Influence of aspect and location of stands on biodiversity in a Sal mixed broadleaved forest in Kumaun central Himalaya

In the present study total 21 forest stands on different aspects and locations (Hill base, mid slope and ridge top) on the slope were studied to assess the importance of these two parameters in supporting species regeneration and biodiversity in a mixed broadleaved forest between 380 and 850 m elevation in the Kumauau Himalayan region. A total of 36 tree species were recorded in the forest. In all aspects the tree, sapling and shrub richness was higher at hill base stands in comparison to mid slope and ridge top stand. Maximum tree richness (average across all aspects) was 9.7 and shrub richness was 9.3. Higher richness at hill base may be attributed to more soil moisture and deeper soils which accumulate the hill base where the slope steepness declines. The tree richness was higher in the northern aspect whereas southern aspect was more suitable for the shrub species. From the present study it becomes evident that the base of the hills can support higher biodiversity and are instrumental in supporting regeneration of several tree and shrub species in sal mixed broadleaved forest.     

A vegetation management experiment: Goats grazing shrublands in Doñana Natural Park

We have studied the effect of goat grazing on the shrub understory of a pine forest situated in a protected area (Doñana Natural Park). Along three years we have studied the changes in phytovolume, flammability, species richness and diversity in a grazed shrubland and in a control area not grazed by the goats. We studied also food preferences of the goats and the ability of the goats to disperse the seeds of the plants they eat. Goat grazing significantly reduced shrub biomass and flammability, decreasing the risk of forest fire. Goats selected the species they eat, changing the pattern of selection throughout the year. Grazing reduced shrub diversity, but did not affected species richness. The goats can also potentially disperse the seeds of some of the species they eat, since the seeds were able to pass through the goat’s gut and germinated afterwards. Goat grazing on scrub vegetation can be used as an effective tool for the control of shrubs in protected forest areas, without losing biodiversity.     

Differences in plant species diversity between conifer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus tabulaeformis</Emphasis>) plantations and natural forests in middle of the Loess plateau

We compared differences in plant species diversity between conifer (Pinus tabulaeformis) plantations and natural secondary forests in the middle of the Loess plateau. The goal of the study was to examine the differences in the effect of stand development on species diversity and in species responses to changes between forest types and between forest layers. To clarify the effects of differences in forest management, we emphasized the functional types of plant species occurring in each forest type. The result as follow: (1) The H′ and S of tree layer were significantly lower in natural conifer forest than old conifer and secondary forest, but were not different compared with mid aged conifer forest. The H′ and S of shrub layer were significantly lower in mid aged conifer forest compared with other forest types. The H′ of herb layer showed no significant differences in the four forest types. The evenness index (J′) of tree layer of mid aged conifer forest was lower than other forest communities and its J′ of shrub layer was highest although its richness of shrub layer was lower than in the other forest types. (2) The analysis of β diversity index also indicated large differences between conifer plantations and natural forests. Although the tree layer species were similar in old plantation and natural conifer forests, they differed greatly between the natural conifer and secondary forests. The natural conifer and secondary forest species composition in shrub layer differed significantly from those in plantation and secondary plots. Tree species were significantly less common in plantations than in abandoned coppice forests. Species composition in the herb layer of different forest types was similar. (3) The management of P. tabulaeformis plantations alters plant species composition considerably; the number of sub tall-tree species is increased in old aged conifer forest, especially species dispersed by animals. Plantation management appears to affect ecological processes through seed dispersal. From the perspective of management, the change in the structure and composition of the canopy in plantations could affect the behavior of dispersers and regeneration.     

金沙江干热河谷几种引进树种人工植被的生态学研究

采用标准木法和收获法,对金沙江元谋干热河谷几种引进树种的人工植被（即赤桉×新银合欢混交林、赤桉纯林、新银合欢纯林和印楝纯林）各层植被生物量与天然次生植被（坡柳-扭黄茅灌草丛）进行了比较研究,同时对各类植被的物种组成和物种多样性进行了比较分析。结果表明：（1）采用引进树种人工恢复的植被积累了大量生物质,总生物量大小依次为：赤桉×新银合欢混交林（4491 t/hm2）>新银合欢纯林（3991 t/hm2）>赤桉纯林（3857 t/ hm2）>印楝纯林（1306 t/hm2）>天然次生林（935 t/ hm2）。人工恢复植被生物量主要集中在乔木层,天然次生植被生物量主要集中在灌木、草本和凋落物层。（2）人工恢复植被的物种数均少于天然次生植被,而且不同植被的物种数和物种组成也存在差异。（3）各植被的Shannon wiener多样性指数和Margalef丰富度指数均表现为：印楝纯林>坡柳-扭黄茅灌草丛>赤桉纯林>赤桉×新银合欢混交林。在Alatato均匀度指数方面,各人工植被之间的差异不大,但人工植被与天然次生植被之间有显著差异。〖     

Response curves of seventeen woody species to soil factors along a riparian forest in northern Iran

The aim of this study was to determine type of response curves for seventeen woody species (10 tree and 7 shrub species) to soil factors in an intact riparian forest in Safaroud River in northern Iran using HOF function. Data were collected along transects established perpendicular to the water flow on both sides of the river. Results indicated different responses for different woody species. The most common were symmetricunimodal response curves and curves showing an increase in occurrence probability after a certain value in form of a plateau. Bimodal curves were four times more frequent in riverside than forest interior area. It seems that river flow disturbances through frequent floods effect on species tolerance and optimum in riversides.     

亚热带山地常绿落叶阔叶混交林物种幼苗功能性状差异研究

以湖南八大公山25 hm~2常绿落叶阔叶混交林动态监测样地中24个常见物种为研究对象,按照不同生长阶段(H_1:5≤H20 cm、H_2:20≤H40 cm、H_3:40≤H80 cm、H_4:80≤H130 cm、H_5:H≥130 cm且DBH1 cm)获取了826株幼苗并测量了叶片和茎干功能性状,分析了不同生长阶段、冠层和叶片习性幼苗功能性状变异,以及不同功能性状对幼苗存活的影响。结果表明:(1)幼苗功能性状在不同生长阶段差异显著,随着幼苗生长,比叶面积(SLA)、叶片碳氮比(C/N)呈现下降趋势,比茎密度(SSD)、叶柄长度(PL)、叶片氮磷比(N/P)和叶绿素含量(Chl)呈现升高趋势;(2)SLA在灌木层、亚乔木层和乔木层间无明显变化,叶片厚度(LT)、Chl和N/P在3个冠层间变化显著,SSD和PL均在灌木层和乔木层间无明显变化,C/N在灌木层和亚乔木层间无明显差异;(3)常绿树种幼苗具有较高的Chl和LT,落叶树种幼苗具有较高的SLA、叶片氮含量(LNC)、叶片磷含量(LPC)和PL;(4)个体大小对幼苗存活具有显著正效应,LPC促进落叶树种幼苗存活,抑制常绿树种幼苗存活。在植物生活史早期,不同功能群植物针对林下低光环境采取了不同生长适应策略,不同生长阶段幼苗也根据光环境的改变调整自身功能性状。另外,八大公山常绿落叶阔叶混交林中幼苗的生长主要受氮素限制,且这种限制作用随着幼苗生长逐渐减弱。     

南水北调中线水源地不同植被类型坡地土壤水分特征研究

为了解不同植被类型土壤水资源的变化规律，选择南水北调中线水源区宁陕县寨沟区域典型植被针阔混交林、针叶林、板栗林、灌木林、荒坡草地和坡耕地为研究对象，通过样地调查与实验分析的方法对其土壤水分物理特征及有机质含量进行测定研究。结果表明，各种有林地的土壤容重、孔隙度和有机质等理化特征均优于荒坡和坡耕地；针阔混交林土壤含水量最高，蓄水能力明显好于其它植被类型；在垂直剖面上，各种植被类型坡地土壤含水量和饱和蓄水量随土壤深度的增加基本呈递减趋势，但有林地下降幅度较大，表层含水量明显高于荒坡与坡耕地表层。由此可见，在涵养水源方面，针阔混交林最好，针叶林、板栗林与灌木林次之，荒坡与坡耕地较差。     

南水北调中线水源地不同植被类型坡地土壤水分特征研究——以秦岭南坡宁陕县寨沟小流域为例

为了解不同植被类型土壤水资源的变化规律,选择南水北调中线水源区宁陕县寨沟区域典型植被针阔混交林、针叶林、板栗林、灌木林、荒坡草地和坡耕地为研究对象,通过样地调查与实验分析的方法对其土壤水分物理特征及有机质含量进行测定研究.结果表明,各种有林地的土壤容重、孔隙度和有机质等理化特征均优于荒坡和坡耕地;针阔混交林土壤含水量最高,蓄水能力明显好于其它植被类型;在垂直剖面上,各种植被类型坡地土壤含水量和饱和蓄水量随土壤深度的增加基本呈递减趋势,但有林地下降幅度较大,表层含水量明显高于荒坡与坡耕地表层.由此可见,在涵养水源方面,针阔混交林最好,针叶林、板栗林与灌木林次之,荒坡与坡耕地较差.     

Forest structure and regeneration along the altitudinal gradient in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary,Uttarakhand Himalaya,India

Forest structure and regeneration were studied along the altitudinal gradient in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary of Uttarakhand Himalaya in India. Stratified random sampling of tree species was done by placing minimum 15 quadrats of 10 × 10 m at each aspect and altitude. The results reveal that along the altitudinal gradient there were three types of forest communities in the Sanctuary viz., chir pine (Pinus roxburghii), oakchir pine (Quercus leucotrichophora and Pinus roxburghii) and oak (Quercus floribunda and Quercus leucotrichophora). Rhododendron arboreum, Cornus macrophylla and Lyonia ovalifolia were main associates of these forest communities. The oak forests had larger shrub population as compared to chir pine. Myrsine africana was the most dominant shrub across the altitudinal gradient, whereas few shrub species were restricted to a certain altitudinal range. The regeneration of chir pine was best at lower altitude on south and east aspects, which indicates that it mostly regenerates on warm and dry slopes. In general, the regeneration potential in most of the tree species declines with the altitude. The density of saplings and seedlings also represented the dominant species at each altitudinal range, which indicates the cyclic regeneration of forests in the Sanctuary area.     

Structural-functional organization of lower vegetation layers in tree communities of the upper timberline ecotone in the Polar Urals

Typologically identical (dwarf birch-herb-dwarf shrub-moss) open and closed larch forests growing on the same altitudinal transect have proved to differ in the structural-functional organization of lower vegetation layers. Coverage, general species composition, and species richness of the herb-dwarf shrub layer are higher in the open forest than in the closed forest. Correlations between individual species of vascular plants weaken upon transition from the open to the closed forest. Conversely, the coverage of the lichen-moss layer increases in the closed forest, which contributes to its role as a factor of selection of vascular plant species against the background of the prevailing influence of the tree layer.     

重庆缙云山典型林分林地土壤抗蚀性分析

对三峡库区重庆缙云山4种典型林分(针阔叶混交林,常绿阔叶林,楠竹林和灌木林)林地土壤的抗蚀性指标进行主成分分析,并以农地土壤作对照,研究表明,可将衡量土壤抗蚀性的13个指标压缩为7个最佳指标。用抗蚀性指标主成分分析综合指数表明4种林分林地土壤抗蚀性为：灌木林(45.51)>混交林(41.94)>阔叶林(32.65)>楠竹林(23.35);重庆缙云山土壤从表层到底层抗蚀性能呈下降趋势（49.32,41.86,32.03,27.11）。通过模糊聚类分析可将重庆缙云山不同土地利用类型不同层次的19个土壤样本划分为抗蚀性强度不同的3类。     

Small mammal communities in forest ecosystems affected by urbanization

A set of characters has been used to evaluate transformations in forest phytocenoses and their small mammal communities affected by urbanization, compared to conditionally undisturbed phytocenoses (communities). In park forests of the city of Yekaterinburg, the understory and subordinate shrub and herb-dwarf shrub layers of phytocenosis are transformed to a greater extent. The undergrowth of conifer forestforming species is as a rule sparse or absent, and that of deciduous trees often consists mainly of invasive species. Small mammal communities in pine forests transformed under the effect of urbanization also undergo changes leading to the formation of relatively stable (for an urbanized environment) zoocenoses differing both in species composition and in parameters characterizing community diversity.     

三峡水库建设期秭归县土地利用变化与地形因素的关系

分析水库建设期秭归县地形因素对土地利用变化的影响,对后三峡管理运行期土地资源保护与自然社会协调发展具有重要意义。使用1992、2007年两期1∶50 000土地利用分类结果和10 m DEM数据等,基于GIS栅格运算,研究秭归县15 a来土地利用变化与地形因素的关系。结果表明：旱地、园地是变化面积最大的地类,而园地、人工表面是面积增长率最高的地类。旱地、园地变化在地形的分异呈现互补性,主要发生在海拔＜800 m、坡度＜25°、非阳坡地区;灌木林在海拔＞1 100 m、坡度范围15~45°及阳坡、半阳坡面积增加较多,乔木林向灌木林转换主要发生在海拔>1 100 m、坡度25~35°、阳坡及半阳坡地区;乔木林减少面积最多在35~45°、阳坡地区;草地减少主要发生在低海拔、15~35°、阴坡地区。建设时期下的各种政策是这些变化发生的主因。在未来人口增长、经济发展条件下,缓解人地关系压力必须合理规划土地资源,保障土地利用集约化     

The effect of natural and anthropogenic disturbance in forest canopy and its effect on species richness in forests of Uttarakhand Himalaya,India

Pinus roxburghii (chir-pine) and Quercus leucothchophora (banj-oak) are dominant forests of mountainous part of the Uttarakhand Himalaya. The continued anthropogenic disturbance is opening the canopy, forming canopy gaps and as a result forest fragments are developing. Thus, the present study aims to analyze variations in species richness and vegetational parameters in relation to canopy gaps in forests. Total species richness was greater in open canopied forest compared to moderate and close canopied forests. In comparison between oak and pine forest, it was greater in oak forest while the proportion of common species was low between oak—pine forests. Mean species richness did not significantly vary from one canopy gap to another as well as in oak and pine dominated forest. This indicated that dominant forest types played an important role to form the community structure. The shrubs richness were greater in closed canopy and between the forests it was greater in pine forest. Tree and shrub density was low in open canopy while herb density was high in moderate canopy. Thus, this study indicated that the dominant canopy species play an important role in deciding the community structures especially the distribution of under canopy species. These parameters should be considered for conservation and maintenance of plant biodiversity of a region.     

Arthropods and birds in the forest–tundra of Western Siberia and the edge effect

Over 2500 species of invertebrate macrofauna and over 177 species of avifauna live in the forest–tundra of the Lower Ob region and adjacent areas of the northern taiga and shrub tundra. About half of the invertebrate species of the study area are northern—mostly hypo- and hemiarctic—tundra species; the rest are boreal and arctomontane-boreal Holarctic and trans-Palearctic species. The anthophilic and aerobiont insect assemblages include many boreal forest forms. A total of 153 species have been observed nesting at the taiga–foresttundra boundary; 81 species have been observed nesting at the tundra–forest-tundra boundary. The avifauna of the forest–tundra becomes enriched with taiga species in floodplain forests and with tundra species on the flat interfluve, in areas of tundra and tundra-like wetlands. The forest–tundra of the Lower Ob region has no avifauna and entomofauna of its own and contains a mixture of taiga and tundra faunas. It has been found that the ecotone effect is not pronounced in the taxonomic composition of birds and insects in the forest–tundra, where only some particular groups (such as amphibiont insects) have increased abundance.     

岷江上游土地岭生态恢复过程中植被特征研究

对岷江上游土地岭生态恢复过程中的群落外貌、物种组成和结构进行了研究。结果表明,恢复后群落外貌以小型叶、单叶、非全缘、草质的高位芽植物为主,表现出与演替前期相符的类似温带针阔混交林特征。恢复形成的四类不同群落组成有一定差异,造林并封育效果最好,干扰下的恢复效果最差。在恢复的进程中,四类群落垂直结构层次更复杂,川莓在各灌木层都占优势地位。放牧干扰是灌木层与草本层物种丰富度与均匀度较低及灌丛难以实现进展演替的主要原因。恢复后群落的上层盖度影响下层盖度,放牧引起了少数口食性差的草本迅速占优。从径级结构上看,处于演替前期的华山松林有被云杉类取代的趋势,加入演替后期种的封育造林是更理想的恢复模式。     

Species richness of tree and shrub layers in riparian forests of the Western Caucasus dominated by alien species

The consequences of replacement of native dominants by alien species (Ailanthus altissima, Ficus carica, Robinia pseudoacacia, Acer negundo, and Amorpha fruticosa) in the tree and shrub layers have been studied in riparian forests of the Western Caucasus. The results show that the invasive dominant species do not always achieve higher abundance, compared with native dominants. When this is the case, however, the dominance of alien species as stronger competitors leads to reduction in the species richness of communities, because they not only intercept the greater part of resources from the environment but also provoke increasingly strict partitioning of remaining resources among associated species.     

Relationship between Habitat Properties and Composition of Communities in Conifer–Broadleaf Forest

Ecological and phytocenotic features of forest communities were studied in the southwest of Moscow oblast. Based on the ecomorphological groups of species prevalent in the herb–dwarf shrub and moss layers, five groups of communities typical of the conifer–broadleaf forest zone were distinguished (small-herb, small herb-large herb, large-herb, moist-herb, and mixed-herb communities), and their composition was analyzed. Discriminant analysis of the species composition of lower vegetation layers revealed significant differences between the syntaxa, with the percentage of correct classification being 89.8%. To evaluate ecological determination of the above groups of communities, a hypothesis was tested concerning the correlation of their composition with ecotope properties. This hypothesis was verified by means of (1) ordination by ecological indicator values and interpretation of the axes, (2) revealing differences in ecological regimes between habitats of the syntaxa, and (3) combined analysis of on-ground and remote sensing data, particularly spectral brightness of satellite images and morphometric characteristics of the terrain surface. The results confirmed the informativeness of the syntaxa distinguished based on the species composition of the ground vegetation layer and mapping of the ecological regimes of habitats.     

Local level community forest management an effective tool in conserving forest biodiversity

Forest vegetation of a community managed forest (Van Panchayat) located between 1570–1700 m elevation was studied along four aspects. Quercus leucotrichophora was the dominant species on three of the four aspects. Across the aspects the total tree density ranged between 150 and 490 ind/ha, sapling density between 100 and 370 ind/ha, seedling density varied from 241 to 1090 ind/ha. The shrub density ranged from 166 to 690 ind/ha and herb density from 6000–17100 ind/ha. The total basal area of tree layer varied from 9.78 to 13.5 m²/ha showing that the forest is young. Species diversity value for tree layer varied from 0.14 to 1.69. Quercus leucotrichophora were regenerating well due to effective forest management by local communities. The higher proportion of seedlings of Quercus leucotrichophora indicating that the Van Panchayat are playing important role in conservation of oak forest of Himalaya.     

Estimations of the Transparency of the Forest Canopy: Analysis of the Ecological Content

The transparency of the forest canopy of lichen-green moss pine forests was estimated for different numbers of sectors of the celestial hemisphere. The ecological contents of these estimations are discussed. The dominance frequencies of species of the herbaceous-dwarf shrub and moss-lichen layers were analyzed. Based on the results of this analysis, it was concluded that the transparency estimated for the zenith sector alone better reflects the influence of leaf debris and the rainfall interception by the crowns. If the transparency was estimated taking into account all sectors of the celestial hemisphere, the effect of community disturbance increased and the redistribution of rainfall was masked.