Dendroclimatological study of Sabina saltuaria and Abies faxoniana in the mixed forests of the Qionglai Mountains,eastern Tibetan Plateau

Tree-ring chronologies were developed for Sabina saltuaria and Abies faxoniana in mixed forests in the Qionglai Mountains of the eastern Tibetan Plateau.Climate-growth relationship analysis indicated that the two co-exist-ing species reponded similarly to climate factors,although S.saltuaria was more sensitive than A.faxoniana.The strong-est correlation was between S.saltuaria chronology and regional mean temperatures from June to November.Based on this relationship,a regional mean temperature from June to November for the period 1605-2016 was constructed.Reconstruction explained 37.3%of the temperature variance during th period 1961-2016.Six major warm periods and five major cold periods were identified.Spectral analysis detected significant interannual and multi-decadal cycles.Reconstruction also revealed the influence of the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation,confirming its importance on climate change on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Effect of thinning intensity on the carbon sequestration of natural mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests in Xiaoxing'an Mountains, China

To study the effect of thinning intensity on the carbon sequestration by natural mixed coniferous and broad-leaf forests in Xiaoxing’an Mountains,China,we established six 100 m×100 m experimental plots in Dongfanghong For-est that varied in thinning intensity:plot A(10%),B(15%),C(20%),D(25%),E(30%),F(35%),and the control sample area(0%).A principal component analysis was performed using 50 different variables,including species diversity,soil fertility,litter characteristics,canopy structure param-eters,and seedling regeneration parameters.The effects of thinning intensity on carbon sequestration were strongest in plot E(0.75),followed by D(0.63),F(0.50),C(0.48),B(0.22),A(0.11),and the control(0.06).The composite score of plot E was the highest,indicating that the carbon sequestration effect was strongest at a thinning intensity of 30%.These findings provide useful insights that could aid the management of natural mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests in Xiaoxing’an Mountains,China.This information has implications for future studies of these forests,and the methods used could aid future ecological assessments of the natural forests in Xiaoxing’an Mountains,China.

Long-term changes in radial growth of seven tree species in the mixed broadleaf-Korean pine forest in Northeast China:Are deciduous trees favored by climate change?

The role of the temperate mixed broadleaf-Korean pine forest(BKF)in global biogeochemical cycles will depend on how the tree species community responds to climate;however,species-specific responses and vulner-abilities of common trees in BKF to extreme climates are poorly understood.Here we used dendrochronological meth-ods to assess radial growth of seven main tree species(Pinus koraiensis,Picea jezoensis,Abies nephrolepis,Fraxinus mandshurica,Phellodendron amurense,Quercus mongolica,and Ulmus davidiana)in an old-growth BKF in response to climate changes in the Xiaoxing’an Mountains and to improve predictions of changes in the tree species compo-sition.Temperature in most months and winter precipita-tion significantly negatively affected growth of P.jezoensis and A.nephrolepis,but positively impacted growth of P.koraiensis and the broadleaf species,especially F.mandshu-rica and U.davidiana.Precipitation and relative humidity in June significantly positively impacted the growth of most tree species.The positive effect of the temperature during the previous non-growing season(PNG)on growth of F.mandshurica and Q.mongolica strengthened significantly with rapid warming around 1981,while the impact of PNG temperature on the growth of P.jezoensis and A.nephrolepis changed from significantly negative to weakly negative or positive at this time.The negative response of radial growth of P.jezoensis and A.nephrolepis to precipitation during the growing season gradually weakened,and the negative response to PNG precipitation was enhanced.Among the studied species,P.koraiensis was the most resistant to drought,and U.davidiana recovered the best after extreme drought.Ulmus davidiana,P.jezoensis and A.nephrolepis were more resistant to extreme cold than the other species.Climate warming generally exacerbated the opposite growth patterns of conifer(decline)and broadleaf(increase)spe-cies.Deciduous broadleaf tree species in the old-growth BKF probably will gradually become dominant as warming continues.Species-specific growth-climate relationships should be considered in future models of biogeochemical cycles and in forestry management practices.

Effect of Mixed Forests of Chinese Fir and Tsoong's Tree on Soil Properties

An investigation and on 13 year old (1984～1996) Chinese fir and Tsoong's tree mixed forests in Jianou City, Fujian Province, China was carried out to compare the influences of different interplanting types of individual tree tree, row row, row strip (three rows) and pure Chinese fir stands on soil properties. Compared with the pure stands of Chinese fir, the mixed stands exerted a positive effect on soil fertility, with increases in soil organic matter, total N, available P and available K. Moreover, improvements were also observed in soil enzymatic activities, aggregate structure, structure stability, status of soil porosity, soil aeration and penetrability in mixed stands. The row row interplanted stands had the best effect on tree growth and soil properties among these mixed forests. In the southern subtropical region, the spreading of the row row mixing model of the two tree species would be helpful to preventing the soil from fertility deterioration caused by successive plantation of Chinese fir.

Local and generalized height-diameter models with random parameters for mixed,uneven-aged forests in Northwestern Durango,Mexico

Background:We used mixed models with random components to develop height-diameter(h-d) functions for mixed,uneven-aged stands in northwestern Durango(Mexico),considering the breast height diameter(d) and stand variables as predictors.Methods:The data were obtained from 44 permanent plots used to monitor stand growth under forest management in the study area.Results:The generalized Bertalanffy-Richards model performed better than the other generalized models in predicting the total height of the species under study.For the genera Pinus and Quercus,the models were successfully calibrated by measuring the height of a subsample of three randomly selected trees close to the mean d,whereas for species of the genera Cupressus,Arbutus and Alnus,three trees were also selected,but they are specifically the maximum,minimum and mean d trees.Conclusions:The presented equations represent a new tool for the evaluation and management of natural forest in the region.

Effect of thinning intensity on understory herbaceous diversity and biomass in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests of Changbai Mountain

Background:Herbs are an important part of the forest ecosystem,and their diversity and biomass can reflect the restoration of vegetation after forest thinning disturbances.Based on the near-mature secondary coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in Jilin Province Forestry Experimental Zone,this study analyzed seasonal changes of species diversity and biomass of the understory herb layer after different intensities of thinning.Results:The results showed that although the composition of herbaceous species and the ranking of importance values were affected by thinning intensity,they were mainly determined by seasonal changes.Across the entire growing season,the species with the highest importance values in thinning treatments included Carex pilosa,Aegopodium alpestre,Meehania urticifolia,and Filipendula palmata,which dominated the herb layer of the coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest.The number of species,Margalef index,Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson index all had their highest values in May,and gradually decreased with months.Pielou index was roughly inverted“N”throughout the growing season.Thinning did not increase the species diversity.Thinning can promote the total biomass,above-and below-ground biomass.The number of plants per unit area and coverage were related to the total biomass,above-and below-ground biomass.The average height had a significantly positive correlation with herb biomass in May but not in July.However,it exerted a significantly negative correlation with herb biomass in September.The biomass in the same month increased with increasing thinning intensity.Total herb biomass,above-and below-ground biomass showed positive correlations with Shannon-Winner index,Simpson index and Pielou evenness index in May.Conclusions:Thinning mainly changed the light environment in the forest,which would improve the plant diversity and biomass of herb layer in a short time.And different thinning intensity had different effects on the diversity of understory herb layer.The findings provide theoretical basis and reference for reasonable thinning and tending in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests.

Prediction of tree crown width in natural mixed forests using deep learning algorithm

Crown width(CW)is one of the most important tree metrics,but obtaining CW data is laborious and timeconsuming,particularly in natural forests.The Deep Learning(DL)algorithm has been proposed as an alternative to traditional regression,but its performance in predicting CW in natural mixed forests is unclear.The aims of this study were to develop DL models for predicting tree CW of natural spruce-fir-broadleaf mixed forests in northeastern China,to analyse the contribution of tree size,tree species,site quality,stand structure,and competition to tree CW prediction,and to compare DL models with nonlinear mixed effects(NLME)models for their reliability.An amount of total 10,086 individual trees in 192 subplots were employed in this study.The results indicated that all deep neural network(DNN)models were free of overfitting and statistically stable within 10-fold cross-validation,and the best DNN model could explain 69%of the CW variation with no significant heteroskedasticity.In addition to diameter at breast height,stand structure,tree species,and competition showed significant effects on CW.The NLME model(R^(2)=0.63)outperformed the DNN model(R^(2)=0.54)in predicting CW when the six input variables were consistent,but the results were the opposite when the DNN model(R^(2)=0.69)included all 22 input variables.These results demonstrated the great potential of DL in tree CW prediction.

Topography and soil content contribute to plant community composition and structure in subtropical evergreen-deciduous broadleaved mixed forests

Topography and soil factors are known to play crucial roles in the species composition of plant communities in subtropical evergreen-deciduous broadleaved mixed forests.In this study,we used a systematic quantitative approach to classify plant community types in the subtropical forests of Hubei Province(central China),and then quantified the relative contribution of drivers responsible for variation in species composition and diversity.We classified the subtropical forests in the study area into 12 community types.Of these,species diversity indices of three communities were significantly higher than those of others.In each community type,species richness,abundance,basal area and importance values of evergreen and deciduous species were different.In most community types,deciduous species richness was higher than that of evergreen species.Linear regression analysis showed that the dominant factors that affect species composition in each community type are elevation,slope,aspect,soil nitrogen content,and soil phosphorus content.Furthermore,structural equation modeling analysis showed that the majority of variance in species composition of plant communities can be explained by elevation,aspect,soil water content,litterfall,total nitrogen,and total phosphorus.Thus,the major factors that affect evergreen and deciduous species distribution across the 12 community types in subtropical evergreendeciduous broadleaved mixed forests include elevation,slope and aspect,soil total nitrogen content,soil total phosphorus content,soil available nitrogen content and soil available phosphorus content.

A novel model to evaluate spatial structure in thinned conifer-broadleaved mixed natural forests

In order to ensure the effective analysis and reconstruction of forests,it is key to ensure the quantitative description of their spatial structure.In this paper,a distance model for the optimal stand spatial structure based on weighted Voronoi diagrams is proposed.In particular,we provide a novel methodological model for the comprehensive evaluation of the spatial structure of forest stands in natural mixed conifer-broadleaved forests and the formulation of management decision plans.The applicability of the rank evaluation and the optimal solution distance model are compared and assessed for different standard sample plots of natural mixed conifer-broadleaved forests.The effect of crown width on the spatial structure unit of the trees is observed to be higher than that of the diameter at breast height.Moreover,the influence of crown length is greater than that of tree height.There are nine possible spatial structure units determined by the weighted Voronoi diagram for the number of neighboring trees in the central tree,with an average intersection of neighboring crowns reaching 80%.The rank rating of natural forest sample plots is correlated with the optimal solution distance model,and their results are generally consistent for natural forests.However,the rank rating is not able to provide a quantitative assessment.The optimal solution distance model is observed to be more comprehensive than traditional methods for the evaluation of the spatial structure of forest stands.It can effectively reflect the trends in realistic stand spatial structure factors close to or far from the ideal structure point,and accurately assesses the forest spatial structure.The proposed optimal solution distance model improves the integrated evaluation of the spatial structure of forest stands and provides solid theoretical and technical support for sustainable forest management.

Responses of soil Collembolans to vegetation restoration in temperate coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests

A total of 900 soil samples were collected from five habitats,including primary coniferous broad-leaved mixed forests,secondary coniferous broad-leaved mixed forests,secondary broad-leaved forests,secondary shrub forests,and cutover lands in spring,summer,and autumn to quantify responses of soil Collembolans(springtails)to the restoration of vegetation of temperate coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests.The results reveal that the taxonomic composition of Collembolans varied in the different stages of vegetation restoration.Seasonal variations were in regard to their abundance and richness.High similarities existed in Collembola communities at different stages of vegetation restoration,and distribution patterns of Collembola taxa displayed an evenness throughout all habitats.Soil Collembolans tended to gather on litter layers and soil surface;the highest abundance was found in the upper 5 cm soil layer during the initial stages of vegetation recovery.Tomocerus,Proisotoma,and Folsomia genera responded positively to the restoration of vegetation.However,responses of Ceratophysella and Parisotoma genera were negative.In addition,the Onychiuridae family did not respond to the vegetation restoration process.It was concluded that restoration of vegetative cover can increase the abundance of soil Collembolans,but different genera respond differently.

Snow damages on trees of an uneven age in mixed broadleaf forests:effects of topographical conditions and tree characteristics

Snow damage on natural stands is an important problem concerning mountainous forest management.In the present research,the frequency and intensity of heavy snow damage on natural stands and the relationship of damages with characteristics of trees,stand and topography were studied in mountainous forests of northern Iran.A systematic sampling design was applied to the study area(140 ha),with 122 circular plots.The grid dimension was100 m and each plot area was 1000 m^2.The four types of snow damage to trees include:crown damage(8.6%),stem breakage(5.4%),uprooting(3.2%),and bending(1.4%).The frequency of crown damage grew with an increase inthe diameter at breast height(DBH),while the frequency of stem breakage,uprooting and bending decreased with an increase the DBH.The frequency of crown damage,stem breakage,and total damages was related to tree species(p<0.01).Not all tree species were equally susceptible to snow damage.The amount of damage grew with increasing elevation and slope angle and decreased with increasing soil depth.Young trees(DBH<25 cm)were more susceptible to snow damage than other trees.Snow damage decreased by as the trees in the stand became more mixed in age.The susceptibility of trees to snow damage increased by height and slenderness coefficient.With adequate silvicultural operation,snow damage can be reduced to a minimum level in these natural forests.

GROWTH EFFECT OF DAHURIAN LARCH-MANCHURIAN ASH MIXED FORESTS

With the method of stem analyses by the microscope, the xylem’s accumulations atdifferent ages were quantitatively studied using the data of typical plant association for Dahurianlarch (Larix gmelini Rupr) and Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr) mixed forests. Thedeveloping process for this important mixed forest type in the study area was systematically established. The result showed that in the artificial stand of Dahurian larch mixed with naturalManchurian ash. only those which have the same origin as Dahurian larch can grow up before theclosing of stand and form the components of the main layers. After 24 years seif-thinning, when theywere 29 years old, Dahurian larch would be at the stage of no self-thinning. At last the stand woulddevelop to the broad-leaved forests dominating with the Manchurian ash.

A basal area increment model for individual trees in mixed continuous cover forests in Iranian Caspian forests

The aim of this study was to develop and test a new basal area growth model in mixed species continuous cover forests in northern Iran.Weanalyzed 421 core samples from 6 main species in the forest area to develop our growth model.In each plot,we measured variables such as total tree height(m),diameter at breast height(DBH)(cm)and basal area of larger trees as cumulative basal areas of trees(GCUM)ofDBH[5 cm.The empirical data were analyzed using regression analysis.There was a statistically significant nonlinear function between the annual basal area increment,as the dependent variable,and the basal area of the individual trees and competition as explanatory variables.Reference area from the largest trees,was circular plot with area of 0.1 ha.GCUM was estimated for trees of DBH>5 cm.Furthermore,we investigated the dependencies of diameter growth of different species on stand density at different levels of competition,and diameter development of individual trees through time.The results indicate that competition caused by larger neighborhood trees has a negative effect on growth.In addition,the maximum diameter increment is affected by competition level.Therefore,the maximum diameter increment of species occurs when the trees are about 35–40 cm in dense-forest(40 to 0 m^2 per ha)and when the trees are about 60 to 70 cm in very dense forest(60 to 0 m^2 per ha)which is more likely to Caspian natural forests with high level density due to uneven-aged composition of stands.

An imputation/copula-based stochastic individual tree growth model for mixed species Acadian forests： a case study using the Nova Scotia permanent sample plot network

Background： A novel approach to modelling individual tree growth dynamics is proposed. The approach combines multiple imputation and copula sampling to produce a stochastic individual tree growth and yield projection system. Methods： The Nova Scotia, Canada permanent sample plot network is used as a case study to develop and test the modelling approach. Predictions from this model are compared to predictions from the Acadian variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator, a widely used statistical individual tree growth and yield model. Results： Diameter and height growth rates were predicted with error rates consistent with those produced using statistical models. Mortality and ingrowth error rates were higher than those observed for diameter and height, but also were within the bounds produced by traditional approaches for predicting these rates. Ingrowth species composition was very poorly predicted. The model was capable of reproducing a wide range of stand dynamic trajectories and in some cases reproduced trajectories that the statistical model was incapable of reproducing. Conclusions： The model has potential to be used as a benchmarking tool for evaluating statistical and process models and may provide a mechanism to separate signal from noise and improve our ability to analyze and learn from large regional datasets that often have underlying flaws in sample design.

Can a multistage approach improve individual tree mortality predictions across the complex mixed-species and managed forests of eastern North America?

Tree mortality plays a fundamental role in the dynamics of forest ecosystems,yet it is one of the most difficult phenomena to accurately predict.Various modeling strategies have been developed to improve individual tree mortality predictions.One less explored strategy is the use of a multistage modeling approach.Potential improvements from this approach have remained largely unknown.In this study,we developed a novel multistage approach and compared its performance in individual tree mortality predictions with a more conventional approach using an identical individual tree mortality model formulation.Extensive permanent plot data(n=9442)covering the Acadian Region of North America and over multiple decades(1965–2014)were used in this study.Our results indicated that the model behavior with the multistage approach better depicted the observed mortality and showed a notable improvement over the conventional approach.The difference between the observed and predicted numbers of dead trees using the multistage approach was much smaller when compared with the conventional approach.In addition,tree survival probabilities predicted by the multistage approach generally were not significantly different from the observations,whereas the conventional approach consistently underestimated mortality across species and overestimated tree survival probabilities over the large range of DBH in the data.The new multistage approach also predictions of zero mortality in individual plots,a result not possible in conventional models.Finally,the new approach was more tolerant of modeling errors because it based estimates on ranked tree mortality rather than error-prone predicted values.Overall,this new multistage approach deserves to be considered and tested in future studies.

Dynamics of pH value and metal elements of rainfall within mixed forests in Japanese pine and cypress

The dynamics of forest ecology was studied. The pH values, electrical conductivities and concentrations of metal and nonmetal elements in rainfall, stream, through fall and stream flow were investigated based on the data collected from a small mixed forest watershed of Pinus densifora sieb et Zucc, Pinus thunbergii Parh and Chamaecypari sobtusa sieb et Zucc ex Endl at Kiryu nature reserve and a small barren watershed at Jakujo nature reserve, Ootsu, Shiga, Japan. The results show that both the mixed forest ecosystems of pine and cypress and the soil draw from granite affect the pH values and metal elements of rainfall. And the contribution of the mixed forest is greater than that of the barren. Moreover, the amount of input of most elements is larger than that of output in the ecosystem, which shows the elemental accumulation in the related forest ecosystem.

Rapid Increase in Log Populations in Drought-Stressed Mixed-Conifer and Ponderosa Pine Forests in Northern Arizona

Down logs provide important ecosystem services in forests and affect surface fuel loads and fire behavior. Amounts and kinds of logs are influenced by factors such as forest type, disturbance regime, forest management, and climate. To quantify potential short-term changes in log populations during a recent global- climate-change type drought, we sampled logs in mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests in northern Arizona in 2004 and 2009 (n = 53 and 60 1-ha plots in mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine forests, respectively). Over this short time interval, density of logs, log volume, area covered by logs, and total length of logs increased significantly in both forest types. Increases in all log parameters were greater in mixed-conifer than in ponderosa pine forest, and spatial variability was pronounced in both forest types. These results document rapid increases in log populations in mixed-conifer forest, with smaller changes observed in ponderosa pine forest. These increases were driven by climate-mediated tree mortality which created a pulse in log input, rather than by active forest management. The observed increases will affect wildlife habitat, surface fuel loads, and other ecosystem processes. These changes are likely to continue if climate change results in increased warmth and aridity as predicted, and may require shifts in management emphasis.

Composition and properties of soil humus in a mixed forest of Cunninghamia lanceolata and Tsoongiodendron odorum

This study was conducted in Xinkou Experimental Forestry Farm of Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University, Sanming, Fujian Province in January 1999. Taking pure stand of Chinese fir as control, the authors measured and studied the content of organic carbon, content of humic acid (HA), ratio of HA to fulvic acid (FA), and the characteristics of infrared light spectrum and visible light spectrum of soil humus in the mixed forest of Chinese fir and Tsoong?tree. Compared to humus composition in the pure stand of Chinese fir, the content of soil organic C, HA content, and the E4 value of HA for different layers of soil, except for the ratio of HA to FA, showed a significant increase in the mixed forest, while the ratios of E4 to E6 had a little decrease. The infrared light spectrum of humic acid had an absorptive peak at 1650 cm-1. It is concluded that the levels of humification and aromaticity of soil humus are higher in the mixed forest, which is favorable for the improvement of soil structure and nutrient supply, thus improving the soil fertility to a certain degree.

Seasonal Dynamics of Energy Return Through Litterfall of A Mixed Forest of Chinese Fir and T. odorum

Based on the measurement of monthly litterfall and their gross calor ic values, the seasonal dynamics of energy return through litterfall were determ ined in a pure and a mixed T. odorum (Tsoongiodendron odorum Chun) forests with Ch inese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) in Sanming, Fujian Provinc e. Annual ene rgy return through litterfall was estimated as 12.648×10 6J·m -2 for the mixed fo rest, being 4 2% higher than that of the pure forest, and a large proportion of the energy return comprised leaf litter. The conversion efficiency of solar rad i ation energy into litterfall was 0 56% for mixed forest and 0 54% for pure for es t, respectively. The monthly energy flux in litterfall of Chinese fir showed a t hree-apex curve, peaked in March, August and December, respectively, which was s imilar to that in various fractions of leaf, twig, flower and fruit litter. The consistency in monthly patterns among different litter fractions of Chinese fir was attributed to their solid connections all the while. The monthly energy flux in litterfall of T. odorum culminated in January, May and August, the same was true for its leaf and twig litter. However, energy flux in flower litter only oc curred during March to May and that in fruit litter appeared in January and Marc h. The monthly dynamics of energy flux through litterfall of the two forests wer e both determined by their respective litterfall pattern of Chinese fir. Seasona l energy flux in litterfall for both mixed and pure forests followed the sequenc e of spring>winter>summer>autumn, but fluctuations in the former were less disti nct than those in the latter.

Soil carbon dioxide fluxes of a typical broad-leaved/Korean pine mixed forest in Changbai Mountain, China

The forest ecosystem plays an important role in the global carbon cycling. A study was conducted to evaluate soil CO2 flux and its seasonal and diurnal variation with the air and soil temperatures by using static closed chamber technique in a typical broad-leaved/Korean pine mixed forest area on the northern slope of Changbai Mountain, Jilin Province, China. The experiment was carried out through the day and night in the growing season (from June to September) in situ and sample gas was analyzed by a gas chromatograph. Results showed that the forest floor was a large net source of carbon, and soil CO2 fluxes had an obvi-ous law of seasonal and diel variation. The soil CO2 flux of broad-leaved/Korean pine mixed forest was in the range of 0.302.42 mmol穖-2穝-1 with the mean value of 0.98 mmol穖-2穝-1. An examination on the seasonal pattern of soil CO2 emission suggested that the variability in soil CO2 flux could be correlated with variations in soil temperature, and the maximum of mean CO2 flux occurred in July ((1.27±23%) mmol穖-2穝-1) and the minimum was in September ((0.50±28%) mmol穖-2穝-1). The fluctuations in diel soil CO2 flux were also correlated with changes in soil temperature; however, there existed a factor for a time lag. Soil CO2 flux from the forest floor was strongly related to soil temperature and had the highest correlation with temperature at 6-cm depth of soil. Q10 values based on air temperature and soil temperature of different soil depths were at the ranges of 2.09–3.40.