Forestry Bureau Research Articles

Classification of forest types in Cuigang Forest Farm based on time series data of Landsat 8

To explore the practical role of enhanced vegetation index (EVI) time series data in improving the accuracy of forest type recognition could promote the deep application of optical remote sensing data in forest resources investigation and monitoring. With Cuigang Forest Farm of Xinlin Forestry Bureau in Daxing'anling as the object, we constructed six classification schemes, using random forest algorithm with spectral feature, texture feature and EVI time series feature. The data sources were 20-view Landsat 8 OLI time series data from 2014 to 2018, 56 fixed plots data from 2017-2019, and the 2016 Class II survey data. Our aims were to realize the classification of forest types in Cuigang Forest Farm and to evaluate the accuracy of different classification schemes. The results showed the EVI values of Larix gmelinii forest, Betula platyphylla forest, coniferous-broadleaved mixed forest, coniferous mixed forest and broadleaved mixed forest were significantly different in non-growing seasons (36-111 days and 287-367 days), with the EVI value of mixed conifer forest being significantly higher, and that of mixed broadleaf forest being always lower than the other four forest types. In the early growing season (111-143 days), the EVI value of B. platyphylla forest were higher than L. gmelinii forest, which could effectively distinguish the two forests. Among the six classification schemes, spectral feature, texture feature, and EVI time series feature had the highest classification accuracy, with a Kappa of 0.82 and a classification accuracy of 86.1%. The comparison results showed that the overall accuracy of adding vegetation index time series feature was improved by 14.3% compared with that of spectral feature. The random forest algorithm with combined spectral, texture and EVI time series features could effectively classify forest stand types in Cuigang Forest Farm, with good recognition accuracy and confidence.

Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility (TaiBIF)’s Role in Facilitating Open Biodiversity Data in Taiwan

Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility (TaiBIF) was established in 2001 as one of the first Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) nodes. Funded by Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology and Forestry Bureau, TaiBIF’s missions are to: Develop infrastructures for biodiversity-related data, Promote the open data concept, Facilitate the publication and integration of biodiversity information, Support biodiversity-related research and policy-making, and Connect Taiwan and international biodiversity information. Develop infrastructures for biodiversity-related data, Promote the open data concept, Facilitate the publication and integration of biodiversity information, Support biodiversity-related research and policy-making, and Connect Taiwan and international biodiversity information. As part of the work to fulfill its missions, TaiBIF develops and maintains infrastructures such as a data portal, Taiwan Catalogue of Life (TaiCoL), and a tool for scientific name-checking - NomenMatch, for public and researchers to use as needed. Additionally, as the only GBIF data hosting centre currently available in Asia, TaiBIF offers all services mentioned in the GBIF’s data hosting criteria. Briefly, this includes a regularly maintained Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT) and help desk for supporting users in dataset and data paper publishing process. In the continuous effort to promote open biodiversity data, TaiBIF organises workshops annually for students, researchers, and any governmental or non-governmental organisations, providing hands-on training focusing on data standardising and the publishing process. As of June 2022, Taiwan has exposed more than 13 million occurrence records and 83 datasets through GBIF's data platform, contributed mostly by 19 data publishing units, making it the second-largest data contributor in Asia (after India). These data have been used in many peer-reviewed studies on various topics and for guiding conservation policies. TaiBIF has maintained close interactions and cooperation with GBIF, regularly assisting in the Biodiversity Information Fund for Asia (BIFA) projects, regional workshops and communications between members from Asian countries. TaiBIF’s current active tasks include allying with the Taiwan Biodiversity Information Alliance (TBIA), a national biodiversity network aimed at the integration of local biodiversity data from various governmental agencies and museums. Furthermore, a volunteer training system is being developed to support workloads at the TaiBIF office. Recognising the importance of data coverage, a data review study of open biodiversity data status in Taiwan is ongoing.

Technological Breakthrough for the Afforestation of Populus euphratica in the Mu Us Desert in China

The Mu Us Desert (MUD) is one of the four largest sandy lands in China. On 22 April 2020, the Shaanxi Forestry Bureau announced that the desertification land control rate in Yulin reached 93.24%, which means that the Mu Us Desert was about to “disappear” from the territory of Shaanxi. However, the problem of biological diversity, mostly for Pinus sylvestris and shrubs in the Mu Us Desert, remains serious. In order to consolidate the current forest conservation efforts, Populus euphratica has been considered an ideal candidate since the 1950s. However, the low survival rate and conservation rate of Populus euphratica in the MUD led us to perform further large-scale introduction for over 70 years. In this study, by using root control seedling technology, the survival and the conservation rate of Populus euphratica were increased to more than 90%. This study makes possible the introduction of Populus euphratica in the MUD, and the successful introduction of Populus euphratica will provide a new barrier for forest ecosystem stability in the desertification control project in the Yulin area.

Developing the Theory of Pragmatic Public Management through Classic Grounded Theory Methodology

Abstract Public administration scholars argue that further research is needed to understand ordinary day-to-day behaviors of the traditional government agency in the era of inter-organization collaboration and governance, including reconciling traditional bureaucratic management theories with modern-day cross-sector governance theories. I answered this call by utilizing classic grounded theory methodology to discover and theorize the latent patterns of behavior of such an agency—the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry—via the perspective of public managers. The primary source of data was unstructured interviews with 55 district and assistant district managers from the Bureau, and two interviews with executive directors of statewide nonprofits that frequently engage with the districts. Following the systematic processes of classic grounded theory methodology, I developed a theory called the Theory of Pragmatic Public Management that consists of the core category of Mission-driven Management, its four sub-core categories (Balancing, Advocating Value, Adapting to Uncertainty, and Prudent Collaboration), and two contextual conditions in the form of organization dynamics that impact the system (Organizational Capacity and Organizational Discretion). The theory is a modifiable and transferable theory that entwines traditional intra-organization management and inter-organization collaborative public management behaviors and relies on pragmatist thought for additional conceptual integration. It informs existing public management research that focuses on the day-to-day behaviors of public managers and offers practical insights on public management in the contemporary era of governance.

Construction of the additive model system for heartwood, sapwoodand bark taper of Pinus koraiensis plantation in different regions of Heilongjiang Province, China

With the commonly used variable-exponent taper models developed by Kozak (1988), Muhairwe (1999), Lee (2003) and Kozak (2004), we aimed to develop taper functions of diameter outside bark (DOB), heartwood diameter (HD), sapwood width (SW), and bark thickness (BT) based on the data of 2977 discs from 103 sample trees of Pinus koraiensis plantations under different conditions in Mengjiagang Forest Farm, Dongjingcheng and Linkou Forestry Bureau in Heilongjiang Province. We selected the optimal basic model after comparison. By using seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) method in the PROC MODEL of SAS software, we established an additive model system for the taper equations of DOB, HD, SW and BT. By introducing the region as a dummy variable, the models were evaluated by coefficient determination (Radj2), root mean square error (RMSE), Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). The results showed that the taper model developed by Kozak (2004) was the optimal one for the DOB, HD, SW and BT. When satisfying the additivity of each component and total amount, the additivity model system got better prediction effect, with a prediction precision of more than 98%. The additive model system with dummy variables improved the prediction ability to varying degrees, especially the prediction precision of HD and SW models. Minor differences existed in DOB and BT among different regions, while enormous differences in HD and SW. The additive model system with dummy variables not only had high prediction accuracy but also satisfied the additive logic of DOB, HD, SW and BT, which provided a basis for accurate estimation of heartwood, sapwood and bark volume of P. koraiensis.

Spatial distribution and associations of dead woods in natural spruce-fir secondary forests

To reveal the community succession rule of natural secondary forest, we investigated basic characteristics and coordinates of each tree (DBH≥1 cm) within a plot (100 m×100 m) using the adjacent grid method and examined the distribution pattern and spatial associations of dead woods in a natural spruce-fir secondary forest in Jingouling Forest Farm, Wangqing Forestry Bureau, Jilin Province, China. The results showed that the diameter class distribution of dead woods showed the pattern of left single-peak curve, while the logs showed the pattern of multi-peak curve. The relationship between the abundance of dead woods and the standing individuals of a particular species was inconsistent. There was a significant negative exponential relationship between the number of dead woods and mixing degree of trees. The distribution of dead woods was concentrated at the 0-8 m scale. With the increases of scale, it gradually changed to random or uniform, with the random distribution being dominant. The aggregation distribution of dead woods with middle (10 cm≤DBH＜20 cm) and small (1 cm≤DBH＜10 cm) DBH was the main reason for the aggregation distribution of dead woods at small scale below 8 m. The spatial associations between dead woods and stan-ding trees at different diameter classes were significantly different. The relationship between dead woods and saplings (1 cm≤DBH＜5 cm) was closely correlated. The dead woods with large DBH and saplings showed a significant positive association at 2-25 m scale. There was no spatial association between dead woods and small trees (5 cm≤DBH＜15 cm). At the 0-3 m scale, there was a positive association between the middle trees (15 cm≤DBH＜25 cm) and dead woods of small and middle DBH. At the 9, 11-14 and 15, 42-45 m scales, dead woods of small and middle DBH were significantly negatively associated with large trees (DBH≥25 cm). In conclusion, biological traits, diameter class distribution, and spatial distribution affected the abundance and diameter class distribution of dead woods. The species with low mixing degree tended to have more dead woods. The diameter and scale would affect the spatial distribution of dead woods. The spatial correlation between dead woods and standing trees varied across diameter classes and scales.

Clarifying the factors affecting Larix gmelinii forest regeneration based on structural equation model

Based on data from 49 plots of natural Larix gmelinii forests in Cuigang Forest Farm of Xinlin Forestry Bureau, Daxing'anling Mountains, China, we used 37 measurable variables that mainly focused on stand non-spatial structure, stand spatial structure, species diversity, soil condition, and site condition to construct the structural equation model of natural regeneration densities and size diversities (i.e., height and ground-diameter). The direct, indirect, and total influence coefficients of each path were quantified to extract the critical and controllable factors that influence regeneration density and diversity of natural L. gmelinii forests, which would help implement sustainable forest management. The results showed that the effects of various latent variables on rege-neration density were following an order as: stand non-spatial structure (-0.410) > species diversity (0.380) > soil condition (0.250) > site condition (0.249) > stand spatial structure (0.197), while the order were changed as: soil condition (0.778) > site condition (0.748) > stand spatial structure (0.684) > stand non-spatial structure (0.287) > forest diversity (0.105), when evaluated on the regeneration diversity. Generally, the critical and controllable factors affecting rege-neration quantity and diversity were soil pH, total potassium concentration, species diversity, tree height diversity, uniform angle index and stand volume per hectare. In the management, suitable thinning treatments or replanting broadleaved trees were recommended for optimizing and adjusting species composition, species diversity, soil pH and nutrition, which would promote natural regene-ration.

Evaluation of Livelihood Sustainability in the Context of Natural Forest Land Degradation Vulnerability: A Case Study of Five Counties in China

Land degradation, especially natural forest land degradation (NFLD), is a severe environmental concern in China. This natural disaster itself and its derivative control policies have caused some impacts on surrounding farmers’ livelihood level and strategies, but the literature on the sustainable livelihood of different households in NFLD vulnerability is limited, and there is an urgent need to bridge the gap and conduct studies on the sustainable livelihood of Changting, Libo, Lixian, Menghai and Wuxi, the typical NFLD-prone areas in China. A new livelihood sustainability index (LSI) including livelihood asset, livelihood strategy and sustainability engagement is constructed to assess the basic situation. The results showed that: (1) The overall LSI of five NFLD areas was not high, and the social, financial and natural assets, in particular, were relatively low. A disparity was found among the five areas, and the rank sequence of the LSI value was sorted in a descending order: Changting > Menghai > Libo > Lixian > Wuxi. (2) In detail, farmers in Changting had the relative highest LSI because of the inherent high value of livelihood assets, which constrain the scores of the livelihood strategy and sustainability engagement. (3) Households in Libo, Menghai and Lixian had middle level LSI scores. The relative low livelihood assets in Libo and Menghai drove parts of local farmers to carry out off-farm/forestry employment, leading to high scores of livelihood strategy, while farmers in Lixian had lower livelihood diversification scores and higher sustainability engagement due to their working content for the local forestry bureau. (4) The low scores of the livelihood asset and sustainability engagement restricted farmers in Wuxi. A discussion of LSI in the NFLD vulnerability was conducted to determine the characteristics and analyze the reasons. Accordingly, targeted policy recommendations were proposed to realize a sustainable livelihood in NFLD areas.

Applicability evaluation of tree volume equation for Abies kawakamii (Hayata) Ito based on stem analysis data in Taiwan

ABSTRACT Abies kawakamii (Taiwan fir) typically constitutes pure forest distributed at 3,100–3,600 m above sea level in Taiwan. Its volume was first investigated in 1963 using aerial photography to identify the growing stock of the forest. In 1973, Taiwan Forestry Bureau established a fir volume estimation equation by considering Taiwan spruce and Taiwan fir stands. However, due to cutting natural forest is not permitted in Taiwan, it was difficult to reconstruct specific volume equation for Taiwan fir. We can only use and collect the uprooted trees as samples for this study by Typhoon Soudelor in 2015. We used these samples for estimation and used the remaining trees for verification and tested the suitability of six equations (models) for Taiwan fir volume estimation. We found that the Schumacher equation was suitable for juvenile trees, and the generalized combined-variable equation was suitable for semi-mature trees. The Schumacher equation (a logarithmic equation) and generalized combined-variable equation demonstrated the better suitability for volume estimation. However, when a juvenile was considered in the estimation, the generalized combined-variable equation provided underestimations. Thus, the Schumacher equation (V = aDbHc) was the better model for our test. The new tree volume estimation equation for Taiwan fir in the Mt. Xue region is presented as follows: .

LIGHT ENERGY UTILIZATION AND CHLOROPHYLL FLUORESCENCE IN TWO CROSSBREED POPLARS

Aims Our objective was to study two widely planted hybrid poplars,Populus deltaids 'cv-64' (P64) and P. simonii canaden × P. russkii-9 (Jia),to explore their growth mechanisms and the solar energy utilization by photosystem II (PSII) antennae to thermal energy dissipation and photosyn-thetic electron transport characteristics during long-term adaptation to the ambient environment. Methods We studied energy utilization by computing chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and photo-synthesis. Plants were grown at the Plain Forest Farm Nursery of the State Forestry Bureau of Ili Autonomous Prefecture in China's Xinjiang region. Important findings The diurnal changes of net photosynthesis (Pn) were bimodal and had a 20.1% gap under high photon flux density (PFD). The actual efficiency of open PSII centers (ΦPSII) were all of the "U" type,and their average values were equal. The ΦPSII of P64 and Jia reached the minimum value at 16:30 and 14:30,respectively. The closure value had one wave hollow at 14:30,and there was no significant difference (p0.05) in whole-day average values. The non-photochemical quenching co-efficients (NPQ) all achieved the maximum value at 16:30. Jia's NPQ maximum was less than that of P64,and the whole-day NPQ difference reached 31.7%. The estimated rates of photochemistry (E.P) and non-photochemistry (E.D) showed that under the lower PFD the poplars used more than 50% of theabsorbed solar energy for the photochemical quenching,and under high PFD the absorbed solar energy for P64 for the photochemical quenching is greater than the proportion for Jia,while the absorbed solar energy for P64 for heat dissipation is less than the proportion for Jia. The E.P had no difference and reached the maximum estimated value when its E.D reached the maximum. P64 tended to use more ab-sorbed solar energy for photochemical quenching,but Jia tended to use more solar energy for non-photochemical quenching. The cumulative values and average values of the Pn for Jia were much larger than values for P64,but the absorbed solar energy of P64 is greater than the proportion of Jia for the photochemical quenching. These results prove that it is inadequate to calculate the absorbed energy only by the chloroplast fluorescent characteristics of light received.

Spatial distribution of carbon storage in natural secondary forest based on geographically weighted regression expansion model.

To accurately assess carbon storage and its spatial distribution in natural secondary forest at the regional scale, we constructed seven expansion models by modifying the geographically weighted regression (GWR) in aspects of spatial dimension, parameter heterogeneity and residual spatial autocorrelation, based on data collected from 165 bureau level permanent plots in Langxi Forest Farm of Wangqing Forestry Bureau in Jilin Province. Stand factor, topography factor, and soil factor were selected as the influencing factors. The expansion models included geographically and altitudinal weighted regression (GAWR), semiparametric geographically weighted regression (SGWR), semiparametric geographically and altitudinal weighted regression (SGAWR), geographically weighted regression Kriging (GWRK), geographically and altitudinal weighted regression Kriging (GAWRK), semiparametric geographically weighted regression Kriging (SGWRK), and semiparametric geographically and altitudinal weighted regression Kriging (SGAWRK). Coefficient of determination (R2), mean square error (MSE) and Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) were used to evaluate the fitness of these models. Finally, the spatial distribution diagram of forest carbon storage was drawn with the fitting results of the optimal regression model, and the distribution pattern of forest carbon storage in the research area was analyzed. The stand factor and topographic factor had strong influence on carbon storage of natural secondary forests, among which the average diameter at breast height (DBH) of stands was the dominant variable. There was positive correlation between stand factor and topographic factor. SGWR and SGAWR model could reduce the spatial autocorrelation of the GWR model residual. The geographically regression expansion model could improve the fitting effect of GWR model. Among them, the SGWRK model had the highest R2 and the lowest MSE and AIC. The method with altitude as the spatial weight did not effectively improve the fitting effect of the model. The total forest carbon storage of Langxi Forest Farm was 205×104 t, and the carbon density ranged from 8.56 to 145.74 t·hm-2, with a mean value of 57.98 t·hm-2. Overall, the distribution pattern of carbon storage was high in the northwest and low in the southeast, while high in the edge and low in the interior. By improving the parameter heterogeneity and residual spatial autocorrelation in the GWR model, we can accurately assess the spatial relationship between forest carbon storage and relevant variables in the study area, and improve the estimation accuracy of the forest carbon storage and its spatial distribution at the regional scale.

Historical research on the launch and renovating process of Tokiwa park and Kaguraoka park in Asahikawa from a sociocultural perspective

This study examines the historical significance of Tokiwa park and Kaguraoka park in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan, from a sociocultural perspective, utilizing related literature. The paper focuses on the following six points: (1) development of the Kamikawa plains within Asahikawa city area, including the concept of an amusement park; (2) the background and history of the request for park installation in Asahikawa Town; (3) the negotiation process between Asahikawa Town and the 7th Army Corps, which led to the opening of Tokiwa Park; (4) the construction, maintenance, and renovation of Tokiwa Park along with the Ushubetu River amelioration; (5) negotiations with the Imperial Forestry Bureau up to the opening of Kaguraoka Park; and (6) the relationship between the establishment of Kamikawa Shrine and Kaguraoka Park. The three major revelations from the study relate to the park establishment process in preceding cities and the town’s history of the target site in the background of the park setting and site selection. The mediation of disputes among the 7th Army Corps and Asahikwa Town triggered the establishment of Tokiwa Park, while land lease negotiations from the Imperial Forestry Bureau and the establishment of the Kamikawa Shrine led to the conservation of the forest in Kaguraoka Park.

Identifying and evaluating the ecological network of Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) in Tieli Forestry Bureau, northeast China

Habitat loss and fragmentation are serious threats to biodiversity worldwide. In order to promote animal movement and gene flow between habitat islands, it is important to identify and evaluate the ecological network of species. In Tieli Forestry Bureau (TFB) in Northeast China, we simulated and evaluated the ecological network of roe deer, aiming to provide theoretical support to population conservation. By using three sources of roe deer occurrence data and 15 environmental variables, we simulated the suitability of habitats using the Maximum Entropy Model (MaxEnt). Then, the corridor design model Linkage Mapper was used to identify and evaluate the linkages between habitat cores which are defined by the home range size of roe deer. The results showed that, of the terrain, land cover, vegetation, and anthropogenic interference factors, the anthropogenic interference factors played the most important and complex role in roe deer habitat selection, creating large-area suitable habitats by farming. Two innovative variables of farmland-forest edge length/patch perimeter (FFE:PP) and viewshed introduced in simulation contributed 8.5% and 2.3%, respectively. Surrounded by the unsuitable habitats, the suitable habitats mainly distributed along both sides of the river, covering 41.8% of the total area of TFB. The ecological network of roe deer was composed of 11 habitat cores and 17 linkages. Three linkages connecting the key habitat cores had low quality and linkage suitability ratios, which were probably due to barrier effect of the HeHa expressway intersecting with the linkages. Our study suggests the priority areas for protecting roe deer and the key locations where the wildlife road-crossing structures or animal guidance measures are needed.

Effect of soil nutrient spatial heterogeneity by cutting disturbance on understory plant diversity in broadleaved-Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountain, China

The spatial variation of forest soil nutrients influences the species composition, distribution and diversity of forest plants, because soil nutrients are the most important environmental factors limiting the growth and survival of plants. We analyzed the effect of the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients on understory vegetation diversity in broadleaved-Korean pine forest, which had been undergone cutting disturbance. The results are of great significance in the sustainable management of the broadleaved-Korean pine forest and understanding the mechanism of correlation between heterogeneity and diversity. We sampled four plots of broadleaved-Korean pine forest in Jiaohe Forestry Bureau in Jilin province, China. Plot A, a control, was unlogged broadleaved-Korean pine forest. In plot B, C and D, forest was cut at 20%, 35% and 55% of the intensity in 2011. Cutting intensity influenced significantly on total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), pH, soil organic matter (SOM), nitrate nitrogen (NN) and ammoniacal nitrogen except total potassium (p < 0.05). The values of TN, TP, pH and SOM showed that their quantities could decrease as cutting intensity increased. Species richness and diversity index of woody plants could increase in proportion to the cutting intensity, but species richness and diversity index of herbaceous plants might tend to decrease in early spring and summer. Coefficient of variation of TN, TP, SOM and NN could have either a positive or negative correlation with α-diversity indices of woody and herbaceous plants, while the other soil nutrient indices could have no correlation with diversity indices.

Effects of Korean Pine Basal Area in Mixed Broadleaved–Korean Pine Forest Stands on Its Natural Regeneration in Northeast China

Abstract Understanding the natural regeneration of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.) in mixed broadleaved–Korean pine (MBK) forests is crucial for MBK forest conservation and secondary deciduous broadleaved forest restoration. We hypothesized the ratio of Korean pine basal area (RKp) in MBK stands affected its natural regeneration. Regeneration censuses, including the height, root collar diameter, age, and growth stages (younger seedling, older seedling, smaller sapling, and taller sapling) of Korean pine, were conducted in northeast China. Results indicated the stem density and age composition of younger seedlings were positively correlated with RKp, whereas those of the saplings were negatively correlated with RKp. In the stands with lower RKp (&amp;lt;80% in Lesser Khingan Mountains [LKM]; &amp;lt;40% in Lushuihe Forestry Bureau [LFB]), individuals in all growth stages regenerated well with an age span of 65 yr. However, the regeneration of taller saplings was severely inhibited with increasing RKp (LKM: RKp ≥ 80%; LFB: RKp ≥ 40%). In summary, RKp significantly affected the natural regeneration of Korean pine in MBK forests. The basal-area thresholds limiting regeneration were found to be 80% in LKM stands and 40% in LFB stands. These basal-area thresholds provided evidence of why the zonal climax was MBK forests rather than pure Korean pine forests.

Application of global satellite navigation system and telemetry image analysis technology to assess activity of potential large-scale landslide in forest land area – a case study on Taoyuan district no. D346, Kaohsiung city

The investigation, monitoring, and prevention of large-scale landslides, also known as deep seated landslides, are important research topics for slope disaster prevention. Some national forest land managed by the Forestry Bureau is located at the upstream watershed area, which has relatively unstable geological and topographical factors, and there are major large-scale landslides. However, those areas with protected objects are still the priority for investigation, governance, and management. There are 14 large-scale landslides with high and moderate risk located in the region of the Pingtung Forest District Management Office. For the implementation of future disaster prevention practices, the most important thing is to evaluate the activities of the large-scale landslides. This study takes Kaohsiung City-Taoyuan District-D346 as an example. The scars/linear structures in the potential area of a large-scale landslide are identified using high resolution LiDAR DEM. On-site global satellite navigation system monitoring and multi-sequence telemetry images are conducted to understand the activity and sliding direction of the block, meaning that the surface activity of the potential large-scale landslide area can be monitored. There are number of mature technological developments recently. Compared with the funding for underground geological exploration and subsequent project management, the funding for surface activity assessments with multiple telemetry images and monitoring equipment is relatively simple, after checking the activity of the large-scale landslide, the high resolution of LiDAR DEM, aerial photography and satellite images are the perfect tools to be applied before the follow-up key treatment and management funds are invested.

Identification of Genetic Variation in Introduced Reindeer Populations using DNA Markers

In order to improve the genetic diversity of the only reindeer population in China, the Genhe forestry bureau introduced 129 reindeer from Finland. In this study, we identified the genetic diversity and of genetic variation of introduced reindeer populations. The results showed that there was a heterozygous deletion in introduced population. A total of 9 haplotypes were found using individual mtDNA D-Loop sequences and the mean allele number of the 14 microsatellite loci was 9.1429. The genetic diversity of the introduced reindeer population was higher than Chinese reindeer population. They carry some new alleles in some individuals. Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree reveals that the evolutionary status of Chinese and introduced reindeer populations were both closed to Russian reindeer populations.

Comparing Activation Functions in Modeling Shoreline Variation Using Multilayer Perceptron Neural Network

The study has modeled shoreline changes by using a multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network with the data collected from five beaches in southern Taiwan. The data included aerial survey maps of the Forestry Bureau for years 1982, 2002, and 2006, which served as predictors, while the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveyed data of 2019 served as the respondent. The MLP was configured using five different activation functions with the aim of evaluating their significance. These functions were Identity, Tahn, Logistic, Exponential, and Sine Functions. The results have shown that the performance of an MLP model may be affected by the choice of an activation function. Logistic and the Tahn activation functions outperformed the other models, with Logistic performing best in three beaches and Tahn having the rest. These findings suggest that the application of machine learning to shoreline changes should be accompanied by an extensive evaluation of the different activation functions.

Snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang region of Tibet, China

In 2006 and 2007, the authors conducted human-wildlife conflict surveys in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s (TAR) Shainza, Nyima, and Tsonyi Counties, located in the TAR’s remote Chang Tang region. At this time, prior knowledge of the snow leopard in this vast 700,000 km2 region was limited to just eight firsthand snow leopard sign and conflict location records and 15 secondhand records. These surveys revealed a previously undocumented and growing problem of human-snow leopard conflict. The 2007 survey also yielded 39 new snow leopard conflict incident locations and 24 new snow leopard sign locations. Next, snow leopard telephone interviews and mapping exercises were conducted with Tibet Forestry Bureau staff that yielded an additional 63 and 144 new snow leopard conflict and sighting location records, respectively. These 270 new snow leopard location records, together with 39 records collected by other observers from 1988 to 2009, were compiled into a snow leopard distribution map for the Chang Tang. This effort greatly expanded knowledge of the snow leopard’s distribution in this region which remains one of the least understood of the snow leopard’s key range areas. New knowledge gained on snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang through this exercise will help identify human-snow leopard conflict hot spots and inform design of human-snow leopard conflict mitigation and conservation strategies for northwest Tibet. Nevertheless, extensive additional field verification work will be required to definitively delineate snow leopard distribution in the Chang Tang. Importantly, since 2006, a number of major transportation infrastructure projects have made the Chang Tang more accessible, including paving of highways, new railroads, and new airports. This has led to a greatly increased number of tourists visiting western Tibet, particularly Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. At the same time, large areas of the Chang Tang have been fenced for livestock pastures as part of government initiatives to allocate pasturelands to individual families. All three of these developments have a large potential to cause disturbance to snow leopards and their prey species, including by hindering their movements and degrading their habitat. Therefore, future conservation measures in the Chang Tang will need to insure that development activities and the growing number of visitors to the Chang Tang do not adversely affect the distribution of snow leopards and their prey species or directly degrade their habitat

Prediction models of sapwood density, heartwood density, and bark density in Larix olgensis plantation

In this study, the Beta regression models of sapwood, heartwood, and bark density of Larix olgensis were constructed. A total of 35 trees were destructively sampled from plantations in three different sites, Linkou Forestry Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Dongjingcheng Forestry Bureau, and Maoershan Experimental Forest Farm of Northeast Forestry University. AIC, R2, BIAS, RMSE and LRT were used as the goodness-of-fit statistics to compare and select the most optimal models for sapwood, heartwood, and bark density. The jackknife resampling technique was used to verify and evaluate the developed models. The results showed that the independent variables of the optimal sapwood, heartwood, and bark density model were not identical. Sapwood density had a good relationship with tree age, tree height, relative height, and the square of relative height. The independent variables of the optimal heartwood density model were annual growth, relative height, and the square of relative height. The independent variables of the optimal bark density model were tree age, annual growth, relative height, and the square of relative height. The analysis of the optimal model showed that from the base to the tip of the trunk, sapwood density decreased gradually, heartwood density initially decreased and then increased regularly, bark density initially increased and then decreased gradually. The established Beta regression models could predict sapwood, heartwood, and bark density of L. olgensis at any position in the research area and be an essential basis for the study of trunk average density and biomass.