Survey of damaging pests and preliminary assessment of forest health risks to the long term success of Pinus radiata introduction in Sichuan, southwest China

Pinus radiata was introduced to the summer rainfall environments of Sichuan Province, China in the 1990s as a part of an afforestation pmgram for soil and water conservation in the arid and semi-arid river valley area of Aba Prefecture. Within this region a total area of 26 000 ha have been identified through climate matching as suitable and a further 63 000 ha potentially suitable for environmental plantings of P. radiata. The plantations are being established in widely separated small patches on steep and degraded slopes along the dry river valley The newly introduced P. radiata are exposed to two kinds of forest health risks： they may be attacked by （a） indigenous pathogens and pests against which they may not possess any resistance or （b） by inadvertently introduced foreign pests or pathogens. This paper presents a survey of the potential damaging pests and a preliminary assessment of forest health risks facing the P. radiata plantations over a much longer timeframe than the initial phase of introduction and early plantation establishment. An empirical appmach was adopted to evaluate forest health risks by a combination of literature review, examination of historical records of pest and disease outbreaks in the surrounding conifemus forests, field surveys and inspections, specimen collection and identification, and most importantly, expert analysis of the likelihood of attack by specific pests and pathogens and the subsequent impact of such attacks. The assessment identified some specific forest health risks to the long-term success of P. radiata introduction in this area. These risks are closely associated with the indigenous pests and pathogens of the two native pine species, P. tabulaeformis and P. armondii since these pests and pathogens are considered more likely to establish on P. radiata over time. Exotic pests and pathogens are of a quarantine concern at present. Based on the results of assessment, recommendations are pmvided to improve forest vigour and to reduce the forest health risks posed by indigenous as well as exotic pests and pathogens to the introduced P. radiata. Ways to increase the ability to manage the forest health risks once a particular pest infestation and disease eventuates are also recommended. Although detrimental to the survival and growth of the introduced P. radiata, the impact of identified forest health risks are not considered to be fatal to the long term success ofP. radiata in this area.

Determinates of the competitiveness of provincial forest health care industry in China

Due to the late start of China’s forest health industry,related research is lagging behind,which results in the inability to propose a corresponding path to enhance competitiveness.Based on this,the evaluation index system of provincial forest health industry competitiveness was constructed by using the Porter diamond model,and the Entropy-TOPSIS model is used to evaluate the competitiveness of China’s provincial forest health industry,and the key influencing factors of the forest health industry competitiveness are identified by using the grey correlation analysis method,and the specific promotion path was designed.The empirical results show that the grey correlation degree between related and supporting industries and the competitiveness score of the forest health industry is the highest,which confirms that it is the key influencing factor of the competitiveness of the forest health industry.Therefore,government departments should vigorously promote the integration of cultural tourism,medical care,pension and other related industries with the forest health care industry;enterprises should strengthen the construction of forest health infrastr ucture and supporting facilities to improve the level of forest health services.

Application of Visualization Method in Forest Health Operation

The rapid development of visualization techniques makes the demonstration of forestry more profound and free,this study takes Badaling functional area of Beijing Forestry Health Projects as the background,puts forward a practical demonstration thought,and provides references and basis for the future visualized demonstration of such forestry health projects.

On forest ecosystem health and its Connotations

This paper cursorily introduced some ideas and approaches of ecosystem health researches. The definition and connotations of forest ecosystem health have also been expatiated. Defining forest ecosystem health has been discussed from the management objective approach, ecosystem approach, and integration approach. To impel the relative researches in China, more attention on the properties of a forest ecosystem should be paid.

Evaluation of the forest ecosystem health in Beijing area

The evaluation of ecosystem health has become one of the main research topics of ecosystem science, thus more and more assessment methods and frameworks have been put forward in recent years. However, the attention people pay to ecosystem health is actually more about what the social functions the ecosystem affords, which depend on the integrity and maintenance of the ecosystem structure and function, and the intensity of disturbance from outside. Accordingly, this research commenced from three main aspects, selected the evaluation indices, and then established the Evaluation Index System of Beijing Forest Ecosystem Health （EIS-BFEH）. In the EIS-BFEH, each of the three foundations contained an easily-operated and standard sub-index system, which compounded the specific natural and social conditions of Beijing and was concrete enough to measure and evaluate. Then with the method of the Analytical Hierarchy Process （AHP）, the comprehensive index （CI） could be obtained, which represented the health of the forest ecosystem. As a case study, the forest ecosystems in the Badaling area were sampled, evaluated, compared and ranked by use of the EIS-BFEH. The result show that the health of natural forests is much better than that of plantations in the Badaling forest center： the average comprehensive index of the former is 7.9, while the latter is only 6.6. From the results, it could also be found that there are nine units in the healthy state, two units in the subhealthy state, and only one unit of Robiniapseudoacacia in the morbid state.

Health Effect of Forest Bathing Trip on Elderly Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Forest bathing trip is a short, leisurely visit to forest. In this study we determined the health effects of forest bathing trip on elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD）. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group was sent to forest, and the other was sent to an urban area as control. Flow cytometry, ELISA, and profile of mood states （POMS） evaluation were performed. In the forest group,

Modeling of forest soil and litter health using disturbance and landscape heterogeneity indicators in northern Iran

This paper focuses on the indicators of soil and litter health, disturbance, and landscape heterogeneity as a tool for prediction of ecosystem sustainability in the northern forests of Iran. The study area was divided into spatial homogenous sites using slope, aspect, and soil humidity classes. Then a range of sites along the disturbance gradient was selected for sampling. Chemical and physical indicators of soil and litter health were measured at random points within these sites. Structural equation modeling(SEM) was applied to link six constructs of landscape heterogeneity, three constructs of disturbance(harvest, livestock, and human accessibility), and soil and litter health. The results showed that with decreasing accessibility, the total N and organic matter content of soil increased and effective bulk density decreased. Harvesting activities increased soil organic matter. Therefore, it is concluded that disturbances through harvesting and accessibility inversely affect the soil health. Unexpectedly, it was found that the litter total C and C:N ratio improved with an increase in the harvest and accessibility disturbances, whereas litter bulk density decreased. Investigation of tree composition revealed that in the climax communities, which are normally affected more by harvesting activities, some species like Fagus orientalis Lipsky with low decomposition rate are dominant. The research results showed that changes in disturbance intensity are reflected in litter and soil indicators, whereas the SEM indicated that landscape heterogeneity has a moderator effect on the disturbance to both litter and soil paths.

Relationship between Arthropods in Forest Litter and Forest Health

As an important part in forest ecosystems, the arthropod communities in the forest litter are closely related to forest health.Based on the ecological function,community structure and biology of the arthropods,we discuss the theoretical basis for the selection of particular groups of arthropods as bio-indicators in this paper,and suggest that the evenness and richness of Collembola(Collembolan), Coleoptera(Beetle) and Hymenoptera(Ant) can serve as forest health indicators.In terms of the relationship between forest litter arthropods and forest health,we summarize the main groups of forest litter arthropods suitable as bio-indicators and their ecological functions in forest ecosystems,and subsequently introduce a simple and accurate new method for selecting forest health indicator species by comparing the frequencies of the various species in different habitats.This method was tested with a real case using forest litter arthropods as a bio- indicator to evaluate rain forest health.Finally,the problems in using forest litter arthropods to evaluate and monitor forest habitat health are discussed and the use of multiple bio-indicator species in order to establish a balanced index system is recommended.

石羊河下游荒漠区雨养梭梭柠条人工林健康评价

梭梭和柠条作为石羊河下游荒漠区生态安全屏障建设的主要树种,分布面积大,在防风固沙、固碳增汇等方面发挥着重要的作用。近20年来,随着地下水位的下降和气候干旱化,梭梭柠条人工林已出现不同程度的衰败和死亡。选择20 a及以上林龄的梭梭、柠条、梭梭+柠条3种林分,对其生长指标、病态指标、更新指标及多样性指标调查,运用模糊判别法从优势种和林下植被两方面评价林分健康状况。结果表明:(1)石羊河下游梭梭柠条整体处于中等健康及以下水平。(2)梭梭柠条混交林健康状况相对优于柠条林、梭梭林,柠条的病虫害轻于梭梭,发芽指数高于梭梭。(3)土壤含水量与其健康序列有明显的正向相关性,健康序列越高含水量越高,全盐量、有机质、速效P分别明显影响着梭梭柠条的高生长、幼苗更新、盖度、枝条发芽和生活型。

健康中国背景下森林康养旅游的可持续发展路径研究——以桂林市为例

党的二十大报告提出要“全面推进乡村振兴”,森林康养旅游作为一种绿色产业、幸福产业、朝阳产业,可以挖掘旅游地多元价值、建设宜居宜业和美乡村、促进林农增收致富、增进人类福祉。本文运用SWOT-AHP分析法结合战略分析为其可持续发展路径提出建议。研究表明:(1)桂林市森林康养旅游可持续发展的内部优势(0.4093)>外部机遇(0.2952)>自身劣势(0.1894)>发展威胁(0.1061)。其中生态环境优良(0.3235)和旅游资源丰富(0.2748)是主要优势因素,配套设施欠缺(0.3417)和专业人才匮乏(0.2519)是影响发展的主要短板。同时,面临着市场需求增加(0.4349)这一最大机遇和招商融资困难(0.3873)这一首要威胁。(2)在四象限坐标分析中,桂林市森林康养旅游发展战略的重心坐标P(x,y)=P(0.2279,0.2566),战略强度系数ρ=0.9070,确定桂林市森林康养旅游应积极采取竞争型可持续发展战略。(3)基于上述分析提出4点建议:促进产业融合,丰富产品供给;完善配套设施,提升服务体验;培育专业人才,夯实产业发展基础;强化招商引资,优化营商环境。

Assessment of forest dieback on the Moroccan Central Plateau using spectral vegetation indices

Cork oak forests in Morocco are rich in resources and services thanks to their great biological diversity,playing an important ecological and socioeconomic role.Considerable degradation of the forests has been accentuated in recent years by signifi cant human pressure and eff ects of climate change;hence,the health of the stands needs to be monitored.In this study,the Google Engine Earth platform was leveraged to extract the normalized diff erence vegetation index(NDVI)and soil-adjusted vegetation index,from Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS satellite images between 2015 and 2017 to assess the health of the Sibara Forest in Morocco.Our results highlight the importance of interannual variations in NDVI in forest monitoring;the variations had a signifi cantly high relationship(p<0.001)with dieback severity.NDVI was positively and negatively correlated with mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature with respective coeffi cients of 0.49 and−0.67,highlighting its ability to predict phenotypic changes in forest species.Monthly interannual variation in NDVI between 2016 and 2017 seemed to confi rm fi eld observations of cork oak dieback in 2018,with the largest decreases in NDVI(up to−38%)in December in the most-aff ected plots.Analysis of the infl uence of ecological factors on dieback highlighted the role of substrate as a driver of dieback,with the most severely aff ected plots characterized by granite-granodiorite substrates.

Recent tree growth decline unprecedented over the last four centuries in a Tibetan juniper forest

Forest structure and function are subject to risks of growth declines from intensified drought and frequent extreme events related to climate warming.Knowledge of tree growth declines will help anticipate future responses of forests to climate change.In this study,we investigated tree growth declines over the last four centuries in a juniper forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.By analyzing the radial growth trajectories of individual trees,we identified two events of intense growth decline,one in 1817–1830 and the other in 1969–1999 over the past four centuries.The intensity of the recent decline was unprecedented in the period under study.Ring-width chronology showed a positive correlation with self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Indices and a negative correlation with mean monthly temperatures in May and June.The recent intensified growth decline may have been due to temperatureinduced frequent droughts in the study area.Our findings suggest that trees in this juniper forest may face a higher risk of growth decline and even mortality under continued climate warming.

Study and Practice of Forest-bathing Field in Japan

Japan has made remarkable achievements in the study and development of forest tourism for health care reason. Through the comprehensive investigation into the development of forest-bathing field in Japan, this paper studied the forest tourism for health care factor in Japan and concluded the evaluation standard and construction of forest-bathing field, as well as personnel training. In the end, some suggestions were proposed for the study and development of forest tourism for health care factor in Asia.

Analysis of Fragmentation Processes in High-Mountain Forests of the Centre of Mexico

High-mountain forests (>3500 masl) are the main supplier of environmental services to Mexico City and its metropolitan area. Taking as a study case the Nevado de Toluca National Park, this article focuses on the considerable reduction on the density of its forest cover, characterised by disturbances in the structure and dynamics of Pinus hartwegii. This specie is located towards the upper limits of the altitudinal gradient (3500 - 4100 masl) constituting the only pine species in the world capable to be established in those extreme environmental conditions. The information was collected through the implementation of 30 Sampling Plots (SP) of 20 × 50 mts (1000 m2) in three forest density categories: dense, semi-dense and fragmented. For each forest category, all trees ≥2.5 cm DBH were measured in 10 SPs. The measurement variables were DBH, total and commercial height, forest health and forest extraction. The results show the abundance of dense, semi-dense and fragmented forest (336, 202 and 150 trees/Ha-1), with extraction percentages of 11%, 20% and 33% respectively. The horizontal structure distribution shows the shape of an inverted J for the three conditions. However, the phytosanitary conditions of the semi-dense forests (83% infested trees) and fragmented (63% infested trees), do not guaranties the survival of the adult trees, implying an intensification of the fragmentation process for the next decade;given the reduction of the regeneration patterns due to the lack of healthy tree breeding.

Effects of deforestation on microbial diversity in a Siberian larch(Larix sibirica) stand in Mongolia

For evaluating microbial community changes in a Siberian larch stand disturbed by forest fire or clearcutting,357 clones were randomly selected and sequenced using a culture-independent approach and 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize the bacterial composition and diversity from the different disturbed Siberian larch stands.Interestingly,the burned larch stand had an increase in the relative amounts of b-proteobacteria and Firmicutes and a decrease in Acidobacteria,while Gemmatimonadetes increased Verrucomicrobia decreased in the harvested larch stand.Microbial diversity and richness were higher in the undisturbed larch stand than the disturbed(burned or clear-cut)larch stands,and the influence of clear-cutting was more negative than that of the forest fire.This study indicates that evaluating the microbial diversity of undisturbed,burned,and clear-cutting Siberian larch stands provides information about the impact of forest disturbances on soil microbial communities,which may be helpful for understanding and evaluating soil health and devising reafforestation strategies for larch.

A New Field Protocol for Determination of Forest Structure, Biodiversity and Heath Status by Means of GPS Tools: A Case Study from Gaza Forest

This article describes the application of GPS, image processing analysis and statistical tools for determination of forest structure and biodiversity. The idea is based on determination of forest area using GPS tools, then taking representative plots “samples” about 5% - 10% of the forest and counting the tree species in each plot (sample). This process enables the estimation of species population in each plot. The sum of all species population enables the calculation of relative density of each species. Multiplying species population with plot number of the forest enables the calculations of total species population in the forest. Calculating the relative density enables the determination of dominant, co-dominant, suppressed and flour structure of the forest. To determine the age of the forest, we apply our method on determining the diameter of trees and grouping them to four groups, this enables the estimation of dominant age within single species. From these data, we can estimate the age of the forest. This field protocol is easy and applicable and provides good results in estimating structure, age and biodiversity in the forest.

Microbial Compositions and Enzymes of a Forest Ecosystem in Alabama: Initial Response to Thinning and Burning Management Selections

Prescribed burning and tree thinning are commonly used restoration practices for US forests management to increase forest productivity and enhance plant and animal diversity. The impact of these practices in Alabama’s Bankhead National Forest (BNF) to soil microbial components and overall forest soil health are unknown. We hypothesized that microbial assemblages and enzyme activities are continuously changing in forest ecosystems especially due to management selections. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess changes in microbial community compositions (fungal vs bacterial populations) via fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiling and several enzyme activities (β-glucosaminidase, acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, β-glucosidase, xylanase, laccase, and manganese peroxidase) critical to soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics and biogeochemical cycling. In this forest, heavily-thinned plots without burning or less frequent burning treatments seemed to provide more favorable conditions (higher pH and lower C:N ratios) for C and N mineralization. This may explain a slight increase (by 12%) detected in fungi:bacteria (F:B) ratio in the heavily-thinned plots relative to the control. Thinned (lightly and heavily) plots showed greater ligninolytic (laccase and MnP) activities and lower β-glucosidase and β-glucosaminidase activities compared to the no-thinned plots probably due to increase depositions of woody recalcitrant C materials. We observed significant but negative correlations between the ligninolytic laccase and manganese peroxidase (Lac and MnP) enzymes respectively, with MBC (?0.45* and ?0.68** respectively) and MBN (?0.43* and ?0.65** respectively). Prescribed burning treatment reduced microbial biomass C and N of the 9-yr burned plot/lightly thinned plotsprobably due to depletion of labile C sources with the high temperatures, leaving mostly recalcitrant C sources as available soil substrates. Gram-positive bacteria (i15:0, a15:0, i17:0, and a17:0), actinomycetes (10-Me17:0, 10-Me18:0), AMF (16:1ω5c), and saprophytic fungi (18:1ω9c), largely contributed to the microbial compositions. This study bridges knowledge gaps in our understanding of microbial community compositions and enzyme-mediated processes in repeatedly burned and thinned forest ecosystems.

乡村振兴背景下森林康养特色旅游高质量发展探讨

乡村振兴战略,其根本在于推进乡村产业发展,森林康养特色资源的挖掘,为解决乡村发展难题提供了有效路径。作为新型旅游业态,森林康养品牌的打造,要坚持高质量发展规划,将产业资源整合、保护与开发衔接起来,挖掘地方资源禀赋,优化完善相关配套设施,重视现代康养医疗技术与旅游产业链的跨界发展,促进森林康养产业成为推动乡村经济转型升级的新的增长点。

乡村振兴背景下的林业产业融合发展路径探索——基于“森林康养+”的林下经济新业态分析

在国家推进乡村全面振兴的背景下,“森林康养+”模式在林下经济发展中迅速占据了重要位置。这一林下经济新业态不仅为传统的林业产业带来了新的发展机遇,而且为乡村振兴战略提供了一种创新和可持续的发展路径。通过对“森林康养+中医养生+生态旅游”融合的内在逻辑及发展要素分析,为“森林康养+”模式提出了建立配套产业协调发展联盟、打造个性化健康与养生定制服务、系统完成产业融合功能区设计和建立并推动林下生态旅游认证体系的对策建议,旨在为林下产业融合发展和乡村产业振兴提供一定的理论与实践路径参考。

Acarine ectoparasites of Panti Forest Reserve in Johore,Malaysia

Objective:To identify the presence of acarine ectoparasites and determine whether there is any potential public health risk in Panti Forest Reserve,Johore,Malaysia.Methods:Trapping of animals and avifauna was conducted simultaneously along 5 expedition trails using 150 wire traps,10 harp traps and 30 mist nets for 6 consecutive nights.A total of 140 animals consisting of 7 species of birds,19 species of bats,6 species of rodents and 1 species of tree-shrew as well as 8 myriapods were examined.Results:Infestation rates of ticks,mesostigmatid mites and chiggers on animals examined were 24.3%,28.6%and 27.9%,respectively.Infestation on bats was low(1.5%) and none occurred on birds.Majority of ticks extracted were at immature stages(78.9%). Genera of ticks on animals were Amblyomma,Dermacentor,Haemaphysalis and Ixodes.Ixodes granulatus was the only species of licks identified from the animals.Examination of ticks under vegetation revealed 54%adults leading to identification of 3 species of ticks.A total of 7 species of mesostigmatid mites were found.6 species were on rodent,Maxomys mrifer and another one species,Laelaps nuttalli was found only on Leopoldamys sabanus.Laelaps sanguisugus was the only mesostigmatid found infesting tree-shrews.Seven genera of chiggers were identified.From this,5 genera were on rodents,4 genera on tree-shrews and 1 genus on a bat.Conclusions:A total of 16 genera,2 sub-genus and 14 species of acarine ectoparasites were found in this area. Findings of the survey demonstrate the presence of three spesies of acarine ectoparasites which have potential health risk i.e.Ixodes granulalus,Laelaps nuttalli and Leptotrombidium deliense.