Distribution and ecology of lesser pouched rat,Beamys hindei,in Tanzanian coastal forests

The lesser pouched rat,Beamys hindei,is a small rodent that is patchily distributed in the Eastern Arc Mountains and coastal forests in East Africa.The ecology of this species and its current distribution in coastal forests is not well known.Therefore,we conducted a study in selected coastal forests to assess the current distribution of the species and to investigate the population ecology in terms of abundance fluctuations and demographic patterns.Assessments of the species distribution were conducted in 5 forests through trapping with Sherman live traps.Data on ecology were obtained from monthly capture–mark–recapture studies conducted for 5 consecutive nights per month in two 1 ha grids set in Zaraninge Forest over a 2-year period.The results indicate the presence of B.hindei in 3 forests where it was not previously recorded.The population abundance estimates ranged from 1 to 40 animals per month,with high numbers recorded during rainy seasons.Reproduction patterns and sex ratios did not differ between months.Survival estimates were not influenced by season,and recruitment was low,with growth rate estimates of 1 animal per month.These estimates suggest a stable population of B.hindei in Zaraninge Forest.Further studies are recommended to establish the home range,diet and burrowing behavior of the species in coastal forests in East Africa.

Thinning and in-stream wood recruitment in riparian second growth forests in coastal Oregon and the use of buffers and tree tipping as mitigation

Many aquatic habitats in coastal Oregon have been impacted by historic land use practices that led to losses of in-stream wood and associated degraded fish habitats. Many of these streams are now bordered by stands of dense second growth forests（30–80 years） that are incorporated into riparian buffer zones with low wood recruitment and storage. Thinning in riparian zones is one management option to increase the rate of large tree growth and eventually larger in-stream wood, however, it raises concern about impacts on current wood recruitment, among other issues. Using a forest growth simulation model coupled to a model of in-stream wood recruitment, we explore riparian management alternatives in a Douglas-fir plantation in coastal Oregon. Alternatives included：（1） no treatment,（2） single and double entry thinning, without and with a 10-m buffer, and（3） thinning combined with mechanical introduction of some portion of the thinned trees into the stream（tree tipping）. Compared to no treatment, single and double entry thinning on one side of a channel, without a 10-m buffer, reduce cumulative instream wood volume by 33 and 42 %, respectively, after100 years（includes decay）. Maintaining a 10-m buffer reduces the in-stream wood loss to 7 %（single entry thin）and 11 %（double entry）. To completely offset the losses of in-stream wood in a single entry thin（on one or both sides of the stream）, in the absence or presence of a 10-m buffer,requires a 12–14 % rate of tree tipping. Relative to the notreatment alternative, cumulative in-stream wood storage can be increased up to 24 % in a double-entry thin with no buffer by tipping 15–20 % of the thinned trees（increased to 48 % if thinning and tipping simultaneously on both sides of the stream）. The predicted increases in in-stream wood that can occur during a thin with tree tipping may be effective for restoring fish habitat, particularly in aquatic systems that have poor habitat conditions and low levels of in-stream wood due to historic land use activities.

The Status of Canopy Density and above Ground Biomass along the Northern Coastal Forest Zone of Tanzania

Canopy density and forest biomass estimation are critical for understanding of the carbon cycle, climate change and detecting health status of the forest ecosystems. This study was conducted on the coastal forests reserves in Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. A systematic sampling design was used to establish a total of 110 temporary sample plots in all study sites. The stratification of the forests was adopted to identify closed forest patches with less anthropogenic effects. The study assessed the forest canopy density and above ground biomass with relative carbon stock for closed forest classes. Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park in Zanzibar recorded higher average canopy densities of 63% followed by Ngezi (46%), Pugu forests (26%) and Kazimzumbwi (16%). However, Ngezi forest had higher forest biomass than all study sites with the overall mean AGB of 138.5 tAGB/ha equivalent to carbon stock of 67.9 tC/ha. Tree species, Bombax rhodognaphala (Msufi mwitu) and Antiaris toxicaria (Mgulele) recorded the highest biomass of 1099 tABG/ha and 703 tAGB/ha (equivalent to 538 tC/ha and (345 tC/ha)) respectively. The study revealed that about 35% of the total closed forest patches at Pugu FR were covered by lower canopy density which accounted about 490 ha. Kazimzumbwi FR was dominated by lower canopy density which represented about 64% of the total forest cover area (1750 ha).

Disturbance Legacy on Soil Carbon Stocks and Stability within a Coastal Temperate Forest of Southwestern British Columbia, Canada

Although it has been recognized that soils play a critical role in carbon storage and that coastal temperate forests have considerable potential to sequester soil organic carbon (SOC), studies related to SOC stocks and stability are scarce in these ecosystems. Forest disturbances may leave legacies on SOC properties and may further compromise SOC storage capacity of these ecosystems. In the Pacific Spirit Regional Park of southwestern British Columbia, we compared SOC stocks and stability among three second-growth forests that have been affected by disturbances of different magnitudes. We collected data on soil chemical and physical properties to estimate SOC content and assess SOC stability. We found that SOC stocks in the forest characterized by low magnitude disturbance were greater than those of the forest characterized by high magnitude disturbance (8.2 ± 1.3 kg·Cm-2 versus 5.3 ± 0.1 kg·Cm-2 to 30 cm depth). SOC was less stable in the highly disturbed forest and subsequent vegetation changes might have further reduced SOC stability. Our results provide insight into the role of disturbance history in the current SOC storage capacity of coastal temperate rainforests of British Columbia.

Coastal Protection Forest Construction Project

China’s coastal line starts at the Yalu River in Liaoning in the north and ends at the Beilun River mouth in Guangxi. It is 18,000 kilometres long and crosses 11 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, including Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. In 1988, the Chinese government outlined the Coastal Protection Forest System Construction Project and defined the coastal line of 11 provinces as the main construction line. The project aims at developing a

SITE CLASSIFICATION FOR PROTECTIVE FOREST AFFORESTATION ON THE COAST OF CHINA

Land for protective forest on the coast has special site conditions, and site classification is the scientific basis for seaboard afforestation. The site classification system on the coast zone and islands of China may be classified into five levels-site region (sub - region), district, class, group, and type. The land division for afforestation is carried out by the principle of enviornmental heterogeneity among regions, sub-region and district on large scale, according to the difference of air temperature, moisture and type of coast geomorphy. It may be classified into 7 regions, 12 sub-regions and 55 districts. The medium and small scaled division for site class, group and type, subdivided in a site district, are based on medium topography, topographic climate, micro - relief and soil conditions.

Long-term tree productivity of a South Carolina coastal plain forest across a hydrology gradient

Aims In recent years,there has been an increased interest in examining changes in forest systems in response to drought,flooding,hurricanes and climate change.In the southern United States,forested wetlands are of special interest because of the extent of these forests.Coastal plain forested wetlands are among the most vulnerable to these climatic impacts.One of the problems in developing management practices for these coastal areas is the difficulty in adequately describing productivity relations and predicting how the structure and function of these communities might be affected by natural or anthropogenic disturbances.Community response to environmental change often occurs over a period of years,and the majority of reported studies are for 1–3 years in duration.This study documents long-term changes(10 years)in structure,composition and growth along a catena of high water table forested sites of an ancient beach ridge landscape in coastal South Carolina.Methods Aboveground net primary production(ANPP)of trees was monitored from 2000 to 2009 on three sites within a longleaf pine-swamp blackgum forest system on the southern end of theWaccamaw Neck area of Georgetown County,SC.Permanent study plots(20325 m)were established across a moisture gradient(Dry,Intermediate,and Wet).Water levels were continuously monitored,litterfall was measured monthly and growth of trees>10 cm diameter at breast height was monitored on an annual basis.Annual litterfall and tree production values were summed to provide estimates of ANPP.Important Findings The study site was under severe drought conditions July 2001 through late summer 2002 and again in 2007.Diameter growth was affected in all three sites,but with different patterns.It seems that diameter growth in the Wet site was more sensitive to drought conditions in 2001–02 and 2007 than either Dry or Intermediate sites.While droughts did not seem to have a significant impact on litterfall in the Wet site,litterfall in the Intermediate site was more sensitive to the drought than either Dry or Wet sites.ANPP was significantly lower in both Intermediate and Wet sites in 2001 at<602 g/m2.Highest ANPP(>1000 g/m2)occurred in the Intermediate and Wet sites in 2003 following a return to more normal water levels at the end of the drought.Maximum tree production occurred on the Wet site in 2003(657 g/m2),which exceeded total ANPP of any site in 2001.In the Dry site,ANPP remained relatively consistent throughout the study when compared to Wet and Intermediate sites.While litterfall estimates are well defined with 3–5 years of data,data collection is continuing to assess impact of drought on stem growth across the gradient,which is still not clear with 10 years of data.