Cicada emergence in Southwestern riparian forest: influences of wildfire and vegetation composition.

Annually emerging cicadas are a numerically and ecologically dominant species in Southwestern riparian forests. Humans have altered disturbance regimes that structure these forests such that floods are less common and wildfires occur more frequently than was historically the case. Impacts of these changes on primary consumers such as riparian cicadas are unknown. Because cicadas are consumed by a variety of animal species, disturbances that alter timing of their emergence or abundance could have consequences for species at higher trophic levels. We trapped emerging cicadas (Tibicen dealbatus) in burned and unburned riparian forest plots along the Middle Rio Grande in central New Mexico (USA) to determine effects of wildfire and vegetation structure on their density and phenology. We measured vegetation variables and soil temperature at cicada traps and related these variables to variation in emergence density and phenology. We also experimentally heated soil under emergence traps to examine the relationship between soil temperature and emergence phenology. Emergence density was similar in wildfire and unburned plots, though emergence date averaged earlier in wildfire plots and experimentally heated traps. We identified models containing cottonwood proximity (distance from the nearest cottonwood tree) and cottonwood canopy coverage as the most parsimonious explanations of emergence density at each trap. Model selection results were consistent with the literature and field observations that showed that cottonwood trees are an essential resource for T. dealbatus. Cottonwood canopy was also correlated with low soil temperatures, which are associated with later emergence dates. Failure of cottonwoods to reestablish following wildfire could result in cicadas emerging at lower densities and at earlier dates. For cicadas to emerge at densities and times that provide the greatest benefits to birds and other riparian-obligate secondary consumers, riparian forests should be protected from fire, and native vegetation in wildfire sites should be restored.     

Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr. mortality will impact hydrologic processes in southern Appalachian forest ecosystems.

Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.) is one of the principal riparian and cove canopy species in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Throughout its range, eastern hemlock is facing potential widespread mortality from the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). If HWA-induced eastern hemlock mortality alters hydrologic function, land managers will be challenged to develop management strategies that restore function or mitigate impacts. To estimate the impact that the loss of this forest species will have on the hydrologic budget, we quantified and modeled transpiration over a range of tree sizes and environmental conditions. We used heat dissipation probes, leaf-level gas-exchange measurements, allometric scaling, and time series modeling techniques to quantify whole-tree and leaf-level transpiration (E(L)) of eastern hemlock. We monitored trees ranging from 9.5 to 67.5 cm in diameter along a riparian corridor in western North Carolina, USA during 2004 and 2005. Maximum rates of daily tree water use varied by diameter and height, with large trees transpiring a maximum of 178-186 kg H2O x tree(-1) x d(-1). Values of E(L) could be predicted from current and lagged environmental variables. We forecasted eastern hemlock E(L) for inventoried stands and estimated a mean annual transpiration rate of 63.3 mm/yr for the hemlock component, with 50% being transpired in the winter and spring. In typical southern Appalachian stands, eastern hemlock mortality would thus reduce annual stand-level transpiration by approximately 10% and reduce winter and spring stand-level transpiration by approximately 30%. Eastern hemlock in the southern Appalachians has two distinct ecohydrological roles: an evergreen tree that maintains year-round transpiration rates and a riparian tree that has high transpiration rates in the spring. No other native evergreen in the southern Appalachians will likely fill the ecohydrological role of eastern hemlock if widespread mortality occurs. With the loss of this species, we predict persistent increases in discharge, decreases in the diurnal amplitude of streamflow, and increases in the width of the variable source area.     

Regeneration of Native Trees in the Presence of Invasive Saltcedar in the Colorado River Delta, Mexico

Abstract:  Many riparian zones in the Sonoran Desert have been altered by elimination of the normal flood regime; such changes to the flow regime have contributed to the spread of saltcedar ( Tamarix ramosissma Ledeb.), an exotic, salt-tolerant shrub. It has been proposed that reestablishment of a natural flow regime on these rivers might permit passive restoration of native trees, without the need for aggressive saltcedar clearing programs. We tested this proposition in the Colorado River delta in Mexico, which has received a series of large-volume water releases from U.S. dams over the past 20 years. We mapped the vegetation of the delta riparian corridor through ground and aerial surveys (1999–2002) and satellite imagery (1992–2002) and related vegetation changes to river flood flows and fire events. Although saltcedar is still the dominant plant in the delta, native cottonwood (  Populus fremontii S. Wats.) and willow ( Salix gooddingii C. Ball) trees have regenerated multiple times because of frequent flood releases from U.S. dams since 1981. Tree populations are young and dynamic (ages 5–10 years). The primary cause of tree mortality between floods is fire. Biomass in the floodplain, as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index on satellite images, responds positively even to low-volume (but long-duration) flood events. Our results support the hypothesis that restoration of a pulse flood regime will regenerate native riparian vegetation despite the presence of a dominant invasive species, but fire management will be necessary to allow mature tree stands to develop.     

Large Mammalian Herbivores and the Conservation of Arid Acacia Stands in the Middle East

Abstract: High mortality and poor recruitment in Acacia tree populations in many parts of the Middle East may result in loss of biodiversity. Human activities in recent decades have caused drastic changes in the water regime and the abundance of wild and domestic ungulates, which may negatively affect these trees. We studied the effects of large mammalian herbivores on the establishment of young Acacia raddiana and A. tortilis in the Arava Valley between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, Israel. Seed accumulation under trees was high when large herbivores were excluded, and direct observations confirmed that ungulates were the main seed dispersers of these Acacia species. Insect seed predators (bruchid beetles) damaged more than 95% of seeds not consumed by ungulates. Seed germination was facilitated by gut passage through ungulates. Seedling survival was determined largely by water availability and was independent of herbivore density. Under present conditions, several years of high rainfall are necessary for successful establishment of young trees. Under severe browsing pressure by ungulates, growth in juvenile trees was delayed and smaller sizes were overrepresented. There was no evidence, however, of effects on the long-term demography of Acacia trees, perhaps because ungulates increased seedling densities by enhancing the viability and germination of seeds. We conclude that large mammalian herbivores are essential components of arid Acacia savannas and that wild and domestic ungulates must be included in future conservation plans.     

Processesof Tamarix invasion and floodplain development along the lower Green River, Utah.

Significant ecological, hydrologic, and geomorphic changes have occurred during the 20th century along many large floodplain rivers in the American Southwest. Native Populus forests have declined, while the exotic Eurasian shrub, Tamarix, has proliferated and now dominates most floodplain ecosystems. Photographs from late 19th and early 20th centuries illustrate wide river channels with largely bare in-channel landforms and shrubby higher channel margin floodplains. However, by the mid-20th century, floodplains supporting dense Tamarix stands had expanded, and river channels had narrowed. Along the lower Green River in eastern Utah, the causal mechanism of channel and floodplain changes remains ambiguous due to the confounding effects of climatically driven reductions in flood magnitude, river regulation by Flaming Gorge Dam, and Tamarix invasion. This study addressed whether Tamarix establishment and spread followed climate- or dam-induced reductions in annual peak flows or whether Tamarix was potentially a driver of floodplain changes. We aged 235 Tamarix and 57 Populus individuals, determined the hydrologic and geomorphic processes that controlled recruitment, identified the spatial relationships of germination sites within floodplain stratigraphic transects, and mapped woody riparian vegetation cohorts along three segments of the lower Green River. The oldest Tamarix established along several sampling reaches in 1938, and 1.50-2.25 m of alluvium has accreted above their germination surfaces. Nearly 90% of the Tamarix and Populus samples established during flood years that exceeded the 2.5-year recurrence interval. Recruitment was most common when large floods were followed by years with smaller peak flows. The majority of Tamarix establishment and Green River channel narrowing occurred long before river regulation by Flaming Gorge Dam. Tamarix initially colonized bare instream sand deposits (e.g., islands and bars), and most channel and floodplain changes followed the establishment of Tamarix. Our results suggest that Tamarix recruitment was triggered by large annual floods that were followed by years with lower peak flows, not by periods of low flow alone. Tamarix appears to have actively invaded floodplains, while Populus colonization has been limited. Thus, Tamarix invasion may have greatly influenced floodplain development and riparian vegetation composition along the lower Green River since the early 20th century.     

Avian Species Richness in Different-Aged Stands of Riparian Forest Along the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico

Riparian forests are important for maintaining vertebrate species richness in the southwestern United States, but they have become restricted in distribution due to both historical and current management practices. In order to counteract continued loss of this habitat, several mitigation programs were developed in the middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. Three areas ranging from 50 to 140 ha were revegetated with native trees using pole planting and cattle exclosures, and changes in vegetation structure were quantified after 2, 3, and 5 years of growth. As expected, the older site contained the most heterogeneous mix of plant species and the greatest structural diversity. We compared year-round avian use of the revegetated sites with a mature cottonwood forest site of approximately 30 years of age. As the revegetated sites matured and salient habitat features changed, the population dynamics of individual avian species and patterns of guild structure varied. The older revegetated sites showed a greater similarity to the mature cottonwood site, suggesting that reclamation efforts established quality riparian habitats for birds in as little as 5 years. The revegetated sites appeared especially important for Neotropical-migrant birds. We suggest that a mosaic of riparian woodlands containing mixtures of native tree and shrub species of different size classes is necessary to maintain avian species richness in the middle Rio Grande drainage, and probably throughout the southwestern United States.     

The Aquatic Conservation Strategy of the Northwest Forest Plan

Abstract:  Implemented in 1994, the Aquatic Conservation Strategy of the Northwest Forest Plan was designed to restore and maintain ecological processes for aquatic and riparian area conservation on federal lands in the western portion of the Pacific Northwest. We used decision support models to quantitatively evaluate changes in the condition of selected watersheds. In the approximately 10 years since strategy implementation, watershed condition scores changed modestly, but conditions improved in 64% of 250 sampled watersheds, declined in 28%, and remained relatively the same in 7%. Watersheds that had the largest declines included some where wildfires burned 30–60% of their area. The overall statistical distribution of the condition scores did not change significantly, however. Much of the increase in watershed condition was related to improved riparian conditions. The number of large trees (>51 cm diameter at breast height) increased 2–4%, and there were substantial reductions in tree harvest and other disturbances along streams. Whether such changes will translate into longer-term improvements in aquatic ecosystems across broader landscapes remains to be seen.     

Headwater riparian forest-floor invertebrate communities associated with alternative forest management practices.

Headwater streams and their riparian zones are a common, yet poorly understood, component of Pacific Northwest, USA, landscapes. We describe the ecological importance of headwater stream riparian zones as habitat for forest-floor invertebrate communities and assess how alternative management strategies for riparian zones may impact these communities. We compared community composition of forest-floor invertebrates at increasing distances along trans-riparian (stream edge to upslope) transects in mature forests, clearcuts, and riparian buffers of approximately 30-m width with upslope clearcuts. Invertebrates were collected using pitfall traps in five replicate blocks of three treatments each in the Willamette National Forest, Oregon, USA. We measured microclimate and microhabitat variables at pitfall locations. Despite strong elevation and block effects on community composition, community analyses revealed a distinct "riparian" invertebrate community within 1 m of the stream edge in mature forest treatments, which was strongly related to cool, humid microclimate conditions. Invertebrate community composition in buffer treatments was far more similar to that of mature forests than to clearcuts; a pattern mirrored by microclimate. These results suggest that, within our study sites, forest-floor invertebrate distributions are strongly associated with microclimate and that riparian buffers of approximately 30-m width do provide habitat for many riparian and forest species. Riparian reserves may serve as effective forest refugia and/or dispersal corridors for invertebrates and other taxa, and their incorporation into watershed management plans likely will contribute to meeting persistence and connectivity objectives.     

硅促进水稻种子萌发及缓解幼苗砷毒性的效应研究

通过As~(Ⅲ)胁迫下水稻种子的发芽试验和幼苗毒性试验,研究了外源硅对水稻种子发芽率、幼苗生长的影响及其缓解幼苗砷毒性的效应。外源硅的2种处理方式为种子萌发时添加外源硅(Si1)和采用硅处理液浸种(Si2)。结果表明,发芽时介质中As浓度达到10 mg·L~(-1)时显著抑制水稻种子萌发(P0.05),发芽率仅为80%,但是Si1和Si2处理下发芽率则提高到97%和100%,这说明外源硅可促进砷胁迫下水稻种子萌发;砷浓度≥5 mg·L~(-1)时,Si1和Si2处理均可提高水稻的相对幼苗高度和根耐性指数,提高幅度分别为6.00%~16.8%和57.9%~77.0%、7.10%~23.5%和54.2%~61.2%,并且降低了水稻幼苗砷含量,降低幅度分别为17.8%~21.4%和31.0%~49.1%。这说明外源硅处理可促进砷胁迫下水稻幼苗的生长;不同砷浓度处理与水稻芽长、根长及幼苗干重之间存在"S"型的剂量-效应关系,且外源硅显著提高了相应的EC50,缓解了砷对水稻幼苗生长的毒性。综上所述,砷胁迫下水稻种子萌发时添加外源硅或采用硅处理液浸种均可促进水稻种子萌发和幼苗生长,并降低了幼苗砷累积和缓解砷对水稻幼苗的毒性。     

Riparian forest composition affects stream litter decomposition despite similar microbial and invertebrate communities

Cross-boundary flows of energy and nutrients link biodiversity and functioning in adjacent ecosystems. The composition of forest tree species can affect the structure and functioning of stream ecosystems due to physical and chemical attributes, as well as changes in terrestrial resource subsidies. We examined how variation in riparian canopy composition (coniferous, deciduous, mixed) affects adjacent trophic levels (invertebrate and microbial consumers) and decomposition of organic matter in small, coastal rainforest streams in southwestern British Columbia. Breakdown rates of higher-quality red alder (Alnus rubra) litter were faster in streams with a greater percentage of deciduous than coniferous riparian canopy, whereas breakdown rates of lower-quality western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) litter were independent of riparian forest composition. When invertebrates were excluded using fine mesh, breakdown rates of both litter species were an order of magnitude less and were not significantly affected by riparian forest composition. Stream invertebrate and microbial communities were similar among riparian forest composition, with most variation attributed to leaf litter species. Invertebrate taxa richness and shredder biomass were higher in A. rubra litter; however, taxa evenness was greatest for T. heterophylla litter and both litter species in coniferous streams. Microbial community diversity (determined from terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms) was unaffected by riparian forest or litter species. Fungal allele richness was higher than bacterial allele richness, and microbial communities associated with lower-quality T. heterophylla litter had higher diversity (allele uniqueness and richness) than those associated with higher-quality A. rubra litter. Percent variation in breakdown rates was mostly attributed to riparian forest composition in the presence of invertebrates and microbes; however, stream consumer biodiversity at adjacent trophic levels did not explain these patterns. Riparian and stream ecosystems and their biotic communities are linked through exchange and decomposition of detrital resources, and we provide evidence that riparian forest composition affects stream ecosystem catabolism despite similarities in microbial and invertebrate communities.     

Species richness in a riparian plant community along the banks of the Xiangxi River,the Three Gorges region

The distribution of vascular plant species richness along an altitudinal gradient and their relationships with environmental variables, including slope, aspect, bank (flooding) height, and river width of the Xiangxi River, Hubei Province, were examined. Total vascular plant species richness changed with elevation: it increased at lower elevations, reached a maximum in the midreaches and decreased thereafter. In particular, tree and herbaceous species richness were related to altitude. Correlation analysis (Kendall's τ) between species richness and environmental variables indicated that the change in species richness in the riparian zone was determined by riparian environmental factors and characteristics of regional vegetation distribution along the altitudinal gradient. The low species richness at lower elevations resulted from seasonal flooding and human activities – agriculture and fuel collection – and the higher species richness in the midreaches reflected transitional zones in natural vegetation types that had had little disturbance. These results on species distribution in the riparian community could be utilized as a reference for restoration efforts to improve water quality of the emerging reservoir resulting from the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Dam project.     

The importance of fires and floods on tree ages along mountainous gravel-bed streams.

This paper examines the commonly accepted assumption in the riparian literature that areas adjacent to streams do not burn. Using time-since-fire distributions, derived from stand-origin maps for a watershed in the front ranges of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, we found that the areas adjacent to streams and the whole study watershed have similar fire frequencies. In addition, the relative importance of fires and floods is regulated by a change in channel morphology associated with the creation of bars. The results demonstrate that fires solely control tree establishment along straight streams without bars, while the influence of floods is observed at the onset of lateral- and point-bar formation. This occurs because bars are formed in-channel and require smaller discharges in order to be flooded, compared to higher terraces. Consequently, bars are the only surfaces being flooded more frequently than they are being burned. Thus, overall the results indicate that, on this watershed, areas adjacent to streams are not less likely to burn than the uplands, except for lateral and point bars. The generality of these results to other systems should be tested as they have important implications for current forest ecological definition of "riparian zones," which typically include all fluvially derived landforms, from the channel banks to the terraces. Indeed, this study suggests that along smaller, headwater, gravel-bed mountain watersheds, the forests found on terraces are only influenced by fire and not fluvial processes and should therefore not be included in the riparian zone, while the forests on bars are the only surfaces currently being influenced by fluvial processes. Such a change in definition has implications for both ecologists and forest managers aiming to protect areas along streams as they now must take into account the effects of two disturbances on these small gravel-bed streams.     

Spatial variability of biotic and abiotic tree establishment constraints across a treeline ecotone in the Alaska range

Throughout interior Alaska (U.S.A.), a gradual warming trend in mean monthly temperatures occurred over the last few decades (approximatlely 2-4 degrees C). The accompanying increases in woody vegetation at many alpine treeline (hereafter treeline) locations provided an opportunity to examine how biotic and abiotic local site conditions interact to control tree establishment patterns during warming. We devised a landscape ecological approach to investigate these relationships at an undisturbed treeline in the Alaska Range. We identified treeline changes between 1953 (aerial photography) and 2005 (satellite imagery) in a geographic information system (GIS) and linked them with corresponding local site conditions derived from digital terrain data, ancillary climate data, and distance to 1953 trees. Logistic regressions enabled us to rank the importance of local site conditions in controlling tree establishment. We discovered a spatial transition in the importance of tree establishment controls. The biotic variable (proximity to 1953 trees) was the most important tree establishment predictor below the upper tree limit, providing evidence of response lags with the abiotic setting and suggesting that tree establishment is rarely in equilibrium with the physical environment or responding directly to warming. Elevation and winter sun exposure were important predictors of tree establishment at the upper tree limit, but proximity to trees persisted as an important tertiary predictor, indicating that tree establishment may achieve equilibrium with the physical environment. However, even here, influences from the biotic variable may obscure unequivocal correlations with the abiotic setting (including temperature). Future treeline expansion will likely be patchy and challenging to predict without considering the spatial variability of influences from biotic and abiotic local site conditions.     

Flood regime and leaf fall determine soil inorganic nitrogen dynamics in semiarid riparian forests.

Flow regulation has reduced the exchange of water, energy, and materials between rivers and floodplains, caused declines in native plant populations, and advanced the spread of nonnative plants. Naturalized flow regimes are regarded as a means to restore degraded riparian areas. We examined the effects of flood regime (short [SIFI] vs. long [LIFI] inter-flood interval) on plant community and soil inorganic nitrogen (N) dynamics in riparian forests dominated by native Populus deltoides var. wislizenii Eckenwalder (Rio Grande cottonwood) and nonnative Tamarix chinensis Lour. (salt cedar) along the regulated middle Rio Grande of New Mexico. The frequency of inundation (every 2-3 years) at SIFI sites better reflected inundation patterns prior to the closure of an upstream dam relative to the frequency of inundation at LIFI sites (> or =10 years). Riparian inundation at SIFI sites varied from 7 to 45 days during the study period (April 2001-July 2004). SIFI vs. LIFI sites had higher soil moisture but greater groundwater table elevation fluctuation in response to flooding and drought. Rates of net N mineralization were consistently higher at LIFI vs. SIFI sites, and soil inorganic N concentrations were greatest at sites with elevated leaf-litter production. Sites with stable depth to ground water (approximately 1.5 m) supported the greatest leaf-litter production. Reduced leaf production at P. deltoides SIFI sites was attributed to drought-induced recession of ground water and prolonged inundation. We recommend that natural resource managers and restoration practitioners (1) utilize naturalized flows that help maintain riparian groundwater elevations between 1 and 3 m in reaches with mature P. deltoides or where P. deltoides revegetation is desired, (2) identify areas that naturally undergo long periods of inundation and consider restoring these areas to seasonal wetlands, and (3) use native xeric-adapted riparian plants to revegetate LIFI and SIFI sites where groundwater elevations commonly drop below 3 m.     

Modulating effect of cold-dark storage on excystment inAlexandrium pseudogonyaulax (Dinophyceae)

The effects of cold-dark conditions on excystment ofAlexandriuin pseudogonyaulax (Biecheler) Horiguchi ex Yuki et Fukuyo (Gonyaulacales: Dinophyceae) resting cysts were studied for different lengths of time (0 to 120 d). Cyst populations of the same age were obtained by incubating a culture in a diluted growth medium. Cysts that were not exposed to cold-dark conditions showed a long dormancy period and low germination success. A high percentage of excystment, together with a rather synchronous germination, were observed for cysts exposed to cold-dark conditions for 40 to 100 d. Shorter (20 d) and longer (120 d) periods of storage in the cold-dark incubator lowered excystment success and germination synchrony. These results indicate that low temperatures and absence of light during the dormancy period are strongly effective, not only in enhancing germination success, but also in modulating and timing the whole excystment process.     

Soil drying in a tropical forest: Three distinct environments controlled by gap size

Soil water and temperature regimes in the tropical moist forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, were simulated directly from meteorological data using the model SWEAT. Separate field observations from root-exclusion, litter-removal and control treatments in one small and one large forest gap were used for calibration and validation. After irrigating all treatments to field capacity, soil matric potential and temperature were measured over 17 days at four depths ≤50 mm using the filter-paper technique and bead thermistors. Understorey environments were also simulated under the same initial conditions. The results suggest that three distinct scenarios, controlled by gap size, describe how the above- and below-ground processes controlling soil drying are coupled: (1) in the large gap, root water extraction by surrounding trees is negligible so soil drying is dominated by evaporation from the soil surface. Soil temperature is dominated by direct solar heating and cooling due to evaporation. (2) In the small gap, root water extraction dominates soil drying with soil evaporation playing a minor role. Soil temperature is still dominated by direct sunlight with some cooling due to evaporation. (3) In the understorey, root water extraction dominates soil drying. Soil temperature is dominated by heat conduction from deep soil layers with some evaporation and sensible heat transfer. The contrasting soil drying regimes imposed by variation in canopy structure enhance micro-environmental heterogeneity and the scope for differential germination and seedling establishment in coexisting tropical tree species.     

Riparian shading and groundwater enhance growth potential for smallmouth bass in Ozark streams.

Moderation of stream temperatures by riparian shading and groundwater are known to promote growth and survival of salmonid fishes, but effects of riparian shade and groundwater on to be growth of warmwater stream fishes are poorly understood or assumed to be negligible. We used stream temperature models to relate shading from riparian vegetation and groundwater inflow to summer water temperatures in Missouri Ozark streams and evaluated effects of summer water temperatures on smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu, growth using a bioenergetics model. Bioenergetics model simulations revealed that adult smallmouth bass in non-spring-fed streams have lower growth potential during summer than fish in spring-fed streams, are subject to mass loss when stream temperatures exceed 27 degrees C, and will likely exhibit greater interannual variation in growth during summer if all growth-influencing factors, other than temperature, are identical between the two stream types. Temperature models indicated that increased riparian shading will expand the longitudinal extent of thermal habitat capable of supporting adult smallmouth bass growth in spring-fed stream reaches when mean daily air temperatures exceed 27 degrees C. Optimum growth temperature (22 degrees C) will be present only in spring-fed streams under these conditions. Potential for increasing shade through riparian restoration is greatest for streams <5 m wide and along north-south reaches of larger streams. However, temperature models also indicated that restoring riparian shading to maximum levels throughout a watershed would increase the total stream mileage capable of supporting positive growth of adult smallmouth bass by only 1-6% when air temperatures are at or near average summer maxima; increases in suitable thermal habitat would be greatest in watersheds with higher spring densities. Riparian management for maintenance or restoration of the thermal habitat of adult smallmouth bass during summer should be focused in areas strongly influenced by groundwater. Restoring riparian shading along spring-fed warmwater streams will likely benefit adult smallmouth bass growth and may ultimately influence population sizes.     

Effects of cold stratification on germination rate and percentage of caper (Capparis ovata Desf.) seeds

Caper is an important plant because of its high adaptability to marginal agriculture fields that are not suitable for agricultural crops. Different parts of caper such as roots, fruits, flowers and buds can be used to increase the inhabitant's income. The goal of this research is to determine germination rate and percentage of caper according to different duration of cold stratification (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 days) treatments. Cold stratification procedures under greenhouse condition were applied for eliminating seed dormancy to find the most suitable germination conditions because the presence of seed dormancy causes difficulties in seedling production. The seed germination started and stopped 21 and 57 days after sowing, respectively. While the highest germination percentage (46.6%) was obtained in seeds that were cold stratified for 60 days, the lowest germination percentage (3.6 7%) was determined in control seeds.     

Postfire Management on Forested Public Lands of the Western United States

Abstract:  Forest ecosystems in the western United States evolved over many millennia in response to disturbances such as wildfires. Land use and management practices have altered these ecosystems, however, including fire regimes in some areas. Forest ecosystems are especially vulnerable to postfire management practices because such practices may influence forest dynamics and aquatic systems for decades to centuries. Thus, there is an increasing need to evaluate the effect of postfire treatments from the perspective of ecosystem recovery. We examined, via the published literature and our collective experience, the ecological effects of some common postfire treatments. Based on this examination, promising postfire restoration measures include retention of large trees, rehabilitation of firelines and roads, and, in some cases, planting of native species. The following practices are generally inconsistent with efforts to restore ecosystem functions after fire: seeding exotic species, livestock grazing, placement of physical structures in and near stream channels, ground-based postfire logging, removal of large trees, and road construction. Practices that adversely affect soil integrity, persistence or recovery of native species, riparian functions, or water quality generally impede ecological recovery after fire. Although research provides a basis for evaluating the efficacy of postfire treatments, there is a continuing need to increase our understanding of the effects of such treatments within the context of societal and ecological goals for forested public lands of the western United States.     

Effect of microclimatic factors and tide on vertical migrations of the mangrove crab Sesarma leptosoma (Decapoda: Grapsidae)

The tree crab Sesarma leptosoma Hilgendorf migrates up the mangrove trunks twice a day, both in the morning and in the evening, leaving its refuge near the tree base to feed on fresh leaves. In spite of the 150 cm of tide excursion at the base of the trees, the timing of the migrations seems largely controlled by nontidal factors. The timing of the morning upward migration is controlled by the light level alone. The morning downward migration takes place as soon as the temperature rises and relative humidity falls, with no relationship to tidal cycle or light level. Only the evening upward flow seems primarily controlled by the tide, while the evening downward flow, which ends at twilight, seems to be related to the timing of the evening upward migration, to the tide and again to light levels. During the day, crabs abandon the canopy to avoid low relative humidity, usually coupled with the higher wind speeds, which would quickly dehydrate them. At night, crabs stop migrating, probably because their movements and orientation capability along the trunk and in the canopy are largely vision dependent. Nontidal factors have never previously been shown to influence the migratory behaviour of an intertidal crustacean species so extensively. Received: 14 June 1997 / Accepted: 17 July 1997