Changes in climatic conditions drive variations in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi diversity and composition in semi-arid oak forests

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)play a vital role in plant productivity and ecosystem functions.However,their responses to abiotic factors(i.e.,climate,physiography,and soil properties)are unknown,especially across climatic gradients and slope aspects in arid and semi-arid ecosys-tems.In this study,using 60 composite soil samples,direct and indirect effects of climate factors and slope aspects on AMF diversity,composition and spore density were studied.The findings indicate that climate has a more direct influ-ence on soil properties(P<0.001)in comparison to slope aspect(P=0.449).In contrast,climate significantly affected AMF diversity and composition,with the highest diversity in dryer areas.Soil pH had the highest correlation with different facets of AMF diversity.Structural equation modeling(SEM)indicated that only a small part of the variation in AMF diversity and spore density could be explained by climate characteristics,slope aspect and soil properties.Based on SEM results,climate was the most important determinant of AMF diversity and spore density;slope aspect had a less critical role.The outputs suggest that variations in AMF diversity are derived by the direct effects of climate and the indirect effect of soil chemical properties.In addition,with increasing dryness,sporulation and AMF diversity increased.

Long-term impact of municipal sewage irrigation on treated soil and black locust trees in a semi-arid suburban area of Iran

The effects of municipal sewage irrigation on the soil and black locust （Robinia pseudoacacia L.） tree were studied. For this purpose, two artificial black locust stands under irrigation of municipal sewage and well water were selected in south of Tehran, Iran. Data were collected using technique of systematic random sampling with 4 replicates in each stand. It was found that the growth of black locust tree, as indicated by diameter at breast height, total height, crown length, average crown diameter, basal area and volume, in sewage irrigation stand was much higher than that of well water irrigation stand （P 〈 0.01）. Plant analysis indicated that concentrations of leaf nutrients （N, E K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn） were greater in sewage-irrigated trees, without toxicity to the minerals of tree leaf, than those of well waterirrigated trees, and positively correlated with their respective value in soil. Ni, Cr and Pb were not detected in leaf samples. Application of sewage resulted in a 1.5-fold increase in the concentrations of soil nutrients, Ni, Cr and Pb. Among these minerals only Pb and Ni in some soil samples exceeded the toxicity limit. The increase in pH, electrical conductivity （EC） and organic carbon of soil was also observed in sewage irrigation. Results confirm that besides the use as irrigation water, municipal sewages are also a potential source of plant nutrients. However, significant accumulation of heavy metals such as Pb and Ni in soil needs to be monitored.

Carbon storage in biomass,litter,and soil of different native and introduced fast-growing tree plantations in the South Caspian Sea

Replantation of degraded forest using rapidgrowth trees can play a significant role in global carbon budget by storing large quantities of carbon in live biomass,forest floor,and soil organic matter.We assessed the potential of 20-year old stands of three rapid-growth tree species,including Alnus subcordata,Populus deltoides and Taxodium distichum,for carbon(C) storage at ecosystem level.In September 2013,48 replicate plots(16 m × 16 m) in 8 stands of three plantations were established.36 trees were felled down and fresh biomass of different components was weighed in the field.Biomass equations were fitted using data based on the 36 felled trees.The biomass of understory vegetation and litter were measured by harvesting all the components.The C fraction of understory,litter,and soil were measured.The ecosystem C storage was as follows: A.subcordata(626.5 Mg ha) [ P.deltoides(542.9Mg ha) [ T.distichum(486.8 Mg ha)(P \ 0.001),of which78.1–87.4% was in the soil.P.deltoides plantation reached the highest tree biomass(206.6 Mg ha),followed by A.subcordata(134.5 Mg ha) and T.distichum(123.3 Mg ha).The highest soil C was stored in theplantation of A.subcordata(555.5 Mg ha).The C storage and sequestration of the plantations after 20 years were considerable(25–30 Mg hayear) and broadleaves species had higher potential.Native species had a higher soil C storage while the potential of introduced species for live biomass production was higher.

Spatial variability of soil microbial indices in common alder COMMON ALDER(Alnus glutinosa) stands using a geostatistical approach in northern Iran

Microbial indices and their spatial patterns are strongly affected by environmental factors. Spatial variability of soil properties is one of the most important causes of variability in soil microbial indices. This research was conducted in the Caspian forest to assess spatial variabilities and frequency distributions of microbial properties.Ninety soil samples were taken using a grid sampling design 40 9 40 m. Microbial indices, organic carbon,nitrogen and pH were determined. Soil variable distributions showed that microbial indices had abnormal distributions. Logarithmic transformation produced normal distribution. Spatial continuity using geostatistical(variogram) was studied and maps obtained by point kriging.The variograms revealed the presence of spatial autocorrelation. The results indicate that spatial dependence of soil microbial indices was affected by non-intrinsic factors and forest management procedures. The maps show that soil microbial indices and soil properties have spatial variability. The spatial pattern of microbial indices was correlated to organic carbon and nitrogen.

Soil Organic Carbon Stock as Affected by Land Use/Cover Changes in the Humid Region of Northern Iran

【Title】【Author】This study was conducted to determine the changes in the soil carbon stocks as influenced by land use in a humid zone of Deylaman district （10,876 ha）, a mountainous region of northern Iran. For this, land use maps were produced from TM and ETM＋ images for 1985, 2000 and 2010 years; and this was supplemented by field measurement of soil carbon in 2010. The results showed that the mean soil organic carbon （SOC） density was 6.7±1.8 kg C m-2, 5.2±3.4 kg C m-2 and 3.2±1.8 kg C m-2 for 0-20 cm soil layer and 4.8±1.9 kg C m-2, 3.1±2 kg C m-2 and 2.7±1.8 kg C m-2 for 20-40 cm soil layer in forest, rangeland and cultivated land, respectively. During the past 25 years, 14.4% of the forest area had been converted to rangeland; and 28.4% of rangelands had been converted to cultivated land. According to the historical land use changes in the study area, the highest loss of SOC stocks resulted from the conversion of the forest to rangeland （0.45×104 Mg C in 0-40 cm depth layer）; and the conversion of rangeland to cultivated land （0.37×104 Mg C in 0-40 cm）, which typically led to the loss of soil carbon in the area studied. The knowledge on the historical land use changes and its influence on overall SOC stocks could be helpful for making management decision for farmers and policy managers in the future, for enhancing the potential of C sequestration in northern Iran.

Above- and below-ground biomass and carbon stocks of different tree plantations in central Iran

In arid and semi-arid lands using industrial wastewater for irrigating tree plantations offers a great opportunity to fulfill the purpose of Clean Development Mechanism by sequestering carbon in living tissues as well as in soil. Selection of tree for plantation has a great effect on the goal achievements, especially when the managers deal with afforestation projects rather than reforestation projects. The objective of this study was to quantify the above- and below-ground biomass accumulation and carbon storages of the 17-year-old monoculture plantations of mulberry (Morus alba L.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), Eldar pine (Pinus eldarica Medw.) and Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica Greene) planted in central Iran. To assess the potential carbon storage, we destructively measured individual above- and below-ground tree biomass and developed and scaled models at stand level. Furthermore, carbon content at three soil depths (0–15, 15–30, 30–45 cm), the litter and the understory were assessed in sample plots. The results showed that the total amount of carbon stored by Eldar pine (36.8 Mg/hm2) was higher than those stored by the trees in the other three plantations, which were 23.7, 10.0, and 9.6 Mg/hm2 for Arizona cypress, mulberry and black locust plantations, respectively. For all the species, the above-ground biomass accumulations were higher than those of the below-ground. The root mass fractions of the deciduous were larger than those of the coniferous. Accordingly, the results indicate that the potential carbon storages of the coniferous were higher than those of the deciduous in arid regions.

Bark content variations and the production of Populus deltoides as a source of bioenergy under temperate climate conditions

Bark biomass as an energy source has a high economic value.Bark content variations and production helps recognize the potential of this bioenergy source spatially before harvesting.The percentage of fresh and dry bark in Populus deltoides grown under a monoculture system was examined in the temperate region of northern Iran.Diameter at breast height(DBH)and total height data were analyzed based on an initial inventory.Ten sample trees were felled,separated into 2 m-segments,and weighted in the field.A 5-cm-thick disc from each segment was extracted for determining fresh and dry bark percentages.These were statistically significantly different in disc diameter classes and decreased with increasing disc diameters.Bark percentage of the disc classes ranged from 21.8 to 24.4%in small-sized diameters to 8.1-9.3%in large-sized diameters.The differences between fresh and dry bark percentages depended on water content variations.Allometric power equations were fitted to data of fresh and dry bark percentages and disc diameters as well as DBH.The values of R~2 ranged from 0.89 to 0.90.In addition,allometric power equations provided the best fits for relationships between total stem dry biomass,dry bark biomass,and DBH,R~2=0.986 and 0.979 for the total stem dry biomass and stem dry bark biomass,respectively.The allometric models can be used to estimate bark percentage and bark production of P.deltoides in segments and for the whole stem for a wide range of segment diameters(8-44 cm)and DBH(15-45 cm).

Early differentiation in biomass production and carbon sequestration of white poplar and its two hybrids in Central Iran

We assessed the potential of white poplar（Populus alba L.） and its inter-sectional hybridization with euphrates poplar（P. euphratica Oliv.） for carbon storage and sequestration in central Iran. Trials were established at planting density of 2,500 trees per hectare in block randomized design with three replicates. After 6 years, we measured the above-ground biomass of tree components（trunk, branch, bark, twig and leaf）, and assessed soil carbon at three depths. P. alba 9 euphratica plantation stored significantly more carbon（22.3 t ha-1） than P. alba（16.7 t ha-1） and P. euphratica 9 alba（13.1 t ha-1）.Most of the carbon was accumulated in the above-ground biomass（61.1 % in P. alba, 72.4 % in P. alba 9 euphratica and 56.0 % in P. euphratica 9 alba）. There was no significant difference in soil carbon storage. Also, biomass allocation was different between white poplar P. alba and its inter-sectional hybridization. Therefore, there was a yield difference due to genomic imprinting, which increased the possibility that paternally and maternally inherited wood production alleles would be differentially expressed in the new crossing.

Simulating long-term effect of Hyrcanian forest loss on phosphorus loading at the sub-watershed level

Conversion of forest land to farmland in the Hyrcanian forest of northern Iran increases the nutrient input, especially the phosphorus（P） nutrient, thus impacting the water quality. Modeling the effect of forest loss on surface water quality provides valuable information for forest management. This study predicts the future impacts of forest loss between 2010 and 2040 on P loading in the Tajan River watershed at the sub-watershed level. To understand drivers of the land cover, we used Land Change Modeler（LCM） combining with the Soil Water Assessment Tool（SWAT） model to simulate the impacts of land use change on P loading. We characterized priority management areas for locating comprehensive and cost-effective management practices at the sub-watershed level. Results show that agricultural expansion has led to an intense deforestation. During the future period 2010–2040, forest area is expected to decrease by 34,739 hm^2. And the areas of pasture and agriculture are expected to increase by 7668 and 27,071 hm^2, respectively. In most sub-watersheds, P pollution will be intensified with the increase in deforestation by the year 2040. And the P concentration is expected to increase from 0.08 to 2.30 mg/L in all of sub-watersheds by the year 2040. It should be noted that the phosphorous concentration exceeds the American Public Health Association′s water quality standard of 0.2 mg/L for P in drinking water in both current and future scenarios in the Tajan River watershed. Only 30% of sub-watersheds will comply with the water quality standards by the year 2040. The finding of the present study highlights the importance of conserving forest area to maintain a stable water quality.

LAI and Leaf Biomass Allometric Equations for Three Common Tree Species in a Hyrcanian Temperate Forest

Despite the importance of Hyrcanian forests for biodiversity conservation, a few studies with biomass destruction has been done to predict biomass and carbon pools from this forest and there is a lack of knowledge in our country. Biomass and leaf area index (LAI) are important variables in many ecological and environmental applications and forest management. In this paper, allometric biomass and leaf area equations were developed for three common Hyrcanian tree species, Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky), Hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus Lipsky) and Chestnut- leaved Oak (Quercus castaneifolia C. A. Mey). To evaluate and estimate the leaf biomass and leaf area index of Oriental Beech, Horbeam and Chestnut-leaved Oak, 21, 27 and 17 individuals were selected and felled down, respectively. Tree characteristics such as diameter at breast height, total height, crown length and perpendicular diameters were measured. Destructive sampling was applied for determination of leaf biomass and LAI. Allometric equations were calculated for estimation of leaf biomass and LAI using simple linear regression and nonlinear regression analysis. The equations were compared based on several modelling parameters. Model comparison and selection were based on R2, Akaike’s information criterion (AIC), prediction error sums of squares, model standard error estimate (SEE), ΔAIC, and a correction factor. Based on the results, the mean values of leaf area, leaf biomass and LAI for Oriental Beech were 53.05 cm2, 0.176 gr, 2.16, for Hornbeam were 27.2 cm2, 0.128 gr, 1.13 and for Chestnut-leaved Oak were 62.419 cm2, 0.401 gr, 2.26, respectively. The highest significant correlation for Oriental Beech was found between LAI and total height (R2adj= 0. 931), the highest significant correlation for Hornbeam was found between LAI and Dbh (R2adj = 0. 956) and the highest significance for Chestnut-leaved Oak was found between LAI and SqrtDbh (R2adj = 0. 956). Also, the best equations were obtained by means of an exponential regression model for Oriental Beech, the Log-transformed regression model for Hornbeam and of a transformed regression model for Chestnut-leaved Oak.

Spatiotemporal distribution of soil moisture in gully facies

Gully erosion is one of the most important forms of land degradation in many regions of the world.Understanding the process of gully erosion therefore is important for better management of the wa-tersheds prone to gully erosion.However,many different aspects of gully erosion,like hydrological behavior,are still not fully understood.The present study investigates the spatial distribution of soil moisture content(SMC),as one of the hydrological factors,at different depths and points across the cross section in the vicinity of the headcut of three gullies located in the Kalat County,Khorasan Razavi Province,Iran.SMCs were measured at depths of 10,20,30,50,70 and 100 cm at each seven points across the study cross sections one to three days after occurrence of three rain events.Two sampling points were symmetrically located at a distance of 50 cm outside the gully banks,two at the vertex of the sidewalls,two in the middle of the sidewalls and one at the center of gully cross section.SMCs were measured using a weighted method.Results of the study revealed a broad range of changes in SMCs at various depths and points.The minimum and maximum SMCs were found to be about 2%and 38%,respectively,for the study period and gullies under consideration.The coefficient of variation(CV)had drastic changes for various gullies and storm events from 2 to 107%.Results further indicated that SMC moved from the sidewalls towards the floor of the cross section.Accordingly,the maximum SMC for storm events was associated with the point located in the center of gullies,which indicated the role of gully system in draining soil moisture.The findings of this study will help watershed managers un-derstand the important role of gully facies in changing water content of the soil that affects other eco-hydrological processes.

A tree-based intelligence ensemble approach for spatial prediction of potential groundwater

The objective of this research is to propose and confirm a new machine learning approach of Best-First tree(BFtree),AdaBoost(AB),MultiBoosting(MB),and Bagging(Bag)ensembles for potential groundwater mapping and assessing role of influencing factors.The Yasuj-Dena area(Iran)is selected as a case study.For this regard,a Yasuj-Dena database was established with 362 springs locations and 12 groundwater-influencing factors(slope,aspect,elevation,stream power index(SPI),length of slope(LS),topographic wetness index(TWI),topographic position index(TPI),land use,lithology,distance from fault,distance from river,and rainfall).The database was employed to train and validate the proposed groundwater models.The area under the curve(AUC)and statistical metrics were employed to check and confirm the quality of the models.The result shows that the BFTree-Bag model(AUC=0.810,kappa=0.495)has the highest prediction performance,followed by the BFTree-MB model(AUC=0.785,kappa=0.477),and the BFTree-MB model(AUC=0.745,kappa=0.422).Compared to the benchmark of Random Forests,the BFTree-Bag model performs better;therefore,we conclude that the BFtree-Bag is a new tool should be used for modeling of groundwater potential.