Spatial patterns of tree and shrub biomass in a deciduous forest using leaf-off and leaf-on lidar

Understanding patterns of aboveground carbon storage across forest types is increasingly important as managers adapt to threats of global change. We combined field measures of aboveground biomass with lidar to model fine-scale biomass in deciduous forests located in two watersheds; one watershed was underlain by sandstone and the other by shale. We measured tree and shrub biomass across three topographic positions for both watersheds and analyzed biomass using mixed models. The watershed underlain by shale had 60% more aboveground biomass than the sandstone watershed. Although spatial patterns of biomass were different across watersheds, both had higher (between about 40% and 55%) biomass values at the toe-slope position than at the ridge-top position. To model fine-scale spatial patterns of biomass, we tested the effectiveness of leaf-on and leaf-off lidar combined with topographic metrics to develop a spatially explicit random forest model of tree and shrub biomass across both watersheds. Leaf-on variables were more important for modeling shrub biomass, while leaf-off variables were more effective at modeling tree biomass. Our model of tree and shrub biomass reflects the distribution of biomass across both watersheds at a fine scale and highlights the potential of abiotic factors such as topography and bedrock to affect carbon storage.

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Warming Increases the Carbon Sequestration Capacity of Picea schrenkiana in the Tianshan Mountains, China

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12081066 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 1066

Author(s):

Honghua Zhou ◽

Yaning Chen ◽

Chenggang Zhu ◽

Yapeng Chen ◽

Yuhai Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Carbon Sequestration ◽

Carbon Storage ◽

Aboveground Biomass ◽

Minimum Temperature ◽

Ring Width ◽

Tianshan Mountains ◽

Tree Ring Width ◽

Picea Schrenkiana ◽

Carbon Cycles ◽

Aboveground Carbon Storage

As an essential part of terrestrial ecosystems, convenient and accurate reconstruction of the past carbon sequestration capacity of forests is critical to assess future trends of aboveground carbon storage and ecosystem carbon cycles. In addition, the relationship between climate change and carbon sequestration of forests has been vigorously debated. In this study, dynamic change of carbon sequestration capacity in aboveground biomass of Picea schrenkiana (hereinafter abbreviated as P. schrenkiana) in the Tianshan Mountains, northwestern China, from 1850–2017, were reconstructed using dendrochronology. The main climate drivers that affected carbon sequestration capacity in aboveground biomass of P. schrenkiana were then investigated. The results showed that: (1) tree-ring width and diameter at breast height (DBH) of P. schrenkiana obtained from different altitudes and ages were an effective and convenient estimation index for reconstructing the carbon sequestration capacity of P. schrenkiana. The carbon storage of P. schrenkiana forest in 2016 in the Tianshan Mountains was 50.08 Tg C calculated using tree-ring width and DBH, which was very close to the value determined by direct field investigation data. (2) The annual carbon sequestration potential capacity of P. schrenkiana exhibited an increasing trend from 1850–2017. Temperature, especially minimum temperature, constituted the key climatic driver resulting in increased carbon sequestration capacity. The contribution rates of temperature and minimum temperature to the change of P. schrenkiana carbon sequestration capacity was 75% and 44%, respectively. (3) The significant increase of winter temperature and minimum temperature led to warming in the Tianshan Mountains, resulting in a significant increase in carbon sequestration capacity of P. schrenkiana. The results indicate that, with the continuous increase of winter temperature and minimum temperature, carbon sequestration of P. schrenkiana in the Tianshan Mountains is predicted to increase markedly in the future. The findings of this study provide a useful basis to evaluate future aboveground carbon storage and carbon cycles in mountain systems possessed similar characteristics of the Tianshan Mountains.

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The Utility of Fine-Scale Remote Sensing Data for Modeling Habitat Characteristics and Breeding Bird Species Distributions in an Appalachian Mature Deciduous Forest

10.33915/etd.7128 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

James Sheehan

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Deciduous Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Species Distributions ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Fine Scale ◽

Breeding Bird ◽

Sensing Data

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Effects of adaptive multiple paddock and continuous grazing on fine-scale spatial patterns of vegetation species and biomass in commercial ranches

Landscape Ecology ◽

10.1007/s10980-021-01273-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fugui Wang ◽

Steven I. Apfelbaum ◽

Ry L. Thompson ◽

Richard Teague ◽

Peter Byck

Keyword(s):

Spatial Patterns ◽

Fine Scale ◽

Continuous Grazing ◽

Vegetation Species

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Repeated surveying over 6 years reveals that fine-scale habitat variables are key to tropical mountain ant assemblage composition and functional diversity

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-80077-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mulalo M. Muluvhahothe ◽

Grant S. Joseph ◽

Colleen L. Seymour ◽

Thinandavha C. Munyai ◽

Stefan H. Foord

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Species Composition ◽

High Altitude ◽

Functional Diversity ◽

Large Scale ◽

Climate Models ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Composition Analysis ◽

Fine Scale

AbstractHigh-altitude-adapted ectotherms can escape competition from dominant species by tolerating low temperatures at cooler elevations, but climate change is eroding such advantages. Studies evaluating broad-scale impacts of global change for high-altitude organisms often overlook the mitigating role of biotic factors. Yet, at fine spatial-scales, vegetation-associated microclimates provide refuges from climatic extremes. Using one of the largest standardised data sets collected to date, we tested how ant species composition and functional diversity (i.e., the range and value of species traits found within assemblages) respond to large-scale abiotic factors (altitude, aspect), and fine-scale factors (vegetation, soil structure) along an elevational gradient in tropical Africa. Altitude emerged as the principal factor explaining species composition. Analysis of nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity indicated that ant assemblages are specific to each elevation, so species are not filtered out but replaced with new species as elevation increases. Similarity of assemblages over time (assessed using beta decay) did not change significantly at low and mid elevations but declined at the highest elevations. Assemblages also differed between northern and southern mountain aspects, although at highest elevations, composition was restricted to a set of species found on both aspects. Functional diversity was not explained by large scale variables like elevation, but by factors associated with elevation that operate at fine scales (i.e., temperature and habitat structure). Our findings highlight the significance of fine-scale variables in predicting organisms’ responses to changing temperature, offering management possibilities that might dilute climate change impacts, and caution when predicting assemblage responses using climate models, alone.

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Estimation and economic evaluation of aboveground carbon storage of Tectona grandis plantations in Western Panama

New Forests ◽

10.1007/s11056-008-9119-2 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 227-240 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Sebastian Derwisch ◽

Luitgard Schwendenmann ◽

Roland Olschewski ◽

Dirk Hölscher

Keyword(s):

Economic Evaluation ◽

Carbon Storage ◽

Tectona Grandis ◽

Aboveground Carbon ◽

Aboveground Carbon Storage

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Reproductive performance links to fine-scale spatial patterns of female grey seal relatedness

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2000.1422 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 268 (1468) ◽

pp. 711-717 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

P. P. Pomeroy ◽

J. Worthington Wilmer ◽

W. Amos ◽

S. D. Twiss

Keyword(s):

Spatial Patterns ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Fine Scale ◽

Grey Seal

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Spatial Patterns and Drivers of Soil Chemical Properties in a Typical Hickory Plantation

10.21203/rs.3.rs-845777/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mengjiao Sun ◽

Enqing Hou ◽

Jiasen Wu ◽

Jianqin Huang ◽

Xingzhao Huang

Keyword(s):

Random Forest ◽

Soil Nutrients ◽

Spatial Patterns ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Soil Nutrient ◽

Parent Material ◽

Mean Annual Precipitation ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Mean Annual Temperature

Abstract Background: Soil nutrients play critical roles in regulating and improving the sustainable development of economic forests. Consequently, an elucidation of the spatial patterns and drivers of soil nutrients in these forests is fundamental to their management. For this study, we collected 314 composite soils at a 0-30 cm depth from a typical hickory plantation in Lin 'an, Zhejiang Province, China. We determined the concentrations of macronutrients (i.e., soil organic carbon, hydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium) and micronutrients (i.e., iron, manganese, zinc, and copper.) of the soils. We employed random forest analysis to quantify the relative importance of soil-forming factors to predict the soil nutrient concentrations, which could then be extrapolated to the entire hickory region. Results: Random forest models explained 61%–88% of the variations in soil nutrient concentrations. The mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation were the most important predictor of soil macronutrient and micronutrient concentrations. Moreover, parent material was another key predictor of soil available phosphorus and micronutrient concentrations. Mapping results demonstrated the importance of climate in controlling the spatial distribution of soil nutrient concentrations at finer scales, as well as the effect of parent material, topography, stand structure, and management measures of hickory plantations. Conclusions: Our study highlights the biotic factors, abiotic factors, and management factors control over soil macronutrient and micronutrient concentrations, which have significant implications for the sustainability of soil nutrients in forest plantations.

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