Effects of forestry practices on the regeneration and biodiversity of woody plants in the northern forest ecosystems of Iran

The concentrations of metals in soils are spatially heterogeneous and soil sampling carried out when studying metals in forest ecosystems is often inadequate. We examined the spatial variability of Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in northern forest ecosystems on a transect with distance from two point source emitters with the goal of providing basic information about the distribution and variability of metals in these soils. Samples were taken under six sampling points at four depths from three experimental sites on each of the two transects. Soils were analysed for acid digestible metals, pH and organic carbon content. Standard deviation, coefficients of variation, mean and medians were analysed for each horizon of each site. It was observed that Cu and Mn variability is higher in closer proximity to the point source while the variability of Zn increased with decreasing soil pH. In Sudbury, emitted metals Ni and Cu accumulate together in soils, whereas in Rouyn-Noranda, with the exception of Cd and Zn, metal concentrations were not related in forest floors. Observations suggest that physical factors influencing where metals are deposited as well as the inherent variability in soil chemical characteristics, and the distance from the point source can all act together to result in high variability in soil metal concentrations in a single forest site. Sampling in the interest of relating vegetation metal concentrations or response to soil metals should be carried out on an individual plant basis with multiple samples taken for each individual. Soil samples taken at intervals of 1 to 1.7 m will provide relative error in estimating soil concentrations of 10% or 20%, respectively. Key words: Spatial variability, trace metals, podzolic soils, smelter emissions

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Insect Defoliators as Periodic Disturbances in Northern Forest Ecosystems

Plant Disturbance Ecology ◽

10.1016/b978-012088778-1/50017-0 ◽

2007 ◽

pp. 487-525 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Barry J. Cooke ◽

Vincent G. Nealis ◽

Jacques Régnière

Keyword(s):

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Northern Forest ◽

Periodic Disturbances

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Restoration of Forest Ecosystems on Disturbed Lands on the Northern Forest Distribution Border (North-East of European Russia)

Forest Ecosystems - More than Just Trees ◽

10.5772/31874 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Irina Likhanova ◽

Inna Archegov

Keyword(s):

Forest Ecosystems ◽

European Russia ◽

Northern Forest ◽

North East ◽

Forest Distribution

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The resource role of flowering woody plants in increasing the insects biological diversity

BIO Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/bioconf/20213800067 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 38 ◽

pp. 00067

Author(s):

Tatiana Kuzmina ◽

Elena Toropova

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

High Power ◽

Woody Plants ◽

Woody Plant ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Taxonomic Composition ◽

Forest Steppe ◽

Flowering Period ◽

Northern Forest

The aim of the study was to assess the resource role of flowering woody plants in maintaining the biological diversity of insects. The studies were carried out in 2019–2020 in the northern forest-steppe of the Ob region during the flowering period of woody plants from the Oleaceae family of the genus Syringa: S. josikaea J. and S. vulgaris L. Insects were collected by mowing with an entomological net in the crowns and under-crown space. The flowering of plants attracted insects from more than 25 families from 7 orders. The largest number of insects belonged to the order Thysanoptera 79.2%, followed by representatives of the orders Hemiptera (7.1%) and Diptera (6.4%). The entomological faunas of S. josikaea and S. vulgaris differed significantly in their taxonomic composition, insects abundance, and their association with flowering periods. Low coefficients of similarity and high power of the factor “plant species” influence on biological diversity and the insects number were revealed. S. josikaea played a more significant role in maintaining the biological diversity of insects. Research showed that insects are associated with a certain species of woody plant.

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The Role of Phytodiversity in Riparian Alder Forests in Supporting the Provision of Ecosystem Services

Acta Regionalia et Environmentalica ◽

10.1515/aree-2016-0010 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 47-51

Author(s):

Patrícia Mariničová ◽

Pavol Eliáš

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Functional Groups ◽

Functional Diversity ◽

Woody Plants ◽

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Human Society

Abstract Nature, ecosystems and biodiversity provide human society with many benefits known as ecosystem services. Functional diversity is an important aspect of biodiversity. In this paper, we applied inductive approach to the identification, mapping and evaluation of ecosystem services of the Aegopodio-Alnetum glutinosae community in Tribeč Mts. The results from 2015 show that the alder floodplain forest represents one of the most productive forest ecosystems with seasonal maximum production of 59.03 g m−2, species diversity of N0 = 40 and functional diversity of FD = 10. The forage potential of this community is medium, the melliferous potential is high and the therapeutic potential was estimated as extremely rich in medicinal plants. From the functional groups for providing ecosystem services, woody plants and hemicryptophytes play the most significant role.

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Biological diversity of insects on woody plants of the Rosacea family in the northern forest-steppe of the Ob region

Bulletin of NSAU (Novosibirsk State Agrarian University) ◽

10.31677/2072-6724-2021-58-1-45-55 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 45-55

Author(s):

T. V. Kuzmina ◽

E. Iu. Toropova

Keyword(s):

Woody Plants ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Forest Steppe ◽

Jaccard Coefficient ◽

Flowering Period ◽

Northern Forest ◽

Amelanchier Alnifolia ◽

Introduced Plants ◽

Physocarpus Opulifolius ◽

Rosaceae Family

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of plant species and year conditions on the biological diversity and number of insects – inhabitants of the crown layer of woody plants of the Rosaceae family in the conditions of the northern forest-steppe of the Ob region. The research was carried out in 2017–2018. During the flowering period of woody entomophilous plants, insects were collected by mowing with an entomological net in the crowns and undercrown space (25 strokes in four repetitions). In the crown of woody introduced plants Pyrus ussuriensis (Ussuri pear), Prunus maackii (Maak plum), Amelanchier alnifolia (alder irga), Spiraea betulifolia (spiraea birch leaf), Physocarpus opulifolius growing on the territory of arboretum of RAS in the northern forest-steppe of the Ob region, a total of 2597 insect specimens from 7 orders and more than 30 families were found. The largest number of insects belonged to the order Diptera (49.4 %). Representatives of the orders Thysanoptera (23.7%) and Hymenoptera (11.4%) made a significant contribution to the formation of the entomofauna. The entomofauna of different species of woody plants from the Rosaceae family differed in the taxonomic groups of insects and their numbers. A high degree of enomofauna similarity (Jaccard coefficient is 0.75) was found between Amelanchier alnifolia and Pyrus ussuriensis with similar flowering periods. A low degree of similarity was found between Amelanchier alnifolia and Spiraea betulifolia (0.32) and between Pyrus ussuriensis and Physocarpus opulifolius (0.33). The species of the plant (38.1 and 26.1%, respectively) had the greatest influence on the biological diversity and the number of entomocomplexes, which indicates the adaptation of insects to a woody plant of the Rosaceae family. The conditions of the year significantly (by 9.8%) influenced the biological diversity of insects during the flowering period.

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Length–biomass and energy relationships of terrestrial gastropods in northern forest ecosystems

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z97-061 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 75 (3) ◽

pp. 501-505 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

J. W. Hawkins ◽

M. W. Lankester ◽

R. A. Lautenschlager ◽

F. W. Bell

Keyword(s):

Boreal Forest ◽

Efficient Method ◽

Forest Floor ◽

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Northern Forest ◽

Terrestrial Gastropods ◽

Power Equation ◽

Biomass Models ◽

Energy Relationships ◽

Underlying Soil

Length–biomass models are a convenient and time-efficient method of estimating the biomass of invertebrates. Our purpose was to develop such a model for terrestrial gastropods that adequately predicted gastropod dry tissue biomass (Y) on the basis of animal length (X). The power equation Y = 0.172X1.688 (r2 = 0.85) proved to be the best model for this purpose. Gastropod dry tissue biomass was 6.52 ± 1.58 mg (mean ± SE) and, based on gastropod densities ranging from 2 to 38/m2 reported in the literature, snails and slugs active on the surface of the forest floor accounted for 2.5 and 6% of the total animal biomass and energy, respectively, of boreal forest ecosystems. However, because densities of gastropods in both the litter and underlying soil can reach 1607/m2, our results suggest that published values for total animal biomass (4.9 g/m2) and caloric energy (104 cal/m2) in boreal forest ecosystems are underestimated.

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