Implement and Analysis on Current Ecosystem Classification in Western Utah of the United States and Yukon Territory of Canada

The study cases in western Utah of the United States and Yukon Territory of Canada have more natural land and conservative ecosystems in North America. The ecosystem classification of land (ECL) in these two ecoregions had been analyzed and validated through implementation. A full ECL case study was accomplished and examined with eight upper levels of ECOMAP plus ecological site and vegetation stand in Western Utah, the US. Theoretically, applying Köppen climate system classification, Bailey’s Domain and Division were applied to the United States, North America, and world continents. However, Canada’s continental upper level ecoregion framework defined the ecological Mozaic on a sub-continental scale, representing an area of the hierarchical ecological units characterized by interactive and adjusting abiotic and biotic factors. Using Bailey’s Domain as the top level of Canada’s territorial ecoregion was recommended. Eight levels of ELCs were established for Yukon Territory, Canada. Thus, the second study case recommends integrating the ecosystem approaches with Bailey’s upper level ECL, broad ecosystem classification, and objectively defined ecological site in different countries, or ecoregions. Our study cases had exemplified the implementations with a full ELCs in Bailey’s 300 Dry Domain and 100 Polar Domain.

A hierarchical analysis of ecosystem classification with implementing in two continental ecoregions

Background The ecosystem classification of land (ECL) has been studied for a couple of decades, from the beginning of the perfect organism system “top-down” approach to a reversed “bottom-up” approach by defining a micro-ecological unit. After comparing two cases of the ecosystem classification framework implemented in the different continental ecoregions, the processes were carefully examined and justified. Results Theoretically, Bailey’s upper levels of ECL (Description of the ecoregions of the United States, 2nd ed. Rev and expanded (1st ed. 1980). Misc. Publ. No. 1391 (Rev). Washington DC USDA Forest Service; 1995) were applied to the United States and world continents. For the first time, a complete ECL study was accomplished in Western Utah of the United States, with eight upper levels of ECOMAP (National hierarchical framework of ecological units. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, DC. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237419014_National_hierarchical_framework_of_ecological_units; 1993) plus additional ecological site and vegetation stand. China’s Eco-geographic classification was most likely fitted into Bailey’s Ecosystem Classification upper-level regime. With a binary decision tree analysis, it had been validated that the Domains have an empty entity for 500 Plateau Domain between the US and China ecoregion framework. Implementing lower levels of ECL to Qinghai Province of China, based on the biogeoclimatic condition, vegetation distribution, landform, and plant species feature, it had classified the Section HIIC1 into two Subsections (labeled as i, ii), and delineated iia of QiLian Mountain East Alpine Shrub and Alpine Tundra Ecozone into iia-1 and iia-2 Subzones. Coordinately, an Ecological Site was completed at the bottom level. Conclusions (1) It was more experimental processing by implementing a full ECL in the Western Utah of the United States based on the ECOMAP (1993). (2) The empty entity, named as Plateau Domain 500, should be added into the top-level Bailey’s ecoregion framework. Coordinately, it includes the Divisions of HI and HII and the Provinces of humid, sub-humid, semiarid, and arid for China's Eco-Geographic region. (3) Implementing a full ECL in a different continent and integrating the lower level's models was the process that could handle the execution management, interpreting the relationship of ecosystem, dataset conversion, and error correction.

Effect of Vegetation Structure on Urban Climate Mitigation

Vegetation formations are an important component in the urban structure, as they perform a wide range of ecosystem services there. The climate modification to improve the environmental and residential quality of the city is one of the important functions. The paper presents the results of the microclimate assessment in the chosen localities of Nitra town, Slovakia, with an emphasis on the stage and differences in air temperature and relative humidity. The climate elements were measured at 7 spatially different sites (sites A to G), each of them at two comparative sites, vegetation stand and open area. The largest average air temperature difference between the vegetation stand and the non-vegetation area was 1.2 °C at the locality D. The largest air temperature difference in the vegetation stands was measured between the street space (site E) and the city park (F), reaching 2.3–2.5 °C. The relative air humidity reached the highest differences between the park (locality F) and the street space (G) measured at 3:00–8:00. These reached 19.6% to 24.4% with higher relative humidity in the popular city park. The highest differences between the compared habitats were measured at locality G and averaged 9.6% at 04:00 – 07:00 in a preference to a tree canopy. The research results confirmed the importance of the vegetation structures in the process of mitigating the urban climate extremes and the environmental quality improving.

Composing a vegetation-stand map for the protected area of 'Radan' Nature Park

Protected areas are one of the priorities for mapping habitats, especially forest habitats, which are dominant in most protected areas of central Serbia, such as "Radan" Nature Park. This paper presents the forest habitat mapping in the protected area of "Radan" NP and the development of vegetation-stand map of the protected area in an effort to examine the methodology of forest habitats mapping in Serbia, which presumes a long term systematic data collection. Although much has been done on the classification of habitats in Serbia, considering both botanical and the forestry approach, the practical application of this knowledge in habitat mapping is still in its infancy, with the exception of longstanding practical work on data collection for Forest Management Plans for the state-owned forests. Data on forest stands in Nature Park "Radan" collected in this manner were essential to developing the vegetation-stand map of "Radan" NP. The results of data processing and harmonization of typology and classification of state-owned forests have been presented in this paper, as well as the analysis of forest habitat types in this protected area. The paper presents the vegetation-stand maps of the state-owned forests in the protected area and of the pilot area of privately owned forests, for which detailed field data collection was necessary. These maps are intended for the management of protected areas and systematic and efficient implementation of protection measures and activities. Habitat mapping in protected areas is a prerequisite for an adequate biodiversity monitoring, as well as for management and sustainable use of natural resources of the protected area.

DEVELOPMENT OF SILVOFISHERY IN MANGROVE FOREST, BUDENG VILLAGE - JEMBRANA, BALI

The transfer of mangrove forest into ponds of the silvofishery system becomes one of the solutions in managing the environmental impact. Many areas that have succeeded in developing and highly relevant are applied in other areas such as the area of ponds located in Budeng Village, Jembrana regency, Bali which began to be abandoned threatening to decrease the quality of the environment. The purpose of this research is to study the development of silvofishery system in Budeng village mangrove area.The study was conducted during January - February 2017. The method of plotting plot with combination of stripping path was used to obtain the biotic and abiotic environment of mangrove. Data analysis with qualitative descriptive method according to land criteria for silvofishery development.Biotic and abiotic mangrove environment parameters obtained by pond location in Budeng Village were matched with development table for silvofishery system recommended for silvofishery area. However, it is necessary to stage the addition of mangrove vegetation stand before the silvofishery system is applied because only the vegetation density factor is lacking.

Drivers potentially influencing host–bat fly interactions in anthropogenic neotropical landscapes at different spatial scales

The anthropogenic modification of natural landscapes, and the consequent changes in the environmental conditions and resources availability at multiple spatial scales can affect complex species interactions involving key-stone species such as bat–parasite interactions. In this study, we aimed to identify the drivers potentially influencing host–bat fly interactions at different spatial scales (at the host, vegetation stand and landscape level), in a tropical anthropogenic landscape. For this purpose, we mist-netted phyllostomid and moormopid bats and collected the bat flies (streblids) parasitizing them in 10 sites representing secondary and old growth forest. In general, the variation in fly communities largely mirrored the variation in bat communities as a result of the high level of specialization characterizing host–bat fly interaction networks. Nevertheless, we observed that: (1) bats roosting dynamics can shape bat–streblid interactions, modulating parasite prevalence and the intensity of infestation; (2) a degraded matrix could favor crowding and consequently the exchange of ectoparasites among bat species, lessening the level of specialization of the interaction networks and promoting novel interactions; and (3) bat–fly interaction can also be shaped by the dilution effect, as a decrease in bat diversity could be associated with a potential increase in the dissemination and prevalence of streblids.

Comparative Carbon Storage of Lanzones (Lansium domesticum) – fruit tree and Falcata (Paraserianthes falcataria) – forest tree based Agroforestry Systems

Two agroforestry systems, a fruit tree-based with lanzones (Lansium domesticum) as dominant fruit tree and a forest tree-based with falcata (Paraserianthes falcataria) as dominant wood tree, were studied to compare their total carbon stocks in the above ground biomass (upperstorey and understorey), floor litters and soil and to determine any differences of soil organic carbon(SOC) in three soil depths: 0-30, 31-60 and 61-100 cm. Each site representing one agroforestry systems was grouped according to vegetation stand. For each vegetation stand, representative samples were taken from upper storey and under storey above ground biomass, floor litters and soil. Samples were analyzed for carbon content at International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) Analytical Service Laboratories(ASL), Los Baños, Laguna using Dumas Combustion Method. The SOC in the soil depths (0-30, 31-60 and 61-100 cm) did not vary significantly in the two agroforestry systems. The above ground upperstorey biomass had the most carbon followed by the carbon stored in the soil, then, above ground understorey biomass and lastly, floor litters. The above ground upperstorey biomass of the fruit tree-based agroforestry system had slightly higher carbon stock at 38.92 tC ha-1 compared with the forest tree-based agroforestry system at 34.66 tC ha-1 due to the lanzones fruit tress. The 4 – year old falcata-based agroforestry systems had higher annual C sequestration of 14 tC ha-1 yr-1 while the lanzones-based agroforestry system had 1.8 tC ha-1 yr-1. Nevertheless, whatever is the main tree component, agroforestry performs ecological services as in carbon sequestration and at the same time provides financial benefits.