Mercury in leaf litter in typical suburban and urban broadleaf forests in China

To study the role of leaf litter in the mercury （Hg） cycle in suburban broadleaf forests and the distribution of Hg in urban forests, we collected leaf litter and soil from suburban evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests and from urban forests in Beijing. The Hg concentrations in leaf litter from the suburban forests varied from 8.3 to 205.0 ng/g, with an average （avg） of （49.7 ± 36.9） ng/g. The average Hg concentration in evergreen broadleaf forest leaf litter （50.8 ± 39.4） ng/g was higher than that in deciduous broadleaf forest leaf litter （25.8 ± 10.1） ng/g. The estimated Hg fluxes of leaf litter in suburban evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests were 179.0 and 83.7 mg/（ha·yr）, respectively. The Hg concentration in organic horizons （O horizons） （（263.1 ± 237.2） ng/g） was higher than that in eluvial horizons （A horizons） （（83.9 ± 52.0） ng/g）. These results indicated that leaf litterfall plays an important role in transporting atmospheric mercury to soil in suburban forests. For urban forests in Beijing, the Hg concentrations in leaf litter ranged from 8.8–119.0 （avg 28.1 ± 16.6） ng/g, with higher concentrations at urban sites than at suburban sites for each tree. The Hg concentrations in surface soil in Beijing were 32.0–25300.0 ng/g and increased from suburban sites to urban sites, with the highest value from Jingshan （JS） Park at the centre of Beijing. Therefore, the distribution of Hg in Beijing urban forests appeared to be strongly influenced by anthropogenic activities.

Spectral vegetation indices as the indicator of canopy photosynthetic productivity in a deciduous broadleaf forest

Aims Understanding of the ecophysiological dynamics of forest canopy photosynthesis and its spatial and temporal scaling is crucial for revealing ecological response to climate change.Combined observations and analyses of plant ecophysiology and optical remote sensing would enable us to achieve these studies.In order to examine the utility of spectral vegetation indices(VIs)for assessing ecosystem-level photosynthesis,we investigated the relationships between canopy-scale photosynthetic productivity and canopy spectral reflectance over seasons for 5 years in a cool,temperate deciduous broadleaf forest at‘Takayama’super site in central Japan.Methods Daily photosynthetic capacity was assessed by in situ canopy leaf area index(LAI),(LAI×Vcmax[single-leaf photosynthetic capacity]),and the daily maximum rate of gross primary production(GPPmax)was estimated by an ecosystem carbon cycle model.We examined five VIs:normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),enhanced vegetation index(EVI),green–red vegetation index(GRVI),chlorophyll index(CI)and canopy chlorophyll index(CCI),which were obtained by the in situ measurements of canopy spectral reflectance.Important Findings Our in situ observation of leaf and canopy characteristics,which were analyzed by an ecosystem carbon cycling model,revealed that their phenological changes are responsible for seasonal and interannual variations in canopy photosynthesis.Significant correlations were found between the five VIs and canopy photosynthetic capacity over the seasons and years;four of the VIs showed hysteresis-type relationships and only CCI showed rather linear relationship.Among the VIs examined,we applied EVI–GPPmax relationship to EVI data obtained by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer to estimate the temporal and spatial variation in GPPmax over central Japan.Our findings would improve the accuracy of satellite-based estimate of forest photosynthetic productivity in fine spatial and temporal resolutions,which are necessary for detecting any response of terrestrial ecosystem to meteorological fluctuations.

Forest biomass is strongly shaped by forest height across boreal to tropical forests in China

Forest height is a major factor shaping geographic biomass patterns,and there is a growing dependence on forest height derived from satellite light detecting and ranging(LiDAR)to monitor large-scale biomass patterns.However,how the relationship between forest biomass and height is modulated by climate and biotic factors has seldom been quantified at broad scales and across various forest biomes,which may be crucial for improving broad-scale biomass estimations based on satellite LiDAR.Methods We used 1263 plots,from boreal to tropical forest biomes across China,to examine the effects of climatic(energy and water avail-ability)and biotic factors(forest biome,leaf form and leaf phenol-ogy)on biomass-height relationship,and to develop the models to estimate biomass from forest height in China.Important Findings(i)Forest height alone explained 62%of variation in forest biomass across China and was far more powerful than climate and other biotic factors.(ii)However,the relationship between biomass and forest height were significantly affected by climate,forest biome,leaf phenology(evergreen vs.deciduous)and leaf form(needleleaf vs.broadleaf).among which,the effect of climate was stronger than other factors.The intercept of biomass-height relationship was more affected by precipitation while the slope more affected by energy availability.(iii)When the effects of climate and biotic factors were considered in the models,geographic biomass patterns could be well predicted from forest height with an r2 between 0.63 and 0.78(for each forest biome and for all biomes together).For most biomes,forest biomass could be well predicted with simple models includ-ing only forest height and climate.(iv)We provided the first broad-scale models to estimate biomass from forest height across China,which can be utilized by future LiDAR studies.(v)our results suggest that the effect of climate and biotic factors should be carefully considered in models estimating broad-scale forest biomass patterns with satellite LiDAR.

Linking satellite-based spring phenology to temperate deciduous broadleaf forest photosynthesis activity

Satellite-based remote sensed phenology has been widely used to assess global climate change.However,it is constrained by uncertain linkages with photo-synthesis activity.Two dynamic threshold methods were employed to retrieve spring phenology metrics from four Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer(MODIS)products,including fraction of Absorbed Photosyntheti-cally Active Radiation(fAPAR),Leaf Area Index(LAI),Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI),and Enhanced Vegetation Index(EVI)for three temperate deciduous broadleaf forests in North America between 2001 and 2009.These MODIS-based spring phenology metrics were subsequently linked to the photosynthetic curves(daily gross primary productivity,GPP)measured by an eddy covariance flux tower.The 20% dynamic threshold spring onset metrics from MODIS products were closer to the photosynthesis onset metrics at the date of 2% GPP increase for NDVI and fAPAR,and closer to the date of 5%and 10% increase of GPP for EVI and LAI,respectively.The 50% dynamic threshold onset metrics were closer to the photosynthesis onset metrics at the date of 10%GPP increase for NDVI,and closer to the date of 20% GPP increase for fAPAR,LAI and EVI,respectively.These results can improve our knowledge on the photosynthesis activity status of remotely sensed spring phenology metrics.

Insight into the temperature sensitivity of forest litter decomposition and soil enzymes in subtropical forest in China

Aims With the continuing increase in the impact of human activities on ecosystems,ecologists are increasingly interested in understanding the effects of high temperature on litter decomposition since litter decomposition and the accompanying release of nutrients and carbon dioxide are key processes in ecosystem nutrient cycling and carbon flux.This study was conducted to evaluate the temperature sensitivity of forest litter decomposition and soil enzymes during litter decomposition in subtropical forest in China.Methods Two dominant litter types were chosen from Zijin Mountain in China:Quercus acutissima leaves from a broadleaf forest(BF)and Pinus massoniana needles from a coniferous forest(CF).The litter samples were incubated in soil microcosms at ambient control temperature(20 C)and 10 C warmer.During a 5-month incubation,chemical composition of litter samples,litter mass losses,and related soil enzyme activities were determined.Important Findings Three main results were found:(i)high temperature accelerated decomposition rates of both litter types,and the temperature sensitivities of litter decomposition for BF leaves and that for CF needles are equivalent basically,(ii)high temperature enhanced soil enzyme activities in the two forest types,and the temperature sensitivities of polyphenol oxidase were significantly higher than those of the other soil enzymes and(iii)the temperature sensitivities of nitrate reductase were significantly higher in the CF soil than in the BF soil,while there was no significant difference in the temperature sensitivities of the other soil enzymes between BF and CF.As a long-term consequence,the high-temperature-induced acceleration of litter decomposition rates in these subtropical forests may cause carbon stored belowground to be transferred in the atmosphere,which may alter the balance between carbon uptake and release,and then alter the global carbon cycle in the coming decades.

Weather or weathering?Growth of Nothofagus dombeyi on volcanic soils differing in nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations

Aims We tested whether—in addition to weather conditions—the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the substrate have an effect on the radial stem increment of Nothofagus dombeyi trees in old-growth forest stands on volcanic soil at the western slopes of the Andes in South-Central Chile.Methods We took soil samples and tree increment cores from five proximate sites(1000-1300 m a.s.l.)that are located in the volcanic region of the Conguillío National Park and differ in the age of the substrate(Miocene—3500 years B.P.)and in its concentrations of nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P).The soil samples were also analysed on their concentrations of other plant mineral nutrients,carbon(C)and nitrogen isotope ratios(δ^(15)N).Tree-ring widths and the stem basal area increment(BAI)were related to climate parameters.In selected tree rings,the stable isotope ratios of carbon(δ^(13)C)and oxygen(δ^(18)O)were determined and related to growth and climate parameters.Important FindingsConsistent with theory,the soils on the oldest substrate showed the highest(least negative)δ^(15)N values,but mineral N was the only nutrient whose concentration exhibited a straightforward(increasing)relationship with increasing substrate age.The BAI was largest on the soil with the highest concentration of plant-available P.In contrast to BAI,tree-ring chronologies did not differ among the study sites.However,tree-ring chronologies and BAI exhibited significantly positive correlations with summer precipitation,and negative correlations,with summer(December)temperature.A negative correlation was found betweenδ^(13)C and precipitation anomalies in the growing season(November-March).We interpret the negative correlations between growth and temperature,and betweenδ^(13)C andδ^(18)O in the tree rings,as an impairment of net carbon assimilation by anomalously warm weather conditions during the growing season.We conclude that the growth of N.dombeyi is mainly affected by high temperature and low precipitation in spring and summer irrespective of the substrate’s age,and enhanced by higher concentrations of plant-available P in the soil.Our results may be representative of N.dombeyi stands on volcanic substrate within their principal distribution range along the Andes of South America.