Importance of boreal forested wetlands for epiphytic macrolichen communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 1333-1339
Author(s):  
Tegan Padgett ◽  
Yolanda F. Wiersma
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Forested Wetlands ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Forested Wetland ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Face Threats

Forested wetlands provide ecosystem services and often support elevated levels of biodiversity and rare species. However, forested wetlands are understudied and face threats such as logging and land conversion. Epiphytic lichens are abundant in forested wetlands and may be useful to help delineate microhabitats across wetland–upland gradients. We investigated epiphytic macrolichen richness, diversity, and community composition in 15 sites in the Avalon Forest Ecoregion, Newfoundland, Canada. Within each site, we set up three parallel 40 m transects in (i) the forested wetland, (ii) the ecotone, and (iii) the upland forest. Along each transect, we selected five balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) trees 10 m apart and surveyed for macrolichens on the lower bole. We collected data on tree height and tree diameter at breast height, which differed significantly among forest types. We also collected data on tree age and canopy cover, which did not differ significantly among forest types. Contrary to hypotheses suggesting that biodiversity is highest in ecotones, we found that mean macrolichen richness was significantly higher in wetlands, lower in the ecotones, and lowest in upland forests, and macrolichen diversity followed a similar pattern but with no significant difference among groups. Macrolichen community composition significantly differed among wetlands, ecotones, and upland forests. A lichen of conservation concern, Erioderma pedicellatum (Hue) P.M. Jørg., was detected primarily in forested wetlands, highlighting wetlands as key habitats for rare epiphytic macrolichens.

scholarly journals Investigation on Species Composition of Plant Community at Tad Xai at Phou Khao Khouay National Park, Lao PDR

Our Nature ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Metmany Soukhavong ◽  
Liu Yong ◽  
Khamseng Nanthavong ◽  
Jérôme Millet
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Lao Pdr ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Species Number ◽  
Crown Cover ◽  
Significant Difference

Phou Khao Khouay (PKK) National Park is one of the 21 National Parks in Lao PDR that supports high biodiversity. The plant community was represented by 62 families, 145 species and 1,221 tree size individuals in 50×50 m2 plots. The largest species in terms of individual number were Hydnocarpus ilicifolia, Hopea spp. and the largest families in terms of species number were Rubiaceae and Dipterocarpaceae. A total 24 families, 33 species and 91 sapling individuals were found in the 10×10 m2 sapling plots, the largest species were Rinorea boissieui, Ailanthus triphysa and Hopea spp. and the largest families were Dipterocarpaceae and Myrtaceae. In the seedling quadrat, there were 88 families, 153 species and 1,586 seedling size individuals in 2×2 m2 plots, the largest species were Hopea spp., Hopea ferrea and spp. (leguminoceae), the largest families were Rubiaceae, Annonaceae and Dipterocarpaceae. Diversity was found very high in tree and seedling was significantly higher than that of sapling, but no significant difference between tree and seedling. The largest tree height and maximum mean diameter at breast height (DBH) belonged to the family of Dipterocarpaceae. Canopy cover of Diperocarpaceae was highest (35%) in study area. Lauraceae and other 6 families had lowest crown cover around 5%. The result of this study indicated the pattern of species composition in plant community assembly and density, diversity, abundance for the vegetation layers.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/on.v11i1.8237 Our Nature Vol.11(1) 2013: 1-10

Spatial patterns of vegetation structure and structural diversity across edges between forested wetlands and upland forest in Atlantic Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Amanda Harper ◽  
Logan Gray ◽  
Natasha Dazé Querry
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Forested Wetlands ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Shannon Index ◽  
Forested Wetland ◽  
Atlantic Canada ◽  
Wetland Protection ◽  
Upland Forest

Forested wetlands are an integral but understudied part of heterogeneous landscapes in Atlantic Canada, although they are known to provide habitat for species at risk. Our objectives were to explore patterns of forest structure across edges between forested wetland and upland forest, to locate changes in vegetation structure and to assess multivariate relationships in vegetation structure. Our study sites were in temperate (Acadian) forested wetland landscapes. We sampled trees and recorded canopy cover every 20 m along 120 m long transects. We estimated the cover of trees, saplings, shrubs in three height classes, Sphagnum, other bryophytes, lichens, graminoids, ferns and forbs in contiguous 1 x 1 m quadrats. We calculated structural diversity using the Shannon index and used wavelet analysis to assess spatial patterns. We found few clear patterns except for lower tree structural diversity at the edge of forested wetlands. Structural diversity was not a reliable measure for distinguishing forested wetland from upland forest. Forested wetlands are an integral part of many forested landscapes in Atlantic Canada but their detection and differentiation from surrounding ecosystem can be difficult. Policy should err on the side of caution when mapping forested wetlands and include them in wetland protection.

scholarly journals Patterns of Bat Diversity in an Undisturbed Forest and Forest Mosaic Habitats of the Afromontane Forest Biome of Western Cameroon

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric-Moîse BakwoFils ◽  
Manga Aaron Mongombe ◽  
Dongmo Ervis Manfothang ◽  
Aicha Gomeh-Djame ◽  
Jean Michel Takuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Undisturbed Forest ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Disturbed Forest ◽  
Bat Diversity ◽  
Forest Habitats

Anthropogenic activities continue to degrade natural montane ecosystems globally. Bats communities are altered by these changes. We analyzed how bats are affected by human-induced habitat changes by comparing the bat species diversity and functional diversity in undisturbed forest habitats and disturbed forest habitats of the Afromontane biome of Cameroon. We recorded 244 individuals from 13 species in the undisturbed forest, while 233 individuals from 16 species were recorded in the disturbed forest. Bat diversity was higher in disturbed habitats (D = 0.84) than undisturbed habitats (D = 0.67). Jackknife 1 species richness estimator suggests 21.53 species for the disturbed forest and 19.30 in the undisturbed forest. Closed-space forager insectivorous bats made up nearly half of the species in the undisturbed forest, but this dropped to 25% in the disturbed forest, meanwhile, edge-space foragers increased in the disturbed forest. Bat community analyses by ordination revealed a distinct bat community composition between the two forest types, demonstrated as a significant difference in diversity between the two forest types. The distribution of Rousettus aegyptiacus, Myonycteris angolensis, Hipposideros cf. ruber, and Micropteropus pusillus contribute the most to the difference in bat community composition between the two forest types. Edge and open-space species were likely to benefit from additional resources provided by the disturbed area, by expanding their range and distribution. However, this may not compensate for the decline in the population of forest species caused by the loss of pristine forests, thus measures to conserve montane forest remnants should be of utmost significance.

scholarly journals Assessment of carbon storage potential of forested wetland soils as affected by urbanization degree in two different physiographic provinces of Virginia, USA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Ledford ◽  
Stephanie Schmidt ◽  
Changwoo Ahn
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Forested Wetlands ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Forested Wetland ◽  
Wetland Soils ◽  
Urban Wetlands ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Storage Potential

Abstract This study assessed carbon storage potential in terms of total carbon (TC) and total carbon stocks (TC stocks) in soils of four forested wetlands in Northern Virginia along with associated soil physicochemistry [e.g., soil pH, bulk density (Db), and gravimetric soil moisture (GSM)]. The study sites were selected across two vastly different degrees of urbanization (urban [U]; non-urban [N]) and the two main physiographic provinces of the region (Piedmont; Coastal Plain). Soils were sampled and analyzed at three depth intervals (0-10cm; 10-20cm; 20-30cm). No significant differences were found in TC (3.07 ± 0.31% [U]; 3.82 ± 0.40%; [N]) or TC stocks (2.81 ± 0.35 kg∙m− 2 [U]; 3.58 ± 0.28 kg∙m− 2 [N]) between urbanization degrees (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in TC stocks by physiographic province (p > 0.05), however, Coastal Plain wetland soils had higher TC than the Piedmont wetlands (4.32 ± 0.41%; 2.57 ± 0.22%, p < 0.05). Db and GSM were significantly different along urbanization degree and physiography, and were highly correlated to TC, being able to estimate the total variability of TC to a significant degree (R2 = 0.39 and R2 = 0.47, all p < 0.05). The outcome shows that urban wetlands fairly mirror the carbon storage potential of non-urban wetlands and more likely so in the Coastal Plain than in the Piedmont, especially in their top 10 cm of soils. Further studies may be warranted across an urbanizing landscape to elucidate carbon storage potentials of urban wetlands that can combat urban carbon emissions.

scholarly journals INVISTIGATION ON CANOPY HEIGHT AND DENSITY DIFFERENTIATIONS IN THE MANAGED AND UNMANAGED FOREST STANDS USING LIDAR DATA (CASE STUDY: SHASTKALATEH FOREST, GORGAN)

2015 ◽  
Vol XL-1-W5 ◽  
pp. 775-779
Author(s):  
Sh. Shataee ◽  
J. Mohammadi
Keyword(s):  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Canopy Height ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Lidar Data ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Northern Iran ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Unmanaged Forest

Forest management plans are interesting to keep the forest stand natural composite and structure after silvicultural and management treatments. In order to investigate on stand differences made by management treatments, comparing of these stands with unmanaged stands as natural forests is necessary. Aerial laser scanners are providing suitable 3D information to map the horizontal and vertical characteristics of forest structures. In this study, different of canopy height and canopy cover variances between managed and unmanaged forest stands as well as in two dominant forest types were investigated using Lidar data in Dr. Bahramnia forest, Northern Iran. The in-situ information was gathered from 308 circular plots by a random systematic sampling designs. The low lidar cloud point data were used to generate accurate DEM and DSM models and plot-based height statistics metrics and canopy cover characteristics. The significant analyses were done by independent T-test between two stands in same dominant forest types. Results showed that there are no significant differences between canopy cover mean in two stands as well as forest types. Result of statistically analysis on height characteristics showed that there are a decreasing the forest height and its variance in the managed forest compared to unmanaged stands. In addition, there is a significant difference between maximum, range, and mean heights of two stands in 99 percent confidence level. However, there is no significant difference between standard deviation and canopy height variance of managed and unmanged stands. These results showd that accomplished management treatments and cuttings could lead to reducing of height variances and converting multi-layers stands to two or single layers. Results are also showed that the canopy cover densities in the managed forest stands are changing from high dense cover to dense cover.

Properties of Gliricidia Wood (Gliricidia sepium) lntercropped with Cocoa (Theobroma cocoa) in Malaysia

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Mohd Helmy Ibrahim ◽  
Mohd Nazip Suratman ◽  
Razali Abd Kader
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Specific Gravity ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Wall Thickness ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Gliricidia Sepium ◽  
Cell Wall Thickness ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Lumen Diameter ◽  
Significant Difference

Trees planted from agroforestry practices can become valuable resources in meeting the wood requirements of many nations. Gliricidia sepium is an exotic species introduced to the agricultural sector in Malaysia mainly for providing shade for cocoa and coffee plantations. This study investigates its wood physical properties (specific gravity and moisture content) and fibre morphology (length, lumen diameter and cell wall thickness) of G. sepium at three intervals according to age groups ( three, five and seven years of ages). Specific gravity (0.72) was significantly higher at seven years ofage as compared to five (0.41) and three (0.35) years age group with a mean of 0.43 (p<0.05). Mean moisture content was 58.3% with no significant difference existing between the tree age groups. Fibre diameter (22.4 mm) was significantly lower (p<0.05) for the trees which were three years of age when compared to five and seven years age groups (26.6 mm and 24. 7 mm), respectively. Means of fibre length, lumen diameter and cell wall thickness were 0.83 mm, 18.3 mm, and 6.2 mm, respectively, with no significant differences detected between trees in all age groups. Further calculation on the coefficient of suppleness and runkel ratio suggest that wood from G.sepium may have the potential for insulation board manufacturing and paper making. However, future studies should experiment the utilisation of this species for these products to determine its full potential.

scholarly journals Spring Freeze Damage of Pecan Bloom: A Review

Horticulturae ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Amandeep Kaur ◽  
Louise Ferguson ◽  
Niels Maness ◽  
Becky Carroll ◽  
William Reid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Height ◽  
The United States ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
The Us ◽  
Nut Production ◽  
Freeze Damage ◽  
Terminal Buds ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

Pecan is native to the United States. The US is the world’s largest pecan producer with an average yearly production of 250 to 300 million pounds; 80 percent of the world’s supply. Georgia, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, California, Louisiana, and Florida are the major US pecan producing states. Pecan trees frequently suffer from spring freeze at bud break and bloom as the buds are quite sensitive to freeze damage. This leads to poor flower and nut production. This review focuses on the impact of spring freeze during bud differentiation and flower development. Spring freeze kills the primary terminal buds, the pecan tree has a second chance for growth and flowering through secondary buds. Unfortunately, secondary buds have less bloom potential than primary buds and nut yield is reduced. Spring freeze damage depends on severity of the freeze, bud growth stage, cultivar type and tree age, tree height and tree vigor. This review discusses the impact of temperature on structure and function of male and female reproductive organs. It also summarizes carbohydrate relations as another factor that may play an important role in spring growth and transition of primary and secondary buds to flowers.

scholarly journals Effects of habitat edges on vegetation structure and the vulnerable golden-brown mouse lemur (Microcebus ravelobensis) in northwestern Madagascar

BMC Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Andriatsitohaina ◽  
Daniel Romero-Mujalli ◽  
Malcolm S. Ramsay ◽  
Frederik Kiene ◽  
Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Edge Effects ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Logistic Function ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Vegetation Parameters

Abstract Background Edge effects can influence species composition and community structure as a result of changes in microenvironment and edaphic variables. We investigated effects of habitat edges on vegetation structure, abundance and body mass of one vulnerable Microcebus species in northwestern Madagascar. We trapped mouse lemurs along four 1000-m transects (total of 2424 trap nights) that ran perpendicular to the forest edge. We installed 16 pairs of 20 m2 vegetation plots along each transect and measured nine vegetation parameters. To determine the responses of the vegetation and animals to an increasing distance to the edge, we tested the fit of four alternative mathematical functions (linear, power, logistic and unimodal) to the data and derived the depth of edge influence (DEI) for all parameters. Results Logistic and unimodal functions best explained edge responses of vegetation parameters, and the logistic function performed best for abundance and body mass of M. ravelobensis. The DEI varied between 50 m (no. of seedlings, no. of liana, dbh of large trees [dbh ≥ 10 cm]) and 460 m (tree height of large trees) for the vegetation parameters, whereas it was 340 m for M. ravelobensis abundance and 390 m for body mass, corresponding best to the DEI of small tree [dbh < 10 cm] density (360 m). Small trees were significantly taller and the density of seedlings was higher in the interior than in the edge habitat. However, there was no significant difference in M. ravelobensis abundance and body mass between interior and edge habitats, suggesting that M. ravelobensis did not show a strong edge response in the study region. Finally, regression analyses revealed three negative (species abundance and three vegetation parameters) and two positive relationships (body mass and two vegetation parameters), suggesting an impact of vegetation structure on M. ravelobensis which may be partly independent of edge effects. Conclusions A comparison of our results with previous findings reveals that edge effects are variable in space in a small nocturnal primate from Madagascar. Such an ecological plasticity could be extremely relevant for mitigating species responses to habitat loss and anthropogenic disturbances.

scholarly journals Development and Performance Evaluation of a Very Low-Cost UAV-Lidar System for Forestry Applications

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Tianyu Hu ◽  
Xiliang Sun ◽  
Yanjun Su ◽  
Hongcan Guan ◽  
Qianhui Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Inventory ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Flying Height ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Lidar System ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Gap Fraction

Accurate and repeated forest inventory data are critical to understand forest ecosystem processes and manage forest resources. In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-borne light detection and ranging (lidar) systems have demonstrated effectiveness at deriving forest inventory attributes. However, their high cost has largely prevented them from being used in large-scale forest applications. Here, we developed a very low-cost UAV lidar system that integrates a recently emerged DJI Livox MID40 laser scanner (~$600 USD) and evaluated its capability in estimating both individual tree-level (i.e., tree height) and plot-level forest inventory attributes (i.e., canopy cover, gap fraction, and leaf area index (LAI)). Moreover, a comprehensive comparison was conducted between the developed DJI Livox system and four other UAV lidar systems equipped with high-end laser scanners (i.e., RIEGL VUX-1 UAV, RIEGL miniVUX-1 UAV, HESAI Pandar40, and Velodyne Puck LITE). Using these instruments, we surveyed a coniferous forest site and a broadleaved forest site, with tree densities ranging from 500 trees/ha to 3000 trees/ha, with 52 UAV flights at different flying height and speed combinations. The developed DJI Livox MID40 system effectively captured the upper canopy structure and terrain surface information at both forest sites. The estimated individual tree height was highly correlated with field measurements (coniferous site: R2 = 0.96, root mean squared error/RMSE = 0.59 m; broadleaved site: R2 = 0.70, RMSE = 1.63 m). The plot-level estimates of canopy cover, gap fraction, and LAI corresponded well with those derived from the high-end RIEGL VUX-1 UAV system but tended to have systematic biases in areas with medium to high canopy densities. Overall, the DJI Livox MID40 system performed comparably to the RIEGL miniVUX-1 UAV, HESAI Pandar40, and Velodyne Puck LITE systems in the coniferous site and to the Velodyne Puck LITE system in the broadleaved forest. Despite its apparent weaknesses of limited sensitivity to low-intensity returns and narrow field of view, we believe that the very low-cost system developed by this study can largely broaden the potential use of UAV lidar in forest inventory applications. This study also provides guidance for the selection of the appropriate UAV lidar system and flight specifications for forest research and management.

Climate change refugia: landscape, stand and tree-scale microclimates in epiphyte community composition

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-148
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Ellis ◽  
Sally Eaton
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Biological Response ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Local Effects ◽  
Vulnerability To Climate Change ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
Water Holding ◽  
Epiphyte Community

AbstractThere is growing evidence that species and communities are responding to, and will continue to be affected by, climate change. For species at risk, vulnerability can be reduced by ensuring that their habitat is extensive, connected and provides opportunities for dispersal and/or gene flow, facilitating a biological response through migration or adaptation. For woodland epiphytes, vulnerability might also be reduced by ensuring sufficient habitat heterogeneity, so that microhabitats provide suitable local microclimates, even as the larger scale climate continues to change (i.e. microrefugia). This study used fuzzy set ordination to compare bryophyte and lichen epiphyte community composition to a large-scale gradient from an oceanic to a relatively more continental macroclimate. The residuals from this relationship identified microhabitats in which species composition reflected a climate that was more oceanic or more continental than would be expected given the prevailing macroclimate. Comparing these residuals to features that operate at different scales to create the microclimate (landscape, stand and tree-scale), it was possible to identify how one might engineer microrefugia into existing or new woodland, in order to reduce epiphyte vulnerability to climate change. Multimodel inference was used to identify the most important features for consideration, which included local effects such as height on the bole, angle of bole lean and bark water holding capacity, as well as tree species and tree age, and within the landscape, topographic wetness and physical exposure.

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