In Europe, very small forest areas can be considered to be old-growth, and they are mainly located in Eastern Europe. The typical structures of old growth forests infrequently occur in Mediterranean mountainous enviro...In Europe, very small forest areas can be considered to be old-growth, and they are mainly located in Eastern Europe. The typical structures of old growth forests infrequently occur in Mediterranean mountainous environments, since they have been affected by human activities for centuries. This study focused on a remote and almost pure Italian maple stand located in southern Italy, which has not been managed for long time due to its inaccessibility. The effects of natural evolution on the forest stand were evaluated through the analysis of the spatial and chronological structure and the regeneration patterns, then estimating the amounts and quality of deadwood occurrence. Across the whole stand, all the trees with DBH （diameter at breast height） larger than 50 cm （LLT, large living trees） were measured （DBH and height） and age was also determined through a dendrochronological approach. The diameters observed ranged between 50 and 145 cm with ages of 12o to ~5o years. The Latham index calculated for trees within the sample plot highlighted a multilayered canopy with a dominant layer of largeliving trees （age 〉 120 years）. The size-class distribution of stems had a reverse-J shape, and basal area was 52 m2 ha-1. Deadwood was exclusively constituted by standing dead trees and CWD and its volume was on average 31 m3 ha-1. Pure Italian maple forests are generally rare in Europe, and it was unexpected to find a forest stand characterized by a so complex structure with old growth attributes. The study of complex forest stand, even if small, could give precious information on the forest evolution, clarifying also diverse auto-ecological traits of tree species that usually are not common in our forests.展开更多
A new genus Amblomma gen. nov. of fossil beetles is erected and can be assignedto the family Ommatidae because its two procoxal cavities are contiguous and the articulations of the abdominal ventrites are abutting. Th...A new genus Amblomma gen. nov. of fossil beetles is erected and can be assignedto the family Ommatidae because its two procoxal cavities are contiguous and the articulations of the abdominal ventrites are abutting. The new genus is similar to Zygadenia Handlirsch, 1906 (=Notocupes Ponomarenko, 1964), Tetraphalerus Waterhouse, 1901,Rhobdocupes Ponomarenko, 1966 and Sinocupes Lin, 1976, but can be distinguished from other genera according to the following characters: the second segment of antennae is shorterthan the third one in length; the posterior tarsi with the basal segment is obviously shorter than the three following taken together in length; the antennae reach the posterior ridge of prothroax in length, and the sides of the prothroax with serrulate margin. Four new species of the new genus are described and figured: Amblomma psilata gen. et sp. nov., Amblomma rudis gen. et sp. nov., Amblomma epicharis gen. et sp. nov., and Amblomma stabilis gen. etsp. nov. A key to species within this new genus is provided. All the specimens are collected from the Late Jurassic Yixian Formation of western Liaoning and are now housed in the College of Life Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.展开更多
基金partially developed within the scope of research project LIFE+2013 "PAN LIFE Project-Natura 2000 Action Programme.Life+Nature-2013-LIFE13 NAT/IT/001075
文摘In Europe, very small forest areas can be considered to be old-growth, and they are mainly located in Eastern Europe. The typical structures of old growth forests infrequently occur in Mediterranean mountainous environments, since they have been affected by human activities for centuries. This study focused on a remote and almost pure Italian maple stand located in southern Italy, which has not been managed for long time due to its inaccessibility. The effects of natural evolution on the forest stand were evaluated through the analysis of the spatial and chronological structure and the regeneration patterns, then estimating the amounts and quality of deadwood occurrence. Across the whole stand, all the trees with DBH （diameter at breast height） larger than 50 cm （LLT, large living trees） were measured （DBH and height） and age was also determined through a dendrochronological approach. The diameters observed ranged between 50 and 145 cm with ages of 12o to ~5o years. The Latham index calculated for trees within the sample plot highlighted a multilayered canopy with a dominant layer of largeliving trees （age 〉 120 years）. The size-class distribution of stems had a reverse-J shape, and basal area was 52 m2 ha-1. Deadwood was exclusively constituted by standing dead trees and CWD and its volume was on average 31 m3 ha-1. Pure Italian maple forests are generally rare in Europe, and it was unexpected to find a forest stand characterized by a so complex structure with old growth attributes. The study of complex forest stand, even if small, could give precious information on the forest evolution, clarifying also diverse auto-ecological traits of tree species that usually are not common in our forests.
文摘A new genus Amblomma gen. nov. of fossil beetles is erected and can be assignedto the family Ommatidae because its two procoxal cavities are contiguous and the articulations of the abdominal ventrites are abutting. The new genus is similar to Zygadenia Handlirsch, 1906 (=Notocupes Ponomarenko, 1964), Tetraphalerus Waterhouse, 1901,Rhobdocupes Ponomarenko, 1966 and Sinocupes Lin, 1976, but can be distinguished from other genera according to the following characters: the second segment of antennae is shorterthan the third one in length; the posterior tarsi with the basal segment is obviously shorter than the three following taken together in length; the antennae reach the posterior ridge of prothroax in length, and the sides of the prothroax with serrulate margin. Four new species of the new genus are described and figured: Amblomma psilata gen. et sp. nov., Amblomma rudis gen. et sp. nov., Amblomma epicharis gen. et sp. nov., and Amblomma stabilis gen. etsp. nov. A key to species within this new genus is provided. All the specimens are collected from the Late Jurassic Yixian Formation of western Liaoning and are now housed in the College of Life Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
