scholarly journals Relationships between Some Biodiversity Indicators and Crown Damage of Pinus sylvestris L. in Natural Old Growth Pine Forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1239
Author(s):  
Paweł Przybylski ◽  
Vasyl Mohytych ◽  
Paweł Rutkowski ◽  
Anna Tereba ◽  
Łukasz Tyburski ◽  
...  

Biodiversity at the species and individual levels is one of the fundamental elements characterizing an ecosystem. It is assumed that the greater the level of biodiversity, the more tolerant the environment is to changes in external conditions. In recent years, dynamic climate change has negatively impacted the health of many forest trees across Europe, in particular Scots pine. Tree health is commonly characterized by crown defoliation. The study presented here describes and correlates crown defoliation with biodiversity indicators at the species and individual tree levels. Research was conducted in two national parks in Poland (Kampinoski and Bory Tucholskie). Since stands have been under legal protection for many years and forest management is not practiced there, stand development processes taking place there are similar to natural ones. This study provided empirical data on ecosystem response to external stresses based on species and genetic structure. The results confirm differing health of the populations, which results from, among other factors, stand age and the environmental conditions in which they grow. Pine stands in both national parks are genetically diverse but with low genetic variability. Differences in stand health are related to the number of alleles forming the genetic pool. This conclusion is supported by a high correlation coefficient for interactions between defoliation, the number of alleles, and the Shannon index for genotypes. This suggests that greater gene diversity is likely to provide a wider range of phenotypic responses to environmental change.

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 58-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Algirdas Augustaitis ◽  
Ingrida Augustaitiene ◽  
Gintautas Cinga ◽  
Juozapas Mazeika ◽  
Romualdas Deltuvas ◽  
...  

This study aimed to explore if changes in stem increment of Scots pines (Pinus sylvestrisL.) could be related to changes in ambient ozone concentration when the impact of tree dendrometric parameters (age, diameter) and crown defoliation are accounted for. More than 200 dominant and codominant trees from 12 pine stands, for which crown defoliation had been assessed since 1994, were chosen for increment boring and basal area increment computing. Stands are located in Lithuanian national parks, where since 1994–95 Integrated Monitoring Stations have been operating. Findings of the study provide statistical evidence that peak concentrations of ambient ozone (O3) can have a negative impact on pine tree stem growth under field conditions where O3exposure is below phytotoxic levels.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 849
Author(s):  
Begoña de la Fuente ◽  
Santiago Saura

The invasive pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, causal agent of pine wilt disease, was first reported in Europe, near Lisbon, in 1999, and has since then spread to most of Portugal. We here modelled the spatiotemporal patterns of future PNW natural spread in the Iberian Peninsula, as dispersed by the vector beetle Monochamus galloprovincialis, using a process-based and previously validated network model. We improved the accuracy, informative content, forecasted period and spatial drivers considered in previous modelling efforts for the PWN in Southern Europe. We considered the distribution and different susceptibility to the PWN of individual pine tree species and the effect of climate change projections on environmental suitability for PWN spread, as we modelled the PWN expansion dynamics over the long term (>100 years). We found that, in the absence of effective containment measures, the PWN will spread naturally to the entire Iberian Peninsula, including the Pyrenees, where it would find a gateway for spread into France. The PWN spread will be relatively gradual, with an average rate of 0.83% of the total current Iberian pine forest area infected yearly. Climate was not found to be an important limiting factor for long-term PWN spread, because (i) there is ample availability of alternative pathways for PWN dispersal through areas that are already suitable for the PWN in the current climatic conditions; and (ii) future temperatures will make most of the Iberian Peninsula suitable for the PWN before the end of this century. Unlike climate, the susceptibility of different pine tree species to the PWN was a strong determinant of PWN expansion through Spain. This finding highlights the importance of accounting for individual tree species data and of additional research on species-specific susceptibility for more accurate modelling of PWN spread and guidance of related containment efforts.


1989 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Hodge ◽  
T. L. White ◽  
G. L. Powell ◽  
S. M. De Souza

Abstract Gains over unimproved seed for progeny from first generation--un-rogued, first generation--rogued, and one and one-half generation orchards of slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii) for individual tree volume at 15 years are predicted to be 10%, 15%, and 19%, respectively. Rustinfection of orchard progeny on sites where unimproved material incurs 50% infection are predicted to be 49%, 41%, and 35% for the three orchard types. Using a growth and yield model that incorporates fusiform rust, gains in individual tree volume and increased rust resistance were combinedto estimate effects on per acre yields. Percent volume per acre gains are predicted to be 7.0%, 13.2%, and 18.0% for the three orchard types. Collection and deployment of the most rust resistant seed to high rust hazard sites raises the gain on these sites and becomes increasingly beneficialas the rust hazard increases. South. J. Appl. For. 13(1): 51-56.


1970 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 1703-1726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. Stringer ◽  
George H. La Roi

Twenty stands of uniform, mature, undisturbed Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca forest were selected in Banff and Jasper National Parks, using a combination of airphoto and ground surveys. Quantitative sampling methods were used to describe their floristic composition, vegetation structure, and physical habitats.Scattered trees of Pinus contorta, Picea glauca, and Populus tremuloides occurred in the Pseudotsuga forests. The poorly developed shrub strata contained Shepherdia canadensis, Rosa acicularis, Spiraea lucida, Juniperus communis. Major herb, dwarf shrub, bryophyte, and lichen species were Elymus innovatus, Calamagrostis rubescens, Fragaria virginiana, Astragalus decumbens, Aster conspicuus; Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Linnaea borealis; Hylocomium splendens, Abietinella abietina, Tortula ruralis; Peltigera canina. A cyclical pattern of vegetation change is related to the death, replacement, and maturation of Pseudotsuga trees.Relations between vegetation and physical habitat were analyzed by simple correlation and multiple regression. Available potassium in soil, stand age, and slope exposure were most influential in regression equations for tree stratum development. Understory strata were primarily correlated with tree stratum development.A two-dimensional stand ordination based on the vegetational similarity of subordinate vascular strata showed a pronounced separation of Banff and Jasper Pseudotsuga forests, and prompted recognition of two new climax associations (sensu Daubenmire): Pseudotsuga / Elymus innovatus in Jasper; Pseudotsuga / Calamagrostis rubescens – Elymus innovatus in Banff. Habitat differences between the two associations include macroclimate, parent materials, and soil moisture.


2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 525-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Long ◽  
Changbao Liu ◽  
Hengliang Lin ◽  
Ningning Li ◽  
Qingwei Guo ◽  
...  

In the present study, we investigated the spatial change of sediment nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane-oxidizing (n-damo) organisms in the mesotrophic freshwater Gaozhou Reservoir (6 different sampling locations and 2 sediment depths (0–5 cm, 5–10 cm)), one of the largest drinking water reservoirs in China. The abundance of sediment n-damo bacteria was quantified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, while the richness, diversity, and composition of n-damo pmoA gene sequences were characterized using clone library analysis. Vertical and horizontal changes in sediment n-damo bacterial abundance occurred in Gaozhou Reservoir, with 1.37 × 105 to 8.24 × 105 n-damo 16S rRNA gene copies per gram of dry sediment. Considerable horizontal and vertical variations of n-damo pmoA gene diversity (Shannon index = 0.32–2.50) and composition also occurred in this reservoir. Various types of sediment n-damo pmoA genes existed in Gaozhou Reservoir. A small proportion of n-damo pmoA gene sequences (19.1%) were related to those recovered from “Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera”. Our results suggested that sediment n-damo pmoA gene diversity might be regulated by nitrite, while n-damo pmoA gene richness might be governed by multiple environmental factors, including total organic carbon, total phosphorus, nitrite, and total nitrogen.


1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 660-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul C. Van Deusen

A number of recent studies have shown reduced stand-level and individual-tree growth in natural loblolly pine (Pinustaeda L.) stands in the southeastern United States. This study uses increment cores from dominant and codominant trees to determine if individual-tree growth has changed from 1915 to 1985. The cores are grouped for comparison by first sorting on the basis of median stand age and then further sorting these groups of cores by individual-tree age. These trees experienced increasing basal area increments from the mid-1940s into the mid-1970s, after which growth rates returned to preincrease levels. These data support recent findings of growth reductions, but also indicate previously unreported growth increases preceding the growth decreases. These and supplemental permanent plot data suggest that stand dynamics is a viable hypothesis for explaining these growth trends.


2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
J S King ◽  
C P Giardina ◽  
K S Pregitzer ◽  
A L Friend

Carbon (C) allocation to the perennial coarse-root system of trees contributes to ecosystem C sequestration through formation of long-lived live wood biomass and, following senescence, by providing a large source of nutrient-poor detrital C. Our understanding of the controls on C allocation to coarse-root growth is rudimentary, but it has important implications for projecting belowground net primary production responses to global change. Age-related changes in C allocation to coarse roots represent a critical uncertainty for modeling landscape-scale C storage and cycling. We used a 55 year chronosequence approach with complete above- and below-ground harvests to assess the effects of stand development on biomass partitioning in red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.), a commercially important pine species. Averaged within site, individual-tree root/shoot ratios were dynamic across stand development, changing from 0.17 at 2-, 3-, and 5-year-old sites, to 0.80 at the 8-year-old site, to 0.29 at the 55-year-old site. The results of our study suggest that a current research challenge is to determine the generality of patterns of root-shoot biomass partitioning through stand development for both coniferous and hardwood forest types, and to document how these patterns change as a function of stand age, tree size, environment, and management.


2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Taghi Vajed Ebrahimi ◽  
Mohammadreza Mohammadabadi ◽  
Ali Esmailizadeh

Abstract. Investigation of genetic relationship among populations has been traditionally based on the analysis of allele frequencies at different loci. The prime objective of this research was to measure the genetic polymorphism of five microsatellite markers (McMA2, BM6444, McMA26, HSC, and OarHH35) and study genetic diversity of 14 sheep types in Iran. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of 565 individuals using an optimized salting-out DNA extraction procedure. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was successfully performed with the specific primers. Some locus–population combinations were not at Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (P < 0. 05). The microsatellite analysis revealed high allelic and gene diversity in all 14 breeds. Pakistani and Arabi breeds showed the highest mean number of alleles (11.8 and 11 respectively), while the highest value for polymorphic information content was observed for the Arabi breed (0.88). A UPGMA (unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean) dendrogram based on the Nei's standard genetic distance among studied breeds showed a separate cluster for Arabi and Pakistani breeds and another cluster for other breeds. The Shannon index (H0) for McMA2, BM6444, McMA26, HSC, and OarHH35 was 2.31, 2.17, 2.27, 2.04 and 2.18, respectively, and polymorphic information content (PIC) values were 0.88, 0.92, 0.87, 0.84, and 0.86 for McMA2, BM6444, McMA26, HSC, and OarHH35, respectively. The high degree of variability demonstrated within the studied sheep types implies that these populations are rich reservoirs of genetic diversity that must be preserved.


2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 907 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Haidarlis ◽  
A. Sifakis ◽  
C. Brachou

Under Greek (and EU) law, geo-conservation (geological conservation) is an issue not being dealt with in an organized and systematic way, in contrast with bio-conservation (nature conservation). Therefore geo-conservation approaches, as the ‘geopark’ concept, are not recognized under Greek legislation and elements of geological heritage can only be granted protection in isolation and in limited extension, mainly as playing a role to the biotic environment. However, to date, geoparks have been established and recognized by the European Geoparks Network (E.G.N.), in Greece. Those geoparks are protected under the Forestry Legislation, the Archeological Legislation or/and the Environmental Legislation. In view of the plans of the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (I.G.M.E.) to expanding the Geoparks Network in Greece, a thorough examination of the available legal tools to protecting elements of geological importance in geoparks is required, with a view to proposing a legal protection regime that would realistically deal with the conservation of geosites and the establishment of geoparks focusing on overlapping with nature conservation areas, namely “Natura 2000 sites”. In addition, building on the experience of the administration and management of national parks and Natura 2000 sites, the available management options will be examined with a view to providing the optimum management alternatives.


Author(s):  
Claudia Leal

The history of Colombian national parks started in 1948 with the establishment of a reserve for scientific research, which stood alone until the 1960s, when various state agencies created a few parks with quite different goals in mind, including preserving imposing landscapes and conserving water. This rather casual development changed after the growing international concern for the environment led to the creation of an environmental agency in 1968 and the enactment of an environmental code in 1974, which served as institutional platform for the planned expansion of a system of national parks based largely on ecological criteria. Chronically underfunded and understaffed, the Office of National Parks has confronted its weakness by establishing parks which confer legal protection on areas whose natural attributes were deemed valuable. Such a strategy has led to confrontations with local populations living in and around parks, whose rights to resource use have been hampered. The office’s incapacity to properly enforce rules and its attempts to work with rural communities, especially indigenous groups, have to some extent mitigated such tensions. It has further sought to enlist the support of the middle classes and been forced to deal with illegal armed groups on the left and the right, as well as the national army, vying for territorial control. Although parks have not fulfilled their ideal, they have fostered the notion that the nation has a natural patrimony and have contributed decisively to its conservation.


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