Seed Germination and Storage of Woody Species in the Lower Subtropical Forest

The dimension, water content and germination of the seeds from 90 woody species in the lower subtropical forest were analyzed in this study. Out of 90 species, germination analysis was performed in 45 species (in which there were enough germinating individuals), and the effect of storage of seed and fruit on germination of seed was studied in 41 species (in which there were enough seeds and germinating individuals). Most of the species began to germinate within 60 d. Hypogeal species had longer dormancy than epigeal species. Dormancy of fleshy seeds and seeds in pulpy fruit was also longer than that of dry seeds. There were no significant differences in length of dormancy (LD, days from sowing to germination) between fleshy seeds ripening in summer and those ripening in winter and spring, and between big seeds and small seeds. Seeds in pulpy fruit or fleshy seeds had more germination than the dry seeds ( P <0.05), however, percentage germination was not significantly correlated with water content of fresh seeds. Water loss in the seeds could obviously affect percentage germination, especially during the early three days when the seeds were laid open in air in the laboratory. When water content of the seeds decreased to about 20% (fresh weight basis), percentage germination became very low, this happened when the seeds were laid open in air for 10-14 d. Percentage germination decreased with the length of storing in refrigerator ((4±1) ℃), but it was not markedly affected for one month's storage, with a decrease by 8.3% in comparison with the fresh seeds, and it was greatly affected by storing for more than three months, with values decreasing by 37%, 63%, and 81% for three months', six months' and 12 months' storage respectively. Difference in percentage germination as well as in LD was not significant for most lots after different storing periods between big seeds and small seeds, between fruit storage and seed storage, and between seeds in pulpy fruits or fleshy seeds and dry seeds.

Naturalization of Landscaping Woody Plant, Magnolia obovata Potentially Invasive Species

Magnolia obovata, a tree species native to Japan, is a traditional landscaping tree that has also been introduced to various countries. M. obovata individuals have recently emerged in non-planting areas in Korea, prompting us to investigate its distribution by establishing Dosolsan in an urban forest of Daejeon City as the target site. In order to determine its naturalization, the study explored the status of population growth by examining the diameter at breast height of the individuals, and diameter diminution quotient was calculated. Cores of the trees were collected, and the age distribution was estimated by regression analysis. Reproduction possibility was analyzed by verifying the flowerblooming and fruit-bearing. Spontaneous colonization was investigated in the other potential sites which have different location and environment, respectively.The diameter distribution showed a reverse J-shaped curve, and the diminution quotient was ≥ 1.8. The population was composed of different generations,thus confirming the growth of the population. The distributed M. obovata grew and flowered normally,and followed a normal life cycle. The same phenomenon was observed in other planting areas,residual forests in urban or rural areas, alluvial islands, and mountain forests. The continuous spread of M. obovata in new ecosystems may be attributable to its long-term distribution by birds, relatively fast growth, and maturity time. Investigations on the naturalization and spread of M. obovata in Korea, as well as in various countries, are warranted.

Effects of Topography and Land use on Woody Plant Species Composition and Beta Diversity in an Arid Trans-Himalayan Landscape, Nepal

Distribution patterns of plant species are believed to be impacted by small-scale habitat heterogeneity. However, there have been few comparative studies examining how woody vegetation composition and diversity varies with aspects of different orientations in the Trans-Himalayan region at a local scale. Here, we examined the effects of incoming solar radiation on variation in woody species composition and compared the diversity between the northeast- and southwest-facing slopes in a Trans-Himalayan valley of Nepal. We also examined the implicit interactions between slope orientation and land use in determining the compositional variations between the slopes. We selected two pairs of northeast- and southwest-facing slopes where the first pair has a similar land use and differs in exposure only(Pisang site) while the other pair has clear differences in land use in addition to slope exposure(Braka site). In each site, we sampled 72 plots(36 on each slope) in which the presence and absence of woody species, environmental variables, and disturbance were recorded. Correspondence Analysis(CA) results suggested that the woody species composition significantly varied between northeast- and southwest-facing slopes at both sites, and was significantly correlated with measured environmental variables such as radiation index, altitude, and canopy openness. In the Braka site,mean alpha diversity was significantly higher on southwest-facing slopes. In contrast, beta diversity and gamma diversity were greater on northeast-facing slopes at both sites. Our results suggest that topographic variables(e.g., radiation index) affect species composition between the slopes, likely due to their influence on small scale abiotic environmental variables. However, the effects of land use, such as livestock browsing/grazing may interact with the effects of slope exposure, effectively reducing differences in species composition within slopes but enhancing the differences in beta diversity between contrasting slopes in the Braka. We conclude that slope orientation and land use are important factors in structuring the woody species composition and diversity in the arid Trans-Himalayan region. We suggest that both environmental and land use variables should be taken into consideration in future studies on plant community structure along the cultural landscapes.

Leaf turgor loss point at full hydration for 41 native and introduced tree and shrub species from Central Europe

The last years,Central European forests have suffered from drought as a direct consequence of climate change.All these forests have a long management history and it lies in the landowner’s responsibility to replant damaged forests.Hence,landowners and the government are searching currently for species suitable to replant in areas affected by tree die-offs.It is a matter of fact that good knowledge of drought resistance of species is a critical measure for the current replanting efforts.We determined a widely recognized trait for leaf drought tolerance(leaf water potential at turgor loss point at full hydration,πtlp)in 41 woody species native or introduced in Central Europe.The osmometric rapid assessment method was used to measure the leaf osmotic potential at full hydration(πosm)of sun-exposed leaves and converted toπtlp.Meanπtlp of the native species was−2.33±0.33 MPa.The less negativeπtlp was found in the introduced species Aesculus hypocastania and was at−1.70±0.11 MPa.The most negativeπtlp,and thus the potentially highest drought tolerance,were found in the introduced species Pseudotsuga menzesii and was at−3.02±0.14 MPa.High or less negativeπtlp is associated with lower drought tolerance,whereas low or more negativeπtlp stands for higher resistance to drought stress.For example,the two native species Illex aquifolium and Alnus glustinosa are species naturally associated with moist habitats and are characterized by the least negativeπtlp of−1.75±0.02 and−1.76±0.03 MPa,respectively.