Intra-annual stem diameter growth of Tamarix ramosissima and association with hydroclimatic factors in the lower reaches of China's Heihe River

High-resolution observations of cambial phenology and intra-annual growth dynamics are useful approaches for understanding the response of tree growth to climate and environmental change. During the past two decades, rapid socioeconomic development has increased the demand for water resources in the oases of the middle reaches of the Heihe River in northwestern China, and the lower reaches of the Heihe River have changed from a perennial river to an ephemeral stream with a decreased and degraded riparian zone. Tamarisk（Tamarix ramosissima） is the dominant shrub species of the desert riparian forest. In this study, the daily and seasonal patterns of tamarisk stem diameter growth, including the main period of tree ring formation, were examined. Observations concerning the driving forces of growth changes, along with implications for the ecology of the dendrohydrological area and management of desert riparian forests in similar arid regions, are also presented. The diurnal-seasonal activity of stem diameter and the dynamics of growth ring formation were studied using a point dendrometer and micro-coring methods during the 2012 growing season in shrub tamarisk in a desert riparian forest stand in the lower reaches of the Heihe River in Ejin Banner, Inner Mongolia of northwestern China. Generally, the variation in diurnal diameter of tamarisk was characterized by an unstable multi-peak pattern, with the cumulative stem diameter growth over the growing season following an S-shaped curve. The period from late May to early August was the main period of stem diameter growth and growth-ring formation. Among all of the hydroclimatic factors considered in this study, only groundwater depth was significantly correlated with stem diameter increment during this period. Therefore, for the dendrochronological study, the annual rings of the tamarisk can be used to reconstruct processes that determine the regional water regime, such as river runoff and fluctuations in groundwater depth. For the management of desert riparian forests, suitable groundwater depths must be maintained in the spring and summer to sustain tree health and a suitable stand structure.

Individual-tree diameter growth model for Korean pine plantations based on optimized interpolation of meteorological variables

To explore the influence of meteorological variables on the growth of Korean pine(Pinus koraiensis Sieb.et Zucc.) plantations and provide a scientific reference for the production and management of Korean pine,three approaches to interpolate meteorological variables during the growing season(i.e.,May-September) were compared in Heilongjiang Province,China.Optimized meteorological variable interpolation results were then combined with stand and individual tree variables,based on data from 56 sample plots and 2886 sample trees from Korean pine plantations in two regions of the province to develop an individualtree diameter growth model(Model I) and an individualtree diameter growth model with meteorological variables(Model Ⅱ) using a stepwise regression method.Moreover,an individual-tree diameter growth model with regional effects(Model Ⅲ) was developed using dummy variables in the regression,and the significance of introducing these dummy variables was verified with an F-test statistical analysis.The models were validated using an independent data set,and the predictive performance of the three models was assessed via the adjusted coefficient of determination(R_(a)^(2)) and root mean square error(RMSE).The results suggest that the growth increment in tree diameter of Korean pine plantations was significantly correlated with the natural logarithm of initial diameter(ln D),stand basal area(BAS),logarithmic deformation of the stand density index(ln SDI),ratio of basal area of trees larger than the subject tree to their initial diameter at breast height(DBH)(BAL/D),and the maximum growingseason precipitation(Pgmax).The individual-tree diameter growth models of Korean pine plantations developed in this study will provide a good basis for estimating and predicting growth increments of Korean pine forests over larger areas.

Irrigation effects on diameter growth of 2-year-old Paulownia tomentosa saplings

Species of Paulownia are fast-growing trees that are planted in many countries in green spaces and agroforestry systems. We studied the influence of irrigation on the diameter growth of 2-year-old Paulownia tomentosa saplings planted in 3 m 9 3 m grids at Nazlou Campus of Urmia University, Iran. Completely randomized experimental design was used with four irrigation amount, viz.10, 15, 20 and 25 L, and three irrigation intervals, viz. 3-and 6-days, in 8 replications. During the growth season, we measured collar diameters of all saplings at the end of each month. Diameter growth declined with reduced irrigation amount and increased irrigation interval. The lowest average diameter growth（9 mm） was recorded for 10 L water at 6-day intervals and maximum average diameter growth（28.7 mm） was recorded for 25 L volume at 3-day intervals. The latter treatment resulted in significantly greater diameter growth than any other treatment（except20 L at 3-day intervals）. More than 80 % of diameter growth was achieved in the first 3 months. Therefore, it is essential to irrigate with 25 L of water at 3-day intervals during the first three growth months to achieve maximum diameter growth for 2-year-old P. tomentosa saplings.

Effect of first thinning and pruning on the individual growth of Pinus patula tree species

The effect of first thinning and pruning on height, diameter at breast height （DBH）, and volume growth was studied in individual trees of Pinus patula Schiede and Deppe in Chongoni Plantation, using four plots for thinning trials. Each of the plots was 0.5 ha and subjected to one of the fol- lowing silvicultural treatments： first thinning and pruning, first thinning and no pruning, pruning and no thinning, and control （no pruning and no thinning）. The silvicultural treatments were randomized in four replicates. Fourteen years after planting, the following parameters were measured including total height, DBH, and volume. The highest DBH and volume growth was observed in thinning and pruning, while the highest growth in height was observed where there was pruning and no thinning. Clearly, both thinning and pruning are an important manage- ment option in pine species plantations in Malawi to maximize the increase in volume productivity.

Effects of different land-use systems (grazing and understory cultivation) on growth and yield of semi-arid oak coppices

The present study examines the extent of negative eff ects of traditional multiple land-use systems on oak coppices,from a forest management point of view.The study area was located in approximately 10,000 ha of hilly Brant’s oak(Quercus brantii Lindl.)woodlands in the central Zagros Mountains.In the same site-quality class,three land-use systems were compared:simple coppice(Co),coppice in conjunction with small ruminant grazing(CoG),and coppice with understory rain-fed wheat cultivation plus grazing(CoCG).Data on total wood volume of trunk and major branches,and annual ring growth,were collected and analyzed from 74 stands in 15 coppiced woodland patches.The results showed the advantage of Co over CoG and CoCG land-uses by 43 and 60 m 3 of mean accumulated wood volume per hectare,respectively.The diameter growth analysis also revealed an annual increase in wood production of trees in Co land-uses over 43 years,with an exception of the recent decade,when growth coincided with a severe drought.Using a back-extrapolation method,the minimum rotation age of woodlands in Co land-use was found to be 23.6 years,5 and 7 years shorter than those of CoG and CoCG land-uses,respectively.Unlike CoCG,woodlands located in Co and CoG land-use systems demonstrated a high level of agreement with self-thinning rule of−3/2.Values for the stand density index for coppiced oak woodlands were between more than 1000 for the least disturbed(Co)and less than 400 for the most disturbed woodlands(CoCG).The structure and growth rate of the coppiced oak woodlands were irreversibly disrupted by understory tillage plus grazing and in less extent by grazing alone.It was concluded that ending undergrowth cultivation in semi-arid oak coppices should be addressed as a priority by adopting minimum regulations.

Estimation of a basal area growth model for individual trees in uneven-aged Caspian mixed species forests

The aim of this study was to estimate a basal area growth model for individual trees in uneven-aged Caspian forests.A survey was conducted in order to find a natural forest without any harvesting activities,a so called ＇untouched forest＇ and an area was selected from the Iranian Caspian forest.Three sample plots in the same aspect and of the same forest type were selected.In each plot,total tree height,diameter at breast height,distance of neighbor trees and azimuth were measured.Thirty trees were selected and drilled with increment borer to determine the increment model.Regression analysis was used to estimate the growth model.Results show that,for individual trees,there is a significant nonlinear relationship between the annual basal area increment,as the dependent variable,and the basal area.The results also show that the basal area of competing trees has a positive influence on growth.That the increment is higher with more competing neighboring trees is possibly because plots with higher volume per hectare and more competition,most likely also have higher site index or better soil or better site productivity than the plot with lower volume per hectare.

Investigating the Impact of Climate Changes on Qualitative and Quantitative Growth of Oak Trees (Case Study: Central Zagros)

The present study is an attempt to investigate the impact of climate changes on quantitative and qualitative growth of oak trees in central Zagros region. After we selected the study region, 35 discs were taken from trees felled in each height class (e.g. 1400 - 1600, 1600 - 1800, 1800 - 2000 m above the sea level). We used climate index spi. For the data analysis, we employed SPSS software and inferential statistics tests of Kolmogroff Smirnov and the one-way ANOVA. During the recent 15 years, rainfall has shown a decreasing trend and amount of haze and frequency of occurring haze has been increased. The ANOVA results indicated that diameter growth of trees in three height classes revealed a significant difference. The average annual diameter growth in the first, second and third classes were 1.8 mm, 2.5 mm, and 2.2 mm, respectively. Additionally, the results indicated that hillsides and slope aspect has a statistically meaningful effect on the size of canopy area, basal area and number per hectare. Several different studies have reported that during the recent 15 years, qualitative and quantitative growth of central Zagros oak trees strongly correlate with climate parameters in the three habitats.

Survival of Seedlings of Native Woody Species in the Rehabilitation of Gold Mined-Site within a Three Years Old Acacia mangium Willd Plantation of St. Elizabeth-Mahdia, Guyana

Active restoration is a critical component of biodiversity conservation for degraded tropical forest ecosystems caused by artisanal gold mining, and the success of restoration is dependent on native species selection. However, significant knowledge gaps exist regarding when and where to plant trees. This article reports on a revegetation trial undertaken in St Elizabeth, Mahdia, Guyana, to assess the survival and RGR (Relative Growth Rate) of three native woody trees and shrubs planted within three years old Acacia mangium Willd trees pruned and unpruned blocks. ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) for a completely randomized block design with four blocks, two pruned and two unpruned, within A. mangium plots. Biochar treatment was added to the plants during transplanting. Thirty-six (36) wildlings of Humiria balsamifera (Aublet.) (Tauroniro), Goupia glabra Aublet (Kabukalli), and Vismia guianensis (Aublet.) Choisy (Bloodwood) were collected and raised in a tree nursery for two weeks. The native plants were transplanted 3 m apart, survival observations and each seedling’s initial height and diameter were measured and recorded. After the experiment, 13% of seedlings from a population of 720 had died, with the highest mortality being experienced at the 92 days of the experiment (t ≤ 122 days). While the overall survival rates were high, emphasizing the importance of field trials on native and exotic species in different environments is essential to fill the knowledge gaps on suitable species for restoration in degraded areas with other land use histories.

Modelling growing space of four valuable broadleaved tree species in southern China

We present management tools for growing four valuable broadleaved tree species, indigenous to subtropi.cal southern China. Crown diameter （CD） of the species studied can be predicted very well by using a model that is so e y a near funct on of d ameter at breast he ght （DBH）. The add t on of tree age （AGE） and yield class （YC） to this-nodel did not significantly improve its predictive capacity. We used species-specific crown diameter models to calcu- ate the amount of growing space and subsequently stand density that each species needs to achieve desired stem ＂adial growth rates. Furthermore we used this information to calculate a ＂distance factor＂, a rule of thumb that roughly ~stimates the distance between two neighboring trees needed to achieve a desired future target diameter. These tools ＇acilitate the planning of thinning regimes by using crown diameter models combined with annual radial growth rates to ;alculate the number of crop trees per hectare required to reach a desired target stem diameter.

Rehabilitation of degraded areas in northeastern Patagonia, Argentina: Effects of environmental conditions and plant functional traits on performance of native woody species

Degradation processes affect a vast area of arid and semi-arid lands around the world and damage the environment and people′s health. Degradation processes are driven by human productive activities that cause direct and indirect effects on natural resources, such as species extinction at regional scale, reduction and elimination of vegetation cover, soil erosion, etc. In this context, ecological rehabilitation is an important tool to recover key aspects of the degraded ecosystem. Rehabilitation trials rely on the use of native plant species with characteristics that allow them to obtain high survival and growth rates. The aim of this work was to assess the survival and growth of native woody species in degraded areas of northeastern Patagonia and relate them to plant functional traits and environmental variables. We observed high early and late survival rates, and growth rates in Prosopis flexuosa DC. var. depressa F.A. Roig and Schinus johnstonii F.A. Barkley, and low values in Condalia microphylla Cav. and Geoffroea decorticans(Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.) Burkart. Early survival rates were positively associated with specific leaf area(SLA) and precipitation, but negatively associated with wood density, the maximum mean temperature of the warmest month and the minimum mean temperature of the coldest month. Late survival rates were positively associated with SLA and soil organic matter, but negatively associated with plant height and precipitation. The temperature had a positive effect on late survival rates once the plants overcame the critical period of the first summer after they were transplanted to the field. Prosopis flexuosa and S. johnstonii were the most successful species in our study. This could be due to their functional traits that allow these species to acclimatize to the local environment. Further research should focus on C. microphylla and G. decorticans to determine how they relate to productive conditions, acclimation to environmental stress, auto-ecology and potential use in ecological rehabilitation trials.

Stand dynamics of the drought-affected floodplain forests of Araguaia River,Brazilian Amazon

Background： The floodplain forests of Araguaia River, a clear-water river in the southeastern Amazon（Tocantins State, Brazil）, are characterized by seasonal flooding up to 3.5 m height, low nutrient levels in the water, and seasonal drought periods of 4–5 months.Methods： We studied the forest dynamics（tree diameter growth, tree mortality and recruitment） of this unique forest ecosystem over a 5-year period by repeated censuses in 12 permanent plots established along a flooding gradient.Results： The cumulative basal area in the plots increased by 0.84（±0.45） m^2·ha^-1·yr^-1（mean ±SD） in the annual y-flooded（AF） plots in lower terrain and by 0.69（±1.00） m^2·ha^-1·yr^-1 in the higher non-annual y flooded（NAF） plots, corresponding to an aboveground biomass increase of 0.81（±0.57） and 0.69（±1.58） Mg·ha^-1·yr^-1 in the AF and NAF plots, indicating a recent carbon sink in the biomass. Mean diameter growth rate was 1.8（±0.44） mm·yr^-1 in the AF and 2.0（±0.56） mm·yr^-1 in the NAF plots（corresponding to a coarse wood production of 1.53（±1.29） and 2.02（±0.52） Mg·ha^-1·yr^-1）,indicating no flooding effect on radial growth. Mean mortality rates in the 5-year period were 1.9（±0.37）·yr^-1 in the AF plots and 1.8（±0.87）%·yr^-1 in the NAF plots with no differences along the flooding gradient. Highest mortalities were registered in the AF plots for the 10–20 cm dbh class（2.4%·yr^-1）, likely as a consequence of flooding,and in the NAF plots for the 40–50 cm dbh class（3.0%·yr^-1）, probably mainly caused by ENSO-related droughts.Conclusions： We conclude that these drought-affected tropical floodplain forests have a lower standing biomass and aboveground productivity than central Amazonian floodplain forests in more humid climates, and the imprint of the flooding gradient on stand dynamics is relatively weak, which may result from the lower flooding height and the interaction of flooding with low nutrient supply and periodic drought.