Dendroclimatological study of Sabina saltuaria and Abies faxoniana in the mixed forests of the Qionglai Mountains,eastern Tibetan Plateau

Tree-ring chronologies were developed for Sabina saltuaria and Abies faxoniana in mixed forests in the Qionglai Mountains of the eastern Tibetan Plateau.Climate-growth relationship analysis indicated that the two co-exist-ing species reponded similarly to climate factors,although S.saltuaria was more sensitive than A.faxoniana.The strong-est correlation was between S.saltuaria chronology and regional mean temperatures from June to November.Based on this relationship,a regional mean temperature from June to November for the period 1605-2016 was constructed.Reconstruction explained 37.3%of the temperature variance during th period 1961-2016.Six major warm periods and five major cold periods were identified.Spectral analysis detected significant interannual and multi-decadal cycles.Reconstruction also revealed the influence of the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation,confirming its importance on climate change on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Prediction of tree crown width in natural mixed forests using deep learning algorithm

Crown width(CW)is one of the most important tree metrics,but obtaining CW data is laborious and timeconsuming,particularly in natural forests.The Deep Learning(DL)algorithm has been proposed as an alternative to traditional regression,but its performance in predicting CW in natural mixed forests is unclear.The aims of this study were to develop DL models for predicting tree CW of natural spruce-fir-broadleaf mixed forests in northeastern China,to analyse the contribution of tree size,tree species,site quality,stand structure,and competition to tree CW prediction,and to compare DL models with nonlinear mixed effects(NLME)models for their reliability.An amount of total 10,086 individual trees in 192 subplots were employed in this study.The results indicated that all deep neural network(DNN)models were free of overfitting and statistically stable within 10-fold cross-validation,and the best DNN model could explain 69%of the CW variation with no significant heteroskedasticity.In addition to diameter at breast height,stand structure,tree species,and competition showed significant effects on CW.The NLME model(R^(2)=0.63)outperformed the DNN model(R^(2)=0.54)in predicting CW when the six input variables were consistent,but the results were the opposite when the DNN model(R^(2)=0.69)included all 22 input variables.These results demonstrated the great potential of DL in tree CW prediction.

Responses of soil Collembolans to vegetation restoration in temperate coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests

A total of 900 soil samples were collected from five habitats,including primary coniferous broad-leaved mixed forests,secondary coniferous broad-leaved mixed forests,secondary broad-leaved forests,secondary shrub forests,and cutover lands in spring,summer,and autumn to quantify responses of soil Collembolans(springtails)to the restoration of vegetation of temperate coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests.The results reveal that the taxonomic composition of Collembolans varied in the different stages of vegetation restoration.Seasonal variations were in regard to their abundance and richness.High similarities existed in Collembola communities at different stages of vegetation restoration,and distribution patterns of Collembola taxa displayed an evenness throughout all habitats.Soil Collembolans tended to gather on litter layers and soil surface;the highest abundance was found in the upper 5 cm soil layer during the initial stages of vegetation recovery.Tomocerus,Proisotoma,and Folsomia genera responded positively to the restoration of vegetation.However,responses of Ceratophysella and Parisotoma genera were negative.In addition,the Onychiuridae family did not respond to the vegetation restoration process.It was concluded that restoration of vegetative cover can increase the abundance of soil Collembolans,but different genera respond differently.

Can a multistage approach improve individual tree mortality predictions across the complex mixed-species and managed forests of eastern North America?

Tree mortality plays a fundamental role in the dynamics of forest ecosystems,yet it is one of the most difficult phenomena to accurately predict.Various modeling strategies have been developed to improve individual tree mortality predictions.One less explored strategy is the use of a multistage modeling approach.Potential improvements from this approach have remained largely unknown.In this study,we developed a novel multistage approach and compared its performance in individual tree mortality predictions with a more conventional approach using an identical individual tree mortality model formulation.Extensive permanent plot data(n=9442)covering the Acadian Region of North America and over multiple decades(1965–2014)were used in this study.Our results indicated that the model behavior with the multistage approach better depicted the observed mortality and showed a notable improvement over the conventional approach.The difference between the observed and predicted numbers of dead trees using the multistage approach was much smaller when compared with the conventional approach.In addition,tree survival probabilities predicted by the multistage approach generally were not significantly different from the observations,whereas the conventional approach consistently underestimated mortality across species and overestimated tree survival probabilities over the large range of DBH in the data.The new multistage approach also predictions of zero mortality in individual plots,a result not possible in conventional models.Finally,the new approach was more tolerant of modeling errors because it based estimates on ranked tree mortality rather than error-prone predicted values.Overall,this new multistage approach deserves to be considered and tested in future studies.

A novel model to evaluate spatial structure in thinned conifer-broadleaved mixed natural forests

In order to ensure the effective analysis and reconstruction of forests,it is key to ensure the quantitative description of their spatial structure.In this paper,a distance model for the optimal stand spatial structure based on weighted Voronoi diagrams is proposed.In particular,we provide a novel methodological model for the comprehensive evaluation of the spatial structure of forest stands in natural mixed conifer-broadleaved forests and the formulation of management decision plans.The applicability of the rank evaluation and the optimal solution distance model are compared and assessed for different standard sample plots of natural mixed conifer-broadleaved forests.The effect of crown width on the spatial structure unit of the trees is observed to be higher than that of the diameter at breast height.Moreover,the influence of crown length is greater than that of tree height.There are nine possible spatial structure units determined by the weighted Voronoi diagram for the number of neighboring trees in the central tree,with an average intersection of neighboring crowns reaching 80%.The rank rating of natural forest sample plots is correlated with the optimal solution distance model,and their results are generally consistent for natural forests.However,the rank rating is not able to provide a quantitative assessment.The optimal solution distance model is observed to be more comprehensive than traditional methods for the evaluation of the spatial structure of forest stands.It can effectively reflect the trends in realistic stand spatial structure factors close to or far from the ideal structure point,and accurately assesses the forest spatial structure.The proposed optimal solution distance model improves the integrated evaluation of the spatial structure of forest stands and provides solid theoretical and technical support for sustainable forest management.

Effect of thinning intensity on understory herbaceous diversity and biomass in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests of Changbai Mountain

Background:Herbs are an important part of the forest ecosystem,and their diversity and biomass can reflect the restoration of vegetation after forest thinning disturbances.Based on the near-mature secondary coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in Jilin Province Forestry Experimental Zone,this study analyzed seasonal changes of species diversity and biomass of the understory herb layer after different intensities of thinning.Results:The results showed that although the composition of herbaceous species and the ranking of importance values were affected by thinning intensity,they were mainly determined by seasonal changes.Across the entire growing season,the species with the highest importance values in thinning treatments included Carex pilosa,Aegopodium alpestre,Meehania urticifolia,and Filipendula palmata,which dominated the herb layer of the coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest.The number of species,Margalef index,Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson index all had their highest values in May,and gradually decreased with months.Pielou index was roughly inverted“N”throughout the growing season.Thinning did not increase the species diversity.Thinning can promote the total biomass,above-and below-ground biomass.The number of plants per unit area and coverage were related to the total biomass,above-and below-ground biomass.The average height had a significantly positive correlation with herb biomass in May but not in July.However,it exerted a significantly negative correlation with herb biomass in September.The biomass in the same month increased with increasing thinning intensity.Total herb biomass,above-and below-ground biomass showed positive correlations with Shannon-Winner index,Simpson index and Pielou evenness index in May.Conclusions:Thinning mainly changed the light environment in the forest,which would improve the plant diversity and biomass of herb layer in a short time.And different thinning intensity had different effects on the diversity of understory herb layer.The findings provide theoretical basis and reference for reasonable thinning and tending in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests.

Competitive effect, but not competitive response, varies along a climatic gradient depending on tree species identity

Background: Understanding the role of species identity in interactions among individuals is crucial for assessing the productivity and stability of mixed forests over time. However, there is limited knowledge concerning the variation in competitive effect and response of different species along climatic gradients. In this study, we investigated the importance of climate, tree size, and competition on the growth of three tree species: spruce(Picea abies), fir(Abies alba), and beech(Fagus sylvatica), and examined their competitive response and effect along a climatic gradient.Methods: We selected 39 plots distributed across the European mountains with records of the position and growth of 5,759 individuals. For each target species, models relating tree growth to tree size, climate and competition were proposed. Competition was modelled using a neighbourhood competition index that considered the effects of inter-and intraspecific competition on target trees. Competitive responses and effects were related to climate.Likelihood methods and information theory were used to select the best model.Results: Our findings revealed that competition had a greater impact on target species growth than tree size or climate. Climate did influence the competitive effects of neighbouring species, but it did not affect the target species? response to competition. The strength of competitive effects varied along the gradient, contingent on the identity of the interacting species. When the target species exhibited an intermediate competitive effect relative to neighbouring species, both higher inter-than intraspecific competitive effects and competition reduction occurred along the gradient. Notably, species competitive effects were most pronounced when the target species' growth was at its peak and weakest when growing conditions were far from their maximum.Conclusions: Climate modulates the effects of competition from neighbouring trees on the target tree and not the susceptibility of the target tree to competition. The modelling approach should be useful in future research to expand our knowledge of how competition modulates forest communities across environmental gradients.

Modelling tree mortality across diameter classes using mixedeffects zero-inflated models

The mortality of trees across diameter class model is a useful tool for predicting changes in stand structure.Mortality data commonly contain a large fraction of zeros and general discrete models thus show more errors.Based on the traditional Poisson model and the negative binomial model,different forms of zero-inflated and hurdle models were applied to spruce-fir mixed forests data to simulate the number of dead trees.By comparing the residuals and Vuong test statistics,the zero-inflated negative binomial model performed best.A random effect was added to improve the model accuracy;however,the mixed-effects zero-inflated model did not show increased advantages.According to the model principle,the zeroinflated negative binomial model was the most suitable,indicating that the"0"events in this study,mainly from the sample"0",i.e.,the zero mortality data,are largely due to the limitations of the experimental design and sample selection.These results also show that the number of dead trees in the diameter class is positively correlated with the number of trees in that class and the mean stand diameter,and inversely related to class size,and slope and aspect of the site.

Forest structure and carbon dynamics of an intact lowland mixed dipterocarp forest in Brunei Darussalam

Tropical forests play a critical role in mitigating climate change because they account for large amount o terrestrial carbon storage and productivity.However,there are many uncertainties associated with the estimation o carbon dynamics.We estimated forest structure and carbon dynamics along a slope（17.3°–42.8°）and to assess the relations between forest structures,carbon dynamics,and slopes in an intact lowland mixed dipterocarp forest,in Kuala Belalong,Brunei Darussalam.Living biomass,basa area,stand density,crown properties,and tree family composition were measured for forest structure.Growth rate,litter production,and litter decomposition rates were also measured for carbon dynamics.The crown form index and the crown position index were used to assess crown properties,which we categorized into five stages,from very poor to perfect.The living biomass,basal area and stand density were 261.5–940.7 Mg ha-1,43.6–63.6 m2ha-1and 6,675–8400 tree ha-1,respectively.The average crown form and position index were 4,which means that the crown are mostly symmetrical and sufficiently exposed for photosynthesis.The mean biomass growth rate,litter production,litter decomposition rate were estimated as11.9,11.6 Mg ha-1a-1,and 7.2 g a-1,respectively.Biomass growth rate was significantly correlated with living biomass,basal area,and crown form.Crown form appeared to strongly influence living biomass,basal area and biomass growth rate in terms of light acquisition.However,basal area,stand density,crown properties,and biomass growth rate did not vary by slope or tree family composition.The results indicate that carbon accumulation by tree growth in an intact lowland mixed dipterocarp forest depends on crown properties.Absence of any effect of tree family composition on carbon accumulation suggests that the main driver of biomass accumulation in old-growth forests of Borneo is not species-specific characteristics of tree species.

Nutrient cycling characteristics of Quercus acutisima and Pinus massoniana mixed forest in the Three Gorge Reservoir area, China

The cycling characteristics of nitrogen(N), phosphorus(P) and potassium(K) of the Quercus acutissima and Pinus massoniana mixed forest which is the most common forest type in the Three Gorge Reservoir areas in China, were systematically analyzed. The results showed that N, P and K accumulated in the plant pool and in the litter pool, while total N, P, and K were deficient in the soil pool and in the forest systems. Contents of N in the soil of depth 20—40 cm were the key factor limiting growth of trees. The biological outside cycling coefficients were 878, 725 and 117 times of inside cycling coefficients of N, P and K, respectively. 3392, 1026 and 1588 kg of N, P and K return to the litter pool from branches, leaves and throughfall per year, but, 1431, 132 and 1048 kg of N, P and K return to the soil from litter pool per year respectively. It is clear that 58% of N, 87% of P, and 34% of K are lost by surface runoff per year. 549%, 130%, and 834% of N, P and K withdraw from leaves to branches, 499%, 199% and 730% of N, P and K withdraw from branches to trunks per year, respectively.

Dynamics of nitrogen nutrition of coexisting dominant trees in mixed broad-leaved/Korean pine forest

Chemical analysis of ammonium, nitrate and total nitrogen in tree leaves and roots and anin-vivo bioassay for nitrate reductase activity (NRA) were used to monitor the seasonal variations in nitrogen assimilation among four coexisting dominant tree species, includingPinus koraiensis, Tilia amurensis, Fraxinus mandshurica andAcer mono, in a virgin mixed broad-leaved/Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forest. The soil study included individual horizons of L+F (0–5 cm), Ah (5–11 cm) and Aw (11–25 cm). All four species had nitrate and ammonium in their roots and leaves, and also NRA in leaves. This indicated that these coexisting species were adapted to ammonium + nitrate nutrition. A negative correlation existed between nitrate use and ammonium use. Ammonium concentration was higher than that of nitrate in tree leaves and roots, and also in soils, which indicated climax woody species had a relative preference for ammonium nutrition. There was a positive relationship between tree nitrogen nutrition use and soil nitrogen nutrient supply. Utilization of ammonium and nitrate as well as the seasonal patterns differed significantly between the species. Peaks of ammonium, nitrate, NRA and total nitrogen in one species were therefore not necessarily synchronous with peaks in other species, and which indicated a species-specific seasonal use of nitrogen. The species-specific temporal differentiation in nitrogen use might reduce the competition between co-existing species and may be an important mechanism promoting stability of virgin mixed broad-leaved//Korean pine forest.

Floristic Composition, Structure and Soil Properties of Mixed Deciduous Forest and Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest: Case Study in Madan Watershed, Myanmar

Patterns of woody regeneration in terms of species composition and diversity were studied in mixed deciduous forest (MDF) and deciduous dipterocarp forest (DDF) in Minbyin reserved forest of Lewe Township. A total of 57 plant species of MDF belonging to 28 families and 342 individuals and 25 plant species of DDF consist of 15 families and 285 individuals were identified. Plant species diversity was quantitatively higher in the MDF (H' = 3.68) compared to the DDF (H' = 2.39). Tectona grandis showed the highest density (30), dominance (4.40 m2) and IVI (27.01) of MDF and Dipterocarpus tuberculatus also composed the highest density (109), dominance (9.02 m2) and IVI (81.87) in DDF. The smallest diameter class (10 - 20 cm) comprised with 29 species, 103 individuals in MDF and 18 species, 85 individuals in DDF. The size class distribution displayed a reverse J-shaped pattern. The largest numbers of species were concentrated in the smallest height class in both investigated forests because of height and diameter distribution is closely related. The total densities of seedlings and saplings were 1219 and 531 ha-1 in MDF and 988 and 444 ha-1 in DDF respectively. Although soil texture of (40 - 50 cm) and (90 - 100 cm) were sandy clay loam in mixed deciduous forest, the other layers of both investigated forests were sandy loam.

NITROGEN NUTRIENT MECHANISM IN SECONDARY SUCCESSION PROCESS OF THE MIXED BROAD-LEAVED/ KOREAN PINE (PINUS KORAIENSIS) FOREST

Chemical and biochemical analysis methods were used to monitor the vedations of nitrogen nutrient among the dominance trees species in secondary succession process of the mixed broad - leaved/Korean pine forest on Changbai Mountains, Northeast China. Amounts of total nitrogen, anunonium and NRA in soils of virgin broad-leaved/Korean pine forest which is in climax were higher than those of secondary birch forests those are in succession Stage. The amount of nitrate was in the other hand. In climax, dominance trees species are tolerant mesophytic trees such as Pinus Koraiensis, Tilia amurensis, Acer mono and also Fraxinus mandshurica, they are all ammonium + nitrate adapted species, but they show a preference for the anunonium rather than those of the pioneer trees species in secondary birch forest, such as Populus davidiava and Betula platyphylla. Because they have more ammonium in their leaves and roots, especially Pinus koraiensis. Populus davidvana and Betula plaaphlla are intolerant trees, amounts of nitrate and total nitrogen is higher in their leaves and roots and also NRA in their leaves, so they preference for the nitrate rather than the others.In secondary birch forest, the regeneration trees species adapt their nitroggn nutrient to the variation of nitrogen nutrient situation in soil, finally they could survival well and the secondary birch forest would succession to climax. In climax, dominance trees species adapt their Nitrogen nutrient to the situation in soil and there are not strong competition in nitrogen nutrient among them, so they can coexist well and keep the climax as stable vegetation.

Dominance-caused differences in transpiration of trees in a Karst broadleaved mixed forest

Estimating stand transpiration of natural forests using traditional methods through up-scaling of sap fl ux density from sample trees based on stand sapwood area only is diffi cult because of the complexity of species,ages,and hierarchical structure of natural forests.To improve stand transpiration estimation,we developed an up-scaling method by considering the tree dominance eff ect based on the assumption that individual tree transpiration is aff ected by crown dominance and species,in addition to factors previously considered such as meteorological conditions,sapwood area,and soil moisture.In this study,the meteorological factors,soil moisture,and sap fl ux density of 15 sample trees of diff erent species and dominance in a natural evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest were simultaneously monitored from March 2012 to February 2014 in the Karst mountain region in southwestern China.After establishing a single tree transpiration model which considers the eff ects of dominance and species,an up-scaling method was explored to estimate stand transpiration.The results show that the transpiration intensity increased exponentially with increasing tree dominance.The contribution to annual stand transpiration from a few dominant trees(5.4%of trees, 28.2% of basal area) was up to 65.0%. The correspondingcontribution was 16.2% from sub-dominant trees(7.6% of trees, 16.2% of basal area) and 22.8% from middleandlower-layer trees (87.0% of trees, 55.6% of basal area).The variation of individual tree transpiration was mainly(97.9%) explained by tree dominance, but very weakly bytree species. The estimated annual stand transpiration was300.2 mm when using the newly developed method whichconsiders tree dominance, 52.5 mm (14.9%) lower than theestimation (352.7 mm) of traditional method which considersonly the sapwood area eff ect, and 8.5 mm (2.7%) lowerthan the estimation (308.6 mm) which considers the eff ectsof both species composition and sapwood area. The maintree characteristics aff ecting stand transpiration are tree size(sapwood area) and dominance. Consideration of tree dominancewill signifi cantly improve stand transpiration estimationand provide a more solid basis for guiding integratedforest-water management at stand scale.

Species composition and minimum sampling area of a riparian mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve

Riparian areas are unique although often small component of the overall watershed landscape. The structure of riparian forests along Erdaobai River on the north slope of Changbai Mountain were investigated by using field data collected from eight sampling transects perpendicular to the Erdaobai River channel. Two kinds of species-area saturation curves were used to examine the relationship between species number and minimum sampling area. The results showed that riparian gymnosperms accounted for a high proportion of all gymnosperms in the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve while riparian ferns and angiosperms accounted for a relatively low proportion. The average minimum sampling areas of riparian forest that included 60%, 80%, and 90% of the community species pool were about 85, 185, and 328 m 2 , respectively; while those for nonriparian forest were about 275, 390, and 514 m 2 , correspondingly.

田林老山中山两类森林凋落物研究

田林老山中山两类森林凋落物研究梁宏温（广西农学院林学分院，南宁５３０００１）ＳｔｕｄｉｅｓｏｎｔｈｅＬｉｔｔｅｒｆａｌｌｏｆＴｗｏＦｏｒｅｓｔＴｙｐｃｓｉｎＭｉｄ—ＡｌｔｉｔｕｄｅｏｆＬａｏｓｈａｎＭｏｕｎｔａｉｎｉｎＴｉａｎｌｉｎＣｏｕｎｔｙ．￥Ｌ...

Height-to-diameter ratios with temporal and dendro/morphometric variables for Brazilian pine in south Brazil

Height-to-diameter ratios(HD)are an important measure of the stability,density and competition of forest stands.It refl ects the vertical growth of the trees,the vulnerability of the forest canopy structure and infl uences volumetric production.HD ratios vary according to tree size,availability of resources for growth,stand density and species composition.Data were taken from 210 trees and a regression technique of generalized linear models for the HD ratio applicable for forest structure conservation was developed.The objective of this study was to model the HD ratios of dominant and co-dominant trees of Araucaria angustifolia according to morphometric,dendrometric,annual diameter increment,stand density,and age variables in three sites in southern Brazil.The results show that the HD ratio decreases with increasing age,crown area and basal area,and increases with stand density and annual diameter increment.Accuracy of the developed equations was demonstrated by the values of deviation,Bayesian and Akaike criteria.The results are of interest to forest managers since they make decisions about silvicultural operations.Growth continuity and forest production indicate that any intervention should be directed at younger trees of smaller sizes,and that one of the main management factors for stand stability and growth is the formation of the stand and its capture of light.

Integrating potential distribution of dominant vegetation and land use into ecological restoration in the Yellow River Basin,China

Due to the influence of human activities such as cultivation and urban construction,the ecosystem of the Yellow River Basin(YRB)is subjected to increased vulnerability and even potential risk of destruction.Ecological restoration has led to an increase in vegetation,but excessive afforestation conversely results in low survival rate of trees,water shortages,and biodiversity loss.It is of great significance for achieving sustainable development of forests to reasonable revegetation in the region.At present,the potential distribution pattern of dominant species and their mixed forms in the basin has not been effectively studied.This study simulated the potential distribution of dominant vegetation in the YRB based on Maximum Entropy(Max Ent)and Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Prediction(GARP)and explored the impact of human interference on it by employing land use as the environmental filter to distinguish the regions of human activities.We further predicted the potential distribution of typically mixed forests and discussed their human interference.The main results are as follows:(1)Except for Caragana korshinskii,all models had good above performance(0.7<the mean AUC<1).Except for Caragana korshinskii,the area under the curve(AUC)for 90%of the models indicated that Max Ent performed better than GARP,and Max Ent easily lead to over-fitting while GARP predicted a wider range.(2)Except for Nitraria tangutorum,the dominant types of vegetation such as Pinus tabulaeformis,Platycladus orientalis,and Hippophae rhamnoides mainly distributed in southern Gansu,Shaanxi,and south-central Shanxi.Among them,the largest suitable area of Artemisia gmelinii and Stipa bungeana(High suitable area)were approximately 56.7×104 km2(38.8%)and 54.7×104 km2(28.5%)with the area occupied by large-scale cultivation being 17.5×104 km2(39.4%)and 18.9×104 km2(48%),respectively,which indicated human activities caused great damage to the core growth regions of these vegetation.(3)Mean temperature of coldest quarter or month mainly constrained the growth of most vegetation in the YRB in terms of temperature,while precipitation of wettest/driest month is one of the dominant factors.However,some vegetation responded differently to other meteorological factors due to niche differences.(4)Most of the mixed forests were distributed in southern Gansu,Shaanxi,and Shanxi provinces;its middle and high suitable areas were mainly concentrated in Shaanxi and southern and central Shanxi,where the cultivated land had occupied most of them.Therefore,the results showed that the restoration of herbaceous vegetation such as Artemisia gmelinii and Stipa bungeana has a high potential and it is appropriate that the measures for afforestation should be concentrated in the areas like the lower reaches of the Weihe,Jinghe,and Beiluo rivers and Luliang Mountain,where the cultivated land overlaps with the high suitable areas of the corresponding vegetation and the mixed forests with less water consumption and wide distribution,such as Caragana korshinskii-Hippophae rhamnoides,Pinus tabulaeformis-Quercus liaotungensis,and Ostryopsis davidiana-Stipa bungeana-Hippophae rhamnoides.The results of this study can provide effective guidance for mixed forest plantations and vegetation conservation in the YRB.

Effect of species composition on ecosystem services in European boreal forest

Forest management in several boreal countries is strongly focused on conifers because they are more productive,the technical quality of their stems is better,and their wood fibers are longer as compared to broadleaves.Favoring conifers in forest management leads to simple forest structures with low resilience and diversity.Such forests are risky in the face of climate change and fluctuating timber prices.Climate change increases the vitality of many forest pests and pathogens such as Heterobasidion spp.and Ips typographus L.which attack mainly spruce.Wind damages are also increasing because of a shorter period of frozen soil to provide a firm anchorage against storms.Wind-thrown trees serve as starting points for bark beetle outbreaks.Increasing the proportion of broadleaved species might alleviate some of these problems.This study predicts the long-term(150 years) consequences of current conifer-oriented forest management in two forest areas,and compared this management with silvicultural strategies that promote mixed forests and broadleaved species.The results show that,in the absence of damages,conifer-oriented forestry would lead to 5–10% higher timber yields and carbon sequestration.The somewhat lower carbon sequestration of broadleaved forests was counteracted by their higher albedo(reflectance).Mixed and broadleafforests were better providers of recreational amenities.Species diversity was much higher in mixed stand and broadleaf-oriented silviculture at stand and forest levels.The analysis indicates that conifer-oriented forest management produces rather small and uncertain economic benefits at a high cost in resilience and diversity.

Community Dynamics of Seed Rain in Mixed Evergreen Broad-leaved and Deciduous Forests in a Subtropical Mountain of Central China

Seed dispersal is a key process within community dynamics. The spatial and temporal variations of seed dispersal and the interspecific differences are crucial for understanding species coexistence and community dynamics. This might also hold for the mixed evergreen broadleaved and deciduous forests in the mountains of subtropical China, but until now little existing knowledge is available for this question. In 2001, we chose to monitor the seed rain process of our mixed evergreen broad-leaved and deciduous forest communities in Mount Dalaoling National Forest Park, Yichang, Hubei Province, China. The preliminary analyses show obvious variations in seed rain density, species compositions and timing of seed rain among four communities. The average seed rain densities of the four communities are 2.43 ± 5.15, 54.13 ±182.75, 10.05 ±19.30 and 24.91 ± 58.86 inds/m^2, respectively; about one tenth the values in other studies in subtropical forests of China. in each community, the seed production is dominated by a limited number of species, and the contributions from the others are generally minor. Fecundity of evergreen broadleaved tree species is weaker than deciduous species. The seed rain of four communities begins earlier than September, and stops before December, peaking from early September to late October. The beginning date, ending date and peak times of seed rain are extensively varied among the species, indicating different types of dispersal strategies. According to the existing data, the timing of seed rain is not determined by the climate conditions in the same period, while the density of seed rain may be affected by the disturbances of weather variations at a finer temporal resolution.