Dynamics of growth and seed production in the Siberian stone pine: The level and pattern of variation in characters

A statistical analysis of interannual variation in a set of vegetative and generative characters over 13 years has been performed to characterize the growth and seed production dynamics of the Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) in the southeast of the forest zone in western Siberia. The results have shown that the range of fluctuations in most of vegetative characters is ordinary and their distribution is close to normal. The range of fluctuations in many generative characters is enormous (from 0 to +∞), and the distribution of their values is usually skewed, with low values being recorded several times more frequently than high values. Most variable are the proportion of abortive cones and other characters that are determined mainly in the spring of the pollination year. These characters account for a very high level of variation in the total seed production.     

Effect of Climatic Factors on the Growth of Representatives of the Genus Pinus (Pinaceae) under Conditions of Introduction

Four introduced and one aboriginal species of the genus Pinus L. have been studied in the middle taiga subzone of southern Karelia. Significant interspecific differences in the dates of onset, cessation, and peak of the growth of shoots and needles have been revealed. It has been shown that their annual increment depends on the rate of growth, rather than on its duration. The dynamics of shoot and needle growth in introduced and aboriginal species, though largely similar, differ in some respects. These differences reflect species-specific responses to hydrothermal conditions in a certain growing season.     

The use of ecological scales for indication of the current state of forest communities

A method for estimating the current state of plant communities based on the ecological amplitudes of constituent species is proposed. An original program, Fitoindikatsiya, has been developed to compute the indices of disturbance and homogeneity of plant communities from species ecological scale values. The current state of pine forests in the part of Novosibirsk oblast east of the Ob River has been analyzed; slightly, moderately, and severely disturbed zones have been distinguished.     

Nitrogen isotope ratios in pine bark as an indicator of N emissions from anthropogenic sources

The article describes the use of Scots pine bark to identifynitrogen sources in eastern Germany, as well as background areas in Russia and Bulgaria, by using natural isotope ratios of total nitrogen (N_t) and individual N compoundssuch as ammonium (NH₄ ⁺), nitrate (NO₃ ^-)and amid nitrogen (amide-N). The samples collected were analysed using an elemental analyser in connection with a gas isotope mass spectrometer (EA-IRMS). Natural ¹⁵N abundances in pine bark from impact areas suggest that the ammonium accumulated on the surface of the bark is releasedfrom livestock management. Bark of Scots pines growing near agricultural land had highly depleted ¹⁵N_t values (between –8 and –12), while bark from background areas (unpolluted areas) displayed slightly negative ¹⁵N_t values (mean ¹⁵N_t = –3.8). It is assumed that part of the N adsorbed on the bark surface is mainly derived from ammonia(mean ¹⁵N_t = –40.3) escaping from livestock housing and during the application of manure. This assumption is confirmed by experiments under controlled conditions in which manure samples were spread on soil. In addition, temporal and spatial variations of ¹⁵N_t abundances in pine bark from various locations in eastern Germany as wellas pine stands in Nature Park Dübener Heath are discussed.     

Laws of annual nutrient uptake in a Paulownia plantation

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离子强度、pH值和Ca2+/Al3+对马尾松幼苗的铝毒影响

测定了在不同溶液酸度、不同离子强度和Ca~(2+)/Al~(3+)比下,铝对马尾松幼苗生长状况的影响。结果表明,溶液酸度增加,离子强度减小时,铝的毒害作用增大。钙对铝毒有明显缓解作用,当Ca~(2+)/Al~(3+)增大时,铝的毒性减小,但其缓解作用与铝浓度有关,当铝浓度增加,钙的缓解能力下降。     

重庆南山马尾松林衰亡与大气污染关系的讨论

重庆市南郊的南山是一个风景区,有林地约二万七千余亩,主要是马尾松林(Pinusmassoniana Lamb.),自八十年代起明显出现衰亡现象,目前约有85％马尾松植株受到不同程度的伤害,死亡率达35％左右.马尾松出现的症状是针尖坏死,针叶提早脱落,针长变短,树冠稀疏,枝条枯死,径向生长变弱等.     

Trait space of rare plants in a fire‐dependent ecosystem

The causes of species rarity are of critical concern because of the high extinction risk associated with rarity. Studies examining individual rare species have limited generality, whereas trait‐based approaches offer a means to identify functional causes of rarity that can be applied to communities with disparate species pools. Differences in functional traits between rare and common species may be indicative of the functional causes of species rarity and may therefore be useful in crafting species conservation strategies. However, there is a conspicuous lack of studies comparing the functional traits of rare species and co‐occurring common species. We measured 18 important functional traits for 19 rare and 134 common understory plant species from North Carolina's Sandhills region and compared their trait distributions to determine whether there are significant functional differences that may explain species rarity. Flowering, fire, and tissue‐chemistry traits differed significantly between rare and common, co‐occurring species. Differences in specific traits suggest that fire suppression has driven rarity in this system and that changes to the timing and severity of prescribed fire may improve conservation success. Our method provides a useful tool to prioritize conservation efforts in other systems based on the likelihood that rare species are functionally capable of persisting.     

干热河谷林地燥红土固碳特征及"新固定"碳表观稳定性

全球气候变化背景下,森林土壤固碳能力及所固定碳的稳定性受到极大关注.基于土壤密度分组和酸水解技术,对比研究了1991年营造的大叶相思(Acacia auriculiformis)林不同阶段(1991、1997、2003和2010年)土壤及其物理和生化组分中有机碳密度.结果表明,造林19 a后林地表层(0～15 cm)和亚表层(15～30 cm)土壤有机碳密度分别为1.40 kg.m-2和0.99kg.m-2.研究期内(1991～2010年)表层和亚表层土壤平均固碳速率分别为37.89 g.(m2.a)-1和16.84 g.(m2.a)-1,且土壤呈现加速固碳特征.2003年林地表层重组有机碳分配比例为71.44%,显著高于2010年(67.99%).2003年林地表层或亚表层轻组顽固性碳指数显著高于重组,但均随林龄的增加而降低,尤其是轻组顽固性碳指数.2003～2010年间燥红土"新固定"碳中57%～70%受物理保护,33%～49%为生化稳定性碳.研究揭示出干热河谷人工林燥红土具备较大的固碳能力.受物理保护碳的生化稳定性低于非保护碳,其稳定性均随林龄的增加而降低.