 20 cm depth then reduced with depth but midslope values were also lower. The C/N ratio varied between 9 and 45. Low C/N values appeared mostly in 0 - 20 cm depth at the upslope and downslope soils and subsurface soils of midslope position. Exchangeable Ca was very low to low (1.43 - 3.6 cmol + kg?1), Mg was very low to low (0.39 - 1.5 cmol + kg?1), K was low to medium (0.2 - 0.54 cmol + kg?1) and Na was very low (?1). The sum of exchangeable bases was very low (3.02 - 5.19 cmol + kg?1), cation exchange capacity was low to moderate (8.60 - 25.6 cmol + kg?1) and base saturation was very low to low (19.27% - 36.97%). Leaching of bases under heavy rainfall is a major cause of soil acidification under humid topical ecosystems. The Ca/Mg/K ratio was unbalanced and Mg was the most relatively concentrated base in all the soils. There was a clear variation of most of the soil properties along the slope and with depth. The soils were classified in the FCC system as aek for the upslope soils, Caek for the midslope soils and Cagk for the footslope soils. The principal limitations to production of huckleberry, beans, maize and potatoes were heavy rainfall, wetness, steep slope, soil texture/structure and low soil fertility. These constraints might be overcome by farming at the end of the raining season, contour ploughing, terracing, fertilization and liming.
文摘Using energy analysis,the quantifying evaluation and study method on production, living and ecology functions and their sustainability of rural settlement ecosystem in mountain area is established with these energy index such as export of labor and products, export of water resource, internal energy reserve, energy consumption for human living, net energy of ecosystem function and net internal reserve. Taking rural settlement Raosi Village in Hengduan Mountains as a case study, and on the basis of the synthetic research into the ecological process of the complex ecosystem, the study shows that energy costs of production, human living and ecology functions are separately taking 1.36%, 13.59% and 85. 05% of the gross ecosystem functions, and the exertions of production and human living functions are close to a high-point state on the present using level of energy in the settlement. The study also shows that the most important function of a rural settlement in mountain area is its ecological rather productive function.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41701209,41501095,41601198)
文摘The carbon cycle of forest ecosystems plays a key role in regulating CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Research on carbon storage estimation of forest ecosystems has become a major research topic. However, carbon budgets of subtropical forest ecosystems have received little attention. Reports of soil carbon storage and topographic heterogeneity of carbon storage are limited. This study focused on the Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve as an example of a mid-subtropical forest and evaluated soil and vegetation carbon storage by field sampling combined with GIS, RS and GPS technology. We classified the forest into nine forest types using ALOS high-resolution remote sensing images. The evergreen broad-leaved forest has the largest area, occupying 26.5% of the total area, followed by coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests and warm temperate coniferous forest, occupying 24.2 and 22.9%, respectively. The vegetation and soil carbon storage of the whole forest ecosystem were 1,692,344 and 5,514,707 t, with a carbon density of 7.4 and 24.2 kg/m^2, respectively, which suggests that the ecosystem has great carbon storage capacity. The topographic heterogeneity of the carbon storage was also analysed. The largest vegetation storage and soil storage is at 700–800 and 1000–1100 m, respectively. The vegetation carbon storage is highest in the southeast, south and southwest.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China No.30070083+1 种基金 Ministry of Education of China No.2001DXM700012
文摘According to differences in vegetation types and their coverage, combining the latest research, using theory and method on the value of vegetation ecosystem services, this paper not only calculated goods produced by different types of vegetation but also estimated the value of various vegetation ecosystem services and set up database, GIS and eco-account of vegetation ecosystem. The result was as follows: the value of vegetation's primary productivity, soil and fertility conservation, water conservation, CO 2 fixation and O 2 release was 199.6 billion yuan/a, 22.64 billion yuan/a, 22.66 billion yuan/a, 352.24 billion yuan/a and 374.19 billion yuan/a, respectively. The total value of ecosystem services was 968.33 billion yuan/a. The temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest had the highest contribution rate, accounting for 16.42%. The result of value can reflect regional reality more exactly.
基金the financial support provided by the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20060022006)National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (Grant No. 30471379)
文摘We selected a dark coniferous forest ecosystem of Gongga Mountain in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River as our research area to study the preferential flow and solute preferential transport by adding the tracers KNO3 and KBr to the self-made soil column equipment in different ways to examine density and volume changes of inflows and outflows of a mass input （impulse input） and a stable, well-distributed input （step input））. The results showed that this dark coniferous forest ecosystem of Gongga Mountain is a typical area of preferential flow and solute preferential transport, a process that can be classified into five parts. A great amount of solute was transported at high speed as the result of preferential flow in the soil and caused the density of the solute in both deep water and in groundwater to rise rapidly, which definitely increased pollution in the deep soil layer.
基金This study was supported by grant from the National Natu-ral Science Foundation of China (No. 30271068) the grant of the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZ
文摘Soil incubation experiments were conducted in lab to delineate the effect of soil temperature and soil water content on soil respirations in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest (mountain dark brown forest soil), dark coniferous forest (mountain brown coniferous forest soil) and erman's birch forest (mountain soddy forest soil) in Changbai Mountain in September 2001. The soil water content was adjusted to five different levels (9%, 21%, 30%, and 43%) by adding certain amount of water into the soil cylinders, and the soil sample was incubated at 0, 5, 15, 25 and 35°C for 24 h. The results indicated that in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest the soil respiration rate was positively correlated to soil temperature from 0 to 35°C. Soil respiration rate increased with increase of soil water content within the limits of 21% to 37%, while it decreased with soil water content when water content was over the range. The result suggested the interactive effects of temperature and water content on soil respiration. There were significant differences in soil respiration among the various forest types. The soil respiration rate was highest in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest, middle in erman's birch forest and the lowest in dark coniferous forest. The optimal soil temperature and soil water content for soil respiration was 35°C and 37% in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest, 25°C and 21% in dark coniferous forest, and 35°C and 37% in erman's birch forest. Because the forests of broad-leaved/Korean pine, dark coniferous and erman's birch are distributed at different altitudes, the soil temperature had 4–5°C variation in different forest types during the same period. Thus, the soil respiration rates measured in brown pine mountain soil were lower than those in dark brown forest and those measured in mountain grass forest soil were higher than those in brown pine mountain soil. Key words Soil temperature - Soil water content - Soil respiration - The typical forest ecosystem in Changbai Mountain CLC number S7118.51 Document code A Foundation item: This study was supported by grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30271068), the grant of the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZ-CX-SW-01-01B-12) and the grant from Advanced Programs of Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences.Biography: WANG Miao (1964-), male, associate professor in Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016, P. R. China.Responsible editor: Song Funan
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.40730634)State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection Project(Grant No.SKLGP2009z006)
文摘Presently concepts and methods related to water resources conservation of mountain rivers are seriously insufficient,and its level is far from being adaptable to the development of a harmonious society.As mountain ecosystems play a key role in water resources conservation of mountain rivers,and the characteristics of mountain ecosystems and hydrologic features of mountain river follow strong temporal and spatial distribution,partition theory can be applied to the water resources conservation of mountain river.This theory observes the following partition principles:regional relativity,spatial continuity,integralcounty,meeting management needs,hierarchical principle,and comparability principle.And it lays equal emphasis on both water resources conservation and environmental protection,on both water quality conservation and water quantity protection,on the combination of water features,water cycle and water pollution.In the partition methods,index method and map superposition method will be applied in region partition.The example of region partition of water resources conservation in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River shows that the partition theory is practicable in water resources conservation of mountain rivers,and it provides a platform for future study in water resources conservation.
文摘A checklist of the macrolichens (foliose, fruticose & squamulose) of Barluk Mountain National Nature Reserve located in northwestern China is presented. It was derived from 47 inventories of preserved and undeveloped areas which yielded more than 670 collections containing 102 taxa (99 species, 1 subspecies, 2 varieties). Eight species were found that were new to Xinjiang, China. Twenty-eight species and 2 varieties were found on rock, 31 species on bark of deciduous and coniferous trees, 26 species on soil and 14 species and 1 subspecies over mosses. Foliose lichens were dominant with 76 species, followed by 16 species of squamulose lichens and 7 species of fruticose lichens.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32170420 and 31871271)the Beijing Natural Science Foundation(JQ19021)the Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Science,the State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research,the Qidong-SLS Innovation Fund,Benyuan Charity Young Investigator Exploration Fellowship in Life Science to W.Z.,and grants from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2023M730082 and BX20230026)to S.W.
文摘Mountains are rich in biodiversity,and butterflies are species-rich and have a good ecological and evolutionary research foundation.This review addresses the potential and progress of studying mountain biodiversity using butterflies as a model.We discuss the uniqueness of mountain ecosystems,factors influencing the distribution of mountain butterflies,representative genetic and evolutionary models in butterfly research,and evolutionary studies of mountain biodiversity involving butterfly genetics and genomics.Finally,we demonstrate the necessity of studying mountain butterflies and propose future perspectives.This review provides insights for studying the biodiversity of mountain butterflies as well as a summary of research methods for reference.
基金supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development(CNPq)(PELD-441515/2016-9)Minas Gerais State Research Foundation(FAPEMIG)for the funding of the long-term ecological research"PELD Campos Rupestres da Serra do Cipó",and by the Bio-Bridge Initiative(BBI)/CDB-Cascading Long Term Effects of Fire on Savanna Biodiversity in the Southern Hemisphere,Brazil and Namibia for providing additional resources to carry out the study.JK thanks the INCT EECBio(Ecologia,Evolução e Conservação da Biodiversidade)and CNPq for a postdoctoral grant(380009/2023-4)+3 种基金YO thanks Fapemig for her postdoctoral grant(APQ 0031-19)FC thanks CAPES,and FAPEMIG for postdoctoral grants.FSN and GWF thank CNPq for the fellowship grant.DRM thanks CNPq(311002/2023-4)for fundingBSSF and BDA thank Fapemig.RA and LA thanks FONCyT(PICT 2019-1897).EF thanks BBI(UN Environment Programme).APL and BRS thank Fapemig(APQ 0031-19)TLSB thanks CAPES and CNPq.FFG thanks PPBio and FINEP for a postdoctoral grant(01.20.0201.00).
文摘Forest-grassland mosaics comprise a major component of tropical landscapes,hosting invaluable biodiversity and providing essential ecosystem services to hundreds of millions of people worldwide.While open biomes often benefit from disturbance,forests can particularly be susceptible to structural changes resulting from such disruptions.Here we evaluate the influence of fire on the structure and landscape properties within natural forest islands immersed in a matrix of megadiverse montane grasslands.We conducted this study in 15 forest islands located in southeastern Brazil,assessing its fire frequency,intensity,and post-fire time over an eleven-year period from January 2012 to December 2022.Our results show that fire frequency is linked to soil characteristics and the percentage of herbaceous cover within the forest islands.We also found that the post-fire time is related to the percentage cover of the forest islands’associated herbs and shrubs.However,neither fire frequency,intensity,nor post-fire time was connected to significant changes in plant species richness,abundance,or in the upper vegetation strata(tree species richness and abundance,and canopy cover)in the interior of the forest islands.Furthermore,these fire-related variables did not result in temporal changes in the forest island’s canopy variation or landscape metrics.Our results underscore a low fire frequency and intensity within our study area,potentially explaining the limited fire-associated impact,and primarily on the lower vegetation strata.Despite acknowledging the relative stability of these forest islands under current fire regimes,we suggest further studies that can experimentally manipulate not only fire but also other anthropic disturbances for understanding the temporal dynamics of the forest islands and,consequently,their preservation.This perspective is indispensable for comprehensively understanding the ecological consequences of anthropogenic disturbances in natural forest islands.
基金A very special note of thanks to Dr.Valerie Trouet,Dr.David J.P.Moore,Emily Dynes,Ian Shiach,Dr.Julia N.Perdrial,Michael Pohlmann and Lori Lovell during the collection of tree core samples and the tree survey.M.R.A.was supported by the DOE Regional and Global Climate Modeling program DE-SC0016011 and by the University of Arizona Water,Environment,and Energy Solutions(WEES)and Sustainability of Semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas(SAHRA)programs.
文摘High-elevation,snow-dependent,semiarid ecosystems across southwestern United States are expected to be vulnerable to climate change,including drought and fi re,with implications for various aspects of the water cycle.To that end,much less is known about the dynamics of transpiration,an important component of the water cycle across this region.At the individual-tree scale,transpiration is estimated by scaling mean sap fl ux density by the hydroactive sapwood area(SA).SA also remains a key factor in eff ectively scaling individual tree water-use to stand level.SA across large spatial scales is normally established by relating SA of a few trees to primary size measures,e.g.,diameter at breast height(DBH),tree height(H),or canopy diameter(CD).Considering the importance of SA in scaling transpiration,the primary objective of this study was therefore to establish six species-specifi c(aspen,maple,white fi r,ponderosa pine,Douglas fi r,Englemann spruce)allometric relationships between SA and three primary size measures(DBH,CD,or H)across two high-elevation,snow-dependent,semiarid ecosystems in New Mexico and Arizona.Based on multiple statistical criteria(coeffi cient of determination,index of agreement,Nash–Sutcliff e effi-ciency)and ease of measurement in the forest,we identifi ed DBH as the primary independent variable for estimating SA across all sites.Based on group regression analysis,we found allometric relationships to be signifi cantly(p<0.05)diff erent for the same species(ponderosa pine,Douglas-fi r)across diff erent sites.Overall,our allometric relationships provide a valuable database for estimating transpiration at diff erent spatial scales from sap fl ow data in some of our most vulnerable ecosystems.
基金financially supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research,New Delhi,Government of India in the form of the Junior Research Fellowship(CSIR-JRF)(09/135(0884)/2019-EMR-I)the second author is also funded by the University Grants Commission(UGC),New Delhi,Government of India in the form of Junior Research Fellowship(UGC-JRF)[UGC Ref.No.:453/(CSIR-UGC NET DEC.2018)]。
文摘Mountain ecosystem provides numerous vital ecosystem services(ESs)to the people residing within or near the mountains worldwide.The mountains provide services such as timber,fibre,fodder,fuelwood,medicine,aesthetic,recreation,ritual,and religion,and many other services that are vital for the maintenance of the ecosystem.The mountains of Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions in Kargil District are much familiar for their ESs supply,and the residents have utilized these services for years.The present study was focused on the provisioning ESs.We used a random sample approach for household selection and data collection regarding the pre-prepared questionnaire;the number of households was obtained from government census data.The primary ESs(identified by more than 40%of the respondents)were assessed through the direct market valuation method.The direct market valuation method produced an overwhelming value,specifically for grazing and fodder services in both regions of the study area.Results showed that grazing service was valued at 482,346.43 USD/a for Barsoo region and 1,458,099.04 USD/a for Tai-Suru region.Similarly,fodder service of Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions corresponded to values of 69,833.61 and 110,886.06 USD/a,respectively.On the other hand,food service of Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions was valued at 2601.04 and 2969.90 USD/a,respectively,and medicinal service was valued at 757.39 and 4430.94 USD/a in Barsoo and Tai-Suru regions,respectively.In addition,the regions were economically backwards,and the resident’s survival and well-being relied on the mountain ESs.Therefore,it is not possible for the residents to pay services replacement costs if the services need to replace by other means.Unfortunately,such mountain ecosystem is highly prone to climate change and other human activities that would negatively impact the ecosystem functions.Therefore,this study would be helpful for the policymakers of the region to draft any developmental plan/framework by integrating the value of ESs that would be the key to achieving sustainable development.
基金partially developed within the scope of research project LIFE+2013 "PAN LIFE Project-Natura 2000 Action Programme.Life+Nature-2013-LIFE13 NAT/IT/001075
文摘In Europe, very small forest areas can be considered to be old-growth, and they are mainly located in Eastern Europe. The typical structures of old growth forests infrequently occur in Mediterranean mountainous environments, since they have been affected by human activities for centuries. This study focused on a remote and almost pure Italian maple stand located in southern Italy, which has not been managed for long time due to its inaccessibility. The effects of natural evolution on the forest stand were evaluated through the analysis of the spatial and chronological structure and the regeneration patterns, then estimating the amounts and quality of deadwood occurrence. Across the whole stand, all the trees with DBH （diameter at breast height） larger than 50 cm （LLT, large living trees） were measured （DBH and height） and age was also determined through a dendrochronological approach. The diameters observed ranged between 50 and 145 cm with ages of 12o to ~5o years. The Latham index calculated for trees within the sample plot highlighted a multilayered canopy with a dominant layer of largeliving trees （age 〉 120 years）. The size-class distribution of stems had a reverse-J shape, and basal area was 52 m2 ha-1. Deadwood was exclusively constituted by standing dead trees and CWD and its volume was on average 31 m3 ha-1. Pure Italian maple forests are generally rare in Europe, and it was unexpected to find a forest stand characterized by a so complex structure with old growth attributes. The study of complex forest stand, even if small, could give precious information on the forest evolution, clarifying also diverse auto-ecological traits of tree species that usually are not common in our forests.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31640010)Tibet’s Research and Development of Characteristic Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Resources Synergy Innovation Center-Plateau Ecological,Natural Science+3 种基金Technology Foundation of Tibet Autonomous Region(2016ZR-15-41)Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College Graduate Innovation Projects(YJS2016-05)2016 Young University Teachers Innovation Support Program(QCZ2016-49)Tibet Science and Technology Department-Office for the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry School Fund(2016ZR-NY-03)
文摘In order to identify the species of bryophytes in Sygara Mountain in Tibet,2390 samples in the area were collected,identified and analyzed. The results show that bryophytes of Sygara Mountain have 26 families,70 genera and 134 species; among them,25 families,69 genera and 133 species are mosses,and only one is liverwort,namely Conocephalum conicum( L.) Dum. 4 dominant families are in the descending order of Bryaceae,Dicranaceae,Pottiaceae,Polytrichaceae respectively,and the dominant genera are Hypnum,Brachythecium,Plagiomnium,Racomitrium and Dicranodontium.
文摘In forest science and practice, the total tree height is one of the basic morphometric attributes at the tree level and it has been closely linked with important stand attributes. In the current research, sixteen nonlinear functions for height prediction were tested in terms of their fitting ability against samples of Abies borisii regis and Pinus sylvestris trees from mountainous forests in central Greece. The fitting procedure was based on generalized nonlinear weighted regression. At the final stage, a five-quantile nonlinear height-diameter model was developed for both species through a quantile regression approach, to estimate the entire conditional distribution of tree height, enabling the evaluation of the diameter impact at various quantiles and providing a comprehensive understanding of the proposed relationship across the distribution. The results clearly showed that employing the diameter as the sole independent variable, the 3-parameter Hossfeld function and the 2-parameter N?slund function managed to explain approximately 84.0% and 81.7% of the total height variance in the case of King Boris fir and Scots pine species, respectively. Furthermore, the models exhibited low levels of error in both cases(2.310m for the fir and 3.004m for the pine), yielding unbiased predictions for both fir(-0.002m) and pine(-0.004m). Notably, all the required assumptions for homogeneity and normality of the associated residuals were achieved through the weighting procedure, while the quantile regression approach provided additional insights into the height-diameter allometry of the specific species. The proposed models can turn into valuable tools for operational forest management planning, particularly for wood production and conservation of mountainous forest ecosystems.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China(No. 90211003) and the Innovation Program of the Chinese Acdemy of Sciences(No. KZCX3 SW 332)
文摘Element cycling in the dominant plant communities including Rh. aureum, Rh. redowskianum and Vaccinium uliginosum in the Alpine tundra zone of Changbai Mountains in northeast China was studied. The results indicate that the amount of elements from litter decomposition was less than that of the plant uptake from soil, but that from plant uptake was higher than that in soil with mineralization process released. On the other hand, in the open system including precipitation input and soil leaching output, because of great number of elements from precipitation into the open system, the element cycling(except N, P) in the Alpine tundra ecosystem was in a dynamic balance. In this study, it was also found that different organ of plants had significant difference in accumulating elements. Ca, Mg, P and N were accumulated more obviously in leaves, while Fe was in roots. The degree of concentration of elements in different tissues of the same organ of the plants also was different, a higher concentration of Ca, Mg, P and N in mesophyll than in nerve but Fe was in a reversed order. The phenomenon indicates (1) a variety of biochemical functions of different elements, (2) the elements in mesophyll were with a shorter turnover period than those in nerve or fibre, but higher utilization rate for plant. Therefore, this study implies the significance of keeping element dynamic balance in the alpine tundra ecosystem of Changbai Mountains.
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2006BAD03A09)the Special Fund of State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology
文摘Riparian areas are unique although often small component of the overall watershed landscape. The structure of riparian forests along Erdaobai River on the north slope of Changbai Mountain were investigated by using field data collected from eight sampling transects perpendicular to the Erdaobai River channel. Two kinds of species-area saturation curves were used to examine the relationship between species number and minimum sampling area. The results showed that riparian gymnosperms accounted for a high proportion of all gymnosperms in the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve while riparian ferns and angiosperms accounted for a relatively low proportion. The average minimum sampling areas of riparian forest that included 60%, 80%, and 90% of the community species pool were about 85, 185, and 328 m 2 , respectively; while those for nonriparian forest were about 275, 390, and 514 m 2 , correspondingly.
