Management of forest lands considering multi-functional approaches is the basis to sustain or enhance the provi-sion of specific benefits,while minimizing negative impacts to the environment.Defining a desired managem...Management of forest lands considering multi-functional approaches is the basis to sustain or enhance the provi-sion of specific benefits,while minimizing negative impacts to the environment.Defining a desired management itinerary to a forest depends on a variety of factors,including the forest type,its ecological characteristics,and the social and economic needs of local communities.A strategic assessment of the forest use suitability(FUS)(namely productive,protective,conservation-oriented,social and multi-functional)at regional level,based on the provision of forest ecosystem services and trade-offs between FUS alternatives,can be used to develop management strategies that are tailored to the specific needs and conditions of the forest.The present study assesses the provision of multiple forest ecosystem services and employs a decision model to identify the FUS that sup-ports the most present and productive ecosystem services in each stand in Catalonia.For this purpose,we apply the latest version of the Ecosystem Management Decision Support(EMDS)system,a spatially oriented decision support system that provides accurate results for multi-criteria management.We evaluate 32 metrics and 12 as-sociated ecosystem services indicators to represent the spatial reality of the region.According to the results,the dominant primary use suitability is social,followed by protective and productive.Nevertheless,final assignment of uses is not straightforward and requires an exhaustive analysis of trade-offs between all alternative options,in many cases identifying flexible outcomes,and increasing the representativeness of multi-functional use.The assignment of forest use suitability aims to significantly improve the definition of the most adequate management strategy to be applied.展开更多
The paper discusses methods to compensate for the costs incurred in the supply of forest ecological services （FES）, i.e. government dominated and market-based instruments as well as progress made so far in China. Fa...The paper discusses methods to compensate for the costs incurred in the supply of forest ecological services （FES）, i.e. government dominated and market-based instruments as well as progress made so far in China. Factors which constrain the supply of these services and potential policy improvements are presented.展开更多
Texas experienced the worst drought in its 100-year history in 2011,resulting in the death of approximately 300 million trees.The high number of sudden deaths had a significant impact on forest ecosystems.This study a...Texas experienced the worst drought in its 100-year history in 2011,resulting in the death of approximately 300 million trees.The high number of sudden deaths had a significant impact on forest ecosystems.This study aimed to gain insight into the long-term and combined impacts of drought-induced forest tree deaths and their effects on biomass.This study used data obtained from 1797 National Forest Inventory(NFI)plots to analyze trends and major causes of changes in tree biomass at the sample plot level in East Texas forests over the past 20 years(2000-2019).In this study,forest trees in East Texas were divided into diameter at breast height(dbh),height,stand types,latitude,elevation,ecological zones,and FIA Unit.Principal component analysis(PCA)was also performed using drought intensity,drought duration,the four competing factor indicators,and the biomass loss rate of forest trees to better understand r drought impacts on forest trees.The results showed the lowest biomass loss rate of Pine species.Similarly,trees with shorter height and smaller dbh experienced a higher biomass loss rate.A higher biomass loss rate was observed in natural forests,West Gulf Coastal Plain and Plain and Southern East Texas ecoregion experienced higher biomass loss.Principal component analyses of drought intensity,drought duration,and the four competing metrics revealed that overall drought was the main contributor to biomass loss rates,and that drought intensity and drought duration had comparable effects on biomass loss rates.展开更多
Forest ecosystems can be characterized by a set of catenas arranged along the slope in mountainous areas as these affect microhabitat features,which in turn influence soil properties.Heretofore,few studies have examin...Forest ecosystems can be characterized by a set of catenas arranged along the slope in mountainous areas as these affect microhabitat features,which in turn influence soil properties.Heretofore,few studies have examined how topographic variables affect soil properties and quality in semiarid regions.This study aimed to provide important insights into how catena position and shape influence soil properties,soil quality,and their interrelationships in a semiarid protected oak forest in western Iran.Basic soil properties were measured in the laboratory.In addition,the soil quality index(SQI)was calculated at different topographic positions along both convex(Λ-shaped)and concave(V-shaped)catenas at two soil depths(0-15 and 15-30 cm).The findings indicated that soil organic carbon and total nitrogen declined in the lower depth in both V-andΛ-shaped catenas and at all catena positions.The lowest porosity was observed in the lower depth at toeslope positions(TS)of both catenas.Substrate-induced respiration(SIR),microbial biomass carbon(MBC),and basal respiration(BR)were higher in the upper depths at TS positions on V-shaped catenas than onΛ-shaped catenas.These biological indices were consistently higher in the upper depths than in the lower depths across all positions of both catenas.SQI had the highest values at TS positions on both catenas and in the upper depths across all positions.Pearson correlations between soil properties indicated that SQI was most strongly and positively correlated with biological properties in both catenas.The nutrient levels,microbial activity,and soil porosity in both catena shapes and at both soil depths displayed a relatively downward trend with increasing elevation from toeslope to summit positions.The results showed that catena topographic sequence shape and position affected most of the soil properties,providing evidence of the important role of topography in creating pedodiversity in oak forest ecosystems.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
Foliar resorption is a principal nutrient conservation mechanism in terrestrial vegetation that could be sensitive to ongoing changes in climate and atmospheric nitrogen(N)deposition.We quantified N resorption in nort...Foliar resorption is a principal nutrient conservation mechanism in terrestrial vegetation that could be sensitive to ongoing changes in climate and atmospheric nitrogen(N)deposition.We quantified N resorption in northern hardwood forests along an elevation gradient of decreasing temperature and increasing soil N availability to evaluate how this critical nutrient cycling process can be expected to respond to global and regional environmental changes.Foliar N resorption proficiency(NRP)increased significantly at lower elevations for both sugar maple and American beech,the dominant species in these forests.Foliar N resorption efficiency(NRE)also decreased with increasing elevation,but only in one year.Both species exhibited strong negative relationships between NRP and soil N availability.Thus,we anticipate that with climate warming and decreasing N inputs,northern hardwood forests can be expected to exhibit stronger N conservation via foliar resorption.Both species also exhibited strong correlations between resorption efficiency of N and C,but resorption of both elements was much greater for beech than sugar maple,suggesting contrasting mechanisms of nutrient conservation between these two widespread species.展开更多
As interest in tropical forest restoration accelerates,understanding its hydrological implications is increasingly urgent.While concerns persist that reforestation will reduce annual water yields—particularly in drie...As interest in tropical forest restoration accelerates,understanding its hydrological implications is increasingly urgent.While concerns persist that reforestation will reduce annual water yields—particularly in drier climates—we highlight conditions under which forest landscape restoration(FLR)can improve seasonal water availability,especially during the dry season.We examine the trade-off between increased vegetation water use(“pumping”)and enhanced infiltration and subsurface retention(“sponging”)following forestation of degraded lands,the recovery of vegetation's ability to capture“occult”precipitation(fog)in specific coastal and montane settings,and the role of forest cover in enhancing moisture recycling and transport at multiple scales.A pan-tropical sensitivity analysis shows that in degraded landscapes with deep soils and pronounced rainfall seasonality,infiltration gains following forestation can offset or exceed evaporative losses,thereby supporting groundwater recharge and increasing dry-season flows in approximately 10%of cases,with an additional 8%showing near-neutral(slightly negative)outcomes.These findings challenge the assumption that forestation uniformly reduces water availability and underscore the need to prioritize dry-season flow recovery—rather than annual water yield—as a central hydrological goal of FLR.We call for trans-disciplinary research and long-term monitoring to inform forest restoration strategies,particularly in seasonally dry regions where water scarcity is most acute.展开更多
Background: Soil organic carbon(SOC) is a large reservoir of terrestrial carbon(C); it consists of different fractions of varying complexity and stability. Partitioning SOC into different pools of decomposability help...Background: Soil organic carbon(SOC) is a large reservoir of terrestrial carbon(C); it consists of different fractions of varying complexity and stability. Partitioning SOC into different pools of decomposability help better predict the trend of changes in SOC dynamics under climate change. Information on how physical fractions and chemical structures of SOC are related to climate and vegetation types is essential for spatial model ing of SOC processes and responses to global change factors.Method: Soil samples were col ected from multiple representative forest sites of three contrasting climatic zones(i.e. cool temperate, warm temperate, and subtropical) in eastern China. Measurements were made on SOC contents and physical fractions of the 0–20 cm soil layer, and the chemical composition of SOC of the 0–5 cm soil layer, along with measurements and compilation of the basic site and forest stand variables. The long-term effects of temperature, litter inputs, soil characteristics and vegetation type on the SOC contents and factions were examined by means of "space for time substitution" approach and statistical analysis.Result: Mean annual temperature(MAT) varied from 2.1 °C at the cool temperate sites to 20.8 °C at the subtropical sites. Total SOC of the 0–20 cm soil layer decreased with increasing MAT, ranging from 89.2 g·kg^(-1) in cool temperate forests to 57.7 g·kg^(-1) in subtropical forests, at an average rate of 1.87% reduction in SOC with a 1 °C increase in MAT.With increasing MAT, the proportions of aromatic C and phenolic C displayed a tendency of decreases, whereas the proportion of alkyl C and A/O-A value(the ratio of alkyl C to the sum of O-alkyl C and acetal C) displayed a tendency of increases. Overall, there were no significant changes with MAT and forest type in either the physical fractions or the chemical composition. Based on the relationship between the SOC content and MAT, we estimate that SOC in the top 20 soil layer of forests potentially contribute 6.58–26.3 Pg C globally to the atmosphere if global MAT increases by 1 °C–4 °C by the end of the twenty-first century, with nearly half of which(cf. 2.87–11.5 Pg C) occurring in the 0–5 cm mineral soils.Conclusion: Forest topsoil SOC content decreased and became chemical y more recalcitrant with increasing MAT,without apparent changes in the physical fractions of SOC.展开更多
Climate warming has a rapid and far-reaching impact on forest fire management in the boreal forests of China. Regional climate model outputs and the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index （FWI） Sys- tem were used to ana...Climate warming has a rapid and far-reaching impact on forest fire management in the boreal forests of China. Regional climate model outputs and the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index （FWI） Sys- tem were used to analyze changes to fire danger and the fire season for future periods under IPCC Special Report on Emission Scenarios （SRES） A2 and B2, and the data will guide future fire management planning. We used regional climate in China （1961 1990） as our validation data, and the period （1991–2100） was modeled under SRES A2 and B2 through the weather simulated by the regional climate model system （PRECIS）. Meteorological data and fire danger were interpolated to 1 km 2 by using ANUSPLIN software. The average FWI value for future spring fire sea- sons under Scenarios A2 and B2 shows an increase over most of the region. Compared with the baseline, FWI averages of spring fire season will increase by 0.40, 0.26 and 1.32 under Scenario A2, and increase by 0.60, 1.54 and 2.56 under Scenario B2 in 2020s, 2050s and 2080s, respectively. FWI averages of autumn fire season also show an increase over most of the region. FWI values increase more for Scenario B2 than for Scenario A2 in the same periods, particularly during the 2050s and 2080s. Average future FWI values will increase under both scenarios for autumn fire season. The potential burned areas are expected to increase by 10% and 18% in spring for 2080s under Scenario A2 and B2, respectively. Fire season will be prolonged by 21 and 26 days under ScenariosA2 and B2 in 2080s respectively.展开更多
This paper focuses on the use of models for increasing the precision of estimators in large-area forest surveys. It is motivated by the increasing availability of remotely sensed data, which facilitates the developmen...This paper focuses on the use of models for increasing the precision of estimators in large-area forest surveys. It is motivated by the increasing availability of remotely sensed data, which facilitates the development of models predicting the variables of interest in forest surveys. We present, review and compare three different estimation frameworks where models play a core role： model-assisted, model-based, and hybrid estimation. The first two are well known, whereas the third has only recently been introduced in forest surveys. Hybrid inference mixes design- based and model-based inference, since it relies on a probability sample of auxiliary data and a model predicting the target variable from the auxiliary data.We review studies on large-area forest surveys based on model-assisted, model- based, and hybrid estimation, and discuss advantages and disadvantages of the approaches. We conclude that no general recommendations can be made about whether model-assisted, model-based, or hybrid estimation should be preferred. The choice depends on the objective of the survey and the possibilities to acquire appropriate field and remotely sensed data. We also conclude that modelling approaches can only be successfully applied for estimating target variables such as growing stock volume or biomass, which are adequately related to commonly available remotely sensed data, and thus purely field based surveys remain important for several important forest parameters.展开更多
Background： National forest resource assessments Inventories （NFI＇s）, constitute an important nationa and monitoring, commonly known as National Forest information infrastructure in many countries. Methods： This ...Background： National forest resource assessments Inventories （NFI＇s）, constitute an important nationa and monitoring, commonly known as National Forest information infrastructure in many countries. Methods： This study presents details about developments of the NFI in China, including sampling and plot design and the uses of alternative data sources, and specifically · reviews the evolution of the national forest inventory in China through the 20th and 21st centuries, with some reference to Europe and the US; · highlights the emergence of some common international themes： consistency of measurement; sampling designs; implementation of improved technology; expansion of the variables monitored more efficient scientific transparency;· presents an example of how China＇s expanding NFI exemplifies these global trends. Results： Main results and important changes in China＇s NFI are documented, both to support continued trend analysis and to provide data users with historical perspective. Conclusions： New technologies and data needs ensure that the Chinese NFI, like the national inventories in other countries, will continue to evolve. Within the context of historical change and current conditions, likely directions for this evolution are suggested.展开更多
Forest fuel investigations in central and southern Siberian taiga of Scots pine forest stands dominated by lichen and feather moss ground vegetation cover revealed that total aboveground biomass varied from 13.1 to 21...Forest fuel investigations in central and southern Siberian taiga of Scots pine forest stands dominated by lichen and feather moss ground vegetation cover revealed that total aboveground biomass varied from 13.1 to 21.0 kg/m 2.Stand biomass was higher in plots in the southern taiga,while ground fuel loads were higher in the central taiga.We developed equations for fuel biomass(both aerial and ground)that could be applicable to similar pine forest sites of Central Siberia.Fuel loading variability found among plots is related to the impact and recovery time since the last wildfi re and the mosaic distribution of living vegetation.Fuel consumption due to surface fi res of low to high-intensities ranged from 0.95 to 3.08 kg/m 2,that is,18–74%from prefi re values.The total amount of fuels available to burn in case of fi re was up to 4.5–6.5 kg/m 2.Moisture content of fuels(litter,lichen,feather moss)was related to weather conditions characterized by the Russian Fire Danger Index(PV-1)and FWI code of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System.The data obtained provide a strong foundation for understanding and modeling fi re behavior,emissions,and fi re eff ects on ecosystem processes and carbon stocks and could be used to improve existing global and regional models that incorporate biomass and fuel characteristics.展开更多
Undulations in weather patterns have caused climate shifts of increased frequency and duration around the world. The need for additional research and model data on this pressing problem has resulted in a plethora of r...Undulations in weather patterns have caused climate shifts of increased frequency and duration around the world. The need for additional research and model data on this pressing problem has resulted in a plethora of research groups examining a particular tree species or biome for negative effects of climate change. This review aims to （1） collect and merge recent research data on regeneration within old- and new-growth forests, （2） highlight and expand upon selected topics for additional discussion, and （3） report how shade tolerance, drought toler- ance, and inherent plasticity affect tree growth and development. Al- though shade and drought tolerance have been well studied by a number of research groups, this review reveals that in-depth analysis of a single or a few species in a given area will not generate the data required to implement a successful regeneration plan. Studies using historical accounts of previous species composition, information regarding site sea- sonality, species competition, and individual responses to drought and shade are needed to （1） develop best management plans and （2） ensure future modeling experiments are focused on a greater variety of species using more innovative methods to evaluate climate change effects.展开更多
An understanding of soil thermal conductivity after a wildfire or controlled burn is important to land management and post-fire recovery efforts. Although soil thermal conductivity has been well studied for non-fire h...An understanding of soil thermal conductivity after a wildfire or controlled burn is important to land management and post-fire recovery efforts. Although soil thermal conductivity has been well studied for non-fire heated soils, comprehensive data that evaluate the long-term effect of extreme heating from a fire on the soil thermal conductivity are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term impact of fire on the effective thermal conductivity of soils by directly comparing fire-heated and no-fire control soils through a series of laboratory studies. The thermal conductivity was measured for ten soil samples from two sites within the Manitou Experimental Forest, Colorado, USA, for a range of water contents from saturation to the residual degree of saturation. The thermal conductivity measured was compared with independent estimates made using three empirical models from literature, including the Campbell et al. （1994）, CSt~ and Konrad （2005）, and Massman et al. （2008） models. Results demonstrate that for the test soils studied, the thermal conductivity of the fire-heated soils was slightly lower than that of the control soils for all observed water contents. Modeling results show that the Campbell et al. （1994） model gave the best agreement over the full range of water contents when proper fitting parameters were employed. Further studies are needed to evaluate the significance of including the influence of fire burn on the thermal properties of soils in modeling studies.展开更多
The circumboreal forest encompasses diverse landscape structures, dynamics and forest age distributions determined by their physical setting, and historical and current disturbance regimes. However, due to intensifyin...The circumboreal forest encompasses diverse landscape structures, dynamics and forest age distributions determined by their physical setting, and historical and current disturbance regimes. However, due to intensifying forest utilisation, and in certain areas due to increasing natural disturbances, boreal forest age-class structures have changed rapidly, so that the proportion of old forest has substantially declined, while that of young post-harvest and post-natural-disturbance forest proportions have increased. In the future, with a warming climate in certain boreal regions, this trend may further be enhanced due to an increase in natural disturbances and large-scale use of forest biomass to replace fossil-based fuels and products.The major drivers of change of forest age class distributions and structures include the use of clearcut shortrotation harvesting, more frequent and severe natural disturbances due to climate warming in certain regions. The decline in old forest area, and increase in managed young forest lacking natural post-disturbance structural legacies,represent a major transformation in the ecological conditions of the boreal forest beyond historical limits of variability.This may introduce a threat to biodiversity, ecosystem resilience and long-term adaptive capacity of the forest ecosystem.To safeguard boreal forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and to maintain the multiple services provided to societies by this forest biome, it is pivotal to maintain an adequate share and the ecological qualities of young postdisturbance stages, along with mature forest stages with old-growth characteristics. This requires management for natural post-disturbance legacy structures, and innovative use of diverse uneven-aged and continuous cover management approaches to maintain critical late-successional forest structures in landscapes.展开更多
In recent years there has been an increasing interest in developing spatial statistical models for data sets that are seemingly spatially independent.This lack of spatial structure makes it difficult,if not impossible...In recent years there has been an increasing interest in developing spatial statistical models for data sets that are seemingly spatially independent.This lack of spatial structure makes it difficult,if not impossible to use optimal predictors such as ordinary kriging for modeling the spatial variability in the data.In many instances,the data still contain a wealth of information that could be used to gain flexibility and precision in estimation.In this paper we propose using a combination of regression analysis to describe the large-scale spatial variability in a set of survey data and a tree-based stratification design to enhance the estimation process of the small-scale spatial variability.With this approach,sample units（i.e.,pixel of a satellite image） are classified with respect to predictions of error attributes into homogeneous classes,and the classes are then used as strata in the stratified analysis.Independent variables used as a basis of stratification included terrain data and satellite imagery.A decision rule was used to identify a tree size that minimized the error in estimating the variance of the mean response and prediction uncertainties at new spatial locations.This approach was applied to a set of n=937 forested plots from a state-wide inventory conducted in 2006 in the Mexican State of Jalisco.The final models accounted for 62% to 82% of the variability observed in canopy closure（%）,basal area（m2·ha-1）,cubic volumes（m3·ha-1） and biomass（t·ha-1） on the sample plots.The spatial models provided unbiased estimates and when averaged over all sample units in the population,estimates of forest structure were very close to those obtained using classical estimates based on the sampling strategy used in the state-wide inventory.The spatial models also provided unbiased estimates of model variances leading to confidence and prediction coverage rates close to the 0.95 nominal rate.展开更多
We evaluated the spatial and temporal patterns of forest fires in two fire seasons (March to June and September to November) from 1996 to 2010 in Jilin Province, China, using the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index Sys...We evaluated the spatial and temporal patterns of forest fires in two fire seasons (March to June and September to November) from 1996 to 2010 in Jilin Province, China, using the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System. Fire data were obtained from the Provincial Fire Agency, and historical climate records of daily weather observations were collected from 36 weather stations in Jilin and its neighboring provinces. A linear regression model was used to analyze linear trends between climate and fire weather indices with time treated as an independent variable. Correlation analysis was used to detect correlations between fire frequency, areas burned, and fire weather indices. A thin-plate smooth spline model was used to interpolate the point data of 36 weather stations to generate a surface covering the whole province. Our analyses indicated fire frequency and areas burned were significantly correlated with fire weather indices. Overall, the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System appeared to be work well for determining the fire danger rating in Jilin Province. Also, our analyses indicated that in the forthcoming decades, the overall fire danger in March and April should decrease across the province, but the chance of a large fire in these months would increase. The fire danger in the fall fire season would increase in the future, and the chance of large fire would also increase. Historically, because most fires have occurred in the spring in Jilin Province, such a shift in the future fire danger between the two fire seasons would be beneficial for the province's fire management.展开更多
Background： With the loss of species worldwide due to anthropogenic factors, especially in forested ecosystems, it has become more urgent than ever to understand the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship （...Background： With the loss of species worldwide due to anthropogenic factors, especially in forested ecosystems, it has become more urgent than ever to understand the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship （BEFR）. BEFR research in forested ecosystems is very limited and thus studies that incorporate greater geographic coverage and structural complexity are needed. Methods： We compiled ground-measured data from approx, one half million forest inventory sample plots across the contiguous United States, Alaska, and northeastern China to map tree species richness, forest stocking, and productivity at a continental scale. Based on these data, we investigated the relationship between forest productivity and tree species diversity, using a multiple regression analysis and a non-parametric approach to account for spatial autocorrelation. Results： In general, forests in the eastern United States consisted of more tree species than any other regions in the country. The highest forest stocking values over the entire study area were concentrated in the western United States and Central Appalachia. Overall, 96.4 % of sample plots （477,281） showed a significant positive effect of species richness on site productivity, and only 3.6 % （17,349） had an insignificant or negative effect. Conclusions： The large number of ground-measured plots, as well as the magnitude of geographic scale, rendered overwhelming evidence in support of a positive BEFR. This empirical evidence provides insights to forest management and biological conservation across different types of forested ecosystems. Forest timber productivity may be impaired by the loss of species in forests, and biological conservation, due to its potential benefits on maintaining species richness and productivity, can have profound impacts on the functioning and services of forested ecosystems.展开更多
Background： Forest biodiversity is the foundation of many ecosystem services, and the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and processes （BEF） has been a central issue in biodiversity studies. Although m...Background： Forest biodiversity is the foundation of many ecosystem services, and the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and processes （BEF） has been a central issue in biodiversity studies. Although many hypotheses have been developed to interpret global gradients of biodiversity, there has not been complete agreement on mechanisms controlling biodiversity patterns and distributions. Differences may be due to limited observation data and inconsistencies of spatial scales in analysis. Methods： In this study, we take advantage of USDA Forest Service forest inventory and analysis （FIA） data for exploring regional forest biodiversity and BEF in New England forests. The FIA data provide detailed information of sampled plots and trees for the region, including 6000 FIA plots and more than 33,000 individual trees. Biodiversity models were used to analyze the data. Results： Tree species diversity increases from the north to the south at a rate about 2-3 species per latitudinal degree. Tree species diversity is better predicted by tree height than forest age or biomass. Very different distribution patterns of two common maple species, sugar maple （Acer sdcchorum） and red maple （Acer rubrum）, highlight the vulnerability of sugar maple and its potential replacement by red maple on New England landscapes. Red maple generally already outperforms sugar maple, and will likely and continuously benefit from a changing climate in New England. Conclusions： We conclude that forest structure （height） and resources （biomass） are more likely foundational characteristics supporting biodiversity rather than biodiversity determining forest productivity and/or biomass. The potential replacement of red maple for sugar maple in the New England areas could affect biodiversity and stability of forest ecosystem functioning because sugar maple plays important ecological roles distinct from red maple that are beneficial to other tree species in northern hardwood forests. Such a change may not affect forest resilience in terms of forest productivity and biomass as these are similar in red maple and sugar maple, however, it would almost certainly alter forest structure across the landscape.展开更多
Background: The negative impacts of the exotic tree, Ailanthus altissima(tree-of-heaven, stink tree), is spreading throughout much of the Eastern United States. When forests are disturbed, it can invade and expand qui...Background: The negative impacts of the exotic tree, Ailanthus altissima(tree-of-heaven, stink tree), is spreading throughout much of the Eastern United States. When forests are disturbed, it can invade and expand quickly if seed sources are nearby.Methods: We conducted studies at the highly dissected Tar Hollow State Forest(THSF) in southeastern Ohio USA,where Ailanthus is widely distributed within the forest, harvests have been ongoing for decades, and prescribed fire had been applied to about a quarter of the study area. Our intention was to develop models to evaluate the relationship of Ailanthus presence to prescribed fire, harvesting activity, and other landscape characteristics, using this Ohio location as a case study. Field assessments of the demography of Ailanthus and other stand attributes(e.g., fire, harvesting, stand structure) were conducted on 267 sample plots on a 400-m grid throughout THSF,supplemented by identification of Ailanthus seed-sources via digital aerial sketch mapping during the dormant season. Statistical modeling tools Random Forest(RF), Classification and Regression Trees(CART), and Maxent were used to assess relationships among attributes, then model habitats suitable for Ailanthus presence.Results: In all, 41 variables were considered in the models, including variables related to management activities, soil characteristics, topography, and vegetation structure(derived from LiDAR). The most important predictor of Ailanthus presence was some measure of recent timber harvest, either mapped harvest history(CART) or LiDARderived canopy height(Maxent). Importantly, neither prescribed fire or soil variables appeared as important predictors of Ailanthus presence or absence in any of the models of the THSF.Conclusions: These modeling techniques provide tools and methodologies for assessing landscapes for Ailanthus invasion, as well as those areas with higher potentials for invasion should seed sources become available. Though a case study on an Ohio forest, these tools can be modified for use anywhere Ailanthus is invading.展开更多
基金the Catalan Government Predoctoral Schol-arship(AGAUR-FSE 2020 FI_B200147)SuFoRun Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange(RISE)Program(Grant No.691149)the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation(PID2020-120355RB-IOO).
文摘Management of forest lands considering multi-functional approaches is the basis to sustain or enhance the provi-sion of specific benefits,while minimizing negative impacts to the environment.Defining a desired management itinerary to a forest depends on a variety of factors,including the forest type,its ecological characteristics,and the social and economic needs of local communities.A strategic assessment of the forest use suitability(FUS)(namely productive,protective,conservation-oriented,social and multi-functional)at regional level,based on the provision of forest ecosystem services and trade-offs between FUS alternatives,can be used to develop management strategies that are tailored to the specific needs and conditions of the forest.The present study assesses the provision of multiple forest ecosystem services and employs a decision model to identify the FUS that sup-ports the most present and productive ecosystem services in each stand in Catalonia.For this purpose,we apply the latest version of the Ecosystem Management Decision Support(EMDS)system,a spatially oriented decision support system that provides accurate results for multi-criteria management.We evaluate 32 metrics and 12 as-sociated ecosystem services indicators to represent the spatial reality of the region.According to the results,the dominant primary use suitability is social,followed by protective and productive.Nevertheless,final assignment of uses is not straightforward and requires an exhaustive analysis of trade-offs between all alternative options,in many cases identifying flexible outcomes,and increasing the representativeness of multi-functional use.The assignment of forest use suitability aims to significantly improve the definition of the most adequate management strategy to be applied.
文摘The paper discusses methods to compensate for the costs incurred in the supply of forest ecological services （FES）, i.e. government dominated and market-based instruments as well as progress made so far in China. Factors which constrain the supply of these services and potential policy improvements are presented.
基金supported by a Forest Health Monitoring(FHM)award from the USDA Forest Service(Grant No.:19-DG-11083150-030)to Dr.Weimin Xi。
文摘Texas experienced the worst drought in its 100-year history in 2011,resulting in the death of approximately 300 million trees.The high number of sudden deaths had a significant impact on forest ecosystems.This study aimed to gain insight into the long-term and combined impacts of drought-induced forest tree deaths and their effects on biomass.This study used data obtained from 1797 National Forest Inventory(NFI)plots to analyze trends and major causes of changes in tree biomass at the sample plot level in East Texas forests over the past 20 years(2000-2019).In this study,forest trees in East Texas were divided into diameter at breast height(dbh),height,stand types,latitude,elevation,ecological zones,and FIA Unit.Principal component analysis(PCA)was also performed using drought intensity,drought duration,the four competing factor indicators,and the biomass loss rate of forest trees to better understand r drought impacts on forest trees.The results showed the lowest biomass loss rate of Pine species.Similarly,trees with shorter height and smaller dbh experienced a higher biomass loss rate.A higher biomass loss rate was observed in natural forests,West Gulf Coastal Plain and Plain and Southern East Texas ecoregion experienced higher biomass loss.Principal component analyses of drought intensity,drought duration,and the four competing metrics revealed that overall drought was the main contributor to biomass loss rates,and that drought intensity and drought duration had comparable effects on biomass loss rates.
文摘Forest ecosystems can be characterized by a set of catenas arranged along the slope in mountainous areas as these affect microhabitat features,which in turn influence soil properties.Heretofore,few studies have examined how topographic variables affect soil properties and quality in semiarid regions.This study aimed to provide important insights into how catena position and shape influence soil properties,soil quality,and their interrelationships in a semiarid protected oak forest in western Iran.Basic soil properties were measured in the laboratory.In addition,the soil quality index(SQI)was calculated at different topographic positions along both convex(Λ-shaped)and concave(V-shaped)catenas at two soil depths(0-15 and 15-30 cm).The findings indicated that soil organic carbon and total nitrogen declined in the lower depth in both V-andΛ-shaped catenas and at all catena positions.The lowest porosity was observed in the lower depth at toeslope positions(TS)of both catenas.Substrate-induced respiration(SIR),microbial biomass carbon(MBC),and basal respiration(BR)were higher in the upper depths at TS positions on V-shaped catenas than onΛ-shaped catenas.These biological indices were consistently higher in the upper depths than in the lower depths across all positions of both catenas.SQI had the highest values at TS positions on both catenas and in the upper depths across all positions.Pearson correlations between soil properties indicated that SQI was most strongly and positively correlated with biological properties in both catenas.The nutrient levels,microbial activity,and soil porosity in both catena shapes and at both soil depths displayed a relatively downward trend with increasing elevation from toeslope to summit positions.The results showed that catena topographic sequence shape and position affected most of the soil properties,providing evidence of the important role of topography in creating pedodiversity in oak forest ecosystems.
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.
基金National Science Foundation supported this research through the Long Term Ecological Research(LTER)Grant to Hubbard Brook(NSF DEB1114804,1637685,and 2224545)by the project grant(NSF DEB,2020397).
文摘Foliar resorption is a principal nutrient conservation mechanism in terrestrial vegetation that could be sensitive to ongoing changes in climate and atmospheric nitrogen(N)deposition.We quantified N resorption in northern hardwood forests along an elevation gradient of decreasing temperature and increasing soil N availability to evaluate how this critical nutrient cycling process can be expected to respond to global and regional environmental changes.Foliar N resorption proficiency(NRP)increased significantly at lower elevations for both sugar maple and American beech,the dominant species in these forests.Foliar N resorption efficiency(NRE)also decreased with increasing elevation,but only in one year.Both species exhibited strong negative relationships between NRP and soil N availability.Thus,we anticipate that with climate warming and decreasing N inputs,northern hardwood forests can be expected to exhibit stronger N conservation via foliar resorption.Both species also exhibited strong correlations between resorption efficiency of N and C,but resorption of both elements was much greater for beech than sugar maple,suggesting contrasting mechanisms of nutrient conservation between these two widespread species.
文摘As interest in tropical forest restoration accelerates,understanding its hydrological implications is increasingly urgent.While concerns persist that reforestation will reduce annual water yields—particularly in drier climates—we highlight conditions under which forest landscape restoration(FLR)can improve seasonal water availability,especially during the dry season.We examine the trade-off between increased vegetation water use(“pumping”)and enhanced infiltration and subsurface retention(“sponging”)following forestation of degraded lands,the recovery of vegetation's ability to capture“occult”precipitation(fog)in specific coastal and montane settings,and the role of forest cover in enhancing moisture recycling and transport at multiple scales.A pan-tropical sensitivity analysis shows that in degraded landscapes with deep soils and pronounced rainfall seasonality,infiltration gains following forestation can offset or exceed evaporative losses,thereby supporting groundwater recharge and increasing dry-season flows in approximately 10%of cases,with an additional 8%showing near-neutral(slightly negative)outcomes.These findings challenge the assumption that forestation uniformly reduces water availability and underscore the need to prioritize dry-season flow recovery—rather than annual water yield—as a central hydrological goal of FLR.We call for trans-disciplinary research and long-term monitoring to inform forest restoration strategies,particularly in seasonally dry regions where water scarcity is most acute.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31470623)the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2011CB403205)
文摘Background: Soil organic carbon(SOC) is a large reservoir of terrestrial carbon(C); it consists of different fractions of varying complexity and stability. Partitioning SOC into different pools of decomposability help better predict the trend of changes in SOC dynamics under climate change. Information on how physical fractions and chemical structures of SOC are related to climate and vegetation types is essential for spatial model ing of SOC processes and responses to global change factors.Method: Soil samples were col ected from multiple representative forest sites of three contrasting climatic zones(i.e. cool temperate, warm temperate, and subtropical) in eastern China. Measurements were made on SOC contents and physical fractions of the 0–20 cm soil layer, and the chemical composition of SOC of the 0–5 cm soil layer, along with measurements and compilation of the basic site and forest stand variables. The long-term effects of temperature, litter inputs, soil characteristics and vegetation type on the SOC contents and factions were examined by means of "space for time substitution" approach and statistical analysis.Result: Mean annual temperature(MAT) varied from 2.1 °C at the cool temperate sites to 20.8 °C at the subtropical sites. Total SOC of the 0–20 cm soil layer decreased with increasing MAT, ranging from 89.2 g·kg^(-1) in cool temperate forests to 57.7 g·kg^(-1) in subtropical forests, at an average rate of 1.87% reduction in SOC with a 1 °C increase in MAT.With increasing MAT, the proportions of aromatic C and phenolic C displayed a tendency of decreases, whereas the proportion of alkyl C and A/O-A value(the ratio of alkyl C to the sum of O-alkyl C and acetal C) displayed a tendency of increases. Overall, there were no significant changes with MAT and forest type in either the physical fractions or the chemical composition. Based on the relationship between the SOC content and MAT, we estimate that SOC in the top 20 soil layer of forests potentially contribute 6.58–26.3 Pg C globally to the atmosphere if global MAT increases by 1 °C–4 °C by the end of the twenty-first century, with nearly half of which(cf. 2.87–11.5 Pg C) occurring in the 0–5 cm mineral soils.Conclusion: Forest topsoil SOC content decreased and became chemical y more recalcitrant with increasing MAT,without apparent changes in the physical fractions of SOC.
基金support by National Science and Technology Support Plan(2007BAC03A02)National Natural Science Foundation of China(30671695)
文摘Climate warming has a rapid and far-reaching impact on forest fire management in the boreal forests of China. Regional climate model outputs and the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index （FWI） Sys- tem were used to analyze changes to fire danger and the fire season for future periods under IPCC Special Report on Emission Scenarios （SRES） A2 and B2, and the data will guide future fire management planning. We used regional climate in China （1961 1990） as our validation data, and the period （1991–2100） was modeled under SRES A2 and B2 through the weather simulated by the regional climate model system （PRECIS）. Meteorological data and fire danger were interpolated to 1 km 2 by using ANUSPLIN software. The average FWI value for future spring fire sea- sons under Scenarios A2 and B2 shows an increase over most of the region. Compared with the baseline, FWI averages of spring fire season will increase by 0.40, 0.26 and 1.32 under Scenario A2, and increase by 0.60, 1.54 and 2.56 under Scenario B2 in 2020s, 2050s and 2080s, respectively. FWI averages of autumn fire season also show an increase over most of the region. FWI values increase more for Scenario B2 than for Scenario A2 in the same periods, particularly during the 2050s and 2080s. Average future FWI values will increase under both scenarios for autumn fire season. The potential burned areas are expected to increase by 10% and 18% in spring for 2080s under Scenario A2 and B2, respectively. Fire season will be prolonged by 21 and 26 days under ScenariosA2 and B2 in 2080s respectively.
文摘This paper focuses on the use of models for increasing the precision of estimators in large-area forest surveys. It is motivated by the increasing availability of remotely sensed data, which facilitates the development of models predicting the variables of interest in forest surveys. We present, review and compare three different estimation frameworks where models play a core role： model-assisted, model-based, and hybrid estimation. The first two are well known, whereas the third has only recently been introduced in forest surveys. Hybrid inference mixes design- based and model-based inference, since it relies on a probability sample of auxiliary data and a model predicting the target variable from the auxiliary data.We review studies on large-area forest surveys based on model-assisted, model- based, and hybrid estimation, and discuss advantages and disadvantages of the approaches. We conclude that no general recommendations can be made about whether model-assisted, model-based, or hybrid estimation should be preferred. The choice depends on the objective of the survey and the possibilities to acquire appropriate field and remotely sensed data. We also conclude that modelling approaches can only be successfully applied for estimating target variables such as growing stock volume or biomass, which are adequately related to commonly available remotely sensed data, and thus purely field based surveys remain important for several important forest parameters.
文摘Background： National forest resource assessments Inventories （NFI＇s）, constitute an important nationa and monitoring, commonly known as National Forest information infrastructure in many countries. Methods： This study presents details about developments of the NFI in China, including sampling and plot design and the uses of alternative data sources, and specifically · reviews the evolution of the national forest inventory in China through the 20th and 21st centuries, with some reference to Europe and the US; · highlights the emergence of some common international themes： consistency of measurement; sampling designs; implementation of improved technology; expansion of the variables monitored more efficient scientific transparency;· presents an example of how China＇s expanding NFI exemplifies these global trends. Results： Main results and important changes in China＇s NFI are documented, both to support continued trend analysis and to provide data users with historical perspective. Conclusions： New technologies and data needs ensure that the Chinese NFI, like the national inventories in other countries, will continue to evolve. Within the context of historical change and current conditions, likely directions for this evolution are suggested.
基金Cooperation and logistical support of the Russian Aerial Forest Protection Service(Avialesookhrana)and Russian Forest Service(Regional and Local Forestry Committees)is greatly appreciated.A special thanks to L.Bobkova,N.Koshurnikova,and E.Krasnoshchekova for their assistance in fuel sampling and to D.Randall for statistical analysis of tree data.
文摘Forest fuel investigations in central and southern Siberian taiga of Scots pine forest stands dominated by lichen and feather moss ground vegetation cover revealed that total aboveground biomass varied from 13.1 to 21.0 kg/m 2.Stand biomass was higher in plots in the southern taiga,while ground fuel loads were higher in the central taiga.We developed equations for fuel biomass(both aerial and ground)that could be applicable to similar pine forest sites of Central Siberia.Fuel loading variability found among plots is related to the impact and recovery time since the last wildfi re and the mosaic distribution of living vegetation.Fuel consumption due to surface fi res of low to high-intensities ranged from 0.95 to 3.08 kg/m 2,that is,18–74%from prefi re values.The total amount of fuels available to burn in case of fi re was up to 4.5–6.5 kg/m 2.Moisture content of fuels(litter,lichen,feather moss)was related to weather conditions characterized by the Russian Fire Danger Index(PV-1)and FWI code of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System.The data obtained provide a strong foundation for understanding and modeling fi re behavior,emissions,and fi re eff ects on ecosystem processes and carbon stocks and could be used to improve existing global and regional models that incorporate biomass and fuel characteristics.
文摘Undulations in weather patterns have caused climate shifts of increased frequency and duration around the world. The need for additional research and model data on this pressing problem has resulted in a plethora of research groups examining a particular tree species or biome for negative effects of climate change. This review aims to （1） collect and merge recent research data on regeneration within old- and new-growth forests, （2） highlight and expand upon selected topics for additional discussion, and （3） report how shade tolerance, drought toler- ance, and inherent plasticity affect tree growth and development. Al- though shade and drought tolerance have been well studied by a number of research groups, this review reveals that in-depth analysis of a single or a few species in a given area will not generate the data required to implement a successful regeneration plan. Studies using historical accounts of previous species composition, information regarding site sea- sonality, species competition, and individual responses to drought and shade are needed to （1） develop best management plans and （2） ensure future modeling experiments are focused on a greater variety of species using more innovative methods to evaluate climate change effects.
基金supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), USA (division of graduate education, No.DGE-0638719)
文摘An understanding of soil thermal conductivity after a wildfire or controlled burn is important to land management and post-fire recovery efforts. Although soil thermal conductivity has been well studied for non-fire heated soils, comprehensive data that evaluate the long-term effect of extreme heating from a fire on the soil thermal conductivity are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term impact of fire on the effective thermal conductivity of soils by directly comparing fire-heated and no-fire control soils through a series of laboratory studies. The thermal conductivity was measured for ten soil samples from two sites within the Manitou Experimental Forest, Colorado, USA, for a range of water contents from saturation to the residual degree of saturation. The thermal conductivity measured was compared with independent estimates made using three empirical models from literature, including the Campbell et al. （1994）, CSt~ and Konrad （2005）, and Massman et al. （2008） models. Results demonstrate that for the test soils studied, the thermal conductivity of the fire-heated soils was slightly lower than that of the control soils for all observed water contents. Modeling results show that the Campbell et al. （1994） model gave the best agreement over the full range of water contents when proper fitting parameters were employed. Further studies are needed to evaluate the significance of including the influence of fire burn on the thermal properties of soils in modeling studies.
基金carried out in the framework of the EBOR-project funded by the Academy of Finland(Proj.No.276255)
文摘The circumboreal forest encompasses diverse landscape structures, dynamics and forest age distributions determined by their physical setting, and historical and current disturbance regimes. However, due to intensifying forest utilisation, and in certain areas due to increasing natural disturbances, boreal forest age-class structures have changed rapidly, so that the proportion of old forest has substantially declined, while that of young post-harvest and post-natural-disturbance forest proportions have increased. In the future, with a warming climate in certain boreal regions, this trend may further be enhanced due to an increase in natural disturbances and large-scale use of forest biomass to replace fossil-based fuels and products.The major drivers of change of forest age class distributions and structures include the use of clearcut shortrotation harvesting, more frequent and severe natural disturbances due to climate warming in certain regions. The decline in old forest area, and increase in managed young forest lacking natural post-disturbance structural legacies,represent a major transformation in the ecological conditions of the boreal forest beyond historical limits of variability.This may introduce a threat to biodiversity, ecosystem resilience and long-term adaptive capacity of the forest ecosystem.To safeguard boreal forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and to maintain the multiple services provided to societies by this forest biome, it is pivotal to maintain an adequate share and the ecological qualities of young postdisturbance stages, along with mature forest stages with old-growth characteristics. This requires management for natural post-disturbance legacy structures, and innovative use of diverse uneven-aged and continuous cover management approaches to maintain critical late-successional forest structures in landscapes.
文摘In recent years there has been an increasing interest in developing spatial statistical models for data sets that are seemingly spatially independent.This lack of spatial structure makes it difficult,if not impossible to use optimal predictors such as ordinary kriging for modeling the spatial variability in the data.In many instances,the data still contain a wealth of information that could be used to gain flexibility and precision in estimation.In this paper we propose using a combination of regression analysis to describe the large-scale spatial variability in a set of survey data and a tree-based stratification design to enhance the estimation process of the small-scale spatial variability.With this approach,sample units（i.e.,pixel of a satellite image） are classified with respect to predictions of error attributes into homogeneous classes,and the classes are then used as strata in the stratified analysis.Independent variables used as a basis of stratification included terrain data and satellite imagery.A decision rule was used to identify a tree size that minimized the error in estimating the variance of the mean response and prediction uncertainties at new spatial locations.This approach was applied to a set of n=937 forested plots from a state-wide inventory conducted in 2006 in the Mexican State of Jalisco.The final models accounted for 62% to 82% of the variability observed in canopy closure（%）,basal area（m2·ha-1）,cubic volumes（m3·ha-1） and biomass（t·ha-1） on the sample plots.The spatial models provided unbiased estimates and when averaged over all sample units in the population,estimates of forest structure were very close to those obtained using classical estimates based on the sampling strategy used in the state-wide inventory.The spatial models also provided unbiased estimates of model variances leading to confidence and prediction coverage rates close to the 0.95 nominal rate.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31470497)Project 2013-158,Jilin Provincial Education Department+1 种基金Project 2013-007,Jilin Provincial Forestry Departmentsupported by the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in the University(NCET-12-0726)
文摘We evaluated the spatial and temporal patterns of forest fires in two fire seasons (March to June and September to November) from 1996 to 2010 in Jilin Province, China, using the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System. Fire data were obtained from the Provincial Fire Agency, and historical climate records of daily weather observations were collected from 36 weather stations in Jilin and its neighboring provinces. A linear regression model was used to analyze linear trends between climate and fire weather indices with time treated as an independent variable. Correlation analysis was used to detect correlations between fire frequency, areas burned, and fire weather indices. A thin-plate smooth spline model was used to interpolate the point data of 36 weather stations to generate a surface covering the whole province. Our analyses indicated fire frequency and areas burned were significantly correlated with fire weather indices. Overall, the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System appeared to be work well for determining the fire danger rating in Jilin Province. Also, our analyses indicated that in the forthcoming decades, the overall fire danger in March and April should decrease across the province, but the chance of a large fire in these months would increase. The fire danger in the fall fire season would increase in the future, and the chance of large fire would also increase. Historically, because most fires have occurred in the spring in Jilin Province, such a shift in the future fire danger between the two fire seasons would be beneficial for the province's fire management.
基金supported in parts by the United States Department of Agriculture Mc Intire-Stennis Act Fund WVA00104the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources,West Virginia University
文摘Background： With the loss of species worldwide due to anthropogenic factors, especially in forested ecosystems, it has become more urgent than ever to understand the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship （BEFR）. BEFR research in forested ecosystems is very limited and thus studies that incorporate greater geographic coverage and structural complexity are needed. Methods： We compiled ground-measured data from approx, one half million forest inventory sample plots across the contiguous United States, Alaska, and northeastern China to map tree species richness, forest stocking, and productivity at a continental scale. Based on these data, we investigated the relationship between forest productivity and tree species diversity, using a multiple regression analysis and a non-parametric approach to account for spatial autocorrelation. Results： In general, forests in the eastern United States consisted of more tree species than any other regions in the country. The highest forest stocking values over the entire study area were concentrated in the western United States and Central Appalachia. Overall, 96.4 % of sample plots （477,281） showed a significant positive effect of species richness on site productivity, and only 3.6 % （17,349） had an insignificant or negative effect. Conclusions： The large number of ground-measured plots, as well as the magnitude of geographic scale, rendered overwhelming evidence in support of a positive BEFR. This empirical evidence provides insights to forest management and biological conservation across different types of forested ecosystems. Forest timber productivity may be impaired by the loss of species in forests, and biological conservation, due to its potential benefits on maintaining species richness and productivity, can have profound impacts on the functioning and services of forested ecosystems.
基金the project NRS-6“Climate,Fire,and Carbon Cycle Sciences”supported by the USDA Forest ServiceBeijing Forestry University for covering the trip to the conference and generous conference venue facilitating this study
文摘Background： Forest biodiversity is the foundation of many ecosystem services, and the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and processes （BEF） has been a central issue in biodiversity studies. Although many hypotheses have been developed to interpret global gradients of biodiversity, there has not been complete agreement on mechanisms controlling biodiversity patterns and distributions. Differences may be due to limited observation data and inconsistencies of spatial scales in analysis. Methods： In this study, we take advantage of USDA Forest Service forest inventory and analysis （FIA） data for exploring regional forest biodiversity and BEF in New England forests. The FIA data provide detailed information of sampled plots and trees for the region, including 6000 FIA plots and more than 33,000 individual trees. Biodiversity models were used to analyze the data. Results： Tree species diversity increases from the north to the south at a rate about 2-3 species per latitudinal degree. Tree species diversity is better predicted by tree height than forest age or biomass. Very different distribution patterns of two common maple species, sugar maple （Acer sdcchorum） and red maple （Acer rubrum）, highlight the vulnerability of sugar maple and its potential replacement by red maple on New England landscapes. Red maple generally already outperforms sugar maple, and will likely and continuously benefit from a changing climate in New England. Conclusions： We conclude that forest structure （height） and resources （biomass） are more likely foundational characteristics supporting biodiversity rather than biodiversity determining forest productivity and/or biomass. The potential replacement of red maple for sugar maple in the New England areas could affect biodiversity and stability of forest ecosystem functioning because sugar maple plays important ecological roles distinct from red maple that are beneficial to other tree species in northern hardwood forests. Such a change may not affect forest resilience in terms of forest productivity and biomass as these are similar in red maple and sugar maple, however, it would almost certainly alter forest structure across the landscape.
基金Funding was provided by the Joint Fire Science Program(US)(for field assistance)primarily the Northern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service(for author salaries)
文摘Background: The negative impacts of the exotic tree, Ailanthus altissima(tree-of-heaven, stink tree), is spreading throughout much of the Eastern United States. When forests are disturbed, it can invade and expand quickly if seed sources are nearby.Methods: We conducted studies at the highly dissected Tar Hollow State Forest(THSF) in southeastern Ohio USA,where Ailanthus is widely distributed within the forest, harvests have been ongoing for decades, and prescribed fire had been applied to about a quarter of the study area. Our intention was to develop models to evaluate the relationship of Ailanthus presence to prescribed fire, harvesting activity, and other landscape characteristics, using this Ohio location as a case study. Field assessments of the demography of Ailanthus and other stand attributes(e.g., fire, harvesting, stand structure) were conducted on 267 sample plots on a 400-m grid throughout THSF,supplemented by identification of Ailanthus seed-sources via digital aerial sketch mapping during the dormant season. Statistical modeling tools Random Forest(RF), Classification and Regression Trees(CART), and Maxent were used to assess relationships among attributes, then model habitats suitable for Ailanthus presence.Results: In all, 41 variables were considered in the models, including variables related to management activities, soil characteristics, topography, and vegetation structure(derived from LiDAR). The most important predictor of Ailanthus presence was some measure of recent timber harvest, either mapped harvest history(CART) or LiDARderived canopy height(Maxent). Importantly, neither prescribed fire or soil variables appeared as important predictors of Ailanthus presence or absence in any of the models of the THSF.Conclusions: These modeling techniques provide tools and methodologies for assessing landscapes for Ailanthus invasion, as well as those areas with higher potentials for invasion should seed sources become available. Though a case study on an Ohio forest, these tools can be modified for use anywhere Ailanthus is invading.
