The Sabah Biodiversity Experiment: a long-term test of the role of tree diversity in restoring tropical forest structure and functioning

Relatively, little is known about the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in forests, especially in the tropics. We describe the Sabah Biodiversity Experiment: a large-scale, long-term field study on the island of Borneo. The project aims at understanding the relationship between tree species diversity and the functioning of lowland dipterocarp rainforest during restoration following selective logging. The experiment is planned to run for several decades (from seed to adult tree), so here we focus on introducing the project and its experimental design and on assessing initial conditions and the potential for restoration of the structure and functioning of the study system, the Malua Forest Reserve. We estimate residual impacts 22 years after selective logging by comparison with an appropriate neighbouring area of primary forest in Danum Valley of similar conditions. There was no difference in the alpha or beta species diversity of transect plots in the two forest types, probably owing to the selective nature of the logging and potential effects of competitive release. However, despite equal total stem density, forest structure differed as expected with a deficit of large trees and a surfeit of saplings in selectively logged areas. These impacts on structure have the potential to influence ecosystem functioning. In particular, above-ground biomass and carbon pools in selectively logged areas were only 60 per cent of those in the primary forest even after 22 years of recovery. Our results establish the initial conditions for the Sabah Biodiversity Experiment and confirm the potential to accelerate restoration by using enrichment planting of dipterocarps to overcome recruitment limitation. What role dipterocarp diversity plays in restoration only will become clear with long-term results.

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Temporal variation in abundance and diversity of butterflies in Bornean rain forests: opposite impacts of logging recorded in different seasons

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467405002361 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 417-425 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

K. C. Hamer ◽

J. K. Hill ◽

N. Mustaffa ◽

S. Benedick ◽

T. N. Sherratt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Variation ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Temporal Variation ◽

Monsoon Season ◽

Selective Logging ◽

Primary Forest ◽

Tropical Rain Forests ◽

Rain Forests ◽

Monsoon Period ◽

Logged Forest

We used traps baited with fruit to examine how the temporal variation of butterflies within primary forest in Sabah, Borneo differed between species. In addition, we compared patterns of temporal variation in primary and selectively logged forest, and we tested the hypothesis that selective logging has different recorded impacts on species diversity of adults during the wet monsoon period and the drier remaining half of the year. Species of Satyrinae and Morphinae had significantly less-restricted flight periods than did species of Nymphalinae and Charaxinae, which were sampled mainly during the drier season, especially in primary forest. Species diversity of adults was significantly higher during the drier season in primary forest, but did not differ between seasons in logged forest. As a consequence, logging had opposite recorded impacts on diversity during wetter and drier seasons: primary forest had significantly higher diversity than logged forest during the drier season but significantly lower diversity than logged forest during the wetter monsoon season. The results of this study have important implications for the assessment of biodiversity in tropical rain forests, particularly in relation to habitat disturbance: short-term assessments that do not take account of seasonal variation in abundance are likely to produce misleading results, even in regions where the seasonal variation in rainfall is not that great.

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Dominant Species Abundance, Vertical Structure and Plant Diversity Response to Nature Forest Protection in Northeastern China: Conservation Effects and Implications

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11030295 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 295 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yuanyuan Wang ◽

Jinghua Yu ◽

Lu Xiao ◽

Zhaoliang Zhong ◽

Qiong Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Forest Structure ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Dominant Species ◽

Tree Density ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Forest Protection ◽

Natural Reserve ◽

The Impact

The conservation of species diversity and improvement of forest structure are essential roles of the Natural Reserve Policy and the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) in China. However, the long-term effects of NFPP are still not well-defined, and a natural reserve (Liangshui) and surrounding region were surveyed as a proxy of NFPP for approaching the protection effects. Our results showed that long-term conservation significantly altered the dominant species in the herb layer (80% of species), followed by shrub (58%) and tree layers (50%); there was a 1.6-8.0-fold increase in abundance in Corylus shrubs, Acer trees and Carex grass, but a 1.3–10.0-fold abundance decrease in larch trees, Athyrium herbs and Lonicera shrubs. In contrast, tree species diversity and distribution evenness increased by 31% and 23.4% in the reserve, respectively. Forest protection in the reserve also led to the forest structural alteration with the observation of larger-sized trees and shorter herbs, but relatively sparse forests (smaller tree density). Structural equation modeling manifested that the reserve directly altered forest structure, at a coefficient of 0.854, nearly two-fold higher than its impact on diversity (0.459) and dominant species (−0.445). The most affected parameters were plant size (trees and herbs) and tree density related to forest structure, tree diversity, herb richness and evenness for diversity traits, and Oxalidaceae and Rosaceae for dominant species. This study provides basic data that can be used to evaluate the impact of the nature reserve in NE China, and these findings can be used to guide the implementation of NFPP in the long-term in the future.

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Canopy area of large trees explains aboveground biomass variations across neotropical forest landscapes

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-15-3377-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. 3377-3390 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Victoria Meyer ◽

Sassan Saatchi ◽

David B. Clark ◽

Michael Keller ◽

Grégoire Vincent ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Forest Structure ◽

Aboveground Biomass ◽

Tree Mortality ◽

Forest Disturbance ◽

Basal Area ◽

Selective Logging ◽

Tree Canopy ◽

Crown Area ◽

Large Trees ◽

Canopy Area

Abstract. Large tropical trees store significant amounts of carbon in woody components and their distribution plays an important role in forest carbon stocks and dynamics. Here, we explore the properties of a new lidar-derived index, the large tree canopy area (LCA) defined as the area occupied by canopy above a reference height. We hypothesize that this simple measure of forest structure representing the crown area of large canopy trees could consistently explain the landscape variations in forest volume and aboveground biomass (AGB) across a range of climate and edaphic conditions. To test this hypothesis, we assembled a unique dataset of high-resolution airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) and ground inventory data in nine undisturbed old-growth Neotropical forests, of which four had plots large enough (1 ha) to calibrate our model. We found that the LCA for trees greater than 27 m (∼ 25–30 m) in height and at least 100 m2 crown size in a unit area (1 ha), explains more than 75 % of total forest volume variations, irrespective of the forest biogeographic conditions. When weighted by average wood density of the stand, LCA can be used as an unbiased estimator of AGB across sites (R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 46.02 Mg ha−1, bias = −0.63 Mg ha−1). Unlike other lidar-derived metrics with complex nonlinear relations to biomass, the relationship between LCA and AGB is linear and remains unique across forest types. A comparison with tree inventories across the study sites indicates that LCA correlates best with the crown area (or basal area) of trees with diameter greater than 50 cm. The spatial invariance of the LCA–AGB relationship across the Neotropics suggests a remarkable regularity of forest structure across the landscape and a new technique for systematic monitoring of large trees for their contribution to AGB and changes associated with selective logging, tree mortality and other types of tropical forest disturbance and dynamics.

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Syndactyly—A Review and Long Term Results

HAND ◽

10.1016/s0072-968x(77)80024-7 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol os-9 (1) ◽

pp. 16-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Peter M. Brown

Keyword(s):

Surgical Treatment ◽

Long Term Results ◽

Anatomical Distribution ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship ◽

Results Of Surgery

Syndactyly is classified and the principles of its surgical treatment discussed. The notes of eighty-five patients who had 222 webs between them were reviewed. A long term follow-up was carried out on thirty-two of these patients who had seventy-six clefts separated. The sexual and anatomical distribution of the syndactyly was investigated. The results of surgery were assessed including complications, and the relationship of complications to the type of graft used and the age at operation. It is suggested that complicated syndactyly is often separated at too early an age.

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Shifting cultivation along the Trans-African Highway and its impact on the understorey bird community in the Ituri Forest, Zaire

Bird Conservation International ◽

10.1017/s0959270900001659 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 317-329 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Andrew J. Plumptre

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Forest Structure ◽

Shifting Cultivation ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Community ◽

Selective Logging ◽

Primary Forest ◽

Forest Sites ◽

Ituri Forest

summarySince the 1940s, horticulturalists (the Lese) have been settled along the sides of the roads that traverse a large part of the forest in eastern Zaire. These people have maintained their lifestyle of shifting cultivation and trade with the Mbuti pygmies. This has resulted in corridors of heavily disturbed and regenerating forest. The results of a study of the understorey bird community at three sites in the Okapi Reserve in the Ituri forest in Zaire are reported here. Two primary forest sites (one monodominant Gilbertiodendron forest) in the Reserve were compared with an area of forest disturbed by shifting cultivation. The two primary forest sites were more similar in species composition than they were to secondary forest created by shifting cultivation. Shifting cultivation had a more severe impact on the bird community than selective logging does in forests in Uganda and Malaysia. There was a shift following disturbance from a bird community dominated by insectivores to one with more frugivore-insectivores and nectarivores. Ground thrushes Zoothera spp. and flycatchers were abundant in the monodominant Gilbertiodendron forest and appear to suffer from the change in forest structure following disturbance. The Okapi Reserve currently conserves some important bird species and at least 333 birds have been reported to occur there.

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Suture techniques in nasal tip sculpture: current concepts

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology ◽

10.1017/s0022215107008973 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 121 (8) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

S Lo ◽

J Rowe-Jones

Keyword(s):

Three Dimensional ◽

Suture Techniques ◽

Long Term Results ◽

Facial Plastic Surgery ◽

Nasal Tip ◽

Internet Search Engine ◽

Facial Plastic ◽

The Relationship ◽

Supporting Structures

AbstractObjectives:The three-dimensional anatomy and conspicuous location of the nasal tip makes it one of the most challenging sites of facial plastic surgery. This article reviews literature on nasal tip sculpture using suture techniques, as well as the authors' own experience.Methods:A search was conducted using Pubmed, the Google internet search engine and the authors' files, using the keywords ‘nasal tip’, ‘suture’, ‘rhinoplasty’ and ‘septorhinoplasty’.Results:Common nasal tip suture techniques and suture algorithms are presented, along with a summary of the indications and side effects of each technique.Conclusions:Predictable long-term results are more likely to occur with minimal local tissue excision. Suture techniques remodel the shape of the nasal tip by altering the configuration of, and the relationship between, the tip cartilages and their supporting structures; they also preserve nasal tip anatomy and limit resection. Intra-operatively, the effects are immediately visible, and can be adjusted or reversed. Tip sutures should therefore be considered instead of tissue excision whenever possible.

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Towards better estimates of carbon stocks in Borneo's logged-over Dipterocarp forests

BOIS & FORETS DES TROPIQUES ◽

10.19182/bft2020.345.a31940 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 345 ◽

pp. 101-102

Author(s):

Andes Hamuraby ROZAK

Keyword(s):

Tropical Forests ◽

Selective Logging ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Logging Damage ◽

Canopy Opening ◽

Dipterocarp Forests ◽

C Stocks ◽

Large Trees ◽

Main Driver

Tropical forests are a major reservoir of biodiversity and carbon (C), playing a pivotal role in global ecosystem function and climate regulation. However, most tropical forests, especially Borneo's forests in Southeast Asia, are under intense pressure and threatened by human activities such as logging, mining, agriculture and conversion to industrial plantations. Selective logging is known to reduce both above- and below-ground biomass by removing selected large trees, while increasing deadwood stocks through collateral logging damage and creating large gaps in the canopy. The extent of incidental damage, canopy opening and the rate of C recovery were shown to be primarily related to logging intensity. This thesis assesses the long-term effects of logging intensity on five main C pools in Dipterocarp forests in northern Borneo (Malinau District, North Kalimantan) along a logging intensity gradient ranging from 0 to 57% of initial biomass removed in 1999/2000. Our results showed that total C stocks 16 years after logging ranged from 218-554 Mg C/ha with an average of 314 Mg C/ha. A difference of 95 Mg C/ha was found between low logging intensity (< 2.1% of initial biomass lost) and high logging intensity (> 19%). Most C (approx. 77%) was found in living trees, followed by soil (15%), deadwood (6%) and a small fraction in litter (1%). The imprint of logging intensity was still detectable 16 years after logging. Logging intensity was thus shown to be the main driver explaining the reduction of AGC>20, BGC>20, in deadwood and total C stocks and an increase in deadwood. Our results quantify the long-term effects of logging on forest C stocks, especially in AGC and deadwood. High logging intensity (50% reduction of initial biomass) reduced total C stocks by 27%. AGC recovery was lower in high logging intensity plots, suggesting lowered forest resilience to logging. Our study showed that keeping logging intensity below 20% of the initial biomass can limit the long-term effects of logging on AGC and deadwood stocks.

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Assessing Forest Structure and Composition along the Altitudinal Gradient in the State of Sikkim, Eastern Himalayas, India

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10080633 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 633 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yangchenla Bhutia ◽

Ravikanth Gudasalamani ◽

Rengaian Ganesan ◽

Somidh Saha

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Forest Structure ◽

Altitudinal Gradient ◽

Large Diameter ◽

Stem Density ◽

Significant Finding ◽

Lower Altitude ◽

Eastern Himalayas ◽

Large Trees ◽

Low Altitude

Understanding the structure and composition of native forests is a prerequisite in developing an adaptive forest management plan for Himalayan forest ecosystems where climate change is rapid. However, basic information on forest structure and composition are still limited in many places of the Eastern Himalayas. In this study, we aimed to understand the diversity, structure, and composition of forests and their variations along an altitudinal gradient in Himalayan forests. The study was conducted in the Indian federal state of Sikkim, Eastern Himalayas. We carried out a comprehensive and comparative evaluation of species diversity, stand basal area, and stem density along the altitudinal gradient from 900m a.s.l.to 3200m a.s.l. We used stratified random sampling to survey eighty-three plots each 0.1 ha in forest communities that occurred along the altitudinal gradient: (a) lower (900–1700 m) altitude forest (N = 24), (b) mid (1700–2500 m) altitude forests (N = 37), and (c) higher (2500–3200 m)altitude forests (N = 22). We measured and identified all living trees with a >3 cm diameter at breast height in each plot. We counted 10,344 individual plants, representing 114 woody species belonging to 42 families and 75 genera. The family Fagaceae and its species Lithocarpus pachyphyllus (Kurz) Rehder. were reported as the most dominant forest trees with the highest Importance Value Index. The Shannon diversity index was recorded as being the highest for the low-altitude forests, whereas measures of structural diversity varied among forests along with altitude: the mid-altitude forests recorded the highest stem density and the high-altitude forests showed the highest mean stem DBH (diameter at 1.3 m height). One significant finding of our study was the disparity of the size class distribution among forests along the altitudinal gradient. Overall, we found a reverse J-shape distribution of tree diameter signifying the uneven-agedness. However, we showed, for the first time, a complete lack of large trees (>93 cm DBH) in the lower altitude forests. Our study highlights conservation concerns for the low-altitude forests that record high species diversity, although lacked large-diameter trees. We anticipate that our study will provide a comprehensive understanding of forest diversity, composition, and structure along the altitudinal gradient to design conservation and sustainable management strategies

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CRM and its results in Czech small and medium companies

9th International Scientific Conference “Business and Management 2016” ◽

10.3846/bm.2016.37 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Halina Starzyczna ◽

Michal Stoklasa ◽

Pavlina Pellesova

Keyword(s):

Customer Relationship Management ◽

Questionnaire Survey ◽

Relationship Management ◽

Customer Relationship ◽

Statistical Hypothesis ◽

Long Term Results ◽

Primary Research ◽

Research Findings ◽

The Relationship

The objective of this article is to present partial results of primary research, which was carried out on the basis of questionnaire survey that was focused on the issue of customer relationship management in small and medium-sized companies. The basis is brief theoretical debate focused on the specifics of small and medium-sized companies and customer relationship management. The sample consists of 736 companies from the Moravian-Silesian Region. The research findings focus on CRM awareness, what CRM means to companies and what are the long term results of CRM utilization. The final part of the article presents the established and verified statistical hypothesis reflecting the nature of the relationship between respondents and their answers.

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Habitat associations of woodcreeper (Aves: Dendrocolaptidae) assemblage in selectively logged areas of Southern Amazonia

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467415000565 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 63-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Domingos J. Rodrigues ◽

Fernando P. Florêncio ◽

Jocieli Oliveira ◽

Dalci M. M. Oliveira ◽

Gregory W. Lollback ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Forest Structure ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Bird Species ◽

Forest Degradation ◽

Habitat Associations ◽

Selective Logging ◽

Habitat Specialization ◽

Canopy Openness ◽

Southern Amazonia

Abstract:The Brazilian Amazon rain forest has lost c. 17% of its originally forested portion, due to deforestation and selective logging. Forest degradation caused by logging contributes to loss of animal species that require specialized habitats to survive, such as woodcreepers that inhabit understorey areas. Habitat associations of woodcreeper species can be important for identifying species that have restricted distribution and/or habitat specialization. Our study investigates the effects of spatial variation in forest structure and some landscape features (canopy openness, altitude, distance to stream and exploited basal area) on the abundance and composition of woodcreeper assemblage in selectively logged tropical forests in Southern Amazonia. We used mist-nets and points count to quantify the composition and abundance of woodcreepers in 32 plots in three sites. Plots were spatially arranged in PPBio LTER sites (long-term ecological research plots, systematically spaced at 1-km intervals) in Southern Amazonia. A total of 240 individuals (captured, observed and/or heard) belonging to 11 woodcreeper species were detected. Mantel tests showed that there is no spatial autocorrelation among woodcreeper assemblage and distance between plots. Altitude and canopy openness were significantly associated with the composition of the woodcreeper assemblage. Altitude was negatively associated with species richness, and the abundance of the two dominant species (Glyphorynchus spirurus and Xiphorhynchus elegans). The negative relationship with canopy openness suggests that woodcreeper assemblages that inhabit understorey are likely to be indirectly affected by selective logging which reduces canopy cover. The selective logging indirectly changes bird species assemblages, and depending on the intensity, may result in the local extinction of some insectivorous species. Short- and long-term studies addressing different intensities of selective logging are needed to determine the impacts on the bird species and forest structure.

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