Shelter Forest Research Articles

Formation mechanisms and remediation techniques for low-efficiency artificial shelter forests on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Formation mechanisms and remediation techniques for low-efficiency artificial shelter forests on the Chinese Loess Plateau

How does tree mortality caused by bark beetle (Trypophloeus klimeschi) outbreaks affect changes in soil fungal communities?

Forest disturbances such as fires, windthrows, and insect outbreaks have a serious influence on how these ecosystems function. In recent years, an outbreak of an endemic bark beetle species (Trypophloeus klimeschi Eggers) has caused a major disturbance in the Populus alba var. pyramidalis northwest shelter forest in China. The rapid and widespread death of P. alba var. pyramidalis caused by this beetle has cascading effects on the soil properties and fungal communities’ diversity that remain uncertain. We evaluated the mortality of P. alba var. pyramidalis forest attacked by T. klimeschi in this area and set four different levels of tree mortality: T1 level (0–10%), T2 level (11–40%), T3 level (41–70%) and T4 level (71–100%). We simultaneously measured rhizosphere soil properties and fungal community composition (using high-throughput sequencing) at different tree mortality levels. The increase in tree mortality resulted in a steep increase in the soil concentrations of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+), nitrate nitrogen (NO3–) and available phosphorus, as well as a reduction in soil pH. Meanwhile, the fungal communities showed profound changes, the relative abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi decreased significantly by 71%, and the relative abundance of pathogenic fungi increased significantly by 73%. The combined effects of the changes in the soil fungal communities’ composition and available nitrogen content resulted in a significant 26% reduction in the richness of soil fungi. Our findings suggest that the mortality of poplar species due to the rapid range expansion of T. klimeschi will have significant impacts on crucial soil fungal communities, which may have sustained and potentially important implications for the future restoration of forest ecology in this area. The composition and changes of soil fungal communities should be considered in the subsequent forest ecological restoration process in this area.

Temporal and Spatial Changes in Vegetation Ecological Quality and Driving Mechanism in Kökyar Project Area from 2000 to 2021

The “Kökyar Greening Project” in the suburb of Aksu, Xinjiang, is a model of large-area artificial afforestation in an environment of drought and water scarcity. As an important part of the “3-North Shelter Forest Program”, it plays an important role in promoting the economic development and the environmentally friendly construction of Aksu and even of the whole Xinjiang region. Based on multisource remote-sensing data and meteorological observation data, this study explored the temporal and spatial changes in the vegetation parameters (FVC, NPP, and VEQI) and the ecological parameters (RSEI and LULC) in the Kökyar Project Area from 2000 to 2021. Based on the Theil–Sen median and TSS-RESTREND, this study investigated the path of mutual influence among the FVC, NPP, VEQI, and RSEI, as well as their responses to climate change and human activities. The results show that: (1) from 2000 to 2021, the FVC, NPP, VEQI, and RSEI in the Kökyar Project Area showed a significant upward trend and showed the distribution characteristics of “high in the south and low in the north”. (2) Over the past 22 years, the RSEI has shown a significant increase with the FVC, NPP and VEQI (p < 0.001), indicating that the “Kökyar Greening Project” has achieved significant ecological benefits. (3) The changes in the vegetation parameters and RSEI in the Kökyar Project Area were dominated by human activities. (4) The Kökyar Project Area has caused great changes to the ecosystem pattern of the region, and the vegetation parameters and RSEI in the Kökyar Project Area have increased, mainly in the form of cropland and grassland expansion over the past 22 years.

Yellow river delta shelter forest dynamic and degradation factors detection in different phenophases

Yellow river delta shelter forest dynamic and degradation factors detection in different phenophases

Key Strategies Underlying the Adaptation of Mongolian Scots Pine (Pinussylvestris var. mongolica) in Sandy Land under Climate Change: A Review

Forest degradation and mortality have been widely reported in the context of increasingly significant global climate change. As the country with the largest total tree plantation area globally, China has a great responsibility in forestry management to cope with climate change effectively. Mongolian Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) was widely introduced from its natural sites in China into several other sandy land areas for establishing shelterbelt in the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, scoring outstanding achievements in terms of wind-breaking and sand-fixing. Mongolian Scots pine plantations in China cover a total area of ~800,000 hectares, with the eldest trees having >60 years. However, plantation trees have been affected by premature senescence in their middle-age stages (i.e., dieback, growth decline, and death) since the 1990s. This phenomenon has raised concerns about the suitability of Mongolian Scots pine to sandy habitats and the rationality for further afforestation, especially under the global climate change scenario. Fortunately, dieback has occurred only sporadically at specific sites and in certain years and has not spread to other regions in northern China; nevertheless, global climate change has become increasingly significant in that region. These observations reflect the strong drought resistance and adaptability of Mongolian Scots pines. In this review, we summarized the most recent findings on the ecohydrological attributes of Mongolian Scots pine during its adaptation to both fragile habitats and climate change. Five main species-specific strategies (i.e., opportunistic water absorb strategy, hydraulic failure risk avoidance strategy, water conservation strategy, functional traits adjustment strategy, rapid regeneration strategy) were summarized, providing deep insights into the tree–water relationship. Overall, the findings of this study can be applied to improve plantation management and better cope with climate-change-related drought stress.

LDS-YOLO: A lightweight small object detection method for dead trees from shelter forest

The detection and location of dead trees are extremely important for the management and estimating naturalness of the forests, and timely replanting of dead trees can effectively resist natural disasters and maintain the stability of the ecosystem. Dead trees have the characteristics of small targets and inconspicuous detail information, which leads to the problem of difficult identification. In this paper, we propose a novel lightweight architecture for small objection detection based on the YOLO framework, named LDS-YOLO. Specifically, a novel feature extraction module is proposed, it reuses the features from previous layers for the purpose of dense connectivity and reduced dependence on the dataset. Then, for Spatial pyramid pooling (SPP) with the introduction of SoftPool method for retaining detailed information about the object to ensure that small targets are not missed. In the meantime, a depth-wise separable convolution with a small number of parameters is used instead of the traditional convolution to reduce the number of model parameters. We evaluate the proposed method on our self-made dataset based UAV captured images. The experimental results demonstrate that the LDS-YOLO architecture performs well in comparison with the state-of-the-art models, with AP of 89.11% and parameter size of 7.6 MB, and can be used for rapid detection of dead trees in shelter forests, which provides a scientific theoretical basis for forestry management of Three North shelter Forest.

Calcium Regulates Growth and Nutrient Absorption in Poplar Seedlings.

As a crucial element for plants, calcium (Ca) is involved in photosynthesis and nutrient absorption, and affects the growth of plants. Poplar is an important economic forest and shelter forest species in China. However, the optimum calcium concentration for its growth is still unclear. Herein, we investigated the growth, biomass, photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic parameters and products, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, water use efficiency (iWUE), and antioxidant enzyme activity of “Liao Hu NO.1” poplar (P. simonii × P. euphratica) seedlings at 0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mmol·L−1 concentrations of Ca2+, and further studied the absorption, distribution, and utilization of nutrient elements (C, N, P, K, and Ca) in plants. We found that with increasing calcium gradient, plant height and diameter; root, stem, leaf, and total biomasses; net photosynthetic rate (Pn); stomatal conductance (Gs); intercellular carbon dioxide (Ci) level; transpiration rate (Tr); Fv/Fm ratio; Fv/F0 ratio; chlorophyll-a; chlorophyll-b; soluble sugar and starch content; superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) levels; and long-term water use efficiency (iWUE) of poplar seedlings first increased and then decreased. These parameters attained maximum values when the calcium concentration was 5 mmol·L−1, which was significantly different from the other treatments (P < 0.05). Moreover, a suitable Ca2+ level promoted the absorption of C, N, P, K, and Ca by various organs of poplar seedlings. The absorption of C, N, P, and K increased first and then decreased with the increased calcium concentration, but the optimum calcium concentrations for the absorption of different elements by different organs were different, and the calcium concentration in leaves, stems, and roots increased gradually. Furthermore, the increase in exogenous calcium content led to a decreasing trend in the C/N ratio in different organs of poplar seedlings. C/P and N/P ratios showed different results in different parts, and only the N/P ratio in leaves showed a significant positive correlation with Ca2+ concentration. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that 5 mmol·L−1 concentration of Ca2+ is the optimal level, as it increased growth by enhancing photosynthesis, stress resistance, and nutrient absorption.

Effects of Vegetation Changes and Multiple Environmental Factors on Evapotranspiration Across China Over the Past 34 Years

AbstractDocumenting the spatiotemporal changes in vegetation cover and hydrological cycle of the Earth system and understanding how they interact are important especially under climate warming. In this research, we quantified the changes in vegetation and evapotranspiration (E) across China during 1982–2015 and then revealed the complex relationships in climate–vegetation–evapotranspiration system. Results show that the upward trend in vegetation leaf area index (LAI) during 2000–2015 (an increase of 0.95% per year) was almost 8 times the trend during 1982–1999. The zones of the Loess Plateau and the Three‐North Shelter Forest Program are the most notable areas for LAI increases between these two periods, with increases of 11.65% and 2.87%, respectively. Increased LAI, along with the warming climate, has accelerated E across China in the past several decades, and the annual increase in the E rate was 0.34% (1.34 mm year−1) during 1982–1999 and 0.40% (1.62 mm year−1) during 2000–2015. The zones of the Loess Plateau and the karst landform are the most notable areas for transpiration increases, with individual increases of 10% and 5%, respectively. In general, the dominant causes for evaporation changes across all of China are temperature and precipitation, while the main reasons for transpiration changes include temperature, LAI, and sunshine duration. This study improves our understanding of the relationships within the climate–vegetation–evapotranspiration system and provides important support for future ecological policies across China.

A dataset of soil conservation capacity assessment of the Three-North Shelter Forest Programme (2000&amp;ndash;2020)

A dataset of soil conservation capacity assessment of the Three-North Shelter Forest Programme (2000&amp;ndash;2020)

Ensuring an ecologically sustainable state of agroforestry landscapes of LLC “Agroalliance” of Krasnodar Territory

The state of agricultural landscapes is greatly influenced by the ratio of agricultural land and forest plantations. The state of field-protective forest plantations in Krasnodar Territory is mostly unsatisfactory. Despite an in-depth analysis of the problem, the optimal ratio of lands has not been normalized and varies quite strongly depending on the regional and local characteristics of the territory. The research was carried out on the territory of the LLC “Agroalliance” farm in Dinskaya District. It is characterized by a high degree of plowing with a protective forest cover of more than 5%. The study of agroforestry landscapes was carried out using remote sensing methods and field studies. When studying agroforestry landscapes of Krasnodar Territory on the example of LLC “Agroalliance” in Dinskaya District, we observe deterioration in the characteristics of forest shelter belts, non-observance of land management norms. The work is an attempt to improve the ratio of agricultural land and coordinate them with the recommended standards for a given region on the example of an agricultural enterprise. The design of forest belts in all areas is dense, while for this area of Krasnodar Territory, a blown-through design is recommended. To restore, preserve protective forest plantations, we recommend carrying out a system of measures aimed at restoring the structures of forest belts.

Condition and growth of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) in irrigated forest belts of Saratov Trans-Volga steppe

The research aim was to establish the regularities of condition and growth of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) in the irrigated forest belts in the steppe of Saratov Trans-Volga Region. The study object is a system of forest shelter belts under conditions of irrigation of dark chestnut soils of Saratov Trans-Volga steppe with tree species of the main and accompanying purpose - pedunculate oak, lanceolate ash (Fracsinus lanceolata L.) and squat elm (Ulmus pumila L.). The research in the field and materials processing were carried out in accordance with the methodology of specialized research institutes and leading scientists in the field of agroforestry. Forest belts located on agricultural land protect crops from the negative effects of drought and dry winds, optimize snow distribution in winter and irrigation regimes for crops during the growing season, and increase the crops productivity. Irrigation has the most important positive effect on growth and condition of tree species in forest belts and, as a result, on durability and reforestation efficiency of forest belts. The studies have shown that the average height and diameter of oak in the. irrigated forest belts mixed with different species are higher than those without irrigation by 15-26% and 34-39%, respectively. The oak growth in height in irrigated areas of forest belts exceeds its growth in height in areas of forest belts without irrigation by 1.5 times. The vital condition of oak in the irrigated forest belts is characterized by the prevalence of “slightly oppressed” (48%) and “healthy” oak trees (40%).

Wind resistance of southern carbonate and ordinary сhernozems in agroforest landscapes of the steppe zone of Russia

Relevance. The rate of destruction of chernozems in the steppe zone as a result of deflation is very high. There is a threat of their loss of the humus horizon. To optimize the complex of protective measures, it is necessary to establish the regularities of the formation of wind resistance of these soils.Methods. The seasonal dynamics of the structure of the upper layer (0–5 cm) of chernozems of the steppe zone of the Lower Volga region and the Central Pre-Caucasus in the network of forest belts is studied. The aggregate composition was determined by fractionation of an air dry sample. The wind resistance of the soil was assessed by the total content of particles with a diameter of less than 1 mm.Results. It has been established that the open surface of southern carbonate chernozems is deflationary dangerous at any time of the year. Two spraying peaks were revealed — in early spring and before harvesting grain crops. In the first period, the content of particles with a diameter of less than 1 mm was 33–47%, in the second — 60–61%. Shelter forest belts reduced soil spraying in the zone of effective influence. A change in the internal structure of the deflationally dangerous fraction was detected during the year. The disintegration of large aggregates and an increase in the volume of smaller ones were observed. By the harvesting period, the number of particles with a diameter of 0.5–1.0 mm decreased by 1.7–2.6 times compared to the spring. Number of aggregates with a diameter of 0.1–0.5 mm, most strongly blown by the wind, increased by 1.3–1.8 times. The total dispersion of ordinary chernozem is almost two times lower than that of southern chernozem. However, the amount of particles with a diameter of 0.1–0.5 mm in the deflationary dangerous fraction of southern carbonate chernozem in the spring period is 37%, during the harvesting period — 50–56%. And in ordinary chernozem, already since the spring, there are more than 55% of such particles, in the future their number increases to 60%. As a result, by the harvesting period, the danger of a fraction with a diameter of less than 1 mm becomes the same for both subtypes of chernozems. This requires adjusting the complex of protective measures.

Breeding polyploid Populus: progress and perspective.

Populus is a genus of 25-30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, which are primarily planted in short-rotation planations for producing timber, pulpwood, wooden products as well as bioenergy feedstock; they are also widely planted in agricultural fields and along roadsides as shelter forest belts for windbreak, decoration, and reduction of pollutants and noise. Moreover, their fast-growth and good adaptation to marginal lands enable them to provide some critical ecosystem services at various phytoremediation sites for land restoration and reclaimation. Thanks to their important roles, breeding for fast growing poplar trees has been one of the most important objectives for nearly a century. One of the most demonstrated, documented achievements in this aspect is polyploid breeding, especially triploid breeding. This paper critically reviews the various techniques used in inducing triploid plants, including natural 2n formation, artificial induction of 2n male and female gemmates through chemical or physical treatments, trait characterization of the triploid and tetraploid breeding populations, unveiling the molecular mechanisms underpinning the significantly improved traits, and identification and selection of the best triploid progenies. This review also recapitulated the challenges and strategies facing the future of triploid breeding in Populus, including amelioration of 2n gamete induction techniques and efficiency, selection of the best parents and identification of the best progrenies, utilization of the huge amount of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and other omics data for selecting parents for improving target traits.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Three-North Shelter Forest in northern China: First survey on the effects of forests on the behavior of PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of anthropogenic chemicals, that have attracted increasing attention since the early 2000 s. Although forests have been shown to act as a filter and important sink for nonpolar persistent organic pollutants (POPs), relevant reports on PFAS are lacking. Air, soil, and leaf samples were collected inside and outside the forest from two regions of the Three-North Shelter Forest in northern China between 2017 and 2018. Twenty-seven PFAS were analyzed to study the effect of forest on the transport and fate of PFAS. The average ratios of PFAS in the air outside to inside the forest (Qair) ranged from 2.83 ± 0.78–10.6 ± 3.1. A significant positive correlation was found between Qair and the n-octanol−air partition coefficient of individual PFAS (p = 0.041). Higher Qair values for most ionic PFAS were found in broad-leaved forests than in coniferous forests. Soil samples outside the forests showed higher PFAS levels than those inside. The measured concentrations of 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol, a volatile neutral PFAS, in leaf samples were two orders of magnitude higher than those estimated using the equilibrium leaf−air partition of nonpolar POPs, indicating that it may not fit the case of PFAS with surface activity.

Влияние полезащитных лесных полос ажурной конструкции на характер снегораспределения

Snow in agricultural landscapes is a reserve of moisture, as well as protection of soils from deep freezing and protection of wintering plants from destructive effects of low temperatures. In the zone of insufficient moisture to which the study area belongs, the snow cover is one of the main sources of water resources, as the moisture reserves in the soil, necessary for growth and development of agricultural crops, are formed to a greater extent by meltwater infiltration. Forest belts have a direct impact on snow accumulation and character of snow deposition. The purpose of this work is to study the effect of openwork forest shelter belts on snow accumulation and snow distribution in agricultural landscapes in Ilovlinsky District of Volgograd Oblast. The snow cover was studied in the top-down direction along the slope (perpendicular to the forest belt (FB)) by laying snow measuring profiles, along which the height of the snow cover was measured with a snow measuring rod M-46 in triplicate (in the field part every 4 m, in the forest belt and plume zones every meter). According to the results of the studies, the main zones of snow accumulation were identified: the first zone (I) – the forest belt, the second (II) – the zone of snow plume formation, the third (III) – the zone of FB influence (up to 30H, where H is the plantation height), the fourth (IV) – the entire field part of the agricultural landscape. It was found that the maximum values of snow cover were recorded in the forest belt, as well as in the plume zone (1-2H). The average snow height in the field part at the level is 7 cm, which is 14 cm lower than the snow height in the FB influence zone (1-30H). In some parts of the field, the snow cover height is reduced to 5 cm. The results obtained can be used to solve various agronomic as well as anti-erosion problems.

Projected shifts in K&amp;ouml;ppen climate zones over China and its national ecological security shelter zones

<p indent="0mm">Based on a set of five regional climate model 21st century climate change simulations, this study assesses future changes in Köppen-Trewartha climate types in China and its five national ecological security shelter zones. The regional climate model, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) regional climate model RegCM4, is driven by five different global climate models, CSIRO-Mk3-6-0, EC-EARTH, HadGEM2-ES, MPI-ESM-MR and NorESM1-M, at a grid spacing of <sc>25 km</sc> under the representative concentration pathway RCP4.5. These global climate models were selected because of their high horizontal resolution and their good performance in reproducing temperature and precipitation over China. The model configuration used was customized for better performance over China. Bias correction was applied to the simulated temperature and precipitation before calculating the climate types. By the end of the 21st century (2069–2098), the annual mean temperature over China is projected to increase by 2.4°C relatives to the present day (1981–2010) annual mean temperature, with the greatest warming (&gt; <sc>2.8°C)</sc> occurring in the Three Rivers Headwaters region. The annual mean precipitation change shows a general increase in most parts of China, except for a slight decrease (&lt; 7%) in southwestern China. The increase is more pronounced over northwestern China. The distribution of climate types was well reproduced by the simulations. A subtropical humid (Cr) climate mainly covers the regions south of the Yangtze River over eastern China. Southwestern China is dominated by a subtropical winter dry (Cw) climate. The Tibetan Plateau is mostly described as tundra (FT) and arid (type B) climate. Dry arid (BW) and semiarid (BS) climates cover most of the northern regions of 35°N except over northeastern China, where temperate continental (Dc) and subarctic continental (Ec) climates exist. Compared to the present-day climates, a change of 22% in the climate types is projected to occur over the whole Chinese territory by the end of the 21st century. The changes are most significant over the Tibetan Plateau and along the climate transition zone of the Qinling Mountains-Huaihe River over China, with a dominant retreat of FT due to the profound warming and an expansion of BS and Cw being projected for the former, and a replacement of temperature oceanic (Do) by Cw being projected for the latter. Over northeastern China, the main projected change in the climate types is the replacement of Ec by Dc. Tropical wet-dry (Aw) climates will occur over all of Hainan Island. The analysis showed that most changes in climate types are driven by temperature rather than precipitation. For the national shelter zones, climate types will change by 24% over all the areas. Profound changes of ~40% will occur in the shelter zones of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Sichuan-Yunnan-Loess Plateau, followed by those in the northeastern forest. More specifically, over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the replacement of FT by subarctic oceanic (Eo), BS, Ec, and Dc climates is projected to occur. While FT (62%) and BS (26%) dominate this region currently day, BS (38%) and FT (24%) will account for a greater proportion of the region by the end of the 21st century. The change in climate types on the Sichuan-Yunnan-Loess Plateau is characterized by the expansion of Cw and BS and a loss of FT. Replacement of Ec by Dc is projected in the northeastern forest shelter zone, indicating a major retreat of subarctic coniferous forest there. Greater ecological vulnerability and risks in the future under climate change are expected in the zones. Generally, the changes are in good agreement among the individual simulations, indicating a small uncertainty in the projections.

1002. CISTANCHE DESERTICOLA: Orobanchaceae

SummaryCistanche deserticola Ma is illustrated and described. This species is native to China where it has long been valued and used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is now cultivated extensively for trade. The species is confused easily with closely related species such as Cistanche salsa (C.A. Mey.) Beck. Bract and vascular bundle morphology, and habit, have been used traditionally to discriminate these taxa, which we discuss. Cistanche deserticola and its relatives may have significant global potential as ancillary crops that could be grown with shelter forests planted to halt land degradation.

The current state of the pine shelter belt in the steppe zone of the Krasnoyarsk Territory

xModern forest shelter belts do not fully protect arable land and most often have a different life state. In theseconditions, the preservation of forest belts, their performance of protective functions in the system of agroforestry andother complex measures remains an urgent task. The studies were carried out in a field-protective forest belt located in thevicinity of the Oktyabrsky village of the Krasnoturansky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, where a temporary test plotwas laid using generally accepted methods. The aim of the research was to study the current state of this forest belt by identifying the sanitary state and preservation of the stand and growth rates of Scots pine. Analysis of the current state of thestand showed that the average category of the state of trees is 1.3 points. The stand safety is 44.9%. Pine trees at the age of 28after planting have reached an average height of 11.6 m with an average diameter of 19.1 cm. The forest belt has an optimalopenwork-blown design and is capable of self-renewal naturally. To prevent further degradation of arable leached chernozems in treeless areas of the steppe zone of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, it is advisable to create pine forest shelter belts.

Long-Term Effects of Climate and Competition on Radial Growth, Recovery, and Resistance in Mongolian Pines.

Understanding the response of tree growth and drought vulnerability to climate and competition is critical for managing plantation forests. We analyzed the growth of Mongolian pines in six forests planted by the Three-North Shelter Forest Program with tree-ring data and stand structures. A retroactive reconstruction method was used to depict the growth-competition relationships of Mongolian pines during the growth period and their climatic responses under different competition levels. Drought vulnerability was analyzed by measuring the basal area increment (BAI) of different competition indices (CIs). In young trees, differences in BAIs in stands with different CIs were not statistically significant. After 15–20 years, medium- and high-CI stands had significantly lower tree-ring widths (TWs) and BAIs than the low-CI stands (p < 0.05). The standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), precipitation, relative humidity, and vapor pressure deficit were major factors affecting tree growth. On a regional scale, climate outweighed competition in determining radial growth. The relative contribution of climatic factors increased with the gap in SPEI between plantation sites and the native range, while the reverse pattern of the competition-growth relationship was observed. Drought reduced TWs and BAIs at all sites. Stands of different CIs exhibited similar resistance, but, compared with low-CI stands, high- and medium-CI stands had significantly lower recovery, resilience, and relative resilience, indicating they were more susceptible to drought stresses. Modeled CI was significantly negatively related to resistance, resilience, and relative resilience, indicating a density-dependence of tree response to drought. After exposure to multiple sequential drought events, the relative resilience of high-CI stands decreased to almost zero; this failure to fully recover to pre-drought growth rates suggests increased mortality in the future. In contrast, low-CI stands are more likely to survive in hotter, more arid climates. These results provide a better understanding of the roles of competition and climate on the growth of Mongolian pines and offer a new perspective for investigating the density-dependent recovery and resilience of these forests.

Diversity of entomofauna in organic versus conventionally managed soybean fields protected by forest shelter belts in Ukraine

Diversity of entomofauna in organic versus conventionally managed soybean fields protected by forest shelter belts in Ukraine