Differential response of radial growth and δ^(13)C in Qinghai spruce(Picea crassifolia) to climate change on the southern and northern slopes of the Qilian Mountains in Northwest China

Tree radial growth can have significantly differ-ent responses to climate change depending on the environ-ment.To elucidate the effects of climate on radial growth and stable carbon isotope(δ^(13)C)fractionation of Qing-hai spruce(Picea crassifolia),a widely distributed native conifer in northwestern China in different environments,we developed chronologies for tree-ring widths and δ^(13)C in trees on the southern and northern slopes of the Qilian Mountains,and analysed the relationship between these tree-ring variables and major climatic factors.Tree-ring widths were strongly influenced by climatic factors early in the growing season,and the radial growth in trees on the northern slopes was more sensitive to climate than in trees on the southern.Tree-ring δ^(13)C was more sensitive to climate than radial growth.δ^(13)C fractionation was mainly influenced by summer temperature and precipitation early in the growing season.Stomatal conductance more strongly limited stable carbon isotope fractionation in tree rings than photosynthetic rate did.The response between tree rings and climate in mountains gradually weakened as climate warmed.Changes in radial growth and stable carbon isotope fractionation of P.crassifolia in response to climate in the Qilian Mountains may be further complicated by continued climate change.

Dieback of managed spruce stands in western Germany promotes beetle diversity

Biodiversity loss is a significant problem at a global scale and may be amplified by climate change.In recent years,coniferous forests have had substantial die-back across Europe due to drought and subsequent bark-beetle outbreaks.As many studies on the consequences of disturbance and subsequent management have focused on natural stands,management implications for managed spruce stands are not well understood,even though such stands are widespread throughout Europe.In this study,beetle taxonomy,conservation value,and community com-position are compared among spruce plantations and four post-disturbance management approaches:standing dead-wood,lying deadwood,clear cuts,and long-term succession.Diversity and community composition differed significantly among management categories,while different beetle fami-lies responded similarly.Intact spruce stands harbored the lowest beetle diversity while the highest taxonomic diver-sity and conservation value was on clear cuts and stands with lying or standing deadwood.The proportion of forest specialists was highest in successional forests.In summary,different forest management categories harbored distinct beetle communities at the family-,species-,and ecological guild levels.Therefore,post-disturbance management should consider the landscape scale and include different management types.This enhances landscape heterogeneity and thus overall biodiversity but could also mitigate negative impacts of natural disturbances on ecosystem services.

Application of Norway Spruce Leaf Extract in Oily Skin Care:A Mechanism and Clinical Study

Oily skin,a facial skin condition,appears shiny and greasy and is a source of common skin disorders such as acne vulgaris and seborrheic dermatitis.Moreover,oily skin can lead to depression,distress,and so on,which can be detrimental to social interactions.In this study,the effect of Norway spruce leaf extract(NSLE)on the management of oily skin was investigated both in vitro and in vivo,focusing on its sebum-controlling and anti-inflammatory properties.The in vitro results showed that the NSLE significantly reduced neutral lipids in linoleic acid(LA)-induced human SZ95 sebocytes in a dose-dependent manner(P<0.05).Additionally,the 2.5%NSLE was able to reduce the lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced elevation of nitric oxide(NO)levels in RAW264.7 cells(P<0.05).The human efficacy evaluation showed that the emulsion containing 2.5%NSLE had a significant sebum-controlling effect,the skin sebum content decreased by 29.3%after 7 days.Furthermore,the results also indicated a notable improvement in skin glossiness and lightness(P<0.05)after two weeks of application,compared to baseline.In conclusion,NSLE effectively enhances the skin health of oily skin by reducing sebum production and inhibiting inflammation.This study provided evidence for NSLE as a natural and effective ingredient in skincare products for individuals with oily skin.

美国Spruce Pine与新疆阿尔泰地区高纯石英伟晶岩的对比研究

对美国北卡罗来纳州Spruce Pine地区白岗岩/伟晶岩和新疆阿尔泰白云母花岗岩/伟晶岩进行了对比研究。这两个地区的伟晶岩可能是过铝质花岗岩浆通过熔体-蒸汽分异作用的产物。美国产高纯石英的伟晶岩发育在片岩、片麻岩的背景之上,主要造岩矿物中富含斜长石,Na大于K,大离子亲石元素Sr和Ba含量高,高场强元素和稀土元素含量低,Eu正异常,石英中杂质元素含量低。这些特征可作为高纯石英伟晶岩的判别标志。我国阿尔泰地区的伟晶岩脉十分发育,所研究的样品中,有些样品已经具有这些特点,阿尔泰伟晶岩区具有产高纯石英的成矿前景。

Lethal effects of pyrethrins on spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana)

Spruce budworm （Choristoneura fumiferana （Clemens）） is one of the most serious forest insect pests in North America. Laboratory bioassays were performed to determine the lethal doses and lethal time of pyrethrins （a botanical insecticide） on 4th instar larvae of spruce bud-worm using larval dip assay. Results show that the LT50 values（time of 50% larval mortality）for spruce budworm at the pyrethrins concentra-tions of 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 μg·L-1 were 94.78, 45.54, 20.36, 14.39 and 11.37 h, respectively. The percentage of cumulative mortality at the pyrethrins concentrations of 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200 μg·L-1 was approxi-mately 50%, 67%, 93%, 100% and 100% within 120 h, respectively. The LC50 value （concentration of 50% larval mortality） for the 4th instar lar-vae was 16.1μg·L-1. Thus, larval mortality of spruce budworm increased in a concentration-dependent manner, and lethal time decreased with increasing pyrethin concentrations. These findings suggest that pyrethrins have a potential in controlling spruce budworm populations.

Long-term landscape changes in a subalpine spruce-fir forest in central Utah, USA

Background： In Western North America, increasing wildfire and outbreaks of native bark beetles have been mediated by warming climate conditions. Bioclimatic models forecast the loss of key high elevation species throughout the region. This study uses retrospective vegetation and fire history data to reconstruct the drivers of past disturbance and environmental change. Understanding the relationship among climate, antecedent disturbances, and the legacy effects of settlement-era logging can help identify the patterns and processes that create landscapes susceptible to bark beetle epidemics. Methods： Our analysis uses data from lake sediment cores, stand inventories, and historical records. Sediment cores were dated with radiometric techniques （14C and 210pb/137Cs） and subsampled for pollen and charcoal to maximize the temporal resolution during the historical period （1800 CE to present） and to provide environmental baseline data （last 10,500 years）. Pollen data for spruce were calibrated to carbon biomass （C t/ha） using standard allometric equations and a transfer function. Charcoal samples were analyzed with statistical models to facilitate peak detection and determine fire recurrence intervals. Results： The Wasatch Plateau has been dominated by Engelmann spruce forests for the last ～10,500 years, with subalpine fir becoming more prominent since 6000 years ago. This landscape has experienced a dynamic fire regime, where burning events are more frequent and of higher magnitude during the last 3000 years. Two important disturbances have impacted Engelmann spruce in the historical period： 1） high-grade logging during the late 19th century; and （2） a high severity spruce beetle outbreak in the late 20th century that killed 〉90 % of mature spruce （〉10 cm dbh）. Conclusions： Our study shows that spruce-dominated forests in this region are resilient to a range of climate and disturbance regimes. Several lines of evidence suggest that 19th century logging promoted a legacy of simplified stand structure and composition such that, when climate became favorable for accelerated beetle population growth, the result was a landscape-scale spruce beetle outbreak. The lasting impacts of settlement-era landscape history from the Wasatch Plateau, UT may be relevant for other areas of western North America and Europe where sufficient host carrying capacity is important in managing for resistance and resilience to outbreaks.

牛角藓(Cratoneuron filicinum (Hedw.) Spruce)叶片形态特征的生态变异及其分类学意义

对200份牛角藓(Cratoneuron filicinum)标本的叶片长度、叶片宽度、中肋基部宽度、叶片中部细胞的宽度和长度、角部细胞的宽度和长度及叶片弯曲程度等特征进行线性回归分析。结果表明,在较低样本量时,来源于不同生境的牛角藓叶片各性状特征间的线性相关性不显著,来源于水生群落的牛角藓叶片各性状特征间的线性相关性显著。在样本量较大时,牛角藓叶片各性状特征间的线性关系相关性显著。说明牛角藓叶片的某些特征在自然选择压力下发生了变化,表现出较高的遗传多样性;这些特征虽然受环境影响而在形态上表现出变异,但总的趋势是相似的。

Soil Enzyme Activity Changes in Different-Aged Spruce Forests of the Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Activities of selected soil enzymes (invertase, acid phosphatase, proteinase,catalase, peroxidase and polyphenoloxi-dase) were determined under different spruce forests withrestoration histories of 5, 13, 18, 23, 27 years and an old growth forest over 400 years old in theeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China, and their possible use as indicators of ecosystems healthwere analyzed. Plots 10 X 10 m with 4 replications were established to investigate three hypotheses:soil enzyme activities a) would increase with the restoration process; b) would be greater insurface soils than at lower depths; and c) would be correlated to selected physicochemicalproperties. Results showed that as the forests developed after restoration, invertase and peroxidaseactivities usually increased up to the 23 year point. Also soil enzyme activities were associatedwith surface soils and decreased with depths, suggesting that in earlier restoration stages surfaceaddition of organic fertilizer to soils might be more effective than additions at depth. In the 0-20cm soil, there were significant correlations (P < 0.01 or < 0.05) between some soil enzymeactivities and some selected chemical properties. Therefore, temporal changes in enzyme activitiesshould be included as an indicator when evaluating sustainable forest management practices.

Changes of Soil Enzyme Activities in Different Restoration Ages of Spruce Forests on the Eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Six soil enzymes (invertase, acid phosphatase, proteinase, catalase,peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase) were chosen for investigation under different spruce forests withrestoration ages of 4, 10, 16 years and an old-growth spruce forest over 400 yearsold in the easternQinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Results showed that the activities of invertase, phosphatase,proteinase, catalase and peroxidase decreased in newly restored forests except forpholyphenoloxidase. With the development of forests after restoration, the activities of invertase,acid phosphadase, proteinase increased gradually. Our study also indicated that the soil enzymeactivities were associated with surface soils and decreased with depths. This result suggested thatin the earlier restoration stage the application of organic fertilizer may be more effective bysurface addition to soils than deep addition.

Alterations of Intracellular Ca^(2+) Concentration and Ultrastructure in Spruce Apical Bud Cells during Seasonal Transition

Potassium antimonite was used to localize Ca2+ in the apical bud cells of spruce from July 1999 to May 2000. During the period of active growth (July 14), Calcium precipitates, an indication of Ca2+ localization, were mainly distributed in vacuoles, intercellular spaces and cell walls. Few Ca2+ deposits localized in the cytosol and nucleus, showing a low level of the cytosolic and nuclear Ca2+ concentration in the warm summer. In August, some Ca2+ deposits appeared in the cytosol and nuclei, indicating that Ca2+ influx occurred in the cytosol and nucleus as the day length became shorter. From September to November, high levels of the cytosolic and nuclear Ca2+ remained. During the mid-winter (December and January), the distribution of Ca2+ deposits and the ultrastructures in the cells were altered dramatically. Plasmolysis occurred in many cells due to the protoplasmic dehydration. In addition plasmalemma invagination and nuclear chromatin aggregation also occurred. A large number of Ca2+ deposits appeared in the space between the plasmalemma and the cell wall. And also some Ca2+ deposits were distributed in the plastids. However, few Ca2+ deposits were observed in the cytosol and nuclei. By spring of the next year (May), when plants were de-acclimated and resumed active growth, Ca2+ subcellular localization essentially restored to that observed in July of the last year, i.e., the cells contained low cytosolic and nuclear Ca2+ concentrations; Ca2+ deposits were mainly distributed in the vacuoles, cell walls and intercellular spaces. The relationships between the seasonal changes of intracellular Ca2+ concentration and the development of dormancy/cold acclimation, as well as plasmolysis associated with dormancy and cold hardiness were discussed.

Incorporating shape constraints in generalized additive modelling of the height-diameter relationship for Norway spruce

Background： Measurements of tree heights and diameters are essential in forest assessment and modelling. Tree heights are used for estimating timber volume, site index and other important variables related to forest growth and yield, succession and carbon budget models. However, the diameter at breast height （dbh） can be more accurately obtained and at lower cost, than total tree height. Hence, generalized height-diameter （h-d） models that predict tree height from dbh, age and other covariates are needed. For a more flexible but biologically plausible estimation of covariate effects we use shape constrained generalized additive models as an extension of existing h-d model approaches. We use causal site parameters such as index of aridity to enhance the generality and causality of the models and to enable predictions under projected changeable climatic conditions. Methods： We develop unconstrained generalized additive models （GAM） and shape constrained generalized additive models （SCAM） for investigating the possible effects of tree-specific parameters such as tree age, relative diameter at breast height, and site-specific parameters such as index of aridity and sum of daily mean temperature during vegetation period, on the h-d relationship of forests in Lower Saxony, Germany. Results： Some of the derived effects, e.g. effects of age, index of aridity and sum of daily mean temperature have significantly non-linear pattern. The need for using SCAM results from the fact that some of the model effects show partially implausible patterns especially at the boundaries of data ranges. The derived model predicts monotonically increasing levels of tree height with increasing age and temperature sum and decreasing aridity and social rank of a tree within a stand, The definition of constraints leads only to marginal or minor decline in the model statistics like AIC An observed structured spatial trend in tree height is modelled via 2-dimensional surface fitting. Conclusions： We demonstrate that the SCAM approach allows optimal regression modelling flexibility similar to the standard GAM but with the additional possibility of defining specific constraints for the model effects. The longitudinal character of the model allows for tree height imputation for the current status of forests but also for future tree height prediction.

Drought can favour the growth of small in relation to tall trees in mature stands of Norway spruce and European beech

Background: Climate change triggered many studies showing that trends and events of environmental conditions can reduce but also accelerate growth at the stand and individual tree level. However, it is still rather unknown how climate change modifies the growth partitioning between the trees in forest stands.Methods: Based on long-term girth-tape measurements in mature monospecific and mixed-species stands of Norway spruce(Picea abies(L.) Karst.) and European beech(Fagus sylvatica L.) we traced the effect of the severe droughts in 2003 and 2015 from the stand down to the tree level.Results: Stand growth of Norway spruce decreased by about 30% in the once-in-a-century drought 2015, while European beech was much more drought resistant. Water availability generally amplified size-asymmetric growth partitioning. Especially in case of Norway spruce water availability primarily fostered the growth of predominant trees, whereas drought favoured the growth of small trees at the expense of the predominant ones. We could not detect significant differences between mixed and monospecific stands in this regard.Conclusions: The drought-induced reallocation of growth in favour of small trees in case of spruce may result from its isohydric character. We hypothesize that as small trees are shaded, they can benefit from the reduced water consumption of their sun-exposed taller neighbours. In case of beech, as an anisohydric species, tall trees suffer less and smaller trees benefit less under drought. The discussion elaborates the consequences of the water dependent growth allocation for forest monitoring, growth modelling, and silviculture.

Investigation of interactive effects of acid fog and ozone on spruce seedlings

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Tree-ring δ^(15)N of Qinghai spruce in the central Qilian Mountains of China:Is pre-treatment of wood samples necessary?

A knowledge of the tree-ring stable nitrogen isotope ratio(δ^(15)N)can deepen our understanding of forest ecosystem dynamics by indicating the long-term availability,cycling and sources of nitrogen(N).However,the radial mobility of N blurs the interannual variations in the long-term N records.Previous studies of the chemical extraction of tree rings before analysis had produced inconsistent results and it is still unclear whether it is necessary to pre-treat wood samples from specific tree species to remove soluble N compounds before determining theδ^(15)N values.We compared the effects of pre-treatment with organic solvents and hot ultrapure water on the N concentration andδ^(15)N of tree rings from endemic Qinghai spruce(Picea crassifolia)growing in the interior of the central Qilian Mountains,China,during the last 60 a.We assessed the effects of different preparation protocols on the removal of the labile N compounds and investigated the need to pre-treat wood samples before determining theδ^(15)N values of tree rings.Increasing trends of the tree-ring N concentration were consistently observed in both the extracted and unextracted wood samples.The total N removed by extraction with organic solvents was about 17.60%,with a significantly higher amount in the sapwood section(P<0.01).Theδ^(15)N values of tree rings decreased consistently from 1960 to 2019 in both the extracted and unextracted wood samples.Extraction with organic solvents increased theδ^(15)N values markedly by about 5.2‰and reduced the variations in theδ^(15)N series.However,extraction with hot ultrapure water had little effect,with only a slight decrease in theδ^(15)N values of about 0.5‰.Our results showed that the radial pattern in the inter-ring movement of N in Qinghai spruce was not minimized by extraction with either organic solvents or hot ultrapure water.It is unnecessary to conduct hot ultrapure water extraction for the wood samples from Qinghai spruce because of its negligible effect on the removal of the labile N.Theδ^(15)N variation trend of tree rings in the unextracted wood samples was not influenced by the heartwood-sapwood transition zone.We suggest that theδ^(15)N values of the unextracted wood samples of the climate-sensitive Qinghai spruce could be used to explore the ecophysiological dynamics while focusing on the long-term variations.

Longitudinal height-diameter curves for Norway spruce, Scots pine and silver birch in Norway based on shape constraint additive regression models

Background： Generalized height-diameter curves based on a re-parameterized version of the Korf function for Norway spruce （Piceo abies （L.） Karst.）, Scots pine （Pinus sylvestris L.） and silver birch （Betula pendula Roth） in Norwa are presented. The Norwegian National Forest Inventory （NFI） is used as data base for estimating the model parameters. The derived models are developed to enable spatially explicit and site sensitive tree height imputatio in forest inventories as well as future tree height predictions in growth and yield scenario simulations. Methods： Generalized additive mixed models （gamm） are employed to detect and quantify potentially non-linear effects of predictor variables. In doing so the quadratic mean diameter serves as longitudinal covariate since stand ag as measured in the NFI, shows only a weak correlation with a stands developmental status in Norwegian forests. Additionally the models can be locally calibrated by predicting random effects if measured height-diameter pairs are available. Based on the model selection of non-constraint models, shape constraint additive models （scare） were fit tc incorporate expert knowledge and intrinsic relationships by enforcing certain effect patterns like monotonicity. Results： Model comparisons demonstrate that the shape constraints lead to only marginal differences in statistical characteristics but ensure reasonable model predictions. Under constant constraints the developed models predict increasing tree heights with decreasing altitude, increasing soil depth and increasing competition pressure of a tree. / two-dimensional spatially structured effect of UTM-coordinates accounts for the potential effects of large scale spatial correlated covariates, which were not at our disposal. The main result of modelling the spatially structured effect is lower tree height prediction for coastal sites and with increasing latitude. The quadratic mean diameter affects both the level and the slope of the height-diameter curve and both effects are positive. Conclusions： In this investigation it is assumed that model effects in additive modelling of height-diameter curves which are unfeasible and too wiggly from an expert point of view are a result of quantitatively or qualitatively limited data bases. However, this problem can be regarded not to be specific to our investigation but more general since growth and yield data that are balanced over the whole data range with respect to all combinations of predictor variables are exceptional cases. Hence, scare may provide methodological improvements in several applications by combining the flexibility of additive models with expert knowledge.

Determining thresholds of low soil temperature for ecophysiological traits of black spruce and jack pine seedlings

Many studies have estimated approximately ranges of thresholds of low soil temperature in the growth and ecophysi-ological traits of trees, but difficultly determined the exact values. To resolve the problem, black spruce （Picea mariana） and jack pine （Pinus banksiana） seedlings were exposed to 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35℃ soil temperature in greenhouses. After 90 days of the treatment, net photosynthetic rate （A）, stomatal conductance （gs）, transpiration rate （E）, water use efficiency （WUE） and specific leaf area （SLA） were measured. This study showed that all the traits had an asymmetrical peak relationship with changing soil temperature, the relationship was well simulated using a cubic curvilinear model, and the exact thresholds could be derived from the second derivative of the model. The results revealed that the thresholds varied among ecophysiological traits and between tree species. In black spruce, the thresholds were 14.1, 14.7, 10.7, 14.4 and 16.2℃ forA, gs, E, WUE and SLA; 15.4, 10.4, 14.7, 16.9 and 10.5℃ for the corresponding traits in jack pine. The lowest thresholds of E in black spruce and gs in jack pine were an indicator representing the minimum requirement of soil temperature for the regular processes of ecophysiology. The highest thresholds of SLA in black spruce and WUE in jack pine suggest they are the most sensitive to decreasing soil temperature and may play an important role in the acclimation. The averaged thresholds were at 14.0 and 13.6℃ for black spruce and jack pine, suggesting that the sensitivity of both species to low soil temperature was quite close.

Biomass and net productivity for spruce plantation

The biomass of spruce (Picea koraiensis) plantation in the Suiling district of Heilongjiang Province was systematicly studied. Net productivities and their distribution biomass of the stem, bark, branch, leaf and root on the arborous layer of spruce plantation from 6 to 31 a were investigated and stem analyses using mean sample method. The regression equations for estimating the biomass of different organs of individual trees were set up. The result showed that the biomass of stand was 151 t/hm?2 and net productivity was 11～14 t/(hm2·a).

ARTIFICIAL REGENERATION OF KOREAN SPRUCE IN NORTHEAST CHINA

Korean spruce(Picea koraiensis Nakai)has been included as a Chinese regenerationspecies since the 1960’s.In the 1970’s it became one of the four most important species in thenortheast forest region of China. Korean spruce is a timber species with a wide range of adaptation,high survival rate,and few diseases or pests.Studies of 30—year trials show that the regeneration ofkorean spruce is successful and has a prospective future.

Crown Morphology of Norway Spruce from Usual Tree Measurements

The crown morphology of Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst) was studied from 617 sample trees. In order to model branch and crown descriptors the linear and nonlinear regression methods were extensively used. Results show that the branch length can be fairly well predicted from the distance to the apex of the tree and that the branch spread has a high correlation with the branch length and the insertion angle. Models have been set up to predict the crown ratio, height to the base of the living crown, height to the first living branch and the height to the first dead branch from the usual whole-tree measurements, namely diameter at breast height total height and total age.

Compressive failure of spruce wood rings reinforced with glass epoxy composite

We experimentally tested under radial compressive loads and statistically analyzed rings constructed from spruce wood and reinforced with glass fiber.We used the Weibull distribution in statistical analysis,and tested five types of rings including unreinforced and composite reinforced（CR） as wound around the ring,oriented as two layers at angles of 45°,60°,75° and 90° to the column axis.We calculated 95 % reliability of load carrying capacity of the rings by Weibull distribution.The highest load carrying capacity was obtained with CR rings at 60° to the axial axis of the ring.Load carrying capacities of rings at CR90,CR75,CR60 and CR45 were 137,192,215 and 126 %greater,respectively,than unreinforced rings.For unreinforced rings,failures resulted from catastrophic breaking of wood materials.None of the reinforced rings failed catastrophically because the outer surface of the rings was reinforced with glass–epoxy composite fiber.Cracks began at the core of the materials under the composite layer for all specimens and resulted in failure of the rings.