MODELING THE HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS OF FOREST HARVESTING ON FLORIDA FLATWOODS1

ABSTRACT: The great temporal and spatial variability of pine flat-woods hydrology suggests traditional short-term field methods may not be effective in evaluating the hydrologic effects of forest management. The FLATWOODS model was developed, calibrated and validated specifically for the cypress wetland-pine upland landscape. The model was applied to two typical flatwoods sites in north central Florida. Three harvesting treatments (Wetland Harvesting, Wetland + Upland Harvesting, and Control) under three typical climatic conditions (dry, wet, and normal precipitation years) were simulated to study the potential first-year effects of common forest harvesting activities on flatwoods. Long-term (15 years) simulation was conducted to evaluate the hydrologic impacts at different stages of stand rotation. This simulation study concludes that forest harvesting has substantial effects on hydrology during dry periods and clear cutting of both wetlands and uplands has greater influence on the water regimes than partial harvesting. Compared to hilly regions, forest harvesting in the Florida coastal plains has less impact on water yield.     

Thresholds in Songbird Occurrence in Relation to Landscape Structure

Abstract:  Theory predicts the occurrence of threshold levels of habitat in landscapes, below which ecological processes change abruptly. Simulation models indicate that below critical thresholds, fragmentation of habitat influences patch occupancy by decreasing colonization rates and increasing rates of local extinction. Uncovering such putative relationships is important for understanding the demography of species and in developing sound conservation strategies. Using segmented logistic regression, we tested for thresholds in occurrence of 15 bird species as a function of the amount of suitable habitat at multiple scales (150–2000-m radii). Suitable habitat was defined quantitatively based on previously derived, spatially explicit distribution models for each species. The occurrence of 10 out of 15 species was influenced by the amount of habitat at a landscape scale (≥500-m radius). Of these species all but one were best predicted by threshold models. Six out of nine species exhibited asymptotic thresholds; the effects of habitat loss intensified at low amounts of habitat in a landscape. Landscape thresholds ranged from 8.6% habitat to 28.7% (     = 18.5 ± 2.6%[95% CI]). For two species landscape thresholds coincided with sensitivity to fragmentation; both species were more likely to occur in large patches, but only when the amount of habitat in a landscape was low. This supports the fragmentation threshold hypothesis. Nevertheless, the occurrence of most species appeared to be unaffected by fragmentation, regardless of the amount of habitat present at landscape extents. The thresholds we identified may be useful to managers in establishing conservation targets. Our results indicate that findings of landscape-scale studies conducted in regions with relatively high proportions of habitat and low fragmentation may not be applicable in regions with low habitat proportions and high fragmentation.     

Effects of Selective Logging on Bat Communities in the Southeastern Amazon

Abstract:  Although extensive areas of tropical forest are selectively logged each year, the responses of bat communities to this form of disturbance have rarely been examined. Our objectives were to (1) compare bat abundance, species composition, and feeding guild structure between unlogged and low-intensity selectively logged (1–4 logged stems/ha) sampling grids in the southeastern Amazon and (2) examine correlations between logging-induced changes in bat communities and forest structure. We captured bats in understory and canopy mist nets set in five 1-ha study grids in both logged and unlogged forest. We captured 996 individuals, representing 5 families, 32 genera, and 49 species. Abundances of nectarivorous and frugivorous taxa (Glossophaginae, Lonchophyllinae, Stenodermatinae, and Carolliinae) were higher at logged sites, where canopy openness and understory foliage density were greatest. In contrast, insectivorous and omnivorous species (Emballonuridae, Mormoopidae, Phyllostominae, and Vespertilionidae) were more abundant in unlogged sites, where canopy foliage density and variability in the understory stratum were greatest. Multivariate analyses indicated that understory bat species composition differed strongly between logged and unlogged sites but provided little evidence of logging effects for the canopy fauna. Different responses among feeding guilds and taxonomic groups appeared to be related to foraging and echolocation strategies and to changes in canopy cover and understory foliage densities. Our results suggest that even low-intensity logging modifies habitat structure, leading to changes in bat species composition.     

An Inverse Gaussian distribution of tree frequencies based on tree size

Forest stand management often depends on data from a single fixed area inventory plot located at random in a forest stand. The plot provides detailed information about tree size distribution but not about per unit area tree frequency distribution unless one assumes a Poisson (POI) distribution. The POI assumption ignores any relationship between a tree's size and its demand for growing space. This study argues for the Inverse Gaussian (IG) distribution as a more realistic model. Maximum likelihood estimates of the IG parameters are obtained from a transformation of tree size data (diameter) to proxies of tree counts. Data from two stands indicated that an IG model was better at predicting the tree frequency distribution than a POI model.     

论城市森林及其生态系统的建设

由于城市森林及其生态系统是一项重要的绿化基础设施，是城市中人与自然关系的纽带与桥梁，因此，大力加强城市森林生态系统建设是历史发展的必然．以此为依据，阐述了城市森林及其生态系统的概念、研究方法与内容、发展概况，提出了城市森林生态系统建设的5项原则，最后，探讨了城市森林生态系统建设的未来两大发展趋势．     

小流域森林生态系统土壤发生与元素地球化学特性

本文研究了广东五华县牛角塘综合治理试验区几种典型森林生态系统土壤的物质迁移、肥力特性及元素迁移与富集传性，结果表明，生态类型的差异不仅会影响到土壤的肥力状况，同时由于水土流失等因素的影响，还会造成土壤机械组成、元素迁移富集特点以及其它发生学特性的差异，林地、半林地及光山地之间在这些方面也存在着明显的差异性．     

森林土壤对几种重金属污染的"记忆"效应

采用一定浓度(40～120 mg·L-1)Cd、Cr、Pb的氯化物溶液多次浇灌森林土壤,研究受以前污灌影响而导致某次污灌后土壤对重金属的吸持率下降的效应--"记忆"效应.结果表明土壤对Cr和Pb环境容量大,"记忆"效应不明显.多次浇灌CrCl3溶液后,土壤剖面20 cm以下采样点约99%的Cr被土壤吸持;3次浇灌PbCl2后各采样点Pb浓度下降率维持在85%以上,但污灌次数进一步增加,则土壤的吸持率下降.Cd的环境容量较小,增加投入会很快使土壤上层对其吸附达到饱和,吸附带随之下移,对地下水的安全构成威胁.     

森林土壤有机层生化特性及其对气候变化的响应研究进展

森林土壤有机层是指累积在土壤表面未分解到完全分解的有机残余物质,在全球碳循环中具有十分重要的作用和地位.目前有关森林土壤有机层的生态研究主要集中于土壤有机层的凋落物储量、水土保持功能、生物多样性保育功能及其生化特性等,而有关其对气候变化响应的研究报道还相当少见,且已有的研究主要关于土壤有机层的碳源/汇动态等,有关森林土壤有机层生化特性对气候变化响应的研究还相对较少,这与其在全球气候变化中的作用和地位是极不相称的.过去10a中,有关土壤有机层生化特性对气候变化响应的研究主要包括土壤有机层的微生物数量、微生物生物量、呼吸作用、有机物质分解动态(凋落物分解)、酶活性等对环境变化的响应等方面.进一步的控制实验研究被认为是相当重要的.参51     

不同林分类型土壤对铜的吸附及其影响因素

测定了浙江安吉6种林分类型(茶园、毛竹林、湿地松林、灌木林、落叶栎林、常绿苦槠-青冈混交林)、4个层次(0—10、10—20、20—40、40—60 cm)土壤对Cu2 的吸附量,并探求土壤有机质含量、CEC、pH值及颗粒组成与Cu2 吸附量之间的关系。结果表明,落叶栎林对Cu2 的吸附量最大,灌木林次之,茶林与常绿苦槠-青冈混交林居中,毛竹林与湿地松林吸附量最小;不同层次土壤对Cu2 的吸附量随土层深度增加而减少。土壤有机质含量和CEC是影响供试土壤Cu2 吸附量的主要因素。建立了土壤有机质含量和CEC与土壤Cu2 吸附量的关系模型。     

环境保护规划与武汉的城市生态建设

鉴于城市规划在环境保护方面的局限性，本文以武汉市九峰城市森林保护区环境保护规划为例，提出了环境保护规划的技术路线、环境规划目标以及结论等，指出了城市大气、水体、声、固体废物和生态环境综合整治规划，并探讨环境保护规划与武汉的城市生态建设。