An agent-based model of agricultural land expansion in the mountain forest of Timor Island,Indonesia

The Mutis-Timau Forest Complex,located on Timor Island,Indonesia,is a mountainous tropical forest area that gradually decreases due to deforestation and forest degradation.Previous modelling studies based on patterns indicate that deforestation primarily occurs at lower elevations and near the boundaries of forests and settlements,often associated with shifting cultivation by local farmers.This study adopts a process-based modelling approach,specifically the agent-based model,to simulate land changes,particularly farmers'expansion of agricultural land around the Mutis mountain forest.The underlying concept of this agent-based approach is the interaction between the human and environmental systems.Farmers,representing the human system,interact with the land,which represents the environmental system,through land use decision-making mechanisms.The research was conducted in the Community Forest of the Timor Tengah Utara District,one of the sites within the Mutis-Timau Forest Complex with the highest deforestation rate.Land use change simulations were performed using agent-based modelling from 1999 to 2030,considering the socio-economic conditions of farmers,spatial preferences,land use decisions,and natural transitions.The results revealed that the agricultural area increased by 14%under the Business as Usual scenario and 5%under the Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation scenario,compared to the initial agricultural area of 245 hectares.The probability of farmers deciding to extend agricultural activities was positively associated with the number of livestock maintained by farmers and the size of the village area.Conversely,the likelihood of farmers opting for agricultural extensification decreased with an increase in the area of private land and the farmer's age.These findings are crucial for the managers of the Mutis-Timau Forest Complex and other relevant stakeholders,as they aid in arranging actions to combat deforestation,designing proper forest-related policies,and providing support for initiatives such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation programs or further incentive schemes.

Future Development Direction of the Restoration of Mountains,Rivers,Forests,Farmlands,Lakes,and Grasslands and the Faced Problems

In this paper,the definition,connotation,and internal relationship of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes,and grasslands in China are elaborated,and the current situation of ecological restoration projects for mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes,and grasslands was introduced.Moreover,the problems that have arisen in the specific implementation process of pilot projects were analyzed,such as unclear target positioning,inaccurate analysis of ecological problems,insufficient engineering design systematicness,weak operability of evaluation standards,and weak coordination in engineering management.The development direction and major needs for the protection and restoration of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes,and grasslands in the future have been proposed from four aspects:theoretical research,engineering design,effect evaluation,and monitoring and supervision.

Effects of soil temperature and soil water content on soil respiration in three forest types in Changbai Mountain

Soil incubation experiments were conducted in lab to delineate the effect of soil temperature and soil water content on soil respirations in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest (mountain dark brown forest soil), dark coniferous forest (mountain brown coniferous forest soil) and erman's birch forest (mountain soddy forest soil) in Changbai Mountain in September 2001. The soil water content was adjusted to five different levels (9%, 21%, 30%, and 43%) by adding certain amount of water into the soil cylinders, and the soil sample was incubated at 0, 5, 15, 25 and 35°C for 24 h. The results indicated that in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest the soil respiration rate was positively correlated to soil temperature from 0 to 35°C. Soil respiration rate increased with increase of soil water content within the limits of 21% to 37%, while it decreased with soil water content when water content was over the range. The result suggested the interactive effects of temperature and water content on soil respiration. There were significant differences in soil respiration among the various forest types. The soil respiration rate was highest in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest, middle in erman's birch forest and the lowest in dark coniferous forest. The optimal soil temperature and soil water content for soil respiration was 35°C and 37% in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest, 25°C and 21% in dark coniferous forest, and 35°C and 37% in erman's birch forest. Because the forests of broad-leaved/Korean pine, dark coniferous and erman's birch are distributed at different altitudes, the soil temperature had 4–5°C variation in different forest types during the same period. Thus, the soil respiration rates measured in brown pine mountain soil were lower than those in dark brown forest and those measured in mountain grass forest soil were higher than those in brown pine mountain soil. Key words Soil temperature - Soil water content - Soil respiration - The typical forest ecosystem in Changbai Mountain CLC number S7118.51 Document code A Foundation item: This study was supported by grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30271068), the grant of the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZ-CX-SW-01-01B-12) and the grant from Advanced Programs of Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences.Biography: WANG Miao (1964-), male, associate professor in Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016, P. R. China.Responsible editor: Song Funan

Investigation of Macrofungi in Wula Mountain National Forest Park at Yinshan Mountains

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the fungi in Wula Mountain National Forest Park. [Method] More than 180 fungal specimens were collected from Wula Mountain National Forest Park from 2009 to 2012 for primarily studying the fungal species diversity. [Results] According to the classification system presented by Ainsworth et al. and with reference to the China catalogue of Macrofungi in species diversity catalogue of Fungi at Wula Mountain National Forest Park was written, involving in 80 species belonging to 43 genera, 22 families, 5 orders and 2 classes in the Basidiomycotina, and 6 species belonging to 2 genera, 2 families, 2 orders and2 classes in Ascomycotina, totally from 86 species, 45 genera, 7 orders, 24 families and 2 subdivisions. Among them, 49 species were edible and 22 species were medicinal, and 18 species were both edible and medicinal, and 7 species were poisonous, and 32 species were wood-rotting, and 5 species were mycorrhizal fungi,and 3 species were newly-recorded ones in Inner Mongolia. [Conclusion] There are still some specimens that have not been identified yet because of lack of literature,thus requiring further study for supplement.

Leaf macro-and micro-morphological altitudinal variability of Carpinus betulus in the Hyrcanian forest (Iran)

We investigated the altitudinal variation of Carpinus betulus L. in the Hyrcanian forest using leaf macro-morphological and micro-morphological traits. We collected a total of 1600 leaves from two locations. In each location, we sampled six populations along an altitudinal gradient ranging from 100 m to 1,150 m. We found that trees in the higher elevations have smaller leaf lamina than those in the lower elevations. In contrast, leaf mass per area was high at low altitudes and increased newly at the higher ones. Stomatal dimension was negatively correlated with elevation, while stomatal density was positively correlated with elevation. We also found that two transects showed the same plasticity trend. Leaf area showed the highest plasticity, while the number of veins showed the lowest plasticity. This study shows that altitude, and related temperature and rainfall, represents an important driving force in Carpinus betulus leaf morphological variation. Moreover, our results suggest that leaf area, leaf mass per area and stomatal density could influence the species responses to different ecological conditions.

Effect of human disturbance on the structure and regeneration of forests in the Nevado de Toluca National Park, Mexico

Sample plots were established in the principal forest types in the the Nevado de Toluca National Park, Mexico including those domi- nated by Pinus hartwegii, Abies religiosa, Quercus laurina and Alnus jorullensis. The vertical structure was defined by three strata in the coniferous forests and two strata in the broadleaved forests. Timber harvesting in Abies religiosa and Quercus laurina forests and fires generated by humans in Pinus hartwegii forests impeded the recruitment of saplings. Mature trees were also heavily impacted by logging in Pinus hartwegii forests. On the contrary, Alnusjorullensis forests were increas- ing due to the disturbance of Pinus and Quercus forests, as well aban- doned crop lands within the park. A combination of logging, uncon- trolled fire, and grazing appears to be compromising the recruitment of important tree species in this national park. These factors, together with human settlements, have also increased the proportion of early succes- sional species. Changes in forest structure from human disturbance indicate a need to control these activities if conservation goals are not to be compromised.

Recreational potential as an indicator of accessibility control in protected mountain forest areas

The article presents research findings related to recreational use of forests located in protected mountainous areas with forestage of over 80%. The study was designed to identify recreational potential of the Carpathian national parks （Bieszczady National Park, Bahia G6ra National Park, Goree National Park and Magura National Park; southern Poland） and to compare these findings with the actual number of visitors. The information received on the recreational potential of parks is important from the point of view of protection of natural resources and the financial situation of the parks. The calculated ratio may be an effective tool of management for park administration, that allows to reconcile statutory social and protective functions of national parks. The study determined the recreational potential of the forests with the use of recreational valorisation method designed for areas with varied terrain, and the evaluated factors included the stands of trees with their habitat and land relief. The permissible number of national park visitors, expressed as man- hour/ha/year ranges from 19.31 in Bieszczady National Park （BG： 19~ 35＇ E, 49~ 35＇ N） to 32.06 in in Bieszczady National Park （B： 22~ 40＇ E, 49~ lo＇ N）. In 3 out of 4 investigated parks, Magura National Park （M： 21025＇ E, 49~ 30＇ N）, Gorce National Park （G： 20~ lo＇ E, 49~ 35＇ N）, B） recreation carrying capacity was not exceeded, whether or not the strictly protected area is taken into account. Only in BG was the recreation carrying capacity exceeded by nearly 24%, or by 85% if the strictly protected area isexcluded from tourism-related exploitation. The presented procedure for monitoring access to mountain forests in national parks, from the viewpoint of natural resources conservation, can be applied in other mountainous areas covered with forests and exposed to tourist and recreational traffic, and in forests facing particular risk of recreational damage, e.g. in urban and suburban forests growing in areas with varied orography.

Relationships between native tree species and soil properties in the indigenous forest fragments of the Eastern Arc Mountains of the Taita Hills, Kenya

The relationship between soil properties and spatial distribution of native woody species was studied in three Taita Hills forest fragments which, although degraded, are ranked among 34 biodiversity hotspots of the world due to their high biodiversity of both plant and animal species. This relationship was assessed by using Spearman correlation and principal component analyses （PCA）. The results of these analyses should be useful in instituting forest restoration programs that are crucial for the forests. Both the soil and vegetation studied were sampled from 17 subplots in the natural forest fragments of Ngangao （120 ha）, Chawia （86 ha） and Mbololo （185 ha）. The soil variables measured were： pH, texture, soil nutrients of C, N, Ca, P, K, Mg and Na. In total 36 native tree species from 13 families were identified from the three forest fragments. Ordination results show that axis 1 accounted for 35% and axis 2 for 25% of the total variation in species composition, indicating that the structure of vegetation is related to two major environmental gradients. The correlation analyses of species and soil properties showed that Na and clay particles were the most important determinants of species distribution; pH and soil variables such as C, N, Ca and P also played minor roles. Unexpectedly, some species （e.g. Psychotria petitii） showed positive relationships with Na attributed to possible substitution for K. Relationships with P were both positive （e.g. Craibia zimmermannii） and negative （e.g. Albizia gummifera） with some species, attributable to pH levels. An ANOVA for soil variables showed that there were differences in the Ca content in Mbololo （due to the parent material） and P in Ngangao where a special relationship was observed between some of the species. The presence of gaps accounted for the distribution of seedlings but not for the saplings, whose distribution responded more to factors similar to those to which mature trees respond. Soil-species relationships that were established may be utilized along with soil analyses when choosing native species for restoration.

Community Characteristics of Wild Fruit Forests Along Elevation Gradients and the Relationships Between the Wild Fruit Forests and Environments in the Keguqin Mountain Region ofⅠii

In this paper,the quantitative relationship between the wild fruit communities and direct environmental factors is discussed on the basis of detailed data on landscape scale habitats obtained through field vegetation investigation.The results from TWINSPAN and DCCA showed that:1) In the distribution sections of the wild fruit forest in the Keguqin Mountain region,the basic patterns characteristic of the different habitats are due to topographic factors,nutrients and moisture conditions;2) The elevation affected the most basic differentiation of plant communities in the study area,indicating that the elevation condition was the most important factor restricting the distribution of the wild fruit communities in the study area;3) The close relationship between the moisture content in the upper soil layer and the elevation reflected the influence of moisture conditions on both wild fruit and herb-layer communities;4) Nutrient differences not only indicated that the habitat conditions were different in themselves but also showed that the present nutrient conditions of the habitats were seriously affected by human activities.In summary,under complicated mountainous topographic conditions,the habitat conditions for the communities differed very significantly,and the combination of elevation,soil moisture content,total nitrogen,slope aspect,and pH value influenced and controlled the formation of community distribution patterns in the study area.

Structure and regeneration dynamics of three forest types at different succession stages of spruce – fir mixed forest in Changbai Mountain, northeastern China

Analyzing and understanding the structure and growth dynamics of forests at different stages is helpful to promote forest succession, restoration and management. Three spots representing three succession stages of spruce-fir mixed forest(SF: polar-birch secondary forest, MF: spruce-fir mixed forest and PF: spruce-fir near primary forest) were established. Structure, growth dynamics during two growth seasons for dominant tree species, regeneration were examined, and a univariate O-ring function statistic was used to analyze the spatial patterns of main regeneration tree species. Results showed that,(1) composition of tree species, periodic annual increment(PAI) of the diameter at breast height(DBH), basal area for overstory trees and of ground diameter(DGH) for saplings, were significantly different with the succession;(2) the current species composition and regeneration dynamics of SF suggested a development towards spruce-fir mixed forests. Pioneer species like Betula platyphyllaa will gradually disappear while climax species, such as Abies nephrolepis, Pinus koraiensis, Picea koraiensis and Tilia amurensis will dominate forest stands;(3) Despite the highest volume occurring in PF, and saplings in it grew better than in the others, this forest type is unstable because of its unsustainable structure of DBH class and insufficient regeneration; and(4) MF had the most reasonable distribution of DBH class for adult trees(DBH > 5.0 cm) and DGH class for saplings(H ≥30 cm and DBH ≤5 cm), as well as an optimal volume increment. Limiting canopy opening size can lessen the physiological stress and promote the growth and competitive status of regeneration. Management implications for increasing the gaps and thus creating better growth conditions for understory saplings and facilitating forest succession were discussed.

Spatial assessment of forest cover and land-use changes in the Hindu-Kush mountain ranges of northern Pakistan

Anthropogenic activities and natural processes are continuously altering the mountainous environment through deforestation, forest degradation and other land-use changes. It is highly important to assess, monitor and forecast forest cover and other land-use changes for the protection and conservation of mountainous environment. The present study deals with the assessment of forest cover and other land-use changes in the mountain ranges of Dir Kohistan in northern Pakistan, using high resolution multi-temporal SPOT-5 satellite images. The SPOT-5 satellite images of years 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013 were acquired and classified into land-cover units. In addition, forest cover and land-use change detection map was developed using the classified maps of 2004 and 2013. The classified maps were verified through random field samples and Google Earth imagery(Quick birds and SPOT-5). The results showed that during the period 2004 to 2013 the area of forest land decreased by 6.4%, however, area of range land and agriculture land have increased by 22.1% and 2.9%, respectively. Similarly, barren land increased by 1.1%, whereas, area of snow cover/glacier is significantly decreased by 21.3%. The findings from the study will be useful for forestry and landscape planning and can be utilized by the local, provincial and national forest departments; and REDD+ policy makers in Pakistan.

Assessing the invasion risk of botanical garden's exotic threatened collections to adjacent mountain forests: A case study of Cibodas Botanical Garden

A primary objective of botanical gardens is to conserve threatened plant species from different regions and countries.However,such ex-situ conservation practices for exotic plant species may pose a significant plant invasion risks.In this study,we predict the naturalization probability of exotic threatened plant species of Cibodas Botanical Garden(CBG) collections based on leaf trait(specific leaf area,SLA) or as a function of invasion risk assessment scoring system(Tropical Weed Risk Assessment Protocol,TWRAP).We found that SLA and TWRAP were positively correlated with naturalization probability.The TWRAP model produced higher predictive probabilities with larger uncertainty compared to SLA model.Parmentiera cereifera and Burretiodendron hsienmu are two species that have highest naturalization probability based on SLA model.Chamaedorea oblongata has the highest naturalization probability based on TWRAP model.From practical and management point of view,we recommend the simultaneous use of SLA-based and TWRAP-based invasive species risk assessment to estimate the naturalization risk of exotic threatened collections of botanical gardens to adjacent mountain forests.Finally,given the important conservation value of threatened exotic collection of botanical garden,we need to be aware with the invasion risks of these species.The threatened condition of a plant species is not only caused by its natural characteristics but also may be caused(in fact mostly confounding with) by external disturbance either natural catastrophic or human related activities.Thus,a threatened species may not necessarily a noninvasive species outside their natural distribution ranges.

Ecotourism Development in the Context of Cultural and Tourism Integration:A Case Study of Wanli Mopan Mountain Forest Park

The integration of culture and tourism is a new form of tourism and a trend of tourism industry development.Mopan Mountain Forest Park in Wanli District of Nanchang City is taken as research object,and the excavation of its cultural elements is analyzed.It is thought that cultural elements can revitalize the culture and tourism industry,promote the integration of culture and tourism,encourage the mutual penetration of cultural innovation,design services and tourism products,improve the development and service level of cultural tourism products,and accelerate the development of characteristic cultural tourism.

Estimation of Relative Ecological Value of Returning Farmland to Forest & Mountain Enclosure for Grazing Prohibition——A case study in Yongxing Township of Jingyuan County,Gansu Province

[Objective]Returning farmland to forest and mountain enclosure for grazing prohibition ecological effect and economy rationality were explored.[Methods]A case study of returning farmland to forest and barren hills grazing prohibition in Yongxing Township of Jingyuan County was used to discuss and estimate the relative ecological function and relative ecological value.[Results]1）The ecological value of the forest of returning farmland was far more than the sum of the ecological value of farm crops and the agricultural output,and also more than the national subsidy standard.So the state policy of returning farmland to forests is not only favorable to local eco-environment restoration,but also reasonable in economic development.2）The ecological value of mountain enclosure for grazing prohibition was less than the opportunity cost of prohibiting grazing,also less than the national subsidy standard.The sum of the relative ecological value of prohibiting grazing and the state subsidies was more than the opportunity cost of prohibiting grazing.However,the ecological value of new vegetation through returning farmland to forest project was greater than the China＇s average ecological value of grassland.[Conclusion]The relative ecological value can be used to solve the problems in the equivalent conversion among various ecological indexes and between ecological indexes and economic indexes.

Chan Buddhism in Wilderness and the Buddhist Tourism

The culture of landscape constitutes one of the vital characteristics of Chinese culture,in which,Chan Buddhism is a typical kind of Buddhist culture expressed by the natural objects.Chinese Buddhism,represented by Chan School,is interpreted by the beautiful natural scenery,therefore it is closely related to the tourism from the ancient time.However,this link is to defend Buddhist tourism,which is inevitably criticized,since the secularization of sacred Buddhism,though Buddhist tourism is beneficial for life,society,economy,and Buddhism itself.But this sort of criticism is a misunderstanding of Chinese Buddhism since that Chinese Buddhism absorbs Zhuang Zi’s thought that“the ultimate truth(道)is in shit(屎尿)”1,so that it purports to the sacred dimension which is overlapped by the secular aspect.For example,the short poems composed by masters in Chan School“The Buddhist dharma is in this world,so that the enlightenment could not be realized outside of the human world”,“where there is bamboo and flower,there is dharma and prajna”,are the best way to express this kind of divine concept,moreover,Buddhist tourism is an effective practice to allocate this divine connotation.

The ecological scale mediates whether trees experience drought legacies in radial growth

The impact of lag effects produced by disturbances on primary production has been a major concern among ecologists during the last decade.Sudden and extreme climatic events are imposing drastic reductions in radial growth of trees as evidenced in tree-rings series Dendrochronological samples are obtained at tree level but analyzed at an aggregated scale(i.e.,mean chronologies),although aggregating tree-ring chronology on a regional scale may reduce the possibility of studying the variability of individual tree response to drought,by amplifying the average population response.Here,we conducted experimental research in which 370 trees of 5 species were analyzed to assess the potential statistical and scaling issues that may occur when using regressionbased methods to analyze ecosystem responses to disturbances.Drought legacy effects were quantified using individual and aggregated scales.Then,lag effects were validated using confidence and prediction intervals to identify values falling outside the certainty of the climate-growth model Individual scale legacy effects contrasted with confidence intervals were commonly distributed across species but were scarce when compared with prediction intervals.The analysis of aggregated scale legacies detected significant growth reductions when validated using prediction intervals;however,individual scale legacy lag effects were not detected.This finding directly contrasts the results obtained when using an aggregated scale.Our results provide empirical evidence on how aggregating ecological data to infer processes that emerge from an individual scale can lead to distorted conclusions.We therefore encourage the use of individual based statistical and ecological procedures to analyze tree rings as a means of further understanding the ecosystem responses to disturbances.

Alpine ecotone in the Siberian Mountains:vegetation response to warming

Birch(Betula tortuosa)is one of the treeline forming species within the Siberian Mountains.We analysed the area dynamics of birch stands and the upslope climb of birch treeline based on the Landsat time series scenes and on-ground data.We found that since the warming onset(1970th)birch area increased by 10%,birch stands and treeline boundary were moving upslope with a rate of 1.4 m/yr and 4.0 m/yr.Birch upslope shift correlated with air temperatures at the beginning(May-June)and the end(August-October)of the growth period.Meanwhile,no correlation was found between birch upslope migration and precipitation.Winds negatively influenced both birch area growth and birch upslope climb during spring,fall,and wintertime.In the windy habitats,birch,together with larch and Siberian pine,formed clusters(hedges)which mitigated the influence of adverse winds.These clusters are the adaptive pattern for trees’upslope climb within windward slopes.The other adaptation to the harsh alpine ecotone habitat is non-leaf(bark)photosynthesis which supports tree survival.Thereby,Betula tortuosa upslope climb depends on the wind impact and warming in spring and fall that extended growth period.With ongoing warming and observed wind speed decrease on the background of sufficient precipitation,it is expected to further birch advance into alpine tundra in the Siberian Mountains.

A structural relationship between place attachment and intention to conserve landscapes–a case study of Harz National Park in Germany

Place attachment is an important motivation for people to spend more time outdoors and to protect landscapes.This study explores visitors' intention to conserve natural landscapes based on the relationship with their place attachment to National Park landscape. Structural equation modelling(SEM) was used to determine the relationship between landscape conservation and place attachment. A survey with a structured questionnaire was administered to visitors to the seven designated hiking courses of Harz National Park in Germany. The path coefficient of 0.77 revealed that place dependence positively and significantly affected place attachment, whereas place identity did not. Place attachment had a significant effect on both affective appraisals and visiting satisfaction. Higher place attachment led to higher emotional reaction to landscapes on site and higher satisfaction of visiting the park. Among the variables, visiting satisfaction, but not affective appraisals, played a statistically significant mediating role between place attachment and conservation intention. With a path coefficient of 0.86, conservation intention was highly affected by visiting satisfaction. These results suggest that the managers of National Parks should focus on increasing visiting satisfaction based on how visitors are emotionally bonded with their visiting places, in order to enhance the intentions to conserve the landscape of the visitors to National Parks.

Altitudinal changes of surface pollen and vegetation on the north slope of the Middle Tianshan Mountains,China

To provide information on vegetation patterns and altitudinal distributions of pollen assemblage in surface soil layers,their complicated relationships in a dryland mountain-basin system in northwestern China and a realistic basis for paleovegetational reconstruction,we investigated 86 vegetation quadrats and analyzed 80 soil samples from the surface soil layers along an altitudinal transect on the north slope of the Middle Tianshan Mountains from alpine cushion vegetation at 3,510 m near glacier to desert vegetation at 460 m in the Gurbantunggut Desert.According to surface pollen assemblages and the results of the detrended correspondence analysis,the transect can be divided into six major altitudinal pollen zones as alpine cushion vegetation,alpine and subalpine meadows,montane Picea forest,forest-steppe ecotone,Artemisia desert and typical desert,which basically reflect the characteristics of the mountainous vegetation patterns on the north slope of the Middle Tianshan Mountains.However,Picea pollen also exists outside the spruce forest,Chenopodiaceae and Artemisia pollen appeared above the elevation of 1,300 m,indicating that most of them might be introduced from lower elevations by upslope winds.Airborne pollen researches from three regions at different elevations further suggest that a high-frequency northwest anabatic wind has a remarkable influence on the transportation and dispersion of surface pollen in the area.

Tree clusters migration into alpine tundra,Siberia

We hypothesize that in mountain windy habitat trees formed clusters(hedges)as adaptive structures for seedlings’rooting,survival,and tress’upslope migration.We studied hedges formed by Siberian pine(Pinus sibirica du Tour)and larch(Larix sibirica Ledeb.)within the treeline ecotone in southern Siberian Mountains,investigated hedges formation,evolution,habitat amelioration,and analyzed tree’s growth index(GI)dependence on the eco-climate variables(air temperature,precipitation,soil moisture,wind speed)and relief features(elevation,aspect,slope steepness,and terrain curvature).We conducted a ground survey,measured biometrical parameters of trees and hedges,determined species composition and tree physiognomy,soil types and nutrient contents,and sampled wood cores and applied dendrochronology for trees’GI analysis.With high-resolution satellite scenes for hedge detection and upslope migration,we found that winter winds and soil moisture are the main constraints of trees’settlement and growth.Hedge formation always links with wind-sheltered microtopography features(boulders,local depressions or felled trees).Once the first tree is established,a positive feedback is aroused that facilitates seedling rooting and in-hedge habitat amelioration.Trees form a streamlined dense“common crown”that mitigates adverse winter wind influence.Hedges always orient along the prevailing winds,and trees’uphill migration occurs by seedlings establishment within the leeward hedge side.Hedge growth facilitates soil formation and fertilization.The concentration of nutrients(K,P,N and S)within hedges exceeds the background by 1.5-5.5 times.Hedge extension leads to increased snow accumulation that mitigates the influence of desiccation and snow abrasion and mitigates seasonal water stress.In the extremely harsh windy habitat,inhedge trees present in mat,prostrate or krummholz forms.With warming,tree stems and even twigs turn upright.Notably that GI dependence on the wind speed is insignificant until prostrated trees get turning upright.Since that,the negative correlation between GI and wind speed is arisen with subsequent decrease since hedges form streamlined crown.Hedge growth also leads to a“phytofield”formation(i.e.,grasses,lichen,moss and small bushes growth)around the hedges that,in its turn,encourages seedling rooting which is about triple more efficient than outside the phytofield.Larch,in comparison with Siberian pine,is less often formed hedges.GI of both species is stimulated by warmer air temperature in the beginning of the growth season.Meanwhile,larch GI has stronger response to elevated temperatures and less dependent on soil moisture.This indicates larch is a potential substitute of Siberian pine in a warmer and dryer climate.Hedges in warming climate evolve into closed stands due to both in-hedge tree growth and filling gaps between hedges by different tree species.