加拿大B.C.省中部亚北方未成熟小杆松林生态学及高生长分析

本文研究了小杆松(PinuscontortaDougl.exLoud.)高生长与生态立地质量(ecologicalsitequality)间的关系.用生物地理气候生态系统分类(biogeoclimaticecosystemclassification)方法和数量方法分析了植被、环境和林分数据,这些数据是从在B.C.省中部具有山地北方气候以及广泛的土壤水分和养分条件的72块样地中获得的.     

微立地土壤水分-物理性质差异及对水曲柳幼林生长的影响

采用较小立地尺度对土壤水分物理性质的变化及与水曲柳生长的关系进行研究.结果表明,除传统尺度立地上土壤水分-物理性质存在较大差异外,该尺度立地内部微立地间亦存在较大的变化,一些指标如非毛管孔隙度、土壤通气度和土壤渗透系数等在微立地间的变化甚至超出立地间的变化.土壤水分-物理性质的差异,使得不同微立地间水曲柳生长存在较大差异,同一立地内不同微立地间林木生长差异明显高于不同立地间的差异.土壤水分-物理性质及林木生长受到局部地段微立地的影响.微立地的研究对进一步实现适地适树具有重要意义.     

森林生态系统立地指数的遥感分析

森林生态系统立地指数分析和立地质量的评估是森林生态系统经营管理和造林营林的重要理论基础与规划方法,也是研究森林生态系统生产力的重要内容.由于技术的限制,迄今为止,还没有实现森林生态系统立地空间分布格局的分析和开展立地条件随时间动态变化的研究.卫星遥感为大面积研究森林生态系统的生产力及其空间分布格局和动态提供了一条重要的途径.以云杉为对象,利用卫星遥感为研究手段,在岷江上游的四川西北部松潘镇江关流域研究森林生态系统立地指数的空间分布特点,探索有关遥感反演模型的建立,并通过有关精度的评估分析这种高技术应用的价值和潜力.研究结果表明,遥感植被指数NDVI和TNDVI与野外实测云杉立地指数（SI）基本为线性相关.通过对模型模拟结果和实际测定结果的比较研究,发现在1：1比例的分析图中,NDVI和TNDVI的遥感反演模型都有很好的拟合效果与较高的精度,说明通过遥感植被指数的方法测定森林立地指数具有较高的实用价值.     

微立地土壤水分—物理性质差异及对水曲柳幼林生长的影响

采用较小立地尺度对土壤水分物理性质的变化及与水曲柳生长的关系进行研究。结果表明,除传统尺度立地上土壤水分－物理性质存在较大差异外,该尺度立地内部微立地间亦存在较大的变化,一些指标如非毛管孔隙度、土壤通气度和土壤渗透系数等在微立地间的变化甚至超出立地间的变化,土壤水分－物理性质的差异,使得不同微立地间水曲柳生长存在较大差异,同一立地内不同微立地间林木生长差异明显高于不同立地间的差异,土壤水分－物理性质及林木生长受到局部地段微立地的影响,微立地的研究对进一步实现适地适树具有重要意义。     

贵州道地苗药对对参立地环境研究

对贵州道地苗药对对参生长立地环境、气候状况、土壤理化特性及蕴藏量进行研究,研究结果表明：对对参生长在中缓坡地带或较陡山坡上的小块平洼地;岩石较多,岩土比达1：1以上;对对参生长地区气候温和、降雨充沛、阳光充足、热量资源丰富;土壤有机质含量高,有良好的团粒结构;土壤水分含量高;土壤呈弱碱性;土壤养分中氮元素的含量丰富,而速效磷、钾的含量则较少;表明对对参是一种喜阳、喜热、喜湿及喜氮的植物;对对参资源蕴藏量少.     

苗药果上叶立地环境调查研究

对苗药果上叶生长立地环境、气候状况、土壤理化特性及蕴藏量进行研究,研究结果表明:果上叶垂直分布在海拔400～1 800 m范围内,生长在陡坡石灰岩地带,所匍匐生长的岩石坡度基本在70°以上,在阴坡或半阴坡,喜温暖、湿润的环境,果上叶生长地土壤有机质含量高,残土比达0.42,土壤的排水性和保水性较好,呈弱酸性至中性;果上叶生长在盐肤木、青杠树、马尾松、荚蒾等乔木及部分缠绕的藤本植物下面,与蕨类和苔藓伴生;果上叶资源蕴藏量很少,处于濒危的程度。     

云冷杉林林隙内倒木腐烂等级及其形成的微立地类型对土壤理化性质的影响

为揭示倒木腐烂等级及其形成的微立地类型对土壤理化性质的影响,分析了小兴安岭凉水国家级自然保护区谷地云冷杉林由倒木形成的林隙内不同腐烂等级倒木形成的3种微立地(丘顶、坑底和倒木下)的土壤理化性质(容重、毛管孔隙度、总孔隙度、毛管持水量、饱和持水量、土壤有机碳、全氮、全磷、有效磷、速效钾和pH值)和化学计量特征(C/N、N/P和C/P)的差异.结果表明: 倒木腐烂等级对土壤物理性质的影响不显著,而倒木形成的微立地类型对其影响显著.除土壤饱和持水量外,倒木下的其他土壤物理性质均最好,坑底最差;随着倒木腐烂等级的上升,除有效磷外的其他土壤养分含量呈显著上升趋势;3种微立地中,坑底土壤养分含量最低,pH最高;随倒木腐烂等级的上升,3种微立地浅层土壤C/N、N/P和C/P下降,而丘顶和坑底深层土壤C/N上升,N/P和C/P下降,C/P的变化趋势与土壤有效磷的一致.综上,随倒木腐烂等级的提高,土壤养分含量显著增加,且不同类型微立地之间差异明显,其中坑底始终最低.     

杨树人工林生态系统立地质量因子的定量排序与评价

从系统论的观点出发,运用多元数理统计法,系统地辩识和评价了长江中游平原地区黑杨派南方型无性系(Ⅰ-69杨,Ⅰ-72杨)主要立地因子。结果表明,土壤有效水分是主要的综合立地因子,其对林分优势高生长的贡献率为44.56%(Ⅰ-69杨)和34.09%(Ⅰ-72杨);其次是物理性状和通气条件,各占24%左右;土壤养分贡献率最低,仅10%左右。主要立地子因子包括水淹程度、微地形、地下水位、经营程度、土壤质地、土壤结构和pH值,累积贡献率达到90%以上。文中最后编制了具有数量化立地指数表和地位级表双重功能的立地因子贡献值表。     

森林立地指数的地统计学空间分析

森林生态系统立地质量的评估是森林生态系统经营管理和造林营林的重要理论基础与规划方法,也是研究森林生态系统生产力的重要内容。森林立地指数是一种已被普遍接受的评价森林立地质量的方法,然而由于技术所限,传统的森林立地指数调查方法因其耗时长、花费大,很难大面积的对森林立地指数进行估测和空间分析,地统计学结合地理信息系统技术为研究森林立地及空间格局提供了一条新的途径。以杉木人工林为研究对象,地统计学及地理信息系统技术为手段,根据江西省景德镇枫树山林场杉木立地指数空间分布特点,选取合适的变异函数理论模型,对其森林立地指数进行了估测和空间分析,并在精度验证的基础上对结果进行了评价。研究结果表明,江西省枫树山林场杉木人工林立地指数有中等程度的空间相关。通过模型模拟结果和实测结果对比,K-贝塞耳函数(K-Bessel)模型有较好的拟合效果和较高的精度,说明地统计学在森林立地指数的估测和空间分析中有一定的应用价值。     

辽宁省长白落叶松人工林立地分类研究

利用通径分析(PA)、主成分分析(PCA)、典范分析(CA),筛选影响长白落叶松(Larisolgensis)生长的主导因子和研究地形、土壤、林木三者相互关系。结果表明,坡向、土壤质地、土壤厚度是主导因子;坡向与土壤质地、土厚、土壤有机质密切相关。利用生态学的立地分类方法,将辽宁东部长白落叶松人工林划分为3个立地类型组,14个主要立地类型。阴坡立地类型组有厚层、中层粉砂壤土类型和厚层、中层壤质土类型以及厚层粘壤土类型;半阴、半阳坡立地类型组有厚层、中层粉砂壤土类型,厚层、中层壤质土类型,中层砂质土类型和薄层土立地类型;阳坡立地类型组有厚层、中层、薄层土立地类型。     

Tree allometry of Douglas fir and Norway spruce on a nutrient-poor and a nutrient-rich site

Research related to the allometric relationships of tree height and projected tree crown area to diameter at breast height was conducted to look at the biological suitability and timber production potential of Douglas fir under the conditions present in central Europe. The dependence of allometric relationships on soil nutrient conditions were described in forest stands of Douglas fir and Norway spruce. The studied sites were climatically similar but differed in soil nutrient availability. A significant difference was found in the allometric relationships of Norway spruce trees from the nutrient poor and nutrient rich site. In contrast to the Norway spruce, there was no significant effect of site fertility on allometric relationships for Douglas fir suggesting that its allocation patterns were less sensitive to site nutrient conditions. Stem growth increment, which was measured weekly during two consecutive seasons for both species, was related to the weather conditions and available soil moisture. Stem growth of Douglas fir began about 2 weeks earlier than in the Norway spruce at both sites. At the nutrient rich site, most of the stem growth of both species occurred at the beginning of the season, while growth at the other site was more evenly distributed throughout the season. Data obtained in this study will be useful for modeling stem growth and analysis of water use efficiency of these two tree species.     

Fine root dynamics in lodgepole pine and white spruce stands along productivity gradients in reclaimed oil sands sites

Open‐pit mining activities in the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada, create disturbed lands that, by law, must be reclaimed to a land capability equivalent to that existed before the disturbance. Re‐establishment of forest cover will be affected by the production and turnover rate of fine roots. However, the relationship between fine root dynamics and tree growth has not been studied in reclaimed oil sands sites. Fine root properties (root length density, mean surface area, total root biomass, and rates of root production, turnover, and decomposition) were assessed from May to October 2011 and 2012 using sequential coring and ingrowth core methods in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss) stands. The pine and spruce stands were planted on peat mineral soil mix placed over tailings sand and overburden substrates, respectively, in reclaimed oil sands sites in Alberta. We selected stands that form a productivity gradient (low, medium, and high productivities) of each tree species based on differences in tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH) increments. In lodgepole pine stands, fine root length density and fine root production, and turnover rates were in the order of high > medium > low productivity sites and were positively correlated with tree height and DBH and negatively correlated with soil salinity (P < 0.05). In white spruce stands, fine root surface area was the only parameter that increased along the productivity gradient and was negatively correlated with soil compaction. In conclusion, fine root dynamics along the stand productivity gradients were closely linked to stand productivity and were affected by limiting soil properties related to the specific substrate used for reconstructing the reclaimed soil. Understanding the impact of soil properties on fine root dynamics and overall stand productivity will help improve land reclamation outcomes.     

Seasonal ionic fluctuations and annual growth rates in stands of Pinus silvestris L. and Picea abies Karst. (L.)

Seasonal variations in potassium, calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium contents of needles from two different stands of Pinus silvestris L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst. were determined monthly during a period of two years, and the growth rates once a year during five years. The stands were growing on sand or on clay. The supposed transport of potassium to the shoot during autumn could not be demonstrated. The nutrient status of pine and spruce growing on sand and clay was very similar, except for calcium and magnesium. There were only small differences in ion contents between pine and spruce, except for calcium. On soils with low water-holding capacity, the available water in dry years is the limiting factor affecting the growth rate of spruce but not of pine. It is concluded that the nutrient status of the leaves, the growth rates and the available water in the soil are factors that should have an important part in any discussion of fertilization of coniferous forests.     

A site classification for Scottish native woodlands

Summary

The proposed site classification should assist in choice when creating or rehabilitating native woodlands on site types of different quality. Eight climatic zones are defined by warmth and wetness factors. Eight soil moisture regimes are defined by water table depth and the amount of available water in summer. Six soil nutrient regimes are defined by soil acidity and nitrogen availability. Woodland and scrub sub-communities of the National Vegetation Classification are ordinated by their preferences for soil moisture and soil nutrients, using Ellenberg ecological indicator values. After stratification by climatic zone, the communities are then located on the grid of soil moisture and nutrient regimes. The actual and relative positions of the communities and sub-communities are discussed in relation to existing knowledge of their distribution in relation to climate and soil types.     

Changes in cold hardiness of introduced and native interior Alaskan evergreens in relation to water and lipid content during spring dehardening

Needle hardiness of introduced yellow pine, Pinus banksiana Lamb., lodgepole pine, P. contorta Dougl, and native white spruce, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, were assessed by the effective prefreezing temperature method. Yellow pine needles were less hardy than lodgepole pine or white spruce needles in Alaska on each date measured. Although hardiness decreased in springtime in all species, decreases in hardiness in yellow pine began before temperatures were above ?20°C, apparently in response to day length, while decreases in hardiness in lodgepole pine and white spruce began only when mean temperatures were above 0°C. Hardiness was increased by decreasing the water content of yellow pine and spruce needles. However, only the latter increased its field hardiness by decreased water contents, and only to a small degree. Large decreases in phospholipid occurred during the dehardening period, indicating the presence of major membrane-associated changes. However, changes in hardiness did not closely parallel those in phospholipid; hardiness decreased before phospholipid did in spruce and after phospholipid did in lodgepole pine. In yellow pine, changes in hardiness were more closely related to changes in phospholipid content. Decreases in phospholipid appeared to be correlated with the day length in all species.     

Tree Species Traits Influence Soil Physical,Chemical, and Biological Properties in High Elevation Forests

Background

Previous studies have shown that plants often have species-specific effects on soil properties. In high elevation forests in the Southern Rocky Mountains, North America, areas that are dominated by a single tree species are often adjacent to areas dominated by another tree species. Here, we assessed soil properties beneath adjacent stands of trembling aspen, lodgepole pine, and Engelmann spruce, which are dominant tree species in this region and are distributed widely in North America. We hypothesized that soil properties would differ among stands dominated by different tree species and expected that aspen stands would have higher soil temperatures due to their open structure, which, combined with higher quality litter, would result in increased soil respiration rates, nitrogen availability, and microbial biomass, and differences in soil faunal community composition.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We assessed soil physical, chemical, and biological properties at four sites where stands of aspen, pine, and spruce occurred in close proximity to one-another in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado. Leaf litter quality differed among the tree species, with the highest nitrogen (N) concentration and lowest lignin∶N in aspen litter. Nitrogen concentration was similar in pine and spruce litter, but lignin∶N was highest in pine litter. Soil temperature and moisture were highest in aspen stands, which, in combination with higher litter quality, probably contributed to faster soil respiration rates from stands of aspen. Soil carbon and N content, ammonium concentration, and microbial biomass did not differ among tree species, but nitrate concentration was highest in aspen soil and lowest in spruce soil. In addition, soil fungal, bacterial, and nematode community composition and rotifer, collembolan, and mesostigmatid mite abundance differed among the tree species, while the total abundance of nematodes, tardigrades, oribatid mites, and prostigmatid mites did not.

Conclusions/Significance

Although some soil characteristics were unaffected by tree species identity, our results clearly demonstrate that these dominant tree species are associated with soils that differ in several physical, chemical, and biotic properties. Ongoing environmental changes in this region, e.g. changes in fire regime, frequency of insect outbreaks, changes in precipitation patterns and snowpack, and land-use change, may alter the relative abundance of these tree species over coming decades, which in turn will likely alter the soils.     

Gradient Analysis of Fire Regimes in Montane Forests of the Southern Cascade Range,Thousand Lakes Wilderness,California, USA

Species distribution and abundance patterns in the southern Cascades are influenced by both environmental gradients and fire regimes. Little is known about fire regimes and variation in fire regimes may not be independent of environmental gradients or vegetation patterns. In this study, we analyze variation in fire regime parameters (i.e., return interval, season, size, severity, and rotation period) with respect to forest composition, elevation, and potential soil moisture in a 2042 ha area of montane forest in the southern Cascades in the Thousand Lakes Wilderness (TLW). Fire regime parameters varied with forest composition, elevation, and potential soil moisture. Median composite and point fire return intervals were shorter (4-9 yr, 14-24 yr) in low elevation and more xeric white fir (Abies concolor)-sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) and white fir-Jeffrey pine (P. jeffreyi) and longest (20-37 yr, 20-47 yr) in mesic high elevation lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and red fir (Abies magnifica)-mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) forests. Values for mid-elevation red fir-white fir forests were intermediate. The pattern for fire rotation lengths across gradients was the same as for fire return intervals. The percentage of fires that occurred during the growing season was inversely related to elevation and potential soil moisture. Mean fire sizes were larger in lodgepole pine forests (405 ha) than in other forest groups (103-151 ha). In contrast to other parameters, fire severity did not vary across environmental and compositional gradients and >50% of all forests burned at high severity with most of the remainder burning at moderate severity. Since 1905, fire regimes have become similar at all gradient positions because of a policy of suppressing fire and fire regime modification will lead to shifts in landscape scale vegetation patterns.     

Scarification,fertilization and herbicide treatment effects on planted conifers and soil fertility

The influences of soil surface modification (blade scarification and plastic mulching), fertilization and herbicide application on soil nutrient and organic carbon content and tree growth and foliar nutrient status were examined after seven years in a study located within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region of Canada. Plots had been planted with white pine (Pinus strobus L.) and white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) seedlings. Light (PAR), soil moisture and temperature were monitored and recorded throughout the growing season. Forest floor and soil mineral (0–20 cm layer) samples were collected from all experimental plots, except those which had plastic mulching. Foliar samples were collected in autumn and analysed for N, P and K and storage compounds. Seedling mortality was 20% higher in unscarified plots. Combined silvicultural treatments increased productivity as much as 14 times, but scarification reduced soil carbon and nutrient capital 2–3 fold. Herbicide application reduced soil carbon by at least 20 %. Foliar nutrient, protein, starch and lipid contents in autumn were little affected by treatment. The future management of such stands in Canada probably will include more shelterwood harvesting and crop rotations, silvicultural systems that are more closely aligned with natural forest succession.     

Spatial and temporal variation in historic fire regimes in subalpine forests across the Colorado Front Range in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Aim The historical variability of fire regimes must be understood in the context of drivers of the occurrence of fire operating at a range of spatial scales from local site conditions to broad‐scale climatic variation. In the present study we examine fire history and variations in the fire regime at multiple spatial and temporal scales for subalpine forests of Engelmann spruce–subalpine fir (Picea engelmannii, Abies lasiocarpa) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) of the southern Rocky Mountains. Location The study area is the subalpine zone of spruce–fir and lodgepole pine forests in the southern sector of Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO), Colorado, USA, which straddles the continental divide of the northern Colorado Front Range (40°20′ N and 105°40′ W). Methods We used a combination of dendroecological and Geographic Information System methods to reconstruct fire history, including fire year, severity and extent at the forest patch level, for c. 30,000 ha of subalpine forest. We aggregated fire history information at appropriate spatial scales to test for drivers of the fire regime at local, meso, and regional scales. Results The fire histories covered c. 30,000 ha of forest and were based on a total of 676 partial cross‐sections of fire‐scarred trees and 6152 tree‐core age samples. The subalpine forest fire regime of ROMO is dominated by infrequent, extensive, stand‐replacing fire events, whereas surface fires affected only 1–3% of the forested area. Main conclusions Local‐scale influences on fire regimes are reflected by differences in the relative proportions of stands of different ages between the lodgepole pine and spruce–fir forest types. Lodgepole pine stands all originated following fires in the last 400 years; in contrast, large areas of spruce–fir forests consisted of stands not affected by fire in the past 400 years. Meso‐scale influences on fire regimes are reflected by fewer but larger fires on the west vs. east side of the continental divide. These differences appear to be explained by less frequent and severe drought on the west side, and by the spread of fires from lower‐elevation mixed‐conifer montane forests on the east side. Regional‐scale climatic variation is the primary driver of infrequent, large fire events, but its effects are modulated by local‐ and meso‐scale abiotic and biotic factors. The low incidence of fire during the period of fire‐suppression policy in the twentieth century is not unique in comparison with the previous 300 years of fire history. There is no evidence that fire suppression has resulted in either the fire regime or current forest conditions being outside their historic ranges of variability during the past 400 years. Furthermore, in the context of fuel treatments to reduce fire hazard, regardless of restoration goals, the association of extremely large and severe fires with infrequent and exceptional drought calls into question the future effectiveness of tree thinning to mitigate fire hazard in the subalpine zone.     

Plant-soil feedback in spruce (Picea abies) and mixed spruce-beech (Fagus sylvatica) stands as indicated by dendrochemistry

Ten pairs of secondary pure spruce (Picea abies) and adjacent mixed spruce-beech (Fagus sylvatica) stands on comparable sites were selected on two different bedrocks for soil formation (Flysch: nutrient rich and high soil pH; Molasse: poor nutrient supply and acidic) to study how an admixture of beech to spruce stands affects nutrient cycling and consequently soil chemistry. Soil analyses indicated accumulation of Ca under the mixed stands while the top soil under pure spruce was acidified. It was hypothesized that changes of soil chemical properties due to species composition over the last six decades are reflected in the stem wood of spruce. Three healthy dominant spruce trees per plot were selected for coring. Cores were crossdated and half-decadal samples were analyzed for Ca, Mg, Mn and Al. Calcium and Mg concentrations in stem wood of spruce were significantly higher for the pure spruce than for the mixed stands in spite of lower Ca and Mg stores in the soil. We assume that acidification caused by pure spruce mobilized these cations temporarily, increasing soil solution contents and consequently stem wood concentrations. It was possible to reconstruct soil pH from the element ratios Ca/Al (pure stands) and Ca/Mg (mixed stands), since these ratios in the stem wood of the last half-decade did correlate with soil pH for selected soil depths. Reconstructed soil pH showed a decline over the last 60 years under both species compositions due to accumulation of base cations in the increasing biomass. Comparisons of reconstructed soil pH in 0–5 and 10–20 cm soil depth indicated more pronounced top soil acidification (lower soil pH in 0–5 cm) by spruce on the nutrient rich soil (Flysch) than on the acidic soil (Molasse). However, admixture of beech caused higher pH values in 0–5 cm than in 10–20 cm soil depth on Flysch due to the observed Ca-pump effect of beech (uptake of Ca from deeper soil horizons).