Soil seed banks along elevational gradients in tropical, subtropical and subalpine forests in Yunnan Province, southwest China

Soil seed banks are a vital part of ecosystems and influence community dynamics and regeneration.Although soil seed banks in different habitats have been reported, how soil seed banks vary with elevational gradients in different climatic zones is still unknown. This paper investigates seed density,species composition and nonconstituent species of forest soil seed banks in Yunnan Province, southwest China. Similarity between the soil seed bank and standing vegetation was also examined. We collected soil samples from sites spanning 12 elevations in tropical rain forests, subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests and subalpine coniferous forests, and transported them to a glasshouse for germination trials for species identification. The soil seed banks of tropical and subtropical forests had much higher seed densities and species richness than those of subalpine forests. Seeds of woody species dominated the soil seed banks of tropical and subtropical forests, while herbs dominated those of subalpine forests.The nonconstituent species in the soil seed banks were all herbs and were most abundant in tropical forests, followed by subtropical forests but were completely absent from subalpine forests.

Population structure and regeneration patterns of tree species in climate-sensitive subalpine forests of Indian western Himalaya

The population structure of tree species has been explored in order to elucidate regeneration potential of the subalpine forests of Indian western Himalaya. For this study, the subalpine forest area was divided into three strata, i.e., lower altitude （〈3000 m）; mid-altitude （3000-3200 m）; and high altitude （〉3200m）. Considering the major compositional attributes, an increase in altitude came with a significant decline in tree density and the total basal area for all the sites. However, no such clear trends were observed for recruits （i.e., seedlings and saplings）. Seedling density did not exhibit uniform patterns for sites and altitude strata. In general, overall seedling density was greater at the Pindari site compared to the Lata and Tungnath sites. By comparison, significant variation in seedling density along the altitude strata was recorded for the Tungnath and Pindari sites only. Likewise, sapling density patterns varied across the sites and altitude strata, and significant variation in sapling density along the altitude strata was recorded only for the Lata site. At the Pin- daft site, the continuous increase in sapling density along with increasing altitude was revealing. The Pindari forests of exhibited expanding population structure. In contrast, greater accumulation of individuals in the sapling class and sharp decline toward both higher tree classes and lower seedling classes was generally apparent for the Lata and Tungnath sites. This indicates that the replacement in tree size classes from sapling stage is not proportional and the population may decline in the long-term. Considerable variation in patterns of forest and dominant species popula- tion structure were evident across altitude strata. But in all cases irrespective of sites, we found growth at the high-altitude stratum, in the form of entire forests or dominant species. This trend deserves further investigation to explore its relevance under changing climate scenarios.

Unveiling evapotranspiration patterns and energy balance in a subalpine forest of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:observations and analysis from an eddy covariance system

Evapotranspiration is an important parameter used to characterize the water cycle of ecosystems.To under-stand the properties of the evapotranspiration and energy balance of a subalpine forest in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,an open-path eddy covariance system was set up to monitor the forest from November 2020 to October 2021 in a core area of the Three Parallel Rivers in the Qing-hai-Tibet Plateau.The results show that the evapotranspira-tion peaked daily,the maximum occurring between 11:00 and 15:00.Environmental factors had significant effects on evapotranspiration,among them,net radiation the greatest(R^(2)=0.487),and relative humidity the least(R^(2)=0.001).The energy flux varied considerably in different seasons and sensible heat flux accounted for the main part of turbulent energy.The energy balance ratio in the dormant season was less than that in the growing season,and there is an energy imbalance at the site on an annual time scale.

Stem CO_(2) efflux of Abies fabri in subalpine forests in the Gongga Mountains,Eastern Tibetan Plateau

Aims Despite the importance of stem cO_(2)efflux(Es)in ecosystem carbon cycling and energy balance,little is known about temporal variation in the temperature coefficient(Q10)and sapwood nitrogen concen-trations([N])and their intrinsic links with Es.The objectives of this study were:(i)to examine the response of Es to temperature in a subalpine region and(ii)to explore the influence of stem diameter and[N]on Es.Also,we will test the hypothesis that(i)Es in trees has thermal acclimation and(ii)Es will be well correlated with diameter at breast height(DBH)and[N].Methods Here,a horizontally oriented soil chamber technique was applied to measure Es of Abies fabri in two subalpine forest stands in Southwestern china from May to December 2014.We also exam-ined the variability in Es,Q10 and[N]in trees and monitored the relationship between temperature,[N],DBH and Es.Important Findings During the measurement period,Es showed an apparent seasonal trend,following the change in air temperature,increasing from May and peaking in July,then continuously decreasing until December.The mean Es for the growing and dormant seasons were 1.45 and 0.25μmol·m^(−2)·s^(−1),respectively,and Es in the mature forest was sig-nificantly higher than in the immature forest.The area-based Es was positively correlated with DBH and sapwood width(SW),while volume-based Es showed negative relationship with DBH and SW.Across the five diameter classes,69.8-89.0%of the variation in Es could be explained by air temperature.The temperature sensitiv-ity(Q10)of Es ranged from 2.98 to 5.61 during the measurement period,with a higher Q10 appearing in the growing season than in the dormant season.There was a significant linear relationship(P<0.01)between[N]and Es(expressed based on two different units).Additionally,exponential models of Es against[N]and air temperature were applied to estimate Es.

Once upon a time biomass burning in the western Alps: Nesting effects of climate and local drivers on long-term subalpine fires

Background:The present article questions the relative importance of local-and large-scale processes on the long-term dynamics of fire in the subalpine belt in the western Alps.The study is based on soil charcoal dating and identification,several study sites in contrasting environmental conditions,and sampling of soil charcoal along the elevation gradient of each site.Based on local differences in biomass combustion,we hypothesize that local-scale or landscape-scale processes have driven the fire history,while combustion homogeneity supports the hypothesis of the importance of large-scale or macro-ecological processes,especially climate.Results:Biomass burning during the Holocene resulted from the nesting effects of climate,land use,and altitude,but was little influenced by slope exposure(north versus south),soil(dryness,pH,depth),and vegetation.The mid-Holocene(6500–2700 cal BP)was an important period for climate-driven biomass burning in the subalpine ecosystems of the western Alps,while fires over the last 2500 years appear much more episodic,prompting us to speculate that human activity has played a vital role in their occurrence.Conclusion:Our working hypothesis that the strength of local drivers should offset the effects of regional climate is not validated.The homogeneity of the fire regime between sites thus underscores that climate was the main driver during the Holocene of the western Alps.Long-term subalpine fires are controlled by climate at the millennial scale.Local conditions matter for little in determining variability at the century scale.The mid-Holocene was a chief period for climatic biomass burning in the subalpine zone,while fires during the late Holocene appear much more episodic,suggesting that social drivers has exercised key function on their control.

Streamwater chemistry and flow dynamics along vegetation-soil gradient in a subalpine Abies fabri forest watershed, China

Streamwater chemistry and spatial flow dynamics from a subalpine Abies fabri forest in an experimental watershed located in the east slope of Gongga Mountain were analyzed to gain insights into the gradient effect of primary community succession on the stream biogeochemical process. Results showed that high sand content(exceeding 80%) and porosity in the soil(exceeding 20% in A horizon and 35% in B horizon), as well as a thick humus layer on the soil surface, made the water exchange quickly in the Huangbengliu(HBL) watershed. Consequently, no surface runoff was observed, and the stream discharge changed rapidly with the daily precipitation. The flow trends of base ions in the stream water were influenced by the Abies fabri succession gradient. Ca 2+ , HCO - 3 and SO 2- 4 were the dominant anions in the streamwater in this region. A significant difference of Ca 2+ , HCO - 3 and SO 2- 4 concentration exported between the succession stages in the watershed can be found. But they had the similar temporal change in the stream flow. Ca 2+ , HCO - 3 and SO 2- 4 showed significantly negative correlations with the daily precipitation and the stream discharge. \;Concentrations of Cl -, Na +, K +, and Mg 2+ were low in all streamwaters monitored and we observed no differences along the Abies fabri succession gradient. Low ratios of Na:(Na+Ca) (range from 0.1 to 0.2) implied cations were from bedrock weathering(internal source process in the soil system) in this region. But, a variance analysis showed there were almost no differences between rainwater and streamwaters for Mg 2+ , Na +, K +, and Cl - concentrations. This indicated that they might be come from rainfall inputs(external source). The highly mobile capacity, rapid water exchange between precipitation and discharge, and long-term export lead to this observed pattern were suggested.

Gap edge canopy buffering of throughfall deposition in a subalpine natural forest

Base cation loads are rarely considered in forest gap edge canopies,but they can play critical roles in capturing or buffering atmospheric deposition in forests with frequent gap disturbances,such as subalpine forests.We selected an expanded gap edge canopy and a closed canopy in a subalpine natural forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.The throughfall deposition and canopy exchange processes of common base cations(K^(+),Ca^(2+),Na^(+),and Mg^(2+))were continuously studied over two years.The results showed that the enrichment ratio and fluxes had lower levels of base cations in the gap-edge canopy than in the closed canopy,which indicated that base cations were concentrated more in the closed canopy than in the gap-edge canopy.Although Ca^(2+)in the gap-edge canopy showed a higher net throughfall flux,the annual net throughfall fluxes of K^(+),Na^(+) and Mg^(2+) within the gap-edge canopy were 1.83,6.75 and 2.95 times lower than those in the closed canopy,respectively.Moreover,dry deposition fluxes of base cations significantly decreased in the gap edge canopy compared to those in the closed canopy,and the decreasing tendency was more significant during the snowy season than during the rainy season.Overall,these results suggest that the amount of base cations in subalpine natural forest ecosystems may be overestimated when the throughfall deposition of ions in gap edge canopies is ignored.

Host-environment mismatches associated with subalpine fir decline in Colorado

Subalpine fir decline （SFD） has killed more trees in Colorado＇s high elevation forests than any other insect or disease problem. The widespread nature of this disorder suggests that the cause involves climatic factors. We examined the influence of varying combinations of average annual temperature and precipitation on the incidence and distribution of SFD. Climatic transition matrices generated in this study indicate that most healthy trees are found in climatic zones with moderate to low temperatures and high precipitation; whereas, SFD occurs mostly in zones of moderate temperatures and moderate precipitation. The contrasting distributions define an environmental mismatch. Forests matched with favorable climatic conditions thrive; those that are mismatched can become vulnerable to decline disease.

Effect of geomorphologic features and climate change on vegetation distribution in the arid hot valleys of Jinsha River,Southwest China

Rapid change of climate in vertical and considerable geomorphologic features form a typical diversity and distribution of biota in mountain ecosystems,i.e.,the subalpine forest zone(SFZ),the valley savanna zone(VSZ),and the transition zone between them.The arid hot valley in the middle and lower reaches of Jinsha River,China represents a well target area to study distribution and the driving factors in these typical mountain ecosystems.Therefore,this study selects four sub-sample areas in the arid-hot valley to explore the distinctive changes of vegetation during 1990 to 2020,and their driving factors in the three different vegetation zones on spatiotemporal scales.On the spatial scale,the Moran’s index was applied to identify the transition zone between the SFZ and the VSZ.Results show that the VSZ at low altitudes(less than 600-1000 m from the valley bottom)is mainly affected by geomorphologic features,especially the slope aspect.With increase in altitude,the climate factors(e.g.,humidity,temperature,etc.)play a more significant role in the development of the SFZ,while the effect of geomorphologic features gradually weakens.On the time scale,The SFZ at higher altitudes experienced more rapid changes in temperature(temperature increase of 1.41°C over the last 60 years)than the VSZ at lower altitudes(temperature increase of 0.172°C over the past 60 years).It caused the forest cover increase faster than that of savanna grassland.Humidity and heat conditions are altered by topography and climate conditions,which shapes the development and physiology of plants as they adapt to the different climatic zones.Furthermore,according to the driving factors(geomorphologic and climate factors)of vegetation distribution found in this study,it suggests that suitable tree species should be planted in the transition zone to evolve into the forest zone and making the forest zone to recover from high to low altitudes gradually.

Response of clonal plasticity of Fargesia nitida to different canopy conditions of subalpine coniferous forest

The aim of this study is to explore the effects of canopy conditions on clump and culm numbers,and the morphological plasticity and biomass distribution patterns of the dwarf bamboo species Fargesia nitida.Specifically,we investigated the effects of canopy conditions on the growth and morphological characteristics of F.nitida,and the adaptive responses of F.nitida to different canopy conditions and its ecological senses.The results indicate that forest canopy had a significant effect on the genet density and culm number per clump,while it did not affect the ramet density.Clumps tended to be few and large in gaps and forest edge plots,and small under forest understory plots.The ramets showed an even distribution under the closed canopy,and cluster distribution under gaps and forest edge plots.The forest canopy had a significant effect on both the ramets’biomass and biomass allocation.Favourable light conditions promoted ramet growth and biomass accumulation.Greater amounts of biomass in gaps and forest edge plots were shown by the higher number of culms per clump and the diameter of these culms.Under closed canopy,the bamboos increased their branching angle,leaf biomass allocation,specific leaf area and leaf area ratio to exploit more favourable light conditions in these locations.The spacer length,specific spacer length and spacer branching angles all showed significant differences between gaps and closed canopy conditions.The larger specific spacer length and spacer branching angle were beneficial for bamboo growth,scattering the ramets and exploiting more favourable light conditions.In summary,this study shows that to varying degrees,F.nitida exhibits both a wide ecological amplitude and high degree of morphological plasticity in response to differing forest canopy conditions.Moreover,the changes in plasticity enable the plants to optimize their light usage efficiency to promote growth and increase access to resources available in heterogeneous light environments.