SIMULATION OF HERBICIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN STORMFLOW FROM FORESTED WATERSHEDS1

The breakpoint rainfall hydrology and pesticide options of the field scale model CREAMS (Chemicals, Runoff, and Erosion from Agricultural Management Systems) were used to predict average concentrations of hexazinone [3 cyclohexyl-6-(dimethyl-amino)-1-methyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione] in stormflow from four forested watersheds in the upper Piedmont region of Georgia. Predicted concentrations were compared with measured concentrations recorded over a 13-month period. CREAMS accurately predicted hexazinone concetrations in the initial stormflow events which also contained the highest concentrations. The model underestimated the hexazinone concentrations in stormflow two months and greater following pesticide application. In a companion study, the daily rainfall option of the CREAMS model was used to evaluate the reltive risk associated with the maximum expected concentration of hexazinone, bromacil (5-bromo-3 sec-butyl-6 methyuracil), picloram (4-amino-3,5,6 trichloropicolinic acid), dicamba (3,6-dichloro-0-anisic acid), and triclopyr {[(3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyl)oxy] acetic acid} in stormflow from small forested watersheds. The model predicted the following order of potential residue appearance in stormflow: bromacil>triclopyr>hexazinone>picloram>dicamba. Subsurface movement of residues via interflow and deep leaching losses are not simulated by the version of CREAMS used in these studies.     

Developing sinks for CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> through forestation of temperate coastal barriers: an environmental business

Since the 1940s, some sectors of the sand dune barriers of Buenos Aires Province have been forested to fix the sand in the neighborhoods of resort villages. Man took advantage of the maritime climate and the shallow groundwater to introduce pine forests. Today, these forests reach more than 20 m in height and have developed soils of more than 0.05 m in thickness on former arid sands. Field data were referred to Landsat (TM) composite and Normalized Difference of Vegetation Index, NDVI, images to calculate forest density and covered area. Considering published tables of wood density for each species, the amount of total carbon storage was estimated on 318 t C ha^-1 (Mg=10⁶ g) in biomass and 86 t C ha^-1 in soils. The three areas analyzed at Miramar, Necochea and Claromecó have captured 658,868 t of carbon in the last 50 years. It is estimated that 150,000,000 t C could be sequestered within temperate dune barriers of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. Besides this ecological point of view, there is an important socio-economic factor that cannot be excluded.Presented at and revised subsequent to the 4th LOICZ Open Science Meeting, Bahía Blanca, Argentina. October 1999.     

Air Pollution Effects on Forest Trees in Balikesir,Turkey

Air pollution has become an actual problem in Balikesir because of rapid urbanisation and increasing of the polluting sources. Air pollutionproblems occur under the unfavorable meteorological conditions which increase in frequency of occurrence in winter due to use of low quality lignite coals for heating. The `Protection of Air Quality' in Turkey dated 1986 is based on the human health criteria. But the critical limit values are lethal for the forest trees as far as SO₂ is concerned. The field observations showed that leaves of the trees have yellow spots indicating acid burns in Balikesir. This study aims at determining the relationships between the SO₂ concentrationsin the air under selected climatic conditions, and the effects of air pollution on forest trees in Balikesir. Samples of leaves were collected from the City Parks in Balikesir, Deirmenboaz forested area located 10 km far fromBalikesiron the Balikesir-Bursa highway, and from the forestation areas near the Balikesir-Edremit highway. Sulfur contents of the leaves were very high especially in the city (2650–5300 g m^-3).Samples from other areas had values lower than this range but above the usual values (850–3612 g m^-3). The diameter increments of the trees were found to be lower and these results clearly showed the adverse impacts. Negative correlations were found between these sulfur concentrations and the daily mean temperatures and wind speeds. Positive correlation was seen between these concentrations and pressures, humidities. Emission sources must be controlled in order to safeguard the forests which protects the soil, facilitate water production, assimilate carbon dioxide in air and produce oxygen. It must be considered that the problems are not only regional but have a global identity.     

On the Formal and Informal Estimates of Floristic Diversity: An Example of Pine Forests of the Southern Urals

Advantages of the informal assessment of biodiversity based on the phytosociological spectrum (the ratio of species associated with different higher units of ecological-floristic classification in the cenoflora) are demonstrated in a study of pine forests of the Southern Urals (classes Vaccinio-Piceetea, Brachypodio-Betuletea, and Querco-Fagetea). The phytosociological spectrum reflects environmental conditions better than formal estimations of , , and -diversity.     

A quantitative succession model for nine montana forest communities

A quantitative succession model was developed both to meet resource management needs in Montana's Lewis and Clark National Forest and to develop a modeling methodology. It builds upon previous concepts and incudes three new features: quantitative prediction of all tree species and seedlings; quantitative predictions of important understory species; and successional pathways determined by fire intensity and scorch height. The method is described and demonstrated for selected Montana habitat (community) types. It is also available in managerial guidelines and has been programmed as a new module in theforplan simulator. Weaknesses of this and other models are discussed. Conclusions relate succession modeling to resource management needs.     

Does Riparian Forest Restoration Thinning Enhance Biodiversity? The Ecological Importance of Large Wood

Intact riparian ecosystems are rich in biological diversity, but throughout the world, many have been degraded. Biodiversity declines, particularly of vertebrates, have led to experimental efforts to restore riparian forests by thinning young stands to accelerate creation of large diameter live trees. However, many vertebrates depend on large diameter deadwood that is standing as snags or fallen to the forest floor or fallen into streams. Therefore, we reviewed the sizes of deadwood and live trees used by different vertebrate species to understand which species are likely to benefit from different thinning treatments. We then examined how riparian thinning affects the long‐term development of both large diameter live trees and deadwood. To this end, we used a forest growth model to examine how different forest thinning intensities might affect the long‐term production and abundance of live trees and deadwood. Our results suggest that there are long‐term habitat tradeoffs associated with different thinning intensities. Species that utilize large diameter live trees will benefit most from heavy thinning, whereas species that utilize large diameter deadwood will benefit most from light or no thinning. Because far more vertebrate species utilize large deadwood rather than large live trees, allowing riparian forests to naturally develop may result in the most rapid and sustained development of structural features important to most terrestrial and aquatic vertebrates.     

Dissolved organic sulfur in streams draining forested catchments in southern China

Dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) is an important fraction for sulfur mobilization in ecosystem. In this work stream waters were sampled in 25 forested sites in southern China to study the dissolved sulfur fractions. Dissolved sulfur was fractionated into dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) and inorganic sulfate (SO₄^2-) for 95 stream water samples. The results showed that the concentration of DOS ranged from 0 to 13.1 mg/L (average 1.3 mg/L) in all the streams. High concentrations of DOS in stream waters were found in the sites with high concentrations of sulfate. DOS constituted less than 60.1% of dissolved sulfur (average 17.9%). Statistical analysis showed that DOS concentration was correlated with SO₄^2- in streams waters and total sulfur in surface layer soils. The results also showed that DOS concentration in stream waters had a seasonal variation, but no trends were found with it. The implication was that the long term sulfur deposition had led the increase of the concentration and fraction of DOS in stream waters in acid rain prevailing regions     

Floristic contamination of suburban forests near the city of Ivanovo

In the course of floristic studies in suburban forests near the city of Ivanovo, 206 species of vascular plants have been recorded, including 39 invasive species (18.9%). Information on specific features of distribution and activity of introduced species growing feral and accidental weeds in different forest types is presented. The most aggressive species are distinguished. Factors responsible for the invasion of alien species to forest cenoses and main tendencies in their dynamics are discussed.     

Urban wild meat consumption and trade in central Amazonia

The switch from hunting wild meat for home consumption to supplying more lucrative city markets in Amazonia can adversely affect some game species. Despite this, information on the amounts of wild meat eaten in Amazonian cities is still limited. We estimated wild meat consumption rates in 5 cities in the State of Amazonas in Brazil through 1046 door-to-door household interviews conducted from 2004 to 2012. With these data, we modeled the relationship between wild meat use and a selection of socioeconomic indices. We then scaled up our model to determine the amounts of wild meat likely to be consumed annually in the 62 urban centers in central Amazonia. A total of 80.3% of all interviewees reported consuming wild meat during an average of 29.3 (CI 11.6) days per year. Most wild meat was reported as bought in local markets (80.1%) or hunted by a family member (14.9%). Twenty-one taxa were cited as consumed, mostly mammals (71.6%), followed by reptiles (23.2%) and then birds (5.2%). The declared frequency of wild meat consumption was positively correlated with the proportion of rural population as well as with the per capita gross domestic product of the municipality (administrative divisions) where the cities were seated. We estimated that as much as 10,691 t of wild meat might be consumed annually in the 62 urban centers within central Amazonia, the equivalent of 6.49 kg per person per year. In monetary terms, this amounts to US$21.72 per person per year or US$35.1 million overall, the latter figure is comparable to fish and timber production in the region. Given this magnitude of wild meat trade in central Amazonia, it is fundamental to integrate this activity into the formal economy and actively develop policies that allow the trade of more resilient taxa and restrict trade in species sensitive to hunting.