Southern Forest Research Articles

Flower morphology is correlated with distribution and phylogeny in Bertolonia (Melastomataceae), an herbaceous genus endemic to the Atlantic Forest

Several centers of endemism have been proposed for Melastomataceae, particularly in Amazonia and Atlantic Forest. Despite the high degree of human-caused degradation in the last 500 years, the Atlantic Forest still presents some of the largest levels of diversity and endemism across all angiosperms. With several recently described species in the last decade, the knowledge on Bertolonia’s distribution and morphological characterization has changed, with most new species found in northern Atlantic Forest and with different flower color patterns than the species from southern Atlantic Forest. We first tested the monophyly of the genus sampling over 85% of its species to generate a reliable phylogenetic hypothesis. Afterwards, we used Bertolonia as a model group to study distribution patterns and morphological evolution of lineages in the Atlantic Forest. Bertolonia is particularly interesting to address such questions because it is endemic to this domain, with species distributed either in the southern, central or northern portions of the Atlantic Forest. The second step of our work aimed to respond (1) Do closely related species endemic to Atlantic Forest tend to have similar distributions and share similar morphological traits? and (2) Are floral traits more conserved within clades than vegetative characters? We hypothesize that both (1) and (2) are true due to the low dispersal ability and consequent microendemic distribution of most species in the genus. Our results confirm the veracity of the proposed hypotheses. Three major groups were recovered in our analysis: marmorata, formosa and nymphaeifolia clades. Most species that occur in northern Atlantic Forest were recovered in the marmorata clade. Most species distributed in central Atlantic Forest were recovered in the formosa clade, and the ones from the southern Atlantic Forest in the nymphaeifolia clade. A similar pattern was recovered with reproductive characters reconstructed across the phylogeny. Generally, species with pink petals and cream-colored anthers with an extrorse pore occur in northern Atlantic Forest, and species with white petals and yellow anthers with an introrse or apical pore tend to occur in southern Atlantic Forest. Some vegetative characters also have evolutionary congruence and are restricted to one or few lineages, while other characters, such as the texture of the leaf blade surface, have a strong taxonomic value and are useful to identify species, but are not homologous. Our analysis also indicates that the division between southern and northern Atlantic Forest could also be related to ancient events, not only linked with recent phylogeographic patterns. Moreover, we suggest that the orientation of the anther pore in Bertolonia could be related with diversity of species and stability of its populations. In summary, we corroborate, based on the evolutionary history of Bertolonia, that closely related species endemic to Atlantic Forest tend to have similar distributions and share similar morphological floral traits.

Исследование процесса разрушения мерзлых и оттаивающих почвогрунтов при воздействии трелевочной системы

Wood logging in the forests of the cryolithozone is growing more urgent for the Russian Federation due to the depletion of available reserves of mature commercial forests in southern and Central Siberia, the Republic of Buryatia, and Khabarovsk Krai, while the development of woodworking enterprises in the Far Eastern Federal District. During the operation of modern forest machines, for instance wheeled forwarders, the issues of their efficiency, first of all, mobility and technological productivity in the specific production and geotechnical conditions are now becoming ever more relevant. These circumstances together with the necessity to minimize the anthropogenic load on the environment put forward the problem of optimizing the number of passes of the skidding system by one run into the most pressing ones. Special conditions for the operation of skidding systems take place in logging operations on frozen and thawing soils. In the first case, there is a sufficiently large volume of ice in the soil massif. The ice has a great impact on increasing the bearing capacity of the soil under the influence of the initial vertical load of the skidding system. In the second case, frozen soil is oversaturated with water when thawing; therefore, the natural bonds between the solid particles grow week, and the physical and mechanical properties of the soil lose their original values. The forwarder forms a rut in the immediate area of contact of the wheel with the soil. The larger the size of the area, the higher the force transferred to the soil for implementation of the necessary traction. We have developed the mathematical model of calculation of parameters of the destruction process of the thawing soil massif on the border with the permafrost zone. The model allows to make an assessment of hypothetical values of depth of the formed rut including engineering capabilities of forwarders and their maneuvering in the work environment at the design stage. For citation: Rudov S.E., Shapiro V.Ya., Grigorev I.V., Kunitskaya O.A., Grigoreva O.I. The Study of the Destruction Process of Frozen and Thawing Soils Exposed to the Skidding System. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal], 2020, no. 2, pp. 101–117. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2020-2-101-117

Evaluation of coordinated development of forestry management efficiency and forest ecological security: A spatiotemporal empirical study based on China’s provinces

Improving efficiency of forestry management, especially to meet demand for forest products while still considering environmental concerns, is a critical challenge in China. In this study, we constructed index system of forest ecological security and forestry management efficiency, based on 30 provinces. With the help of Super-CCR model, coupling coordination model and spatial panel models, the coupling coordination degree of forest ecological security and forestry management efficiency, and its spatiotemporal pattern characteristics and influencing factors of each province in China from 2003 to 2017 were measured and analyzed. Results showed that, first, in terms of forestry management efficiency, the number of DEA-efficiency provinces increased between 2003 and 2017, yet was still below 50% of all provinces. Efficiency values of most provinces in the Southern Forest Region increased significantly, whereas those of the Northern Forest Region decreased. In terms of forest ecological security, the index increased overall, with most high-value areas in the Northeast, Southwest, and Southern Forest Regions. Second, coupling coordination degree varied from near no coordination to intermediate coordination. Except for a decline in the Northern Region, the degree of coupling coordination in the other regions demonstrated an upward trend, with the growth from high to low in the Southern, Southwest and Northeast Forest Region. Spatially, high values appeared mainly in the Southern and Southwest Forest Regions, while low values mainly concentrated in the Northern Forest Region. Third, coupling coordination was affected by many factors, including nature, population, economy, society, and technological progress, driving temporal patterns and regional differences. This study provides a theoretical reference framework for decision making for forest management in China.

Report on the Thirty-Fifth Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference (SFTIC 2019)

The 35th biennial Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference (SFTIC) was held on the 4th and 5th day of June 2019, in Lexington, KY, USA. The theme of the conference was “Genetics and improvement of forest health and productivity”. Plenary speakers detailed significant progress in understanding forest tree genomes, identifying candidate genes for disease resistance and tree architecture traits and utilizing both genomic selection and genetic modification to advance forest health and productivity. Concurrent and general technical sessions provided additional evidence of progress in these areas as well as information on seed zone development for the eastern USA and species prioritization for conservation and restoration programs, in addition to advanced genome-assisted selection and breeding methods and programs in species of commercial interest including pines and eucalyptus. An interactive poster session provided each poster presenter an opportunity to speak in front of a general session audience and to take Q&A in a traditional poster session format. Pre-conference workshops and a post-conference field tour rounded out the 35th SFTIC with 88 registered for the conference, more than 60 participating in workshops and 33 attending the field tour. The conference program and proceedings are accessible through the SFTIC web site at http://www.sftic.org.

Climate seasonality and tree growth strategies in a tropical dry forest

AbstractQuestionsDo tree species in seasonally dry tropical forests differ in the timing of their secondary growth? And in their growth rates between consecutive years? If so, how are these contrasting patterns linked to seasonality in climatic variables (temperature, precipitation)? Which is the role of leaf phenology and functional traits as drivers of stem radial increment responses to climate?LocationA Tumbesian tropical dry forest in southern Ecuador.MethodsWe used a 12‐year database of stem radial increments to characterize intra‐ and inter‐annual patterns of secondary growth in 13 co‐existing dominant tree species. For each species, we adjusted an additive model to describe intra‐annual increment patterns and created a mean series of annual increments to describe inter‐annual changes. Adjusted increments were then correlated with monthly temperature and rainfall data over the study period, and also with the crown percentage covered by leaves. The role of functional traits (leaf area, wood density, maximum tree height, seed dry mass) was explored using average trait values per species.ResultsWe observed continuous variation in the seasonality of radial increments, ranging from species that started incrementing their diameter as early as first rains occurred in the season to species that showed delayed responses. Variability in intra‐ and inter‐annual increment patterns was explained by functional traits (leaf area and seed dry mass, and maximum height and wood density, respectively) and leaf phenology, but this variation was not clearly matched with any functional trait configuration. This, combined with the absence of homogeneous responses of annual growth rates to climate, suggests the existence of contrasting strategies that virtually vary in a species‐specific fashion.ConclusionsCo‐existing tree species in seasonally dry tropical forests show different growth strategies to face intra‐ and inter‐annual climate variations, which may increase the resilience of these forests against projected climatic variations.

Current, steady-state and historical weathering rates of base cations at two forest sites in northern and southern Sweden: a comparison of three methods

Abstract. Reliable and accurate methods for estimating soil mineral weathering rates are required tools in evaluating the sustainability of increased harvesting of forest biomass and assessments of critical loads of acidity. A variety of methods that differ in concept, temporal and spatial scale, and data requirements are available for measuring weathering rates. In this study, causes of discrepancies in weathering rates between methods were analysed and were classified as being either conceptual (inevitable) or random. The release rates of base cations (BCs; Ca, Mg, K, Na) by weathering were estimated in podzolised glacial tills at two experimental forest sites, Asa and Flakaliden, in southern and northern Sweden, respectively. Three different methods were used: (i) historical weathering since deglaciation estimated by the depletion method, using Zr as the assumed inert reference; (ii) steady-state weathering rate estimated with the PROFILE model, based on quantitative analysis of soil mineralogy; and (iii) BC budget at stand scale, using measured deposition, leaching and changes in base cation stocks in biomass and soil over a period of 12 years. In the 0–50 cm soil horizon historical weathering of BCs was 10.6 and 34.1 mmolc m−2 yr−1, at Asa and Flakaliden, respectively. Corresponding values of PROFILE weathering rates were 37.1 and 42.7 mmolc m−2 yr−1. The PROFILE results indicated that steady-state weathering rate increased with soil depth as a function of exposed mineral surface area, reaching a maximum rate at 80 cm (Asa) and 60 cm (Flakaliden). In contrast, the depletion method indicated that the largest postglacial losses were in upper soil horizons, particularly at Flakaliden. With the exception of Mg and Ca in shallow soil horizons, PROFILE produced higher weathering rates than the depletion method, particularly of K and Na in deeper soil horizons. The lower weathering rates of the depletion method were partly explained by natural and anthropogenic variability in Zr gradients. The base cation budget approach produced significantly higher weathering rates of BCs, 134.6 mmolc m−2 yr−1 at Asa and 73.2 mmolc m−2 yr−1 at Flakaliden, due to high rates estimated for the nutrient elements Ca, Mg and K, whereas weathering rates were lower and similar to those for the depletion method (6.6 and 2.2 mmolc m−2 yr−1 at Asa and Flakaliden). The large discrepancy in weathering rates for Ca, Mg and K between the base cation budget approach and the other methods suggests additional sources for tree uptake in the soil not captured by measurements.

Reproductive performance of northern Australia beef herds. 1. Survey of nutritional, breeding and herd health management practices and of the environment

Data concerning the practices and policies of collaborating properties for nutritional, breeding and health management of herds were captured by survey of herd owners/managers (n = 78) at the commencement of a large observational study conducted across northern Australia to identify and quantify the effect of major animal-, management group- and property-level risk factors on measures of reproductive performance. The cooperating herds in this study were considered to be broadly representative of north Australian beef breeding enterprises in terms of geography, size and ownership. Using four broad regional categories, this paper presents descriptive summaries of the management practices and nutritional conditions of cooperating herds in what was known as the Cash Cow project. Property sizes were largest within the Northern Downs and Northern Forest, and smallest within the Southern Forest. The expected average annual growth of yearling steers was >50 kg less in the Northern Forest, compared with the other country types, which also appeared to be associated with the identified production system and turnoff animal. Despite the exacerbated nutrition and environmental challenges and likely increased time required for new managers within the Northern Forest to attain an in depth understanding of the cattle and property dynamics, this region had the greatest incidence of management changes. The nutritional information summarised in this study highlights that available phosphorus during the wet season, as indicated by faecal levels in proportion to dietary energy, was likely to limit animal production within the Northern Downs and Northern Forest. During the dry season, pasture digestibilty and protein levels were likely to be approaching maintenance for cows on ~50% of properties in each country type and that responses to rumen degradable protein were also likely on 50% of properties. Despite this finding, low use of dry season supplements was observed for the Northern Downs, which was partially explained by the high incidence of the management systems based on segregating cows on lactation status and pregnancy. In all country types, the ratio of bulls to cows was higher than the 2.5% recommended for extensively managed situations, while limited use of vaccines to control infectious causes of reproductive loss was also observed. The major conclusion of this study is that there was marked variation in the adaption of interventions to specific businesses, indicating considerable opportunity exists for further adaptation in the region.

Using Passive Acoustic Recording and Automated Call Identification to Survey Koalas in the Southern Forests of New South Wales

Cost-effective surveys of low density koala populations are challenging, but technological developments in the acoustics field offer great potential for landscape-scale surveys and monitoring. We assessed passive acoustic recording coupled with automated call identification as a survey method for koalas Phascolarctos cinereus . Surveys targeted areas of previously known koala activity based on scat surveys in southern forests of New South Wales where a low density of koalas is suspected. We set 24 Song Meters to record at night over a two week period (~3,696 hours) in the koala breeding season (October/November) in Murrah Flora Reserve. Recordings were scanned by a koala call recogniser and “matches” were manually verified. Across the 24 sites, 522 validated koala bellows were recorded at 21 sites (87.5 % detection rate). Three environmental variables had most influence on detection probability of koalas, including nightly rainfall (-ve), nightly temperature (-ve) and topographic position (lower on ridges). Calling activity peaked at midnight. Sustained site occupancy, at least in the short-term, was apparent as under optimal conditions (no rain) koalas were recorded, on average, for > 50 % of survey nights rather than for just a few nights. We suggest that only a modest survey effort (4–5 nights) in the breeding season, on nights with < 3 mm of rain, is required to achieve 90–95 % probability of koala call detection in an area of low koala density. Comparison with scat surveys at the same sites revealed that detection rates were more than three times greater with acoustic surveys. Technological advances will continue to provide improvements for wildlife survey, and perhaps most importantly, for collecting much needed long-term data to assess trends in occupancy or other population attributes over time.

Impact of Environmental Factors on the Life-Form Diversity of Grassland Vegetation in the Southern Forest–Steppe

Knowledge of principal environmental factors is essential for understanding the patterns of changes in species richness (SR) in specially protected natural areas. Species richness regression models have been produced for life forms (LFs) predominant in Samarskaya Luka National Park (hemicryptophytes and geophytes). These models have made it possible to identify solar radiation and topography as the principal environmental factors. SR maps show that LFs are spatially separated, which reduces competition between them. It is established that the SR proportion of therophytes on a site occupied by open forest is three times smaller than that in the Middle Volga region; this reflects the effect of the local species pool in the forest community. The SR spectrum of LFs is described by a geometric progression and geographically associated with active geological fault lines.

Using a Coproduction Approach to Map Future Forest Retention Likelihood in the Southeastern United States

AbstractForestlands in the Southern United States provide important ecological and socioeconomic services that are under increasing pressure from development and other stressors. We used a coproduction approach with 50+ stakeholders to create a qualitative, spatially explicit Forest Retention Index to provide a gradient of future forest retention likelihood on presently forested lands. An estimated 17.7 million acres are at high risk of forest loss by 2060. These losses are largely driven by urbanization, but sea-level rise plays a key role in some coastal areas. Approximately 59 percent of southern forest is projected to be retained with High or Very High likelihood but is unevenly distributed among southern states. Approximately 8 percent of highly biodiverse forest is at high risk of land-use conversion. This tool provides a collaborative, transparent, and defensible mapping product that can aid in identification of key areas where retaining forest is critical to maintaining ecological and socioeconomic integrity.

Satellite-Derived Spatiotemporal Variations of Forest Cover in Southern Forest–Steppe, Central Russian Upland

Forest cover dynamics derived from detailed archival and recent satellite images was studied in the southern forest–steppe within Belgorodskaya Oblast, Central Russian Upland. We analyzed data from 5 sites of the total area of 1722 km2, representative for diverse environment of the region. The forest cover increased by 31% during 1970–2014. Fragmentation of lands with forest cover was noted. Number of separate woodlands has increased by 87% and the mean size of woodland has decreased from 13.0 to 9.2 ha. Mean linear movement of the forest margin towards steppe tended to decrease from northwest to southeast. The largest advance of 34.3 m of the forest margin was found in the humid western part of the region, while it was as small as 15.0 m in dry southeast. Mean distance of forest advancement since 1970 was 24 m, as measured at 1285 study sites. The distances of forest expansion significantly differed between forest–steppe and steppe domains of Belgorodskaya Oblast. The expansion cannot be attributed to northern or southern exposition of the forested slopes of river valleys and ravines.

Human activities outcomes on the composition of woody plant species of Ngarama Southern Forest Reserve in Kilwa District, Tanzania

Abstract. Jilala ZJ, Mwakalukwa EE, Chamshama SAO. 2019. Human activities outcomes on the composition of woody plant species of Ngarama Southern Forest Reserve in Kilwa District, Tanzania. Asian J Ethnobiol 2: 108-118. This study evaluated the effects of human activities on the composition of woody plant species of the Ngarama Southern Forest Reserve (NSFR) in Kilwa District, Tanzania. Vegetation research was conducted in 40 systematically arranged rectangular test plots, aligned in five transepts over 2,070 ha forest. Information recorded in each plot included: species name, diameter at breast height (DBH), the height of selected timber species with a diameter ? 5 cm, and various indicators of human disturbance. Landsat TM and ETM+ images from 1995, 2000, and 2011 were used to locate and quantify the land cover change in the NSFR over the past 20 years. Inventory data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and R software, while Landsat images were analyzed using the academic software ILWIS 3.0. About 126 plant species belonging to 34 families have been identified. Trees contributed 63% (28 families), and shrubs 37% (17 families). The Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson's diversity indices were 3.95 and 0.03, respectively. In addition, a mean stem density of 667 ± 19 stems ha-1 and a basal area of ??13.11 ± 0.34 m2 ha-1 were obtained. Twenty-three stumps (7 ± 3 ha-1 stems) with a mean baseline area of ??0.24 ± 0.09 m2 ha-1 stumps were removed, indicating ongoing anthropogenic disturbances in the forest. Other indicators of disturbance recorded were damage from fire (50%), paths / roads (13%), silage (8%), lumber/planks/pile harvesting (8%), cultivation (5%) and logging ( 8%). Although NSFR has a decent species richness and is well-diversified, there has been a consistently negative change in forest cover concerning low trunk density, average tree height, average DBH, and basal area, indicative of anthropogenic disturbance. Conservation measures are recommended to improve governance and accountability regarding accountability for intensive forest resource management.

Weathering rates in Swedish forest soils

Abstract. Soil and water acidification was internationally recognised as a severe environmental problem in the late 1960s. The interest in establishing “critical loads” led to a peak in weathering research in the 1980s and 1990s, since base cation weathering is the long-term counterbalance to acidification pressure. Assessments of weathering rates and associated uncertainties have recently become an area of renewed research interest, this time due to demand for forest residues to provide renewable bioenergy. Increased demand for forest fuels increases the risk of depleting the soils of base cations produced in situ by weathering. This is the background to the research programme Quantifying Weathering Rates for Sustainable Forestry (QWARTS), which ran from 2012 to 2019. The programme involved research groups working at different scales, from laboratory experiments to modelling. The aims of this study were to (1) investigate the variation in published weathering rates of base cations from different approaches in Sweden, with consideration of the key uncertainties for each method; (2) assess the robustness of the results in relation to sustainable forestry; and (3) discuss the results in relation to new insights from the QWARTS programme and propose ways to further reduce uncertainties. In the study we found that the variation in estimated weathering rates at single-site level was large, but still most sites could be placed reliably in broader classes of weathering rates. At the regional level, the results from the different approaches were in general agreement. Comparisons with base cation losses after stem-only and whole-tree harvesting showed sites where whole-tree harvesting was clearly not sustainable and other sites where variation in weathering rates from different approaches obscured the overall balance. Clear imbalances appeared mainly after whole-tree harvesting in spruce forests in southern and central Sweden. Based on the research findings in the QWARTS programme, it was concluded that the PROFILE/ForSAFE family of models provides the most important fundamental understanding of the contribution of weathering to long-term availability of base cations to support forest growth. However, these approaches should be continually assessed against other approaches. Uncertainties in the model approaches can be further reduced, mainly by finding ways to reduce uncertainties in input data on soil texture and associated hydrological parameters but also by developing the models, e.g. to better represent biological feedbacks under the influence of climate change.

Fragmentation reduces the importance of niche‐based factors relative to dispersal traits in structuring temperate forest understories

AbstractAimThe relative importance of stochastic and deterministic niche processes can affect the assembly of communities in response to land use context and change. In this study, we quantified the relative importance of dispersal‐ vs niche‐based processes in structuring forest plant metacommunities and sought to understand how these processes have changed in these forests over the past 50 years.LocationWisconsin, USA.MethodsWe used plant understorey community survey data in both the 1950s and 2000s from 142 upland forest stands in southern and northern Wisconsin forests to relate compositional similarity to geographic and environmental distances among sites (reflecting dispersal and niche‐based processes, respectively). We then partitioned the variance to determine their relative importance over time. Finally, we classified species into three dispersal groups based on seed mass, dispersal mode, and plant height to assess how these affect community structure.ResultsBoth niche and dispersal processes influence the structure of Wisconsin's forest plant understories. Niche‐based processes related to environmental differences among sites dominate the mostly continuous northern upland forests. In contrast, dispersal processes dominate community assembly in the more fragmented southern upland forests. Dispersal processes increased in importance in both regions and especially in more fragmented southern upland forests over the past 50 years. We detected no differences among dispersal groups in how similarity decays with geographic distance.ConclusionsIn regions retaining heavy forest cover, niche‐based assembly still predominates while in areas with smaller scattered patches of forest, stochastic dispersal plays a greater role. Dispersal‐based processes increasingly dominate forest metacommunity dynamics in both regions.

A Climatological Satellite Assessment of Absorbing Carbonaceous Aerosols on a Global Scale

A global climatology of absorbing carbonaceous aerosols (ACA) for the period 2005–2015 is obtained by using satellite MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)-Aqua and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument)-Aura aerosol optical properties and by applying an algorithm. The algorithm determines the frequency of presence of ACA (black and brown carbon) over the globe at 1° × 1° pixel level and on a daily basis. The results of the algorithm indicate high frequencies of ACA (up to 19 days/month) over world regions with extended biomass burning, such as the tropical forests of southern and central Africa, South America and equatorial Asia, over savannas, cropland areas or boreal forests, as well as over urban and rural areas with intense anthropogenic activities, such as the eastern coast of China or the Indo-Gangetic plain. A clear seasonality of the frequency of occurrence of ACA is evident, with increased values during June–October over southern Africa, during July–November over South America, August–November over Indonesia, November–March over central Africa and November–April over southeastern Asia. The estimated seasonality of ACA is in line with the known annual patterns of worldwide biomass-burning emissions, while other features such as the export of carbonaceous aerosols from southern Africa to the southeastern Atlantic Ocean are also successfully reproduced by the algorithm. The results indicate a noticeable interannual variability and tendencies of ACA over specific world regions during 2005–2015, such as statistically significant increasing frequency of occurrence over southern Africa and eastern Asia.

Drivers of subtropical forest dynamics: The role of functional traits, forest structure and soil variables

AbstractQuestionHow do biotic forest conditions, in terms of plant functional traits and tree basal area, and soil variables influence old‐growth forest dynamics?LocationA subtropical old‐growth forest in Southern Brazil.MethodsForest inventories were conducted in 1999 and 2017, in 24 permanent plots of 500 m2. All trees with a circumference at breast height of ≥ 30 cm were measured, identified to the species level, and tagged. We fitted linear models to evaluate the effect of the biotic variables of initial forest communities (tree basal area, trait community‐weighted mean [CWM] and both species and functional diversity metrics) and of soil variables on forest dynamics. These models included biomass dynamics (annual rate of biomass increment and mortality) and demographic rates (recruitment and mortality rates). Furthermore, linear models were used to evaluate the effect of tree survival, recruitment and mortality and biomass increment on the net biomass change.ResultsWe observed a positive effect of species diversity and a negative effect of CWM leaf phosphorus content on the biomass increment. Biomass loss was positively related to basal area and negatively related to the CWM of leaf nitrogen content. Overall, net biomass change was negatively influenced by biomass loss due to mortality. Recruitment rates were negatively affected by soil potassium content and were positively affected by soil pH and functional evenness of the community. Mortality rates were positively predicted by soil clay content and negatively predicted by species diversity.ConclusionsCommunity functional traits, basal area and soil variables predicted growth, mortality and recruitment dynamics of this subtropical old‐growth forest. This work provides important information about the biomass and demographic dynamics of subtropical forests, showing that initial community characteristics influence the gain and loss of biomass and individuals over a period of almost two decades.

A new species ofMegophrysKuhl amp; Van Hasselt (Amphibia: Megophryidae) from Borneo allied toM. nasuta (Schlegel, 1858).

Within Sundaland, the species diversity of the genus Megophrys is richest in Borneo, with some species restricted to the northern highlands of the island. On the basis of molecular, morphological and acoustic evidence, we describe a new species of large-sized Megophrys, once confused with M. nasuta. The new species Megophrys kalimantanensis sp. nov. can be differentiated from all its congeners by large genetic distance more than 6.11% in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, much shorter rostral and orbital appendages, and unique advertisement call. This new species has been recorded from medium to high altitudes of mountain forest in southern and northernmost Borneo.

A preliminary study on ochre sources in Southwestern Germany and its potential for ochre provenance during the Upper Paleolithic

The use of mineral pigments, specifically iron-oxide rich mineral pigments called ochre, has been put forward as a key element in the development of symbolic and non-utilitarian behaviors in human evolution. However, the processes of ochre procurement, trade and use are difficult to conceptualize without the identification and characterization of the sources where these materials were acquired. We present the results of geochemical analyses of ochre source samples collected from the Swabian Jura, Black Forest, and other localities in southern and eastern Germany. The goal of this study was to build the groundwork for future investigations on the range of ochre behaviors at archaeological sites in the region. We aimed to determine whether specific ochre outcrops could be differentiated based on their geochemical signatures. Using data from Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA), we were able to determine that the ochre source regions exhibit greater source inter-variability than intra-variability when observed using a range of statistical techniques, therefore satisfying the provenance postulate. Furthermore, the data provide the foundation for a Central European database of ochre sources to allow the comparison of ochres from different regions to archaeological ochres from important nearby and perhaps distant sites.

Precipitation mediates the temporal dynamics of net primary productivity and precipitation use efficiency in China’s northern and southern forests

AbstractKey messagePrecipitation mediates the dynamic of net primary productivity and precipitation use efficiency across the North-South Transect forests of China, which may result from an increase of productivity in warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forests or a decrease of precipitation use efficiency in temperate coniferous broad-leaved mixed forests.ContextPrecipitation use efficiency (PUE), the ratio of net primary productivity (NPP) to annual precipitation, is one of the key factors that can clarify the response of forest ecosystem carbon and water cycles to ongoing climate change.AimsTo investigate large-scale patterns of NPP and PUE, and to determine how NPP and PUE would respond to climate and soil variables across the North-South Transect forests (TNSTF) of China.MethodsWe revealed the spatial pattern dynamics of NPP and PUE in the TNSTF from 2000 to 2010 employing MOD17 NPP data and further explored the responses of NPP and PUE to environment factors across the TNSTF. Additionally, the temporal dynamics of NPP and PUE in different forest types and their dependencies on climate variation were investigated.ResultsThe results indicated that NPP increased from 2000 to 2010 in most regions across the TNSTF. The spatial distribution pattern of NPP was mainly correlated with climate factors in the TNSTF rather than soil properties. Spatially, an increased trend of PUE (2000–2010) was found in the south and decreased PUE was revealed in the north of the TNSTF. In addition, the spatial distribution of PUE in the TNSTF was associated with both climate and soil factors. For different forests, only the NPP in warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forests significantly increased (2000–2010, R2 = 0.33, P < 0.05) due to the increase in precipitation (R2 = 0.82, P < 0.0005). Moreover, only the PUE in temperate coniferous broad-leaved mixed forests presented a significantly decreasing trend (2000–2010, R2 = 0.38, P < 0.05), which was significantly negatively correlated with precipitation (R2 = 0.80, P < 0.0005).ConclusionOur findings demonstrated that climate governed the spatial distribution of NPP; in addition to the climate, soil properties also played an important role in shaping the spatial distribution of PUE. Our findings highlight that the dynamics of precipitation rather than those of temperature mediated the variations in NPP and PUE in forests across the TNSTF.

Short gradient, but distinct plant strategies: The CSR scheme applied to subtropical forests

AbstractQuestionsPlant communities in transitional zones between ecosystem types have potentially a large range of ecological strategies, even along short gradients. Exploring these regional differences and the drivers of variation is important to understand plant adaptations and changes in ecological processes between distinct ecosystems. Here, we ask whether distinct forest types in the subtropical region present plant communities with distinct ecological strategies and, if so, if these differences are driven by climatic variables.LocationSubtropical forests in southern Brazil.MethodsWe compiled species lists from 112 sites distributed across rainforests, seasonal forests, Araucaria forests and Pampean forests. We used Grime's CSR scheme and calculated, for each species, CSR values based on information of three leaf traits: leaf area, specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content. Species CSR values were used to calculate the mean value for each community. We selected four climatic variables related to temperate and precipitation and analyzed their influence on plant strategies by linear mixed models.ResultsOur results showed a strong CS component for all subtropical forests studied, with a small contribution from component R. We found clear differences in ecological strategies between forest types: rainforest showed the highest values of component C, and Araucaria and Pampean forests presented the highest values of component S. We found a strong influence of temperature variables on ecological strategies.ConclusionsEven along a short latitudinal gradient, we found differences in ecological strategies across forest types. Araucaria and Pampean forests were strongly associated with the stress‐tolerant strategy, as they face lower minimum temperatures and/or a larger temperature range, whereas rainforests, which face warmer temperatures and a lower range of variation, presented a strategy where competition is of higher importance. This highlights that regional environmental conditions in this transitional zone influence ecological strategies of tree communities.