The paper summarizes the structure and water-absorbing mechanism,classification,and preparation method of polymer fire extinguishing gel,and prospects for its application in aerial firefighting,forest ground fire exti...The paper summarizes the structure and water-absorbing mechanism,classification,and preparation method of polymer fire extinguishing gel,and prospects for its application in aerial firefighting,forest ground fire extinguishing,opening of firebreaks,and mitigating human casualties in forest fire extinguishing.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
Fine roots play a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycles of terrestrial ecosystems.Patterns of fine roots biomass formation for broad geographical areas are still unclear.We use published estimates of characteristi...Fine roots play a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycles of terrestrial ecosystems.Patterns of fine roots biomass formation for broad geographical areas are still unclear.We use published estimates of characteristics of European pine and spruce stands to determine their productivity and calculate the needle biomass.Then,the relationship between the fine-root:needle biomass ratio of European pine and spruce forests and the stand quality index,which is a proxy of soil fertility,was determined.We show that a rise in soil fertility is accompanied by a decrease in this ratio.Moving from the northern edge of the boreal zone southwards,with the related rise in air and soil temperatures,we see a decline in the mass ratio of fine roots and needle.The change in the fine-root:needle biomass ratio is controlled by the change in specific water uptake by roots,which is related to the osmotic pressure of the solution in the absorbing root's central vascular cylinder.The fine-root:needle ratio does not vary among stands of the same age if the stand quality index and the geographical latitude(a proxy of air and soil temperatures)are constant.These findings may be useful for further in-depth analysis of forest ecosystem functioning in Europe.展开更多
Rapid urbanization has caused significant changes along the urban-rural gradient,leading to a variety of landscapes that are mainly shaped by human activities.This dynamic interplay also influences the distribution an...Rapid urbanization has caused significant changes along the urban-rural gradient,leading to a variety of landscapes that are mainly shaped by human activities.This dynamic interplay also influences the distribution and characteristics of trees outside forests(TOF).Understanding the pattern of these trees will support informed decision-making in urban planning,in conservation strategies,and altogether in sustainable land management practices in the urban context.In this study,we employed a deep learning-based object detection model and high resolution satellite imagery to identify 1.3 million trees with bounding boxes within a 250 km^(2)research transect spanning the urban-rural gradient of Bengaluru,a megacity in Southern India.Additionally,we developed an allometric equation to estimate diameter at breast height(DBH)from the tree crown diameter(CD)derived from the detected bounding boxes.Our study focused on analyzing variations in tree density and tree size along this gradient.The findings revealed distinct patterns:the urban domain displayed larger tree crown diameters(mean:8.87 m)and DBH(mean:43.78 cm)but having relatively low tree density(32 trees per hectare).Furthermore,with increasing distance from the city center,tree density increased,while the mean tree crown diameter and mean tree basal area decreased,showing clear differences of tree density and size between the urban and rural domains in Bengaluru.This study offers an efficient methodology that helps generating instructive insights into the dynamics of TOF along the urban-rural gradient.This may inform urban planning and management strategies for enhancing green infrastructure and biodiversity conservation in rapidly urbanizing cities like Bengaluru.展开更多
Tree endophytic fungi play an important role in reducing insect herbivory,either by repelling them or kill-ing them directly.Identifying which fungi show such activ-ity could lead to new environmentally friendly pesti...Tree endophytic fungi play an important role in reducing insect herbivory,either by repelling them or kill-ing them directly.Identifying which fungi show such activ-ity could lead to new environmentally friendly pesticides.In this study,the Mediterranean basin climate conditions are projected to harshen in the next decades,will increase vulnerability of tree species to pest invasions.Endophytic fungi were isolated from wood and leaves of Quercus pyr-enaica,Q.ilex and Q.suber and tested for virulence against adults of the mealworm beetle,Tenebrio molitor L.using a direct contact method.Only 3 of 111 sporulating isolates had entomopathogenic activity,all identified as Lecanicillium lecanii.The pathogenicity of L.lecanii on T.molitor resulted in a median lethal time(TL50)of 14-16 d.Compared with commercial products,L.lecanii caused faster insect death than the nematode Steinernema carpocapsae and nuclear polyhedrosis virus(no effect on T.molitor survival),and slower than Beauveria bassiana(TL50=5),Beauveria pseu-dobassiana(TL50=8d)and Bacillus thuriengensis(80%mortality first day after inoculation).Mortality was also accelerated under water stress,reducing TL50 by an addi-tional 33%.Remarkably,water stress alone had a comparable effect on mortality to that of L.lecanii isolates.This study confirms T.molitor as a good model insect for pathogenicity testing and agrees with management policies proposed in the EU Green Deal.展开更多
Fire disturbances are increasing under global climate change and ecological transformations of forests are occurring.Specifically,shifts from productive closed-canopy feather moss forests to low-productivity open-cano...Fire disturbances are increasing under global climate change and ecological transformations of forests are occurring.Specifically,shifts from productive closed-canopy feather moss forests to low-productivity open-canopy lichen(Cladonia spp.)woodlands have been observed in boreal forests of eastern Canada.It has been hypothesized that high severity of fires would be the cause of this change,but this is difficult to validate a posteriori on mature forest stands.Because charcoal properties are affected by fire severity,we have put forward the hypothesis that the amount and physicochemical properties of charcoal(C,N,H,O,ash,surface area)would be different and indicative of a greater fire severity for open-canopy forests compared to closed canopy ones.Our hypothesis was partly validated in that the amount of charcoal found on the ground of closed-canopy forests was greater than that of open-canopy forests.However,the physicochemical properties were not different,albeit a greater variability of charcoal properties for open canopy stands.These results do not allow us to fully validate or reject our hypothesis on the role of fire severity in the shift between open and closed canopy stands.However,they suggest that the variability in fire conditions as well as the amounts of charcoal produced are different between the two ecosystem types.Furthermore,considering the role that biochar may play in improving soil conditions and promoting vegetation restoration,our results suggest that charcoal may play a role in maintaining these two stable alternative ecosystem states.展开更多
Ensuring food security for a rapidly growing global population amidst resource limitations and climate change is a major challenge.Agroforestry an ecologically sustainable land-use system that integrates trees,crops,a...Ensuring food security for a rapidly growing global population amidst resource limitations and climate change is a major challenge.Agroforestry an ecologically sustainable land-use system that integrates trees,crops,and sometimes livestock offers significant promise by enhancing biodiversity,ecosystem services,and agricultural productivity.A central concern in such systems is pest management,which traditionally relies on chemical pesticides.However,their excessive use has led to environmental degradation,pest resistance,and health hazards.This review explores the potential of insectivorous birds as natural pest control agents in agroforestry systems.It focuses on how habitat features,vegetation complexity,and species-specific behaviors influence bird-mediated biological control.Insectivorous birds manage pest populations through direct predation,targeting a range of insect pests including caterpillars,beetles,and grasshoppers.Their foraging activity helps maintain pest populations below the economic threshold.Vegetation strata comprising ground cover,shrubs,understory,and canopy offer diverse foraging niches and nesting habitats that enhance bird diversity and functional roles.Pest control efficiency is closely linked to seasonality,resource availability,and habitat structure.Differentiating between beneficial(predatory)and pestiferous birds is essential to maximize ecosystem services and minimize crop losses or damage to beneficial insects.Conservation of beneficial bird species,informed vegetation planning,and regular monitoring are vital to strengthening multitrophic interactions and achieving sustainable pest control.Future research should focus on bird behavior,predator-prey interactions,and habitat management to optimize bird-friendly pest regulation strategies in agroforestry landscapes.展开更多
Sessile oak(Quercus petraea(Matt.)Liebl.)is widely distributed across most of Europe particularly the hills and lower mountain ranges,so is considered“the oak of the mountains”.This species grows on a wide variety o...Sessile oak(Quercus petraea(Matt.)Liebl.)is widely distributed across most of Europe particularly the hills and lower mountain ranges,so is considered“the oak of the mountains”.This species grows on a wide variety of soils and at altitudes ranging from sea level to 2200 m,especially in Atlantic and sub-Mediterranean climates,and it is sensitive to low winter temperatures,early and late frosts,as well as high summer temperatures.Sessile oak forms both pure and mixed stands especially with broadleaves such as European beech,European hornbeam,small-leaved lime and Acer spp.These form the understorey of sessile oak stands,promoting the natural shedding of lower branches of the oak and protecting the trunk against epicormic branches.Sessile oak is a long-lived,light-demanding and wind-firm species,owing to its taproot and heart-shaped root system.Its timber,one of the most valuable in Europe,is important for fur-niture-making(both solid wood and veneer),construction,barrels,railway sleepers,and is also used as fuelwood.It is one of the few major tree species in Europe that is regener-ated by seed(naturally or artificially)and by stump shoots in high forest,coppice-with-standards and coppice forests.Sessile oak forests are treated in both regular and irregular systems involving silvicultural techniques such as uniform shelterwood,group shelterwood,irregular shelterwood,irregular high forest,coppice-with-standards and simple coppice.Young naturally regenerated stands are managed by weeding,release cutting and cleaning-respacing,keeping the stands quite dense for good natural pruning.Plantations are based on(1)2-4-year old bare-root or container-grown seedlings produced in nurseries using seeds from genetic resources,seed stands and seed orchards.The density of sessile oak plantations(mostly in rows,but also in clusters)is usually between 4000 and 6000 ind.ha^(−1).Sessile oak silviculture of mature stands includes crown thinning,focus-ing on final crop trees(usually a maximum of 100 ind.ha^(−1))and targeting the production of large-diameter and high quality trees at long rotation ages(mostly over 120 years,sometimes 250-300 years).In different parts of Europe,conversion of simple coppices and coppice-with-standards to high forests is continuing.Even though manage-ment of sessile oak forests is very intensive and expensive,requiring active human intervention,the importance of this species in future European forests will increase in the con-text of climate change due to its high resistance to distur-bance,superior drought tolerance and heat stress resistance.展开更多
Photodegradation is considered as a universal contributing factor to litter decomposition and carbon(C)cycling within the Earth’s biomes.Identifying how solar radiation modifies the molecular structure of litter is e...Photodegradation is considered as a universal contributing factor to litter decomposition and carbon(C)cycling within the Earth’s biomes.Identifying how solar radiation modifies the molecular structure of litter is essen-tial to understand the mechanism controlling its decom-position and reaction to shifts in climatic conditions and land-use.In this study,we performed a spectral-attenuation experiment following litter decomposition in an understory and gap of a temperate deciduous forest.We found that short-wavelength visible light,especially blue light,was the main factor driving variation in litter molecular struc-ture of Fagus crenata Blume,Quercus crispula Blume,Acer carpinifolium Siebold&Zuccarini and Betula platyphylla Sukaczev,explaining respectively 56.5%,19.4%,66.3%,and 16.7%of variation in its chemical composition.However,the variation also depended on canopy openness:Only in the forest gap was lignin aromatic C negatively associated with C-oxygen(C–O)bonding in polysaccharides receiv-ing treatments containing blue light of the full spectrum of solar radiation.Regardless of species,the decomposition index of litter that explained changes in mass and lignin loss was driven by the relative content of C–O stretching in poly-saccharides and lignin aromatic C.The results suggest that the availability of readily degradable polysaccharides pro-duced by the reduction in lignin aromatic C most plausibly explains the rate of litter photodegradation.Photo-products of photodegradation might augment the C pool destabilized by the input of readily degradable organic compounds(i.e.,polysaccharides).展开更多
The use of mobile laser scanning to survey forest ecosystems is a promising,scalable technology to describe forest 3D structures at high resolution.To confirm the con-sistency in the retrieval of forest structural par...The use of mobile laser scanning to survey forest ecosystems is a promising,scalable technology to describe forest 3D structures at high resolution.To confirm the con-sistency in the retrieval of forest structural parameters using hand-held laser scanning(HLS),before operationalizing the method,confirming the data is crucial.We analyzed the per-formance of tree-level mapping based on HLS under differ-ent phenology conditions on a mixed forest in western Spain comprising Pinus pinaster and two deciduous species,Alnus glutinosa and Quercus pyrenaica.The area was surveyed twice during the growing season(July 2022)and once in the deciduous season(February 2022)using several scan-ning paths.Ground reference data(418 trees,15 snags)was used to calibrate the HLS data and to assess the influence of phenology when converting 3D data into tree-level attrib-utes(DBH,height and volume).The HLS-based workflow was robust at isolating tree positions and recognizing stems despite changes in phenology.Ninety-six percent of all pairs matched below 65 cm.For DBH,phenology barely altered estimates.We observed a strong agreement when comparing HLS-based tree height distributions.The values exceeded 2 m when comparing height measurements,confirming height data should be carefully used as reference in remote sensing-based inventories,especially for deciduous species.Tree volume was more precise for pines(r=0.95,and rela-tive RMSE=21.3–23.8%)compared to deciduous species(r=0.91–0.96,and relative RMSE=27.3–30.5%).HLS data and the forest structural complexity tool performed remark-ably,especially in tree positioning considering mixed forests and mixed phenology conditions.展开更多
The growth of Sakhalin fir(Abies sachalinen-sis)seedlings,an important forest tree species in northern Hokkaido,Japan,is significantly affected by competition from surrounding vegetation,especially evergreen dwarf bam...The growth of Sakhalin fir(Abies sachalinen-sis)seedlings,an important forest tree species in northern Hokkaido,Japan,is significantly affected by competition from surrounding vegetation,especially evergreen dwarf bamboo.In this study,we investigated the height and root collar diameter(RCD)growth of Sakhalin fir seedlings under various degrees of cover by deciduous vegetation and evergreen dwarf bamboo.Generalized additive models were used to quantify the effects of canopy cover and forest floor cover on the relative growth rates of these two parameters.The canopy cover of Sakhalin fir seedlings had a nonlin-ear negative effect on both the height growth of seedlings in the subsequent year and the RCD growth in the current year,given the general growth pattern in this species,where height growth ceases in early summer and RCD growth con-tinues until autumn.Height growth declined sharply after the canopy cover rate exceeded 50%,while RCD growth declined rapidly between 0 and 50%canopy cover rate.The forest floor cover had a greater negative impact on RCD growth than on height growth.These results suggested that Sakhalin fir seedlings respond to vegetative competition by prioritizing height growth for light acquisition at the expense of diameter growth and possibly root growth for below-ground competition.The cover of evergreen dwarf bamboo reduced the height growth of fir seedlings significantly more than the cover of deciduous vegetation.This difference is likely due to the timing of light availability.When competing with deciduous vegetation,Sakhalin fir seedlings exposed to light during the post-snow melt and early spring before the development of the deciduous vegetation canopy can photosynthesize more effectively,leading to greater height growth.The results of this study highlighted the importance of vegetation control considering the type of vegetation for successful Sakhalin fir reforestation.Adjusting the intensity and timing of weeding based on the presence and abundance of dwarf bamboo and other competing vegetation could potentially reduce weeding costs and increase biodiversity in reforested areas.展开更多
As part of the global effort to mitigate climate change effects, New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission has recommended the establishment of 300,000 ha of native trees across the country by 2035. To achieve this goa...As part of the global effort to mitigate climate change effects, New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission has recommended the establishment of 300,000 ha of native trees across the country by 2035. To achieve this goal, significant improvement in seedling production and field establishment is needed. Across New Zealand, there is a trade-off between seedling size and early seedling establishment success;plants grown in large pots are more resistant to weeds, pests and frost;however, they are more expensive and take longer to grow. We tested this trade-off between cost and establishment success by raising seedlings of twelve key native species in three container grade sizes: small, large, and revegetation grade, and tracking their success across five sites around Rotorua, in the Central North Island of New Zealand. After two-year post-planting, we found that high-quality sites and larger container systems tended to promote higher survival and faster early growth (plant height and root collar diameter). Some species, such as Kunzea ericoides and Leptospermum scoparium, survived and grew well (> 75%) even when raised in small container sizes. Other species such as Sophora microphylla had very low survival (< 25%) even when raised in revegetation container grade sizes. If the quality of the planting site is high, the container size seems to be less important for most species. Other species such as Aristotelia serrata, Cordyline australis, Plagianthus regius and Podocarpus totara appear to depend more on site quality. In conclusion, nursery container systems for raising New Zealand native plants should be chosen based on the biology of the species, nursery management practices, quality of the planting site, and a balance between cost and benefit for each situation.展开更多
Understanding how environmental adaptation varies among families within a species is critical to adapt forestry activities such as management and breeding to possible future climate change.The present study examined h...Understanding how environmental adaptation varies among families within a species is critical to adapt forestry activities such as management and breeding to possible future climate change.The present study examined home-site advantage and local advantage in growth and basic density of wood in 36 families of Chamaecyparis obtuse(Siebold et Zucc.)Endl.,reciprocally planted at two progeny test sites with differing climatic conditions in Japan.A significant home-site advantage for growth was detected between the lowland and mountainous regions within the Kanto breeding region.In addition,the effects of climate differentials between the selection site of mating parents and the progeny test site on growth and basic density were inves-tigated.As a result,temperature was identified as the most significant climatic factor attributed to local adaptation for growth traits.Elongation and radial growth were adversely influenced when the progeny test site temperature exceeded the provenance temperature by more than 2°C.Therefore,it is crucial to account for temperature differences between the provenance and the planting site to adapt afforestation and forest tree breeding to climate change in the future.展开更多
Understanding plant community assembly is crucial for effective ecosystem conservation and restoration.The ecological filter framework describes community assembly as a process shaped by dispersal,environmental,and bi...Understanding plant community assembly is crucial for effective ecosystem conservation and restoration.The ecological filter framework describes community assembly as a process shaped by dispersal,environmental,and biotic filters.Additionally,functional traits and phylogenetic relationships are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing species coexistence and community structure.However,both the ecological filter framework and the roles of functional traits and phylogeny in community assembly remain underexplored in the Algerian steppes—particularly in the El Bayadh region,where ongoing vegetation degradation threatens ecosystem stability.This study applied Hierarchical Modeling of Species Communities(HMSC)as an integrative approach to assess how ecological filters influence plant community assembly in the El Bayadh steppe and to evaluate the roles of functional traits and phylogenetic relationships in this process.Environmental data—including soil properties,topography,precipitation,and land use types(grazing and exclosure)—were collected across 50 plots in April and October,2023,along with functional traits from 24 species.These traits include root length,leaf area,specific leaf area,clonality,life history,and seed mass.HMSC results revealed that soil properties and precipitation were the primary drivers of community structure,while sand height and elevation had a moderate influence.In contrast,competition and grazing played relatively minor roles.Species responses to environmental covariates were heterogeneous:soil fertility and texture had mixed effects,benefiting some species while limiting others;sand encroachment and precipitation variability generally had negative impacts,whereas grazing exclusion favored many species.A weak phylogenetic signal was recorded,indicating that community assembly was driven more by environmental filtering than by shared evolutionary history.Functional trait responses to environmental variation reflected plant strategies that balanced resource acquisition and conservation.Specifically,seed mass,leaf area,and root length increased under higher soil moisture and nutrient availability but declined in response to salinity,precipitation variability,and sand height.Clonality and perennial life history traits enhanced the survival of plant species under harsh conditions.Overall,this study provides a holistic understanding of community assembly processes in the El Bayadh steppe and offers valuable insights for ecosystem management and restoration in arid and degraded ecosystem environments.展开更多
While numerous allometric models exist for estimating biomass in trees with single stems,models for multi-stemmed species are scarce.This study presents models for predicting aboveground biomass(AGB)in European hazel(...While numerous allometric models exist for estimating biomass in trees with single stems,models for multi-stemmed species are scarce.This study presents models for predicting aboveground biomass(AGB)in European hazel(Corylus avellana L.),growing in multi-stemmed shrub form.We measured the size and harvested the biomass of 30 European hazel shrubs,drying and weighing their woody parts and leaves separately.AGB(dry mass)and leaf area models were established using a range of predictors,such as the upper height of the shrub,number of shoots per shrub,canopy projection area,stem base diameter of the thickest stem,and the sum of cross-sectional areas of all stems at the stem base.The latter was the best predictor of AGB,but the most practically useful variables,defined as relatively easy to measure by terrestrial or aerial approaches,were the upper height of the shrub and the canopy projection area.The leaf biomass to AGB ratio decreased with the shrub's height.Specific leaf area of shaded leaves increases with shrub height,but that of leaves at the top of the canopy does not change significantly.Given that the upper shrub height and crown projection of European hazel can be estimated using remote sensing approaches,especially UAV and LIDAR,these two variables appear the most promising for effective measurement of AGB in hazel.展开更多
The significant threat of wildfires to forest ecology and biodiversity,particularly in tropical and subtropical regions,underscores the necessity for advanced predictive models amidst shifting climate patterns.There i...The significant threat of wildfires to forest ecology and biodiversity,particularly in tropical and subtropical regions,underscores the necessity for advanced predictive models amidst shifting climate patterns.There is a need to evaluate and enhance wildfire prediction methods,focusing on their application during extended periods of intense heat and drought.This study reviews various wildfire modelling approaches,including traditional physical,semi-empirical,numerical,and emerging machine learning(ML)-based models.We critically assess these models’capabilities in predicting fire susceptibility and post-ignition spread,highlighting their strengths and limitations.Our findings indicate that while traditional models provide foundational insights,they often fall short in dynamically estimating parameters and predicting ignition events.Cellular automata models,despite their potential,face challenges in data integration and computational demands.Conversely,ML models demonstrate superior efficiency and accuracy by leveraging diverse datasets,though they encounter interpretability issues.This review recommends hybrid modelling approaches that integrate multiple methods to harness their combined strengths.By incorporating data assimilation techniques with dynamic forecasting models,the predictive capabilities of ML-based predictions can be significantly enhanced.This review underscores the necessity for continued refinement of these models to ensure their reliability in real-world applications,ultimately contributing to more effective wildfire mitigation and management strategies.Future research should focus on improving hybrid models and exploring new data integration methods to advance predictive capabilities.展开更多
Short rotation plantation forestry(SRF)is being widely adopted to increase wood production,in order to meet global demand for wood products.However,to ensure maximum gains from SRF,optimised management regimes need to...Short rotation plantation forestry(SRF)is being widely adopted to increase wood production,in order to meet global demand for wood products.However,to ensure maximum gains from SRF,optimised management regimes need to be established by integrating robust predictions and an understanding of mechanisms underlying tree growth.Hybrid ecophysiological models,such as potentially useable light sum equation(PULSE)models,are useful tools requiring minimal input data that meet the requirements of SRF.PULSE models have been tested and calibrated for different evergreen conifers and broadleaves at both juvenile and mature stages of tree growth with coarse soil and climate data.Therefore,it is prudent to question:can adding detailed soil and climatic data reduce errors in this type of model?In addition,PULSE techniques have not been used to model deciduous species,which are a challenge for ecophysiological models due to their phenology.This study developed a PULSE model for a clonal Populus tomentosa plantation in northern China using detailed edaphic and climatic data.The results showed high precision and low bias in height(m)and basal area(m^(2)·ha^(-1))predictions.While detailed edaphoclimatic data produce highly precise predictions and a good mechanistic understanding,the study suggested that local climatic data could also be employed.The study showed that PULSE modelling in combination with coarse level of edaphic and local climate data resulted in reasonably precise tree growth prediction and minimal bias.展开更多
Soil moisture affects various hydrological processes, including evapotranspiration, infiltration, and runoff. Forested areas in the lower western Himalaya in India constitute the headwater catchments for many hill str...Soil moisture affects various hydrological processes, including evapotranspiration, infiltration, and runoff. Forested areas in the lower western Himalaya in India constitute the headwater catchments for many hill streams and have experienced degradation in forest cover due to grazing, deforestation and other human activities. This change in forest cover is likely to alter the soil moisture regime and, consequently, flow regimes in streams. The effect of change in forest cover on soil moisture regimes of this dry region has not been studied through long term field observations. We monitored soil matric potentials in two small watersheds in the lower western Himalaya of India. The watersheds consisted of homogeneous land covers of moderately dense oak forest and moderately degraded mixed oak forest. Observations were recorded at three sites at three depths in each watershed at fortnightly intervals for a period of three years. The soil moisture contents derived from soil potential measurements were analyzed to understand the spatial, temporal and profile variations under the two structures of forest cover. The analysis revealed large variations in soil moisture storage at different sites and depths and also during different seasons in each watershed. Mean soil moisture storage during monsoon, winter and summer seasons was higher under dense forest than under degraded forest. Highest soil moisture content occurred at shallow soil profiles, decreasing with depth in both watersheds. A high positive correlation was found between tree density and soil moisture content. Mean soil moisture content over the entire study period was higher under dense forest than under degraded forest. This indicated a potential for soil water storage under well managed oak forest. Because soil water storage is vital for sustenance of low flows, attention is needed on the management of oak forests in the Himalayan region.展开更多
To analyze the relationship between the management of three forest stand plantations and soil quality in the Dimapur district of the Northeastern Himalayan region,India,three forest soil profiles,covered by different ...To analyze the relationship between the management of three forest stand plantations and soil quality in the Dimapur district of the Northeastern Himalayan region,India,three forest soil profiles,covered by different species stands,at three depths were tested for 13 physical and chemical variables.Only four of these variables(electric conductivity,bulk density exchangeable Mg and available P)were included in a minimum data set,after using a varimax rotation algorithm in a principal component analysis,and subsequently used to calculate a soil quality index(SQI).Results showed higher SQIs in the surface layers(0–20 cm depth)than in the deeper ones.Average weighed SQI varied significantly(P<0.05)through the three considered forest sites,with the lowest value at site FS3.These findings reveal that the approach used here is suitable for preliminary screening of the impact of a forestry species on soil,to aid in species selection and improve soil health for afforestation and reforestation projects.展开更多
The study of floral diversity in forest and its development are incomplete without taking consideration of plant-soil interactions. So with this view in mind, the present study was conducted in tropical semi-evergreen...The study of floral diversity in forest and its development are incomplete without taking consideration of plant-soil interactions. So with this view in mind, the present study was conducted in tropical semi-evergreen forests of the Mokukchung district, Nagaland, in eastern Himalaya. The aim of the study was to investigate the phytosociological parameters Seven sites were randomly in relation to soil properties. selected to study the soil properties at up to one meter in depth and a phytosociological study was carried out in nearby areas via the quadrate method. In the studied sites, the richness of tree species varied from 4 to 15 ha^-1, with Gmelina arborea and Duabanga grandifloras being the common species. The highest total basal area was recorded in 10 mile village （47,998.16 cm^2 ha^-1） followed by Minkong village site （32,704.66 cm^2 ha^-1）. Soil physical and chemical properties-i.e, bulk density （BD）, soil pH, organic carbon （OC）, available nitrogen （N）, available phosphorus （P）, and available potassium （K） were analyzed using standard procedures. Significant differences were observed in the soil properties. The basal area of species showed significant positive correlation in terms of available K （0.754） and OM （0.302） content in soil, and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index （H） is also positively correlated with the available N content （0.402）. The undisturbed nature of the sites played an important role in maintaining the soil fertility and floral diversity of the sites. Moreover, sites with maximum productivity and soil fertility are considered as potential carbon sequestration areas in the region while sites with the low soil fertility need restoration.展开更多
基金Central Finance Forestry Science and Technology Promotion Demonstration Project(H[2023]TG31).
文摘The paper summarizes the structure and water-absorbing mechanism,classification,and preparation method of polymer fire extinguishing gel,and prospects for its application in aerial firefighting,forest ground fire extinguishing,opening of firebreaks,and mitigating human casualties in forest fire extinguishing.
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funded by state order to the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences(Forest Research Institute of KarRC RAS)。
文摘Fine roots play a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycles of terrestrial ecosystems.Patterns of fine roots biomass formation for broad geographical areas are still unclear.We use published estimates of characteristics of European pine and spruce stands to determine their productivity and calculate the needle biomass.Then,the relationship between the fine-root:needle biomass ratio of European pine and spruce forests and the stand quality index,which is a proxy of soil fertility,was determined.We show that a rise in soil fertility is accompanied by a decrease in this ratio.Moving from the northern edge of the boreal zone southwards,with the related rise in air and soil temperatures,we see a decline in the mass ratio of fine roots and needle.The change in the fine-root:needle biomass ratio is controlled by the change in specific water uptake by roots,which is related to the osmotic pressure of the solution in the absorbing root's central vascular cylinder.The fine-root:needle ratio does not vary among stands of the same age if the stand quality index and the geographical latitude(a proxy of air and soil temperatures)are constant.These findings may be useful for further in-depth analysis of forest ecosystem functioning in Europe.
基金financial support provided by the German Research Foundation,DFG,through grant number KL894/23-2 and NO 1444/1-2 as part of the Research Unit FOR2432/2the China Scholarship Council(CSC)that supports the first author with a Ph D scholarshipsupport provided by Indian partners at the Institute of Wood Science and Technology(IWST),Bengaluru。
文摘Rapid urbanization has caused significant changes along the urban-rural gradient,leading to a variety of landscapes that are mainly shaped by human activities.This dynamic interplay also influences the distribution and characteristics of trees outside forests(TOF).Understanding the pattern of these trees will support informed decision-making in urban planning,in conservation strategies,and altogether in sustainable land management practices in the urban context.In this study,we employed a deep learning-based object detection model and high resolution satellite imagery to identify 1.3 million trees with bounding boxes within a 250 km^(2)research transect spanning the urban-rural gradient of Bengaluru,a megacity in Southern India.Additionally,we developed an allometric equation to estimate diameter at breast height(DBH)from the tree crown diameter(CD)derived from the detected bounding boxes.Our study focused on analyzing variations in tree density and tree size along this gradient.The findings revealed distinct patterns:the urban domain displayed larger tree crown diameters(mean:8.87 m)and DBH(mean:43.78 cm)but having relatively low tree density(32 trees per hectare).Furthermore,with increasing distance from the city center,tree density increased,while the mean tree crown diameter and mean tree basal area decreased,showing clear differences of tree density and size between the urban and rural domains in Bengaluru.This study offers an efficient methodology that helps generating instructive insights into the dynamics of TOF along the urban-rural gradient.This may inform urban planning and management strategies for enhancing green infrastructure and biodiversity conservation in rapidly urbanizing cities like Bengaluru.
基金supported by LIFE project MYCORESTORE“Innovative use of mycological resources for resilient and productive Mediterranean forests threatened by climate change,LIFE18 CCA/ES/001110”projects VA178P23 and VA208P20 funded by JCYL(Spain),both co-financed by FEDER(UE)budget.
文摘Tree endophytic fungi play an important role in reducing insect herbivory,either by repelling them or kill-ing them directly.Identifying which fungi show such activ-ity could lead to new environmentally friendly pesticides.In this study,the Mediterranean basin climate conditions are projected to harshen in the next decades,will increase vulnerability of tree species to pest invasions.Endophytic fungi were isolated from wood and leaves of Quercus pyr-enaica,Q.ilex and Q.suber and tested for virulence against adults of the mealworm beetle,Tenebrio molitor L.using a direct contact method.Only 3 of 111 sporulating isolates had entomopathogenic activity,all identified as Lecanicillium lecanii.The pathogenicity of L.lecanii on T.molitor resulted in a median lethal time(TL50)of 14-16 d.Compared with commercial products,L.lecanii caused faster insect death than the nematode Steinernema carpocapsae and nuclear polyhedrosis virus(no effect on T.molitor survival),and slower than Beauveria bassiana(TL50=5),Beauveria pseu-dobassiana(TL50=8d)and Bacillus thuriengensis(80%mortality first day after inoculation).Mortality was also accelerated under water stress,reducing TL50 by an addi-tional 33%.Remarkably,water stress alone had a comparable effect on mortality to that of L.lecanii isolates.This study confirms T.molitor as a good model insect for pathogenicity testing and agrees with management policies proposed in the EU Green Deal.
基金supported by the MITACS Accelerate grant with Greenfirst,industry partner in La Sarre,QC,Canada.
文摘Fire disturbances are increasing under global climate change and ecological transformations of forests are occurring.Specifically,shifts from productive closed-canopy feather moss forests to low-productivity open-canopy lichen(Cladonia spp.)woodlands have been observed in boreal forests of eastern Canada.It has been hypothesized that high severity of fires would be the cause of this change,but this is difficult to validate a posteriori on mature forest stands.Because charcoal properties are affected by fire severity,we have put forward the hypothesis that the amount and physicochemical properties of charcoal(C,N,H,O,ash,surface area)would be different and indicative of a greater fire severity for open-canopy forests compared to closed canopy ones.Our hypothesis was partly validated in that the amount of charcoal found on the ground of closed-canopy forests was greater than that of open-canopy forests.However,the physicochemical properties were not different,albeit a greater variability of charcoal properties for open canopy stands.These results do not allow us to fully validate or reject our hypothesis on the role of fire severity in the shift between open and closed canopy stands.However,they suggest that the variability in fire conditions as well as the amounts of charcoal produced are different between the two ecosystem types.Furthermore,considering the role that biochar may play in improving soil conditions and promoting vegetation restoration,our results suggest that charcoal may play a role in maintaining these two stable alternative ecosystem states.
文摘Ensuring food security for a rapidly growing global population amidst resource limitations and climate change is a major challenge.Agroforestry an ecologically sustainable land-use system that integrates trees,crops,and sometimes livestock offers significant promise by enhancing biodiversity,ecosystem services,and agricultural productivity.A central concern in such systems is pest management,which traditionally relies on chemical pesticides.However,their excessive use has led to environmental degradation,pest resistance,and health hazards.This review explores the potential of insectivorous birds as natural pest control agents in agroforestry systems.It focuses on how habitat features,vegetation complexity,and species-specific behaviors influence bird-mediated biological control.Insectivorous birds manage pest populations through direct predation,targeting a range of insect pests including caterpillars,beetles,and grasshoppers.Their foraging activity helps maintain pest populations below the economic threshold.Vegetation strata comprising ground cover,shrubs,understory,and canopy offer diverse foraging niches and nesting habitats that enhance bird diversity and functional roles.Pest control efficiency is closely linked to seasonality,resource availability,and habitat structure.Differentiating between beneficial(predatory)and pestiferous birds is essential to maximize ecosystem services and minimize crop losses or damage to beneficial insects.Conservation of beneficial bird species,informed vegetation planning,and regular monitoring are vital to strengthening multitrophic interactions and achieving sustainable pest control.Future research should focus on bird behavior,predator-prey interactions,and habitat management to optimize bird-friendly pest regulation strategies in agroforestry landscapes.
文摘Sessile oak(Quercus petraea(Matt.)Liebl.)is widely distributed across most of Europe particularly the hills and lower mountain ranges,so is considered“the oak of the mountains”.This species grows on a wide variety of soils and at altitudes ranging from sea level to 2200 m,especially in Atlantic and sub-Mediterranean climates,and it is sensitive to low winter temperatures,early and late frosts,as well as high summer temperatures.Sessile oak forms both pure and mixed stands especially with broadleaves such as European beech,European hornbeam,small-leaved lime and Acer spp.These form the understorey of sessile oak stands,promoting the natural shedding of lower branches of the oak and protecting the trunk against epicormic branches.Sessile oak is a long-lived,light-demanding and wind-firm species,owing to its taproot and heart-shaped root system.Its timber,one of the most valuable in Europe,is important for fur-niture-making(both solid wood and veneer),construction,barrels,railway sleepers,and is also used as fuelwood.It is one of the few major tree species in Europe that is regener-ated by seed(naturally or artificially)and by stump shoots in high forest,coppice-with-standards and coppice forests.Sessile oak forests are treated in both regular and irregular systems involving silvicultural techniques such as uniform shelterwood,group shelterwood,irregular shelterwood,irregular high forest,coppice-with-standards and simple coppice.Young naturally regenerated stands are managed by weeding,release cutting and cleaning-respacing,keeping the stands quite dense for good natural pruning.Plantations are based on(1)2-4-year old bare-root or container-grown seedlings produced in nurseries using seeds from genetic resources,seed stands and seed orchards.The density of sessile oak plantations(mostly in rows,but also in clusters)is usually between 4000 and 6000 ind.ha^(−1).Sessile oak silviculture of mature stands includes crown thinning,focus-ing on final crop trees(usually a maximum of 100 ind.ha^(−1))and targeting the production of large-diameter and high quality trees at long rotation ages(mostly over 120 years,sometimes 250-300 years).In different parts of Europe,conversion of simple coppices and coppice-with-standards to high forests is continuing.Even though manage-ment of sessile oak forests is very intensive and expensive,requiring active human intervention,the importance of this species in future European forests will increase in the con-text of climate change due to its high resistance to distur-bance,superior drought tolerance and heat stress resistance.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32122059)the National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFD2200402)+5 种基金the Chinese Academy of Sciences Young Talents Programthe LiaoNing Revitalization Talents Program (XLYC2007016) to QWW2024 Joint Fund Project Funding Program (2023-MSBA-137) to JJDChinese Academy of Sciences President's International Fellowship Initiative (2022VCA0010)the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (KAKENHI,17F17403) to QWW and HKAcademy of Finland Project(324555) to TMR
文摘Photodegradation is considered as a universal contributing factor to litter decomposition and carbon(C)cycling within the Earth’s biomes.Identifying how solar radiation modifies the molecular structure of litter is essen-tial to understand the mechanism controlling its decom-position and reaction to shifts in climatic conditions and land-use.In this study,we performed a spectral-attenuation experiment following litter decomposition in an understory and gap of a temperate deciduous forest.We found that short-wavelength visible light,especially blue light,was the main factor driving variation in litter molecular struc-ture of Fagus crenata Blume,Quercus crispula Blume,Acer carpinifolium Siebold&Zuccarini and Betula platyphylla Sukaczev,explaining respectively 56.5%,19.4%,66.3%,and 16.7%of variation in its chemical composition.However,the variation also depended on canopy openness:Only in the forest gap was lignin aromatic C negatively associated with C-oxygen(C–O)bonding in polysaccharides receiv-ing treatments containing blue light of the full spectrum of solar radiation.Regardless of species,the decomposition index of litter that explained changes in mass and lignin loss was driven by the relative content of C–O stretching in poly-saccharides and lignin aromatic C.The results suggest that the availability of readily degradable polysaccharides pro-duced by the reduction in lignin aromatic C most plausibly explains the rate of litter photodegradation.Photo-products of photodegradation might augment the C pool destabilized by the input of readily degradable organic compounds(i.e.,polysaccharides).
文摘The use of mobile laser scanning to survey forest ecosystems is a promising,scalable technology to describe forest 3D structures at high resolution.To confirm the con-sistency in the retrieval of forest structural parameters using hand-held laser scanning(HLS),before operationalizing the method,confirming the data is crucial.We analyzed the per-formance of tree-level mapping based on HLS under differ-ent phenology conditions on a mixed forest in western Spain comprising Pinus pinaster and two deciduous species,Alnus glutinosa and Quercus pyrenaica.The area was surveyed twice during the growing season(July 2022)and once in the deciduous season(February 2022)using several scan-ning paths.Ground reference data(418 trees,15 snags)was used to calibrate the HLS data and to assess the influence of phenology when converting 3D data into tree-level attrib-utes(DBH,height and volume).The HLS-based workflow was robust at isolating tree positions and recognizing stems despite changes in phenology.Ninety-six percent of all pairs matched below 65 cm.For DBH,phenology barely altered estimates.We observed a strong agreement when comparing HLS-based tree height distributions.The values exceeded 2 m when comparing height measurements,confirming height data should be carefully used as reference in remote sensing-based inventories,especially for deciduous species.Tree volume was more precise for pines(r=0.95,and rela-tive RMSE=21.3–23.8%)compared to deciduous species(r=0.91–0.96,and relative RMSE=27.3–30.5%).HLS data and the forest structural complexity tool performed remark-ably,especially in tree positioning considering mixed forests and mixed phenology conditions.
基金supported by the Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry,and Fisheries of Japan (25093 C)JSPS KAKENHI (JP23H02262)
文摘The growth of Sakhalin fir(Abies sachalinen-sis)seedlings,an important forest tree species in northern Hokkaido,Japan,is significantly affected by competition from surrounding vegetation,especially evergreen dwarf bamboo.In this study,we investigated the height and root collar diameter(RCD)growth of Sakhalin fir seedlings under various degrees of cover by deciduous vegetation and evergreen dwarf bamboo.Generalized additive models were used to quantify the effects of canopy cover and forest floor cover on the relative growth rates of these two parameters.The canopy cover of Sakhalin fir seedlings had a nonlin-ear negative effect on both the height growth of seedlings in the subsequent year and the RCD growth in the current year,given the general growth pattern in this species,where height growth ceases in early summer and RCD growth con-tinues until autumn.Height growth declined sharply after the canopy cover rate exceeded 50%,while RCD growth declined rapidly between 0 and 50%canopy cover rate.The forest floor cover had a greater negative impact on RCD growth than on height growth.These results suggested that Sakhalin fir seedlings respond to vegetative competition by prioritizing height growth for light acquisition at the expense of diameter growth and possibly root growth for below-ground competition.The cover of evergreen dwarf bamboo reduced the height growth of fir seedlings significantly more than the cover of deciduous vegetation.This difference is likely due to the timing of light availability.When competing with deciduous vegetation,Sakhalin fir seedlings exposed to light during the post-snow melt and early spring before the development of the deciduous vegetation canopy can photosynthesize more effectively,leading to greater height growth.The results of this study highlighted the importance of vegetation control considering the type of vegetation for successful Sakhalin fir reforestation.Adjusting the intensity and timing of weeding based on the presence and abundance of dwarf bamboo and other competing vegetation could potentially reduce weeding costs and increase biodiversity in reforested areas.
基金supported by Te Uru Rākau,Ministry of Primary Industry-1 Billion trees project(QT-8094 TUR_2020_026 MPI)Scion SSIF funding(0810–P15502).
文摘As part of the global effort to mitigate climate change effects, New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission has recommended the establishment of 300,000 ha of native trees across the country by 2035. To achieve this goal, significant improvement in seedling production and field establishment is needed. Across New Zealand, there is a trade-off between seedling size and early seedling establishment success;plants grown in large pots are more resistant to weeds, pests and frost;however, they are more expensive and take longer to grow. We tested this trade-off between cost and establishment success by raising seedlings of twelve key native species in three container grade sizes: small, large, and revegetation grade, and tracking their success across five sites around Rotorua, in the Central North Island of New Zealand. After two-year post-planting, we found that high-quality sites and larger container systems tended to promote higher survival and faster early growth (plant height and root collar diameter). Some species, such as Kunzea ericoides and Leptospermum scoparium, survived and grew well (> 75%) even when raised in small container sizes. Other species such as Sophora microphylla had very low survival (< 25%) even when raised in revegetation container grade sizes. If the quality of the planting site is high, the container size seems to be less important for most species. Other species such as Aristotelia serrata, Cordyline australis, Plagianthus regius and Podocarpus totara appear to depend more on site quality. In conclusion, nursery container systems for raising New Zealand native plants should be chosen based on the biology of the species, nursery management practices, quality of the planting site, and a balance between cost and benefit for each situation.
文摘Understanding how environmental adaptation varies among families within a species is critical to adapt forestry activities such as management and breeding to possible future climate change.The present study examined home-site advantage and local advantage in growth and basic density of wood in 36 families of Chamaecyparis obtuse(Siebold et Zucc.)Endl.,reciprocally planted at two progeny test sites with differing climatic conditions in Japan.A significant home-site advantage for growth was detected between the lowland and mountainous regions within the Kanto breeding region.In addition,the effects of climate differentials between the selection site of mating parents and the progeny test site on growth and basic density were inves-tigated.As a result,temperature was identified as the most significant climatic factor attributed to local adaptation for growth traits.Elongation and radial growth were adversely influenced when the progeny test site temperature exceeded the provenance temperature by more than 2°C.Therefore,it is crucial to account for temperature differences between the provenance and the planting site to adapt afforestation and forest tree breeding to climate change in the future.
基金supported by the Foundation of the University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue(FUQAT)Quebec Research Fund(FRQ)(2021-SE7-282961)。
文摘Understanding plant community assembly is crucial for effective ecosystem conservation and restoration.The ecological filter framework describes community assembly as a process shaped by dispersal,environmental,and biotic filters.Additionally,functional traits and phylogenetic relationships are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing species coexistence and community structure.However,both the ecological filter framework and the roles of functional traits and phylogeny in community assembly remain underexplored in the Algerian steppes—particularly in the El Bayadh region,where ongoing vegetation degradation threatens ecosystem stability.This study applied Hierarchical Modeling of Species Communities(HMSC)as an integrative approach to assess how ecological filters influence plant community assembly in the El Bayadh steppe and to evaluate the roles of functional traits and phylogenetic relationships in this process.Environmental data—including soil properties,topography,precipitation,and land use types(grazing and exclosure)—were collected across 50 plots in April and October,2023,along with functional traits from 24 species.These traits include root length,leaf area,specific leaf area,clonality,life history,and seed mass.HMSC results revealed that soil properties and precipitation were the primary drivers of community structure,while sand height and elevation had a moderate influence.In contrast,competition and grazing played relatively minor roles.Species responses to environmental covariates were heterogeneous:soil fertility and texture had mixed effects,benefiting some species while limiting others;sand encroachment and precipitation variability generally had negative impacts,whereas grazing exclusion favored many species.A weak phylogenetic signal was recorded,indicating that community assembly was driven more by environmental filtering than by shared evolutionary history.Functional trait responses to environmental variation reflected plant strategies that balanced resource acquisition and conservation.Specifically,seed mass,leaf area,and root length increased under higher soil moisture and nutrient availability but declined in response to salinity,precipitation variability,and sand height.Clonality and perennial life history traits enhanced the survival of plant species under harsh conditions.Overall,this study provides a holistic understanding of community assembly processes in the El Bayadh steppe and offers valuable insights for ecosystem management and restoration in arid and degraded ecosystem environments.
基金funded by grants EVA4.0 No.Z.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000803 and ITMS2014+313011W580s provided by EU OP RDEin CZ and SKprojects APVV-18-0086,APVV-19-0387,APVV-20-0168,APVV-20-0215 and APVV-22-0056 from the Slovak Research and Development Agencysupport from the European Research Executive Agency for ReForest,Grant Agreement Nr:101060635
文摘While numerous allometric models exist for estimating biomass in trees with single stems,models for multi-stemmed species are scarce.This study presents models for predicting aboveground biomass(AGB)in European hazel(Corylus avellana L.),growing in multi-stemmed shrub form.We measured the size and harvested the biomass of 30 European hazel shrubs,drying and weighing their woody parts and leaves separately.AGB(dry mass)and leaf area models were established using a range of predictors,such as the upper height of the shrub,number of shoots per shrub,canopy projection area,stem base diameter of the thickest stem,and the sum of cross-sectional areas of all stems at the stem base.The latter was the best predictor of AGB,but the most practically useful variables,defined as relatively easy to measure by terrestrial or aerial approaches,were the upper height of the shrub and the canopy projection area.The leaf biomass to AGB ratio decreased with the shrub's height.Specific leaf area of shaded leaves increases with shrub height,but that of leaves at the top of the canopy does not change significantly.Given that the upper shrub height and crown projection of European hazel can be estimated using remote sensing approaches,especially UAV and LIDAR,these two variables appear the most promising for effective measurement of AGB in hazel.
基金funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions.
文摘The significant threat of wildfires to forest ecology and biodiversity,particularly in tropical and subtropical regions,underscores the necessity for advanced predictive models amidst shifting climate patterns.There is a need to evaluate and enhance wildfire prediction methods,focusing on their application during extended periods of intense heat and drought.This study reviews various wildfire modelling approaches,including traditional physical,semi-empirical,numerical,and emerging machine learning(ML)-based models.We critically assess these models’capabilities in predicting fire susceptibility and post-ignition spread,highlighting their strengths and limitations.Our findings indicate that while traditional models provide foundational insights,they often fall short in dynamically estimating parameters and predicting ignition events.Cellular automata models,despite their potential,face challenges in data integration and computational demands.Conversely,ML models demonstrate superior efficiency and accuracy by leveraging diverse datasets,though they encounter interpretability issues.This review recommends hybrid modelling approaches that integrate multiple methods to harness their combined strengths.By incorporating data assimilation techniques with dynamic forecasting models,the predictive capabilities of ML-based predictions can be significantly enhanced.This review underscores the necessity for continued refinement of these models to ensure their reliability in real-world applications,ultimately contributing to more effective wildfire mitigation and management strategies.Future research should focus on improving hybrid models and exploring new data integration methods to advance predictive capabilities.
基金The National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2021YFD2201203)the 5·5 Engineering Research&Innovation Team Project of Beijing Forestry University(No.BLRC2023C05)the Key Research and Development Program of Shandong Province(No.2021SFGC02050102)。
文摘Short rotation plantation forestry(SRF)is being widely adopted to increase wood production,in order to meet global demand for wood products.However,to ensure maximum gains from SRF,optimised management regimes need to be established by integrating robust predictions and an understanding of mechanisms underlying tree growth.Hybrid ecophysiological models,such as potentially useable light sum equation(PULSE)models,are useful tools requiring minimal input data that meet the requirements of SRF.PULSE models have been tested and calibrated for different evergreen conifers and broadleaves at both juvenile and mature stages of tree growth with coarse soil and climate data.Therefore,it is prudent to question:can adding detailed soil and climatic data reduce errors in this type of model?In addition,PULSE techniques have not been used to model deciduous species,which are a challenge for ecophysiological models due to their phenology.This study developed a PULSE model for a clonal Populus tomentosa plantation in northern China using detailed edaphic and climatic data.The results showed high precision and low bias in height(m)and basal area(m^(2)·ha^(-1))predictions.While detailed edaphoclimatic data produce highly precise predictions and a good mechanistic understanding,the study suggested that local climatic data could also be employed.The study showed that PULSE modelling in combination with coarse level of edaphic and local climate data resulted in reasonably precise tree growth prediction and minimal bias.
基金Impact assessment of land use on hydrologic regime in selected micro-watersheds in lesser Himalayas,Uttarakhand,India
文摘Soil moisture affects various hydrological processes, including evapotranspiration, infiltration, and runoff. Forested areas in the lower western Himalaya in India constitute the headwater catchments for many hill streams and have experienced degradation in forest cover due to grazing, deforestation and other human activities. This change in forest cover is likely to alter the soil moisture regime and, consequently, flow regimes in streams. The effect of change in forest cover on soil moisture regimes of this dry region has not been studied through long term field observations. We monitored soil matric potentials in two small watersheds in the lower western Himalaya of India. The watersheds consisted of homogeneous land covers of moderately dense oak forest and moderately degraded mixed oak forest. Observations were recorded at three sites at three depths in each watershed at fortnightly intervals for a period of three years. The soil moisture contents derived from soil potential measurements were analyzed to understand the spatial, temporal and profile variations under the two structures of forest cover. The analysis revealed large variations in soil moisture storage at different sites and depths and also during different seasons in each watershed. Mean soil moisture storage during monsoon, winter and summer seasons was higher under dense forest than under degraded forest. Highest soil moisture content occurred at shallow soil profiles, decreasing with depth in both watersheds. A high positive correlation was found between tree density and soil moisture content. Mean soil moisture content over the entire study period was higher under dense forest than under degraded forest. This indicated a potential for soil water storage under well managed oak forest. Because soil water storage is vital for sustenance of low flows, attention is needed on the management of oak forests in the Himalayan region.
基金funded by Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education(ICFRE),Dehradun,India
文摘To analyze the relationship between the management of three forest stand plantations and soil quality in the Dimapur district of the Northeastern Himalayan region,India,three forest soil profiles,covered by different species stands,at three depths were tested for 13 physical and chemical variables.Only four of these variables(electric conductivity,bulk density exchangeable Mg and available P)were included in a minimum data set,after using a varimax rotation algorithm in a principal component analysis,and subsequently used to calculate a soil quality index(SQI).Results showed higher SQIs in the surface layers(0–20 cm depth)than in the deeper ones.Average weighed SQI varied significantly(P<0.05)through the three considered forest sites,with the lowest value at site FS3.These findings reveal that the approach used here is suitable for preliminary screening of the impact of a forestry species on soil,to aid in species selection and improve soil health for afforestation and reforestation projects.
基金financially supported by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education(ICFRE),Dehradun,India
文摘The study of floral diversity in forest and its development are incomplete without taking consideration of plant-soil interactions. So with this view in mind, the present study was conducted in tropical semi-evergreen forests of the Mokukchung district, Nagaland, in eastern Himalaya. The aim of the study was to investigate the phytosociological parameters Seven sites were randomly in relation to soil properties. selected to study the soil properties at up to one meter in depth and a phytosociological study was carried out in nearby areas via the quadrate method. In the studied sites, the richness of tree species varied from 4 to 15 ha^-1, with Gmelina arborea and Duabanga grandifloras being the common species. The highest total basal area was recorded in 10 mile village （47,998.16 cm^2 ha^-1） followed by Minkong village site （32,704.66 cm^2 ha^-1）. Soil physical and chemical properties-i.e, bulk density （BD）, soil pH, organic carbon （OC）, available nitrogen （N）, available phosphorus （P）, and available potassium （K） were analyzed using standard procedures. Significant differences were observed in the soil properties. The basal area of species showed significant positive correlation in terms of available K （0.754） and OM （0.302） content in soil, and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index （H） is also positively correlated with the available N content （0.402）. The undisturbed nature of the sites played an important role in maintaining the soil fertility and floral diversity of the sites. Moreover, sites with maximum productivity and soil fertility are considered as potential carbon sequestration areas in the region while sites with the low soil fertility need restoration.
