Regeneration of Three Tree Species in Arid South-Eastern Australia

1985 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 715 ◽  
Author(s):  
CJ Chesterfield ◽  
RF Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Arid Zone ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Seedling Regeneration ◽  
Mammalian Herbivores ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Rabbit Grazing ◽  
A Site

Grazing effects by introduced mammals on tree seedlings in the arid zone have caused concern for the long-term future of some tree species. This was investigated by measuring stem girths of Casuarina cristata Miq., Heterodendrum oleifoliurn Desf. and Myoporum platycarpum R.Br. in arid-zone wood- lands. Episodic seedling regeneration of Myoporum is inferred following series of wet years in the 1950s and 1970s. Although young Myoporum plants appear unpalatable to stock, regeneration may be sup- pressed by rabbit-grazing in some areas. Almost no Heterodendrurn seedlings were found but suckering was common after burning and clearing. This species is highly palatable to grazing mammals and suckers may grow to safety above the browse line only where stock are absent. Evidence for recent Casuarina seedling regeneration was limited to one cohort, on a site that had been flooded. While suckers can be found locally where surface roots become exposed, suckering appears insufficient to perpetuate many Casuarina stands. Mammal-grazing seems important in strongly limiting regeneration. While Casuarina and Heterodendrum stand densities decline due to natural senescence and occasional fire, the only species regenerating into gaps is Myoporum. There is concern for the future of Casuarina and Heterodendrum, given their widespread failure to regenerate despite the wettest 3 years ever recorded, in 1973-75. On pastoral land, at least 10 years without stock-grazing might be needed for successful regeneration of Heterodendrurn. In reserves, some nature conservation programs for woodlands might require virtual eradication of all exotic mammalian herbivores, including goats.

Spinifex–mallee revegetation: implications for restoration after mineral-sands mining in the Murray–Darling Basin

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian R. K. Sluiter ◽  
Andrew Schweitzer ◽  
Ralph Mac Nally
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
Eucalyptus Species ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Remnant Vegetation ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Millennium Drought ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Vegetation Class ◽  
Western Victoria

Mineral-sands mining in the semiarid and arid zone of south-eastern Australia is now a widespread disturbance that may adversely affect large areas of remnant vegetation, including mallee (Eucalyptus spp.) with hummock grass or spinifex (Triodia scariosa) understorey. No broad-scale restoration projects have been undertaken to revegetate mallee Eucalyptus species with spinifex. We report on the survivorship and relative importance (spatial coverage) of hand-planted tubestock 10 years after establishment in 2001, which included mallee Eucalyptus, Triodia scariosa, Acacia spp. and Hakea spp. These taxa are the dominant plants in a semiarid dune–swale system on a former mineral-sands mine licence area in semiarid, north-western Victoria. Mean survivorship of tubestock was 0.58 ± 0.04. Spinifex (Triodia scariosa), needlewood (Hakea) and several mallee species (Eucalyptus spp.) survived substantially better than the average of all tubestock-planted species, although Acacia spp. had low survivorships. Although the plantings were undertaken in the early stages of the most severe drought in the instrumental record (the ‘Millennium drought’), several taxa survived well and species such as spinifex established and developed ground coverage greater than the benchmark values for the ecological vegetation class of the location. We conclude that hand-planting of tubestock can achieve restoration objectives for this component of spinifex–mallee vegetation, even under extremely arduous conditions associated with long-term drought. We also herald the importance of taking a long-term view to the assessment of revegetation success, in this case 10 years.

Gebirgswaldpflege – es kommt auf den Standort an | Mountain silviculture – it all depends on the site

2001 ◽  
Vol 152 (5) ◽  
pp. 169-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Frehner
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Stand ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Mountain Forests ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Snow Mould ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Protection Forests

The article shows that knowledge of the site of a particular forest stand, together with research results and experience, can provide information that is important for the cultivation of mountain forests, including knowledge of the composition of the tree species and the structure and growth capacity of natural forest. Furthermore, certain sites can, thus, be characterized by factors that influence restocking, such as snow mould,lush ground vegetation or low temperature. The guidelines«minimale Pflegemassnahmen» – «Minimal tending of protection forests» (WASSER und FREHNER, 1996) are based on this principle. For individual sites, warnings about natural dangers such as rock fall or statements concerning nature conservation can be made (e.g., the occurrence of tree species, suitability as a biotope for Capercaille). In conclusion, two research projects on the relationship between site and natural dangers will be presented.

scholarly journals Linking population size structure, heat stress and bleaching responses in a subtropical endemic coral

Coral Reefs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Lachs ◽  
Brigitte Sommer ◽  
James Cant ◽  
Jessica M. Hodge ◽  
Hamish A. Malcolm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Early Recovery ◽  
Size Frequency Distribution ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Community Organisation ◽  
Size Frequency ◽  
Eastern Australia

AbstractAnthropocene coral reefs are faced with increasingly severe marine heatwaves and mass coral bleaching mortality events. The ensuing demographic changes to coral assemblages can have long-term impacts on reef community organisation. Thus, understanding the dynamics of subtropical scleractinian coral populations is essential to predict their recovery or extinction post-disturbance. Here we present a 10-yr demographic assessment of a subtropical endemic coral, Pocillopora aliciae (Schmidt-Roach et al. in Zootaxa 3626:576–582, 2013) from the Solitary Islands Marine Park, eastern Australia, paired with long-term temperature records. These coral populations are regularly affected by storms, undergo seasonal thermal variability, and are increasingly impacted by severe marine heatwaves. We examined the demographic processes governing the persistence of these populations using inference from size-frequency distributions based on log-transformed planar area measurements of 7196 coral colonies. Specifically, the size-frequency distribution mean, coefficient of variation, skewness, kurtosis, and coral density were applied to describe population dynamics. Generalised Linear Mixed Effects Models were used to determine temporal trends and test demographic responses to heat stress. Temporal variation in size-frequency distributions revealed various population processes, from recruitment pulses and cohort growth, to bleaching impacts and temperature dependencies. Sporadic recruitment pulses likely support population persistence, illustrated in 2010 by strong positively skewed size-frequency distributions and the highest density of juvenile corals measured during the study. Increasing mean colony size over the following 6 yr indicates further cohort growth of these recruits. Severe heat stress in 2016 resulted in mass bleaching mortality and a 51% decline in coral density. Moderate heat stress in the following years was associated with suppressed P. aliciae recruitment and a lack of early recovery, marked by an exponential decrease of juvenile density (i.e. recruitment) with increasing heat stress. Here, population reliance on sporadic recruitment and susceptibility to heat stress underpin the vulnerability of subtropical coral assemblages to climate change.

scholarly journals Fire suppression and seed dispersal play critical roles in the establishment of tropical forest tree species in southeastern Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohiro Fujita
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Seedling Mortality ◽  
Forest Tree Species ◽  
Seed Deposition ◽  
Syzygium Guineense

AbstractThis study examined the mechanisms of facilitation and importance of seed dispersal during establishment of forest tree species in an Afrotropical woodland. Seedling survival of Syzygium guineense ssp. afromontanum was monitored for 2.5 years at four different microsites in savannah woodland in Malawi (southeastern Africa) under Ficus natalensis (a potential nurse plant), Brachystegia floribunda (a woodland tree), Uapaca kirkiana (a woodland tree), and at a treeless site. The number of naturally established forest tree seedlings in the woodland was also counted. Additionally, S. guineense ssp. afromontanum seed deposition was monitored at the four microsites. Insect damage (9% of the total cause of mortality) and trampling by ungulates (1%) had limited impact on seedling survival in this area. Fire (43%) was found to be the most important cause of seedling mortality and fire induced mortality was especially high under U. kirkiana (74%) and at treeless site (51%). The rate was comparatively low under F. natalensis (4%) and B. floribunda (23%), where fire is thought to be inhibited due to the lack of light-demanding C4 grasses. Consequently, seedling survival under F. natalensis and B. floribunda was higher compared with the other two microsites. The seedling survival rate was similar under F. natalensis (57%) and B. floribunda (59%). However, only a few S. guineense ssp. afromontanum seedlings naturally established under B. floribunda (25/285) whereas many seedlings established under F. natalensis (146/285). These findings indicate that the facilitative mechanism of fire suppression is not the only factor affecting establishment. The seed deposition investigation revealed that most of the seeds (85%) were deposited under F. natalensis. As such, these findings suggest that in addition to fire suppression, dispersal limitations also play a role in forest-savannah dynamics in this region, especially at the community level.

scholarly journals What makes long-term perspectives endure? Lessons from Dutch nature conservation

Futures ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 126 ◽  
pp. 102679
Author(s):  
Raoul Beunen ◽  
Iulian Barba Lata
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation

Time-Dependent Changes in Excitability After One-Trial Conditioning of Hermissenda

1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 3460-3464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Crow ◽  
Vilma Siddiqi
Keyword(s):  
Time Dependent ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Type B ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Phototactic Behavior ◽  
Parallel Processes ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
A Site ◽  
Different Levels

Crow, Terry and Vilma Siddiqi. Time-dependent changes in excitability after one-trial conditioning of Hermissenda. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 3460–3464, 1997. The visual system of Hermissenda has been studied extensively as a site of cellular plasticity produced by classical conditioning. A one-trial conditioning procedure consisting of light paired with the application of serotonin (5-HT) to the exposed, but otherwise intact, nervous system produces suppression of phototactic behavior tested 24 h after conditioning. Short- and long-term enhancement (STE and LTE) of excitability in identified type B photoreceptors is a cellular correlate of one-trial conditioning. LTE can be expressed in the absence of STE suggesting that STE and LTE may be parallel processes. To examine the development of enhancement, we studied its time-dependent alterations after one-trial conditioning. Intracellular recordings from identified type B photoreceptors of independent groups collected at different times after conditioning revealed that enhanced excitability follows a biphasic pattern in its development. The analysis of spikes elicited by 2 and 30 s extrinsic current pulses at different levels of depolarization showed that enhancement reached a peak 3 h after conditioning. From its peak, excitability decreased toward baseline control levels 5–6 h after conditioning followed by an increase to a stable plateau at 16 to 24 h postconditioning. Excitability changes measured in cells from unpaired control groups showed maximal changes 1 h posttreatment that rapidly decremented within 2 h. The conditioned stimulus (CS) elicited significantly more spikes 24 h postconditioning for the conditioned group as compared with the unpaired control group. The analysis of the time-dependent development of enhancement may reveal the processes underlying different stages of memory for this associative experience.

scholarly journals Geobacter bemidjiensis sp. nov. and Geobacter psychrophilus sp. nov., two novel Fe(III)-reducing subsurface isolates

2005 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 1667-1674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly P. Nevin ◽  
Dawn E. Holmes ◽  
Trevor L. Woodard ◽  
Erich S. Hinlein ◽  
David W. Ostendorf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type Strain ◽  
Novel Species ◽  
Electron Acceptors ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Amorphous Iron ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Subsurface Sediments ◽  
Curved Rods ◽  
A Site

Fe(III)-reducing isolates were recovered from two aquifers in which Fe(III) reduction is known to be important. Strain BemT was enriched from subsurface sediments collected in Bemidji, MN, USA, near a site where Fe(III) reduction is important in aromatic hydrocarbon degradation. Strains P11, P35T and P39 were isolated from the groundwater of an aquifer in Plymouth, MA, USA, in which Fe(III) reduction is important because of long-term inputs of acetate as a highway de-icing agent to the subsurface. All four isolates were Gram-negative, slightly curved rods that grew best in freshwater media. Strains P11, P35T and P39 exhibited motility via means of monotrichous flagella. Analysis of the 16S rRNA and nifD genes indicated that all four strains are δ-proteobacteria and members of the Geobacter cluster of the Geobacteraceae. Differences in phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics indicated that the four isolates represent two novel species within the genus Geobacter. All of the isolates coupled the oxidation of acetate to the reduction of Fe(III) [iron(III) citrate, amorphous iron(III) oxide, iron(III) pyrophosphate and iron(III) nitrilotriacetate]. All four strains utilized ethanol, lactate, malate, pyruvate and succinate as electron donors and malate and fumarate as electron acceptors. Strain BemT grew fastest at 30 °C, whereas strains P11, P35T and P39 grew equally well at 17, 22 and 30 °C. In addition, strains P11, P35T and P39 were capable of growth at 4 °C. The names Geobacter bemidjiensis sp. nov. (type strain BemT=ATCC BAA-1014T=DSM 16622T=JCM 12645T) and Geobacter psychrophilus sp. nov. (strains P11, P35T and P39; type strain P35T=ATCC BAA-1013T=DSM 16674T=JCM 12644T) are proposed.

Development of Forest Shelterbelts Considering Statistical Forecasts Modelling of Local Weather

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14
Author(s):  
Irina Volkova ◽  
Kseniia Pitulko ◽  
Anzhelika Sergeeva ◽  
Saida Pshidatok
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Moscow Oblast ◽  
Phytopathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Heat Damage ◽  
Class 1 ◽  
Local Weather ◽  
Species Class

This work aims to study the effect of high temperatures and phytopathogenic bacteria on different types of trees in the forest shelterbelts. Therefore, in 2018, 17 tree species were studied from 50 sample sites in the Moscow oblast (Russia). Leaf scorching, diseases caused by phytopathogenic bacteria, and heat damage to the crowns were examined in 5224 tree species. Based on the degree of crown damage, the studied tree species were divided into four classes. It was found that the heat damage to tree crowns was identical between the three sampling aspects (correlation coefficient 0.99). The plant species composition must be considered when developing forest shelterbelts. A long-term forecast on structural changes of planted areas is possible, considering the species composition and climatic characteristics of the region. Class 5 includes only chestnut; class 4 includes three species; class 3 is represented by seven species. Class 2, includes six species, and is the most suitable in developing forest plantations. No tree species in class 1 were found (trees with no damage). There is a connection between pathologies and heat injuries in trees from classes 4 to 5 (correlation 0.89).

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