Modelling the response of larch growth to age,density,and elevation and the implications for multifunctional management in northwest China

Plantations of Rupprecht's larch(Larix principis-rupprechtii)have been widely established in the drylands of northwest and north China under traditional fastgrowing plantation management strategies.These strategies and the long-term logging ban have led to over-populated stands with lower structural and functional stability,less economic benefit and higher water consumption.To guide the sustainable management of larch plantations,field surveys and historical data compilation were undertaken in the Liupan Mountains of northwest China.The main influencing factors(stand structure and site condition)and their effects on mean tree height,mean DBH and timber volumes were determined based on up-boundary line analysis.Tree growth models coupling the effects of tree age,stand density,and elevation were established.Both height and DBH markedly increased initially and then slowly with tree age,decreased with stand density,and showed unimodal change with elevation.The coupled growth models accounted for72-78%of the variations in tree height,DBH and timber growth.Recommendations for future plantation management are:(1)prolong the rotation to at least 60 years to produce large-diameter,high-quality timber and maintain greater carbon stocks;(2)zone the target functions of stands by elevation;and,(3)reduce stand density for balanced supply of multiple ecosystem services.The growth models developed can predict growth response of larch plantations to density alteration under given ages and elevations,and assist the transformation from traditional management for maximum timber production to site-specific and multifunctional management with longer rotations and moderate tree density.

Evaluation of Resistance of Different Kiwifruit Varieties (Lines) to Canker Disease and Brown Spot Disease

Kiwifruit canker and brown spot are significant diseases affecting kiwis,caused by Pseudomonas syringae patho-genic variations(Pseudomonas syringae pv.Actinidiae(Psa))and Corynesporapolytica(Corynespora cassiicola).At present,the research on canker disease and brown spot disease mainly focuses on the isolation and identification of pathogenic bacteria,drug control,resistance gene mining and functional verification.Practice has proved that breeding disease resistant varieties are an effective method to control canker disease and brown spot disease.However,most existing cultivars lack genes for canker and brown spot resistance.Wild kiwifruit resources in nat-ure exhibit extensive genetic diversity due to prolonged natural selection,containing numerous resistance genes.But,due to insufficient understanding of the resistance of most kiwifruit varieties(lines)to canker disease and brown spot disease,some high-quality resources have not been fully utilized.The incidence of canker and brown spot of 18 kiwifruit cultivars(lines)was measured by inoculating isolated branches and leaves,and their resistance to canker and brown spot was analyzed according to the length,disease index,mean diameter,and systematic clustering.The results were as follows:Among 18 different kiwifruit varieties(lines)for canker disease,there were two highly resistant materials,eight disease-resistant materials,four disease-susceptible materials,and two highly susceptible materials.Moreover,regarding brown spot disease,there were one highly resistant material,five dis-ease-resistant materials,four susceptible materials,and three highly susceptible materials.Furthermore,four resources were resistant to both diseases.The outcomes provided a theoretical basis for breeding kiwifruit against canker and brown spot.