scholarly journals Applying biomass and stem fluxes to quantify temporal and spatial fluctuations of an old-growth forest in disturbance

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 2723-2753
Author(s):  
S. Liu ◽  
Y. -L. Li ◽  
G. -Y. Zhou ◽  
K. O. Wenigmann ◽  
Y. Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Biomass Growth ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Spatial Fluctuations ◽  
Closed Canopy ◽  
Average Biomass ◽  
Annual Biomass ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

Abstract. A subtropical old-growth forest was analyzed over a twelve year period to investigate temporal and spatial fluctuations of biomass and stem fluxes under disturbances. Vegetations were categorized into three types caused by biotic factors and abiotic factors, including Castanopsis chinensis population, insect direct-influenced population, and insect indirect-influenced population according to disturbance scenarios. The biomass fluxes (including biomass growth and mortality) and stem fluxes (including stem recruitment and mortality) were used to quantify the fluctuation of population. The results showed that annual average biomass growth rate was stable throughout the three periods, 1992–1994, 1994–1999, and 1999–2004, while annual biomass mortality and stem fluxes kept increasing through the three periods. Castanopsis chinensis population contributed the most in biomass fluxes of the community. Biomass and stem mortalities of insect direct-influenced population increased significantly during the whole study period (1992–2004). Dynamics of indirect-influenced population were compared by dominate species, diameter classes, and spatial patterns of subplots, respectively. Results of indirect-influenced population showed that (1) the increase of biomass of the dominant species was well correlated between different intervals. Similar relationships were found in stem fluxes; (2) higher stem mortality was observed when DBH ranged from 1 to 10 cm as compared with individuals in other DBH classes; (3) stem fluxes in the canopy gaps were remarkably higher than those in closed canopy. The biomass growth rate in gaps increased remarkably after the formation of the gaps.

scholarly journals Applying biomass and stem fluxes to quantify temporal and spatial fluctuations of an old-growth forest in disturbance

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 1839-1848 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Liu ◽  
Y.-L. Li ◽  
G.-Y. Zhou ◽  
K. O. Wenigmann ◽  
Y. Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Population Fluctuations ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Spatial Fluctuations ◽  
Closed Canopy ◽  
Average Biomass ◽  
Annual Biomass ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Stem Mortality

Abstract. A subtropical old-growth forest was studied over a twelve-year period to investigate temporal and spatial fluctuations of biomass and stem fluxes under disturbances. Vegetations were categorized into three types according to disturbances caused by biotic and abiotic factors, including Castanopsis chinensis population, insect direct-influenced population, and insect indirect-influenced population according to disturbance scenarios. The biomass fluxes (growth and mortality) and stem fluxes (stem recruitment and mortality) were used to quantify population fluctuations. Annual average biomass growth rate was stable throughout the study while annual biomass mortality and stem fluxes increased consistently. C. chinensis population predominantly contributed to biomass fluxes of the community. Biomass and stem mortalities of insect direct-influenced population increased significantly during the whole study period (1992–2004). Results of indirect-influenced population showed that (1) the increase in biomass of the dominant species was well correlated between different intervals. Similar relationships were found in stem fluxes; (2) higher stem mortality occurred within the DBH range of 1 to 10 cm; (3) stem fluxes in the canopy gaps were remarkably higher than those in closed canopy.

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal evolution of family-farming land use in the Tapajós region of the Brazilian Amazon

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine ROZON ◽  
Marc LUCOTTE ◽  
Robert DAVIDSON ◽  
Serge PAQUET ◽  
Jordan Sky OESTREICHER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Amazon Forest ◽  
Spatial Evolution ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Evolution ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
The Government

Pressures on the Brazilian Amazon forest have been accentuated by agricultural activities practiced by families encouraged to settle in this region in the 1970s by the colonization program of the government. The aims of this study were to analyze the temporal and spatial evolution of land cover and land use (LCLU) in the lower Tapajós region, in the state of Pará. We contrast 11 watersheds that are generally representative of the colonization dynamics in the region. For this purpose, Landsat satellite images from three different years, 1986, 2001, and 2009, were analyzed with Geographic Information Systems. Individual images were subject to an unsupervised classification using the Maximum Likelihood Classification algorithm available on GRASS. The classes retained for the representation of LCLU in this study were: (1) slightly altered old-growth forest, (2) succession forest, (3) crop land and pasture, and (4) bare soil. The analysis and observation of general trends in eleven watersheds shows that LCLU is changing very rapidly. The average deforestation of old-growth forest in all the watersheds was estimated at more than 30% for the period of 1986 to 2009. The local-scale analysis of watersheds reveals the complexity of LCLU, notably in relation to large changes in the temporal and spatial evolution of watersheds. Proximity to the sprawling city of Itaituba is related to the highest rate of deforestation in two watersheds. The opening of roads such as the Transamazonian highway is associated to the second highest rate of deforestation in three watersheds.

Gap-phase structure of a subalpine old-growth forest

1991 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 1730-1741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth P. Lertzman ◽  
Charles J. Krebs
Keyword(s):  
Phase Structure ◽  
Turnover Time ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Similar Distribution ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Coast Mountains ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Closed Canopy ◽  
Gap Phase

We examined four stands in a subalpine old-growth forest in the Coast Mountains of southwestern British Columbia for gap-phase structure. Though the stands varied in the proportions of each species, all had a similar distribution of area under closed canopy and in gaps (overall means: 29% closed canopy, 52% expanded gap, 18% canopy gap). Median areas of canopy gaps and expanded gaps were 41 and 203 m2, respectively. Most gaps (90%) had more than one gap maker, and gap makers within a gap were often from mortality events separated in time. Half of all gap makers died standing, and only 13% were windthrown. Pacific silver fir (Abiesamabilis (Dougl.) Forbes) was represented among gap makers in a much higher proportion than among canopy trees in general (64 vs. 45%). The estimated forest turnover time varied from 280–1000 years, depending on assumptions about the time taken for gaps to be filled. Distinctive features of gap-phase structure and dynamics in this forest are the high proportion of area in gap, small gap size, multiple gap makers of varying stages of decay, and long tenure of gaps before they are filled.

scholarly journals The Mediterranean Old-Growth Forests: Anomalies or Relicts? The Contribution of Soil Charcoal Analysis

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1541
Author(s):  
Vincent Robin ◽  
Stefan Dreibrodt ◽  
Brigitte Talon
Keyword(s):  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Charcoal Analysis ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Biotic And Abiotic Factors ◽  
Soil Charcoal ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Mediterranean Landscapes ◽  
Old Growth Forests ◽  
Soil Charcoal Analysis

Old-growth forests are of high interest for biodiversity conservation, especially in the disturbance-prone Mediterranean landscapes. However, it remains unclear whether the survival of patches of old-growth forest in the degraded Mediterranean landscapes results from local anomalies or from past, larger forests. Therefore, in this study, we assessed (1) the origin, (2) the long-term ecological trajectory, and (3) the mechanism(s) that explain the survival of a Mediterranean old-growth forest, the Sainte-Baume forest. To achieve this, we used soil charcoal analysis. We opened fifteen soil profiles in the forest and five in its surrounding areas for soil description and sampling. The soil descriptions enabled us to highlight in situ soil horizon and colluvial layers. A total of 1656 charcoal pieces from different soil samples were taxonomically identified to characterize the composition of past forests. Selected charcoal pieces (n = 34) were dated to obtain chronological data. Our investigations indicate that the survival of the Mediterranean old-growth forest, in the context of the semi-open/open Mediterranean landscapes, is the result of a combination of biotic and abiotic factors, which reduced the influence of past forest disturbances. Thus, the resistance and resilience of the forest areas are preserved over a long-term ecological trajectory. Therefore, the potential of Mediterranean old-growth forests as baseline reference points for the conservation of biodiversity is related to the identification and maintenance of the local biotic and abiotic factors which allowed the survival of the old-growth forest.

scholarly journals Influence of Treefall Gaps on Distributions of Breeding Birds Within Interior Old-Growth Stands in Białowieża Forest, Poland

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Fuller
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Point Counts ◽  
Treefall Gaps ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Closed Canopy ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Phylloscopus Sibilatrix ◽  
Young Growth

AbstractBreeding birds were counted using point counts at 50 treefall gaps and 50 closed-canopy sites within one of the largest tracts of old-growth forest in Europe. Numbers of species and individuals were slightly, but significantly, higher at gaps. Overall bird species composition differed substantially at gaps and non-gaps. Dunnock (Prunella modularis), Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), and Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) were significantly more abundant at gaps. Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) and Red-breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva) were significantly more abundant at non-gaps. Warblers (Sylviidae), ground insectivores, ground nesters, and short-distance migrants were significantly more abundant at gaps, but no species groups were more abundant at non-gaps. Eight species breeding in forest edges and young plantations in eastern Poland were not recorded in natural treefall gaps. The proportion of tropical migrant passerines was considerably higher in closed-canopy stands (0.47) than at gaps (0.29), which contrasts with the situation in most managed European forests where the highest proportions of tropical migrants typically occur in young-growth forests.

scholarly journals Recovery of Logged Tropical Montane Rainforests as Potential Habitats for Hainan Gibbon

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 711
Author(s):  
Kexin Fan ◽  
Yue Xu ◽  
Pengcheng Liu ◽  
Runguo Zang
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Relative Growth Rate ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Relative Growth ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Hainan Gibbon

As the world’s rarest ape, the main threat facing Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) is habitat degradation and loss caused by human disturbances. The insufficient area and continuous human disturbance in most of the existing habitats can hardly maintain the future recovery and development of the gibbon population. A large area of secondary tropical montane rainforest in recovery was retained in Bawangling National Nature Reserve after disturbance. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the recovery of these secondary forests for the protection and restoration of Hainan gibbon habitat. To explore the recovery of secondary tropical rainforests after different disturbances, and whether they have the potential to serve as the future habitats for Hainan gibbon, we calculated four dynamic indexes (including recruitment rate, mortality/loss rate, relative growth rate and turnover rate) of abundance and basal area for the total community and for food plants of Hainan gibbon based on data from two censuses of secondary forests recovered nearly 45 years after different disturbances (clear-cutting and selective-logging) and old-growth forest of tropical montane rainforest. The results are as follows: (1) There were no significant differences in recruitment rates, mortality rates and turnover rates of abundance and basal area between recovered clear-cutting forests, selectively logged forests and old-growth forests. (2) Abundance, basal area and species of small (1 < DBH ≤ 10 cm) and medium (10 ≤ DBH < 30 cm) food plants in the two disturbed forests were higher, while those of large food plants (DBH ≥ 30 cm) in the two forests were lower than in old-growth forests. (3) For the common food species occurring in all three kinds of communities, the relative growth rate of most small trees in clear-cutting forest was higher than that of old-growth forest. Our research demonstrates that the lack of large food plants is the key limiting factor for the development of the secondary mountain rainforest as habitats for Hainan gibbon at present. However, it has great potential to transform into suitable habitats through targeted restoration and management due to the high recruitment rate and relative growth rate of the small- and medium-sized food plants.

Tradable Disturbance Permits for Old-growth Forest Conservation: Experimental Evaluation of Implementation Options

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 73-107
Author(s):  
Orsolya Perger ◽  
Curtis Rollins ◽  
Marian Weber ◽  
Wiktor Adamowicz ◽  
Peter Boxall
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evaluation ◽  
Forest Conservation ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest

Old-growth forest reserves in Slovenia: the past, present, and future

2012 ◽  
Vol 163 (6) ◽  
pp. 240-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Nagel ◽  
Jurij Diaci ◽  
Dusan Rozenbergar ◽  
Tihomir Rugani ◽  
Dejan Firm
Keyword(s):  
Stand Structure ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Forest Reserves ◽  
The Past ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Basic Characteristics

Old-growth forest reserves in Slovenia: the past, present, and future Slovenia has a small number of old-growth forest remnants, as well as many forest reserves approaching old-growth conditions. In this paper, we describe some of the basic characteristics of these old-growth remnants and the history of their protection in Slovenia. We then trace the long-term development of research in these old-growth remnants, with a focus on methodological changes. We also review some of the recent findings from old-growth research in Slovenia and discuss future research needs. The conceptual understanding of how these forests work has slowly evolved, from thinking of them in terms of stable systems to more dynamic and unpredictable ones due to the influence of natural disturbances and indirect human influences. In accordance with this thinking, the methods used to study old-growth forests have changed from descriptions of stand structure to studies that address natural processes and ecosystem functions.

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