Managing Forests for Increased Regional Water Yield in the Southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain

With growing populations fueling increased groundwater abstraction and forecasts of greater water scarcity in the southeastern United States, identifying land management strategies that enhance water availability will be vital to maintaining hydrologic resources and protecting natural systems. Management of forested uplands for lower basal area, currently a priority for habitat improvement on public lands, may also increase water yield through decreased evapotranspiration (ET). To explore this hypothesis, we synthesized studies of precipitation and ET in coastal plain pine stands to develop a statistical model of water yield as a function of management strategy, stand structure, and ecosystem water use. This model allowed us to estimate changes in water yield in response to varying management strategies across spatial scales from the individual stand to a regional watershed. Results suggest that slash pine stands managed at lower basal areas can have up to 64% more cumulative water yield over a 25‐year rotation compared to systems managed for high‐density timber production, with the greatest increases in stands also managed for recurrent understory fire. Although there are important uncertainties in the magnitude of additional water yield and its final destination (i.e., surface water bodies vs. groundwater), this analysis highlights the potential for management activities on public and private timber lands to partially offset increasing demand on surface and groundwater resources.     

Forest soil CO2 fluxes as a function of understory removal and N-fixing species addition

We report on the effects of forest management practices of understory removal and N-fixing species (Cassia alata) addition on soil CO2 fluxes in an Eucalyptus urophylla plantation (EUp), Acacia crassicarpa plantation (ACp), 10-species-mixed plantation (Tp), and 30-species-mixed plantation (THp) using the static chamber method in southern China. Four forest management treatments, including (1) understory removal (UR); (2) C. alata addition (CA); (3) understory removal and replacement with C. alata (UR+CA); and (4) control without any disturbances (CK), were applied in the above four forest plantations with three replications for each treatment. The results showed that soil CO2 fluxes rates remained at a high level during the rainy season (from April to September), followed by a rapid decrease after October reaching a minimum in February. Soil CO2 fluxes were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in EUp (132.6 mg/(m2·hr)) and ACp (139.8 mg/(m2·hr)) than in Tp (94.0 mg/(m2·hr)) and THp (102.9 mg/(m2·hr)). Soil CO2 fluxes in UR and CA were significantly higher (P < 0.01) among the four treatments, with values of 105.7, 120.4, 133.6 and 112.2 mg/(m2·hr) for UR+CA, UR, CA and CK, respectively. Soil CO2 fluxes were positively correlated with soil temperature (P < 0.01), soil moisture (P < 0.01), NO3?-N (P < 0.05), and litterfall (P < 0.01), indicating that all these factors might be important controlling variables for soil CO2 fluxes. This study sheds some light on our understanding of soil CO2 flux dynamics in forest plantations under various management practices.     

树木修复过程中微生物对酸化剂的响应

利用根箱开展了树木修复过程中不同酸化剂处理土壤微生物生物量的动态响应研究。结果表明较高浓度的阿特拉津对土壤微生物具有毒害作用,土壤微生物生物量随时间推移呈总体下降趋势;单纯的树木修复并不能显著提高土壤微生物生物量,酸碱调节剂的施用改变了根际微域的土壤环境,对微生物数量及群落结构产生刺激作用。酸碱调节剂对土壤中微生物活性及其利用氮源的能力具有促进作用:升华硫能在一定程度上减缓土壤微生物生物量碳的降低,氢氧化钙对土壤中微生物活性的恢复具有积极的促进作用。     

杨树人工林碳循环对淹水的响应

本文采用涡度相关方法对安徽怀宁杨树人工林的碳通量进行监测,得到微气象数据和通量数据。通过坐标旋转、密度校正和数据插补处理提高数据质量。选取2005年9月淹水期间的数据。分六个阶段进行分析。得到以下结果：（1）在半小时尺度上,在淹水期表观量子效率α随着土壤含水量SWC上升而降低;在未淹水期最大。为-0．0023μmolphoton^-1;退水期最低,为-0．00122mgCO2μmolphoton^-1,退水后恢复到-0,00168mgCO2μmolphoton^-1;α在淹水中2期降低速率最大,在整个淹水期间α的恢复速率是大于降低速率的。（2）生态系统总初级生产力（GEP）在淹水后不断降低．耒淹水期为8．0gCm^-2day^-1．退水后为4．7gCm^-2day^-1,在淹水中2期降幅是最大的达到了16％。（3）生态系统呼吸（Reco）在完全被水淹的第一天降到最低,仅为2．2gCm^-2day^-1;由于温度的影响其变化规律比较复杂。在淹水中2期的变化幅度是最大的;退水后Reco为4．2gCm^-2day^-1恢复到来淹水前的87％。（4）淹水期净生态系统CO2交换量（NEE）的变化表现为先上升后下降的趋势,在淹水中1期最大为-4．2gCm^-2day^-1。退水后最低。为0．6gCm^-2day^-1是未淹水前的17％。     

塔里木河胡杨林生境特性及其治理措施

概述了塔里木河绿色走廊－胡杨林的分布、植物学、生物生态学特性，分析了塔河流域生境恶化的现状及原因，并提出治理和改善塔河生态环境，保护绿色走廊的措施和方法。     

Role of Bio-Energy Plantations for Carbon-Dioxide Mitigation with Special Reference to India

Fuelwood plays an important role in the rural economy of the developing countries of Asia and Africa. Optimizing energy fixation in forest trees through high density energy plantations (HDEP), gasification of wood, and conversion of forest tree biomass, are some of the potential areas whereby additional research and development input for efficient management of atmospheric carbon in our energy system can be incorporated. For example, the photosynthetic efficiency of forest trees is rarely above 0.5%, which on the basis of theoretical considerations can be increased by up to 6.6%. Thus there is an ample scope to improve the efficiency up to 1%, which amounts to doubling of the productivity of the forests. Recent policy changes and experiences with wood-based bio-energy programmes in several countries indicate that woodfuels may become increasingly attractive as industrial energy sources. Use of biodiesel and the formulation of a project for undertaking 13.4 million ha of Jatropha plantations in India highlight the seriousness with which the Government of India is promoting carbon neutral energy plantations. The cost of establishment of plantations primarily for fuel production and its conversion to energy are major deterrents in this pursuit. Some of the issues in developing countries, like low productivity on marginal lands, degraded forest lands, and unorganized units for biomass energy conversion, result in cost escalation as compared to other energy sources. This paper revisits the scope for raising energy plantations, a comparison of the direct and indirect mitigation potential uses of plantations as an adaptation strategy through reforestation and afforestation projects for climate change mitigation and socio-economic issues to make this venture feasible in developing countries.     

桉树人工林生态系统养分循环和平衡研究Ⅱ. 桉树人工林生态系统的养分循环

根据大量的观测分析资料,论述了刚果W5桉树人工林生态系统养分的地球化学循环和生物小循环。研究结果表明,每公顷每年通过地表径流和地下渗漏从生态系统输出的养分质量以K最多,达21.25 kg/(hm2a);其次为N,达17.21 kg/(hm2a)。桉树人工林生态系统养分流通质量的净变化值f(K)、f(Ca)为负值,f(N)、f(P)、f(Mg)为正值;桉树人工林生态系统养分的生物小循环研究表明,在一个轮伐期内,每公顷桉树吸收养分的质量,依次为Ca 429.03 kg/hm2,其次为N 277.01 kg/hm2和K 208.12 kg/hm2。而在一个轮伐期中归还的养分质量,Ca只有99.78 kg/hm2,K为113.04 kg/hm2。在养分循环率方面,与热带半落叶季雨林比较,桉树人工林生态系统的养分循环率要小得多,说明桉树人工林土壤养分趋向于减少。     

我国桉树人工林立地土壤问题研究概况

我国引种桉树。虽已100多年，但研究桉树人工林土壤问题，却只有50多年的历史。这方面的研究，包括桉树人工林土壤本底调查、土壤性质与林木生长的关系、桉树人工林土壤肥力衰退防治、桉树人工林土壤管理、桉树速生丰产的土壤肥力指标、桉树人工林生态系统土壤养分和水分循环等。文章对这方面研究的概况作了简要的综述。     

不同人工林分枯落物和土壤持水能力研究

对大岭山林场尾叶桉、马占相思、黑木相思、厚荚相思、卷荚相思、杉木和马尾松林分的枯落物和土壤持水功能进行研究。结果表明,林地枯落物持水量的大小顺序为:马占相思林>杉木林>厚荚相思林>黑木相思林>尾叶桉林>马尾松林>卷荚相思林;土壤持水量大小则为:杉木林>厚荚相思林>卷荚相思林>马尾松林>尾叶桉林>马占相思林>黑木相思林。对于尾叶桉林来说,随着林分年龄的增加,其枯落物持水能力增加,但持水量降低。     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Juniperus oxycedrus</Emphasis> ssp.<Emphasis Type="Italic">macrocarpa</Emphasis> in SW Spain: Ecology and conservation problems

Woodlands of the Mediterranean speciesJuniperus oxycedrus ssp.macrocarpa (maritime juniper) are both vulnerable and ecologically important. Their ecology and biological status along the SW coast of Spain are not well known; this, the first major study of these juniper populations is a basis for future research and restoration policies. These communities are subject to harsh conditions, the plant composition being controlled by several factors at different scales. On a large scale, climate and soil texture play an important role in controlling the soil water availability to plants, and in separating xerophytic from mesic communities. On a small scale, coastal physiography, and substrate composition are related to differences in the floristic composition. Coastal plantations modify environmental conditions, such as sand mobility and salt spray deposition, inducing important changes in plant communities. The population of maritime juniper on this coast was estimated in ca. 25 000 individuals, of which 93.6% are concentrated in three locations. Large proportions of young individuals were found in extensive and protected populations. Howerver, adult individuals dominated the smaller populations located under pine plantations. This limitation of recruitment may be imposed by several factors. A male biased ratio was detected on the southern coast of Cádiz, which I hypothesize is due to the lower cost of pollen production in a stressful habitat. Preservation of suitable habitats, the recovery of abandoned pine plantations, and the connection between juniper populations, seem to be important requisites for the conservation of maritime juniper in the southwestern coast of Spain.