Forest Protection Research Articles

Niche of woody plant populations in Picea purpurea community in the upper Taohe River

The niche of plant populations is affected by the environment, species characteristics and anthropogenic disturbance. Picea purpurea, as a major constructive species in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, had been severely damaged. Although the national project for the protection of natural forests has promoted the recovery of its community, its structure, survival status, development trend, and the factors affecting it are still unclear. We selected P. purpurea communities in Zecha, Dayugou and Yeliguan forest zones at different altitudes and disturbance levels. We analyzed niche characteristics of the woody plants and the relationship between niche and altitude, and disturbance. P. purpurea has absolute advantages as a constructive species, and its population dominance and niche width in the tree layer show a decreasing trend with decreasing altitude, there is niche overlap between all species pairs. In the shrub layer, the dominant species are mostly Caprifoliaceae and Rosaceae besides P. purpurea seedlings, the proportion of species pairs with niche overlap is YLG>ZC>DYG, and all appeared niche divergence and convergence species pairs. In addition, P. purpurea seedlings had niche overlap with most woody species, and this overlap index was the highest. The mean values of the niche overlap index between species in the tree and shrub layers were all YLG>DYG>ZC. The niche overlap index between species in the tree layer was greater than that in the shrub layer in the same forest zones, indicating that the tree layer is more stable than the shrub layer, providing evidence that niche overlap maintains community stability. Regression analyses showed that minimum temperature was the main factor affecting dominance, niche, niche overlap and shrub layer species richness of the P. purpurea population. Disturbance did not significantly affect dominance and niche of P. purpurea seedling populations, but promoted niche differentiation of shrub layer species. We conclude that the P. purpurea community is mainly influenced by altitude and anthropogenic disturbance. Altitude-induced climatic variation fundamentally determines the distinct community composition and population niche. Anthropogenic disturbance has altered habitat heterogeneity and enriched community structure. Furthermore, the P. purpurea populations show a trend towards expansion. Understanding the structure and niche characteristics of P. purpurea communities on different environmental gradients enriches our ideas for implementing vegetation restoration and sustainable forest management in subalpine zones in the context of climate change, and is conducive to improving the conservation capacity of this population or community type.

The Potential of Ecotourism in Bayan Village's Customary Forest, North Lombok Regency

Bayan Village, North Lombok District has four customary forests, namely Mandala Customary Forest, Pengempokan Customary Forest, Tiu Rarangan Customary Forest, and Bengket Bayan Customary Forest. The four customary forests have the potential to be developed with the concept of ecotourism. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method. With the determination of the location and respondents using Purposive Sampling. The study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the feasibility of developing Customary Forests into one of the ecotourism attractions using the parameters of ecotourism appeal, accessibility, conditions of the surrounding area, accommodation, facilities and infrastructure and the availability of clean water. The research parameters used the Guidelines for Analysis of Natural Tourism Attraction Operation Areas (ADO-ODTWA) stipulated by the Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (Dirjen PHKA) in 2003. The results of the study showed that the four tourist attractions in Bayan Village have the potential to be developed into ecotourism destinations, with respective index values, namely Mandala Customary Forest 86.83%, Pengempokan Customary Forest 84.03%, Bangket Bayan Customary Forest 87.69% and Tiu Rarangan Customary Forest 84%

Influence of Hydrological and Climatic Changes on Tree Growth in Narew National Park, NE Poland, over the Past 50 Years

Over the last 50 years, groundwater levels have been decreasing and air temperatures have been increasing in Poland. Maintaining this trend may make it impossible to maintain hydrogenic habitats in good condition. Reactions to ongoing climate change recorded in tree rings may be a good indicator describing the degree of this threat. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of climatic and hydrological changes on the growth of scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn) in the Narew National Park over past 50 years. The research was based on tree increment cores extracted from 42 pine trees and 57 alder trees that were randomly selected and ranged in age from 25 to 88 years, as well as climatic and hydrological data. Standardised data (5-year index) were analysed by species, generation (Y—21–40 years, M—41–60, O—61–90), and decade using correlation analysis. The results of the study show that pine responded more strongly to changes in air temperature and changes in precipitation totals, while alder growth was more strongly related to fluctuations in the water level of the Narew River and changes in precipitation totals. Our research showed that differences in response to environmental factors also occur between tree generations. The decrease in the water level of the Narew River that occurred over the last 50 years did not adversely affect the condition of the trees. Analysis of DBH growth rates showed that the younger generations (Y, M) grow faster than the older generation (O). This is positive news for managers of commercial and protected forests, but accelerated tree growth may be associated with specific consequences, such as increased wind damage as a result of reduced wood density or reduced sensitivity of trees to climate and hydrological changes.

Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process–Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution: A Hybrid Method for Assessing Vegetation Management Strategies under Electricity Distribution Lines to Prevent Deforestation Based on Ecosystem Service Criteria

This study evaluated vegetation management (VM) strategies under electricity distribution lines (EDLs) through ecosystem service (ES) criteria. Deforestation, worsened by insufficient VM practices, poses a threat to ecosystem stability. Using a hybrid FAHP (Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process) and TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) approach, ten VM strategies were assessed based on 15 ES criteria. The FAHP results identified biodiversity, timber resources, and erosion control as the most crucial criteria due to their significant weights. The TOPSIS analysis determined that VM6 (creation and restoration of scrub edges) was the most effective strategy, achieving a value of 0.744 for reducing deforestation and enhancing energy security. VM6 helps preserve forest cover and protect infrastructure by creating a “V”-shaped structures within the EDLs corridor. This study underscores the importance of ES-oriented VM strategies for sustainable vegetation management and deforestation mitigation. It also highlights the need for incorporating scientific, ES-based decision support mechanisms into VM strategy development. Future research should expand stakeholder perspectives and conduct a comprehensive assessment of ESs to ensure that VM strategies align with ecological and socio-economic sustainability. This study provides a framework for improving VM practices and offers directions for future sustainable energy management research. This study focuses exclusively on ecological criteria for evaluating VM strategies, neglecting other dimensions. Future research should use methods like ANP and fuzzy cognitive maps to explore inter-dimension relationships and their strengths. Additionally, employing SWARA, PIPRECIA, ELECTRE, and PROMETHEE for ranking VM strategies is recommended.

The Effectiveness of Tannin on the Amount of Damage to Forest Trees and Stands Caused by Red Deer in the Western Carpathians

Damage caused by cloven-hoofed game and wild animals is a serious problem in Slovakia and neighboring countries. In 2022, the damage to forests in Slovakia was estimated at a level of almost EUR 2.9 million. Despite several implemented measures, the situation is so severe that successfully restoring some trees in some heavily attacked stands is impossible. This paper deals with the preventive elimination of damage caused by red deer in forest stands by the biological method of applying tannin-based mineral licks. Specifically, licks containing tannin obtained from the edible chestnut were used for testing. Several positive effects are attributed to tannins in developing livestock and animal fitness status. To date, however, the question of using tannins as biological agents for the possible protection of forest stands has not been addressed. Therefore, red deer damage was assessed at two localities with similar natural conditions in the central part of the Western Carpathians to explore such a possibility. After the initial sample measurement of the bark-stripping damage caused by the red deer in the autumn, mineral licks with tannin were placed in one selected study area over the winter. The levels of and differences in forest damage by deer between areas with the application of licks with tannin and without tannin were detected in spring of the following year. In the location treated with tannin, the number of damaged sample plots decreased, and the mean plot damage did not increase (no statistically significant differences were registered in mean plot damage between autumn and spring). Meanwhile, in the control location, the total amount of bark-stripped area doubled, mainly due to a statistically significant increase in mean plot damage between autumn and spring. Based on this, we conclude that tannin had a significant preventive effect and considerably reduced the extent of bark stripping. Such promising results indicate that tannin licks can effectively mitigate the problem of bark-stripping damage in areas heavily attacked by red deer.

Multi-Dimensional Landscape Connectivity Index for Prioritizing Forest Cover Change Scenarios: A Case Study of Southeast China

Predicting forest cover change (FCC) and screening development scenarios are crucial for ecological resilience. However, quantitative evaluations of prioritizing forest change scenarios are limited. Here, we took five shared socio-economic pathways (SSPs) representing potential global changes, namely SSP1: sustainability, SSP2: middle of the road, SSP3: regional rivalry, SSP4: inequality, and SSP5: fossil-fueled development, which were constructed by integrated assessment and climate models. We modeled them with the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) and constructed a multi-dimensional landscape connectivity index (MLCI) employing forest landscape connectivity (FLC) indices to assess forest development in Fujian Province, Southeast China. The MLCI visualized by radar charts was based on five metrics, including forest patch size (class area (CA), number (patch density (PD), isolation (landscape division index (DIVISION), aggregation (mean nearest-neighbor index (ENN_MN), and connectance index, (CONNECT). The results indicate that FC will remain above 61.4% until 2030, with growth observed in SSP1 and SSP4. Particularly, FC in SSP4 substantially increased, converted from cropland (1140.809 km2) and grassland (645.741 km2). SSP4 has the largest MLCI values and demonstrates significant enhancements in forest landscape integrity, with CA, ENN_MN and CONNECT increasing greatly. Our study offers valuable approaches to and insights into forest protection and restoration.

Effect of Microbial Degradation Treatments on Lignocellulose, Cellulose, and Water-Holding Capacity of Four Typical Forest Fuels from Northeast China

Since forest fuel decomposes slowly and increases the risk of forest fires by accumulating over the years, forest fuel management to accelerate the decomposition process is essential to prevent forest fires and protect forest resources. In this study, we conducted experiments on forest fuels (Pinus sylvestris var. mongholica, Larix gmelinii, Quercus mongolica and Fraxinus mandshurica) in four typical plantation forests in northeast China by adding Trichoderma spp. to investigate the decomposition process and the changes in cellulose, hemicellulose and the water-holding capacity of the fuels. The addition of Trichoderma spp. accelerated the decomposition of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin in the fuel. Trichoderma spp. promoted the ratio of water absorption and loss, as well as the water-holding capacity of the fuels. The ratio of water absorption and loss reached equilibrium when the decomposition time was up to 35 days, and the addition of Trichoderma spp. increased the maximal water-holding capacity of the fuel. The residual ratio of the four types of fuel degraded by the different treatments was inversely proportional to their maximal water-holding capacities and to the residual ratios of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The residual ratios of degradation of the four fuels under different treatments were linearly related to their maximum water-holding capacity, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin residual ratios. Trichoderma spp. had a positive effect on the degradation effect and water-holding capacity of fuel on the ground surface of four typical plantation forests. The study is of positive significance for the decomposition of fuel in forests, it promotes the development of biological fire prevention technology and provides a basis for the reinforcement of the management of fuel in forests and the protection of forest resources.

The Humanitarian Tragedy of "Wadas and Rempang Island" Forms of Neo-Colonialism and New-Style Neo-Capitalism and the Collapse of Law in Indonesia

<em><span lang="EN-US">The clash on September 7, 2023, between Rempang residents and security forces (POLRI, TNI), which ended with the arrest of 43 residents, mirrors the conflict that occurred between the residents of Wadas Village, Bener Subdistrict, Purworejo Regency, Central Java, and the Central Java Regional Government on February 8, 2022. The violence perpetrated by security forces against the residents of Rempang Island occurred when the company, escorted by security, unilaterally staked out Malay customary land in 16 traditional villages on Rempang and Galang Islands in the Riau Archipelago, covering an area of 17,600 hectares. This included 10,028 hectares of protected forest, or about 45.84% of the total land area, which they had occupied since 1834. According to the head of Batam Concessionaires (BP), Muhammad Rudi, the Eco City development plan has been underway since 2004. At that time, PT. Makmur Elok Graha and Xinyi Glass Holding Ltd. (July 2023), the exclusive rights holders, became the private entities partnered with the government (September 12, 2023), receiving an 80-year concession from the government. The government's actions of land seizure and violence demonstrate a form of power arrogance that tends toward abuse of power, under the pretext of protecting a 381 trillion investment, while ignoring the rights of citizens as stipulated in the 1945 Constitution and the Basic Agrarian Law. The government's actions represent forms of Neo-Colonialism and Neo-Capitalism occurring during the Jokowi administration. This situation underscores that the law is no longer equal; the law has collapsed, becoming merely a symbol that only favors power.</span></em>

Avian phylogenetic and functional diversity are better conserved by land‐sparing than land‐sharing farming in lowland tropical forests

Abstract The transformation of natural habitats for farming is a major driver of tropical biodiversity loss. To mitigate impacts, two alternatives are promoted: intensifying agriculture to offset protected areas (land sparing) or integrating wildlife‐friendly habitats within farmland (land sharing). In the montane and dry tropics, phylogenetic and functional diversity, which underpin evolutionary values and the provision of ecosystem functioning and services, are best protected by land sparing. A key question is how these components of biodiversity are best conserved in the more stable environments of lowland moist tropical forests. Focusing on cattle farming within the Colombian Amazon, we investigated how the occupancy of 280 bird species varies between forest and pasture spanning gradients of wildlife‐friendly features. We then simulated scenarios of land‐sparing and land‐sharing farming to predict impacts on phylogenetic and functional diversity metrics. Predicted metrics differed marginally between forest and pasture. However, community assembly varied significantly. Wildlife‐friendly pastures were inadequate for most forest‐dependent species, while phylogenetic and functional diversity indices showed minimal variation across gradients of wildlife‐friendly features. Land sparing consistently retained higher levels of Faith's phylogenetic diversity (~30%), functional richness (~20%) and evolutionarily distinct lineages (~40%) than land sharing, and did so across a range of landscape sizes. Securing forest protection through land‐sparing practices remains superior for conserving overall community phylogenetic and functional diversity than land sharing. Synthesis and applications: To minimise the loss of avian phylogenetic diversity and functional traits from farming in the Amazon, it is imperative to protect large blocks of undisturbed and regenerating forests. The intensification required within existing farmlands to make space for spared lands while meeting agricultural demand needs to be sustainable, avoiding long‐term negative impacts on soil quality and other ecosystem services. Policies need to secure the delivery of both actions simultaneously.

Changes in gross ecosystem product and its response to land use changes in forest resource dominant regions: A case study of Zixi County, Jiangxi Province, China.

Forests are one of the most important terrestrial ecosystems and play a crucial role in the construction of ecological civilization. Understanding the changes in gross ecosystem product (GEP) and its response to land use change in areas with unique advantages in forest resources is of great significance for promoting sustainable development. We examined the GEP of Zixi County of Jiangxi Province. Based on the theory and method of ecosystem value accounting, and on the basis of the general indicator system for regulating services (water source conservation, soil conservation, oxygen supply, carbon fixation, climate control, flood regulation, water purification, air cleaning, species conservation) and the general indicator system for cultural services (landscape recreation, education), we added negative oxygen ions and health care indicators and introduced forest ecosystem service correction coefficients to construct a GEP indicator system and method with unique advantages in forest resources. We evaluated the spatio-temporal variations of GEP in 2010, 2017 and 2020, and quantified the impact of land use/land cover change on GEP by means of elasticity index and value profit and loss analysis. The results showed that the GEP of Zixi County in 2010, 2017 and 2020 was 16.788 billion, 26.817 billion, and 38.407 billion yuan, respectively. Forests contri-buted the largest amount of GEP, followed by wetland, farmland, grassland, and town. During the study period, the added value of GEP mainly came from forest ecosystems. Land use change had an important impact on GEP. From 2010 to 2020, the total land use change area in the study area was 8501.88 hm2. The amplitude of land use change was grassland (-2811.17 hm2)>town (1428.06 hm2)>forest (1357.67 hm2)>wetland (1031.05 hm2)> farmland (-1005.01 hm2). The absolute changes of various land use types were mainly occurred from 2017 to 2020. The elasticity index of each indicator on forest ecosystems was significantly higher than that of other ecosystems, indicating that GEP had the highest sensitivity to changes in forest area. The results of value profit and loss analysis showed that urban development had reduced GEP to some extent, while the protection of forest and wetland had increased GEP. From 2010 to 2020, the conversion of land use types in Zixi County led to an increase of 1.865 billion yuan in GEP, indicating that land use change in Zixi County had a positive ecological impact on the whole. Our results reflect the green development effect of Zixi County after becoming a national ecological civilization construction demonstration county, which could provide decision-making support for high-quality development, high-level protection and sustainable development and utilization of land resources in the future, and provide reference for other similar areas of GEP accounting.

Study of problems in utilizing the functions of Kasinan protected forest between local residents and "Sadar Alas" community groups

Understanding disputing styles is very important for solving a problem. The purpose of this research is to examine descriptively the problems in the Kasinan protected forest and to identify the conflicting styles of each party so that an appropriate resolution of the problems can be developed. This research was conducted in the protected forest of Kasinan, precisely in Pesanggrahan Village, Batu City. Data collection was carried out qualitatively, namely through interviews, observation, and documentation. The analysis used adapts the Disputing Style Analysis (AGATA). The results of the research show that the problems in the Kasinan protected forest stem from the use of the forest for tourism by relying on water sources from the Kasinan protected forest. The impact was a decrease in the discharge of water flowing into the rice fields and residents' homes, resulting in protests from residents. Actors involved in the problem include residents of Pesanggrahan village, HIPPA-HIPPAM, Pesanggrahan Village Government, Sadar Alas community, Perhutani KPH Malang, BKPH Pujon, and Walhi. Each party has various problems, including environmental beauty, reducing water discharge, and tourism interests. Communities are the most disadvantaged because they feel the impact directly. Each side has a different style of conflict. However, especially for residents of the Sadar Alas community, they have a competitive dispute style. So, in an accommodation style, the village government formed a team of Kasinan Forest Utilization Problem Resolution Facilities and held meetings including villagers, HIPPA-HIPPAM, Alas Awareness Community, Perhutani, and the Mayor of Batu City to negotiate and facilitate the proposal for zoning based on local policies so that the environment is beautiful. and the tour continues. So support from parties who have full authority, such as the Mayor of Batu City, is needed in order to realize a resolution to the conflict.

Direct and mediated impacts of mixed forests on Norway spruce infestation by European bark beetle Ips typographus

Climate change-induced windfalls and droughts exacerbate bark beetle outbreaks, severely impacting forest ecosystems. Despite extensive research on bark beetle infestation patterns, the question regarding the optimal spatial grid (SG) size for analyzing this phenomenon remains unresolved. The protective potential of natural forest complexity against bark beetles has been underestimated. We used remotely sensed data to fit Generalized Linear Models and structural equation models to explore the direct and environment-mediated effects of mixed forest cover (MFC) on Norway spruce forest infestation in central Europe. We assessed the effectiveness of various spatial grids (from 100 m to 1 km) for studying infestation by Ips typographus. We found a strong non-linear decline in infestation with increasing MFC across different spatial scales. The relationship between infestation and temperature was positive, while elevation had a negative effect on infestation, with higher infestation rates observed below 900 m. Direct effects of environmental predictors on infestation were significant at SGs of 100 m, 300 m, 400 m, and 500 m, but insignificant at 200 m and 1000 m SGs. Slope positively influenced infestation at 300 m and 400 m SGs. MFC exhibited significant indirect effects on infestation mediated by elevation, temperature, potential evapotranspiration, slope, and heat load index. Landscape variables played a significant role in the models at high-resolution spatial grids, whereas climate variables were influential in models at lower spatial grids of infestation data. We argue that mixed forest facilitates cooling, preserves water, enriches symbiotic fungal community, alleviating tree drought stress and mitigating infestation risk. Broad-leave trees’ non-host volatiles presumably disrupt olfactory signals, impeding beetles’ ability to locate host trees effectively. Our results underscore the potential of increasing mixed forest cover as a self-sustainable silvicultural measure for forest protection against I. typographus and for mitigating the effects of climate change.

Topography- and depth-dependent rhizosphere microbial community characteristics drive ecosystem multifunctionality in Juglans mandshurica forest

Rhizosphere microbial community characteristics and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF), both affected by topographic factors, are closely correlated. However, more targeted exploration is yet required to fully understand the variations of rhizosphere microbial communities along topographic gradients in different soil layers, as well as whether and how they regulate EMF under specific site conditions. Here, we conducted relevant research on Juglans mandshurica forests at six elevation gradients and two slope positions ranging from 310 to 750 m in Tianjin Baxian Mountain. Results demonstrated that rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities of both layers (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm) varied significantly with elevation, while only at top layer did slope position have significant impacts on most indicators. Bacterial richness and diversity were higher in the top layer at slope bottom and middle-high elevation, the difference in fungi was not as noticeable. Both topographic factors and soil depth significantly impacted microbial community structure, with Candidatus_Udaeobacter of bacteria, Mortierella, Sebacina, and Hygrocybe of fungi mainly contributing to the dissimilarity between communities. EMF rose with increasing elevation, bacteria were more critical drivers of this process than fungi, and topographic factors could affect EMF by altering bacterial diversity and dominant taxa abundance. For evaluating EMF, the aggregate structure of sub layer and the carbon cycle-related indicators of top layer were of higher importance. Our results revealed the depth-dependent characteristics of the rhizosphere microbial community along topographic gradients in studied stands, as well as the pivotal regulatory role of bacteria on EMF, while also highlighting depth as an important variable for analyzing soil properties and EMF. This work helps us better understand the response of individuals and communities of J. mandshurica to changing environmental conditions, further providing a scientific reference for the management and protection of secondary forests locally and in North China.

Global atmospheric methane uptake by upland tree woody surfaces

Methane is an important greenhouse gas1, but the role of trees in the methane budget remains uncertain2. Although it has been shown that wetland and some upland trees can emit soil-derived methane at the stem base3,4, it has also been suggested that upland trees can serve as a net sink for atmospheric methane5,6. Here we examine in situ woody surface methane exchange of upland tropical, temperate and boreal forest trees. We find that methane uptake on woody surfaces, in particular at and above about 2 m above the forest floor, can dominate the net ecosystem contribution of trees, resulting in a net tree methane sink. Stable carbon isotope measurement of methane in woody surface chamber air and process-level investigations on extracted wood cores are consistent with methanotrophy, suggesting a microbially mediated drawdown of methane on and in tree woody surfaces and tissues. By applying terrestrial laser scanning-derived allometry to quantify global forest tree woody surface area, a preliminary first estimate suggests that trees may contribute 24.6–49.9 Tg of atmospheric methane uptake globally. Our findings indicate that the climate benefits of tropical and temperate forest protection and reforestation may be greater than previously assumed.

I boschi in Italia e le politiche forestali nazionali

In Italy, forests cover 12 million hectares, equivalent to 40% of the national territory, with a significant increase compared to previous decades. Italian forests are mainly located in hilly and mountainous areas, characterised by considerable fragmentation. The MASAF (Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovreignty and Forests) has divided Italian wooded areas into 19 ecoregions to facilitate reforestation with native species. The composition of Italian forests is highly diversified, with 117 tree species. However, these ecosystems are threatened by fires, pathogens, and climate change. Italian forest policies, historically conservationist, aim to protect and sustainably manage the country’s forests. The Serpieri Law of 1923 and other regulations ensure the protection of forests, which are among the most protected in Europe. However, the Italian wood industry largely depends on foreign imports due to fragmented ownership and strict regulations. The essay, starting with a description of Italian forests, provides a comprehensive overview of national forest policies up to the publication of the National Forestry Strategy in 2022, which outlines a long-term vision for the sustainable development of the sector and the enhancement of ecosystem services. It involves various stakeholders, from institutions to citizens, and promotes professional training and the responsible use of forest resources, integrating energy policies and a circular bioeconomy.

Лесохозяйственные мероприятия в полезащитных лесных полосах Краснодарского края

In the process of growth and development of forest belts, some of their taxation characteristics and design change. Forest reclamation complexes are subject to homeostasis. Changing the design of shelterbelts leads to crop shortages, loss of profits for agricultural organizations, as well as to the deterioration of the ecology of field soils. A way out of this situation can be found in the application of a system of measures, an important part of which is forestry measures. The aim of the research has been to determine the timing and types of forestry measures aimed at improving the agro-ecological efficiency of protective forest reclamation complexes on agricultural lands of the Krasnodar Territory. Data from the 2019 inventory of protective forest plantations and data obtained by the authors in 2015–2021 in the Kushchevskij and Leningradskij Districts of the Krasnodar Territory have been used. According to the data obtained, graphs of the dependence of stock on the age and height have been constructed for some tree species of field protection forest reclamation complexes. It has been established that in the study area the largest number of areas of shelterbelts have a dense structure – 538.5 ha, and 501.7 ha of them are trees of the III age class. A significant increase in the stock of plantations has been noted at the age of: Robinia pseudoacacia L. – 15 years, Fraxinus excelsior L. – 25 years, Gleditsia triacanthos L. – 10 years, Ulmus pumila L. – 35 years. The equations of the regressional dependence of stock on the age and height for the main tree species have been obtained. These equations can be used to predict the timing of forestry measures in order to maintain the openwork design of forest belts recommended for the region under study.

First Report of Leaf Blight of Osmanthus fragrans Caused by Diaporthe eres in China.

Osmanthus fragrans is an evergreen garden tree species, with high ecological, social, and economic benefits (Lan et al. 2023), which is widely planted in Guizhou Province. From late April to June 2023, a leaf blight disease was observed on O. fragrans in a bauxite mining area in Qingzhen City, with an incidence of ~50%. Symptoms first appeared at the leaf tip or margin, as irregular brown spots, which gradually coalesced into dark brown patches until the leaves withered and fell off. Symptomatic leaves were collected and surface disinfected with 2% NaClO for 30 s, 75% ethanol for 30 s, rinsed 3 times in sterile ddH2O, air-dried and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and incubated at 25°C for 7 d. Fungal colonies on PDA of 9 similar obtained isolates were white, with at least one concentric ring. The reverse was light yellow and gradually turned brown. At 12 d, the pycnidia on PDA was gray to black, spherical or conical, with a diameter of 305.15 μm (n=20). The conidial horns oozed out from pycnidia after 25 d of incubation on Pinus massoniana needles. The alpha conidia were unicellular, fusiform, hyaline, had a guttule at each end, and measured 6.24 ± 0.10 μm × 2.48 ± 0.04 μm (n=50). No beta or gamma conidia were observed. The morphological characteristics were likely to Diaporthe spp. (Gomes et al. 2013). DNA of isolates GH02, GH06 and GH08 was extracted. The internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and partial sequences of translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α), calmodulin (CAL), beta-tubulin (TUB2), and histone H3 (HIS) genes were amplified with primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF1-728F/EF1-986R, CAL228F/CAL737R (Carbone and Kohn, 1999), βt2a/βt2b and CYLH3F/H3-1b (Crous et al. 2004; Glass and Donaldson, 1995), respectively. The sequences of ITS, TEF-1α, TUB2, CAL and HIS were deposited in GenBank (GH02: PP813499, PP813844, PP813846, PP813848 and PP813850; GH06: PP813500, PP813845, PP813847, PP813849 and PP813851; GH08: PP507168 and PP529956 to PP529959). BLAST results showed the sequences of GH08 were highly identical to sequences of Phomopsis mahothocarpi (NR147522 [ITS], 527/530), P. mahothocarpi (MW700277 [TEF-1α], 367/372), D. eres (OR885862 [TUB], 513/513), D. celeris (ON221721 [CAL], 484/486), and D. eres (OP968956 [HIS], 477/477). A phylogenetic tree constructed with MEGA X using Neighbor-Joining algorithm (Felsenstein, 1985) indicated the isolate GH02, GH06 and GH08 separated from D. eres CBS 297.77 previously reported from O. aquifolium in Netherlands, as well as D. osmanthi and D. fusicola from O. fragrans in China (Gomes et al. 2013; Long et al. 2019; Si et al. 2021). Based on these results, the three isolates were identified as D. eres (Chaisiri et al., 2021). The isolate GH08 was deposited in the Forest Protection Laboratory, Guizhou University. To confirm pathogenicity, spore suspensions (1×105 spores/mL) of GH08 were sprayed on healthy detached leaves (n=10) and leaves of 3-year-old potted O. fragrans seedlings (n=8). An equal volume of sterile water was sprayed for the control. Then they were placed at 20°C and 70-80% RH. Similar leaf blight symptoms appeared after 5 and 15d on the inoculated leaves and seedlings, respectively. The re-isolated fungus, was identical to D. eres based on morphological and molecular analysis, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. eres causing leaf blight of O. fragrans in China, supporting a basis for developing effective methods to manage this disease.

Assessment of Forest Suitability of Soils in the Dry Steppe Zone of the Volgograd Region

Background: Assessing the forest suitability of soils is one of the key areas of agroforestry science. Research in this direction makes it possible to characterize areas where tree and shrub vegetation does not grow under natural conditions. The research carried out makes it possible to assess the possibilities of afforestation in the area of interest; they contribute to the perception of landscape diversity in the context of the reclamation efficiency of the created systems of protective forest plantings, their productivity and durability. Identification of soil suitability for forests is closely related to the assessment of soil quality and fertility. The study of forest suitability of soils has a pronounced regional aspect. This article presents materials from cartographic studies of the dry steppe zone of the Volgograd region of the Russian Federation. The study region is characterized by a wide variety of soil cover. Dark chestnut, chestnut soils and light chestnut soils are common in this zone. The processes of erosion, salinizationand deflation make a great contribution to the diversity of soil complexes. Methods: In this work, the cartographic research method is the main one. Achieving the research goal, creating a cartographic model of the forest vegetation properties of the study area, was carried out in three stages. At the first stage, the contours of the soil map at a scale of 1:400000 were classified into forest suitability groups. During the second stage, based on the functionality of the QGIS software package, new soil contours were created. At the third stage, area characteristics were taken, share parameters were calculated and an analysis of changes in soil cover was carried out in natural and economic areas. The research materials presented in this article were obtained during the implementation of the state task of the research work of the FSC of Agroecology RAS. The research period is from 2021-08 to 2023-11. Result: The result of the research is the creation of a cartographic model of the forest suitability of soils in the dry steppe zone of the Volgograd region. Based on measuring the areas of soil contours for each of the 17 administrative districts, the ratio of groups of forest suitability of soils was established. The revealed value of the share indicator for the study area as a whole is as follows: soils I, forest suitability groups occupy 10.4% of the territory; II -9.3%; III - 68.3%; IV - 12%. The data obtained are necessary for planning agroforestry work in the study area.

Developing a smart forest protection mini program with Spring Boot: Integrating big data and image recognition technologies

Forests are essential for ecological stability yet pose significant management challenges due to their expansive and remote nature. Despite advancements in data acquisition, there is a lack of tools that effectively combine image recognition with big data analytics for real-time monitoring. This study introduces a "Smart Forest Protection" mini program, developed using Spring Boot, which integrates these technologies to facilitate immediate and efficient forest management. The program features intelligent plant recognition, user-driven incident reporting, waste recycling point displays, and a platform for disseminating forest conservation knowledge. Additionally, a big data visualization platform illustrates the spatiotemporal distribution of forests in Zhuhai, aiding governmental and environmental agencies in making informed decisions that enhance forest conservation and promote sustainable practices.

Research on the Implementation of Customary Law in the Protection of Forests and Forest Land by Ethnic Minorities in Đắk Lắk Province (Vietnam) today

Livelihood methods and the transition from subsistence production to commodity production are factors affecting current communities and also influence the changes in nature and the capacity of communities in managing and using natural resources. This article is conducted based on the collection, evaluation, and analysis of current Vietnamese legal documents and policies on Land, Forest Protection and Development, Civil Codes, sub-law resolutions, and other local documents. It also involves analyzing documents on the current state of forests, forest land, ethnic minority groups, and their customary laws. The content of the article provides an overall picture of the current state of using customary law in the management and use of forests and forest land in ethnic minority communities at the study sites.