scholarly journals A Quantitative Index Based on Leaf Heteroblasty for Predicting Root Biomass in a Frequently Burned Savanna Species: Cussonia arborea Hochst. Ex A. Rich. (Araliaceae)

2021 ◽  
pp. 220-237
Author(s):  
Yao Anicet Gervais Kouamé ◽  
Mathieu Millan ◽  
Aya Brigitte N’Dri ◽  
Adama Bakayoko ◽  
Jacques Gignoux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Woody Species ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Accurate Estimate ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Quantitative Index ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Stem Size ◽  
Allometric Relations ◽  
Large Trees

Background: Biotic and abiotic disturbances such as frequent wildfires and herbivory contribute to maintain trees and grasses coexistence in savanna ecosystems. In comparison to stems and leaves, exposed to fire and herbivory, the roots, protected by being belowground, are less affected by these disturbances. Therefore, indirect estimation of belowground biomass (BGB) of savanna trees from simple allometric relations based on stem measurements can lead to major biases. Aims: In this study we explored how the Leaf ontogenetic change index (LOCI), a quantitative index based on leaf heteroblastic development, can provide an accurate estimate of BGB in Cussonia arborea, a widespread species in West African humid savannas. Methodology: We examined leaf morphometrics on post-fire resprouts of 40 individuals to assess whether LOCI can inform on plant age. We then analyzed by log-level regressions the variation of LOCI in relation to plant stem volume. Subsequently, we studied the variation of BGB according to stem volume, and as a function of both stem volume and LOCI, which allowed us to evaluate the contribution of LOCI to BGB estimation. BGB was obtained destructively by digging up roots and weighing total dry mass of 25 individuals including small and large trees. Statistical analyses were done with the R software. Place and Duration of Study: Study was performed in the Lamto Scientific Reserve, Côte d’Ivoire, between May 2020 and June 2021. Results: Using the stem volume as single explanatory variable of BGB, the regression model provided an adjusted R2 of 0.71. Association of the stem volume with LOCI increased the adjusted R2 from 0.71 to 0.90. Conclusion: Combining LOCI with a measure of stem size provides better estimate of BGB in C. arborea compared to estimate based on stem size only. Since a large proportion of woody species in frequently disturbed environments exhibit an overall strategies promoting persistence, future works should evaluate how these strategies are modulated during ontogeny and can explain biomass variation over time.

scholarly journals Application of electrical capacitance measurement for in situ monitoring of competitive interactions between maize and weed plants

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. e0904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imre Cseresnyés ◽  
Tünde Takács ◽  
Anna Füzy ◽  
Krisztina R. Végh ◽  
Éva Lehoczky
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Competition ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
In Situ Monitoring ◽  
Capacitance Measurement ◽  
Weed Competition ◽  
Electrical Capacitance ◽  
Regular Measurement ◽  
Crop Weed Competition

 Applicability of root electrical capacitance (EC) measurement for monitoring of crop–weed competition was studied in a pot experiment. Maize (Zea mays L.) was grown both alone and with Echinochloa crus-galli or Abutilon theophrasti in different densities with regular measurement of root EC. Plants were harvested 42 days after planting to determine above- and belowground biomass. Depending on weed density, E. crus-galli-A. theophrasti interaction reduced the root EC of maize by 22–66% and 3–57%, respectively. Competitive effect of crop on weeds and intraspecific competition among weeds could also be detected by EC values: E. crus-galli was less sensitive both to the presence of maize and to intraspecific competition than A. theophrasti. Strong linear correlations between root dry mass and root EC for crop and weeds (with R2 from 0.901 to 0.956) were obtained by regression analyses at the end of the experiment. EC monitoring informed us on the emergence time of competition: E. crus-galli interfered with maize root growth a week earlier then A. theophrasti, and increasing weed densities accelerated the emergence of competition. In conclusion, the simple, non-destructive EC method should be considered a potential in situ technique for pot studies on crop–weed competition, which may partially substitute the intrusive techniques commonly used in agricultural researches.

scholarly journals Growth and Nutrient Acclimation of Evergreen Oak Seedlings Infected with Boletus reticulatus in Infertile Colluvial Soil in Warm Temperate Monsoon Asia: Evaluation of Early Growth

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 870
Author(s):  
Masazumi Kayama
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Forest Soil ◽  
Nutrient Uptake ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Spore Suspension ◽  
Quercus Species ◽  
Colluvial Soil ◽  
Oak Seedlings

Soil erosion after harvesting of forest plantations can create infertile colluvial soil, therefore, seedlings used for site reforestation should be equipped against nutrient-poor edaphic conditions. The oak genus is a suitable candidate for such reforestation efforts. Oak is an ectomycorrhizal (ECM) tree genus known to grow under infertile environments. In this study, the initial stage of tree growth in three species of oak seedlings inoculated with a spore suspension of ECM fungus was monitored to evaluate the acceleration of seedling growth and nutrient uptake. I selected Quercus acuta Thunb., Quercus glauca Thunb., and Quercus salicina Blume, as these are common, evergreen, broad-leaved woody species commonly found in Southwestern Japan. The seedlings were inoculated with Boletus reticulatus and planted in infertile colluvial soils collected from a site that had undergone soil erosion. I also compared the ecophysiological characteristics of the potted seedlings planted in colluvial soil and normal forest soil. After six months of cultivation, Q. glauca with the ECM showed the highest growth rate in the fertile forest soil and had leaves with a higher nutrient content. In contrast, root dry mass increased slightly in Q. acuta and Q. salicina planted in colluvial soil. In all species, the seedling’s ECM colonization rate in colluvial soil was lower than that in forest soil, yet the increase in nutrient uptake in the former was not obvious. The contents of K and Ca in the roots of Q. acuta and Q. salicina increased with B. reticulatus infection. I concluded that the inoculation with a B. reticulatus spore suspension effectively accelerated the growths in all three Quercus species. Q. glauca favored a fertile environment, and Q. acuta and Q. salicina suitably acclimated to both soil types. Thus, these species were selected as potential future candidates for reforestation in such eroded sites.

Do current stem size distributions predict future population changes? An empirical test of intraspecific patterns in tropical trees at two spatial scales

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth J. Feeley ◽  
Stuart J. Davies ◽  
Md. Nur Supardi Noor ◽  
Abdul Rahman Kassim ◽  
Sylvester Tan
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Population Changes ◽  
Stem Size ◽  
Large Trees

It is critical to understand the responses of tropical tree species to ongoing anthropogenic disturbances. Given the longevity of large trees and the scarcity of appropriately long-term demographic data, standing size distributions are a potential tool for predicting species' responses to disturbances and resultant changes in population structure. Here we test the utility of several different measures of size distribution for predicting subsequent population changes at the intraspecific level using demographic records from two subsampled 50-ha tree plots in Malaysia (Pasoh and Lambir). Most measures of size distribution failed to successfully predict population change better than random; however, the ‘coefficient of skewness’ (a measure of the relative proportion of small vs. large stems in a population) was able to correctly predict the direction of population change for approximately three-quarters of species at both sites. At Pasoh, the magnitude of this relationship decreased with adult stature and rate of turnover, but was unrelated to sapling growth rates at either site. Finally, using data for species common at both forests, we found that size distributions were generally uninformative of subsequent differences in population change between sites (only median dbh correctly predicted the direction of change for more species than random). Based on these results we conclude that some measures of intraspecific differences in size distribution are potentially informative of population trends within forests but have limited utility across broader spatial scales.

scholarly journals Chronic Disturbance in a Tropical Dry Forest: Disentangling Direct and Indirect Pathways Behind the Loss of Plant Richness

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Jara-Guerrero ◽  
Diego González-Sánchez ◽  
Adrián Escudero ◽  
Carlos I. Espinosa
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
Causal Pathways ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Chronic Disturbance

Chronic disturbance is widely recognized as one of main triggers of diversity loss in seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs). However, the pathways through which diffuse disturbance is acting on the forest are little understood. This information is especially demanded in the case of vanishing Neotropical seasonally dry forests such as the Tumbesian ones. We proposed a conceptual model to analyze the factors behind the loss of woody species richness along a forest disturbance gradient, explicitly considering the existence of direct and indirect causal pathways of biodiversity loss. We hypothesized that the chronic disturbance can act on the woody species richness directly, either by selective extraction of resources or by browsing of palatable species for livestock, or indirectly, by modifying characteristics of the forest structure and productivity. To test our model, we sampled forest remnants in a very extensive area submitted to long standing chronic pressure. Our forests cells (200 × 200 m) were characterized both in terms of woody species composition, structure, and human pressure. Our structural equation models (SEMs) showed that chronic disturbance is driving a loss of species richness. This was done mainly by indirect effects through the reduction of large trees density. We assume that changes in tree density modify the environmental conditions, thus increasing the stress and finally filtering some specific species. The analysis of both, direct and indirect, allows us to gain a better understanding of the processes behind plant species loss in this SDTF.

scholarly journals Selection of Incubation Mound Sites by Three Sympatric Megapodes in Papua New Guinea

The Condor ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 395-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ross Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Papua New Guinea ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Distribución Geográfica ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Mound Sites

Abstract I report nonrandom selection of sites for incubation mounds and interspecific sharing of mounds by three sympatric megapodes (Wattled Brush-turkey [Aepypodius arfakianus], Brown-collared Talegalla [Talegalla jobiensis] and New Guinea Megapode [Megapodius decollatus]) in the Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area in the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea. Talegallas used mounds concurrently with New Guinea Megapodes, and renovated brush-turkey mounds after the latter species had finished breeding. New Guinea Megapodes and brush-turkeys did not use the same mounds. Analysis of 18 environmental variables at 80 mound sites and 91 random points showed that (1) mound sites of the three species differed significantly from random points. Mounds were associated with large trees and in less disturbed habitat, characteristics which contribute to the functioning of the mound. (2) Mound sites of the three species differed from each other. Brush-turkey sites were steeper, and had fewer and smaller trees in the mound and more herbs in the surrounding forest than those of the other two species. New Guinea Megapode and talegalla sites were not clearly separated. (3) Some important environmental variables had significant effects of study location and location × species, suggesting that inter- and intraspecific differences in mound sites are dependent on the habitat in which the mounds are located. Given this, caution should be applied to generalizations about widespread species from site-selection studies in a small subset of habitats. I recommended landowners be advised not to locate gardens or cut trees close to mounds, and exclude some areas from logging concessions and mining leases. Selección de Sitios para Montículos de Incubación en Tres Megapódidos Simpátricos de Papua Nueva Guinea Resumen. Se reporta la selección no azarosa de sitios para incubación y como comparten estos sitios tres especies simpátricas de la familia de Megapodiidae (Aepypodius arfakianus, Talegalla jobiensis y Megapodius decollatus) en tres sitios en el área de manejo de vida silvestre Crater Mountain en las tierras altas del este de Papua Nueva Guinea. Individuos de Talegalla usaron los sitios al mismo tiempo que Megapodius, pero utilizaron sitios de Aepypodius después que ésta los abandonara. Un análisis sobre 18 características ambientales de 80 sitios y 91 puntos ubicados al azar indicó que (1) Las características ambientales de los sitios de incubación de las tres especies fueron significativamente diferentes de las registradas en puntos al azar. Los sitios de incubación se concentraron en áreas con árboles grandes y en áreas con menos perturbación que los puntos azarosos, factores que contribuyen a la función del sitio. (2) Las tres especies utilizaron sitios diferentes: Aepypodius utilizó sitios con mayor pendiente, con menos árboles y de menor tamaños, y con mayor cobertura herbacea en el bosque circundante, que las otras dos especies. Los sitios de Megapodius y de Talegalla no se distinguieron claramente uno de otro. (3) Algunas variables ambientales importantes tuvieron efectos significativos de ubicación y de ubicación × especies, lo cual sugiere que las diferencias entre y dentro de cada especies dependieron del hábitat en el cual se encontraban. Dados estos resultados, se recomienda precaución al generalizar los resultados para especies con amplia distribución geográfica basados en áreas pequeñas. Se recomienda no sembrar, ni cortar árboles cerca de los sitios de incubación, y que algunas áreas sean excluídas de las conseciones para actividades forestales y de mineras.

Sun-shade patterns of leaf carotenoid composition in 86 species of neotropical forest plants

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shizue Matsubara ◽  
G. Heinrich Krause ◽  
Jorge Aranda ◽  
Aurelio Virgo ◽  
Kim G. Beisel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Woody Species ◽  
Carotenoid Biosynthesis ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
High Irradiance ◽  
Strong Light ◽  
Neotropical Forest ◽  
Forest Plants ◽  
Shade Leaves ◽  
Sun Leaves

A survey of photosynthetic pigments, including 86 species from 64 families, was conducted for leaves of neotropical vascular plants to study sun-shade patterns in carotenoid biosynthesis and occurrence of α-carotene (α-Car) and lutein epoxide (Lx). Under low light, leaves invested less in structural components and more in light harvesting, as manifested by low leaf dry mass per area (LMA) and enhanced mass-based accumulation of chlorophyll (Chl) and carotenoids, especially lutein and neoxanthin. Under high irradiance, LMA was greater and β-carotene (β-Car) and violaxanthin-cycle pool increased on a leaf area or Chl basis. The majority of plants contained α-Car in leaves, but the α- to β-Car ratio was always low in the sun, suggesting preference for β-Car in strong light. Shade and sun leaves had similar β,ε-carotenoid contents per unit Chl, whereas sun leaves had more β,β-carotenoids than shade leaves. Accumulation of Lx in leaves was found to be widely distributed among taxa: >5 mmol mol Chl−1 in 20% of all species examined and >10 mmol mol Chl−1 in 10% of woody species. In Virola elongata (Benth.) Warb, having substantial Lx in both leaf types, the Lx cycle was operating on a daily basis although Lx restoration in the dark was delayed compared with violaxanthin restoration.

Reconstructing structural development of even-aged larch stands in Siberia

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 580-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Osawa ◽  
Anatoly P Abaimov ◽  
Olga A Zyryanova
Keyword(s):  
Power Distribution ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Volume Distribution ◽  
Structural Development ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Stem Size ◽  
Tree Ring Data ◽  
Time Observation

A method was proposed for quantitatively reconstructing structural development over time of even-aged monospecific forests and was applied to a larch (Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Rupr.) stand in Siberia. It relies on samples obtained at one-time observation and some simple assumptions considered general in even-aged stands. Tree-ring data taken from breast height of a group of the largest trees and those measured at various stem heights of several individuals representing the range of tree sizes in the plot are used for the estimation. Stand density and parameters of stem volume distribution at a given time in the past were calculated with the "stem slenderness index," and with an assumption of the -3/2 power distribution for the distribution function of stem size, respectively. By developing time-dependent allometric relationships for individual tree attributes, the whole-stand values of stem volume and its increment were reconstructed for several decades of stand development. Estimated history of the changes in stand density, total stem volume, and stem volume growth for the dense larch stand examined, mostly agreed with a separate estimation by the self-thinning assumption.

Compacting Coastal Plain soils changes midrotation loblolly pine allometry by reducing root biomass

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 2169-2176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim H. Ludovici
Keyword(s):  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Root Production ◽  
Tree Biomass ◽  
Site Productivity ◽  
Allocation Patterns ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Pinus Taeda L

Factorial combinations of soil compaction and organic matter removal were replicated at the Long Term Site Productivity study in the Croatan National Forest, near New Bern, North Carolina, USA. Ten years after planting, 18 preselected loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) trees were destructively harvested to quantify treatment effects on total above- and below-ground tree biomass and to detect any changes in the absolute and relative allocation patterns. Stem volume at year 10 was not affected by compaction treatments, even though the ultisols on these sites continued to have higher bulk densities than noncompacted plots. However, even when site preparation treatments were undetectable aboveground, the treatments significantly altered absolute root growth and tree biomass allocation patterns. Soil compaction decreased taproot production and significantly increased the ratio of aboveground to belowground biomass. Decreased root production will decrease carbon and nutrient stores belowground, which may impact future site productivity.

Construction of compatible and additive individual-tree biomass models for Pinus tabulaeformis in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 467-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
WeiSheng Zeng ◽  
LianJin Zhang ◽  
XinYun Chen ◽  
ZhiChu Cheng ◽  
KeXi Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Pinus Tabulaeformis ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Tree Biomass ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Chinese Pine ◽  
Biomass Models

Current biomass models for Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) fail to accurately estimate biomass in large geographic regions because they were usually based on limited sample trees on local sites, incompatible with stem volume, and not additive among components and total biomass. This study was based on mensuration data of individual-tree biomass from large samples of Chinese pine. The purpose was to construct compatible and additive biomass models using the nonlinear error-in-variable simultaneous equations and dummy variable modeling approach. This approach could ensure compatibility of an aboveground biomass model with a biomass conversion factor (BCF) and a stem volume model and compatibility of a belowground biomass model with a root-to-shoot ratio (RSR) model. Also, stem, branch, and foliage biomass models were additive to the aboveground biomass model. Results showed that mean prediction errors (MPEs) of the developed one- and two-variable aboveground biomass models were less than 4% and MPEs of the three-component (stem, branch, and foliage) and belowground biomass models were less than 10%. Furthermore, the effects of main climate variables on above- and below-ground biomass were analyzed. Aboveground biomass was related to mean annual temperature (MAT), while belowground biomass had no significant relationship with either MAT or mean annual precipitation (MAP). The developed models provide a good basis for estimating biomass of Chinese pine forests.

scholarly journals Producing Woody Floral Products in an Alleycropping System in Nebraska

2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott J. Josiah ◽  
Heidi Brott ◽  
James R. Brandle
Keyword(s):  
Alley Cropping ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Financial Returns ◽  
Stem Size ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Central United States ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Labor Requirements ◽  
Stem Production

Producers in the central United States are showing considerable interest in growing alternative crops such as specialty forest products for food, herbal medicinal, decorative floral and craft markets. Crops showing particular promise are shrubs and trees that produce decorative woody stems such as curly willow (Salix matsudana), scarlet curls willow (S. matsudana `Scarlet Curls'), french `Scarlet Curls'), french pussy willow (S. caprea), red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea), and branches of flowering trees and shrubs, including apple (Malus spp.), cherry (spp.), cherry (Prunus spp.), and forsythia (Forsythia spp.). spp.). The objectives of this study were to 1) determine yields and performance of 10 woody plant cultivars used in the floral industry, and planted in an alley-cropping configuration, and 2) quantify wholesale prices, establishment and maintenance costs, management and harvest labor inputs, and financial returns by cultivar. Production and performance data are derived from a 40-acre (16.2-ha) alleycropping trial in Nebraska containing 10 species or cultivars of shrubs that produce woody florals. Results are based on two harvests that commenced two and three growing seasons after establishment. Harvested woody stem size and quality were measured and determined, and sold to wholesale florists to determine prices and identify buyer requirements. Annual gross financial returns ranged from a high of $24.94/plant for scarlet curls willow to a low of $0.63/plant for bloodtwig dogwood (C. sanguinea var. atrosanguinea), while net returns per plant for these species ranged from a positive $17.46 to a loss of $1.30. Financial returns varied among species and cultivars due to the combined effects of annual marketable stem production, harvesting and processing labor requirements, and price/stem. Stem production increased over time due to subsequent coppicing of harvested plants. Overall findings indicate that commercial production of selected cultivars of woody florals in an alleycropping arrangement can be a profitable alternative to using conventional woody species.

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