Upland Forest Research Articles

Cowpea, corn, and soybean yield using fertilizer based on the bone meal in the Eastern Amazon

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of granulated formulations, made using calcined bone meal as a phosphorus source, on cowpea, soybean, and corn in the Amapá State, Eastern Brazilian Amazon. In the greenhouse, the treatments consisted of two soils with different clay contents (231 and 376 g kg-1), three granulated NPK formulations (08-20-10, 02-20-10, and 01-20-00 prepared with bovine bone meal, monoammonium phosphate, ammonium sulfate, urea, and potassium chloride and phosphorite), and three crop successions (cowpea/corn/soybean, soybean/cowpea/corn, and corn/soybean/cowpea). In the field, treatments consisted of four levels of NPK 08-20-10 for corn and NPK 02-20-10 for soybean, in a Cerrado, and NPK 02-20-10 for cowpea, in both Cerrado and upland forest environments. NPK formulations fertilizer promotes greater soybean, cowpea, and corn shoot dry weight in the sandy loam compared to sandy clay soil. NPK promotes greater cowpea grain yield in the Cerrado than in the upland forest environment. The grain yield of the cowpea cultivar BRS Tumucumaque and corn BRS 206 responds linearly to the increase in fertilization with NPK formulations. The increasing levels of NPK formulation made with calcined bone meal do not affect soybean BRS Tracajá grain yield in the Cerrado environment.

Wetland soil carbon dioxide emission dynamics with external dissolved organic matter in mid–high-latitude forested watershed

Long-term low temperatures in mid–high-latitude forested watersheds can slow litter decomposition during freeze–thaw periods, and release more nutrients from the surface layer during rainy seasons. Hydrologically dissolved organic matter (DOM) is transported to downstream wetlands and influences soil CO2 emissions. In this study, multiscale approaches were used to further understand soil CO2 emissions in the mid−high-latitude forested wetland watershed. First, the in situ soil CO2 emission rate measurements and microbial abundances during freeze–thaw period and rainy season were compared to analyze their occurrences. Wetland soil could emit large amounts of CO2 during rainy season, which was strongly stimulated by genus of Vicinamibacterales and Basidiomycota. Second, the in situ micrometeorology, water quality measurement, and model simulation methods were adopted to reveal the factors influencing wetland soil CO2 emission efflux during rainy season. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations strongly correlated with wetland soil CO2 emission efflux, and their magnitudes were controlled by DOM components in the upstream river. Furthermore, hydrological DOM flow paths were influenced by rainfall patterns, and more low-molecular-weight compounds released from upland forests under increasing frequency of heavy rainfall events. Finally, we simulated watershed soil CO2 emission effluxes using the denitrification and decomposition model, and globally analyzed the effects of latitude on soil CO2 emission effluxes. Wetland soil CO2 emissions in mid−high-latitude forested watershed should not be ignored and efficient mitigation measures needed to be further investigated for enhancing carbon sequestration potential.

Amazonian birds in more dynamic habitats have less population genetic structure and higher gene flow.

Understanding the factors that govern variation in genetic structure across species is key to the study of speciation and population genetics. Genetic structure has been linked to several aspects of life history, such as foraging strategy, habitat association, migration distance, and dispersal ability, all of which might influence dispersal and gene flow. Comparative studies of population genetic data from species with differing life histories provide opportunities to tease apart the role of dispersal in shaping gene flow and population genetic structure. Here, we examine population genetic data from sets of bird species specialized on a series of Amazonian habitat types hypothesized to filter for species with dramatically different dispersal abilities: stable upland forest, dynamic floodplain forest, and highly dynamic riverine islands. Using genome-wide markers, we show that habitat type has a significant effect on population genetic structure, with species in upland forest, floodplain forest, and riverine islands exhibiting progressively lower levels of structure. Although morphological traits used as proxies for individual-level dispersal ability did not explain this pattern, population genetic measures of gene flow are elevated in species from more dynamic riverine habitats. Our results suggest that the habitat in which a species occurs drives the degree of population genetic structuring via its impact on long-term fluctuations in levels of gene flow, with species in highly dynamic habitats having particularly elevated gene flow. These differences in genetic variation across taxa specialized in distinct habitats may lead to disparate responses to environmental change or habitat-specific diversification dynamics over evolutionary time scales.

Attaining freshwater and estuarine-water soil saturation in an ecosystem-scale coastal flooding experiment

Coastal upland forests are facing widespread mortality as sea-level rise accelerates and precipitation and storm regimes change. The loss of coastal forests has significant implications for the coastal carbon cycle; yet, predicting mortality likelihood is difficult due to our limited understanding of disturbance impacts on coastal forests. The manipulative, ecosystem-scale Terrestrial Ecosystem Manipulation to Probe the Effects of Storm Treatments (TEMPEST) experiment addresses the potential for freshwater and estuarine-water disturbance events to alter tree function, species composition, and ecosystem processes in a deciduous coastal forest in MD, USA. The experiment uses a large-unit (2000 m2), un-replicated experimental design, with three 50 m × 40 m plots serving as control, freshwater, and estuarine-water treatments. Transient saturation (5 h) of the entire soil rooting zone (0–30 cm) across a 2000 m2 coastal forest was attained by delivering 300 m3 of water through a spatially distributed irrigation network at a rate just above the soil infiltration rate. Our water delivery approach also elevated the water table (typically ~ 2 m belowground) and achieved extensive, low-level inundation (~ 8 cm standing water). A TEMPEST simulation approximated a 15-cm rainfall event and based on historic records, was of comparable intensity to a 10-year storm for the area. This characterization was supported by showing that Hurricane Ida’s (~ 5 cm rainfall) hydrologic impacts were shorter (40% lower duration) and less expansive (80% less coverage) than those generated through experimental manipulation. Future work will apply TEMPEST treatments to evaluate coastal forest resilience to changing hydrologic disturbance regimes and identify conditions that initiate ecosystem state transitions.

Low species turnover of upland Amazonian birds in the absence of physical barriers

AbstractAimOne of the oldest and most powerful ways for ecologists to explain distinct biological communities is to invoke underlying environmental differences. But in hyper‐diverse systems, which often display high species richness and low species abundance, these sorts of community comparisons are especially challenging. The classic view for Amazonian birds posits that riverine barriers and habitat specialization determine local and regional community composition. We test the tacit, complementary assumption that similar bird communities should therefore permeate uniform habitat between major rivers, regardless of distance.LocationUpland (terra firme) rainforests of central Amazonia.MethodsWe conducted intensive whole‐community surveys of birds in three pairs of 100‐ha plots, separated by 40–60 km. We then used dissimilarity indices, cluster analysis, and ordination to characterize differences among the six avian communities.ResultsIn all, we detected 244 forest‐dependent birds, with an average of 190 species (78%) per plot. Species turnover was negligible, no unique indicator species were found among plot pairs, and all documented species were already known from a complete inventory at one of the three sites.Main ConclusionsOur study corroborates the classic biogeographical pattern and suggests that turnover contributes little to regional avian diversity within upland forests. Using a grain size of 100 ha, this implies that upland birds perceive the environment as uniform, at least over distances of ~60 km. Therefore, to maximize both local species richness and population persistence, our findings support the conservation of very large tracts of upland rainforest. Our analyses also revealed that the avifauna at Reserva Ducke, encroached by urban sprawl from the city of Manaus, shows the hallmarks of a disturbed community, with fewer vulnerable insectivores. This defaunation signals that even an enormous preserve (10 × 10 km) in lowland Amazonia is not insulated from anthropogenic degradation within the surrounding landscape.

Meteorological responses of carbon dioxide and methane fluxes in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of a subarctic landscape

Abstract. The subarctic landscape consists of a mosaic of forest, peatland, and aquatic ecosystems and their ecotones. The carbon (C) exchange between ecosystems and the atmosphere through carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes varies spatially and temporally among these ecosystems. Our study area in Kaamanen in northern Finland covered 7 km2 of boreal subarctic landscape with upland forest, open peatland, pine bogs, and lakes. We measured the CO2 and CH4 fluxes with eddy covariance and chambers between June 2017 and June 2019 and studied the C flux responses to varying meteorological conditions. The landscape area was an annual CO2 sink of −45 ± 22 and −33 ± 23 g C m−2 and a CH4 source of 3.0 ± 0.2 and 2.7 ± 0.2 g C m−2 during the first and second study years, respectively. The pine forest had the largest contribution to the landscape-level CO2 sink, −126 ± 21 and −101 ± 19 g C m−2, and the fen to the CH4 emissions, 7.8 ± 0.2 and 6.3 ± 0.3 g C m−2, during the first and second study years, respectively. The lakes within the area acted as CO2 and CH4 sources to the atmosphere throughout the measurement period, and a lake located downstream from the fen with organic sediment showed 4-fold fluxes compared to a mineral sediment lake. The annual C balances were affected most by the rainy peak growing season in 2017, the warm summer in 2018, and a heatwave and drought event in July 2018. The rainy period increased ecosystem respiration (ER) in the pine forest due to continuously high soil moisture content, and ER was on a level similar to the following, notably warmer, summer. A corresponding ER response to abundant precipitation was not observed for the fen ecosystem, which is adapted to high water table levels, and thus a higher ER sum was observed during the warm summer 2018. During the heatwave and drought period, similar responses were observed for all terrestrial ecosystems, with decreased gross primary productivity and net CO2 uptake, caused by the unfavourable growing conditions and plant stress due to the soil moisture and vapour pressure deficits. Additionally, the CH4 emissions from the fen decreased during and after the drought. However, the timing and duration of drought effects varied between the fen and forest ecosystems, as C fluxes were affected sooner and had a shorter post-drought recovery time in the fen than forest. The differing CO2 flux response to weather variations showed that terrestrial ecosystems can have a contrasting impact on the landscape-level C balance in a changing climate, even if they function similarly most of the time.

Light attenuation by pawpaw (Asimina triloba L.) in a midwestern upland forest 1

Light attenuation by pawpaw (Asimina triloba L.) in a midwestern upland forest 1

English

Soils in floodplain ecosystems are sedimentary and subject to removal, transport, and deposition processes caused mainly by the water cycle, contributing to frequent variations in landscape patterns and continuous transformation of the floodplain environment. Given the constant disturbance caused by flood pulse variability, it is difficult to assess soil properties in floodplain ecosystems. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0 to 0.10 m at floodplain and upland forest sites between Santarém and Gurupá, Pará State, Brazil. Samples were analyzed for pH H2O, aluminium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, total organic carbon, boron, zinc, copper, iron, manganese, sand, silt, and clay. Potential and effective cation-exchange capacity, sum of bases, base saturation, aluminum saturation, and organic matter were calculated. Data were subjected to descriptive analysis, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and hierarchical clustering. Chemical and textural parameters differed significantly between floodplain and upland forest soils. Soil properties were highly heterogeneous. Aluminium and aluminium saturation had the highest coefficients of variation among floodplain samples, whereas pH H2O and base saturation had the lowest. It is possible to infer from the results that floodplain forest soils maintain high levels of fertility. However, this environment also shows high acidity and toxic levels of exchangeable aluminium. Key words: Flood pulse, soil fertility, floodplain ecosystem.

Phylogenetic diversity and structure in moist and dry upland forests in the semi-arid region of Brazil.

Understanding the factors influencing variation in the diversity and structure of rich biological communities (e.g., Neotropical upland forests) is essential in the context of climate change. In this study, we examine how environmental filters (temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and distinct habitats (moist upland forests - MUF and dry upland forests - DHF) influence the phylogenetic diversity and structure of 54 tree communities (28 MHF and 26 DHF). We used the standardized effect size (ses) of the metrics phylogenetic diversity (ses.PD), mean pairwise distance (ses.MPD), and mean nearest neighbor distance (ses.MNTD) to quantify changes in tree community diversity and structure. Then, we assessed the relationships of the phylogenetic metrics with the environmental filters as predictors using generalized linear models (GLMs). Our results indicate that increasing temperature negatively affects the phylogenetic indices analyzed, leading to less diverse and more clustered communities. In contrast, increasing precipitation and elevation showed a significant positive relationship with the analyzed indices, directing communities towards greater phylogenetic diversity and random or overdispersed structure. Our findings also reveal that phylogenetic diversity and structure vary with habitat type. For example, while MUFs exhibit higher phylogenetic diversity and random structure, DUFs display lower phylogenetic diversity and clustered structure. In conclusion, our results suggest that the phylogenetic patterns exhibited by upland communities in the semiarid region are strongly related to climatic conditions and the habitat in which they are found. Therefore, if the predicted temperature increases and precipitation decreases in climate change scenarios for the semi-arid region materialize, these communities may face significant biodiversity loss.

Discovery of Backusella paraconstricta sp. nov. (Mucorales, Mucoromycota) in an upland forest in northeastern Brazil with an identification key for Backusella from the Americas

Discovery of Backusella paraconstricta sp. nov. (Mucorales, Mucoromycota) in an upland forest in northeastern Brazil with an identification key for Backusella from the Americas

Fauna and biotopic distribution of Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) in the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve, Russia

Chrysomelidae (hereinafter – leaf beetles) forms one of the largest families of trophically specialised phytophagous beetles. Therefore, a detailed study of leaf beetles is an important component of research aiming to assess the diversity and specificity of biota in Protected Areas. Based on the results of original studies (2011, 2013, 2014, 2021) and a critical review of the literature, this paper presents the species composition and analyses the fauna of leaf beetles in the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve, Russia. It was found that the studied fauna belongs to the richest local faunas of leaf beetles in the Middle Volga Region, and it has a considerable originality. In total, 230 leaf beetle species have been recorded in the study aera. Of them, 47 species were recorded for the first time in the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve, including 23 species recorded for the first time for the fauna of the Samara Region. The leaf beetle fauna is characterised by a complex composition, including species of European, Siberian and Kazakh-Turanian faunas, and it includes a relict endemic of Eastern Europe, Chrysolina roddi. An analysis of the biotopic distribution of leaf beetles showed that the highest number of species (116) is represented in the forb and petrophytic steppes of the Zhiguli Mountains. It also includes quite rich complexes of semi-aquatic and meadow biotopes of the floodplain and islands of the River Volga (98 species), as well as upland forest (93 species) (including broad-leaved forests and pine forests). In the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve, trophically specialised leaf beetle species are associated with plants from 38 families. Their most numerous groups are related with Asteraceae (28 species), Salicaceae (23 species), Brassicaceae (17 species), and Lamiaceae (15 species). The leaf beetle fauna of the Zhiguli State Nature Reserve can be considered one of a reference group in the forest-steppe of the Volga Upland. This confirms its great importance for the preservation of the original natural ecosystems in the Middle Volga Region.

A new subspecies of Neurellipes helpsi (Larsen, 1994) from Guinea, West Africa (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae: Lycaenesthini)

The only known western population of Neurellipes helpsi (Larsen, 1994), found by the authors in the Ziama Massif, Guinea is clearly distinct from the nomino typical population, which was recorded in the Atewa Range in Ghana and a couple of stray specimens from Tano Ofin (Ghana) and Banco Forest (Ivory Coast). A male specimen of the Guinean population was illustrated in the revision of Anthene s.l. in 2010 but the taxon was not described due to insufficient material available. Beside the material collected by the second author, a new series of males was collected during a biodiversity assessment by the first author and his team in 2019. Examination of male genitalia revealed insignificant differences and for that reason, despite clear biogeographic distinction, the taxon is here recognized as a new subspecies of N. helpsi ziama n. ssp., what is known only from upland forest habitats in the Ziama Massif, found near streams and upland swamps. With 19 figures.

Aerobic methane emissions from the shoots of Scots pine

Plants are recognized sources of methane (CH4) but plant-mediated CH4 emissions have mostly been studied on herbaceous species, although also trees are known to emit CH4. Emissions from tree canopies likely mostly derive from an aerobic, abiotic process. Aerobic CH4 production from trees has not been thoroughly studied, leaving uncertainties to the global source strength estimates, which vary from 0 to 240 Tg yr-1. Even less is known about how aerobic emissions affect the CH4 cycles in boreal forest ecosystems, as the environmental and physiological drivers are not fully understood. In this study, shoot-level CH4 fluxes of boreal conifer trees were measured outdoors and in the greenhouse, to investigate the environmental and physiological drivers and regulators of shoot-level CH4 fluxes. Most of the measurements were done from saplings of Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine), one of the most important tree species of the boreal region of the Eurasian continent, by using chamber enclosure methods with spectral, online greenhouse gas analysers. The measurements were conducted either manually, or with an automated measurement system, developed to overcome issues related to manual measurement techniques. The shoots of Scots pine showed small but significant emissions of CH4 in all experimental setups, the emissions were driven by light, enhanced by elevated temperature, and occurred independently from drought and photosynthesis. Solar radiation was a more significant driver of these CH4 emissions than artificial light with UV-A. These results show that Scots pine canopies have the potential to produce CH4 in a similar process that has been described before for the foliage of herbaceous plants, but these emissions are smaller than the initial estimates of the aerobic CH4 source from vegetation. The boreal forest canopies are sources of CH4 and have the capacity to decrease the CH4 sink strength of boreal upland forests by ~ 5 %.

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba L.) ramet leaf-area scaling and patch foliar estimation in a midwestern upland forest 1

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba L.) ramet leaf-area scaling and patch foliar estimation in a midwestern upland forest 1

Phorophyte size and soil profiles differentially correlate with community structure among hemiepiphytes and nomadic vines

AbstractTropical non‐self‐supporting plants such as hemiepiphytes and nomadic vines are model organisms for disentangling biotic and environmental correlates which influence their occupancy patterns. We inventoried >4000 individuals from >3000 trees ranging from 1 to 200 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) in a northeastern Amazonian upland forest to address how tree (phorophyte) size, edaphic factors and recruitment strategy influence occupancy, diversity, and compositional patterns of two vascular non‐self‐supporting plant functional groups. Hemiepiphytes germinate on phorophytes prior to establishing soil connections, whereas nomadic vines initiate their life cycle on the forest floor and subsequently climb phorophytes for crown access, abandoning roots replaced by adventitious connections which may reach the ground. Our results show that larger phorophytes (≥30 cm DBH) supported more species for both hemiepiphytes and nomadic vines. However, nomadic vines' occupancy probabilities saturated faster at smaller stem sizes than that of hemiepiphytes indicating differential preferences for stem sizes among the two functional groups. For smaller phorophytes (<30 cm DBH), soil correlations were stronger with nomadic vines than hemiepiphytes, whereas no significant differences were detected among functional groups in relation to edaphic factors for larger (≥ 30 cm DBH) ones. Finally, a small core group of species showed disproportionately greater abundances among large phorophytes suggesting that autogenic processes differentially promote survivability. Such interactions among phorophyte size and edaphic factors may result from the contrasting ecological requirements of hemiepiphytes and nomadic vines at the recruitment stage, demonstrating the necessity for elaborate demographic‐based studies to better understand these complex plant–plant interactions.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material

Radial Growth Cyclicity and Life State of a European Oak Trunk in Upland and Floodplain Oak Forests of the Southern Forest Steppe

Radial Growth Cyclicity and Life State of a European Oak Trunk in Upland and Floodplain Oak Forests of the Southern Forest Steppe

Oribatida in New Zealand alpine environments

New Zealand’s soil biota is diverse and unusual, and has high levels of species endemism. Soil microarthropods are the major (and least studied) part of NZ land fauna, yet changes in their biodiversity are often difficult to quantify, because the baseline data are lacking. Data on alpine fauna and flora are a priority in preserving NZ biological heritage, as they are vulnerable to range contraction and higher-altitude displacement due to climate warming. In this presentation we briefly summarize the gaps and challenges in our knowledge of NZ alpine invertebrate biodiversity. The patterns in diversity and community structure of soil Oribatida in the alpine zone vs. upland forests are discussed using spatially-explicit data from several alpine regions of the South Island. Focusing on environmental and spatial analysis, we answer several questions: 1) is alpine plant diversity a significant driver for oribatid species diversity in the high alpine, and if not, what is? 2) Did limited dispersal and habitat fragmentation during Pliocene mountain building and Pleistocene glaciation produce regionally unique alpine communities, or is the alpine fauna a generic depauperate fragment of communities below treeline? 3) What is the scale of species turnover patterns across the alpine landscape? There is also an interesting opportunity to compare oribatid communities of alpine New Zealand with those bearing similar ecophysiological challenges in the Northern Hemisphere.

Properties of river organic carbon affected by wastewater treatment plants

Tracking the sources of organic carbon (OC) is critical not only for understanding riverine carbon dynamics but also for providing management options to improve water quality. We collected water samples from upland forest streams to the mainstream Geumho River (GHR) of South Korea, which included a variety of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) effluents. We analyzed the concentrations, optical properties, and dual carbon isotope ratios of these samples to identify the sources of OC. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was the dominant form of OC in the GHR compared to particulate organic carbon (POC), as the former accounted for 87 % of OC. The concentrations of DOC and POC ranged from 1.2 to 11.2 mg L−1 and from 0 and 3.6 mg L−1, respectively, aside from the livestock WWTP effluent. Dominant fluorescence components were terrestrial humic substances in upper reaches whereas protein-like materials in lower reaches of the GHR whose watershed includes a large city with many WWTPs. Significantly lower Δ14C-DOC and Δ14C-POC were observed in industrial WWTP effluents than the other sites due to the contribution of fossil OC. Livestock WWTP effluents had higher δ13C-DOC and δ13C-POC than most of the sites, possibly due to the animal feed derived from C4 plants such as corn. Fossil OC contributed 29–52 % of [DOC] and 36–56 % of [POC] from industrial WWTP effluents, whereas C4-plants derived OC contributed about half of [DOC] and [POC] from a livestock WWTP effluent. The results suggest that anthropogenic sources of organic carbon could alter river carbon dynamics, and that caution is needed when we interpret isotope ratios of riverine organic carbon, particularly when the river passes through highly populated areas wherein WWTP effluents are large.

Soil carbon stock changes over 21 years in intensively monitored boreal forest stands in Finland

This study’s aim was to evaluate the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes of the upland forest sites (ICP Forests, Level II network) in relation to factors affecting the stocks in the long run, such as soil and stand properties. The SOC stock changes were based on repeated soil surveys carried out in 1995, 2006 and 2016 on ten plots on managed boreal forest ecosystems, and they represent typical mature forest stands in Finland. In addition, two plots in old-growth forests and two with a short monitoring history were studied. SOC stocks (organic layer, mineral soil 0–40 cm depth) were significantly higher in the spruce stands than in pine stands due to the higher site fertility of the spruce stands, and the biomass in the litter layer was positively correlated with the SOC stocks. The mean annual increase in the SOC stock was 36 g m−2 yr−1 for ten of the plots, which were monitored for the period between 1995 and 2016. An opposite trend was observed on two of the monitored plots, which were on harvested stands or plots where part of the standing tree biomass was lost due to disturbances before 2016. Total forest vegetation biomass was positively correlated, and the soil C/N ratio negatively, with the SOC stock’s annual increase. The top mineral soil layer (0–20 cm) played an important role in the SOC stock’s average annual increase.

Importance of Vegetation for Identifying Wetlands in the Lower Mainland Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada using Prevalence Index, Hydrophytic Cover Index, and Dominance Ratio

The Lower Mainland Fraser Valley (LMFV) in British Columbia (BC), Canada is a complex and high stakes environment for wetland identification (Figure 1). High precipitation, subdued topography, and complex site history combine to present formidable challenges to wetland identification and management. Over the last 100+ years, the LMFV has undergone intense and rapid changes. Originally the land was a natural assortment of bogs, swamps and upland forests, which was then cleared for agriculture, and now is undergoing accelerating urban development. Land use competition is intense. Stakes are high: identification of wetlands can make or break development deals. Wetlands are protected in BC by the Water Sustainability Act, and administration is usually through municipal governments and bylaws. Jurisdictional wetlands are identified and mapped as part of a development permitting process.