Forest Vegetation Types Research Articles

Прогнозування діаметра без кори на різній висоті стовбурів дерев ялиці білої в Українських карпатах

Дослідження особливостей взаємозв'язку між діаметрами в корі та без кори на різних висотах стовбурів ялиці білої здійснено за результатами замірів 60 модельних дерев (27 для умов С3 та 33 для умов D3) у модальних ялицевих деревостанах Українських Карпат. Встановлено, що досліджувані типи лісорослинних умов (ТЛРУ) С3 та D3 не мають істотного впливу на значення товщини кори дерев ялиці. Регресійні залежності між діаметрами в корі та без кори встановлено способом порівняння біометричних показників восьми рівнянь, які запропонували різні автори. Розраховані на основі дев'яти біометричних показників середні ранги досліджуваних рівнянь показали, що найкраще взаємозв'язок між діаметрами в корі та без кори для стовбурів дерев ялиці описує рівняння, яке запропонував Crous (2009) (№ 4), а найгірші результати – рівняння № 6 (Meyer, 1946). Рівняння, що враховують висоту заміру діаметрів, загалом дали точніші результати, порівняно з іншими. Найбільші значення відхилень між фактичними та модельними значеннями діаметрів без кори спостережено у верхівковій частині стовбура (відносна висота – понад 0,8). Здійснено вирівнювання отриманих коефіцієнтів регресії для рівняння Crous (2009) за способом найменших квадратів з використанням квадратичної функції. Середнє відхилення між фактичними та змодельованими діаметрами без кори становить 0,13 %, що свідчить про адекватність підібраного рівняння.

Особливості росту кедра атласького (Cedrus Atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière) у лісових культурах Закарпаття

Наведено коротку характеристику кедра атласького та досліджено історію створення насаджень інтродуцента на території держлісфонду державного підприємства "Мукачівське лісомисливське господарство". Встановлено, що оптимальними умовами для культивування кедра атласького в лісових культурах є свіжі й вологі грудові типи лісорослинних умов (D2-3) у передгірській частині Закарпаття до висоти 600 м н.р.м. Визначено показники продуктивності насаджень досліджуваної породи. Встановлено, що в дібровних типах лісорослинних умов кедр атласький на Закарпатті перевершує таксаційні показники аборигенних деревних порід. Порівняльна оцінка лісівничо-таксаційних показників, у розрізі кожної зростаючої породи на досліджуваній ділянці, свідчить, що кедр атласький характеризується кращими показниками розвитку. Запас досліджуваного деревостану, де склад є таким – 8Кда1Яц1См+Клг+Лпд, у 40 річному віці становить 293 м3/га і середній приріст за запасом відповідно – 7,1 м3/га рік. Встановлено, що мішані насадження кедра атласького за середньою висотою та діаметром достовірно вищі, порівняно із чистими деревостанами в однакових ґрунтово-кліматичних умовах Закарпаття. Розпочаті дослідження мають на меті встановлення перспектив використання породи у лісокультурному виробництві регіону, визначення ступеня натуралізації виду та агресивності його поведінки щодо автохтонних деревних видів рослин у корінних типах лісу.

THE ROLE OF THE BOREAL FLOOR (QUEREUS BOREALIS MICH.) IN ENHANCING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF BODIES

A brief analysis of the state of the hills in Ukraine and the ineffectiveness of the adoption of the «Dibrova» program in 1996 concerning their reproduction. Attention is drawn to the deterioration of the overall ecological situation, which affects the stability of the load on the ordinary grouse type of forest vegetation. In connection with this, the arguments regarding the expediency of using the oak of the officer in the recovery of oaks and its oven advantages over the oak are common. Namely, the advantages of oak fighting in front of the oak have been emphasized by the usual feature in terms of resistance to negativeenvironmental influences, which led to the acquisition of a significant part of the plantation of oak. The efficiency of using this breed in places of mass suction of the usual is substantiated. As one of the options offer to calculate the oven when caring for a place in the front of the Carpathians to a height of 700 m above sea level. It is argued that the restoration of obras with oak battles can only improve their stability, but also productivity. It is emphasized that this is one of those wood species that can be formed with highproductivity of wood. Indicated in the high competitiveness of this breed, which should be taken into account when creating mixed crops, where there is no proper approach to the Sabbath, which occurs with their displacement. In this case, less productive modal trees are formed. The comparative estimation of growth on the main tactical indicators in the production of common trees with growth, both modal and normal (full) tree stands is carried out. It is indicated that the creation of hibernous types of forest vegetation, first of all in those places, took place with the involvement of ordinary, cultural life not only contributes to the restoration of otters, but also, with their greater productivity, gives the opportunity to destroy the turnover of felling. In addition, such breeds of efficiency are used in the formation of sustainable agro-landscapes and field-protective forest bands.

Reconstructing past biomes states using machine learning and modern pollen assemblages: A case study from Southern Africa

Fossil pollen assemblages can assist in understanding biome responses to global climate change if there is reasonable probability that they represent specific biomes or bioregions. In this paper, we introduce a novel probabilistic presentation of pollen data and biome assignment. We apply a recently developed pollen-based vegetation classification method utilizing supervised machine learning to Southern Africa modern pollen assemblages. We present an updated modern pollen dataset from Southern Africa, linking the sites to previously defined vegetation units and, ultimately, we generate probabilistic classification for fossil assemblages to reconstruct past vegetation.The modern pollen dataset (N = 211 sites) represents a long vegetation gradient, from desert to forest biomes, capturing broad climate gradients ranging from arid to subtropical. We validate two models using Random Forest algorithm to classify modern vegetation at different spatial resolutions: subcontinental (biomes) and regional (bioregions). When the modern pollen assemblages (N = 164 sites) are used to predict the vegetation types, the classification models are correct in a number of cases. In our dataset of 164 sites, the classification model correctly classifies pollen assemblages from savanna (91% correct), grassland (87%), and coastal forest (82%) vegetation types, while the best results for classification of regional vegetation are achieved for sub-humid savanna (95%), dry savanna (95%), coastal forest (91%), and wet grassland (90%).We apply the models to a fossil pollen sequence at Wonderkrater in the South African savanna, to reconstruct subcontinental and regional changes in past vegetation states over the last 60 000 years. The most probable vegetation state dominating the region since the Late Pleistocene is sub-humid savanna yet grassland occurred at times associated with high vegetation variability. Within the record, the most frequent and amplified variability in the inferred vegetation states occurred during the transitional phase between the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene. The machine learning approach for reconstructing past vegetation, offers a more complex and nuanced view of past vegetation dynamics and has the potential to support quantitative proxy-based techniques for palaeoclimatic reconstructions.

Spatial distribution of bats richness in Mexico at different taxonomic levels: biogeographical and conservation implications

Due to the potential of bats to travel long distances, the great diversity of habitats in which they are found, and their biological peculiarities, bats typically have been excluded in biogeographic analyses. However, like other mammals, bats show common distributional patterns strongly influenced by their biotic and abiotic interactions, aspects that have been poorly analyzed mainly due to technical and methodological limitations. Such occurrence data are limited to a subset of a species’ range, the scale of occurrence records, characteristics of the life history ( e.g ., territory size, vagility) of the taxa being studied, and issues of environmental variable selection and, therefore, the modeling methods and the evaluation of them. In this work, the objectives were to: 1) Evaluate the spatial variation in bat richness in Mexico, both for the order as a whole and at the family taxonomic level. 2) Quantify overlapping species occurrences and corresponding richness values in order to statistically model and generate bat richness maps at different taxonomic levels. 3) Explore the relationship of bat richness with environmental factors and with the biogeographic regions proposed for Mexico. 4) Identify areas of interest with high richness. The information available on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database for bat species with distribution in Mexico was downloaded, and clearly erroneous records deleted. Using the Kriging Ordinary utility (KO), inside the QGIS software, a geostatistical analysis interpolation data was used to determine patterns of richness. The relationship of bat richness to climate, vegetation, and the biotic provinces proposed for Mexico was also explored. Spatial variation in richness was evaluated at the taxonomic levels of order and family. Based on this determination, areas of interest were identified for their high richness. When considering all species of bats the highest diversity is in the central part of the West, the Northeast zone and on both sides of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. However, there are differences present at the family level. Deciduous tropical forest vegetation type presents high bat richness, followed by pine-oak forest and evergreen tropical forest. Temperate sub-humid, warm sub-humid and warm-humid climate types correspond to the highest bat richness of both order and family. Collection localities are not uniformly distributed over the country, most of them being concentrated in the west, east and south of the country, while there are very few records in the north and central plateau, and this is reflected in the richness concentration per cell (values from 0 to 52 species per cell). Protection of the four areas with an overall high concentration of bat richness detected in this analysis should be a priority during the development of conservation strategies.

Context-Dependence of Urban Forest Vegetation Invasion Level and Alien Species’ Ecological Success

Research Highlights: Urban ecosystems are claimed to be more invaded than natural vegetation. Despite numerous studies, the patterns of alien species occurrence in urban forests are rarely linked to invasion ecology hypotheses. Background and Objectives: We assumed that patterns of invasion level (i.e., neophyte richness) and neophyte ecological success (cover) are context-dependent, i.e., depend on the type of vegetation, and that hypotheses connected with empty niche and biotic acceptance will have the strongest support in urban forests. We also tested biotic resistance, habitat filtering, disturbance, resource availability, and environmental heterogeneity hypotheses. Materials and Methods: Using a random forest algorithm, we tested the importance of factors related to invasion ecology hypotheses in a dataset of urban forest vegetation plots (n = 120). We studied seven types of forest plant communities occurring in Poznań (W Poland) and we assessed the vegetation’s taxonomic and functional composition. Results: We found that models of alien species richness and cover explained 28.5% and 35.0% of variance, respectively. Vegetation type was of the highest importance in both cases, suggesting that the occurrence of alien plant species is context-dependent. Resource availability and disturbance ecological indicator values were also of high importance. Conclusions: Our study supported resource availability and habitat filtering hypotheses as explanations of the level of invasion and ecological success of alien species in an urban forest, with partial support for the disturbance hypothesis. Our study revealed that predictors of invasion level are context-dependent, as patterns of alien species richness and cover differed among vegetation types. We highlight context-dependence of alien species invasion patterns in different vegetation types due to the habitat-forming role of dominant tree species and different availability of resources and disturbance levels, as well as different pools of native species. Thus, prevention and management of biological invasions in urban forests should account for forest vegetation type.

Increasing trends in high-severity fire in the southwestern USA from 1984 to 2015

In the last three decades, over 4.1 million hectares have burned in Arizona and New Mexico and the largest fires in documented history have occurred in the past two decades. Changes in burn severity over time, however, have not been well documented in forest and woodland ecosystems in the southwestern US. Using remotely sensed burn severity data from 1621 fires (>404 ha), we assessed trends from 1984 to 2015 in Arizona and New Mexico in (1) number of fires and total area burned in all vegetation types; (2) area burned, area of high-severity, and percent of high-severity fire in all forest and woodland areas; and (3) area burned, area of high-severity, and percent of high-severity in seven different grouped forest and woodland vegetation types (Ecological Response Unit [ERU] Fire Regime Types). Number of fires and area burned increased across the Southwest regardless of vegetation type. The significant increasing trends held for area burned, area of high-severity, and percent of high-severity fire in all forest and woodland ecosystems. Area burned and area burned severely increased in all seven ERU Fire Regime Types while percent of high-severity fire increased in two ERUs: Mixed Conifer Frequent Fire and Mixed Conifer with Aspen/Spruce Fir. Managers must face the implications of increasing, uncharacteristic high-severity fire in many ecosystems as climate change and human pressures continue to affect fire regimes.

Динаміка запасів і площ головних лісотвірних порід Київської області

Важливим показником оцінки лісостану є його продуктивність, тому важливою проблемою лісового господарства є питання з підвищення продуктивності лісів. Проведено аналіз та виявлено закономірності збільшення основних показників продуктивності насаджень Київської області за шість періодів обліку лісового фонду від 1978 р. до 2011 р. та наведено їхню характеристику. Встановлено збільшення лісистості на 2,4 %, водночас відбулося зменшення площі вкритих лісовою рослинністю лісових ділянок загалом в області, що пов'язано з територіальними та адміністративними змінами. Також встановлено збільшення запасів як загалом, так і на один гектар. Це відображає ефективність лісогосподарьких заходів. Виявлено зменшення відсотка запасів м'яколистяних завдяки збільшенню хвойних та твердолистяних деревостанів. У регіоні досліджень найпоширеніші такі деревні види: з групи хвойних порід – сосна звичайна, з групи твердолистяних – дуб звичайний, з групи м'яколистяних – береза повисла, вільха клейка, осика. Одним із показників продуктивності деревостанів є бонітет. Встановлено, що середні класи бонітету насаджень є досить високі, що свідчить про те, що підбір головних лісотвірних порід у Київській області відповідає їх географічному середовищу та умовам місцезростання. З'ясовано, що насадження Київщини не оптимальні. Це видно з вікової структури деревостанів.

Occurrence of Brachyoxylon Hollick et Jeffrey from the Lower Cretaceous of Zhejiang Province, southeastern China

The Lower Cretaceous Guantou Formation is known as an important horizon for the Cretaceous petrified woods in southern China. Though abundant Cretaceous wood remains have been found in this formation, only one species has been recognized. A new coniferous wood, Brachyoxylon zhejiangense sp. nov. is described from the Lower Cretaceous Guantou Formation in Xinchang of Zhejiang Province, southeastern China. Anatomically, the new species is characterized by obscure annual rings, mixed type of radial pitting, araucarioid cross-field pits and uniseriate xylem rays. The finding of Brachyoxylon zhejiangense sp. nov. represents the first well-defined record of Brachyoxylon in southeastern China, and enriches the diversity of the Early Cretaceous petrified wood in southern China. Additionally, the new finding sheds new light on further understanding the floral composition, especially the forest vegetation type of the southern phytoprovince in the late Early Cretaceous. Diverse compressed leaf fossils of Cheirolepidiaceae have been described from the Guantou Formation in the fossil locality of the present petrified wood. The co-occurrence of Brachyoxylon zhejiangense sp. nov. and those cheirolepidiaceous leaf fossils provide additional evidences to support that Brachyoxylon may be systematically related to the Cheirolepidiaceae.

Assessing land-use typologies and change intensities in a structurally complex Ghanaian cocoa landscape

Cocoa plantation is a major land-use system that influences the functional structure of the forest landscape in Ghana. As a key driver of forest landscape dynamics, there is no adequate existing information on the nature, extent and magnitude of land-use change associated with cocoa expansion into forests. Therefore, we have studied the land-use transitions and intensities by using image-fusion on vegetation indices (VI) and a digital elevation model (DEM) to detect and distinguish cocoa plantation from the forest and other vegetation types. This was followed by intensity analysis based on historical land-use changes. With the VI-DEM image, we mapped out different cocoa plantations from the forest and other vegetations with a higher degree of success. The land-use categories were clustered into five main types (closed forest, open-forest, cocoa, lands-in-transition and settlement) to evaluate the transition and intensities from 1986 to 2015. The results showed two main transition patterns, namely 1) the conversion of forest to settlement and cocoa plantation; 2) the conversion of closed forests to open forest, due to logging and conversion of cocoa plantation to lands-in-transition (LIT). The intensity analysis further revealed that expansion in cocoa plantation instead targets least resisted open-forest and LIT areas with an isolated localised fragment of the fringes of forest reserves. Generally, the study revealed that the VI-DEM image-fusion technique is effective for detecting and isolating cocoa plantations, forest and other land-uses with high accuracy. Estimation of cocoa-led deforestation improved after isolating cocoa plantations. Cocoa expansions target more often open-forest and lands-in-transition than closed-forest. When cocoa expansion occurs in closed-forest, it is episodic, localised and coincides with the early stage of the boom-bust pattern.

Optimal resolution selection for monitoring forest vegetation using remote sensing images.

Image resolution directly affects precision, cost, and efficiency of forest vegetation extraction. To determine the best spatial resolution of remote sensing images for forest vegetation extraction, a method was proposed for optimal spatial resolution of remote sensing images when monitoring forest vegetation. Based on a panchromatic image of GF-2, a step length variation function was used to analyze forest vegetation of three distribution types considering monitoring precision, cost, and efficiency in Yangquan Town, Changning City, Hunan Province. A preliminary minimum resolution of the image suitable for forest vegetation extraction was determined. Then, through resampling of GF-2 multi-spectral images after fusion, middle and low resolution images of different scales were made to extract forest vegetation using the supervised classification method. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of results were carried out for accuracy of forest vegetation extraction, image cost, and data processing time. Results showed that the optimal spatial resolution for remote sensing monitoring images was different for different types of forest vegetation, with forest vegetation of small canopies being 3.2 m, for big canopies being 16.0 m, and for mixed canopies being 8.0 m. The optimal spatial resolution of remote sensing images to monitor forest vegetation could be used as a reference in other areas.

Characteristics of soil phosphorus fractions of different vegetation types in subtropical forests and their driving factors.

Soil P fraction, microbial biomass P (MBP), and activities of acid phosphomonoesterase (ACP) and phosphodiesterase (PD) were analyzed under evergreen broad-leaved forest, mixed forest and coniferous forest in Daiyun Mountains. The results showed that labile-P comprised only 1.0%-4.5% of soil total phosphorus (TP). The ratio of soil carbon to organic phosphorus (C:Po) was >200, indicating phosphorus limitation across the three vegetation types. Organic phosphorus (Po) was a significant fraction of soil P, which accounted for 44.8%-47.1% and 28.6%-30.6% of TP in A and B horizons, respectively. Results from the redundancy analysis showed that the changes in P fractions were mainly driven by PD in the A horizon and by ACP in the B horizon. Moreover, the activities of PD and ACP had a significant negative correlation with Po. The results suggested that phosphorus deficiency occurred in the three vegetation types, and that PD and ACP could play major roles in the depletion of soil Po in response to phosphorus limitation in subtropical forests.

KESESUAIAN Durio zibethinus Murr. DAN Nephelium lappaceum L. PADA LAHAN BLOK PEMANFAATAN TAHURA GUNUNG MENUMBING, BANGKA BARAT Suitability of Durio zibethinus Murr. and Nephelium lappaceum L. on the Utilization Block at Menumbing Mountain Grand Forest

The conversion of forests to non-forests by communities has resulted in the loss of forest ecosystems and a reductionin the area of land that can be utilized for nature tourism at Menumbing Mountain Grand Forest Park (MMGFP).Revegetation is needed by planting several types of forest vegetation that generate economic benefits for the communityas well as attracting natural tourism in MMGFP utilization block such as durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) and rambutan(Nephelium lappaceum L.). It is necessary to evaluate utilization block to ensure that both species grow well andproductivity of fruits have optimal yield. This study aims to obtain recommendations for improvements of the land qualityalong with the suitable characteristics to be limiting the growth of durian and rambutan. Suitability evaluation of durianand rambutan refers to the land suitability classification criteria compiled by Indonesian Center for Agricultural LandResources Research and Development by matching the growth requirements of both types with land utilization blockcharacteristics. Durian and rambutan are considered to be marginally suitable (S3) for planting in most land utilizationblock. The limiting factor of durian and rambutan is rooting medium, i.e texture and nutrient retention, comprising pH ororganic carbon (C-organic). The texture of the soil can not be modified because it is permanent. Soil pH can beincreased through liming. The soil C-organic content can be increased through the application of organic fertilizer. Afterboth efforts are made, the planted durian and rambutan are likely to grow well and productivity of the fruit will beoptimal so that revegetation in the utilization block will be successful and problems faced in MMGFP will be solved.Key words: Liming, marginally suitable, organic fertilizer, revegetation

The Classification of Forest Vegetation Types and Species Composition in the Sector between Danmoknyeong and Guryongnyeong of Baekdudaegan

The Classification of Forest Vegetation Types and Species Composition in the Sector between Danmoknyeong and Guryongnyeong of Baekdudaegan

Responses of the Carbon Storage and Sequestration Potential of Forest Vegetation to Temperature Increases in Yunnan Province, SW China

The distribution of forest vegetation and forest carbon sequestration potential are significantly influenced by climate change. In this study, a map of the current distribution of vegetation in Yunnan Province was compiled based on data from remote sensing imagery from the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) from 2008 to 2011. A classification and regression tree (CART) model was used to predict the potential distribution of the main forest vegetation types in Yunnan Province and estimate the changes in carbon storage and carbon sequestration potential (CSP) in response to increasing temperature. The results show that the current total forest area in Yunnan Province is 1.86 × 107 ha and that forest covers 48.63% of the area. As the temperature increases, the area of forest distribution first increases and then decreases, and it decreases by 11% when the temperature increases from 1.5 to 2 °C. The mean carbon density of the seven types of forest vegetation in Yunnan Province is 84.69 Mg/ha. The total carbon storage of the current forest vegetation in Yunnan Province is 871.14 TgC, and the CSP is 1100.61 TgC. The largest CSP (1114.82 TgC) occurs when the temperature increases by 0.5 °C. Incremental warming of 2 °C will sharply decrease the forest CSP, especially in those regions with mature coniferous forest vegetation. Semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved forests were highly sensitive to temperature changes, and the CSP of these forests will decrease with increasing temperature. Warm-hot coniferous forests have the greatest CSP in all simulation scenarios except the scenario of a 2 °C temperature increase. These results indicate that temperature increases can influence the CSP in Yunnan Province, and the largest impact emerged in the 2 °C increase scenario.

Factors determining floristic composition and functional diversity of plant communities of Mount Oku forests, Cameroon

Mount Oku, in north-western Cameroon, holds many endemic and restricted-range species. This study identifies factors influencing the species and functional diversity of plant communities in Mount Oku forests. We specifically look at whether the altitudinal gradient, which classically structures the mountain vegetation, has shifted in response to the influence of human activities. To explore variations in the vegetation composition of the study area, we realized 102 floristic plots along an altitudinal gradient and environmental conditions records (abiotic and biotic variables, human proximity indexes, and land uses at certain periods). Plant species identified were also characterized by a series of life traits (biological type, type of diaspore, leaf size, phytogeography, dispersal pattern, and altitudinal distribution). Multivariate analyses (nonmetric multidimensional scaling and coinertia) have identified the main types of forest vegetation and link functional diversity to environmental factors. The results show that humans have altered the functional composition of vegetation by rearing domestic animals in the understorey forest near the summit. The results also show that it is sometimes difficult to separate the effect of the altitude from the effect of human presence on the plant composition. Greater efforts of biodiversity conservation in high species-rich areas in Mount Oku should be made.

<b>Floristic-structural relationships between Canga ferruginous tree communities and adjacent vegetation types

Our objective was to evaluate the floristic and structural relationships between Canga tree communities and other vegetation types inserted in the physiognomic units set, in order to test the hypothesis that these communities have unique characteristics due to their specific environmental conditions. For this, we compared the structural and floristic attributes of Canga vegetation with adjacent semideciduous seasonal forest, Savanna and ecotone areas, evaluating the similarity in its behavior. Our results demonstrate the existence of distinct relationships among vegetation types in relation to different perspectives, related to macro-scale environmental attributes and to the phytogeographic context. In general, Canga tree vegetation has its structure associated with open vegetation types, such as the Cerrado (Savanna) and its composition associated with forest vegetation types, constituted by a community with specific ecological characteristics. Our results suggest the presence of ferruginous soils as a factor that contributes to environmental and ecological heterogeneity in vegetation matrices.

To dam, or not to dam? Abolishment of further flooding impedes the natural revegetation processes after long‐term fluvial deposition of copper tailings

AbstractLong‐term potentials and constraints of nature to spontaneously recover after severe degradation by toxic mine waste, and general principles of mutual modifications of spontaneous vegetation and soils during this process, have remained widely unknown. This study investigates the effect of flooding on natural restoration of a model locality in Eastern Serbia, complexly degraded by 70‐years fluvial deposition of sulfidic copper (Cu) mine tailings in a floodplain along 80 km of the polluted river flow. We analyzed multivariate response of forest vegetation (floristic and structural parameters) together with physical and chemical properties of concomitant soils and sediments. Floods strongly modify the interactions between soil and vegetation. Three very different types of forest vegetation constitute the response of the nature to key soil adverse factors (excessive Cu availability, low nutrients, and low pH); combined with drought, these constraints completely inhibit revegetation. Continual flooding after mine closure, despite the pollution it still brings in, fosters a faster development of highly specialized vegetation and most importantly faster buildup of soil organic matter necessary for phytostabilization of substantial amounts of Cu tailings present in the floodplain. We show that enhanced nutrient fluxes facilitated by natural flooding regime might overrun the constraining effect of deposited Cu also for natural vegetation.

Palynological study of recent surface sediments from coastal area of Lagos, Nigeria

A palynology study of recent sediments from an 18 cm-core collected from the swamp area in University of Lagos, very close to the Lagos lagoon, was carried out. The recovered palynomorphs included pollen, fern spores, fungal spores and remains, and diatom frustules. Some of the major pollen documented include Arecaceae, Poaceae, Alchornea cordifolia , Amaranthaceae/Chenopodiaceae and Rhizophora . The recovered palynomorph assemblages revealed the recent vegetation changes in this area, which suggests a dominance of open forest vegetation type. Anthropogenic impact especially farming was a key factor that determined palynomorph diversity and abundance. Keywords : Lagos, Palynology, Vegetation changes, Human impact, Palaeoenvironment.

SOME MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF COMPONENTS OF ABOVE-GROUND PHYTOMASS OF BEECH TREES DEPENDING ON THEIR ASSESSMENTS INDEXES IN THE PREVAILING FOREST VEGETATION TYPES OF POLONYNSKY RANGE OF THE UKRAINIAN CARPATHIANS

SOME MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF COMPONENTS OF ABOVE-GROUND PHYTOMASS OF BEECH TREES DEPENDING ON THEIR ASSESSMENTS INDEXES IN THE PREVAILING FOREST VEGETATION TYPES OF POLONYNSKY RANGE OF THE UKRAINIAN CARPATHIANS