Forest landscape ecology and its applications in China

Landscape ecology is playing an increasingly important role in resources management and landuse planning in recent decades and attracting much attention from resource managers and scientists in China as well as in the world. Reviews of landscape ecology development in China have been well documented, whereas forest landscape ecology and its applications receive relatively fewer reviews. In this paper, we first present a brief review of the historical development and current advances of landscape ecology in China and then introduce the applications of landscape ecology to forest park designs, urban greenspace planning, ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation and forest eco-hydrology. Finally, the problems with the application of forest landscape ecology in China, such as inadequate synthesis and integration, lack of basic research on patterns and processes, basic data shortage and model usage problem are discussed on the basis of which we suggest a future direction of forest landscape ecology in China.

Ecosystem Service Value Assessment of Wutong Mountain Rhododendron moulmainense Ecological Landscape Forest in Shenzhen City in 2021

Taking Wutong Mountain Rhododendron moulmainense ecological landscape forest in Shenzhen City as an example,the value of the forest was assessed by constructing an ecological service value assessment system and accounting method.The assessment results showed that the total ecosystem service value of R.moulmainense ecological landscape forest was 13.195 billion yuan,and the top three services included the value of forestry products,the value of biodiversity maintenance and the value of leisure and recreation,indicating that the ecosystem service of Wutong Mountain R.moulmainense ecological landscape forest in Shenzhen has great ecological and economic value,especially in forestry products,biodiversity maintenance,and leisure and recreation.

Index of Atmospheric Purity reflects the ecological conditions better than the environmental pollution in the Carpathian forests

The Index of Atmospheric Purity(IAP)is a popular tool used for the assessment of air quality in polluted urban areas,on the basis of phytosociological data of epiphytic lichen communities.We hypothesized that this indicator could also be used in less polluted forest areas to determine the quality of ecological conditions for lichens.The aim of the present study was to verify the use of IAP method in the assessment of environmental pollution,and alternatively for the assessment of general ecological conditions in protected mountain forests of Gorce National Park(Polish Western Carpathians)based on the epiphytic lichen biota associated with Picea abies.The spatial distribution of IAP values on monitored sites in GNP was compared with:1)spatial distribution of accumulated sulfur,nitrogen,selected heavy metals,and total heavy metals in Hypogymnia physodes thalli in 1993 and 2018(30 sites),2)mean ecological indicator values characterizing species requirements for light(L),substrate reaction(R)and nutrients(N),in 1993,2013 and 2018(33 sites).Generalized linear model and redundancy analysis were performed for disclosing most influencing factors affecting lichen communities.The study revealed a few negligible relationships between IAP values and accumulation of such elements as Ni,Mn,Cd,and Cr in both monitoring periods.Simultaneously,IAP can be useful for the identification of forest areas with a high degree of naturalness.

Phenological study of congeneric Myrcia species and Clethra scabra in wetland and drained habitats in a Montane Forest

Although important,phenological studies comparing congeneric species or the same species growing in different habitats are still scarce for the tropics.Herein,we integrate phylogeny,ecology and biometeorology to verify whether the phenophases of congeneric species Myrcia laruotteana and Myrcia amazonica or Clethra scabra differ when their populations inhabit wetland and drained habitats and to determine what abiotic factors affect the vegetative and reproductive phenophases of these species in distinct habitat patches.We collected data on phenological events of 80 trees for 1 year in Itacolomi State Park,Brazil,and related them to abiotic local factors.Contrary to our expectation,the phenophases of the congeneric species did not differ between habitats,but the reproductive phenophases of C.scabra did and was greater in drained soil.Phenophases of C.scabra were affected by the depth of the water table and maximum temperature in the wetland soil.Insolation,precipitation,maximum temperature and relative humidity influenced Myrcia and Clethra in the drained soil.The differences between C.scabra populations suggest that this species is phenotypically plastic and can present distinct phenophases depending on the habitat it inhabits.On the other hand,the congeneric Myrcia species may have similar phenophases in distinct habitats because of their shared similarities during their evolution.This study provides a better understanding of the ecology of these species and their adaptations to different abiotic conditions.Data of this nature are important in a changing world and can inform strategies for adaptive management.

Monitoring spatiotemporal soil moisture changes in the subsurface of forest sites using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT)

The effects of drought on tree mortality at forest stands are not completely understood. For assessing their water supply, knowledge of the small-scale distribution of soil moisture as well as its temporal changes is a key issue in an era of climate change. However, traditional methods like taking soil samples or installing data loggers solely collect parameters of a single point or of a small soil volume. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a suitable method for monitoring soil moisture changes and has rarely been used in forests. This method was applied at two forest sites in Bavaria, Germany to obtain high-resolution data of temporal soil moisture variations. Geoelectrical measurements (2D and 3D) were conducted at both sites over several years (2015-2018/2020) and compared with soil moisture data (matric potential or volumetric water content) for the monitoring plots. The greatest variations in resistivity values that highly correlate with soil moisture data were found in the main rooting zone. Using the ERT data, temporal trends could be tracked in several dimensions, such as the interannual increase in the depth of influence from drought events and their duration, as well as rising resistivity values going along with decreasing soil moisture. The results reveal that resistivity changes are a good proxy for seasonal and interannual soil moisture variations. Therefore, 2D- and 3D-ERT are recommended as comparatively non-laborious methods for small-spatial scale monitoring of soil moisture changes in the main rooting zone and the underlying subsurface of forested sites. Higher spatial and temporal resolution allows a better understanding of the water supply for trees, especially in times of drought.

Soil Seed Banks in Two Environments of Forest Restoration Post Bauxite Mining:Native Tree Plantation and Natural Regeneration

The objective of this study was to compare the soil seed bank in an area under natural regeneration(F1)and another reforested through seedling planting(F2),seven years after bauxite mining,in Southeast,Brazil.In each area,10 sampling points were randomly distributed,using three samples of topsoil to represent each point.The samples were transported to a shade house and evaluated for six months,where emerging individuals were identified every two weeks.Floristic similarity was evaluated with cluster analysis based on the Jaccard index(SJ).Species richness and abundance of individuals were compared using Student's t test.In F1,2,114.94 propagules m-2 were registered,belonging to 51 species and 24 botanical families,Shannon-Wiener diversity index H’=2.770 and Pielou evenness index J’=0.705.In F2,1,168.62 propagules m-2 were registered,belonging to 42 species and 22 families,H’=2.618 and J’=0.700.The(SJ)between F1 and F2 was 0.61,indicating a high similarity.The results showed high density of propagules,good diversity and absence of ecological dominance.The high number of individuals and diversity of tree species with zoochoric dispersion found in the areas indicates that both natural regeneration and reforestation were efficient in the ecological restoration of bauxite mined areas.

A floristic survey of the Hyrcanian forests in Northern Iran, using two lowland-mountain transects

We investigated the floristic composition of the Hyrcanian forests and the related forest-steppe ecotone in Northern Iran by using two long ecological transects, from lowland to upper mountain areas. The study was conducted during 2008 and 2009 and yielded the identification of 395 plant taxa belonging to 233 genera and 78 families. Dicots with 300 taxa were the richest groups of the flora, followed by monocots with 75 taxa, pteridophytes with 18 species,and gymnosperms with two species. The largest families were Asteraceae（33 taxa）; Rosaceae（32 taxa）; and Poaceae（30 taxa）, and the most diverse genera included Carex（15 taxa）; Alchemilla（7 taxa）; and Poa, Geranium and Acer（6 taxa each）. Hemicryptophytes were the most dominant life forms in the area（40 %）; followed by geophytes（31.4 %）; phanerophytes（15.4 %）; therophytes（11.4 %）; and chamaephytes（1.8 %）. Phytogeographically,Euro-Siberian/Irano-Turanian elements（86 taxa, 21.8 %）and Euro-Siberian elements（85 taxa, 21.5 %） were the most common chorotypes in the area. Out of 395 taxa, 66taxa（16.7 %） were endemics and subendemics in Iran, of which 26 taxa were exclusively endemics of Iran.According to the IUCN Red List Categories, 48 threatened plant taxa were found in the study area. Plant diversity, life form, and chorotypes in the current study were compared with similar transect studies in other areas of the Hyrcanian forests and in different altitudinal belts, using S？renson similarity indices. Floristic composition of the surveyed transects demonstrated almost 50 % similarity between them.

Restoration and Rebuilding of Forestry Ecological System in Heilongjiang Province

The study on restoration and rebuilding of forestry ecological system was conducted on Xianfeng Forestry Farm (N45° 03′, E129° 45′), in Yilan county, Heilongjiang province. One thousand hectare sample land was established. The research summarized the comprehensive technique measures: to managed virgin forests perfectly, to promote forest reforestation by artificial treatment, to restore the secondary forest with patch pattern; and to restorc and foster felling land on artificial forest by means of natural pattern or close hillside to facilitate afforestation. The results showed that forest ecosystem function and quality were restored and rebuilt during ten years by utilization of these technique measures.

Compensation for forest ecological services in China

The paper discusses methods to compensate for the costs incurred in the supply of forest ecological services （FES）, i.e. government dominated and market-based instruments as well as progress made so far in China. Factors which constrain the supply of these services and potential policy improvements are presented.

Using nonparametric modeling approaches and remote sensing imagery to estimate ecological welfare forest biomass

The spatial distribution of forest biomass is closely related with carbon cycle, climate change, forest productivity, and biodiversity. Efficient quantification of biomass provides important information about forest quality and health. With the rising awareness of sustainable development, the ecological benefits of forest biomass attract more attention compared to traditional wood supply function. In this study, two nonparametric modeling approaches, random forest（RF） and support vector machine were adopted to estimate above ground biomass（AGB） using widely used Landsat imagery in the region,especially within the ecological forest of Fuyang District in Zhejiang Province, China. Correlation analysis was accomplished and model parameters were optimized during the modeling process. As a result, the best performance modeling method RF was implemented to produce an AGB estimation map. The predicted map of AGB in the study area showed obvious spatial variability and demonstrated that within the current ecological forest zone, as well as the protected areas, the average of AGB were higher than the ordinary forest. The quantification of AGB was proven to have a close relationship with the local forest policy and management pattern, which indicated that combining remote-sensing imagery and forest biophysical property would provide considerable guidance for making beneficial decisions.

Integrating beneficiaries into assessment of ecosystem services from managed forests at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest,USA

Background：Forests contribute to human wellbeing through the provision of important ecosystem services.Methods：In this study,we investigated how the perceived importance of ecosystem services may impact the overall benefit provided by managed watersheds at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest over a 45-year period,using standardized measures of service capacity weighted by service importance weights derived from a survey of beneficiaries.Results：The capacity of watersheds to regulate water flow and quality was high in all watersheds throughout the study period,whereas cultural services such as scenic beauty declined after harvest.Impacts on greenhouse gas regulation depended on the efficiency with which harvested biomass was used.Surveys revealed that stakeholders placed high value on all ecosystem services,with regulating and cultural services seen as more important than provisioning services.When service metrics were weighted by survey responses and aggregated into a single measure,total service provision followed the same overall trend as greenhouse gas regulation.Where biomass use was less efficient in terms of greenhouse gas emissions,harvesting resulted in an overall ＂ecosystem service debt＂;where use was more efficient,this ＂ecosystem service debt＂ was reduced.Beneficiaries＇ educational backgrounds significantly affected overall assessment of service provision.Beneficiaries with college or university degrees incurred smaller ＂ecosystem service debts＂ and were less negatively affected by harvesting overall.Conclusions：This study highlights the importance of including empirical measures of beneficiary preference when attempting to quantify overall provision of ecosystem services to human beneficiaries over time.

Value Assessment of Ecosystem Service Function of Ecological Public Welfare Forests in Wenchang City

Based on the measurement parameters and index in the Specifications for Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Services in China(LY/T 1721-2008),the value of ecological service functions of ecological public welfare forest in Wenchang City was evaluated and analyzed.The results show that the total value of ecosystem service function of ecological public welfare forests in Wenchang City is about 4.020 billion yuan,of which storage capacity,water purification,soil fixation,fertilizer(N,P and K fertilizer) conservation,carbon sequestration,oxygen release,forest nutrient accumulation,providing anion,absorbing SO_2,absorbing fluoride,absorbing NxO,absorbing soil heavy metals,dust retention,noise reduction,sterilization,forest protection,forest biodiversity protection,and forest recreation(ecological tourism) are about 1.510 billion,582.256 million,3.769 million,268.220 million,116.360 million,2.747 million,22.682 million,42.817 million,1.722 million,74,600,131,900,187.918 million,77.409 million,28.721 million,43.090 million,180.696 million,571.036 million,and 108.677 million yuan

Categorized Analysis of Forest Ecological Values in the China’s Conversion Cropland to Forest Program

The China’s Conversion Cropland to Forest Program(CCFP)is one of the largest national ecological construction programs,which has effectively improved ecological environment and produced large ecological benefi t.To provide references for further improving ecological benefi t of CCFP,we analyzed the features,differences and relationships of the categorized forest ecological“benefi t value”(B-V)s in 3 kinds of forest restoration ways in different regions in CCFP,using the data of Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network(CFERN)from 1999 to 2013 and the methods of the national standards of(LY/T1606-2003),(LY/T1721-2008)and(LY/T1952-2011).The result showed that annual B-Vs of unit area varied in the range of 3.5-10.0 e4 RMBs/hm2·a.Water conservation B-Vs and species conservation B-Vs are the 2 largest constituents,nutrient accumulation B-V was the least in total B-Vs.The B-Vs performed inconsistently among the forest restoration ways and different regions.The rank of average annual total B-Vs of unit area from high to low was“hillside forest conservation”,“returning cropland to forest”,“afforestation on suitable barren hills and wasteland”.Species conservation B-Vs and water conservation B-Vs in southern regions were higher than that of northern and northwestern regions in China.The hot and rainy regions could produce higher species conservation B-Vs.The regression analysis indicated that water conservation B-Vs had signifi cantly positive correlation with the relevant total B-Vs and positive correlation with the relevant atmosphere purification B-Vs whether in regional or in unit area scale.Unit area species conservation B-V was negatively correlated with the relevant nutrient accumulation B-Vs except the way of“afforestation on suitable barren hills and wasteland”.Regional total species conservation B-Vs had signifi cantly negative correlation with its relevant nutrient accumulation B-Vs except“hillside forest conservation”way.We suggest that suitable forest restoration ways must be selective according to the regional specifi c,B-V features and local ecological goals.

Comparative Research on Zoning of High Conservation Value Forest and Ecological Forest

High conservation value forest(HCVF) theory has aroused wide concerns among related forestry sectors in China,but the zoning and identification of HCVF only have been implemented in a few forest management units(FMUs). As there is no quantitative indicator for identifying and zoning HCVF in China,most FMUs are unable to have an exact zoning result. This paper introduced the concepts of HCVF and ecological forest,and compared their similarities and differences in terms of identification criteria,zoning methods and application scope. With four Chinese FMUs as case studies,some suggestions were proposed for establishing a zoning scheme of HCVF so as to promote the development of HCVF in China.

Construction and Management of Public Welfare Forest in Hainan Province

Through investigating ecological service functions of public welfare forest in Hainan Province, this paper explored type constitution and problems of its ecological service functional value, optimization of its scale and layout, promoted effective protection and benign development, and proposed strategies for the construction and management of public welfare forest in Hainan Province.

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.

应用3S技术研究厦门市森林生态网络布局

该文探讨了3S技术在厦门市森林生态网络体系中的应用方法和手段,从整体上提高了厦门市生态环境建设的水平。本文可为相同自然条件和社会务件的城市森林生态建设提供参考。

Wind profiles in and over trees

风速是森林生态系统研究中最为重要的变量之一,同时也是控制气流运输过程最基本的要素。由于树木生理指标和生长过程对风速的改变十分敏感,因此风速随高度的变化规律,即风速廓线的研究十分重要。一般认为,在裸地或林冠上的风廓线均呈对数规律变化,但是在单株树木和林分内风速随高度的变化则不呈对数规律。本文根据最近在海岸松林内风的研究结果,总结了针叶树种单株树木内、林分内和林冠上层以及海岸林区的风速廓线变化规律,其主要结论如下:1)单株针叶树树冠内的风速廓线呈指数形式分布,2)在林分内的风速廓线可用风的减弱系数来表示,3)[(\267\347)(\300\252\317\337\324\332\301\326\271\332\262\343)]上的分布可由风廓线参数(摩擦速度、粗糙长度、零平面位移)确定,4)在海岸林区,极端风速的分布可以使用了建筑上的风荷载模型进行预测。另外,本文提出了该研究领域尚需进一步探讨的问题,主要包括:1)风速廓线与树木特征及林分特征间的关系,2)利用简单的方法预测了风速廓线参数,3)风速廓线在树木生理、生态研究的作用、树木生长过程中风的微生态学效应以及森林生态和管理应用等方面。图4表1参60。

辽西地区沙棘资源可持续利用探讨

针对辽西地区现有沙棘资源经营的现状及存在的问题,对大面积沙棘人工林的死亡进行了调查分析,提出了将现有沙棘资源根据立地条件划分为不同林种,按不同林种进行分类经营的技术措施。同时,针对沙棘大面积死亡的经验和教训,对不同林种的更新改造及沙棘种植园和生态经济林的建设提出了可持续经营的方向及切实可行的方法。