Specific features of the growth of Scots pine vegetative organs in the forest-steppe zone of Cisbaikalia

The dependence of the annual increment of vegetative organs on air temperature and humidity and the amount of precipitation per phenophase, as well as the period of their growth in Scots pine, were studied in the forest-steppe zone of Cisbaikalia. The multiple effect of variation in environmental conditions on the annual increment of organs increased when precipitation in September of the previous year was taken into account. These factors proved to have a stronger effect on variation in the annual increment of needles (R ² = 0.59, p = 0.00005) than that in the annual ring width (R ² = 0.38, p = 0.0002).     

中亚热带马尾松林凋落物分解过程中的微生物与酶活性动态

采用凋落物原位分解法,研究了中亚热带马尾松林中马尾松、槲栎凋落叶单独及混合(自然质量比8∶2)分解过程中的微生物数量与酶活性动态.结果表明:①3类凋落物的年分解常数K的大小为:混合凋落物(0.94)>槲栎凋落物(0.86)>马尾松凋落物(0.67);②3类凋落物真菌数量和微生物数量均在夏季(135 d时)达到最大值,而此时细菌和放线菌数量最低;③3类凋落物纤维素酶活性、酸性磷酸酶活性均与凋落物干重剩余率呈显著正相关(P<0.05),而马尾松与混合型凋落物中的多酚氧化酶活性同凋落物干重剩余率呈极显著负相关(P<0.01);④微生物数量和多酚氧化酶活性均总体表现为槲栎凋落物>混合凋落物>马尾松凋落物,酸性磷酸酶活性多表现为槲栎凋落物最低,与分解常数K排列有一定的差异,说明凋落物分解是微生物和多种酶共同作用的结果.整体研究表明,凋落物质量和季节气候的差异显著影响微生物群落及其调控的生态过程,与纯马尾松凋落叶相比,针阔混合使微生物数量和多酚氧化酶活性显著提高,这可能是导致分解加快的重要原因.     

Long term changes in atmospheric N and S throughfall deposition and effects on soil solution chemistry in a Scots pine forest in the Netherlands

In a Scots pine forest the throughfall deposition and the chemical composition of the soil solution was monitored since 1984. (Inter)national legislation measures led to a reduction of the deposition of nitrogen and sulphur. The deposition of sulphur has decreased by approximately 65%. The total mineral-nitrogen deposition has decreased by ca. 25%, which is mainly due to a reduction in ammonium-N deposition (−40%), since nitrate-N deposition has increased (+50%). The nitrogen concentration in the upper mineral soil solution at 10 cm depth has decreased, leading to an improved nutritional balance, which may result in improved tree vitality. In the drainage water at 90 cm depth the fluxes of NO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻ have decreased, resulting in a reduced leeching of accompanying base cations, thus preserving nutrients in the ecosystem. It may take still several years, however, before this will meet the prerequisite of a sustainable ecosystem.     

Gradient analysis of the chrogenetic structure of lowland and highland scotch pine populations

Gradients of genetic distances (GGDs) between 26 adjacent cenopopulations of Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) along the transects through the distinct landscape-ecotopic isolation borders were analyzed graphically. The results made it possible to reveal and quantitatively estimate gradients and borders of gene-pool structural patterns in populations of this species in the central part of Northern Eurasia. In lowland areas, the most distinct borders were found between pine populations growing on dry lands and bogs (Pineta sphagnosa) in the forest zone of the Transural region, as well as between the Arakaragaiskii and Amankaragaiskii island pine forests in the steppe zone (Northern Turgai). In highland areas (the Urals and the Carpathians), the greatest GGDs were observed between low-mountain (about 600 m above sea level) and middle-mountain (850–900 m) populations. Analysis of GGDs is a promising gene-geographic method for determining population borders and studying the chorogenetic structure of species.     

Cd-tolerant Suillus luteus: A fungal insurance for pines exposed to Cd

Soil metal pollution can trigger evolutionary adaptation in soil-borne organisms. An in vitro screening test showed cadmium adaptation in populations of Suillus luteus (L.: Fr.) Roussel, an ectomycorrhizal fungus of pine trees. Cadmium stress was subsequently investigated in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings inoculated with a Cd-tolerant S. luteus, isolated from a heavy metal contaminated site, and compared to plants inoculated with a Cd-sensitive isolate from a non-polluted area. A dose-response experiment with mycorrhizal pines showed better plant protection by a Cd-adapted fungus: more fungal biomass and a higher nutrient uptake at high Cd exposure. In addition, less Cd was transferred to aboveground plant parts. Because of the key role of the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis for tree fitness, the evolution of Cd tolerance in an ectomycorrhizal partner such as S. luteus can be of major importance for the establishment of pine forests on Cd-contaminated soils.     

Effects of tree size and spatial distribution on growth of ponderosa pine forests under alternative management scenarios

Forest ecosystems may be actively managed toward heterogeneous stand structures to provide both economic (e.g., wood production and carbon credits) and environmental benefits (e.g., invasive pest resistance). In order to facilitate wider adoption of possibly more sustainable forest stand structures, defining growth expectations among alternative management scenarios is crucial. To estimate the effect of tree size and spatial distributions on growth for forest structures commonly considered in uneven-aged forest stand management, large (0.2 ha+) plots were established in 14 uneven-aged ponderosa pine stands in eastern Montana. All study trees were stem-mapped and measured for diameter and 10-year sapwood and basal area increment. A generalized growth model was developed to predict both total and merchantable 10-year basal area increment for nine hypothetical stand structures [three diameter distributions (reverse-J, irregular, flat) × three spatial distributions (clumpy, partial clumpy, uniform)]. Results indicate that the size and spatial distributions of individual trees have a considerable effect on overall stand growth. The greatest total stand growth was in stands with reverse “J” shaped tree size distributions, while the greatest merchantable stand growth was in stands with “flat” diameter distributions and uniform spatial distributions. Through better comprehension of generalized uneven-aged stand growth dynamics, forest managers may better assess the effects of alternative stand structures on stand growth while providing forest stand structures that may be more resilient in a changing climate.     

An Approach for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Various Ozone Air Quality Standards for Protecting Trees

We demonstrate an approach for evaluating the level of protection attained using a variety of forms and levels of past, current, and proposed Air Quality Standards (AQSs). The U.S. Clean Air Act requires the establishment of ambient air quality standards to protect health and public welfare. However, determination of attainment of these standards is based on ambient pollutant concentrations rather than prevention of adverse effects. To determine if a given AQS protected against adverse effects on vegetation, hourly ozone concentrations were adjusted to create exposure levels that “just attain” a given standard. These exposures were used in combination with a physiologically-based tree growth model to account for the interactions of climate and ozone. In the evaluation, we used ozone concentrations from two 6-year time periods from the San Bernardino Mountains in California. There were clear differences in the level of vegetation protection achieved with the various AQSs. Based on modeled plant growth, the most effective standards were the California 8-hr average maximum of 70 ppb and a seasonal, cumulative, concentration-weighted index (SUM06), which if attained, resulted in annual growth reductions of 1% or less. Least effective was the 1-hr maximum of 120 ppb which resulted in a 7% annual reduction. We conclude that combining climate, exposure scenarios, and a process-based plant growth simulator was a useful approach for evaluating effectiveness of current or proposed air quality standards, or evaluating the form and/or level of a standard based on preventing adverse growth effects.     

Accumulation of Fluoride and Aluminium Related to Different Varieties of Tea Plant

Samples of young shoot, mature leaf, twig, root, and litter were taken from four recently bred varieties Zhe-nong 113, Zhe-nong 121, Zi-sun, and Bi-feng grown at two tea plantations located at Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces. The results showed that the concentrations of F and Al in tea plants were significantly different among the four varieties. It is therefore possible that F and Al concentrations in tea products can be reduced through variety selection. The results also revealed that old leaves would be the major contribution to the high levels of F and Al in brick tea since it is produced mainly for old leaves. Therefore, in order to eliminate the hazard of over-exposure to F and Al derived from tea, younger shoot should be used for making tea products while mature leaves should be avoided.     

中型景观尺度下斑块类型和地理特征影响杨树人工林干部病害的发生——以河南省清丰县为例

景观病理学在开展病原扩散、病害发生及其严重程度方面以其全新的视角,为森林病害的区域控制提供了新的研究技术及理论支持。首次利用景观病理学原理和方法对河南省清丰县一个中型景观下杨树人工林干部病害发生特征开展了研究,目的是解析在大尺度下斑块类型和地理特征对杨树人工林病害发生的影响。在100 km2的调查区域,以种植方式和林分类型划分斑块类型,分析显示发病株率在不同斑块间差异显著：农田间作斑块的林木发病株率显著低于孤立斑块、纯林斑块、混交林等斑块的发病株率;但发病株率在孤立斑块、纯林斑块及混交林等斑块间无显著差异。抚育管理措施对预防和减轻杨树人工林干部病害的发生起到关键左右：精细管理林分（有修枝、施肥和锄草）的林木发病株率（p=0.001）和发病指数（p〈0.001）均显著低于粗放管理林分（无修枝、无施肥和锄草等）。人类活动,如无序修剪和放牧很可能是造成村落附近林分发病率显著高于其他地点林分的主要原因。采用logistic回归,以品种编号、树龄、树高、林分密度、林分郁闭度、林分类型、斑块类型、地理特征,等为自变量建立病害发生预测模型。方程拟合达到极显著水平（Wald=71.248,p〈0.001）。方程总的预测正确率为68.2%,发病的预测正确率为79.8%。     

DROUGHT INDICATED IN CARBON-13/CARBON-12 RATIOS OF SOUTHWESTERN TREE RINGS1

ABSTRACT: Stomatal closure during periods of moisture deficiency should theoretically lead to elevated ¹³C/¹²C ratios as reduction of available CO₂ leads to diminished photosynthetic discrimination against ¹³C in favor of ¹²C. Stable-carbon isotope ratio chronologies developed from 5-yr tree-ring groups at 17 sites in six southwestern states were tested for a drought relationship by first fitting a spline curve to each chronology to remove the long-term trend and calculating indices as the ratio of actual to spline curve value. The time series of “Del Indices” so developed are significantly correlated with 5-yr mean Palmer Hydrological Drought Indices (post-1930 period) and reconstructed July Palmer Drought Severity Indices from respective areas. Overall, in the period since 1790, the driest pentads were 1900–04 and 1960–64, whereas the wettest were 1980–84 and 1915–19. Maps of drought represented for two pentads seem to be reasonable representations, although spatial correlations of Del Indices with PHDI were generally not significant. These Del Index drought reconstructions may provide a useful measure of past physiological response to drought (stomatal closure), although the present cost of analysis would prevent this from being a routine method.