Management Decentralization and Montane Forest Conditions in Tanzania

Abstract: We examined how differences in local forest‐management institutions relate to disparate anthropogenic forest disturbance and forest conditions among three neighboring montane forests in Tanzania under centralized, comanaged, or communal management. Institutional differences have been shaped by decentralization reforms. We conducted semistructured interviews with members of forest management committees, local government, and village households and measured anthropogenic disturbance, tree structure, and species composition in forest plots. We assessed differences in governance system components of local institutions, including land tenure, decision‐making autonomy by forest users, and official and de facto processes of rule formation, monitoring, and enforcement among the three management strategies. We also assessed differences in frequencies of prohibited logging and subsistence pole cutting, and measures of forest condition. An adjacent research forest served as an ecological reference for comparison of forest conditions. Governance was similar for comanaged and centralized management, whereas communal managers had greater tenure security and decision‐making autonomy over the use and management of their forest. There was significantly less illegal logging in the communal forest, but subsistence pole cutting was common across all management strategies. The comanaged forest was most disturbed by recent logging and pole cutting, as were peripheral areas of the larger centralized forest. This manifested in more degraded indicators of forest conditions (lower mean tree size, basal area, density of trees ≥ 90 cm dbh, and aboveground biomass and higher overall stem density). Greater tenure security and institutional autonomy of the communal strategy contributed to more effective management, less illegal logging, and maintenance of good forest conditions, but generating livelihood benefits was a challenge for both decentralized strategies. Our results underscore the importance of well‐designed institutional arrangements in forest management and illustrate mechanisms for improved forest governance and conservation in the context of Tanzanian decentralization reforms.     

Watershed factors affecting stream acidification in the White Mountains of New Hampshire,USA

The streams tributary to acidic Cone Pond, pH 4.5–4.8, and circumneutral Black Pond, pH 5.3–6.4, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, USA, were monitored for a year. The watersheds of these two ponds were characterized in terms of geology and stream hydrology. Chemical gradients and patterns in rock weathering and groundwater discharge explain many of the differences in mineral content and acidity of the streams. The rocks of Black watershed produced an average of ten times the equivalent of basic cations as rocks from Cone watershed. This is on the same order as the difference in acidity of the two streams. Down-stream changes in stream chemistry follow differing patterns, but reflect the same principle of residence time and water path length controlling chemical evolution of streamwater. Watershed and aquatic managers may use these parameters in an inexpensive and simple assessment of the susceptibility of individual streams and ponds to acidification. A method is recommended to determine quickly the potential influence of bedrock type to aquatic chemistry.     

Wildlife resources in creating the new Alaskan Parks and preserves

Legislation settling the Alaska Native Lands Claims also resulted in the establishment of ten new parks and preserves in Alaska. This settlement was the result of a long and often bitter legislative struggle between pro- and antidevelopment groups. The planning history of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is used as a case example of this debate. One particular source of conflict was the curtailment of sport hunting that would result under national park classification. A preserve classification was introduced to resolve this conflict. Data on wildlife resources and sport hunting were instrumental in defining the areas so classified.     

Climatic and stream-flow controls on tree growth in a Western montane riparian forest

Humans have severely impacted riparian ecosystems through water diversions, impoundments, and consumptive uses. Effective management of these important areas is becoming an increasingly high priority of land managers, particularly as municipal, industrial, and recreational demands for water increase. We examined radial tree growth of four riparian tree species (Pinus jeffreyi, Populus trichocarpa, Betula occidentalis, and Pinus monophylla) along Bishop Creek, California, and developed models relating basal area increment (BAI) and relative basal area increment (RBAI) to climatic and stream flow variables. Between years 1995–1999, univariate regression analysis with stream flow explained 29 to 61% of the variation in BAI and RBAI among all species except P. trichocarpa; growth by P. trichocarpa was not significantly related to stream flows over this period. Stepwise linear regression indicated that species responded differently to climatic variables, and models based on these variables explained between 33 to 86% of variation in BAI and RBAI during the decade of the 1990s. We examined branch growth of P. trichocarpa for sensitivity to differences in stream flow regimes and found that annual branch growth did not vary between a high- and low-flow site, but that annual branch growth was significantly higher in wet years with greater stream flows. Our results support the establishment of site-specific management goals by land managers that take into account all of the important tree species present in riparian ecosystems and their differential responses to altered hydrologic condition. Instream flow requirements for maintaining tree growth and vigor are only one of the species-specific responses that need to be evaluated, and these assessments should attempt to separate experimentally stream-flow (managed) controls from climatic (unmanaged) controls on growth.     

COMPARATIVE WATER CHEMISTRY OF FOUR LAKES IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK1

ABSTRACT: The inorganic chemistry of two pairs of lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park was studied to determine reasons for their similarities and differences. The pairs were located on differing geologic units. It was expected that weathering from the different types of parent material would cause differing cation concentrations between the pairs. This was verified by dissimilar concentrations of those cations which are products of primary weathering. Unexpected was a significant difference in anion concentrations between members of one pair having the same bedrock geology. This difference has been attributed to the presence of a wet sedge meadow above one of the lakes which serves as a biological filter for anions, particularly nitrate and sulfate. It is shown that small scale drainage characteristics which can alter regional atmospheric contributions are important contributors to lake chemistry.     

中晚全新世六盘山流域土壤侵蚀的湖泊沉积记录

流域土壤侵蚀是流域水文—气候—生态的集中表现之一,对生态、环境等有着重大影响,重建过去流域土壤侵蚀强度对理解区域人类活动具有重要意义.本文选取黄土高原西南部高山湖泊——六盘山天池沉积岩芯为研究对象,基于XRF岩芯元素数据分析,结合可靠的AMS 14C年代序列,重建了中晚全新世以来六盘山流域土壤侵蚀强度变化记录.结果显示:5570?—?1600 cal BP,流域土壤侵蚀整体较强,侵蚀强度逐渐减弱,其主要受控于降水变化,也受植被覆盖等因素的影响;随着晚全新世气候逐渐变干,1600 cal BP之后的侵蚀强度整体弱于前一时期,此时段由于人类活动的显著影响,加剧了流域的土壤侵蚀.太阳辐射可能是研究区土壤侵蚀强度变化的初始驱动力,ENSO通过驱动亚洲季风变化影响区域降水,进而直接影响流域土壤侵蚀的强度变化.     

国外大尺度生态廊道保护进展与秦岭国家公园建设

大型山脉在其走向上往往是生物扩散和分布的天然廊道。然而,由于人类干扰引起的生境碎片化,山地廊道的连通性已大为降低。20世纪以来,人们普遍意识到当前或过去的自然保护措施往往规模太小,无法维持许多物种的长期生存及其所依赖的生态过程。因而,山地廊道的连通性保护日益受到关注,大尺度生态廊道被认为是长远意义上保护气候变化下生物多样性的最优策略。综述连通性保护和生态廊道的概念、发展历程及国外大尺度生态廊道建设实践的经验,并从连通性保护的角度对秦岭国家公园建设提出一些建议,强调大尺度的连通性保护和生态廊道建设对于国家公园自然生态系统的长远保护具有重要意义。     

秦岭生态屏障产水服务时空演变特征及驱动要素

秦岭是我国重要的“中央水塔”,是南水北调的重要水源地。基于InVEST模型评估2000—2018年秦岭地区产水服务,分析其时空演变特征,利用相关性分析和地理加权回归方法（GWR）探究不同因素对秦岭地区产水服务变化的影响。结果表明：秦岭地区多年平均产水量为235.16 mm,19年间产水量呈现微弱下降趋势,产水量在空间上表现为由南部向北减少的特点。秦岭地区产水量波动程度和变化趋势都较弱,产水服务整体比较稳定。各因素对产水量的影响具有明显的空间异质性,降水主导的范围最大（33.18%）,且集中分布于产水量较多的秦岭南侧。其次为NPP（17.90%）和实际蒸散量（16.71%）,两者在中北部地区是主要影响因素。研究结果对促进区域生态安全和可持续发展具有一定的指导意义。     

成都龙泉山地区建设用地生态适宜性评价

随着景观格局与生态过程之间的关系日益受到重视,传统的评价方法已经不能满足生态适宜性评价的发展需要。本文以成都市龙泉山地区为例,从景观类型、生态功能、生态价值、土壤侵蚀敏感性和地质灾害敏感性5个方面建立评价指标体系,分别采用最小累积阻力模型和模糊综合评判法描述水平生态过程和垂直生态过程下的生态适宜性,综合两种评价结果进行建设用地的生态适宜性评价。研究结果表明,模型机理的差异使评价结果有着很大的区别,两种方法的综合应用可以有效弥补彼此的不足,本文将研究区的生态适宜性评价结果划分为禁止开发区、严格限建区、一般限建区、重点开发区和优化开发区5个分区,各区的面积分别为259．70km^2、793．89km2、1220．35km2、739．68km2和490．42km2。以往的生态适宜性评价方法往往单一地考虑水平或者垂直生态过程,本文构建的这种综合水平和垂直生态过程的评价方法为生态适宜性评价的方法研究提供了有益的尝试和补充。     

重庆华蓥山山脉药用植物资源调查研究

通过野外考察、标本采集、资料查阅整理及标本鉴定,对重庆华蓥山山山脉药用植物资源进行了调查.结果表明,重庆华蓥山共有药用植物240科1017属2251种(含变种和亚种),其中地衣植物5科8属11种、苔藓植物23科30属36种、蕨类植物40科82属190种、裸子植物9科17属25种、被子植物163科880属1989种.对其种类组成、分布、药用部位、疗效等进行了统计分析,对民间习用药物做了简要介绍,并对其开发利用提出了建议.