Forest Vegetation Cover in Yok Don National Park, Vietnam

Yok Don National Park is located in the tropical rainforest zone on the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The obtained results from the study undertaken on the composition of plant species and forest vegetation in National Park indicated a record of 856 species, 473 genera and 129 families that belongs to the four divisions of vascular plants. These includes: Lycopodiophyta, Polypodiophyta, Pinophyta and Magnoliophyta. Useful plants of 856 taxonomy species listed consists of 498 species of medicinal plants, 157 species of timber plants, 144 species of edible plants, 60 species of ornamental plants, 19 species of industrial plants, 10 species of fiber plants and 38 species of unknown use plants, respectively. During the duration of investigation, Peliosanthes teta Andrews was newly recorded in the forest vegetation of National Park. A variety of forest vegetations in the area under study is described. In this study, four major vegetation types of forest were identified in Yok Don National Park.

Differentiation of forest vegetation across bioclimatic sector border (western part of the West Sayan Ridge)

A detailed description of the forests of the northern and southern macroslopes of western part of the West Sayan Ridge has been performed and differences in their forest vegetation have been analyzed. Along the West Sayan Ridge watershed, the important botanical and geographical boundary of the Altai-Sayan Mountains occurs. Its northern macroslope belongs to the humid bioclimatic sector; bioclimatic conditions throughout the southern macroslope vary in its different parts: the central and eastern parts are resided in the semihumid sector, while the western one is settled in the «rain shadow», where vegetation is similar to the semiarid sector one. The West Sayan background vegetation type is forest. The work is based on 120 complete geobotanical relevés made by the authors in 2019 using standard methods on test plots of 20 × 20 m. These plots had been uniformly distributed on a 300-kilometer transect crossing the northern and southern macroslopes of West Sayan’s western part. After all, 9 basic units of forest communities have been revealed, 6 of them are found to be altitudinal zone forests. These plant community positions in ecological-phytocenotic and floristic classification hierarchy have been ascertained. The altitudinal allocation and areas of altitudinal zone forests have been characterized and analyzed; the scheme of altitudinal zonation has been specified; the pictures in the text illustrate those results. In West Sayan’s western part, the northern and southern macroslopes are shown to have different altitudinal zone boundary marks and a different set of forest communities: six types of forests follow each other from north to south throughout 300 km. The significant hierarchical level of syntaxonomic differences of altitudinal zone forests on northern and southern macroslopes supports the presence of a bioclimatic barrier. In ecological-phytocenotic classification hierarchy these differences are reflected by the rank of classes of formations (deciduous, dark coniferous, and light coniferous forests substitute each other); in floristic classification hierarchy – the rank of classes (the forests of Brachypodio–Betuletea, Asaro–Abitetea, Vaccinio–Piceetea, and Rhytidio–Laricetea substitute each other from north to south).

Household Willingness to Pay for Forest Ecological Restoration in Giant Panda Habitats: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Rural households have played an increasingly significant role in the conservation and restoration process of natural habitats. This paper explores rural households’ preference and willingness to pay for ecological restoration attributes in giant panda habitats using the discrete choice experiment (DCE). The DCE survey was conducted in and around giant panda habitats in Sichuan province with a sample size of 474. Using the mixed logit model, the results indicate that rural households have positive attitudes towards the improvement of ecological restoration functions, including forest vegetation restoration, biodiversity conservation, and giant panda corridor construction, but have a negative attitude towards payment, showing that rural households are inclined to pay less to gain better restoration outcomes. Among the ecological restoration attributes, forest vegetation restoration (4.44 RMB) wins the highest payment value, indicating households’ preferences and priorities of ecological restoration. In general, rural households’ willingness to pay could reach 34.28 RMB for the best choice option designed in DCE. This study emphasizes the awareness of payment among rural households to improve ecological restoration functions in giant panda habitats and indicates the importance of household participation in long-term adaptation and implementation of ecological conservation plans.

Diversity of Vegetation in The Natural Forests of Londut Samosir Regency

Londut protected forest contains mixed forest vegetation in the form of natural forest vegetation and there is forest vegetation of former industrial plant forest management, as well as natural tusam vegetation (Pinusmerkusii), also has the privilege of existing conditions that still have natural biodiversity in the form of natural tropical forest vegetation. The research aims to find out the variation and dominance of the type of forest vegetation contained in the area, so that initial information will be obtained in the framework of planning and management of the area. The implementation of research is carried out by the determination of plot methods, and the creation of inventory plots, the creation of inventory plots according to growth rate, inventory path, measurement of vegetation dimensions, and identification. The inventory plot method is carried out with a net system (nested sampling) with an inventory path length of 500 m with a repeat of 5 lanes whose placement is evenly spread over the Londut forest area to get representation. The results showed 31 types of vegetation growing in the region. Based on the diversity of types included in the moderate category as well as the value of the level of the type in the low class. The dominance of vegetation types at the level of seedlings, stake, and poles is occupied by hosting vegetation types (Quercus sp) with magnitudes of 25.90%, 33.94%, and 37.61% respectively. For the level of trees dominated by the type of Tusam (Pinusmerkussii) 57.71%.

Typification and correction of forest vegetation syntaxa of the Western Caucasus

The article presents the typification and correction of mountain forests’ syntaxa established by one of the authors for the Western Caucasus. Unvalid classification units are validated according to the International Code of the Phytosociological Nomenclature (Theurillat et al., 2021): 2 associations of mesophytic deciduous forests of the order Lathyro–Carpinetalia and 3 associations of fir-beech forests of the order Rhododendro pontici–Fagetalia orientalis of the Carpino–Fagetea class, as well as 2 associations of oak pubescent forests and juniper woodland communities of the class Quercetea pubescentis. The main reasons of the invalidity of original publications are the absence of a nomenclature type or the ineffectiveness of the publication.

SPACIAL AND ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF LAND RESOURCES IN NORTH-EAST PART OF ZOLOCHIV DISTRICT UTC OF LVIV REGION

The article presents an ecological and geographical analysis of the current state of land resources. The structure of land resources in UTC (United Territorial Community) is dominated by lands of agricultural and forestry use. They occupy the largest areas - 67072.3 hectares, 40004.8 hectares and their share in the structure of the land fund is 57.8%, 34.4%, respectively. The structure of agricultural lands of the district is dominated by agricultural lands, namely arable land. Its area is 67072.3 hectares (97.3%) The largest area of agricultural land is concentrated within the central part of the district. The largest area in the structure of agricultural land is occupied by arable land - 2500 - 3570.8 hectares. In the eastern and south-eastern parts of the district the share of arable land in the structure of agricultural lands is the highest (more than 70%). The share of pastures and hayfields in the structure of agricultural lands is 18.2% and 16.8%, respectively. The smallest share in the structure of lands of perennial plantations (1.6%). The largest areas of hayfields and pastures in the northern and northeastern part of the district, which is due to the natural features of the territory. Peculiarities of forestry use of land resources on UTC area are analyzed. Lands covered with forest vegetation there are unevenly distributed and are mainly subordinated to Brody Forestry. The largest areas of forestry land in the northern and southern parts of the district. Forests in the northern part are located within Male Polissya. Here in the area there is the highest forest cover (45 - 67%). Forest cover in the southern part of the district is 45 - 67%. The structure of lands occupied by forest vegetation is dominated by forest areas (96.0%), including covered with forest crops (71.0%) On the basis of the defined indicators the analysis of ecological stability of lands in UTC is carried out, also the anthropogenic loading on agricultural lands of the area is defined. This figure depends on the area of land of different species. Using the method of Shyshchenko P. H. (1982) we have determined the anthropogenic load on the agricultural lands of the district. This figure depends on the area of the land of different species. Within the district there are spatial differences in this indicator. The greatest anthropogenic load on agricultural land is in the central part of the district. Here the anthropogenic load is more than 6.6 (strongly converted). In the north-western part of the district this indicator is the lowest: 5.2-5.3. On the territory of other village councils agricultural lands are moderately transformed (6.1 - 6.5) The results of the study of the ecological condition of the land resources of the district are presented. The level of plowing, agricultural development of the district is analyzed. The central and southern part of the district is characterized by an unbalanced structure of land use, as there is a fairly high rate of plowing of agricultural land. The share of arable land here is more than 70% of the total area of agricultural land. The average value of this indicator is around 57.7%. The highest agricultural development is in the central part of the district (except for Brody town territorial community), and in the southern part (more than 60%). The maximum indicators of agricultural development are - 86.8-91%. The ecological condition of the land resources of the district was assessed and five groups with different levels of this indicator were identified. The ecological condition of land resources varies from optimal to catastrophic, depending on the ratio of arable land (R) and the share of ecological and stabilizing lands (ESL). Optimal and satisfactory ecological condition of land resources in the region on the area of 40.6%, critical - 25.7%, crisis - 20.4%, catastrophic - 13.3% Land resources are one of the most important resources of the district. In modern conditions, productive agricultural lands should be involved in intensive agricultural cultivation, and the rest should remain in a natural state, which will ensure ecological sustainability and balanced nature management. Key words: land resources, agricultural lands, agricultural development, ecological condition, ecological stability.

Methods for separating orchards from forest using airborne LiDAR

• Key message The aim of the study was to distinguish orchards from other lands with forest vegetation based on the data from airborne laser scanning. The methods based on granulometry provided better results than the pattern analysis. The analysis based on the Forest Data Bank/Cadastre polygons provided better results than the analysis based on the segmentation polygons. Classification of orchards and other areas with forest vegetation is important in the context of reporting forest area to international organizations, forest management, and mitigating effects of climate change. • Context Agricultural lands with forest vegetation, e.g., orchards, do not constitute forests according to the forest definition formulated by the national and international definitions, but contrary to the one formulated in the Kyoto Protocol. It is a reason for the inconsistency in the forest area reported by individual countries. • Aims The aim of the study was to distinguish orchards from other lands with forest vegetation based on the data from airborne laser scanning. • Methods The study analyzed the usefulness of various laser scanning products and the various features of pattern and granulometric analysis in the Milicz forest district in Poland. • Results The methods based on granulometry provided better results than the pattern analysis. The analysis based on the Forest Data Bank/Cadastre polygons provided better results than the analysis based on the segmentation polygons. • Conclusion Granulometric analysis has proved to be a useful tool in the classification of orchards and other areas with forest vegetation. It is important in the context of reporting forest area to international organizations, forest management, and mitigating effects of climate change.