Forest use suitability:Towards decision-making-oriented sustainable management of forest ecosystem services

Management of forest lands considering multi-functional approaches is the basis to sustain or enhance the provi-sion of specific benefits,while minimizing negative impacts to the environment.Defining a desired management itinerary to a forest depends on a variety of factors,including the forest type,its ecological characteristics,and the social and economic needs of local communities.A strategic assessment of the forest use suitability(FUS)(namely productive,protective,conservation-oriented,social and multi-functional)at regional level,based on the provision of forest ecosystem services and trade-offs between FUS alternatives,can be used to develop management strategies that are tailored to the specific needs and conditions of the forest.The present study assesses the provision of multiple forest ecosystem services and employs a decision model to identify the FUS that sup-ports the most present and productive ecosystem services in each stand in Catalonia.For this purpose,we apply the latest version of the Ecosystem Management Decision Support(EMDS)system,a spatially oriented decision support system that provides accurate results for multi-criteria management.We evaluate 32 metrics and 12 as-sociated ecosystem services indicators to represent the spatial reality of the region.According to the results,the dominant primary use suitability is social,followed by protective and productive.Nevertheless,final assignment of uses is not straightforward and requires an exhaustive analysis of trade-offs between all alternative options,in many cases identifying flexible outcomes,and increasing the representativeness of multi-functional use.The assignment of forest use suitability aims to significantly improve the definition of the most adequate management strategy to be applied.

Spatial-temporal variations and driving factors of soil organic carbon in forest ecosystems of Northeast China

Forest soil carbon is a major carbon pool of terrestrial ecosystems,and accurate estimation of soil organic carbon(SOC)stocks in forest ecosystems is rather challenging.This study compared the prediction performance of three empirical model approaches namely,regression kriging(RK),multiple stepwise regression(MSR),random forest(RF),and boosted regression trees(BRT)to predict SOC stocks in Northeast China for 1990 and 2015.Furthermore,the spatial variation of SOC stocks and the main controlling environmental factors during the past 25 years were identified.A total of 82(in 1990)and 157(in 2015)topsoil(0–20 cm)samples with 12 environmental factors(soil property,climate,topography and biology)were selected for model construction.Randomly selected80%of the soil sample data were used to train the models and the other 20%data for model verification using mean absolute error,root mean square error,coefficient of determination and Lin's consistency correlation coefficient indices.We found BRT model as the best prediction model and it could explain 67%and 60%spatial variation of SOC stocks,in 1990,and 2015,respectively.Predicted maps of all models in both periods showed similar spatial distribution characteristics,with the lower SOC in northeast and higher SOC in southwest.Mean annual temperature and elevation were the key environmental factors influencing the spatial variation of SOC stock in both periods.SOC stocks were mainly stored under Cambosols,Gleyosols and Isohumosols,accounting for 95.6%(1990)and 95.9%(2015).Overall,SOC stocks increased by 471 Tg C during the past 25 years.Our study found that the BRT model employing common environmental factors was the most robust method for forest topsoil SOC stocks inventories.The spatial resolution of BRT model enabled us to pinpoint in which areas of Northeast China that new forest tree planting would be most effective for enhancing forest C stocks.Overall,our approach is likely to be useful in forestry management and ecological restoration at and beyond the regional scale.

On forest ecosystem health and its Connotations

This paper cursorily introduced some ideas and approaches of ecosystem health researches. The definition and connotations of forest ecosystem health have also been expatiated. Defining forest ecosystem health has been discussed from the management objective approach, ecosystem approach, and integration approach. To impel the relative researches in China, more attention on the properties of a forest ecosystem should be paid.

Forestland prediction of China based on forest ecosystem services for the first half of 21st century

A new model was developed to predict forestland demand of China during the years of 2010-2050 in terms of the concept of forest ecosystem services. On the basis of the relationship between forest ecosystem services and classified forest management, we hypothesized that the ecological-forest provides ecological services, whereas commercial-forest supplies wood and timber production, and the influences of the growth of population, social-economic development target, forest management methods and the technology changes on forest resources were also taken into account. The prediction reveals that the demand of total forestland of China will be 244.8, 261.2 and 362.2 million ha by the year 2010, 2020 and 2050, respectively. The results demonstrated that China will be confronted with a shortage of forest resources, especially with lack of ecological-oriented forests, in the future. It is suggested that sustainable management of forest resources must be reinforced and more attention should be drown no enhancing the service function of forest ecosystem.

Regional differences of water conservation in Beijing’s forest ecosystem

The water conservation capacities of main forests in Beijing,China were estimated through the quantitative analysis.Various methods developed in published papers on forest hydrology were employed.The forests in Huairou,Yanqing,Miyun,Mentougou and Fangshan districts are the main contributors to water conservation（the cumulative ratio reaches 65%）,and the forests in Tongzhou,Chaoyang,Shunyi and Daxing districts have the highest water conservation capacity（3000 m3/ha）.Altitude and slope are the key factors to affect the water conservation capacity.The forests located in Plain Area,Hilly Area,Low Mountain,and Middle Mountain contributes 27%,28%,24% and 21% of the conserved water,respectively.The water conservation capacity of forests in Plain Area（2 948 m3/ha）,is superior to the forests in other regions.And the forests situated on Flat Slope,Moderate Slope and Gentle Slope constitute the largest proportion（nearly 93%） of water conservation,while the forests on Flat Slope has the highest water conservation capacity（2 797 m3/ha）,and the forest on Steep slope has the lowest water conservation capacity（948 m3/ha）.

Carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry in Pinus tabulaeformis forest ecosystems in warm temperate Shanxi Province,north China

Although carbon(C), nitrogen(N), and phosphorous(P) stoichiometric ratios are considered good indicators of nutrient excess/limitation and thus of ecosystem health, few reports have discussed the trends and the reciprocal effects of C:N:P stoichiometry in plant–litter–soil systems. The present study analyzed C:N:P ratios in four age groups of Chinese pine, Pinus tabulaeformis Carr., forests in Shanxi Province, China: plantation young forests(AY,<20 year-old); plantation middle-aged forests(AM, 21–30 year-old); natural young forests(NY,<30 year-old); and natural middle-aged forests(NM,31–50 year-old). The average C:N:P ratios calculated for tree, shrub, and herbaceous leaves, litter, and soil(0–100 cm) were generally higher in NY followed by NM,AM, and AY. C:N and C:P ratios were higher in litter than in leaves and soils, and reached higher values in the litter and leaves of young forests than in middle-aged forests;however, C:N and C:P ratios were higher in soils of middle-aged forests than in young forests. N:P ratios were higher in leaves than in litter and soils regardless of stand age; the consistent N:P<14 values found in all forests indicated N limitations. With plant leaves, C:P ratios were highest in trees, followed by herbs and shrubs, indicating a higher efficiency in tree leaf formation. C:N ratios decreased with increasing soil depth, whereas there was no trend for C:P and N:P ratios. C:N:P stoichiometry of forest foliage did not exhibit a consistent variation according to stand age. Research on the relationships between N:P, and P, N nutrient limits and the characteristics of vegetation nutrient adaptation need to be continued.

Driving Forces and Their Effects on Water Conservation Services in Forest Ecosystems in China

Identifying the driving forces that cause changes in forest ecosystem services related to water conservation is essential for the design of interventions that could enhance positive impacts as well as minimizing negative impacts. In this study, we propose an assessment concept framework model for indirect-direct-ecosystem service （IN-DI-ESS） driving forces within this context and method for index construction that considers the selection of a robust and parsimonious variable set. Factor analysis was integrated into two-stage data envelopment analysis （TS-DEA） to determine the driving forces and their effects on water conservation services in forest ecosystems at the provincial scale in China. The results showed the following. 1） Ten indicators with factor scores more than 0.8 were selected as the minimum data set. Four indicators comprising population density, per capita gross domestic product, irrigation efficiency, and per capita food consumption were the indirect driving factors, and six indicators comprising precipitation, farmland into forestry or pasture, forest cover, habitat area, water footprint, and wood extraction were the direct driving forces. 2） Spearman＇s rank correlation test was performed to compare the overall effectiveness in two periods： stage 1 and stage 2. The calculated coefficients were 0.245, 0.136, and 0.579, respectively, whereas the tabulated value was 0.562. This indicates that the driving forces obviously differed in terms of their contribution to the overall effectiveness and they caused changes in water conservation services in different stages. In terms of the variations in different driving force effects in the years 2000 and 2010, the overall, stage 1, and stage 2 variances were 0.020, 0.065, and 0.079 in 2000, respectively, and 0.018, 0.063, and 0.071 in 2010. This also indicates that heterogeneous driving force effects were obvious in the process during the same period. Identifying the driving forces that affect service changes and evaluating their efficiency have significant policy implications for the management of forest ecosystem services. Advanced effectiveness measures for weak regions could be improved in an appropriate manner. In this study, we showed that factor analysis coupled with TS-DEA based on the IN-D1-ESS framework can increase the parsimony of driving force indicators, as well as interpreting the interactions among indirect and direct driving forces with forest ecosystem water conservation services, and reducing the uncertainty related to the internal consistency during data selection.

Temporal Variability in Soil CO_2 Emission in an Orchard Forest Ecosystem

Temporal variability in soil CO2 emission from an orchard was measured using a dynamic open-chamber system for measuring soil CO2 effiux in Heshan Guangdong Province, in the lower subtropical area of China. Intensive measurements were conducted for a period of 12 months. Soil CO2 emissions were also modeled by multiple regression analysis from daily air temperature, dry-bulb saturated vapor pressure, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, soil moisture, and soil temperature. Data was analyzed based on soil moisture levels and air temperature with annual data being grouped into either hot-humid season or relatively cool season based on the precipitation patterns. This was essential in order to acquire simplified exponential models for parameter estimation. Minimum and maximum daily mean soil CO2 effiux rates were observed in November and July, with respective rates of 1.98 ± 0.66 and 11.04 ± 0.96 μmol m^-2 s^-1 being recorded. Annual average soil CO2 emission （FCO2） was 5.92 μmol m^-2 s^-1. Including all the weather variables into the model helped to explain 73.9% of temporal variability in soil CO2 emission during the measurement period. Soil CO2 effiux increased with increasing soil temperature and soil moisture. Preliminary results showed that Q10, which is defined as the difference in respiration rates over a 10 ℃ interval, was partly explained by fine root biomass. Soil temperature and soil moisture were the dominant factors controlling soil CO2 effiux and were regarded as the driving variables for CO2 production in the soil. Including these two variables in regression models could provide a useful tool for predicting the variation of CO2 emission in the commercial forest Soils of South China .

Nitrogen Deposition and Its Spatial Pattern in Main Forest Ecosystems along North-South Transect of Eastern China

A continuous three-year observation(from May 2008 to April 2011)was conducted to characterize the spatial variation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN)deposition at eight main forest ecosystems along the north-south transect of eastern China(NSTEC).The results show that both throughfall DIN deposition and bulk DIN deposition increase from north to south along the NSTEC.Throughfall DIN deposition varies greatly from 2.7 kg N/(ha·yr)to 33.0 kg N/(ha·yr),with an average of 10.6 kg N/(ha·yr),and bulk DIN deposition ranges from 4.1 kg N/(ha·yr)to 25.4 kg N/(ha·yr),with an average of 9.8 kg N/(ha·yr).NH4+-N is the dominant form of DIN deposition at most sampling sites.Additionally,the spatial variation of DIN deposition is controlled mainly by precipitation.Moreover,in the northern part of the NSTEC,bulk DIN deposition is 17%higher than throughfall DIN deposition,whereas the trend is opposite in the southern part of the NSTEC.The results demonstrate that DIN deposition would likely threaten the forest ecosystems along the NSTEC,compared with the critical loads(CL)of N deposition,and DIN deposition in this region is mostly controlled by agricultural activities rather than industrial activities or transportation.

Review on the decomposition and influence factors of coarse woody debris in forest ecosystem

Coarse woody debris （CWD） is an important and particular component of forest ecosystems and is extremely important to forest health. This review describes the decomposition process, decomposition model and influence factors. CWD decomposition is a complex and continuous process and characterizes many biological and physical processes, including biological respiration, leaching, and fragmentation. All these processes have closed relationships between each other and work synergistically. During decomposition, there are many controlling factors mainly including site conditions （temperature, humidity, and OJCO2concentration）, woody substrate quality （diameter, species and compound） and organism in CWD. The decomposition rate is generally expresses through a constant k which indicate the percent mass, volume or density loss over time, and can be determined by long-term monitoring, chronosequence approach and the radio between input and the total mass. Now using mathematical models to simulate decomposition patterns and estimate the decomposition rate is widely applied, especially the exponential model. We brought forward that managing and utilizing for the CWD in forest was a primary objective on all forest lands. And it is should be intensified to integrate many related research subjects and to carry a comprehensive, long-term and multi-scale research which mainly focus on seven sections.

Impacts of Climate Change on Forest Ecosystems in Northeast China

This paper reviews the studies and research on climate change impacts on the forest ecosystems in Northeast China. The results show that in the context of global and regional warming, the growing season of coniferous forests has been increasing at an average rate of 3.9 d per decade. Regional warming favors the growth of temperate broad-leaved forests and has a detrimental effect on the growth of boreal coniferous forests. Over the past hundred years, the forest edge of the cool temperate zone in the southern Daxing＇anling region has retreated 140 km northward. From 1896 to 1986, the northern boundary of broad-leaved forests in Heilongjiang province has extended northwestward about 290 km. Future climatic changes （until 2060） may lead to the northern deciduous needle forests moving out of China＇s territory altogether. The occurrence cycles of pests and diseases have shortened; their distribution ranges have expanded. The life cycle of tent caterpillars （Malacosoma neustria testacea Motschulsky） has shortened from 14-15 years in the past to 8-10 years now. The pine caterpillar （Dendrolimus tabulaeformis Tsai et Liu）, which has spread within western Liaoning province and the nearby areas, can now be found in the north and west. Lightning fires in the Daxing＇anling region have significantly increased since 1987, and August has become the month when lightning fires occur most frequently. Overall, the net primary productivity （NPP） of forest in Northeast China has increased. The NPP in 1981 was around 0.27 Pg C, and increased to approximately 0.40 Pg C in 2002. With the current climate, the broad-leaved Korean pine forest ecosystem acts as a carbon sink, with a carbon sink capacity of 2.7 Mg C hm-2. Although the carbon sink capacity of the forest ecosystems in Northeast China has been weakened since 2003, the total carbon absorption will still increase. The forest ecosystems in Northeast China are likely to remain a significant carbon sink, and will play a positive role in the mitigation of climate change.

Effects of root dominate over aboveground litter on soil microbial biomass in global forest ecosystems

Background:Inputs of above-and belowground litter into forest soils are changing at an unprecedented rate due to continuing human disturbances and climate change.Microorganisms drive the soil carbon(C)cycle,but the roles of above-and belowground litter in regulating the soil microbial community have not been evaluated at a global scale.Methods:Here,we conducted a meta-analysis based on 68 aboveground litter removal and root exclusion studies across forest ecosystems to quantify the roles of above-and belowground litter on soil microbial community and compare their relative importance.Results:Aboveground litter removal significantly declined soil microbial biomass by 4.9%but root exclusion inhibited it stronger,up to 11.7%.Moreover,the aboveground litter removal significantly raised fungi by 10.1%without altering bacteria,leading to a 46.7%increase in the fungi-to-bacteria(F/B)ratio.Differently,root exclusion significantly decreased the fungi by 26.2%but increased the bacteria by 5.7%,causing a 13.3%decrease in the F/B ratio.Specifically,root exclusion significantly inhibited arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,ectomycorrhizal fungi,and actinomycetes by 22.9%,43.8%,and 7.9%,respectively.The negative effects of aboveground litter removal on microbial biomass increased with mean annual temperature and precipitation,whereas that of root exclusion on microbial biomass did not change with climatic factors but amplified with treatment duration.More importantly,greater effects of root exclusion on microbial biomass than aboveground litter removal were consistent across diverse forest biomes(expect boreal forests)and durations.Conclusions:These data provide a global evidence that root litter inputs exert a larger control on microbial biomass than aboveground litter inputs in forest ecosystems.Our study also highlights that changes in above-and belowground litter inputs could alter soil C stability differently by shifting the microbial community structure in the opposite direction.These findings are useful for predicting microbe-mediated C processes in response to changes in forest management or climate.

Translocation and distribution of mercury in biomasses from subtropical forest ecosystems:evidence from stable mercury isotopes

To understand its source,distribution,storage,and translocation in the subtropical forest ecosystems,mercury(Hg)concentrations and stable isotopes in forest biomass tissues(foliage,branch,bark,and trunk)were investigated at Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve,Southwest China.The total Hg(THg)concentrations in the samples show the following trend:mature foliage(57±19 ng g-1)>bark(11±4.0 ng g-1)>branch(5.4±2.5 ng g-1)>trunk(1.6±0.7 ng g-1).Using the measured THg concentrations and the quantity of respective biomasses,the Hg pools in the forest are:wood(60±26μg m-2)>bark(51±18μg m-2)>foliage(41±11μg m-2)>branch(26±8.3μg m-2).The tree biomasses displayed negativeδ202Hg(-1.83‰to-3.84‰)andΔ199Hg(-0.18‰to-0.62‰).The observedΔ200Hg(-0.08‰to 0.04‰)is not significantly from zero.AΔ199Hg/Δ201Hg ratio of 1.05 was found in tree biomasses,suggesting that mercury has undergone Hg(Ⅱ)photoreduction processes.A Hg-isotope based binary mixing model suggests that Hg in the tree biomasses mainly originated from foliage uptake of atmospheric Hg0,constituting 67%,80%,and 77%of Hg in wood,branch,and bark,respectively.Our study sheds new light on the transportation and sources of Hg in the subtropical forest ecosystems.

Application of site-specific biomass models to quantify spatial distribution of stocks and historical emissions from deforestation in a tropical forest ecosystem

Allometric equations developed for the Lama forest, located in southern Benin, West Africa, were applied to estimate carbon stocks of three vegetation types：undisturbed forest, degraded forest, and fallow. Carbon stock of the undisturbed forest was 2.7 times higher than that in the degraded forest and 3.4 times higher than that in fallow. The structure of the forest suggests that the individual species were generally concentrated in lower diameter classes. Carbon stock was positively correlated to basal area and negatively related to tree density, suggesting that trees in higher diameter classes contributed significantly to the total carbon stock. The study demonstrated that large trees constitute an important component to include in the sampling approach to achieve accurate carbon quantification in forestry. Historical emissions from deforestation that converted more than 30% of the Lama forest into cropland between the years 1946 and 1987 amounted to 260,563.17 tons of carbon per year（t CO2/year） for the biomass pool only. The study explained the application of biomass models and ground truth data to estimate reference carbon stock of forests.

Assessing the vulnerability of a forest ecosystem to climate change and variability in the western Mediterranean sub-region of Turkey：future evaluation

This study evaluates the multifactorial spatial modelling used to assess vulnerability of the Du¨ zlerc？am？（Antalya） forest ecosystem to climate change.This was done to produce data,to develop tools to support decisionmaking and the management of vulnerable Mediterranean forest ecosystems affected by climate change,and to increase the ability of these forest ecosystems to adapt to global change.Based on regionally averaged future climate assessments and projected climate indicators,both the study site and the western Mediterranean sub-region of Turkey will probably become associated with a drier,hotter,more continental and more water-deficient climate.This analysis holds true for all future scenarios,with the exception of RCP4.5 for the period from 2015 to 2030.However,the present dry-sub humid climate dominating this sub-region and the study area shows a potential for change towards more dry climatology and for it to become semiarid between 2031 and 2050 according to the RCP8.5 high emission scenario.All the observed and estimated results and assessments summarized in this study show clearly that the densest forest ecosystem in the southern part of the study site,characterized by mainly Mediterranean coniferous and some mixed forest and maquis vegetation,will very likely be influenced by medium and high degrees of vulnerability to future environmental degradation,climate change and variability.

Evaluation of the forest ecosystem health in Beijing area

The evaluation of ecosystem health has become one of the main research topics of ecosystem science, thus more and more assessment methods and frameworks have been put forward in recent years. However, the attention people pay to ecosystem health is actually more about what the social functions the ecosystem affords, which depend on the integrity and maintenance of the ecosystem structure and function, and the intensity of disturbance from outside. Accordingly, this research commenced from three main aspects, selected the evaluation indices, and then established the Evaluation Index System of Beijing Forest Ecosystem Health （EIS-BFEH）. In the EIS-BFEH, each of the three foundations contained an easily-operated and standard sub-index system, which compounded the specific natural and social conditions of Beijing and was concrete enough to measure and evaluate. Then with the method of the Analytical Hierarchy Process （AHP）, the comprehensive index （CI） could be obtained, which represented the health of the forest ecosystem. As a case study, the forest ecosystems in the Badaling area were sampled, evaluated, compared and ranked by use of the EIS-BFEH. The result show that the health of natural forests is much better than that of plantations in the Badaling forest center： the average comprehensive index of the former is 7.9, while the latter is only 6.6. From the results, it could also be found that there are nine units in the healthy state, two units in the subhealthy state, and only one unit of Robiniapseudoacacia in the morbid state.

Emergy evaluation of the artificial forest ecosystems in the watershed of Miyun Reservoir:a case study for ecosystems valuation and environmental management

To build the artificial forest ecosystem is the major eco-economic development model in the watershed of Miyun Reservoir. It is very important to evaluate the benefits of those ecosystems. Emergy theories are very helpful for us to establish a science-based assessment framework. Emergy evaluation of the artificial forest ecosystems in the watershed of Miyun Reservoir is used to asses the relative values of several ecological functions (sometimes called ecosystem services) and main ecosystem storages (sometimes called natural capital). The main driving energies, internal processes and storages are evaluated. The main functions, including transpiration, GPP and infiltration, are evaluated, which are 609em$/ha/yr, 6,245em$/ha/yr and 340em$/ha/yr respectively. The total values of major environmental services are 4,683em$/ha/yr in the artificial forest ecosystem. The main storages of natural capital including live biomass, soil moisture, organic matter, underground water and landform are estimated, which are 112,028em$/ha, 9em$/ha, 40,718em$/ha, 34em$/ha and 6,400,514em$/ha respectively. The largest value is landform, which accounts for 97.7% of these calculated total emdollar values. The concept of replacement value is explored using the emergy values of both ecosystem services and natural capital. The total calculated replacement values are 302,160em$/ha.

Effects of acid rain on forest ecosystem in Southwestern China

The study of effects of acid rain in Southwestern China on forest ecosystems .has been inrestigated since 1984. The results have shown that the ecosystem of Pinus massoniana forest has been damaged severely by acid rain. Comparing the areas where the annual mean pH value is lower than 4.5 with that higher than 4.5, the productivity of the ecosystems decreased 50 percent. Both the percentages of the green leaves and the content of chlorophyll cut down; the acidity of soil increased a bit and the fertility showed the tendency to lower. The microbial population components in surface soil were changed and the total number of soil microbes reduced from 63.5 to 92.6 percent. Besides the direct effects of acid rain, the insect pest, especially, Blastophagus piniperdoz and Monochamus galloprovincialis, seized the opportunity to enter and reproduce in it so as to aggravate the forest dieback of P.massoniana in the areas where the annual average pH value is lower than 4.5.Additionally, the simulation study on the symptoms of main tree species in Southwestern China damaged by acid rain has obtained the results in the resistibility of 30 tree species, which provided a foundation for selecting suitable tree species to cultivate in the polluted areas.

Assessing vulnerability of a forest ecosystem to climate change and variability in the western Mediterranean sub-region of Turkey

Climate change is a real, pressing and significant global problem. The concept of ‘climate change vulnerability’ helps us to better comprehend the cause/effect relationships behind climate change and its impact on human societies, socioeconomic sectors, and physiographical and ecological systems. In this study, multifactorial spatial modelling evaluated the vulnerability of a Mediterranean forest ecosystem to climate change and variability with regard to land degradation. This produced data and developed tools to support better decision-making and management. As a result, the geographical distribution of Environmental Vulnerability Areas(EVAs) of the forest ecosystem is the estimated Environmental Vulnerability Index(EVI) values. These revealed that, at current levels of environmental degradation, physical, geographical, policy enforcement, and socioeconomic conditions, the area with a ‘‘very low’’ degree of vulnerability covered mainly the town, its surrounding settlements and agricultural lands found principally over the low, flat travertine plateau and the plains to the east and southeast of the district. The spatial magnitude of the EVAs of the forest ecosystem under current environmental degradation was also determined. This revealed that the EVAs classed as ‘‘very low’’accounted for 21% of the area of the forest ecosystem,those classed as ‘‘low’’ for 36%, those classed as ‘‘medium’’ for 20%, and those classed as ‘‘high’’ for 24%.

Determinants of species assemblages of insect pests in alpine forest ecosystems of western China

Background:Insect pests are a significant threat to natural resources and social development.Modeling species assemblages of insect pests can predict spatiotemporal pest dynamics.However,research gaps remain regarding the mechanism for determining species assemblages of insect pests in alpine forest ecosystems.Here,we explored these determinants using a field investigation conducted for insect pests in a region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.We assessed the species assemblages of insect pests in alpine forest ecosystems based on species co-occurrence patterns and species diversity(i.e.,observed diversity,dark diversity,community completeness,and species pool).A probabilistic model was used to test for statistically significant pairwise patterns of species co-occurrence using the presence-absence matrix of pest species based on species interactions.We used ordinary least squares regression modeling to explore relationships between abiotic factors(i.e.,climate factors and human influence)and species diversity.Results:Positive pest species interactions and many association links can occur widely across different investigation sites and parts of plant hosts in alpine forest ecosystems.We detected high dark diversity and low community completeness of insect pests in alpine forest ecosystems.High temperature and precipitation could promote pest species diversity,particularly dark diversity and species pools.Human influence could drive high levels of pest species diversity and lead to dark diversity and species pools.Community completeness could be an effective indicator for insect pest risk assessment.Conclusions:Our study provides new evidence for the determinants of insect pest species assemblages in alpine forest ecosystems from the perspectives of pest species interactions and abiotic factors.The findings of our study could reveal the mechanism for shaping species assemblages and support the prevention and control of insect pests in alpine forest ecosystems.